Happy Yom Kippur

I want to share a recent exchange with a friend. Yesterday evening, knowing she recently started to celebrate Jewish Holidays, I wished her "Happy Yom Kippur."

Her response was: "Yom Kippur is not a good day. Never say 'happy.' Always say good luck on your fast. To some Jews, saying 'happy' is disrespectful. Saying 'Happy Yom Kippur" is disrespectful. Very serious day."

This morning, I had a chance to read her text and respond:

From what I read and understand, Yom Kippur is the Day of Penance/Reconciliation very much like our solemn Sacrament in the Church. We self-examine, discover what is wrong/keeping us from God, go to God, lay it on the table and ask for God's Forgiveness. God then Forgives us of our past transgressions, frees us from what keeps us apart (from God and each other), and enables us to receive God's Blessings during the Jewish year.

Why would Yom Kippur NOT be a happy day? It is the day Jews get right with God on a personal level. I believe GOD is very happy with that.

It is with this in mind and heart, I wish my readers, HAPPY YOM KIPPUR! May you be right with GOD and may the coming year bring many bright Blessings for you.

~ ESA

Brony Jesus

This post is primarily a response to a tweet someone sent my way today. I posted this picture with a prayer for healing and family support. The response was, "Is it appropriate to have MLP with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? No." 

I believe the person tweeted this without truly seeing the bigger picture. So I wanted to take the opportunity to explain.

The prayer that was connected with my tweet is for an 11-year-old boy who was bullied badly at school because he liked to watch My Little Pony. The bullies drove Michael to such a point of desperation that he attempted to take his own life.

For the past month, his parents have been desperately praying at his bedside in the hospital while Michael remains in a coma. In the last few days, a glimmer of a miracle unfolds as Michael started breathing on his own again.

Yeshua / Jesus the Christ is our Lord AND our Healer. To picture this child in the arms of our Beloved Savior and ask for his healing is the most respectful and loving thing my heart and soul pictures.

Anthropomorphics have been used throughout time to illustrate humanity beyond the color of our skin or our genetic background; whether it is a meek lamb in Christ's arms or a blue pony. By going beyond one physical human depiction, the image embraces ALL of humanity, including a small boy who struggles for life inside a North Carolina hospital.

I had offered the image to that child's family, so it may uplift them and give them hope when this is what they had to see day after day as they desperately prayed at their son's bedside...

It was bullies that refused to accept the fact that a small boy likes to watch a TV show "targeted to girls." Even though the parents have done as Christ teaches and forgave the bullies from the start, they themselves continue to see abuse and bullying. 

It may be a bully that insists that the above image of Christ is sacrilegious and disrespectful. I trust, however, that the person did not see the larger picture.

I believe that Yeshua / Jesus the Christ loves EVERYONE - no matter where we are, no matter who we are, no matter what we look like.

I pray others come to see that as well.

~ ESA

Lion's Estate (Story)

This story was written a few years ago; it's time to re-post it. Enjoy! 

~ ESA

Lion's Estate

There once was a master who owned a very large estate with three workers, a sheep, a goat and a fox. The master was a noble and kind-hearted lion who loved them. Everyone on the estate worked in harmony; there was peace and prosperity where everyone enjoyed the rewards of their labors.

One day, the lion was called away from the estate. He gathered his workers before him, saying, "I must leave you for a while, but I will return. In the meanwhile, I ask the three of you to continue working as you have in diligence and harmony. I place my full trust in you." With these words, he lovingly embraced them; the sheep first, then the goat and finally the fox.

When the lion had departed, the fox thought to himself, Why was I the last to be embraced? I work as hard as the the other two. In fact, I work harder since I use my clever mind to help the master's business and property prosper. Disheartened, he wandered away from the estate into the deep, dark woods.

