Universal Family

John Dominic Crossan's book, The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant, has been one of the most influential books on this widely discussed and controversial topic. This podcast episode introduces that book.

Confusion divides those who differ on how to respond to a teenager who wants to change to the other gender. If religious people can show how to love one another despite deep ethical disagreements, it could help the society a lot.

We need a philosophical distinction between (1) the spiritual affirmation of each person as an equally and infinitely loved child of God and (2) the ongoing scientific and ethical inquiry about treatments and responses for persons of different ages.

To fail to make that distinction risks seeing an opponent as betraying fundamental spiritual truth.

After reading articles by writers who described their anxiety, anger, depression, and grief over the country and the planet, I found myself wandering into anxiety, identified it frankly as ANXIETY . . . and then came a spiritual experience. I was just beginning to follow the steps of a method that I typically use when temptation arises . . . a method that is related here that is helpful during the normal times--the only justification for sharing an experience like this.

The family of God is like a man who had horses and would train the each young one to carry a rider by taking it out on his large fields. Whenever the horse would be frightened by anything, he would stop, get off the horse, and lead it back to the place where it could calmly look at, and become comfortable with whatever had caused it to spook and jump away from its path.

The law of God is like a friendly policeman who comes to the primary school to explain to the children some of the safety rules that they need to know.

The love of God may be seen by reflecting on the previous two parables. In every case there is an unfolding, a learning process, in which we have the opportunity for us to explore, understand, and be comfortable with, the dimension of reality in question.

Prophets often speak truth to those who refuse to hear. When they endure the consequences of their unrighteous personal lives and foolish conduct as nations, the resulting desolation gives occasion to grieve, to lament. But God is always waiting on the other side to bless and restore. What we could have realized so much earlier is: the faith of a little child.

We often express feeling with words like wow, cool, amazing, awesome, it feels so good. But imagine a school of feeling with courses in the arts, beauties of nature, and spiritual experience to cultivate your sensitive response to the full spectrum of varieties of beauty. Such an education would give us a much larger vocabulary to describe aesthetic experience.

This episode deals significantly also with Jesus and with life in our world, intensely struggling with evolution's ups and downs.

A couple thoughts about getting started with personal worship, imagining worshiping the Trinity on Paradise.

What a great hope, if all the professed followers of Jesus could unite in love and service! For this to happen, it will help to make spiritual peace (not intellectual agreement) regarding the doctrine of atonement. Here's how.

Jesus said, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Have you ever tried this when you are having trouble sleeping?

Have you ever tried worshipping as you wait for the promised rest to arrive?

Have you ever partaken in one of life's pleasures as you rest in him who is the way, the truth, and the life?

Artistic living in general is, in its fullness, a fruit of the spirit. (See Living in Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, chapter 5, for a fuller account.)

Happy resting in Jesus!

This is a talk prepared in response to a request that I share my personal experience with the spirit within, as a contribution to a project designed for young people, age 18-25.