The Lesser Towards The Greater

In our mind's eye we recognize a power
Spanning all space, and linking together
Every one of the worlds without end
That spangle the robe of the Infinite.
This illimitable power we call "gravitation"
Which resides in every form of matter, and
By which, particle is attracted to particle,
Mass to mass, the lesser towards the greater.
The smallest speck that floats upon the breeze
Carries this attraction of eternal presence
And we attribute its overarching influence
To that center of all, the will of the Creator.
Gravitation unites the whole by the power of God.
If one of the most remote specks of starlight,
Flickering in the distant dark of a moonless night,
Was removed from its place in the starry vault,
The disturbance would be felt through all Creation.
Attraction, Connection, Complexity, Consciousness.
The unity of progression in the Divine Milieu.

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The Ends of the Earth

In the beginning was the Word,
Scattered to the ends of the earth.
But where are the ends of the earth?
The ends of the earth are where
The Word reaches the farthest,
On and on through space and time.
The ends of the earth are where we rest,
Where the heavenly voice is heard
Through all the lamentations of this world,
Ransomed by our Savior into a new life,
Redeemed from the evil one and the abyss.
Stand by the roads, ask for the ancient path,
Search for the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Follow it, and find eternal life for your soul.

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Has there ever been a time?

Has there ever been a time when we did not 

Tend to stray from the straight and narrow,

And get tangled in the sinful affairs of others?

"How could such a thing happen?" That is what 

We say when we realize our iniquities 

And we are crushed with the burden of our sins.

Our eyes fill with pitiful tears of sorrow,

But with each teardrop should come a lesson.

Alas, where is our promise of faithfulness? 

Where is the remorse of our conscience? 

Oh Lord, you who keeps track of my many sins,

You in whom my soul takes refuge from my ego,

Remind me that only my undying faith in you 

Will deliver me from the abyss of oblivion. 

Wipe away the stain of guilt from my soul,

Replace my sorrow with boundless hope, 

Remove the stumbling block from my feet.

Oh Lord, I stretch out my arms to you. 

I thirst for you like a desert thirsts for water.

Reach out your hand from on high. Rescue me

From those whose mouths speak lies and whose

Right hand is a right hand of false friendship.

Lord, you are the one to whom I look.

Instill in me the truth that will set me free.

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Their blood cries out for justice

During the last few weeks of bad news we learned about so many tragedies involving children. The first and foremost that comes to mind was the bombing of the bus in Yemen that killed and injured so many young boys on their way to a school outing. Their little blue knapsacks were left in the street covered with their blood that cries out for justice. There is the never ending saga of wars in Syria and Afghanistan and the crowded refugee camps of Palestine, Jordan, and other places scattered throughout the war torn Middle East. Closer to home we have the children being separated from their parents at the U.S. Mexican border by the Trump administration. They will never convince me that this was necessary and justified. Today in the news I saw a newborn baby that was screaming and shaking uncontrollably as it suffered from chemical withdrawal symptoms from the opioids that its addicted mother had been taking during pregnancy and I learned that this is not uncommon.

Add to the above the tragedies of countless abortions, childhood poverty, slavery, malnutrition, and sexual abuse by pedophile priests, etc., and one wonders how we can call ourselves "civilized." I say "we" because there is no "they." We are all in this together, and those who look the other way and make excuses are guiltier than the rest. The very least that we can do is to raise our voices and bring light to the dark corners where these atrocities take place and the demons lay in wait for the innocent.

"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." (Matthew !8:7)

"Beware that you don't look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father." (Matthew 18:10)

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Truth - Now you see it and now you don't.

At times the truth is quite apparent.

One might say it's as plain as day.

Then comes a cloud to obscure the truth

Plunging us into the shadows of doubt.

Then truth comes back like a lightening bolt

Out of a clear blue sky or the dark of night.

It makes us jump right out of our pants

Like multiple flashes of cannons in war.

Sometimes only one flash and then the grave.

It may also be the glow of a bright star

Bidding us to seek out the mystery beneath.

The truth can be nebulous and illusive

Like the "ignis fatui" or will-o'-the-wisp,

Now you see it and now you don't, like 

The flame of the biblical rotating sword

That guards the padlocked gates of Eden.