There the darkness saw the question in his mind and taunted the fox's heart, saying "Your master doesn't love you as much as he loves your coworkers. You do your best to please him, but your best isn't good enough. Why do you continue to do so? In fact, your clever mind would be better utilized if you worked for yourself. Think how profitable you would be! In no time at all, you could be a master yourself and have an even larger estate. Wouldn't that show him?"

Delight danced in the fox's eyes as he took these words into his heart. "Oh yes! Oh yes indeed! That would be wonderful. How can this be accomplished?"

The darkness chuckled with delight and whispered the plans into the fox's uplifted and eager ears.

Meanwhile, back on the estate, the goat was also having some misgivings. As he went about his work, his eyes were drawn toward the sheep. Why did our master embrace him first? the goat wondered, his little beard bristling in envy. Does our master love him more than me? He is so docile and worthless; I'm the one who fights for our master's rights and worth of the goods his estate produces. Why should he be loved more than me?

Then a dark wind blew from the deep, dark woods across the estate and whispered into the goat's ear. 

The glare of envy became glints as an idea formed in his mind. Whatever the sheep works on, I will undo; when our master returns, he will see all that I have done and the sheep will have nothing to show him. From that very day, he unraveled, sabotaged and even destroyed the efforts of his coworker.

As the fox returned to the estate from the deep, dark woods, he spied the goat's actions and thought, This is what the darkness told me to watch for; my plan begins.

He went straightaway to the sheep and told him, "See what your coworker has done to all your hard labors? Now, if you trust me, I could take your work and keep it safe from the goat."

The sheep trusted the fox, remembering the parting words of their master. Yearning that the estate's unity would not be lost, he humbly nodded his assent. 

The fox grinned slyly; the smile never reaching his eyes. "Perhaps you could also get for me some of the goat's work as well - just to keep it safe for our master."

The sheep was horrified, "Why would I steal from my coworker?"

"Because," quipped the fox, "he obviously doesn't really understand the value of our master's estate, else he would not destroy part of it -- your work -- with his petty ambitions."

Deep inside, the sheep knew this was wrong, but he allowed himself to be deceived.

Day followed day. The goat continued to sabotage the sheep's work. The sheep saved what he could and gave it to the fox, along with what he stole from the goat. The sly fox sold the goods and continued to line his pockets and promote his own worth.

After a long while, the lion returned to his grand estate to find it in disorder and ruin. Fire glinted in his golden eyes as his anger rose, and his roar could be heard echoing across the land. Immediately he called his three workers before him and ordered each to give account for their actions.

The sheep stepped forward, humbly saying, "Forgive me, Kind Master, for I have wronged you and my coworker. Instead of working in harmony to prosper your estate, I helped bring it to ruin. I... I stole from the goat because he unraveled, sabotaged and destroyed my work. Please forgive me, Master."

Without a word, the lion's eyes went to the goat, who answered, "Forgive me, Kind Master, for I have wronged you. I thought you loved the sheep more than me, and I did what I did so I could be greater in your eyes. Please forgive me, Master."

Still silent, the lion's eyes fell on the fox who grinned back with a wicked smile. "If you think I'm going to apologize, you're crazy! I did what I needed to do and now I have wealth, notoriety and a lush estate of my own. You took my earlier work for granted and now I have more than even you!"

The lion turned to the sheep. "Do you forgive the goat for unraveling, sabotaging and destroying your work?"

"Y... yes, Master. I also wronged him, so it is only fitting to forgive him."

"Do you also forgive the fox for taking your work and keeping it as his own?" 

The sheep paused and looked at the still smiling fox. "I don't think it was right, but the work I did was for you, not me. So, in truth, he stole from you. I will personally hold nothing against him for his actions."

The anger in the lion's eyes softened to mercy and compassion as he once more embraced the sheep. "Then I forgive your actions as well. Come, devoted worker, I will give you a fine room in my house."

Then he turned to the goat, "And what about you? Do you forgive the sheep for stealing your work?"

