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The Universe is Not Hostile, Nor Yet is it Friendly—it is Simply Indifferent!
I still believe that Joseph Barbera and William Hanna made the best cartoons ever when they formed Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. Charlotte’s Web, The Flintstones, The Snorks, The Jetsons, The Smurfs, Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, Casper’s First Christmas, Richie Rich, Jonny Quest, and many more wonderful cartoons I enjoyed as a kid. One has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, worked hard, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent beings and the love of all kinds of people; who has filled one’s niche and accomplished one’s task; who leaves the World better than one found it, whether by an improved garden, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave them the best one had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction. But we ask—how can we possess such wisdom? In the book of Proverbs, Wisdom says—“I was…rejoicing before Him always, rejoicing in His inhabited World and delighting in the sons of men…and now, my sons, listen to me…one who finds me, find life…but all who hate me love death.” To aspire to wisdom, or to despise it, is a matter of life and death. This could never be said of knowledge in the ordinary sense of the word. Those who know much and do not have life because of their knowledge, and those who know little; and do not try to learn much, do not prove that they love death. #RandolphHarris 1 of 20
Wisdom is a matter of life and death because it is more than knowledge. It can be united with knowledge, but it can also stand alone. It belongs to a dimension which cannot be reached by scholarly endeavour. Wisdom is insight into the meaning of one’s life, into its conflicts and dangers, into its creative and destructive powers, and into the ground out of which it comes and to which it must return. Therefore, the preachers of wisdom tell us that the first step in acquiring it is the fear of God and the awareness of the holy. Such words can easily be misunderstood. They do not command subjection to a god who arouses fear. Nor do they advise us to accept doctrines about him. Suh a command and such advice would lead us straight away from wisdom and not towards it. However, our text says that there cannot be wisdom without an encounter with the holy, with that which creates awe, and shake the ordinary way of life and thought. Without the experience of awe in face of the mystery of life, there is no wisdom. Most removed from wisdom are not those who are driven by desire for pleasure or power, but those brilliant minds who have never encountered the holy, who are without awe and know nothing sacred, but who are able to conceal their ultimate emptiness by the brilliant performances of their intellect. No wisdom shines through knowledge of many people who play a great role in our academic and non-academic society. #RandolphHarris 2 of 20
The wisdom at which God looks in the creation of the World, the eternal wisdom, calls them fools. There is a distortion of the 1 Corinthians 1-2. Two frequently cited but misunderstood texts relevant to the Christian mind are 1 Corinthians 1-2 and Colossians 2.8. In 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, Paul argues against the wisdom of the World and reminds his readers that he did not visit them with persuasive words of wisdom. Some conclude from this that human reasoning and argument are futile, especially when applied to evangelism. There are several problems with this understanding of the passage. For one thing, if it is in fact an indictment against argumentation and reasoning, then it contradicts Paul’s own practice in Acts and his explicit appeal to the argument and evidence on behalf of the Resurrection in the very same epistle (1 Corinthians 15). Second, this passage is more accurately seen as a condemnation of the false, prideful use of reason, not of reason itself. It is hubris (pride) that is in view, not nous (mind). God chose foolish (moria) things that were offensive to human pride, not to reason properly used. For example, the idea of God being crucified was so offensive that the Greek spirit would have judged it to be morally disgusting. The passage may also be a condemnation of Greek rhetoric. #RandolphHarris 3 of 20
Greek orators prided themselves in possessing persuasive words of wisdom, and it was their practice to persuade a crowd of any side of an issue for the right price. They did not base their persuasion on rational considerations but on speaking ability, thus bypassing issues of substance. Paul is most likely contrasting himself with Greek rhetoricians. If so, then Paul is arguing against evangelists who spend all of their time working on their speaking techniques yet fail to address the minds of unbelievers in their gospel presentations! Paul could also be making the claim that the content of the gospel cannot be deduced by pure reason from some set of first principles. No one could start off with an abstract concept of a first mover and deduce that a crucifixion would happen from this information alone. Thus, the gospel could never have been discovered by pure deductive reason from self-evident first principles, but had to be revealed by the biblical God who acts in history. Paul was insistent that the intellect could assess whether nor not there was sufficient evidence to judge that God had so acted (1 Corinthians 15). So we cannot conclude from this passage that using reason is futile. The distortion of Colossians 2.8—in this passage, Paul says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this World rather than on Christ.” #RandolphHarris 4 of 20
Some take the distortion of Colossians 2.8 to be a command to avoid secular studies, especially philosophy. However, upon close inspection of the structure of the verse, it become clear that philosophy in general was not the focus. Rather, it is a certain sort of philosophy—hollow and deceptive philosophy. In the context of Colossians, Paul was warning the church not to form and base doctrinal views according to a philosophical system hostile to orthodoxy. His remarks were a simple waring not to embrace heresy; in context, they were not meant to represent his views of philosophy as a discipline of study. In fact, one of the best ways to avoid hollow and deceptive philosophy is to study philosophy itself, so you can learn to recognize truth from error, using Scripture and right reason as a guide. His is exactly what Paul himself did. Colossians reveals an apostle who was entirely familiar with the type of proto-Gnostic philosophy threatening Colossians believers, who possessed a thorough knowledge of that philosophical system and an ability to point out its inadequacy. And remember, Paul himself cited pagan philosophers approvingly in Acts 17.28. “’For in him we live and move and have our own being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring,’” reports Acts 17.28. Neither of these texts should dampen our enthusiasm to cultivate a Christian mind or use reason in our Christian walk. #RandolphHarris 5 of 20
One who has encountered the mystery of life has reached the source of wisdom. In encountering it with awe and longing, one experiences the infinite distance of one’s being from that which is the ground of one’s being. One experiences the limits of one’s being, one’s finitude in the face of the infinite. One learns that acceptance of one’s limits is the decisive step towards wisdom. The fool rebels against the limits set by one’s finitude. One wants to be unlimited in power and knowledge. One who is wise accepts one’s finitude. One knows that one is not God. There is an area of my learning in interpersonal relationships—one that has been slow and painful for me. When I can let in the fac, or permit myself to feel that someone cares for, accepts, admires, or prizes me, I feel warmed and fulfilled. Because of elements in my past history, I suppose, it has been very difficult for me to do this. For a long time I tended almost automatically to brush aside any optimistic feelings aimed in my direction. My reaction was, “Who, me? You could not possibly care for me. You might like what I have done, or my achievements, but not me.” This is one respect in which my own therapy helped me very much. I am not always able even not to let in such warm and loving feelings from others, but I find it very releasing when I can do so. #RandolphHarris 6 of 20
I know that some people flatter me in order to gain something for themselves; some people praise me because they are afraid to be hostile. However, I have come to recognize the fact that some people genuinely appreciate me, like me, love me, and I want to sense that fact and let it in. I think I have become less aloof as I have been able to take in and soak up those loving feelings. I feel enriched when I can truly prize or care for or love another person and when I can let that feeling flow out to the person. Like many others, I used to fear being trapped by letting my feelings show. “If I care for him, he can control me.” “If I love her, I am trying to control her.” I think that I have moved a long way toward being less fearful in this respect. Like my clients, I too have slowly learned that tender, beneficial feelings are not dangerous either to give or to receive. To illustrate what I mean, I would like again to draw an example from a recent basic encounter group. A woman who described herself as “an out spoken, sensitive, hyperactive individual” whose marriage was on the rocks, and who felt that life was just not worth living said, “I had really buried under a layer of concrete many feelings I was afraid people were going to laugh at or stomp on which, needless to say, was working all kinds of hell on my family and me. I had been looking forward to the workshops with my last few crumbs of hope—it was really a needle of trust in a huge haystack of despair.” #RandolphHarris 7 of 20
She spoke of some of her experiences in the group and added, “The real turning point for me was a simple gesture on your part of putting your arm around my shoulder, one afternoon when I had made some crack about you not really being a member of the group—that no one could cry on your shoulder. In my notes I had written, the night before, “My God, there is no man in the World who love me.” You seemed so genuinely concerned the day I fell apart, I was overwhelmed…I received the gesture as one of the first feelings of acceptance—of me, just the unenlightened way I am, sensitivities and all—that I had ever experienced. I have felt needed, loving, competent, furious, frantic, anything and everything but just plain loved. You can imagine the flood of gratitude, humility, almost release, that swept over me. I wrote, with considerable joy, “I actually felt love. I doubt that I should soon forget it.” This woman, of course, was speaking to me, and yet in some deep sense she was also speaking for me. I too have had similar feelings. Those of one’s followers who expect one to behave with impeccable propriety and are ready to leave and follow someone else if one does not will either be victims of, or gainers by their own judgment. #RandolphHarris 8 of 20
If the teacher is really unified with God, any judging of one done by external standards will be only partly applicable. There is a point where neither one’s character nor one’s motives can be correctly measured by such standards, and beyond which they may be quite misleading. The mystical and cultist circles which talk much about these matters use the name “Master” to trail such an accumulation behind it of falsified facts, superstitious ntions, and nonsensical thinking, that it is needful to be on guard for semantic definitions whenever this term is heard. The mistake that some followers make is to fail to see that their demigod is recognizably human. The mistake that most non-followers make is to fail to see that one is, in one’s best moments, superhuman. The excessively critical attitude which seeks to find a flaw in a holy being and soon succeeds is as foolish as the excessively devout attitude which pronounces one perfect and continuously faultless. This hostility of the one leads to imbalance; the naivete of the other leads to expectancy. The holy being is still a human subject to limitations of one’s species. In order to minimize the risks, experiential confrontation must be done carefully, artfully, and with deep sensitivity to its effects. Use of the first person singular, for example, can minimize unwarranted overtones of accusation or punishment. The statements “I believe you can do more,” or “I do not but what you are saying” serve to illustrate this contention. #RandolphHarris 9 of 20
Posing confrontations in the form of questions or descriptions can also enhance their impact. “You are scared out of your wits,” may reflect how a “hail-fellow-well-met” client felt! Alternatively, I often challenge clients to differentiate between cannot and will not at given junctures. “You mean you will not respond to that job offer,” I suggested to a client invested in her inadequacy; “You mean you will not make time in your day for a lunch break,” I remarked to another client invested in his invincibility. It is sometime useful, finally, to appraise clients of the difficulty of confronting their resistances, especially when those resistance are threatened with extinction. “A part of you is doing everything it can to keep you where you were,” I tell clients in such circumstances. “The most you can do is realize this and look at what is suggests.” To this, all humankind’s literature about wisdom is a witness. Wisdom is the acknowledgment of limits; it is the awareness of the right measure in all relations of life. However, in saying this, one must protect wisdom against a dangerous distortion of its meaning—the confusion of wisdom with philistine avoidance of radical decisions, with clever compromises and shrewd calculations of usefulness, all of which is far removed from the wisdom that comes upon us in the awe-inspiring encounter with the holy. #RandolphHarris 10 of 20
We need only look at the great figures in whom people of all periods and cultures recognized wisdom, the people who gave new laws to their nations, the teachers of new ways of life for continents, the people who withdrew to the deserts of nature and the deserts of the soul to return with abundance. None of them kept to the middle of the road; they had to find new roads in the wilderness. You cannot find wisdom in those who always avoid radical decisions and adjust themselves to the given situation, the conformists who have decided to accept the accepted opinion of society. Wisdom love the children of men, but she prefers those whom come through foolishness to wisdom, and dislike those who keep themselves equally distant from foolishness and from wisdom. They are the real fools, she would say, because they were never shaken by an encounter with the mystery of life, and therefore never able to see the unity of creation and destruction in the working of the divine wisdom. In those, however, who have recognized this working of wisdom, and become wise by it, artificial limits are broken down, often with great pain, and the real limits, the true measures, are found. When wisdom comes to humans, that is what happens. #RandolphHarris 11 of 20
Therefore, wisdom comes to all humans, and not only to those who are learned. You can find quiet and often great wisdom among very simple people. There may be wise ones among those with who you live, and those with whom you work, and those whom you encounter as strangers in crowded streets. There is wisdom in mothers and lonely women, in children and adolescents, in shepherds and cabdrivers; and sometimes there is wisdom all in those who can have much learning. They all prove their wisdom by creatively accepting their limits and their finitude. However, who can accept one’s finitude? Who can accept that one is threatened by the vicissitudes of life, by infirmary, by death? Who can take into oneself the deep anxiety of being alive without covering it up with pleasure and activity? In the book of Job, which powerfully expresses the mystery of life, the question is asked and an answer given that is not an answer in the ordinary sense of the word. Only in the confrontation with eternal wisdom in all its darkness and inexhaustible death can humans accept the misery of one’s finitude, even if it is as extreme as Job’s. In our encounter with the holy, facing with awe the ultimate mystery of life, we experience a dimension of life that gives us the courage and the strength to accept our limits and to become wise through this acceptance. #RandolphHarris 12 of 20
