The Winners & Losers

Sometimes I think that we are now living in a perpetual purgatory that is not yet hell but a downward spiral toward eternal damnation if we, as a people, don't turn around and climb back upward on a path towards enlightenment, redemption and eternal bliss. The expression,"I am sorry" is merely a declaration of intent. Anyone can utter the words without actually meaning what they say. It is merely a way to end a story by a quasi-apologetic shortcut. Do wars end with an apology or by total victory and penalties? A changed behavior in reality needs to accompany a real apology. The winners of wars usually get the spoils, however, An increase in wealth breeds an increase in desire. The winners of wars always want more and more. The losers of wars seek revenge for many generations. (Bob Mrotek 2026)

Ears to Hear and Eyes to See

It is the common, if not universal human experience, that if we try to work out what is the right thing to do with our lives using all our intelligence, if we work at it with a good and whole heart, if we exercise patience and humility, we can just barely discern the right thing to do. Further more, once we have made the right decision, the chosen course of action will probably require all the willpower we are capable of, perhaps for just as long as we are able to bear it, if we are to complete it successfully. This is right at the core of what it means to experience life as a human being and know your place in it as a child of God and know that it was meant to be through His will, for you will be one who has "ears to hear" and "eyes to see", the Truth. This is the miracle of God's gift to us through Jesus Christ. The best part is that the truth is also seeking the seekers of truth. 

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You can't go home again!

 In 1940 there was a book published called "You Can't Go Home Again" by Thomas Wolfe. He took the title from a conversation with the writer Ella Winter, who remarked to Wolfe: "Don't you know you can't go home again?" I think that many people have confirmed this for themselves, perhaps at a high school reunion or even a Thanksgiving gathering of the whole clan. The devil is always lurking in the shadows of suspicion, envy, fear, and doubt. Suspicion and doubt are part of human nature and often serve us by keeping us free of harm. That is why unscrupulous demagogues use it to prey on our fears and bend us to their will. Our Lord Jesus Christ experienced this suspicion and doubt when he went home to begin His ministry, and the demagogue was Satan himself.

The idea of religion and divinity is repugnant to many people because they want to be their own god, just like Satan. Their inflated ego and lack of humility cannot accept the thought that there is a natural law of right and wrong that one must abide by in order for society to function properly. They also do not believe in a divine law which one must follow in order to achieve enlightenment and eternal life in the hereafter. For them truth, humility, tolerance, and brotherly love are stumbling blocks. When Our Lord tried to preach this message to his own people “He was astonished at their unbelief” (Mark 6:6).

After the miracles at Cana, and at His baptism in the River Jordan where the voice from Heaven proclaimed His divinity, Jesus Christ returned to his home town of Nazareth. He arrived as the sun was setting on a Friday evening when the Jewish Sabbath began at the local synagogue, the same synagogue that Jesus had attended since he was a boy. The following morning Jesus went into the synagogue and very likely the news had already been made known to the local people and had brought the people to a high pitch of excitement and expectancy..."And Jesus came back to Galilee with the power of the Spirit upon Him" (Luke 4:14). Jesus then took His turn to read the scriptures out loud, "And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:17-19).

Jesus chose that scripture from Isaiah because it announced Him and it also declared the Jubilee. The laws of Moses provided that every fiftieth year was to be one of special forgiveness and restoration. For example, all debts were canceled and all bonded servants were given their freedom. It was a safeguard against monopolies and imbalances in the community that affected social tranquility. After Jesus read the passage from Isaiah he added, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). He realized that the people were expecting a political leader who would throw off the yoke of Roman occupation but that was not His purpose. His purpose was to redeem mankind from their sinful nature and prepare them for eternal life.