The goat grit his teeth and glared at the sheep for a long moment. "Well... Alright. If he can forgive me for what I did, I can forgive him too."

The lion smiled jubilantly. "And do you also forgive the fox for what he has done?"

The goat's bearded jaw dropped. "Are you kidding!?! He hasn't even asked for forgiveness; he's not sorry! Look at him!"

The lion's eyes turned sad as he stood before the goat. "Then your actions shall not be forgiven either. You may stay employed on this estate, but you cannot live within my house."

At last he turned in rage to the fox, baring his mighty white teeth.

"You, who would steal from me and make what is mine yours shall be banished from this estate. Did you not know I have the power to take what is truly mine back to me?

"Foolish fox! You who listened to the darkness will be cast into the darkness - empty-handed and alone!"

With those words, he grabbed the fox by the scruff and cast him off his estate.

Then he took the sheep by the hand, smiling, and led him into the main house. That night there was much celebration within the house, with dancing and music, singing, feasting and laughter.

The goat stood outside the house, yearning to enter and join the celebration. He was certainly glad he was still on the estate and not exiled as the fox had been, for there were strange, terrible sounds of suffering in the deep, dark woods -- howls, gurgles and yelps of pain so intense it made the hair of his hide rise.

While he continued to look longingly at the house, the door opened and the lion stepped out. "Why do you stand here thus, goat?"

"Because I wish to join you inside like the sheep, Master."

"Why did you not forgive the fox as the sheep did? If you had, you would be inside with him."

"I... I understand now that I should have, and I greatly regret my decision. But..." Tears started to flow from his eyes. "But it is too late now."

The lion came down the steps and asked. "Have you finally found in your heart forgiveness for the fox?"

"I... I have, Master."

With an even greater joy in his heart, the lion swept the goat up into his embrace and said, "Then you are forgiven too. Come, join me and your coworker inside my house.

The next day, the lion left the estate with a bright lamp and went into the deep, dark woods -- the dominion of the darkness. The darkness seethed in rage at the intrusion, but the lion paid it no mind for he was greater and could not be touched by it. He was here to find the fox.

The darkness saw this and raced ahead, reaching the fox first. The fox sat there huddled, broken and bleeding; pain shot through him and tears continuously flowed from his eyes. The darkness wrapped itself around the fox blocking all light around him and casting fear and suspicion in his mind.

When the lion reached him, the fox was in such a sad state of heart and mind, he did not recognize his former master nor see the bright light he carried.

"My dear fox," the lion said, "I've come to call you home."

"Home!?! I have no home! My loving master cast me from his estate for what I have done. This is yet another trick. A lie! A deception! A torture like all those that have befallen on me since I came to this wretched place! Go AWAY! Please! Leave me alone! Can't you see I'm already in a great deal of pain!?! Please! STOP THIS TORTURE!!!!!" He wept great wracking sobs.

The lion reached out to comfort him, but the fox pulled away terrified and curled into an even tighter ball of misery and pain, wrapping his tail around him and before his eyes to block out the face before him.

With a great ache in his heart, the lion left the deep, dark woods alone. He returned twice more, but twice more the fox rejected his offer.

When the lion returned to the estate after the third attempt, the goat saw the pain in his eyes and approached him. "Master, let me go to the fox and see if I can give him a message."

The lion thought a moment and agreed. "You are the stubborn one of my workers. Perhaps you can reach through the darkness and get him to listen."

The goat left the estate and entered the deep, dark woods. The darkness greeted him right away, trying to lure him away from the lion as it had done to the fox. But by now, the goat had lived in the lion's house and saw only truth. While the darkness spent its efforts casting shadows before the goat's eyes, it failed to see him as a threat and did nothing to hinder the fox this time.

When the goat found the fox in such a wretched state, his heart immediately went out to him and he knelt by the fox's side, tending to his wounds. 

The fox opened his pain-filled eyes and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have forgiven you as our master has forgiven me."