The created light is necessary to see the essence of God, not in order to make the essence of God inteligible, which is off itself intelligible, but in order to enable the intellect to understand in the same way as a habit makes a power abler to act. Even so corporeal light is necessary as regards external sight, inasmuch as it makes the medium actually transparent, and susceptible of colour. Nephi sees the Spirit of the Lord and is shown in vision the tree of life—he sees the mother of the Son of God and learn the condescension of God—he sees the baptism, ministry, and crucifixion of the Lamb of God—he sees also the call and ministry of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb About 600-592 Before Christ. “For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I have never before set foot. And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou? And I said; I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father,” reports Nephi 11.1-5. This light is required to see the divine essence, not as a similitude in which God is seen, but as a perfection of the intellect, strengthening to see God. #RandolphHarris 13 of 20
Therefore it may be said that this light is to be described not as a medium in which God is seen, but as one by which He is seen; and such a medium does not take away the immediate vision of God. “And when I have spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the Earth, yea, even above all. And blessed thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. And behold this thing shall be given unto three for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which they father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God. And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow. And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown up me the three which is precious above all. And he said unto me: What desirest thou?” reports 1 Nephi 11.6-10. #RandolphHarris 14 of 20
The disposition to the form of fire can be natural only to the subject of that from. Hence the light of glory cannot be natural to a creature unless the creature has a divine nature; which is imposible. However, by this light the rational creature is made deiform. “And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another. And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence. And it came to pass that I saw the Heavens open; and an Angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou? And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins. And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of time the Angel spake unto me saying: Look! #RandolphHarris 15 of 20
“And I looked and behold the virgin again bearing a child in her arms. And the Angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of this tree which thy father saw? And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore it is the most desirable above all things. And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul, reports 1 Nephi 11.11-23. “In Thy light we shall see light,” reports Psalms 35.10. Everything which is raised up to what exceeds its nature, must be prepared by some disposition above its nature. However, when any created intellect sees the essence of God, the essence of God itself become the intelligible form of the intellect. Hence it is necessary that some supernatural disposition should be added to the intellect in order that it may be raised up to such a great and sublime height. It is necessary that the power of understanding should be added by divine grace. Now this increase of the intellectual powers is called the illumination of the intellect, as we also call the intelligible object itself by the name of light of illumination. And this is the light spoken of in the Apocalypse (Apoc. 21.23): “The glory of God hath enlightened it; the society of the blessed who see God. #RandolphHarris 16 of 20
By this light the blessed are made “deiform”—id est like to God, according to saying: “When He shall appear we shall be like to Him, and because we shall see Him as He is,” reports 1 Jon 3.2. “And fater he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him. And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God. And the Angel said unto me again; Look and behold the condescension of God! And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the Redeemer of the World, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the Heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of Heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove. And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them. And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that the Angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! #RandolphHarris 17 of 20
“And I looked, and I beheld the Heavens open again, and I saw Angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them. And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the Angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb f God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out. And it came to pass that the Angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the World; and I saw and bear record. And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted upon the cross and slain for the sins of the World. And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the Earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the Angel of the Lord. And the multitude of the Earth was gathered together; and I behold that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the Angel of the Lord sapke unto me again, saying: Behold the World and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. #RandolphHarris 18 of 20
“And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the World; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the Angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb,” reports 1 Nephi 11.23-36. We beseech Thee, O Lord, to guide Thy Church with Thy perpetual governance; that it may walk warily in times of quiet, and boldly in times of trouble; through our Lord. O Lord, Thou knowest my great unfitness for service, my present deadness, my inability to do anything for Thy glory, my distressing coldness of heart. I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable, and loathe and abhor myself. I am at a loss to know what thou wouldest have me do, for I feel amazingly deserted by thee, and sense thy presence so little; Thou makest me possess the sins of my youth, and the dreadful sin of my nature, so that I feel all sin, I cannot think or act but every motion is sin. Return again with showers of converting grace to a poor gospel-abusing sinner. Help my soul to breathe after holiness, after a constant devotedness to Thee, after growth in grace more abundantly every day. The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a great lie than to a small one. #RandolphHarris 19 of 20
O Lord, I am lost in the pursuit of this blessedness, and am ready to sink because I fall short of my desire; help me to hold out a little longer, until the happy hour of deliverance comes, for I cannot lift my soul to Thee if Thou of Thy goodness bring me not nigh. Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender, lest I offend my blessed Friend in thought and behaviour; I confide in Thee and lean upon Thee, and need Thee at all times to assist and lead me. O that all my distresses and apprehensions might prove but Christ’s school to make me fit for greater service by teaching me the great lesson of humility. May Thy Word, O Lord, Which endureth for ever in Heaven, abide continually in the Temple of Thy Church; that the presence of the Inhabitant may be an unfailing glory to the habitation; through Thy mercy and love. Remember Thy congregation, O Lord, which Thou hast created from the beginning; forget not the Church of old time Thou hast predestinated in Christ; be mindful of Thy mercy, look upon Thy covenant, and bless us continually with the promised freedom. The Dodo never had a chance. He seems to have been invented for the sole purpose of becoming extinct and that was all he was good for. There is no greater grief than to recall a time of happiness when in misery. However, the marines have landed, and the situation is well in hand. #RandolphHarris 20 of 20

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Life, Like a Dome of Many-Coloured Glass, Stains the White Radiance of Eternity!
Love and time—those are the only two things in all the World and all of life that cannot be bought, but only spent. History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They finally won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats. Disappointments acted as a challenge. Do not let difficulties discourage you. To know the finite as such, is also to know the infinite. All or nothing is one idea. Each point of space, of time, each feeling in the ego, each quality of being, is clamoring, “I am the all—there is nought else but me. The sense of a universal mirage, of a ghostly unreality, steals over us, which is the very moonlit atmosphere of much thought. What wonder then if, instead of converting, our words do but rejoice and delight, those already baptized in the faith of confusion? Truth lies open to the view in depth beneath depth of almost blinding evidence. The mind sees all the logical relations of being with an apparent subtlety and instantaneity to which its normal consciousness offers no parallel; only as sobriety returns, the feeling of insight fades, and one is left staring vacantly at a few disjointed words and phrases, as one stars at a cadaverous-looking snow-peak from which the Sunset glow has just fled, or at the black cinder left by an extinguished brand. #RandolphHarris 1 of 19
We college-bred gentry, who follow the stream upon some old-established journal, or some voluminous native author, whose names are never heard of in our circle, but who number their readers by the quarter-million. It always gives us a little shock to find this mass of human beings not only living and ignoring us and all our gods, but actually reading and writing and cogitating without ever a thought of our canons and authorities. Facts are there only for those who have a mental affinity with them. When once they are indisputably ascertained and admitted, the academic and critical minds are by far the best fitted ones to interpret and discuss them—for surely to pass from mystical to scientific speculations is like passing from lunacy to sanity; but on the other hand if there is anything which human history demonstrates, it is the extreme slowness with which the ordinary academic and critical mind acknowledges facts to exist which present themselves as wild facts, with no stall or pigeon-hole, or as fact which threaten to break up the accepted system. Each of us is in reality an abiding psychical entity far more extensive than one knows—an individuality which can never express itself completely through any corporeal manifestation. The self manifests itself though the organism; but there is always some part of the self unmanifested, and always, as it seems, some power of organic expression in abeyance or reserve. #RandolphHarris 2 of 19
The total consciousness is like that spectrum prolonged by the inclusion of the ultra-red and ultra-violet rays. In the psychic spectrum the “ultra” parts may embrace a far wider range, both of physiological and psychical activity, than is open to our ordinary consciousness and memory. At the lower end we have the physiological extension, mind-cures, stigmatization of ecstasies, excreta; in the upper, the hyper-normal cognitions of the medium-trance. Science, like life, feeds on its own decay. I myself, as American agent for the census, collected hundreds of cases of hallucination in healthy persons. The result is to make me feel that we all have potentially a subliminal self, which may make at any time irruption into our ordinary lives. At lowest, it is only the depository of our forgotten memories; at its highest, we do not know what it is at all. The whole subject of immortal life has its prime roots in personal feeling. What the laboratories and hospitals have lately been teaching us is not only that thought in general is one of the brain’s functions, but that the various special forms of thinking are functions of special portions of the brain. When we are thinking of things seen, it is our occipital convolutions that are active; when of things heard, it is a certain portion of our temporal lobes; when of things to be spoken, it is one of our frontal convolutions. #RandolphHarris 3 of 19
In other special convolutions those processes of associations go on, which permit the more abstract processes of thought, to take place. Diminished or exaggerated associations with the other regions accounts for the complexion of our emotional life, and eventually decides whether one shall be a callous brute or criminal, an unbalanced sentimentalist, or a character accessible to feeling, and yet well poised. Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass, stains the white radiance of eternity. The body is treated as an essential condition to the soul’s life in this World of sense; but after death, it is said, the soul is set free, and become purely intellectual and non-appetitive being. The death of the body may indeed be the end of the sensational use of our mind, but only the beginning of the intellectual use. The body would thus be, not cause of our thinking, but merely a condition restrictive thereof, and although essential to our sensuous and terrestrial consciousness, it may be regarded as an impeder of our pure spiritual life. Our finitenesses and limitations seem to be our personal essence; and when the finiting organ drops away, and out several spirits revert to their original source and resume their unrestricted condition, will they then be anything like those sweet streams of feeling which we know, and which even now our brains are sifting out from the great reservoir for our enjoyment below? #RandolphHarris 4 of 19
Such questions are truly living questions, and surely they must be seriously discussed by future lecturers upon this foundation. I hope, for my part, that more than one such lecturer will penetratingly discuss the conditions of our immortality, and tell us how much we may lose, and how much we may possibly gain, if its finiting outlines should be changed? For our ancestors the World was a small, and—compared with our modern sense of it—a comparatively snug affair. Six thousand years at most it has lasted. In its history a few particular human heroes, kings, queens, ecclesiarches, and saints stood forth very prominent, overshadowing the imagination with their claims and merits, so that not only they, but all who were associated familiarly with them, shone with a glamour which even the Almighty, it was supposed, must recognize and respect. These prominent personages and their associates were the nucleus of the immortal group; the minor heroes and saints of minor sects came next, and people without distinction formed a sort of background and filling in. The whole scene of eternity (so far, at least, as Heaven and not the nether place was concerned in it) never struck to the believer’s fancy as an overwhelmingly large or inconveniently crowded stage. #RandolphHarris 5 of 19
