Meditating to Heal

We were driving home from Virginia Beach on Easter Saturday; we entered the tunnel to leave the peninsula when I looked up and saw the artificial lighting within the tunnel with the promise of the daylight’s lighting at the end of the tunnel. When we entered the tunnel, we experienced gale force winds and rain. I would love to say that when we emerged from the tunnel we experienced perfect sunlight, no rain, and no gale force winds; but alas, we did not. It still rained and the wind tried to blow us into the next lane which seemed forever.

This is so much like life; we expect more than we get. Or so it seems! Forrest Gump always says, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get!” Until you bite into it and find out. We never know what life has in store for us, because we expect so much, but never receive all that we expect. That is because we are taught from birth to reach for the stars. And that is exactly what I have done, and many times been disappointed. Until. . .

I awoke one day to reality. Reality is nothing manmade; true reality comes from God. We cannot go looking for it; it is something that God puts inside of us to connect to all that is holy, all that is True, all that is filled with the Light of God, the Light of Love.

Years ago, I became like the Samaritan leper who turned around and thanked Jesus for healing him. As many of my readers know, I have been blessed by a full life, a fruitful life, a sharing life. But, it has also been a life filled with physical pain – 24/7 pain for the past 48 years. However, like the Samaritan, I thank God every morning and every night for the wonderful life I have lived, being blessed by the companionship of a very loving wife for the past 56 years, two loving children, and three raucous grandchildren.

After serving my parents for 25 years in the family retail business, God led me into teaching where I taught in a high school for 15 years and then in college for another 10. This was a confusing life; for the first 25 years I was very unhappy, but when after years of disappointment, God told me that I was serving my parents in their later life. When they passed, God led me into teaching; I was so happy and comfortable, that I say that for the years I taught, I never worked; it was a time of love, a time of sharing the knowledge God gave me.

Now that I am no longer employed in my physical world, I meditate, I pray, and I write. I rise each morning and thank God for another day with my loving wife, knowing that the rest of my extended family are safe. Then, when I retire for the day, I thank God for the blessing He has given me.

This is a simple thing; being the Samaritan that turns around and thanks Jesus is something we rarely do. So, now, as I drive through the tunnel, lit by manmade light, I see at the end of the tunnel a light so bright it can be blinding to us mere mortals, nevertheless, it is a beautiful and blessing light.

©Russell Kendall Carter

Love and Spirit

When does God call on us? I hear a great deal of talk and see much effort in building what are called beloved communities. They are billeted to be for the benefit of all people in the name of Jesus Christ. I beg and pray for peace, but mankind will not allow it. God calls on us to build just communities, but we will not because we know better, or so we think and say. We know better; we are smarter than God.

We are strong; we are wealthy; nobody can tell us what to do. We have built communities of love according to our wishes and our needs. We know what is needed. Jobs for the poor, so that we can get rich. Bigger prisons for those who disagree. With money, we have power, we write the laws.

But they are not God’s laws. Our cities lack sunlight; there isn’t even the glow of the moon to lighten our way. We are lacking the glory and light of God; the sacrificial lamb is no more. We forget that Jesus spent all of His time with the poor, the needy, the sick, and the dying. To really know Jesus is to know the poor, and the poor have no place in our cities. Let them be homeless. They are not strong like us.

 We are dying as a culture; we love guns more than we love children. We do not love each other.  But we must. What is man but the creation of God; we are all, male and female, His creation, His children. Rich or poor, God does not care; He did not make rich and poor; we did. We lack the faith in God’s leadership. We are so concerned with our own we no longer recognize that God is within all of us.

Think of this for a moment, or an hour: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done (Matthew 21:21).” We have destroyed the fig tree and demolished the mountain.

To paraphrase Paul in his letter to the Galatians, “there is no long Christian, Jew, or Muslim, there is no Black or White, there is no longer male or female, there is no longer rich or poor; we are all children of God. We have created a world destined to die. But it need not be this way.

What is mankind, all mankind, but the children of God.

If we could truly experience what those who are outcasts have experienced, if we could truly experience what Jesus experienced in, we would change our direction and love each other, care for each other, and provide for each other. God did not separate us; we did! Hate is only in our world, not God’s, Not Jesus’s. when we truly love God, we open ourselves to Love and the beauty and strength of God’s creation. We are stronger with God; with Him we are weak. If we recognize that the Holy Spirit is with us, are strong. We are Love. We are strong. We are at peace.