Tears flowed anew down damp, matted cheek ruffs. "I wish he was still my master and loved me. He never would have let this happen to me if he still loved me..."

"He does still love you."

"Then why hasn't he come to save me from this cruel fate?"

"He has - thrice. His heart aches because three times you have turned him away."

Firmly the fox snapped shut his jaw and shook his head. It took much convincing and several long periods of conversation between sessions of torture and torment the fox endured. But the goat set in his heels and would not leave the fox's side until he saw the truth too.

When at last the truth that not only did the lion still love him, but that the darkness into which his actions had cast him was the reason he did not see their master's light nor recognize him when he came, the fox asked, "What am I to do now?"

The goat lifted his eyes, looking over the fox's head. "I can see the light of the estate, even though the darkness tries to hide it from my eyes. Let me lead you there."

Slowly and painfully the pair made their way out of the deep, dark woods.

In the estate's gateway, the lion stood, tears of joy cascading down his cheeks and into his noble mane. Elated, he ran the last few steps and crushed the poor broken fox against his broad chest.

Immediately, the fox's pain and afflictions fell away from him and were replaced by a Love and Joy greater than any he had ever experienced. "Please forgive me," he wept into the lion's mane as he was held in that embrace.

"I have, fox. And right now my heart sings with the greatest joy of all. Come, join us in my house."

Loki Gets No Grace (Story)

Last fall I attended an interfaith convention where Linda presented the following song at the bardic circle. Within a matter of hours, I had a story response to the question asked in her song. Both are shared below.

Linda's Song calls attention to the way some Christians behave, judge and condemn others (even after we profess that Christ is the only Judge). The story that follows shares just how far the Love and Forgiveness of Yeshua / Jesus extends. Both hold a good message to share. :D

I've heard it said, that Jesus loves you.
I want you to know, that I love you too.
Let no one say, that I turned down a friend.
So I went to see if Jesus loves me too!
Went to see if Jesus loves me too, went to see if Jesus loves me too!

Oh, first I went to find him at the Pearly Gates,
But the man at the door didn't like my face.
I turned into a nun, said do you like me now?
He said: "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"
"No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!" "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"

So I turned into a mouse, snuck in the back.
There were harps and clouds all over the place.
Asked an angel where to find the Christ.
He said: "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"
"No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!" "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"

So I turned into a girl, dressed in white lace,
Sweetly said as I kissed his face,
"Why, if he loves me, can't I get to first base?"
He said: "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"
"No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!", "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"

So I went to the man, sitting on the throne
Saying "Can I date your son? With permission embrace?"
He was not amused, angels gave me chase
Saying: "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"
"No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!", "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"

Well they say Jesus loves me, but if that's the case
I can find no proof, not a single trace.
I don't like his friends and their Master Race
Saying: "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"
"No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!", "No, Loki no, Loki gets no grace!"

I've heard it said, that Jesus loves you.
I want you to know, that I love you too.
Let no one say, that I turned down a friend.
So I came to see if you would love me too.
Came to see if you would love me too, came to see if you would love me too.

I don't live in a church, I won't kneel in a pew.
I won't save your soul, you don't need me to.
I just want to come and laugh with you,
Saying I'm Loki and I'll play with you,
I'm Loki and I'll play with you, I'm Loki and I'll play with you!

____________________________________________________________________________
The Response

After the above song was spread far and wide, a message came from Heaven to clarify a few things about what happened. There are many of Jesus' followers, even in the ranks of Heaven, that do not know everything that Jesus does. This led to misunderstandings. If you read the above lyrics, clearly Loki never had a chance to ask Jesus the question directly.

So, right after Loki was bounced out of Heaven, Jesus paid Asgard a visit. Being a gentleman, Jesus had previously asked Odin's Permission to enter Asgardian Realm, and Thor met Jesus at the entrance. One look at all that Jesus brought with him and Thor's eyes lit in mischief as a sly grin crossed his face. "Oh, this is going to be good!"