One might call what was taking place an aristocratic view of immortality; the immortals—I speak of Heaven exclusively, for an immortality of torment need not now concern us—were always an elite, a select and manageable number. For our minds, though in one sense they may have grown a little cynical, in another they have been made sympathetic by the evolutionary perspective. Life is a good thing on a reasonably copious scale; but the very Heavens themselves, and the cosmic times and spaces, would stand aghast at the notion of preserving eternally such an ever-swelling plethora and glut of it. Our Christian ancestors dealt with the problem more easily than we do. We, indeed, lack sympathy; but they had absolute antipathy for these alien human creatures, and they naively supposed the Deity to have the antipathy, too. Being, as they were, heathen, our forefathers felt a certain sort of joy in thinking that their Creator made them as so much mere fuel for the fires of hell. Our culture has humanized us beyond that point. God, we can then say, has so inexhaustible a capacity for love that his call and need is for literally endless accumulation of created lives. He can never faint or grow weary, as we should, under the increasing supply. His scale is infinite in all things. His sympathy can never know satiety or glut. #RandolphHarris 6 of 19
How, then, should it be consulted as the peopling of the vast City of God? Let us put over our mouth, like Job, and be thankful that in our personal littleness we ourselves are here at all. The Deity that suffers us, we may be sure, can suffer many another queer and wondrous and only half-delightful thing. The heart of being can have no exclusions akin to those which our poor little hearts set up. The inner significance of other lives exceeds all our powers of sympathy and insight. If we feel a significance in our own life which would lead us spontaneously to claim its perpetuity, let us be at least tolerant of like claims made by other lives, however numerous, however unideal they may seem to us to be. Let us at any rate not decide adversely on our own claim, whose grounds we feel directly, because we cannot decide favourably on the alien claims, whose grounds we cannot feel at all. That would be letting blindness lay down the law to sight. “The psalmist offers another solution. “I praise Thee for the awful wonder of my birth; Thy work is wonderful. For Thou didst form my being, and weave me together in my mother’s womb. None of my bones were hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret and molded in the lowest parts of the Earth.” Using the old mythological idea that people are formed in the abyss below the Earth, he points to the mystery of creation, not to the creation in general, but to the creation of his own being. #RandolphHarris 7 of 19
The God Whom he cannot flee is the Ground of one’s being. And this being, one’s nature, soul, and body, is a work of infinite wisdom, awful and wonderful. The admiration of the Divine Wisdom overcomes the horror of the Divine Presence in this passage. It points to the friendly presence of an infinitely creative wisdom. It is this mood which runs generally throughout the Old Testament. A great scholar, with whom I conversed once on the will to death in every life, exhibited the same mood, when he said, “Let us not forget that life is also friendly.” There is a grace in life. Otherwise we could not live. The eyes of the Witness we cannot stand are also the eyes of One of infinite wisdom and supporting benevolence. The centre of being, in which our own centre is involved, is the source of the gracious beauty which we encounter again and again in the stars and mountains, in flowers and animals, in children and mature personalities. However, there is something more to the psalmist’s solution. He does not simply consider the creative Ground of his being. He also looks to the creative destiny of his life. “Thine eyes saw the sum total of my days, and in Thy book they were all written. They were counted before they ever came into existence.” The psalmist uses another old mythical symbol, which is the record of Earthly events in an Heavenly book. #RandolphHarris 8 of 19
He expressed poetically what we call the belief in an ultimate meaning of our life. Our days are written and counted; they are not merely accidental. One Who sees us most intimately looks at the vision of our whole life. We belong to this whole; we have a place of the utmost importance within it. As individuals and as a group, we have an ultimate destiny. And whenever we sense this ultimate destiny, whether or not it appears as great or insignificant, we are aware of God, the Ground and centre of all meaning. We can join in the psalmist’s cry of admiration: “How mysterious Thy thoughts are to me, O God! How great the sum of them is! If I were to count them, they would outnumber the sands; and if I were to come to the end of them, the span of my life would be like Thine!” The psalmist thus conquers the horror of the all-reflecting mirror and of the never-sleeping Witness by one’s recognition of the infinite mystery of life, its Ground and its meaning. However, suddenly, at the climax of one’s meditation, the psalmist turns away from God. One remembers that there is a morbid element in the picture of one’s life—enmity against God, wickedness, and bloody deeds. And since this element disturbs one’s picture, one asks God to eradicate it. In a sudden rage, one shouts, “If Thou wouldst but slay the wicked, O God, and make them people of blood depart from me, who oppose Thee in their thoughts, and utter Thy name in their crimes! Should I not despise them? I hate them with the deadliest hatred. They are also my enemies!” #RandolphHarris 9 of 19
These words should disturb anyone who thinks that the problem of life can be solved by meditation and religious elevation. Their mood is quite different from that of previous words. Praise turns into curse. And the trembling the heart before the all-observing God is replaced by wrath towards humans. This wrath makes the psalmist feel that one is equal with God, the God from Whim one wished to flee into darkness and death. God must hate those whom he hates; and God’s enemies must be his enemies. He has just spoken of the infinite distance between his thoughts and God’s thoughts; but he had forgotten. Religious fanaticism appears, that fanaticism which has inflamed the arrogance of Churches, the cruelty of the moralists, and the inflexibility of the orthodox. The sin of religion appears in one of the greatest Psalms. It is that sin which has distorted the history of the Church and this vision of Christianity, and which was not fully avoided even by Paul and John. Of course, we whose religious experience is poor and whose feeling of God is weak should not judge too harshly those whose lives burned with the fire of the Divine Presence and spread this fire ardently all over the World. Nevertheless, the sin of religion is real; and it contradicts the Spirit of Him, Who forbade His disciples again and again to hate His enemies as the enemies of God. #RandolphHarris 10 of 19
Yet, a change of thought and feeling brings the psalmist suddenly back to the beginning of one’s poem. He feels quite obviously that something may have been wrong in what he has uttered. He does not know what is wrong; but he is certain that God knows. And so he concludes with one of the greatest prayers of all time: “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any false way in me; and lead me the perfect way.” At this moment he asks God to do what, according to the first words of the Psalm, he does relentlelessly anyway. The psalmist has overcome his wavering between the will to flee God and the will to be equal with God. He has found that the final solution lies in the fact that the Presence of the Witness, the Presence of the centre of all life within the centre of his life, implies both a radical attack on his existence, and the ultimate meaning of his existence. We are known in a depth of morbidity through which we ourselves do not even dare to look. And at the same time, we are seen in a height of a fullness which surpasses our height vision. That infinite tension is the atmosphere in which religion lives. In that tension, when Luther discovered in Christ the Crucified the perfect symbol for our human situation, he conquered his hatred for God. #RandolphHarris 11 of 19
It is the tension in which modern humans live, even thought they may have lost the way to traditional religion. A human being can be ultimately judged by whether or not one has reached and can stand that tension. To endure it is more horrible and more difficult than anything else in the World. And yet, to endure it is the only way by which we can attain to the ultimate meaning, joy, and freedom in our lives. Each of us is called to endure. May each of us have the strength and the courage to bear that vocation! For it is to that vocation that we are called as humans. Wisdom is not easy to find. It remains a divine mystery in site of its presence in all parts of the Universe. Wherever wisdom has been praised in literature, its mystery has been recognized. The book of Job asks—“Where shall wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding? Humans do not know the way to it and it is not found in the land of the living. The deep says: Not in me and in the sea says: not in me. It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air; only abyss and death say: we have heard a rumor of it with our ears.” This means that wisdom is not a human possibility. The praise of wisdom is not a praise of humans and their power. Only abyss and death—the boundary line of human existence—point to wisdom, but even they cannot give it. Only from a distance have they heard about it. #RandolphHarris 12 of 19
Wisdom is not a matter of intellectual power; rationality is not wisdom. Death says more about wisdom than life; but death does not have the answer. Although manifest in everything that is, why is wisdom so hidden? It is because in everything that lives there are two forces at battle with each other—creative force and a destructive one, both of which emanate from the same divine Ground. As the book of Job says—“With God is wisdom and might; He has counsel and understanding. If he tears down, none can rebuild, if he shuts a human in none can open. Power and providence belong to Him, He is behind deceiver and deceived; he strips statesmen of their wits and makes a fool of councilors…He will extend a nation to destroy it, He will enlarge a nation to enslave it….Should not His majesty cause you to shudder?” No one can doubt that this is the way life is, but our poet knows that behind all this is the mystery of divine wisdom. Wisdom is in both creation and destruction. This is the deepest insight the Old Testament (OT) reached. Without it the beings of the News Testament (NT) would not have been able to endure the cross of Him Whom they called the Christ. Without it Paul could not have broken into the words—“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God”—just after he had spoken with an aching heart of the rejection of his nation for the sake of the Gentiles. #RandolphHarris 13 of 19
Wisdom and mystery do not exclude each other. It is wisdom to see wisdom in the mystery and the conflicts of life. Lehi predicts that the Jews will be taken captive by the Babylonians—he tells of the coming among the Jews of a Messiah, a Saviour, a Redeemer—Lehi tells also of the coming of the one who should baptize the Lamb of God—Lehi tells of the death and resurrection of the Messiah—he compared the scattering and gathering of Israel to an olive tree—Nephi speaks of the Son of God, of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of the need for righteousness. About 600-592 Before Christ (BC). “And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry; wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren. For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews—that after they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance. #RandolphHarris 14 of 19
“Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God rise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Saviour of the World. And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the World. Wherefore, all humankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer. And he spake also concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord—yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know no; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing. And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize the Messiah with water. And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of World. And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. #RandolphHarris 15 of 19
“And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make Himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles. Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an olive tree, whose branches should be broken off and should be scattered upon all the face of the Earth. Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the Earth. And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fullness of he Gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer. And after this manner of the language did my father prophesy and speak unto my brethren, and also many more things which I did not write in this book; for I have written as many of them as were expedient for me in mine other book. And all these things, of which I have spoken, were done as my father dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel. #RandolphHarris 16 of 19
“And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that might see, and hear, and know these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all people from the foundation of the World, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round. Therefore remember, O human, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment. Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever. And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not,” reports 1 Nephi 9.1-22. #RandolphHarris 17 of 19
O God, Who are both the Restorer and the Ruler of humankind; grant, we beseech Thee, that Thy Church may ever be increased by a new offspring, and grow up by the devotion of all the faithful; through Jesus Christ our Lord. My Father, when Thou art angry towards me for my wrongs I try to pacify Thee by abstaining from future sin; but teach me that I cannot satisfy Thy law, that this effort is a resting in my righteousness, that only Christ’s righteousness, ready made, already finished, is fit for that purpose; that Thy chastising for my sin is not that I should try to reform, but only that I may be more humbled, afflicted, and separated from sin, by being reconciled, and made righteous in Christ by faith; that a sense of my sufficiency and ability in Him is one means of my being immovable; that I can never be so by resting on my own faith, but by trusting in Thee as y only support, by faith; that if I cast away my faith I cast away Thee, for by faith I apprehend Thee, and as Thou art very precious, so is my faith very precious to me; that I shall short of the purity Thou requires, because in thinking I am holy I do not seek holiness, or, believing I am important, I do no more. Humble me for not being as holy as I should be, or as holy as I might be through Christ, for Thou art all, and to possess Thee is to possess all. #RandolphHarris 18 of 19
However, to make the creature something is to make it stand between Thee and me, so that I do not walk humbly and holily. Lord, forgive me for this. And may we pray in the spirit, for this gives of the first element of petition—in-Spirited or Spirit-directed prayer. How does prayer in the Spirit occur? In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And one who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. O God, Who hast made all those that are born again in Christ to be a royal and priestly race, grant us both the will and the power to do what Thou commandest; that Thy people who are called to eternal life may have the same faith in their hearts, and the same piety in their actions; through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee, Who art of boundless goodness, and to be feared for Thy mercy, that by Thine assistance all trials, produced by Earthly sin or secular danger, may depart from us; and that in Thy Church of Latter Day Saints religious devotion may ever continue undefiled; through Jesus Christ our Lord. #RandolphHarris 19 of 19
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God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform Gives Life All its Flavour!
