Universal Family

Living truth is stable and dependable—and also flexible and adjusted to individuals and groups in their changing situations. Truth is more a who than a what. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Come and see.

Living truth is stable and dependable—and also flexible and adjusted to individuals and groups in their changing situations. Truth is more a who than a what. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Come and see.

Living truth is stable and dependable—and also flexible and adjusted to individuals and groups in their changing situations. Truth is more a who than a what. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Come and see.

Jesus was a master in the art of living. In the practical arts, he was skilled in carpentry. In the fine arts, his parables put his unforgettable touch on storytelling. The fun arts include play, sports, and humor. Examples are given from the teachings of Jesus and from other pioneers in artistic living, including Beethoven and his Ninth Symphony.

Jesus spoke of coming that we may have life and have it more abundantly--but what does this mean? After a very brief sketch, I emphasize the beauties of nature and how God provides for living things. Find an entire quick chapter on Jesus' joy in the blog post. Then to add some spice and introduce thoroughness, I turn to John Muir, a follower of Jesus who expressed his joy in nature with an inspiring eloquence. I give a taste of that in this video. But if you truly want to grow in appreciating the beauties of nature, find it in the blogpost.

This two-fold reflection portrays the risk that Jesus took by coming to John's baptism and the differences between the way of life, evil, and sin.

One goal of prayer is to find the will of God. Sometimes an impressive input comes into mind after prayer, and the person may struggle to discern whether it has come from God or from the human mind. The blogpost has ample context from chapter 7 of A Taste of Joy and Liberty: A Philosopher Encounters the Gospel of Jesus.

Truth, beauty, and goodness are qualities of God and values that we can live. They are blended in the divine answer to prayer, but we can reflect and discern them. I offer some helpful steps to transform the discernment process.

In this episode, I awaken the question by first agreeing with some criticisms of perfection as a goal and then turning to what Jesus said, "Be you perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect." I unfold a couple of transformative implications of his present-tense imperative. Next I refer the reader to the blogpost at UniversalFamily.org and add a desert: an explanation of the photo of Jesus that I include.

On a pilgrimage to Israel, I discovered how seeing scenes of Jesus' ministry helped me remember, ponder, interpret, and commune. I brought back a placemat with 15 little scenes showing Jesus around the Sea of Galilee and on the water. After a dozen years, a couple days ago I saw these scenes in a transforming way. A couple days ago, this morning I looked at it anew; it was transforming to imagine myself in these scenes. I share this spiritual experience in the hope that those who listen will be may find creative ways to do something similar.

In this brief reflection, I sketch the simplest path to character growth I know. The goal: a strong, balanced character, centered in God. The recipe is wisely to combine spiritual awareness, including humility about our need to grow, with a down-to-earth realism about the facts of whatever situations in which he found himself.

I also note something like the same combination in spiritual leaders Tenzin Gyatso (the Dalai Lama, exiled from Tibet) and Desmond Tutu (who did so much for reconciliation in South Africa).

I comment on two beatitudes and on realizing that God gives the resulting character growth that comes from living supreme desire to do the will of God. That life yields joy.