Jesus smiled pleasantly and asked Thor, "Do you think you could keep Loki occupied for a while?" 

Thor's eyes shone as he laughed and toyed with his hammer. "Of course I can! Oh LOKI...!"

As Thor took off in search Loki to distract him, Jesus ventured to the place where Loki had set up residence, leaving something for him there to discover later.

Several hours later, Loki arrived at his home, ragged and sore, doggedly trying to escape Thor's notice for the time being. Upon arrival, however, his jaw dropped.

Now you see, Jesus has the advantage of being the Creator's Son. So after Loki's escapade through Heaven, Jesus approached his Father and asked for a favor. Still fuming a bit, His Father let Jesus have His wish. Jesus wanted unicorns... lots and LOTS of unicorns. "Not the small goat kind that was documented in the Middle Ages, Abba, nor the perfect equine kind that is often pictured today. I want something different," He explained. "Abba, have you ever seen the TV show My Little Pony?"

When Loki arrived at his little corner of Asgard, there were hundreds of thousands of these brightly colored little ponies everywhere. Some sang. Some danced. Some played silly games like four-hoofed care-bears. And they ALL farted rainbows and did other things on his nicely manicured lawns and gardens.

Fuming, Loki made his way -- stepping carefully -- across the grounds and stormed into his abode. Only to be met with another surprise. There were white teddy bears of every size imaginable crammed into any and all open spaces. Each had a big red heart emblazoned across its chest.

But the worst part was that they all spoke. The moment Loki slammed the door they ALL started up - HUNDREDS of them - in UNISON. "I Love you. I Love you. I Love you. I Love you. I Love you..." 

Within mere moments the words were a mantra Loki could not get out of his mind. He searched the first few in range only to maddeningly discover that there was no off switch nor any way to remove the batteries. The chant continued.

Right in the center of the room was the biggest teddy bear of all, bearing a note written in an elegant hand. Loki tore the note from the bear's heart and read:
 

You may receive Forgiveness' Grace,
Just like any other
May you never once forget, Loki,
I love you like a brother.
~ Jesus
P.S. Your turn!

For you see, Loki and Jesus have this game of "tag" that has gone on for centuries. Of course, when Loki approached the throne, God the Father KNEW all this. His rebuke and the angel chase was just His way of making it perfectly clear to Loki that Heaven was out-of-bounds. 

Where will the next turn take them? 

The ball is in Loki's court... ;)

Kingdom of God

As a counter-note to my last post, I wanted to share a response I posted on another blog. The Afterthought had shared a post titled The Big Picture, where he speaks of the steps humanity is taking to get to the Kingdom of God.

I suggest you read it, if you are so inclined, but here I want to share my understanding of the Kingdom of God will be, to the best of my ability.

- Not only is there a connection/partnership with Christ, there is one with all of humanity, past, present and future. We are reaching the end of time, per se, in that we understand that God / Christ actually exist beyond time and space, and that we (our spirits) do as well.

- We see Christ in others, as well as feel Christ within ourselves. When another is hurt or hindered, we seek not to direct our attention to the darkness of another (also within ourselves) but seek the Light and help it to shine instead.

 - We understand that all we see in others exists within ourselves. When we focus on darkness in others, we are often projecting something within ourselves that we are trying to hide. We are also not Forgiving another, as Christ has asked that we do. If we are still bearing a grudge, we are still playing the Judge. That is not our role. When we see goodness, Light, God working in and through others, our own eyes are opening too. When we reach the true Kingdom, we will see only Light and Love in others.

- We understand that we achieve far more than the sum of our individual efforts. We work together in joint harmony for the good of all. We no longer divide, segregate, list, label, or pigeon-hole. There is no yours/mine. There is no "I" but "we." We are one -- humanity.

- We understand that we are all children of God. We do not place restrictions on our brothers and sisters, that they have to do as we do, believe as we believe. We accept them as brothers and sisters, erasing the dividing lines, even when they do not yet do the same.