©Russell Kendall Carter

I pray to our Creator several times a day. Very few of these prayers are formal; most are quick thoughts, such as seeing a family begging for money on the road intersection. I remind myself when seeing such images that God is touched by these poor also. After all, He sent Jesus to us a long time ago to comfort the poor.

God is the Principle of all that is Good, all that is real. God is Love; God is Life. God does not bring evil upon His children. God does not challenge us with hardships throughout our lives; we create our own obstacles; God is with us to help us get through them. I believe God is present with us all through our lives, in good times and in bad.

Evil occurrences are not created by God; they are created by ourselves, our societies. There is neither Love or Truth in evil occurrences. Therefore, they are not part of God. They only show up when we think that God is not present, that God has abandoned us. The anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing writes that we must balance our knowing with our habit of or desire to not know. We must believe that God is always within us, always in our world. This is our secret.

On the other hand, with faith nothing can frighten us because nothing can harm us. We are God’s possession. God bring us Love. God is with us in Spirit. God gives us Truth, Life, and Love. Our faith is the reality of things hoped for. Faith is the Truth of things not seen, things that are only felt within us. Faith brings all things hoped for.

©Russell Kendall Carter

John writes to his good friend, Gaius:

“dear friend do not imitate evil but what is good (3 John 1:11).”

John is writing to me; I am Gaius! When we abandon our dreams that society demands, the search for fame and money, we find ourselves open to all types of additional evil quests, unless we open ourselves to God’s will and do what John offers. Our vulnerability to that evil, materialistic society is protected by God. We undertake a personal inquisition that hopefully will lead to God’s domain. We accept the personal relationship we have with God.

We are taught that doing evil is against the law, but more importantly it is against God. When I finally discovered that I am asked to do what is good, my life changed to be so much better than it was. I stepped on to that lighted path that God has reserved for me. Although I know that I am far from perfect, I now use the rest of my life to cleanse my soul of evil. The education I received to become a college professor is now dedicated to what is in Proverbs, “An intelligent mind acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge 18:15). Knowledge, being God.

I seek sharing God’s unconditional love. I accept a life of deep solitude, knowing that Love, the Love that God offers, is a lonely quest in our materialistic world. But I am comfortable being a loving vine in God’s world. I am committed to being a central force working against the domination of society and its quest for ungodly riches. I am enriched following what the author of Isaiah writes, “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you. . . (49:8).” We all know that there are secrets that only God knows, and it is up to us to discover their presence within us.

My question of will is not to strive for the material evils of money and personal stature, but to be on the path of Good, to mirror God in every way. I pray that I can be one of the prophets of His message that will last us through eternity.

 ©Russell Kendall Carter

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,

for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:16).

Both men and women are willing to go to great lengths for true Love. . . even to die for Love(an ancient concept). Think about this: God is Love. My girlfriend and I found true Love (God) and married fifty-six years ago. Each morning, as I pray, I think about the line, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and mentally change this to Give me this day my daily Love, praying that my wife of many, many years and I enjoy another day of God’s Love on this Earth. She is the Eve to my Adam.

For our lives, we have both been a force for God’s Love. My dear love has helped create a child day care center when she was in her twenties to a table to help feed the needy when she was in her seventies. Her life has been a gift of God’s Love. My serving God is less visible, I bring God’s healing Love to all whom I meet in a spiritual way and a prayerful way that blesses everyone’s life. This is God’s Love that is free to us all. People have laughed at me and criticized me, but I know and those I help know that God is Love.

I use the term God and Love interchangeably; I look around and see that modern, Western religion has confused this whole god thing. Maybe life would be easier if we did not have to contend with this whole god thing. To some, their god favors only whites, to others their god favors only Christians, or only favors Americans. God loves all His children.

One thing I am absolutely sure of; God wants our heart! Our heart contains our soul which is God’s property and God link to humanity. If we think with our heart, we love. This is what God wants. When we think with love, we think with beauty, and kindness, care for all of God’s creation. When we love one person, we love all people, otherwise we do not love. When we lift one person from suffering, we lift all people from suffering.

When we understand this, when we accept that we love all people, we are a force for God’s Love.

