A-ha Moments of Truth

It has been one of those weeks where I have had a lot of a-ha moments.

Life is amazing! I don’t say this with any malice, ego, or pride. Look around. Look past the hate and cycle of abuse. Do you see the birds and the bees, and everything in between? Life is truly remarkable. We have things to do on this planet, which is found in the “Golden Rule”, Do unto others.

So many people are holding onto the past hurts from past wrongs. Sometimes these past wrongs come at the hands of someone else. This is evil and difficult to overcome, however, finding forgiveness and giving thanks for surviving the abuse is letting go of the possession and the stronghold the abuse has on the mind, body, and soul. When past wrongs are something we have done and when we are the abuser, we MUST ask for forgiveness, this is repentance. More often than not, asking for forgiveness from the people you may have victimized is key to healing and changing hearts. The start of reconciliation starts when we cultivate forgiveness, which is love.

On October 1, Canada celebrated the newly formed Truth and Reconciliation Day. Many people on the extreme right want to debate whether colonialization is a good or bad thing. I did find myself pulled into the matrix on social media for a moment, then realized I was part of the onslaught of misinformation. The a-ha moment was deciding to pull all my comments down because I was not loving. Trying to educate on social media while everyone is holding firm in “their” belief and understanding is futile and is definitely not reconciling. The truth is love, and regardless of any lies, deception, manipulation, or misinformation surrounding the narrative of Truth and Reconciliation, we need to strive for unity and love.

I visited my favorite coffee shop this past week, I love the owner, and we always have great conversations. She said something profound, “Our gift is our existence”. This came out of the left field, and I caught the ball (the gist of what she was saying), God is love and gave us life. That’s it, the a-ha moment, our purpose is to live. We will all experience heartache and happiness, birth and death, it is how we process these experiences and truths that determine our existence. Confusing emotions from the cycle of living and dying have us bound, not by love, but by hate. There have been many gurus, regarding our existence and the subject of God, such as Carl Jung, Helena Blavatsky, and Edger Cayce, however, nobody has me more spellbound than Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that God lives in our hearts, and we possess the power to be new creatures subjugated to love instead of hate. There is no confusion in love.

I attended church for the first time in many years this past weekend and enjoyed the message. I stopped attending church for many reasons, one reason is that it’s not Biblical (a story for another time). I am not against or condemn public worship, it no longer serves a purpose in my life. The message was on renewing the mind. It is a big subject; the pastor nailed some key points and key scriptures to prove God and the existence within. I had an a-ha moment when discussing the sermon with my beautiful brother and sister in the Lord over lunch, renewing the mind is delivered in action when we release a hardened heart. Renewing the mind does not stop with believing something. We must be mindful of how we act and treat others. We must take captive any thoughts that move us in the wrong direction or wrongful decision. We must put our beliefs into action, starting in the heart. Softening the heart equals Jesus, hardening the heart is the opposite, or anti-Christ. Putting up walls and hardening the heart is being promoted at an astonishing intensity, with red flags, narcissism, condemnation, and accusations leading the cause.
 
With the increased level of chaos many people have been feeling within their spirit, we are being challenged to make hard decisions, follow the chaos or follow the peace that comes from a loving creator. One of the biggest promoters of chaos is division-causing denominationalism. What is division-causing denominationalism? you may be asking. The “Our group is right” rhetoric which comes from the pulpit, church, or religious jerks. I know what you're thinking, “he said jerks”… lol.  Seriously though, it is okay to be wrong, and admit that we are all being manipulated to believe dogma. We all hold firm to beliefs that are true within ourselves, it is not for me to convince anyone of anything.  I have battled relentlessly over the years regarding dogmatic religious beliefs, creating division, not harmony. The result of the battles is separation. It causes confusion and division because as soon as our thinking is not in alignment, we consider ourselves “unequally yoked”. My a-ha moment is that all seekers of truth and God are equally yoked. Seeking God should be peaceful, not stressful. Loving should extinguish hating.

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1Corinthians 14;33

Further expansion and reflection on the word church is required. The Bible is riddled with spiritual language, and the word for church means House of the Lord. The House of the Lord is not a building, it is a place, and this place is in you. The "Kingdom of heaven is within” or “Where I am, there you will be also” are two key verses to prove that we all carry God. The God of our heart is a choice. Choose this day whom you will follow, the god of hate found in the devil, or the God of Love found in Jesus.

Reflecting on this past week's events I am hopeful, but more importantly, grateful. I am grateful, that God blessed me with existing and living at a time such as this. I am grateful, for all my friends and family. I am grateful for renewed hearts. I am grateful for love and my time alone to reflect, ponder, and build. I am reflecting on myself and seeking the love of people over the love of pleasure, property or possessions. I ponder the unknown with curious excitement, knowing God is in control. I am building on the foundation of love found in my superhero Jesus.

​In a world full of hate, brought on by social programming, media lies, and religious ego, it is nice to see the birds and the bees, and everything in between. To our true loves, be grateful for living and loving. Let us always pray we find peace knowing God is in us and trust that love directs our path. I trust that God is working on our hearts and letting go of the things that have us bound.
 
Love Always,
William John

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