After Jesus spoke to his home town brethren they rejected him saying, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mark 6:3) They found it hard to believe that the promised Messiah was only a carpenter. They didn't realize that He is of the same Being Who created the Heavens and the Earth. He told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family" (Mark 6:4). The Jewish people at that time could not conceive of the humiliation of God in the form of a man as even today many people cannot. The truth is that they are right, that a "mere man" could not be God but God could be man while still remaining God. The very nature of God is that with Him all things are possible. Christ as the Messiah is the Son of God Who shares the nature of the Father, but as the Son of Man, the Father is greater than He. Christ had been in Being with the Father from eternity, well before His human nature was formed and He had come forth from the Father to assume a human nature, and when clad in it He was at the same time divine.

The hometown crowd became so upset with Jesus that they attempted to throw him off a cliff. A short distance from the Nazareth synagogue there was a cliff that dropped down to the Plains of Esdraelon about eighty feet below. Tradition has it that there they tried to do away with him but he passed through their midst and escaped. The time for the death and resurrection of Jesus had not yet come and he had much more to do. How about you? Does He abide in you or have you rejected Him too? It is not too late to change your mind. He is knocking at the door to your heart right now. Open it and let Him in. Don't worry about going to church to seek Him, and don't put it off for tomorrow either.  I am reminded of an old quotation of a man named George Cecil that went "On the plains of hesitation lay the bones of countless millions who, when nearing victory, sat down to rest and while resting died." Please don't lie down until you have that chat with Jesus. You never know about tomorrow. It's better to be safe now than sorry later. 

(Bob Mrotek 2025)

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"Something and Nothing"

It is amusing to me to hear scientists and physicists talk about "before the Big Bang." Newsflash, guys and gals! There was no "before" the Big Bang because time did not exist "before" the Big Bang. Everything that exists (with the exception of our immutable Creator) is in motion, and time is a function of speed and distance.

"Before" the Big Bang there is only "The One." and the absence of "The One"—or, if you will indulge me, the "Not One." The reason that I used "is only ​​The One​," instead of​  "was only The One​," is from the Bible. In John 8.58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham ​came to be, I am.” ​In Exodus 3.14 ​"God said to Moses,​ I AM WHO I AM.” For simplicity, let's call them The One and the absence of The One, "1" and "​0." We can't call the absence of "The One" nothing, because "​nothing" is ​"something​"; hence, there was no chaos to draw anything else from.

When (speaking from our time frame) "The One" created the universe, "The Nothing" was born, and so the Universe was created from a combination of Something and Nothing. Again, let's call them "1" and "0." Everything is made up from a combination of somethings and nothings: the binary code.

We are introduced to it the minute that we are conceived in our mother's womb, and the "Something and Nothing" is infused with the "Élan Vital" (ref. Henri Bergson), which is the Holy Spirit of God (the impulse behind evolution). While we were gestating in the womb, we were lulled by the Spirit of God through the beat of our mother's heart: something...nothing, something...nothing, something...nothing.

Anyway, after about twenty years of searching for God and the nature of time and space, this is where I am, and you are welcome to it. I did not come to this state of belief alone. I followed an ancient trail worn smooth by the steps of other sojourners. All I can say to you​ my fellow seekers is "Bon Voyage" and "Godspeed" in your own search for wisdom​, understanding​, and salvation.

(Bob Mrotek 2025) 

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Nine Meals Away

 "The average American is nine meals away from acts of desperation."

This saying is usually credited to Alfred Henry Lewis (1855–1914), a U.S. journalist, novelist, and political Commentator. One early version appears in his 1896 writing in the New York Journal, in which he wrote: “the only barrier between us and anarchy is the last nine meals we’ve had.”

The meaning of this metaphor (or aphorism) is that if people go without food for some number of meals, their desperation might push them toward crime, unrest, or breakdown of social order.

The generalization “nine meals from anarchy” is not a precise scientific law. It is a vivid rhetorical device emphasizing how fundamental food is to maintaining social order.

Of course the desperately hungry people have several options:

1,) They can just take up the slack in their belts and "tough it out," until the good times roll.

2.) They can pray for the marvelous Manna from Heaven that God delivered to the followers of Moses in the desert, according to the Bible.

3.) They can "liberate" food from the hands of their neighbors by force if need be.

4.) They can turn to cannibalism as prudent and necessary.

5.) They can put themselves under bondage or slavery by kissing the butt of some dictator for food.