Finding a way to live the simple life is today’s most complicated problem. In the traditional family the politics of the situation is very clear. The father’s authority is backed by religious and legal sanctions. They only way that family members can to any degree live independent lives is to do so secretly, deceiving him. In the usual present-day family, control is theoretically unified in the hands of both parents, but in practice they often disagree. This opens the way for a power struggle between family members, with temporary or permanent factions forming. Subtle strategies are used by the children to set the parents against each other. The sanctions for parental authority are no longer strong, further weakening the control structure. Consequently one of the most frequent characteristics is a continual wrangle over decisions involving control. “Why do I have to help with the dishes?” “Why can I not have the ultimate driving machine tonight?” “I want to wear my blue jeans!” “Why do I have to come home at eleven, when my friend Brady can stay out till midnight?” The children are struggling for more independence of parental authority. The parents are in the position of a weak government, alternatively being very firm and then giving in to demands. The politics of the family is very unstable. #RandolphHarris 1 of 19
I am disappointed when I realize—and of course this realization always comes afterward, after a lag of time—that I have been too frightened or too threatened to let myself get close to what I am experiencing, and that consequently I have not been genuine or congruent. There immediately comes to mind an instance that is somewhat painful to reveal. Some years ago I was invited to be a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. The Fellows are a group of brilliant and well-informed scholars. I suppose it was inevitable that there is a considerable amount of one-upmanship, of showing off one’s knowledge and achievements. It seems important for each Fellow to impress the others, to be a little more assured, to be a little more knowledgeable than one really is. I found myself doing this same thing—playing a role of having greater certainty and greater competence than I really possess. I cannot tell you how disgusted with myself I felt as I realized what I was doing; I was not being me, I was playing a part. I regret it when I suppress my feelings too long and they burst forth in ways that are distorted or attacking or hurtful. I have a friend whom I like very much but who has one particular pattern of behavior that thoroughly annoys me. #RandolphHarris 2 of 19
Because of the usual tendency to be nice, polite, and pleasant I kept this annoyance to myself for too long and, when it finally burst it bounds, it came out not only as annoyance but as an attack on him. This was hurtful, and it took some time to repair the relationship. When I have the strength to permit another person to be one’s own realness and to be separate from me, I am inwardly pleased. I think that is often a very threatening possibility. In some ways I have found it an ultimate test of staff leadership and of parenthood. Can I freely permit this staff member or my son or daughter to become a separate person with ideas, purposes, and values which may not be identical with my own? I think of one staff member this past year who showed many flashes of brilliance but who clearly held values different from mine and behaved in ways very different from the ways in which I would behave. It was a real struggle, in which I feel I was only partially successful, to let one be oneself, to let one develop as a person entirely separate from me and my ideas and my values. Yet to the extent that I was successful, I was pleased with myself, because I think this permission to be a separate person is what makes for the autonomous development of another individual. #RandolphHarris 3 of 19
I am angry with myself when I discovered that I have been subtly controlling and molding another person in my own image. This has been a very painful part of my professional experience. I hate t have “disciples,” students who have molded themselves meticulously into the pattern that they feel I wish. Some of the responsibility I place with them, but I cannot avoid the uncomfortable probability that in unknown ways I have subtly controlled such individuals and made them into carbon copies of myself, instead of the separate professional persons they have every eight to become. From what I have been saying, I trust it is clear that when I can permit realness in myself or sense it or permit it in another, I am very satisfied. When I cannot permit it in myself or fail to permit it in another, I am very distressed. When I am able to let myself be congruent and genuine, I often help the other person. When the other person is transparently real and congruent, one often helps me. In those rare moments when a deep realness in one meets a realness in the other, a memorable “I-thou relationship,” as Martin Buber would call it, occurs. Such a deep and mutual personal encounter does not happen often, but I am convinced that unless it happens occasionally, we are not living as human beings. #RandolphHarris 4 of 19
God has given us the strength, truth, love, and peace and we must share what we have received, or at least proclaim its existence. It is a compassionate obligation to share the fruits of such a rare attainment with less fortunate seekers. However, only individuals of large generous natures can recognize this obligation. The self-actualized does not ask for service from others, but only to be allowed to serve them. One does not seek to attach them to oneself, but only to God. The illuminate never achieves perfect happiness because one is well aware that others are unhappy and that they are not alien to one. When the wonderful compassion wells up with in human, one can no longer remain enthralled by the satisfactions of one’s own personal peace. The cries which come to one’s ears out of the great black night which envelops humankind tell one that all is not well with such a self-centered life. One may not turn away from them by uttering the alibi that God is in His Heaven and all is well with the World. No! One realized that one must go down into the very midst of that darkness and somehow give out something of what one has gained, offer true hope to a hopeless epoch. #RandolphHarris 5 of 19
It is impossible for the materialist to perceive that we live and move and have our being in a universal Mind. However, the self-actualized, knowing this, knows also that this universal life will take care of one’s individual life to the degree that one opens oneself out to it, to the extent that one takes a large and generous view of one’s relation to all other individual lives. Amidst peaceful landscape in calm forests retreats or beside lonely seashores, where the attractions of Nature are all-powerful to one and where one could gladly spend the remainder of one’s life in solitude, a stinking phenomenon will mark itself repeatedly on memory. Again and again, faces of different people will float up and confront one. Some will be the faces f friends or people known to one but others will be the faces of strangers. All call to one to leave one’s solitude and give up one’s silence. It is not difficult to understand this occurrence. The mountain eyrie, the jungle retreat, or the forest cottage may continue to attract one powerfully, but the awakening of one’s fellow people into truth must eventually seem a worthier objective than one’s own external peace. So long as there are others acutely conscious of their spiritual need, so long must one go out among them. One does not do this by an external command but only by an internal one—the command of compassion. #RandolphHarris 6 of 19
One no longer feels for oneself alone but also for others. Indeed one cannot help doing so, for the same reason that Jesus could not help proclaiming the gospel of the Israelites, even though he foreknew the end would be impalement upon the Cross. One’s service is done out of the pure joy of giving it. The self-actualized does not have to be told to help humankind in its struggles toward the light. One is a helper by nature. One’s compassion overflows and it is out of this, not out of condescension, that one works for them. However, one’s help will not necessarily take the particular forms that humanity in its unenlightened states expects from one. Actualized being or life unites dynamics with form. Everything real has a form, be it an atom, be it the human mind. That which has no form has no being. At the same time, everything real drives beyond itself. It is not satisfied with the form in which it finds itself. It urges toward a more embracing, ultimately to the all-embracing form. Everything wants to grow. It wants to increase its power of being in forms which include and conquer non-being. Metaphorically speaking, one could say that the molecule wants to become a crystal, the crystal a cell, the cell a centre of cells, the plant animal, the animal human, the human god, the weak strong, the isolated participating, the imperfect perfect, and so on! #RandolphHarris 7 of 19
In this drive of evolution, it can happen that a being, when transcending itself loses itself. It can happen that it destroys its given form without attaining a new form, thus annihilating itself. Life meets this threat by creating forms of growth. The self-transcendence of being occurs in forms which determine the process of self-transcendence. However, this determination is never complete. If it were, one could not speak of self-transcendence. One would have to speak of self-expression. The incompleteness of the laws of growth produce a risk in everything living. In transcending itself a being may fulfill and it may destroy itself. One could call this risk of creativity. Symbolically, one could say that even God, in creating, took the risk upon Himself that creation would turn into destruction. In the vision in which Parmenides receives the answer to the philosophical question, it is dike, the goddess of justice, who introduces him into the truth about being. Justice is not a social category far removed from ontological inquires, but it is a category without which no ontology is possible. In the poetic fragment of Parmenides we have an archaic ontology of justice. Heraclitus, in his words about the logos, the law which determines the movement of the kosmos, applies the concept of the logos both to the laws of nature and to the laws of the city. #RandolphHarris 8 of 19
According to Plate, justice is the uniting function in the individual person and in the social group. It is the embracing form in both cases. Their power of being depends on it. In Stoicism it is the same logos which works as physical law in nature and as a moral law in the human mind. It judges as principle of justice all absolute laws. It gave the Roman Stoics criteria for the formulation and administration of the Roman law. It was seen in its absolute, cosmic validity, whatever the consequences of its execution may be. Whenever the ontological foundation of justice was removed, and absolute interpretation of law was tried, no criteria against arbitrary tyranny or utilitarian relativism were left. In the fight of Socrates with the Sophists this was the decisive point. In the defence of the “rights of humans” against cynicism and dictatorship, the same fight is going on today. It can be won only by a new foundation of natural law and justice. A glimpse at the Old Testament shows that in spite of the unmetaphysical character of prophetic thinking, the principle of justice they pronounce governs not only Israel, but also humankind and nature. In later Judaism the law is hypostasized in the eternal realm. Only its manifestation is temporal. This implies that it is the form of being which is valid for everything in every period. Obedience to it gives power of being. Disobedience involves self-destruction. #RandolphHarris 9 of 19
If justice is the form in which the power of being actualizes itself, justice must be adequate to the dynamics of power (as discussed before). It must be able to give form to the encounters of being with being. The problem of “justice in encounter” is given with the fact that it is impossible to say before the encounter happens how the power relation will be within the encounter. Many possibilities are given in every moment. Each of these possibilities demands a special form. A wrong, unjust, power relation may destroy life. In every act of justice daring is necessary and risk is unavoidable. There are no principles which could be applied mechanically and which would guarantee that justice is done. Nevertheless there are principles of justice expressing the form of being in its universal and unchanging character. Nephi makes two sets of records—each is called the plates of Nephi—the larger plates contain a secular history; the smaller ones deal primarily with sacred things. About 600-592 Before Christ. “And all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates. #RandolphHarris 10 of 19
“And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates, behold they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the history of my people; for the plates upon which I have given the name of Nephi; wherefore, they are called the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also are called the plates of Nephi. Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people. Upon the other plates should be engraven an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people; wherefore these plates are for the more part of the ministry; and the other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people. Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. However, the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of humans; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen,” report 1 Nephi 9.1-6. The angelic intellect is not defective, if defect be taken to mean privation, as if it were without anything which it ought to have. #RandolphHarris 11 of 19
However, if the defect be taken negatively, in that sense every creature is defective, when compared with God; forasmuch as it does not possess the excellence which is God. The sense of sight, as being altogether material, cannot be raised up to immateriality. However, our intellect, or the angelic intellect, inasmuch as it is elevated above matter in its own nature, can be raised up above its own nature to a higher level by grace. The proof is, that sight cannot in any way know abstractedly what it knows concretely; for in no way can it perceive a nature except as this one particular nature; whereas our intellect is able to consider abstractly what is knows concretely. Now although it knows things which have a form residing in manner, still it resolves the composite into both of these elements; and it considers the form separately by itself. Likewise, also, the intellect of an Angel, although it naturally knows the concrete in any nature, still it is able to separate that existence by its intellect; since it knows that the thing itself is one thing, and its existence is another. Since therefore the created intellect is naturally capable of apprehending the concrete form, and the concrete being abstractedly, by way of a kind of resolution of parts; it can by grace be raised up to know separate subsisting substance, and separate subsisting existence. #RandolphHarris 12 of 19
Now participated existence is limited by the capacity of the participator; so that God alone, who is His own existence, is pure act and infinite. However, in intellectual substances there is composition of actuality and potentiality, not, indeed, of matter and form and participated existence. Wherefore some say that they are compose of that “whereby they are” and that “which they are;” for existence itself is that by which a thing is. However, human morality and submission to God’s law are entirely different in principle, though they may appear to be similar in outward appearance. Human morality arises out of culture and family training and is based on what is proper and expected in the society we live in. It has nothing to do with God expect to thee extent that Godly people have influenced that society. Submission to God’s law arises out of a love for God and a grateful response to His grace and is based on delight in His law as revealed in Scripture. When the societal standard of morality varies from the law of God written in Scripture, we then see the true nature of human morality. We discover that it is just as hostile to the law of God as is the attitude of the most hardened sinner. Sanctification begun in our hearts by the Holy Spirit changes our attitude. #RandolphHarris 13 of 19
Instead of being hostile to God’s law, we begin to delight in it. “For in my inner being I delighted in God’s law,” reports Romans 7.22. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us,” reports Romans 8.18. This radical and dramatic change in our attitude toward God’s commands is a gift of His grace, brought about solely by the might working of His Holy Spirit within us. We play no more part in this initial act of sanctification than we do in our justification. As Paul said, “All this is from God.” When the Angel of devotion has gone, the Angel of prayer has lost its wings and it becomes a deformed and loveless thing. Our previous study was about our devotional wings (meditation, confession, adoration, and submission). Now, wings formed and stretched in flight, we come to petition, the offering of our requests to God. It is my hope this study will instruct and motivate us to a soaring life of petitionary prayer which will call down God’s power upon our lives and the Church. The Scriptural setting for the classic text on petitionary prayer could scarcely be more dramatic—it is a soldier preparing for battle. One’s heart pounds boom, boom under one’s metal breastplate. #RandolphHarris 14 of 19
As one steadies oneself, one hitches up one’s armor belt and scuffs at the Earth like a football player with one’s studded boots, testing one’s traction. One repeatedly draws one’s great shield across one’s body in anticipation of the fiery barrages to come. Reflexively one reaches up and repositions one’s helmet. One gingerly tests the edge of one’s sword and slips it back into one’s scabbard. The enemy approaches. Swords pulled from their scabbards ring in chilling symphony. The warriors stand motionless, breathing in dreadful spasm. And then the believing soldier does the most astounding thing. One falls to one’s knees in deep, profound, petitionary prayer—for one has obeyed one’s divine instructions to take of all-prayer. The Holy Scriptures themselves portray this weapon: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints,” reports Ephesians 6.18. We are charged with five elements necessary to fully experience the power of petitionary prayer. “And he who searches our hearts know the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will,” reports Romans 8.27. Then the vision and the solid intention obey Christ will naturally lead to seeking out and applying means to that end. #RandolphHarris 15 of 19
Here the means in question are the means for spiritual transformation, for the replacing of the inner character of the “lost” with the inner character of Jesus: His vision, understanding, feelings, decisions, and character. In finding such means we are not let to ourselves but have rich resources available to us in the example and teachings of Jesus, in the Scriptures generally, and in one’s people. Suppose, for example, we would like to be generous to those who have already take away some of our money or property through legal process. Pure will, with gritted teeth, cannot be enough to enable us to do this. By what means, then, can we become the kind of person who would do this as Jesus Himself would do it? If we have the vision and we intend (have decided) to do it, we can certainly find and implement the means, for God will help us to do so. We must start by discovering, by identifying, the thoughts, feelings, habits of will, social relations, and bodily inclinations that prevent us from being generous to these people. Our education and teachers should help us here, and perhaps they do to some extent—but nearly always insufficiently. We might with a little reflection identify resentment and anger toward the person who needs our help as a cause of not helping one. And then there is justice. Ah, justice! Perhaps in the form of “I do not owe it to him. He has no claims to me.” #RandolphHarris 16 of 19
Or perhaps we feel the legal case that went against us and in his favor was rigged. Or again, perhaps we think we must secure ourselves by holding onto whatever surplus items we have. After all, we may say, who knows what the future holds? Or perhaps we think giving to people what is unearned by them will harm them by corrupting their character, leading them to believe one can get something for nothing. Or perhaps it is just not our habit to give people with no prior claim on us—even if they have not injured or deprived us. Or perhaps our friends, including our religious friends, would think we are fools. And so forth. What a thicket of lostness stands in the way of doing a simple good thing: helping someone in need, someone who just happens to have previously won a legal case against us, possibly quite justly. At this point it is the all-too-customary human thinking, feeling, and social practice that stands in the way. And, truthfully, it is very likely that little can be done in the moment of need to help one do the good things that Jesus commands. This is characteristic of all his example and teaching. When my neighbor who has triumphed over me in the past now stands before me in a need I can remedy, I will not be able on the spot to do the good thing if my inner being is filled with all the thoughts, feeling, and habits that characterize the ruined soul and its World. #RandolphHarris 17 of 19
Rather, if I intend to obey Jesus Christ, I must intend and decide to become the kind of person who would obey. That is, I must find the means of changing my inner being until it is substantially like his, pervasively characterized by his thoughts, feelings, habits, and relationship to the Father. Almighty and everlasting God, Who hast revealed Thy glory, by Christ, among all nations, preserved the works of Thy mercy; that Thy Church, which is spread throughout the World, may preserve with stedfast faith in the confession of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Incomprehensible, great, and glorious God, I adore Thee and abase myself. I approach Thee mindful that I am less than nothing, a creature worse than nothing. My thoughts are not screened from Thy gaze. My secret sins blaze in the light of Thy countenance. Enable me to remember that blood which cleanseth all sin, to believe in that grace which subdues all iniquities, to resign myself to that agency which can deliver me from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Thou hast begun a good work in me and canst alone continue and complete it. Give me an increasing conviction of my tendency to err, and of my exposure to sin. Help me to feel more of the purifying, softening, influence of religion, its compassion, love, pity, courtesy, and employ me as Thy instrument in blessing others. #RandolphHarris 18 of 19
Give me to distinguish between the mere form of Godliness and its power, between life and a name to live, between guile and truth, between hypocrisy and a religion that will bear Thy eye. If I am not right, set me right, keep me right; and may I at last come to Thy house in peace. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of the sinful person is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God,” reports Romans 8.5-8. O God, of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favourably on Thy whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; and, by the tranquil operation of Thy perpetual Providence, carry out the work of human’s salvation; and let the whole World feel and see that tings which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and all things are returning to perfection through Him from Whom they took their origin, even through our Lord Jesus Christ. #RandolphHarris 19 of 19
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Stretch Your Faith and Tap into Everything God Has in Store—God Will do Uncommon things!