 ©Russell Kendall Carter

Much has been written, taught, and spoken about contemplation. I find that the clergy spends too much time with the process, which confuses many people. It’s really simple; contemplation is thinking; deep thinking and reflection, yes, but it is basically concentrated thinking. Everyone can do this.

As for me, my periods of contemplation are very easy. I listen for God. I open my mind to learn what my relationship with God is. I think I know, but my brain will often not accept what we all know is true, but due to being trained by society to doubt everything, this habit is a blocking force we must break through. We must let go of false teachings.

John reminds us, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (8:31–32).” That is, free to understand and know that God dwells within us and therefore we do not need to search for God, but we do need to enter a quiet space to listen. This is contemplation.

I try to slow down at least twice a day, putting aside the trials of the day and refreshing my need for prayer. I must unchain the Holy Spirit within to take me out of my comfort zone and bring forth my spirituality, connecting me to God’s Love, and be in the world that God created, not man; the Holy Spirit encapsulating all of God’s Wisdom and hopefully my attention and presence.

I often gaze out my window, seeing the rains coming in torrents, the winds howling through the trees bending the branches to a near breaking point. I understand that we live in a tempestuous world that does not follow man’s rules, crumbling false secure structures built by man. And yet. . . I know that I am in God’s world, safe from any permanent harm. My zest for life is supported and built by my love for God’s creation. And God’s creation is based on Love.

In my periods of contemplation, God speaks to me. I am quiet, and for a former college lecturer, that is difficult. I rise to the task because I cherish my eternal relationship with God. And it is within my periods of contemplation, my times of thinking, that I receive God’s words, love, and blessing.

©Russell Kendall Carter

“Searching for Treasures in the Sand,” a line from the musical, Ragtime; a sad but promising story of promises made and promises broken down in the early 20^th century. This was a time period when there was great tension between the races; much has changed since then, but the atmosphere and tensions between the races has not really changed since then. There are still many Caucasians who look down on those of color.

I was born in the middle of World War II in Newark, New Jersey; ours was a unique neighborhood with Whites, Blacks, Christians, and Jews. All of the children played stickball and touch football in our streets – even some of the girls. Most of our fathers were fighting in Europe and the Pacific. All of our mothers treated us boys the same. With a huge wooden spoon. We skinned our knees, tore our dungarees, and ran from the cops all together; the N-word was never used.

These memories are mine in the sand.

On my 13^th birthday, we moved from center city to the suburbs where the few “Negro” families were outcasts except for sports in high school. It was truly a new experience for me. This lasted until at the age of twenty, I entered the Marine Corps where we were again equal. . . we were all green.

I am now rapidly approaching my 80^th birthday, so I am no longer a child at the Jersey shore, digging for unfound treasures in the sand. However, what I am now is a fledgling author, writing a daily blog about love, God’s Love, God’s Love for all mankind. I have many friends, Black, White, Christian, Jew, Muslim. It is like I am back on the streets of Newark. I am once again searching for treasures in the sand of  my life, finding more riches than I ever expected or truly deserve, found in the people I meet.

Perhaps my searching for treasures in the sand is in fact my searching  for God. Found in the faces of those who I meet, faces spanning many colors of God’s rainbow – in Mankind. We are the treasures found in the sands of life.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Amen.

©Russell Kendall Carter

We try in vain to please God. In our simple minds, everything we do may seem a transgression against God. But we cannot always see ourselves wandering from the lighted path that Jesus paved for us. Remember the words of Jesus, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” Matthew 5:6.

As human beings we are flawed. The see God placed in your mother’s womb and is spiritual perfection come alive; but our society taints us with all of its greed, all of its struggles for power and influence. We forget our source. We are created in love; we are born in love. We are born children of God, and nothing can change this. If we want to please God, we practice on simple thing; we must love. Remember what Jesus teaches: love God, love your neighbor as yourself. Love.

This is our connection with and to God. Perfection is demonstrating our ability to love each other, and God desires nothing but this perfection. Let this eternal truth be in your heart and govern your life. Forgive others for what they may do; see God in their smiling or scowling faces. He’s there; it is up to us to see Him.

We will need forever to try to tell God how awed we are with His Love and His Grace. Is it no wonder that many people who call themselves Christian are leaving churches to commune with God without a clergy that cares more for liturgy that relations with God. Are they, are we, because I am one of them, are we going in the right direction. What we recognize is that the church and our Christian society is more concerned with all else besides God.