Truth may be withheld if you don't seek it.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, 

So call on Him and He will answer you and

He will show you great and many truths.

Ask, and it will be given to you;

Seek, and you will find; knock, 

And it will be opened unto you.

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The Eternal Presence of Attraction

In our mind's eye we recognize a power

Spanning all space, and linking together

Every one of the worlds without end

That spangle the robe of the Infinite.

This illimitable power we call "gravitation"

Which resides in every form of matter, and

By which, particle is attracted to particle,

Mass to mass, the less towards the greater.

The smallest speck that floats upon the breeze

Carries this attraction of eternal presence

And we attribute its overarching influence

To that center of all, the will of the Creator.

Gravity unites the whole by the power of God.

If one of the most remote specks of starlight,

Flickering in the distant dark of a moonless night,

Was removed from its place in the starry vault,

The disturbance would be felt through all Creation.

Attraction, Connection, Complexity, Consciousness.

The unity of progression in the Divine Milieu.

What on Earth

What on earth would the military do if there was no more need for a military? How much money would that save? Would the savings be offset by the loss of jobs? Then which is cheaper, War or Peace, when life and death no longer seem to be part of the equation?

Has there ever been a time?

Has there ever been a time when we did not
Tend to stray from the straight and narrow,
And get tangled in the sinful affairs of others?
"How could such a thing happen?" That is what
We say when we realize our iniquities and
And are crushed with the burden of our sins.
Our eyes fill with tears of pitiful sorrow.
But with each teardrop should come a lesson.
Alas, where is our promise of faithfulness?
Where is the remorse of our conscience?
Oh Lord, you who keeps track of my many sins,
You in whom my soul takes refuge from my ego,
Remind me that only my undying faith in you
Will deliver me from the abyss of oblivion.
Wipe away the stain of guilt from my soul,
Replace my sorrow with boundless hope,
And remove my feet from the stumbling block.
Oh Lord, I stretch out my hands to you.
I thirst for you like a desert thirsts for water.
Stretch out your hand from on high. Rescue me
From those whose mouths speak lies and whose
Right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
Instill in me the truth by which I will be free.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
Every word that comes from the mouth of God.

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In the Spirit of "Love your neighbor"

There are two general categories of law. One consists of natural laws and the laws of mathematics and physics which are descriptions of patterns of cause and effect. The other consists of the laws of ethics and morality which are laws that regulate behavior. If we act badly we will sooner or later experience the negative effects of the laws of morality that were decreed by our Creator and are not only spelled out in the holy writ of all major religions but also engraved on the heart of every human being who is endowed with a conscience that will not be denied. The values that determine right from wrong and positive from negative and true from false are not a human invention, but are inherent in the Cosmos.

The Universe itself was designed by our Creator with morality in mind to balance the evil impulse that is necessary in order for there to be a free will. Without morality there would be nothing but evil, dog-eat-dog, and devil take the hindmost. For good to triumph over evil, it is the collective responsibility of individual souls to choose good over evil and virtue over vice.

To be indifferent to the lives of others is detrimental to our own lives. We must be humble and empathetic to the suffering of others who are more unfortunate. To humble ourselves means self sacrifice. That is the spirit of "Love your neighbor."

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Lest you be sorry

My days are fading like an echo and 

I am nothing more than a lingering shadow. 

Death will come like a gust of wind and 

My candle will flicker, sputter, and die. 

My good intentions will follow me to the grave 

And lie down beside me, dust to to dust. 

Decay will eat my flesh and bones and 

Nothing will be left except buttons, zippers,

And a few seeds I have planted in others 

Who will carry on, by the grace of God, 

The work that I have sadly left undone.

Make peace with God now lest you be sorry.

Listen to your conscience for His instructions.

Humble yourself before Him. Hear His Word 

And banish sin from your repertoire.

Consider desires of the flesh as worthless. 

Let the will of God be your treasure. 

Look to heaven for help. Pray continuously. 

God walks the heavens on the rim of the sky. 

He will answer your prayers and light your path 

If you believe in Him and you repent.

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