(Bob Mrotek 2025)

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Happy in the Lord

​​Robert Frost wrote; "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice."

I think the world will end in greed because greed will be our downfall..

I believe in God and miracles because in the end that's all we have.

Life is one breath and then we are gone to a reward or to nothingness.

The war between what we should be doing and what we actually do

Is called cognitive dissonance and it is the seat of most tension and anxiety.

No matter how much we love physical pleasures and material entities

They will never love us back, but will sooner or later drag us down to where

The  inhuman devilish laws of no mercy and no consequence hold sway.

Just give me a star filled sky for a blanket and the good earth for a bed

With no cloud of civilization to interrupt my view of the paradise I seek.

I will laugh at the world and the spirit of the wind will laugh with me,

And in the end, if God wills it, all will end well for me and my progeny.

How and where and when my mortal life ends is not important but

Life's journey is important and can be physically and spiritually rewarding for

Those who walk their path with open minds in the divine light of Providence,

I am happy in the Lord who is my rock, my foundation, my salvation,

My refuge, my strength, my sword, my shield, my wisdom and understanding,

And my hope for the resurrection and eternal life in a place prepared for me.

I pray with all my heart, my soul, and my mind in the name of Jesus Christ

That I will be reunited in Heaven with all of the faithful departed. Amen!

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The Century of the Common Man - When?

​Mon, Jul 14, is Bastille Day in France. I was reading an influential political pamphlet published in January 1789, shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolution, by the French writer and clergyman Abbé Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès called, "What is the Third Estate?" In the pamphlet, Sieyès argues that the third estate – the common people of France – constituted a complete nation within itself, providing in the end all the men necessary to man the army, to staff the churches, to administer the law, and every other operation of society. It therefore had no need of the dead weight of the two other orders – the first and second estates of the, respectively, clergy and aristocracy.

I remember that back in the 1940's or 50's in America there was a Democrat named​ Henry Wallace who​ warned us about Fascism taking over America. It was a harbinger of what is happening now.​ He wrote a book in which he described the middle class as disadvantaged because their time was adsorbed by making a living for their families and they could not possibly have all of the unbiased information to make the best choice of their representatives in the government because of the greed for power and influence and money in the political arena. ​He warned us from the grave about the MAGA movement that is presently trying to take over America. It was a harbinger of what's happening now.

Henry A. Wallace was a prominent American politician from Iowa, serving as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Vice President (1941-1945) and later as Secretary of Commerce. He was indeed a progressive Democrat with strong views on the "common man" and the dangers of concentrated power and wealth.

While he wrote numerous articles, speeches, and books, the book that most directly addresses themes similar to what is happening right now, particularly concerns about forces that could mislead or subjugate the "common man" by manipulating information and power, is "The Danger of American Fascism," published in 1944.

In this work, and in many of his speeches (like "The Century of the Common Man"), Wallace expressed concerns about:

The poisoning of channels of public information: He feared that certain groups with a lust for money and power would "poison the channels of public information" to deceive the public.  He stated, "With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power."

The common man's struggle against powerful interests: He argued that the ultimate objective of these forces was "to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection."

The manipulation of patriotism: He noted that such groups "claim to be super-patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution."

"The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information. With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power." (From "The Danger of American Fascism")

"If we define an American fascist as one who in case of conflict puts money and power ahead of human beings, then there are undoubtedly several million fascists in the United States." (Also from "The Danger of American Fascism")

"Their final objective, toward which all their deceit is directed, is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection." (From "The Danger of American Fascism")

From his famous 1942 speech, "The Century of the Common Man," he spoke about the importance of education and the ability of people to "read and think and talk things over" as essential for freedom, implicitly recognizing that barriers to this could hinder true democracy.

Wallace's concerns were deeply rooted in his observations of economic power, monopolistic practices, and the rise of fascism in the 1930s and 40s, and he saw these as threats to the well-being and informed participation of the general populace, or what might be termed the "middle class."

​Henry A. Wallace was a believer in God and the truth. May God bless him. 