We gather together on Sundays to recite by rote the same old passages we were made to memorize as youths, hear a sermon from an over-enthusiast preacher who many times does not act as he preaches, and share a wafer and a sip of wine or grape juice. Then we go home or out for lunch with fellow congregants and forget everything we just professed.

If the church is our Ark, it just sank. The Ark, traditionally our stronghold, our ancient connection to God, has ceased to be a safe refuge for many of us, forcing us to turn inward and recognize that God dwells within us, as Jesus promised. We are relearning the eternal Principles that is God; through our prayers, we understand how the Holy Spirit guides and protects us. God speaks to us directly, without the false prophets of the church.

To tell God how much in awe we are of His Love, we adopt the three values of Jesus, we forgive, we always choose good over evil, and we recognize the flow of Love coming from God, open our hearts to share this with others. When we seem to be at our weakest, we are strong with the Love of God flowing through us. This is how we tell God we Love.

©Russell Kendall Carter

Time and the Future     

Is our future determined only by time?

I realize that our lives are run by the clock. Alarms awaken us in the morning and the late news puts us to bed at night. If we are employed, we are controlled by the train or bus schedule, when the next meeting is, our lunch with a client, then schedule phone or zoom calls. This repeats itself day after day. Our lives run like a clock. Or do they?

Now I realize that I am retired, but if I allow it, the clock can determine my life. I still have meetings, many on zoom. My doctors appointments and therapy sessions, both physical and mental, are frequent; and my yoga classes at the local YMCA are on a schedule. The clock may not control my life as it was when I was teaching, but it still tends to dictate my week.

But let us ignore (if possible) all of these minor distractions and concentrate on something much more important and much more agreeable to ponder and to place in the forefront of our thinking. We are not just mortal! Putting the efforts of Galileo and Christiaan Huygens aside, which govern our mortal body, it is our spiritual side, the eternal side, that should not be determined by time.

Our spiritual beings are eternal; they always were, and they always will be. To really enjoy our lives, we have to open ourselves to something greater than ourselves. As a youth, I often climbed the stairs of the apartment building we lived in, climbed the short ladder to the roof, and lay myself down to gaze at the stars at night. . . and dream. Now I go to my back yard, sit in my picnic chair and look up. I no longer dream because my over-educated mind is in awe of what is above me. I am in awe of the vastness of God’s creation and how small I truly am.

But then I overthink my existence and realize that if God did truly create me, and He did, then I am just as important to God as everything I see in the sky, the billions of stars seen and planets not seen. There is not one thing out there greater than I am nor I greater than anything out there. This is a dynamic thought! I write a lot about love, because God created me in a moment of spiritual and physical love. God is Love; therefore, I am love.

With Love, there is no past; there is no future; there is only the present, and the present is eternal.

©Russell Kendall Carter

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,

for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:16).

Both men and women are willing to go to great lengths for true Love. . . even to die for Love(an ancient concept). Think about this: God is Love. My girlfriend and I found true Love (God) and married fifty-six years ago. Each morning, as I pray, I think about the line, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and mentally change this to Give me this day my daily Love, praying that my wife of many, many years and I enjoy another day of God’s Love on this Earth. She is the Eve to my Adam.

For our lives, we have both been a force for God’s Love. My dear love has helped create a child day care center when she was in her twenties to a table to help feed the needy when she was in her seventies. Her life has been a gift of God’s Love. My serving God is less visible, I bring God’s healing Love to all whom I meet in a spiritual way and a prayerful way that blesses everyone’s life. This is God’s Love that is free to us all. People have laughed at me and criticized me, but I know and those I help know that God is Love.

I use the term God and Love interchangeably; I look around and see that modern, Western religion has confused this whole god thing. Maybe life would be easier if we did not have to contend with this whole god thing. To some, their god favors only whites, to others their god favors only Christians, or only favors Americans. God loves all His children.

One thing I am absolutely sure of; God wants our heart! Our heart contains our soul which is God’s property and God link to humanity. If we think with our heart, we love. This is what God wants. When we think with love, we think with beauty, and kindness, care for all of God’s creation. When we love one person, we love all people, otherwise we do not love. When we lift one person from suffering, we lift all people from suffering.

When we understand this, when we accept that we love all people, we are a force for God’s Love.

 ©Russell Kendall Carter