Doing nothing requires no prior skill, no personal trainers, no exercise machines, and no financial commitment. All you need to do is change your way of thinking. Instead of rushing around from task to task, always worrying about what is next, grant yourself permission to linger in the moment. The prophetic function of religion is the same as the function of psychoanalysis: the return of the repressed, the release from the unconscious of true perceptions of empirical reality in place of the wishful cultural and private fantasies we put there. Both religion and psychoanalysis show humans in their basic creatureliness and attempts to pull the scales of their sublimations from their eyes. Both religion and psychoanalysis have discovered the same source of illusion: the fear of death which cripples life. Also religion has the same difficult mission as Dr. Freud: to overcome the fears of self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is the hardest human task because it risks revealing to the person how one’s self-esteem was built: on the powers of others in order to deny one’s own creatureliness and death. Character is the vital lie that covers over the painful ambiguities of human’s worm-godlikeness—the despair of the human condition, the miraculousness of it tightly interwoven with the stink and decay of it. #RandolphHarris 1 of 18
Religion as unrepression would reveal both truths about humans: one’s wormlikeness as well as one’s godlikeness. Humans deny both in order to live tranquilly in the World. Religion overcame this double denial by maintaining that for God everything is possible. What seems to humans to be fixed and determined for all time, beyond human wormlike powers, is for the possibility of a new heroism, the heroism of sainthood. This meant living in primary awe at the miracle of the created object—including oneself in one’s own godlikeness. Remember the awesome fascination of St. Francis with the revelations of the everyday World—a bird, a flower. It also meant unafraidness of one’s own death, because of the incomparable majesty and power of God. And so religion overcomes the specific problems of fear-stricken animals, while at the same time showing them what empirical reality really is. If we were not fear-stricken beings who repressed awareness of ourselves and our World, then we would live celebrating God’s creation. The ideal of religious sainthood, like that of psychoanalysis, is thus the opening up of perception: this is where religion and science meet. However, I am not saying that science of society is merged into organized religion. Far from it. #RandolphHarris 2 of 18
We know only too well how easily traditional religious heroism has given way to the hero system of the secular societies. Today religionists wonder why youth has abandoned the churches, not wanting to realize that it is precisely because organized religion openly subscribes to a commercial-industrial hero system that almost openly defunct; it so obviously denies reality, builds war machines against death, and banishes sacredness with bureaucratic dedication. Humans are treated at things and the World is pulled down to their size. The churches subscribe to this empty heroics of possession, display, manipulation. I think that today Christianity is in trouble not because of its myths are dead, but because it does not offer its ideal of heroic sainthood as an immediate personal one to be lived by all believers. In a perverse way, the churches have turned their backs both on the miraculousness of creation and o the need to do something heroic in the World. The early promise of Christianity was to bring about once and for all the social justice that the ancient World was crying for: Christianity never fulfilled this promise, and is as far away from it today as ever. No wonder it has trouble being taken seriously as a hero system. #RandolphHarris 3 of 18
Even worse, as they have done all through history the churches still bless unheroic wars and sanctify group hatred and victimage. It is an age-old story known to all, so there is no point in lingering on it. However, these kinds of betrayal of an ideal heroism seem to be more and more obvious to today’s youth. They are even becoming obvious to the organized religions themselves, which are wondering the imaginations and the heroic impulses that are stifled in the youth. One way, of course, is by a reaffirmation of traditional evangelism, which still seems to offer a way to overcomes exaggerated fears of life and death by heroic dedication to special purity and worthiness. There is no easy way out of the dilemma; organized society seems to represent a necessary denial of religious heroism. In the United States of America today courageous priests like Daniel Berrigan are again proving this truth: that society will move against religious sainthood (heroism) when it poses a threat to its own system of heroic apotheosis, no matter how self-defeating and immoral that system has become. Also, if we say that science of society is partly immersed in a tragic perspective, this should not give any comfort to represent incontrovertible truths. #RandolphHarris 4 of 18
Humans simply cannot accept human limitations as inevitable in the scheme of things. If we talk about the “Devil” side of human nature abut human’s depravity, we cannot be fatalistic or cynical about them. If we are skeptical about utopia and acknowledge the Devil, it is only the better to fight for the Angel side. Today there is a real onslaught of intellectual conservatism, recredit leftist thought. It is all right to glorify thinkers like Edmund Burke and to offer profound theological and philosophical commentaries on the tragedies of the human condition, on the follies of history, on the natural limitations of humans. However, this is not offered as corrective, but as a substitute for social action, for the achievement of social justice, as an apologetic for the system as it is, for a traditional herd patriotism. This is what makes most intellectual and moral conservatism today fundamentally dishonest and hypocritical. Psychology has to show how people welcome unfreedom and how the basic motives of human nature are not so biological or hereditary as conservatives often make out. Nor is freedom to obey and to delegates one’s powers are as free as the like to imagine. Sure, society goes on because of a silent accord by the majority that they prefer structure to chaos, and are willing to be lulled to sleep because of the security and ease it offers them. #RandolphHarris 5 of 18
However, it also holds over their heads the ideology of death, power, immortality—just as shamans and kings once did—and dominated them with it. However, how do we get rid of the power to mystify? The talents and the processes of memorization and mystification have to be exposed. Which is another way of saying that we have to work against both structural and psychological unfreedom in society. The task of science would be to expose both of these dimensions. One of the reasons for our present disillusionment with theory in the social sciences is that it has done very little in this liberating direction. Even those intelligent social scientists who attempt a necessary balance between conservative and Marxist perspective are amiss in this. We often get a vista of the future—but it is such a slow, patent, scientific future, still unrelated to the pressing problems of an insane World. All some seem to want to present us with is an indefinite program extending far into the unknown future, devoted to patient checking, refining, extending the blend of conservatism and Marxism. I am hardly saying that a general critical science of society that unites the best of both wings of thought is a present reality, and need not be delayed. #RandolphHarris 6 of 18
We have, as of today, a powerful critique of hero systems, of systems of death and denial and the toll that they take, It is a toll of unfulfilled life based on a continuing denial of social justice; it is a toll of internal victimage based on the inequality of social classes and the state repression of freedom; it is a toll of external victimage that helps siphon off internal social discontent and transform magically social problems into military adventures. Whatever form of government uses victimage, the use is still the same: to purify evil social arrangements, distract attention from the failure to solve internal problems. Scientists must expose these things from their own scientific forums. In science, as in authentic religion, there is no easy refuge for empty-headed patriotism, or for putting off to some future date the exposure of large-scale social lies. I do not see why conservatives and radicals could not unite on such a science, if their sentiments are where their words are. Both believe in free public information, increasing the awareness of the masses as well as their responsibility. Both wings of thought agree on limiting the authority of the leaders, exposing their talents for memorization and their shortcomings. This is, after all, the dearest and grandest feature of a democracy, that it tires to keep these critical functions alive. #RandolphHarris 7 of 18
The problem has always been that the leader is the one who usually is the grandest patriot, which means the one who embraces the ongoing system of death denial with the heartiest hug, the hottest tears, and the least critical distance. The leader lives with one’s head full into the clouds of the cultural symbols; one loves in an abstract World, a World detached from concrete realities of hunger, suffering, death; one’s feet are off the ground, one carries out one’s duties much like funeral directors and people who perform autopsies or executions—in a kind of emotional and psychological divorce from the realities of what one is doing. The result is that the leader is actually in a state of limited responsibility to human beings in this World—and what power one has in this state! The whole thing is lopsided and rather eerie—like compulsive neurosis of psychosis. Words, symbols, shadowboxing—no wonder so much pulsating life is so serenely ground up by the nation-states. It is all too true, alas, but we do not like in an ideal World. If we wanted to imagine such a World, give in to utopian fantasies, we already know what we would want our leaders to be like: persons who abstracted and objected least, who took each single life and its suffering full in the face as it is. Which is another way of saying that they would know the reality of death as a primary problem. #RandolphHarris 8 of 18
We might even let our musing go wild while we are at it, and imagine that we would choose leaders for exactly this quality; that they themselves were conscious of their own fear of life and death, and of the cultural system as a way of saying that we would want out leaders to be well-analyzed people, except that even the best analysis does not guarantee to produce this level of self-conscious, tragic sophistication. Yet, democracy does not encroach on utopia a little bit, because it already addresses itself to the problem of mystification by free flow of self-criticism. We could carry the utopian musings further and say that the gauge of a truly free society would be the extent to which it admitted its own central fear of death and questioned its own system of heroic transcendence—and this is precisely what democracy is doing much of the time. This is why authoritarians always scoff at it: it seems ridiculously intent on discrediting itself. The free flow of criticism, satire, art, and science is a continuous attack on the cultural fiction—which is why totalitarians from Plato to Mao have to control these things, as has long been known. #RandolphHarris 9 of 18
If we look at denouement of psychiatry and social science today, they represent a fairly thorough self-revelation of the fictional nature of human meanings—and noting as theoretically more powerfully liberating than that. Lifton has even detected self-mockery and caricature as peculiar signs of a new type of modern humans who is attempting to transcend the horror and absurdity of his cultural World. If I wanted to give in weakly to the most utopian fantasy I know, it would be one that pictures a World-scientific body composed of leading minds in all fields, working under an agreed general theory of human unhappiness. They would reveal to humankind the reason for its self-created unhappiness and self-introduced defeat; they would explain how each society is a hero system which embodies in itself a dramatization of power and expiation; how this is at once it peculiar beauty and its destructive demonism; how people defeat themselves by trying to bring absolute purity and goodness into the World. They would argue and propagandize for the non-absoluteness of the many different hero systems in the family of nations, and make public a continuing assessment of the costs of humankind’s impossible aims and paradoxes: how a given society is trying too hard to get rid of the guilt and the terror of death by laying its trip on a neighbour. #RandolphHarris 10 of 18
Then people might struggle, even in anguish, to come to terms with themselves and their World. Yet I know that this is a fantasy; I can imagine how popular and influential such a body would be on the planet; it would be the perfect scapegoat for all nations. And so, like a true Enlightenment dreamer, now supposedly sobered by experience, I turn my gaze to the stars and imagine how wider visitors from some other planet would admire such a World-scientific body. However, nothing, then, changes: must we scientists still despair of the masses of people and forever turn out yearnings to the Fredericks and the Catherines—but not in outer-space garb? We have already witnessed the greatest things in our time. “And now, I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father. However, to be short in writing, behold, he saw others multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree. And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building. And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads. #RandolphHarris 11 of 18
“And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away. And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father. And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord. And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them. And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them,” 1 Nephi 8.29-38. Let me move on to another area of my learnings. I find it very satisfying when I can be real, when I can be close to whatever it is that is going on with me. I like it when I can listen to myself. To really know what I am experiencing in the moment is by no means an easy thing, but I feel somewhat encouraged because I think that over the years I have been improving at it. #RandolphHarris 12 of 18