- We understand we can accept Christ for others. In doing so, we learn to see the Light of Christ in them, even when they do not accept it there themselves. We help that which is of God to shine in them. Positive reinforcement, rather than focus on the negative.

- We understand that God is still beyond our understanding, even within the Kingdom of God. The lines that humanity often divides itself do not apply to God, as God is outside/beyond these lines as well as outside/beyond space and time. Such lines include male/female, among many others...

- We understand that God is beyond/outside all of Creation (even far-flung universes), and at the same time exists within every breath we take, and dwells within the space between electrons in every atom. Thus, God is, indeed, within every fiber of our being.

- As we come to understand that both God and ourselves are beyond time, our perception will begin to change. The past is truly no more, as is the future. All that exists - as has always existed - is the present moment ("now"). We understand that God exists in the "now" and that is where we truly meet. To hold on to the past, we fail to Forgive. To hold on to the future (including our plans) we fail to have Trust/Faith.

And the biggest and most profound component of the Kingdom of God... 

- We no longer see the past nor the future in the person before us. There is nothing to forgive, as there is no past. There is nothing to push them toward, as there is no future. There is "now" only, as there has always been. We cannot change the past. We cannot directly affect the future except by our actions in the "now". God is in the "now," and guides us toward what we will be through the present moment in our hands. So we take our sibling's hand and join with God's thoughts and intentions, trusting our joint future to God's Will.

That is what I see as the Kingdom of God. 

What are your thoughts?

~ ESA

Thunder and Lightning

Ever since I was young, I loved watching lightning; the more intense, the better the show! To me, it was like watching God's fireworks!

I know it frightens some, with good reason. Lightning can kill. Lightning can damage a home or structure. I've seen trees where lightning striped the bark off completely or split the trunk in two. I've witnessed pavement fused into something chemically different. I've responded to house fires where lightning struck.

When I was a teenager, I stupidly stood on a lakeshore beach during a thunderstorm. I wasn't on or in the water, so I should be safe, I thought. I didn't realize how wrong I was until a lightning bolt struck the shoreline and sent me flying back four feet through the air with the concussion alone.

Yet, even after that, I find lightning beautiful to watch. There was a pretty violent storm last night in our area. I took a few moments to step just outside the door under the shelter of the porch to watch. I know now this doesn't guarantee my safety, but the view is irresistible.

I wonder if approaching God is similar. There is power. There is majesty. There is immense, infinite beauty. But in the back of the mind, there is fear at approaching something so powerful and divine. It's even been said that God's voice is like the rumble of thunder (Exodus 19:18-19, John 12:27-32, Acts 9:3-7).

But, unlike lightning, the only thing that will be threatened by God is that which is not from God. The fear comes from a part of ourselves that is in active defiance of God. It believes there is reason to fear reprimand and correction by God.

God's touch, however, simply peels that part from us, leaving us as we are created - something that loves and is lovable. That - in pure essence - is forgiveness. It's only when we associate with this defiance, refusing to let it go, that we find ourselves separated from the Divine...

Unlike what many preach, God doesn't want to punish us. God doesn't want to hurt us. Have you ever removed a splinter from a child's skin, or had one removed from yours? It hurts! The more one squirms, jumps and moves around, the more injury is sustained extracting that which is the cause of the pain. God is a loving Parent, doing much the same thing with our inner self.

And when it is over, the skies clear of the dark clouds to reveal something far greater than we have ever imagined.

~ESA

God's Timing

If you read the prior post, you will easily see I screwed up and I knew it - big time!

I also shared links with those involved.

Then, while I was poking around in Twitter's DM box, I was led to read through some of the older messages.

There I saw one that hit me between the eyes and into the heart. "Very nice. ADAGE: "Our History is Not our Destiny!" ~Agape' Love 4eva"

This was sent June 9th, and at that time I smiled and moved on. This time, I GOT the message.