In the end ​"You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32)

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A wilderness of mirrors...

​We live in a world where fantasy and reality blur in a wilderness of mirrors.

In reality the little things that bite us are often worse than the big things.

The big things are the hands we are dealt and have no choice but to play.

The little things, however, are like pesky flies or death from a thousand cuts.

I have committed sins, made repentances, and done good deeds, and

It won't be long before I take my leave of earthly struggle with circumstances.

I am made from the dreams of my ancestors, their DNA is in my blood.

I carry their traditions, habits, and taboos in my heart of hearts.

I was awakened to consciousness at the moment of my birth and at my death

I will be planted like a seed waiting to sprout again, and, at such time,

Like a meadowlark rising at dawn, I will fly up toward the eternal blue sky,

To sing hymns at Heaven's gate and seek an entrance to Paradise,

I hope to conquer death in the manner of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

By the favor and will of Almighty God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

M​ay His Kingdom come and His will be done,​ on Earth as it is in Heaven. 

Amen!   (Bob Mrotek 2025) 

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The Peace and Camaraderie of Heaven

 In the Mongolian Teng religion dating back to Genghis Khan,

"Heaven" is referred to with reverence as "The Eternal Blue Sky."

This folk religion believes the purpose of life is to be in harmony with the universe.

The "Blue Sky" reference is reflected in the flag of Ukraine,

With blue sky above and the reflection of the sun below, 

as a field of golden yellow sunflowers.

In my dreams and in my prayers, I long for the peace and camaraderie of Heaven.

In Heaven, there will be no yesterday and no tomorrow—there will only be peace.

It is a place to forget about time, and never be early, or late, or lost.

There will be no regrets from the past, nor worry about the future.

In my dreams, my hope for The Eternal Blue Sky comes alive.

There are two places where hope is alive, and two places where hope is absent.

Hope exists here on Earth as an expectation based on faith in the Resurrection.

According to Dante Alighieri, and the teachings of the Christian faith,

There is also hope of a heavenly reward after an expiation of sins in Purgatory.

However, there is no hope in Hell, where it is too late for expiation.

There is also no hope in Heaven—because we no longer need it once we are there.

In my dreams and in my prayers, I long for the peace and camaraderie of Heaven.

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Heaven lies at the feet of your mother."

I long to sit at the feet of my mother again—and my father.

And like Reb Tevye in the "Fiddler on the Roof" song, "Tradition,"

To sit with the learned men would be one of the sweetest things of all.

In the Gospel of John 21:9 to 21:13, Jesus cooked breakfast for the apostles.

That is the camaraderie I seek...To have breakfast with Jesus. Amen

(Bob Mrotek 2025)

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On the Road to “Heaven Only Knows Where"

On the road to "Heaven only knows where," everything is temporary.
When reality comes crashing down and breaks through the ceiling of my fever dream,
The pain of anxiety is almost unbearable, and yet I must bear it—
Like Jacob Marley wears the chains that he forged in life.
Nothing can defend against the pain of existing.
Life is uncertain, to say the least.

There are billions of people on this planet, and
We all have our issues,
But somehow life goes on
And things get more or less sorted out.
It is an up-and-down journey.
One mountain in our way hides another,
And the next unto the farthest beckons.

No one knows exactly which path they are on,
And no one knows where that path will take them.
You and I and everyone else will come
To an untimely Earthly end—
Someday, somewhere, somehow.
In the meantime,
We must keep the faith
That this isn't all there is to life, if you believe in God.
Keep peace in your heart,
And be not afraid.

Just do all the good you can,
By all the means that you can,
In all the ways that you can,
In all the places that you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people that you can,
As long as you are able.

When people have nothing to look forward to with confidence,
They seek something or someone to feed their sense of well‑being—
Be it athletics,
Or intoxicating substances,
Or sexual promiscuity,
Or political ideologies—
Including those espousing racism,
Misogyny, machismo, homophobia,
Or fanatical religious exclusivism.
It is God, our Heavenly Father who created us all,
That they should be turning to. 

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