I am convinced, however, that it is a lifelong task and that none of us ever is totally able to be comfortably close to all that is going on within our own experience. In place of the term “realness” I have sometimes used the word “congruence.” By this I mean that when my experiencing of this moment is present in my awareness and when what is present in my awareness is present in my communication, then each of these three levels matches or is congruent. At such moments I am integrated or whole, I am completely in one piece. Most of the time, of course, I, like everyone else, exhibit some degree of incongruence. I have learned, however, that realness, or genuiness, or congruence—whatever term you wish to give it—is a fundamental basis for the best communication. What do I mean by being close to what is going on it me? Let me try to explain what I mean by describing what sometimes occurs in my work as a therapist. Sometimes a feeling “rises up in me” which seems to have no particular relationship to what is going on. Yet I have learned to accept and trust this feeling my awareness and to try to communicate it to my client. For example, a client is talking to me and I suddenly feel an image of one as a pleading little kind, folding one’s hands in supplication, saying, “Please let me have this, please let me have this.” #RandolphHarris 13 of 18
I have learned that if I can be real in the relationship with one and express this feeling that has occurred in me, it is very likely to strike some deep note in one and to advance our relationship. Let me give another example. It is often very hard for me, as for other writers, to get close to my self when I start to write. It is so easy to be distracted by the possibility of saying thing which will catch approval or will look good to colleagues or make a popular appeal. How can I listen to the things that I really want to say and write? It is difficult. Sometimes I even have to trick myself to get close to what is in me. I tell myself that I am not writing for publication; I am just writing for my own satisfaction. I write on old scraps of paper so that I do not have to reproach myself for wasting paper. I jot down feelings and ideas as they come, helter-skelter, with no attempt at coherence or organization. In this way I can sometimes get much closer to what I really am and feel and think. The writings that I have produced on this basis turn out to be ones for which I never feel apologetic and which often communicate deeply to others. So it is a very satisfying thing when I sense that I have gotten close to me, to the feelings and hidden aspects of myself that live below the surface. #RandolphHarris 14 of 18
when I can dare to communicate the realness in me to another, I feel a sense of satisfaction. This is far from easy, partly because what I am experiencing keeps changing every moment. Usually there is a lag, sometimes of moments, sometimes of days, weeks, or months, between the experiencing and the communication: I experience something; I feel something, but only later do I dare communicate it, when it has become cool enough to risk sharing it with another. However, when I can communicate what is real in me at the moment that it occurs, I feel genuine, spontaneous, and alive. When I encounter realness in another person, it is a sparkling thing. Sometimes in the basic encounter groups which have been a very important part of my experience these last few years, someone says something that comes from one transparently and whole. When a person is not hiding behind a façade but is speaking from deep within oneself, it is so obvious. When this happens, I leap to meet it. I wan to encounter this real person. Sometimes the feelings thus expressed are very beneficial feelings; sometimes they are decidedly negative ones. I think of a man in a very responsible position, a scientist at the head of a large research department in a huge electronics firm. #RandolphHarris 15 of 18
One day in such an encounter group, this man fond the courage to speak of his isolation. He told us that he had never had a single friend in his life; there were plenty of people whom he knew but not one he could count as a friend. “As a matter of fact,” he added, “there are only two individuals in the World with whom I have even a reasonably communicative relationship. These are my two children.” By the time he finished, he was letting loose some of the tears of sorrow for himself which I m sure he had held in for many years. However, it was the honesty and realness of his loneliness that caused every member of the group to reach out to him in some psychological sense. It was also most significant that his courage in being real enabled all of us to be more genuine in our communication, to come out from behind the facades we ordinarily use. Immediately after Paul’s declaration in 2 Corinthians 5.17, “If anyone is Christ, he is a new creation,” he said, “All this is from God” (verse 18). God has made us new creatures. God has given us the gift of sanctification, and He gives it by the same grace and at the same time as He gives us justification. One reason we do not appreciate the grace of God more is that we either do not understand or do not appreciate the radical dimension of this instantaneous act of sanctification, which God gives at salvation. #RandolphHarris 16 of 18
Perhaps because many of us had a moral lifestyle before conversion, we find it difficult to accept Paul’s description of our attitude toward God: “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God,” reports Romans 8.7-8. As we think back to our pre-conversion days, we do not think of our attitude as being hostile to God’s law. Mercifully receive, O Lord, the prayers of Thy Church; that all adversities and errors may be destroyed, and it may serve Thee in quiet freedom; and give Thy peace in our times, though Jesus Christ our Lord. We beseech Thee, O Lord, let the strong crying of Thy Church ascend to the ears of Thy loving-kindness; that receiving forgiveness of sins, it may be devout by the working of Thy grace, and tranquil under the protection of Thy power; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Look mercifully, O good Shepherd, on Thy flock; and suffer not the sheep which Thou hast redeemed with precious Blood to be torn in pieces by the assaults of the devil. O God, Who hast promised that Thou wilt never be absent from Thy Church unto the end of the World, and that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against the Apostolic confessions; graciously make Thy strength perfect in out weakness, and show the efficacy of Thy Divine promises, while Thou deignest even to be present in Thy feeble ones. #RandolphHarris 17 of 18
For then do we beyond doubt feel Thy presence, when Thou dispensest to each one, at all time, in fitting manner, things desirable, and by perpetual protection guardest us from the attack of all our adversaries. O Lord, I marvel that Thou shouldst become incarnate, be crucified, dead, and buried. The sepulcher calls forth my adorning wonder, for it is empty and Thou art risen; the four-fold gospel attests it, the living witnesses prove it, my heart’s experience knows it. Given me to die with Thee that I may rise to new life, for I wish to be as dead and buried to sin, to selfishness, to the World; that I might not hear the voice of the charmer, and might be delivered from his lusts. O Lord, there is much ill about me—crucify it, much flesh within me—mortify it. Purge me from selfishness, the fear of man, the love of approbation, the shame of being thought old-fashioned, the desire to be cultivated or modern. Let me reckon my old life dead because of crucifixion, and never feed it as a living thing. Grant me to stand with my dying Saviour, to be content to be rejected, to be willing to take up unpopular truths, and to hold fast despised teachings until death. Help me to be resolute and Christ-contained. Never let me wander from the path of obedience to Thy will. Strengthen me for the battles ahead. Give me courage for all the trials, and grace for all the joys. Help me to be a holy, happy person, free from every wrong desire, from everything contrary to Thy mind. Grant me more and more of the resurrection life; may it rule me, may I walk in its power, and be strengthened through its influence. #RandolphHarris 18 of 18
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I Have Dreamed, or in Other Words, I Have Seen a Vision—I Have Reason to Rejoice in the Lord!
We still do not know one-thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us. I can complain because the rose bush has thorns or rejoice because the thorn bush has roses. Lehi sees a vision of the tree of life—he partakes of its fruit and desires his family to do likewise—he sees a rod of iron, a strait and narrow path, and the mists of darkness that enshroud humans—Sariah, Nephi, and Sam partake of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel refuse. About 600-529 Before Christ. “And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind. And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed; or in other words, I have seen a vision. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved. However, behold, Leman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness. And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him. #RandolphHarris 1 of 19
“And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies. And it came to pass after I have prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field. And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit. And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit. And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head of thereof a little way off and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as far as if they knew not wither they should go. #RandolphHarris 2 of 19
“And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also. And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes toward the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them. And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come and partake of the fruit. And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a World. And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. #RandolphHarris 3 of 19
“And it came to pass that I behold others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree. And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed. And I also cast my eyes round about, and behold, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the Earth. And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost,” reports 1 Nephi 8.1-28. Intelligence penetrated like an eagle’s sight beneath the World-illusion and saw it for what it is—a cosmic process of continual change which never comes to an end, a Universal movement whose first impetus and final exhaustion will never be known, a flux of absolute duration therefore unimaginable. #RandolphHarris 4 of 19
And the self-actualized who attains to the knowledge of THAT which forever seems to be changing but forever paradoxically retains its own pure reality, for one as for the ignorant, the flux must go on. However, it will go on here on this Earth, not in the same mythical Heaven or mirage-like Hell. He will repeatedly have to take flesh, as all others will have to, so long as duration lasts, that is, forever. For one cannot sit apart like others while their compassion is too profound to waste itself in mere sentiment. It demands the profound expression of sacrificial service in motion. We live in a World which is full of misery and ignorance, and the plain duty of each and all of us is to try to make the little corner one can influence somewhat less miserable and somewhat less ignorant that it was before one entered it. The escape into Heaven for one is only the escape into the inner realization of the truth whilst alive: it is not to escape from the external cycle of rebirths and deaths. It is a change of attitude. However, that bait had to be held out to one at an earlier stage until one’s will and nerve were strong enough to endure this revelation. There is no escape except inwards. For the self-actualized is too compassionate to withdraw into proud indifferentism and too understanding to rest completely satisfied with one’s own wonderful attainment. #RandolphHarris 5 of 19
The sounds of suffering of human, the ignorance that is the root of these sufferings beat ceaselessly on the tympana of one’s ears. What can one do but answer, and answer with one’s very life—which one gives in perpetual reincarnation upon the cross of flesh as a vicarious sacrifice for others. It is thus alone that one achieves eternal life in God, not by fleeing forever as one could if one willed—into the Great Unconsciousness, but by the suffering forever the pains and pangs of perpetual rebirth that one may help or guide one’s own. The mystic arrives at treating all people alike through the emotion of love; the illuminate arrives at it through the knowledge of reason. The first is likely to be changeable, the last permanent because emotion is variable, reason firm. People forget how fast you did a job—but they remember how well you did it. The present is the point at which time touches eternity. Well, obviously, none of this had been unimpeachable to the critics over the years. “Words like “irrationality,” “Illusion,” “willful and heroic dedication”—these rub many people the wrong way. They have hardly helped make our World any better, especially in modern times. We must be animated about the demonic crisis of the times, and be wary of life-enhancing illusions. #RandolphHarris 6 of 19
It is precisely at this point that the science of humans comes in. We know that Nazism was a viable hero system that lived the illusion of the defeat of evil on Earth. We know the terrifying dynamic of victimage and scapegoating all across history, and we know what it means—the offering of the other’s body in order to buy off one’s own death, the sadistic formula par excellence: break the bones and spill the blood of the victim in the service of some “higher truth” that the sacrificers alone possess. To treat the body with the same scorn that God seems to treat it is to draw close to Him. Well, we know these things only too well in our time. The problem is what to do with them. People cannot abandon the heroic. If we say that the irrational or mythical is part of the human groping for transcendence, we do not give it any blanket of approval. However, groups f men can do what they have always done—argue about heroism, assess the cost of it, show that it is self-defeating, a fantasy, a dangerous illusion and not one that is life-enhancing and ennobling. The great question is: If illusions are needed, how can we have those that are capable of correction, and how can we have those that will not deteriorate into delusions? #RandolphHarris 7 of 19
If humans live in myths and not absolutes, there is nothing we can do or say about that. However, we can argue for nondestructive myths; this is the task of what would be a general science of society. This admission of the need for guiding heroic myths, and at the same time the plea to be wary of their costs, reconciles a long-standing argument in social theory. Reason is a guide in social life. I have argued elsewhere that one very graphic way of looking at mental illness is to see it as the laying onto others of one’s own hyperfears of life and death. From this perspective we can also see that leaders of nations, citizens of so-called democracies, normal people are also doing the very same thing all the time: laying their power-expiation immunity trip onto everyone else. Today the whole World is already becoming uncomfortable with the repeated war games and biological-weapons test by nations of power trips, test that lay their danger onto innocent and powerless neighbours. In a way it is the drama of the family and the Feifferian love affair writ large across the face of the planet, the “family” of nations. There are no particular leaders or special councils of elite to blame in all this, simply because most people identify with the symbols of power and agree to them. #RandolphHarris 8 of 19
