This is a "note"/blog I wrote back in 2007 after I had a conversation with my good friend Michael Weisphal when I was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
I think of this as a gift to him and me and, well, you...
I think we all could benefit from more perspective and reflection.
This is a paste from my blog. I post this on here today because I had another good conversation that related to this last night with a new friend.
I figured I would share it with you all.
***
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2007
TURN AROUND!
Alright...
I grew up in a Christian household, the son of a Presbyterian minister and a devout former Baptist convert to Presbyterianism. I saw all the bullshit in the Church as my Dad was forced out here, forced out there and our family was shuffled all over the Southeast due to "calls" that my Dad received.
So, I know about the dark, evil shadows of "THE CHURCH." I also am aware of the seeming inconsistencies and contradictions in both Church Dogma and in "The Word," which is The Bible.
I have been listening to a discourse on religion, spirituality and the railings against both my whole life. Most recently, the debate over "Intelligent Design" and "Evolution" has come up in regards to science courses in the school systems across the country.
I address this following mental image example to ALL Christians, Atheists, Buddhists, Jews, Taoists, Shintoists, Agnostics, Hindus, Muslims, Rastas, Native American Spiritualists, Confucianists, Wiccans, etc:
*********
*******************
Imagine the people of the world are standing in a circle, as though they would if they were going to hold a parachute and bounce a ball around.
The people standing in the West can try to explain, cajole, plead and argue with the people standing in the East that a purple sun is rising in the East. The people standing in the East, facing the people in the West, can argue that there is no way that there is a purple sun rising in the East.
"Everyone knows that the Sun is either orange, red, or yellow, depending on the progression from the horizon."
On the same token, the people standing in the East can try to convince, cajole or twist the people standing in the West that a green sun is setting in the West. The people standing in the West, facing the people standing in the East, might put forth a similar argument about the setting sun that the people standing in the East put forth about the rising sun.
"You are NUTS! There is NO WAY that the setting sun is green. Everyone knows that the Sun is yellow, orange or red as it sets.
In both cases, the people are making arguments based on years of understanding and find the people directly opposite of them crazy for believing what they believe from their point of view.
Well, suppose a hang glider flies over at both points in the day and yells for the people standing in the East or the people standing in the West to "TURN AROUND!" They may or may not hear the hang glider, but if they followed the instruction and turned around, they may find what the people directly across from them had seen all along.
*****************************
One thing is for certain. We are all human beings living on this round Earth and we all breathe in and breathe out every day of our lives. Perhaps we need to take a moment between those breaths to TURN AROUND and open ourselves to the possibility that there is some common ground among all of us.
*Maybe it's not ludicrous to consider that maybe Creationism and Evolution are part of the same plan or course of nature.
*Maybe it's not ludicrous to consider that the warring factions all over this world have some common ground and can come together in peace.
*Maybe it's OK to consider that you are not in as bad a place in your life as you once imagined. Hope is not a bad thing...neither is faith...of any kind.
Open up your mind...I promise you won't be disappointed with what you will find.
In Peace Always,
Asa
p.s. Thanks for the discourse, Mike! Peace to you, Brother...keep turning!
Currently reading :
The New American Story
By Bill Bradley
Release date: 27 March, 2007
Posted by Asa at 11:23 AM