Through this person, God had reached out and let me know that while I did screw up, it doesn't mean I will do so again. My past is not my future.

I actually started to laugh in Joy over this, silly as that may seem. For me, though, it was a small sign. God knows. God cares. God had timed things so that message reached me at the very moment I needed to really hear it.

God's timing is perfect.

Always!

~ESA 

Living Example

This is reported as a true story, but I cannot place its origin. Wherever it is from, it holds a valuable message for us.

~ ESA

________________________________________________________________________

In a country where a non-Christian faith was the dominant religion, there lived a small family of Christians. Despite the harassment from military, government and neighbors, the family never diverged from practicing Christianity. The young woman saw her parents killed, then her brother.

This is her story.

While she didn’t see those who slaughtered her parents, she did look onto the face of her brother’s attacker. She had it burned in her mind. Paralyzed with fear and shock, she could do nothing that night.

Left alone, she continued to work as an aide in the local hospital, so she could earn enough to feed and care for herself.

One day, the man that killed her brother was admitted to the hospital with terrible wounds. She recognized him immediately.

He also recognized her, and realized she knew who he was. Bound in several bandages and lines that helped keep him alive, he had no easy means of escape. He lived in constant dread of this woman, for now he was completely at her mercy.

Day-after-day, he wondered how she would extract her revenge on him. Yet, day-after-day she continued to bathe him, feed him and gently tend to his wounds. He began to recover and grow in strength.

At last, the day before he was released from the hospital, he stopped her ministrations, looked her in the eye and asked, “Why?” He was completely baffled and perplexed by her actions. “Why did you do this? You clearly know who I am and what I did. Why did you help me instead of taking your revenge on me? I was at your complete mercy!”

She smiled and responded. “I do know who you are, and I remember everything. I am a Christian. We are taught to forgive and love our enemies.”

Tears started to trickle down the man’s cheeks. Then he wept openly as he admitted, “I had never known there was such a religion…”

Danger Zone

Lately I've run into a lot of gay-bashing online and on the news. Given the political clime, it's not surprising. It's just sad. This blog post is not to point any fingers (you already know who you are), it's meant as a warning - to all.

When, in your mind / heart you bind another to a set of laws, rules or restrictions, you yourself are bound to the same set of laws, rules and restrictions. Most prefer the "pick and choose" method, whereby they pick one rule (such as homosexual sex) and forget that God will now hold them strictly and personally accountable for the rest of the package - not the person to whom they point their fingers.

Christ warned us of this time after time. There's the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have done unto you) and the Lord's Prayer and other teachings where He clearly states we must forgive the mistakes of all others or our own will not be forgiven.

I can rant far and wide on this subject, but I only have limited time this morning. So I will say it bluntly. When you hold another person to ONE law in the Old Testament, you bind yourself - not the other - to ALL the laws of the Old Testament. Now ask yourself, do you:

• Eat shrimp, lobster, clams, or any other shellfish? (Leviticus 11:10)
• Round out your hair, trim your beard or - perish the thought! - shave? (Leviticus 19:27)
• Play football or touch something made with pigskin leather? (Leviticus 11:8)
• Eat bacon, sausage, ham, or pork? (Leviticus 11:8)
• Eat or touch any on the long list of animals? (Leviticus 11)
• Eat anything that is not Kosher or prepared in a Kosher manner? (same)
• Touch a dead body (even a beloved pet, family member or friend who departed)? Numbers 19:11
• Wear polyester or any other cloth that is made of more than one type of fiber (any percent)? Double check your shoes. (Leviticus 19:19)
• Have a tattoo or body piercings (including ear lobes)? (Leviticus 19:28)
• Read the horoscope or open a fortune cookie? (Leviticus 19:31)

Do we continue to point fingers?

Do we see "sin" in others but not ourselves?

Or do we remove the plank that blinds us even today?

~ESA