The nation offers immortality to all its members. It is wrong to argue that psychically crippled people, what some call “necrophiliac characters,” do evil thing by valuing death over life and so lay waste to life because it makes them uncomfortable. Life makes whole nations of normal people uncomfortable, and hence the serene accord and abandon with which people have defeated themselves all through history. This is the great weakness, as we have now discovered, of Enlightenment rationalism, the easy hope that by the spread of reason humans will stand up to their full size and renounce irrationality. The Enlightenment thinkers understood well the dangers of the mass mind, and they thought that by the spread of science and education all of this could change. The great Russian sociologist Nikolai Mikhailovsky had already singled out the hero as the enemy of democracy, the one who causes others to yield their wills because of the safety it offers them. The thing that had to be done was to prevent society from turning the individual into a tool for the sake of social efficiency and safety. How could the infringement of the individuality be overcome? Mikhailovsky answered in the same vein as modern humanist psychiatrists: by giving the individual the opportunity for harmonious development. #RandolphHarris 9 of 19
At about the same time that other great Enlightenment man, Emerson, made his famous plea for self-reliance, for persons with full and independent insides so that they could have the stability to withstand herd enthusiasms and herd fears. This whole tradition was brought up to date by Herbert Marcuse in a brilliant essay on the ideology of death. He argued that death has always been used by leaders and elites as an ideology to get the masses to conform and to yield up their autonomy. Leaders win allegiance to the cultural causa sui project because it protects against vulnerability. The polis, the state, God—all these are symbols of infallibility in which the masses willingly embed their fearful freedoms. There we have it: the culmination of the Enlightenment in a proper focus on the fundamental dynamics of mass slavishness. On the highest level of sophistication we know in detail what people fear and how they deny that fear. Enlightenment rationalism is too easy a creed, and so we would expect to see this weakness in all its thinkers. Some believe that the ultimate cause of all anxiety is death, and this sustains unfreedom. Humans are not free as long as death has not become really one’s own, that is, as long as it has not been brought under one’s autonomy. #RandolphHarris 10 of 19
Alas, the fact is that humans do not have any autonomy under which to bring things. This great and fundamental problem for the whole career of Enlightenment science states that whether the individual is at all in a position to grow beyond some kind of transference, some form of moral dependence, and to affirm and accept oneself from oneself cannot be said. Only in the creative type does this seem possible to some extent. However, it can be said that even the highest, most individuated creative type can only manage autonomy to some extent. The fact is the people cannot and do not stand on their own powers; therefore they cannot make death their own. Moral dependence—guilt—is a natural motive of the human condition and has to be absolved from something beyond oneself. One young revolutionary saw that his guilt was absorbed by submission to the revolutionary cell. The weakness of the Enlightenment, then, was that it did not understand human nature—and it apparently still does not. We must ask for the good conscience to be a coward, the uprooting of heroic sublimation. However, this is too easy: even if people admit they are cowards, they still want to be saved. #RandolphHarris 11 of 19
There is no harmonious development, no child-rearing program, no self-reliance that would take away from people their need for a beyond on which the meaning of their lives. There is a fallacy in the minds of many that overlooks the depth and universality of the fear of death. The other fallacy is to fail to see the naturalness of existential guilt—and this also fails. The task of social theory is to show how society aggravates and uses natural fears, but there is no way to get rid of the fears simply by showing how leaders use them or by saying that people must take them in hand. People will still take one another’s heads because their own heads stick out and they feel exposed and guilty. The task of social theory is not to explain guilt away of to absorb it unthinkingly in still another destructive ideology, but to neutralize it and give it expression in truly creative and life-enhancing ideologies. Let me move on to some learning that I would like to share with you. I like to be heard. A number of times in my life I have felt myself bursting with insoluble problems, or going round and round in tormented circles or, during one period, overcome by feelings of worthlessness and despair. I think I have been more fortunate than most at these times individuals who have been able to hear me and thus to rescue me from the chaos of my feelings, individuals who have been able to hear my meanings a little more deeply than most I have known. #RandolphHarris 12 of 19
These persons have heard me without judging me, diagnosing me, appraising me, evaluating me. They have just listened and clarified and responded to me at all the levels at which I was communicating. I can testify that when you are in psychological distress and someone really hears you without passing judgment on you, without truing to take responsibility for you, without trying to mold you, it feels darn good! At these times it has relaxed the tension in me. It has permitted me to bring out the frightening feelings, the guilts, the despair, the confusions that have been a part of my experience. When I have been listened to and what I have been heard, I am able to reperceive my World in a new way and to go on. It is astonishing how elements that seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens, how confusions that seem irremediable turn into relatively clear flowing streams when one is heard. I have deeply appreciated the times that I have experiences this sensitive, empathic, concentrated listening. I dislike it in myself when I cannot hear another, when I do not understand one. If it is only a simple failure of comprehension or a failure to focus my attention on what one is saying or a difficulty in understanding one’s words, then I feel only a very mild dissatisfaction with myself. #RandolphHarris 13 of 19
However, what I really dislike in myself is not being able to hear the other person because I am so sure in advance of what one is about to say that I do not listen. It is only afterwards that I realize that I have heard what I have already decided one is saying; I have failed really to listen. Or even worse are those times when I catch myself trying to twist one’s message to make it say what I want one to say, and then only hearing that. This can be a very subtle thing, and it is surprising how skillful I can be in doing it. Just by twisting one’s words a small amount, by distorting one’s meaning just a little, I can make it appear that one is not only saying the thing I want to hear, but that one is the person I want one to be. Only when I realize through one’s protest or through my own gradual recognition that I am subtly manipulating one, do I become disgusted with myself. I know too, from being on the receiving end of this, how frustrating it is to be received for what you are not, to be heard as saying something which you have not said. This creates anger and bafflement and disillusion. When I try to express something which is deeply me, which is part of my own private, inner World, and the other person does not understand, I am terrible frustrated and shut into myself. #RandolphHarris 14 of 19
When I take the gamble, the risk, or trying to share something that is very personal with another individual and it is not received and not understood, this is a very deflating and a very lonely experience. I have come to believe that such an experience makes some individuals psychotic. It causes them to give up hoping that anyone can understand them. Once they have lost that hope, then their own inner World, which becomes more and more bizarre, is the only place where they can live. They can no longer live in any shared human experience. I can sympathize with them because I know that when I try to share some feeling aspect of myself which is private, precious, and tentative, and when this communication is met by evaluation, by reassurance, by distortion of my meaning, my very strong reaction is, “Oh, what is the use!” At such a time, one knows what it is to be alone. So, as you can readily see from what I have said thus far, a creative, active, sensitive, accurate, empathic, nonjudgmental listening is for me terribly important in a relationship. It is important for me to provide it; it has been extremely important, especially at certain times in my life, to receive it. I feel that I have grown within myself when I have provided it; I am very sure that I have grown and been released and enhanced when I have received this kind of listening. #RandolphHarris 15 of 19
Does adoration lead to anything else? Yes—the presentation of our bodies—our entire lives—in an ultimate act of worship. This is how Isaiah capped his great experience with God: “Here am I. Send me!” reports Isaiah 6.8. Similarly, after the great Paul sings in worshipful doxology—“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen,” Romans 11.36, he immediately calls us to submission: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship,” as reported in Romans 12.1. As thou wilt; what thou wilt; when thou wilt. Our devotion must culminate in a conscious yielding of every part of our personality, every ambition, every relationship, and every hope to Him. This done, we have reached the apex of personal devotion. As I cautioned when we began, personal devotion cannot and must not be reduced to a few principles such as meditation, confession, adoration, and submission. Neither can it be put in a logical straitjacket. Sometimes we may be called to confession and submission only. Other times, adoration may occupy an extended time, or our devotions will probably be confined to petition only. There will be times when all of it takes place in twenty minutes. #RandolphHarris 16 of 19
However, one thing is certain—it will not happen without discipline. The reason many people never have an effective devotional life is, they never plan for it. They do not know what it is because they have never taken the time to find out. They do not pray because the do not set aside the time. Their character never rises to that of Christ’s because they do not expose their lives to His pure light. Their wills stay crooked because they do not tie into Him. The question for prayerless men is a very masculine one: Are we man enough to meditate? To confess? To adore? To submit? To sweat and endure? Give me, O Lord, purity of lips, clean and innocent heart, and rectitude of actions. Give me humility, patience, abstinence, chastity, prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance. Give me the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and Godliness, and of Thy fear. Make me ever to seek Thy face with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind; grant me to have a contrite and humbled heart in Thy presence—to prefer nothing to Thy love. Most high, eternal, and ineffable Wisdom, drive away from me the darkness of blindness and ignorance; most high and eternal Strength, deliver me. #RandolphHarris 17 of 19
Most high and eternal Fortitude, assist me; most high and incomprehensible Light, illuminate me; most high and infinite Mercy, have mercy on me. God of the publican, be merciful to me a sinner; this I am by nature and practice, this Thy word proclaims me to be, this I hope I feel myself to be; yet Thou hast not left me to despair, for there is no peradventure in Thy grace; I have all the assurance I need that with thee is plenteous redemption. In spite of the number and heinousness of my sins Thou hast given me a token for good; the golden sceptre is held out, and Thou has said “Touch it to live.” May I encourage myself by a sense of Thy all-sufficiency, by faith in Thy promises, by view of the experience of others. To that dear refuge in which so many have sheltered from every storm may I repair, in that fountain always freely open for sin may I be cleansed from every defilement. Sin is that abominable thing which Thy soul hates, and this alone separates Thee and me. Thou cannot contradict the essential perfections of Thy nature; Thou cannot make me happy with Thyself, till Thou hast made me holy like Thyself. O holy God, make me such a creature as Thou cannot take pleasure in, and such a being that I can take pleasure in Thee. #RandolphHarris 18 of 19
May I consent to and delight in Thy law after the inner man, never complain over the strictness of Thy demands, but mourn over my want of conformity to them; never question Thy commandments, but esteem them to be right. By Thy Spirit within me may my practice spring from principle, and my dispositions be conformable with my duty. David said in Psalm 40.8, “I desire to do your will, O my God.” Why did David have this desire? It was because, as the remainder of the verse says, “You law is within my heart.” David found a law written in his own heart corresponding to the law written in God’s word. There was an agreeableness between the spiritual nature within hum and the objective law of God external to him. It is that way with a person who is a new creation in Christ. There is a basic though imperfect correspondence between the law written in a believer’s heart and the law written in Scripture. This does not mean we can discard the law written in Scripture, because the law written in the heart is not self-directing—that is, it does not tell us what to do. It only agrees with and responds to the law written in Scripture. This instantaneous act of God by which He begins sanctification in us is just as much a gift of God’s grace as justification. God does not wait until we surrender all, make a second commitment to Christ’s lordship, or anything like that. God gives sanctification by His grace. #RandolphHarris 19 of 19

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Do Not Cry for Me, there is a Crystal River of Celestial Light and All of One’s Inventions are True!
Live each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point. So climb slowly, enjoying each passing moment; and then the view from the summit will serve a more rewarding climax for your journey. Time is not the enemy. It is not an obstacle or an unfair restraint. Time is a working condition. It is a tool. Time is a resource much like money. Time can be counted, budgeted, spent, and even squandered, but it cannot be invested to earn interest. Time cannot grow. It can only shrink. Time plays no favourites. Everyone gets the same amount to start with. What one does with it is up to each individual. Leaders do not have more time than anyone else. They just make better use of their time on and off the job. Time management is simply making choices. Better choices mean better time use. You must constantly guard against the trap of falling into a routine of remaining busy with unimportant chores that will provide you with an excuse to avoid meaningful challenges or opportunities that could change your life for the better. Now all good people come to the assistance of the party. Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. #RandolphHarris 1 of 19
Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death, in that tremendous day when the Heavens and the Earth shall be shaken, when Thou shalt come to judge the World by fire. That day is a day of wrath, of calamity and misery, a great day and very bitter. What shall I, most wretched, say or do, when I have no good thing to bring before the awful Judge? Now, O Christ, we appeal to Thee—we pray Thee, pity us: Thou Who camest to redeem the lost, condemn not Thou the redeemed. Lehi’s sons return to Jerusalem and invite Ishmael and his household to join them in their journey—Laman and others rebel—Nephi exhorts his brethren to have faith in the Lord—they bind him with cords and plan his destruction—he is freed by the power of faith—his brethren ask forgiveness—Lehi and his company offer sacrifice and burnt offerings. About 600-592 Before Christ (BC). “And now I would that ye might know, that after my father, Lehi, had made an end of prophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto hum again, saying that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise. And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that I, Nephi, and my brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness. #RandolphHarris 2 of 19
“And it came to pass that we went up to the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favour in the sight of Ismael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord. And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father. And it came to pass that as we journeyed in the wilderness, behold Laman and Lemuel, and two of the daughters of Ishmael, and the two sons of Ishmael and their families, did rebel against us; yea, against me, Nephi, and Sam, and their father, Ishmael, and his wife, and his three other daughters. And it came to pass in the which rebellion, they were desirous to return unto the Jerusalem. And now I, Nephi, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, therefore I spake unto them, saying, yea, even unto Laman and unto Lemuel: Behold ye are mine elder brethren, and how is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you, yea, and set an example or you? How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord? How it is that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an Angel of the Lord? Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us, in delivering us out of the hands of Laban, also that we should obtain the record? #RandolphHarris 3 of 19
“Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of humans, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to Him. And if it so be that we are faithful to him, we shall obtain the land of promise; and ye shall know at some future period that the word of the Lord shall be fulfilled concerning the destruction of Jerusalem; for all things which the Lord hath spoken concerning the destruction of Jerusalem must be fulfilled. For behold, the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison. And they have driven him out of the land. Now behold, I say unto you that if ye will return unto Jerusalem ye shall also perish with them. And now, if ye have choice, go up to the land, and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go ye will also perish; for thus the Spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak, 1 Nephi 7.1-15. Heavenly Father, save me entirely from sin. I know I am righteous through the righteousness of another, but I pant and pine for likeness to Thyself; I am Thy child and should bear Thy image; enable me to recognize my death unto sin; when it tempts me may I ne deaf unto its voice. Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin. #RandolphHarris 4 of 19
Grant me to talk as Christ walked, to live in the newness of his life, the life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness. I abhor my body of death, its indolence, envy, meanness, pride. Forgive, and kill these vices, have mercy on my unbelief, on my corrupt and wandering heart. When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them, and set my affection on some beloved object—children, friends, wealth, honour; cleanse this spiritual adultery and give me chastity; close my heart to all but Thee. Sin is my greatest curse; let Thy victory be apparent to my consciousness, and displayed in my life. Help me to be always devoted, confident, obedient, resigned, childlike in my trust of Thee, to love Thee with soul, body, mind, strength, to love my fellow-human as I love myself, to be saved from unregenerate temper, hard thoughts, slanderous words, meanness, unkind manners, to master my tongue and keep the door of my lips. Fill me with grace daily, that my life be a fountain of sweet water. Many will speculate on the teacher’s motives. That they could be pure and selfless, seeking only to bring people close to awareness of God and to the knowledge of the higher laws, only a few will perceive. To the others one will be like a person like themselves, actuated by selfish motives. #RandolphHarris 5 of 19
We are getting more done in less time, but where are the rich relationships, the inner peace, the balance, the confidence that we are doing what matters most and doing it well? It is who is in your life that matters, not what is in your life. Those who reject a noble message and sneer at its messenger, who pronounce one to be a false prophet, a deceiver of humans, thereby pronounce their own selves to be falsely led and self-deceived. No one can see one’s reflection in running water but only in still water. Only that which is itself still can still the seeks of stillness. The streamlining that has just been mentioned, the judgment of the sources by reference to the theological norm, has to be effected and pronounced by the theologian oneself. It implies that one has experience of both, that one partakes not only of a knowledge of the Bible, of Church history and of the history of religion and culture, but also of the New Being. One must be unconditionally concerned. Experience is the medium through which the sources “speak” to us, through which we can receive them. It is not a source, for it can bring nothing new; yet it has a productive power. In this position I fail to see a perfect consistency, however. Yet, experience receives and does not produce. Its productive power is restricted to the transformation of what is given to it. #RandolphHarris 6 of 19
However, this transformation is not intended. The act of reception intends to receive and only to receive. If transformation is intended, the reception becomes a falsification. Nevertheless, the influence of the medium, the experience of the theologian, should not be so small that the result is a repetition instead of a transformation, and it should not be so large that the result is a new production instead of a transformation. If this means that there is always a transformation when the Christian messages is received, even in spite of the receiver’s intentions, there is no difficulty. If it means that such an unintentional transformation is needed by the messages or for a more adequate presentation of it, I am not sure how it can avoid being a new protection. A mere transformation—unintentional—would respect the source’s relation to the New Being in the Christ where as a new production would warp it. Revelation as such is ended; the revelatory process still goes on. It is called development. Yet this is not all, for the New Being itself is mediated through the theologian’s experience. The norm grows within the medium of experience. It is at the same time the criterion of any experience. The norm judges the medium in which it grows; it judges the weak, interrupted, distorted character of all religious experience, although it is only through this feeble medium that a norm can come into existence at all. #RandolphHarris 7 of 19
Collective as well as individual experiences are the mediums through which the message is received, coloured and interpreted. Reception and colouration refer us to the sources; interpretation to their judgment by the norm. However, this judgement is existential, mediated by the theologian’s experience. In what measure does this mediating experience transform it? In itself the New Being in the Christ is never grasped by any theologian; it rather grasps one. Yet the theologian judges in the name of the New Being. Luther pronounced that the Epistle of St. James was insufficiently relevant to the New Being. How did he know? Theology involves risk. The greatest danger that threatens theologians is to make their personal experience of the New being in Christ the theological norm. Then theology is self-condemned, for it is no longer the New Being as such which judges the sources of theology and which is shown as the unconditional concern of humans. Personal experience is always conditioned; its substitution for the Unconditional would be a form of idolatry. And history shows that the Protestant protest has not always been at work against their fairly common tendency of Protestant theology. Justification by faith ensures God’s victory in human’s error, but it would bulwark no theologian against an eventual misinterpretation of the New Being in Jesus as the Christ. #RandolphHarris 8 of 19
Our central problem will precisely be to discover the understanding of the mystery of Christ and tradition. The New Being in Jesus as the Christ places us in the power of the Living God. Our being is rooted in the abysmal ground of being which classical theology calls the Father. It is created through the meaningful and form-giving Logos. It is unified in the dynamic unity of depth and form which is the Spirit. Because the doctrine of revelation is based on a Trinitarian interpretation of the divine life and its self-manifestation, the theology of the unconditional concern is developed according to the threefold existential scheme of being, existence, and life. At each stage a creaturely reality existentially experienced calls for, and is answered by, ultimate Being, ultimate Existence, and ultimate Life. Classical nomenclature calls these Father, Word, and Spirit. When we use these, it is intended so that we can discover the Trinitarian life. Yet this is not the final answer to the question that I have posed concerning the experiential medium of this theological norm. If a theologian interprets one’s experience of the New Being as a participation in the life of God, in the ultimate Life, the intentionality of one’s theology is valid. However, one’s intention may not be fulfilled through one’s theological system. #RandolphHarris 9 of 19
In particular, there comes a point where theology has to be either religions or spiritual. Some would never truth their own thinking on the ground that they have been grasped by the life of God: how could my consciousness of this be a valid norm? One trust one’s thinking because one is at one with the collective Christian experience as witnessed to in the life of the Church as a whole. Some religions transcend its meditation by the theologian in communion with the Whole. The New Being in Jesus as the Christ must be interpreted in the totality of Christian experience, not that of all Christians of all times. Since Christianity is qualitative rather than quantitative, nothing less than a structural Whole can express it. In this sense, theology has to choose between the Church as the realm of New Being and the Church as an empirical, temporary and fallible witness to the gospel of the New Being in the Christ. Still, we run the risk of being dependent on the experience of the New Being in the Christ rather than on the experience of the whole of redeemed humankind. Belief in Christ and the acceptance of salvation are described as “acts of faith.” The Christ is the objective reality or Person that we reach in the subjective experience of faith. Faith is assessed as a Christian experience. #RandolphHarris 10 of 19
A final trait of the sadistic character I want to mention is servility. The sadist wants to control the weak, but there is too little vitality in one to be able to live without submitting to someone stronger than oneself. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsfuhrer of the Schutzstaffel, and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of the Holocaust. Heinrich Himmler idolized Adolph Hitler, who was a German politician and leader of Nazi Party, and rose to power as the chancellor of Germany in 1933. If the sadist does not subordinate oneself to another person, the one may choose history, the past, the powers of nature whatever it is that is stronger than one is. However, the rule that always holds true is: I must submit, I must subordinate myself to a higher power, whatever that power may be. However, those who are weaker than I am I will dominate. That is the system the bureaucratic sadist and the cold sadist in general live by. The type I have been describing here is tellingly reflected in a characterization of Himmler that Carl J. Burckhardt wrote when he was a League of Nations commissioner in Danzig. “He creates an eerie impression with his quintessential subordination, his narrow-minded conscientiousness, his inhuman methodination, and the automaton-like quality of his behaviour.” #RandolphHarris 11 of 19
That is a description par excellence of a cold sadist. Now you might ask: If he had not been put in this situation, if there had never been a thing as National Socialism, might not Himmler have turned out quite differently? We can make an educated guess and say that he probably would have become a model Christian, a good citizen and a loving man. And I would have no trouble at all imagining that at his funeral his immediate superior and his minister would have said of him: “He was a great father who loved his children and devoted all of his energies to his work and to the organization he served.” And that is indeed the kind of man Himmler was. We have to realize that even a sadistic man has somewhere in hum the need to prove to himself that he is a human being, that he is capable of friendliness. If here to defend himself, Himmler might say, “Do not be the vain fool. This is what happened! Do you think I pluck it from your mind, the disasters that twisted my soul and made me what I am? I show you whom I am, I make up nothing. I have such agony in me that imagination means nothing; it is overwhelmed by a fate that ought to teach you fear and compassion. Give me back my violin,” (page 207 of Violin by Anne Rice). Sometimes when we are young and before the horror of silence comes down on us, we are wrapped away from all the World so that we have to create something in a vacuum that may seem monstrous to others. If a person cannot demonstrate to himself that in some dimension of his being he is human, then one is on the verge of madness, for what one experiences at that point is an isolation from the rest of humankind that hardly anyone can bear. And it is a fact substantiated by the reports we have that many members of the units that carried out the execution of political prisoners, Jews, Russians, and others went mad, committed suicide, or suffered from a number of psychic disorders. #RandolphHarris 12 of 19
A commander of one of these units even wrote that the troops had to be shown that the methods used to destroy the Jews, that is, shooting and gassing, were humane and militarily correct. Otherwise, the people’s psychic equilibrium would be disturbed. I think it is correct to say that there are many Himmlers, many sadists, who do not become openly sadistic simply because they are not given the opportunity to do so. However, by the same token I think it would be false to say that there is a Himmler inside every one of us that we all have sadistic tendencies that will come to the fore given the right circumstances. That is the very point I want to drive home ere. There are sadistic character structures and nonsadistic ones. Some people, the ones with sadistic characters, if the conditions will all them, they will become openly sadistic. Others will not become sadists, no matter what the circumstances, simply because they have a different character. It is therefore important to understand this point and to learn to detect which people are sadistic, no matter what the circumstances, simply because they have a different character. It is therefore important to understand this point and to earn to detect which people are sadistic and which are not. We cannot let ourselves be deceived by the fact that a person is very found of children and animals and has done this or that good deed. #RandolphHarris 13 of 19
Only if we perceive a person’s character can we see what truly lies behind one’s consciousness, what it really is that motivates one’s overall behaviour. We need to know which are the basic elements of one’s character and which are the ore superficial, compensatory ones. If we understood more about character and were not so easily influenced by a person’s outward behaviour, I think it would be a great gain for us all. It would also be a great gain for us not only in our personal lives but also in our political ones. If we could tell in advance whether the people who are so eager to guide our political fates are sadists or not, we might be able to forestall many a catastrophe. “And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly worthy, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts. However, it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may bust these bands with which I am bound. #RandolphHarris 14 of 19
“And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto the again. And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yes, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life. And it came to pass that they were sorrowful, because of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead with me that I would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me. And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after they had done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey towards the tent of our father. And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father. And after I and my brethren and all the house of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him,” reports 1 Nephi 7.16-22. #RandolphHarris 15 of 19
Sanctification in us begins as an instantaneous act of the Holy Spirit and is carried forward by His continued action in our lives. This instantaneous act is described in a number of ways in Scripture. It is called the “renewal by the Holy Spirit,” as reported in Titus 3.5, making us alive with Christ when we are dead in transgressions and sins, which is referenced in Ephesians 2.1-5. It results in the new creation Paul referred to in 2 Corinthians 5.17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, one is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” One of the best descriptions of this initial act of God in sanctification is found in Ezekiel 36.26-27 where God makes this gracious promise: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Note the changes God brings about in our inner being when He saves us. He gives us a new heart and puts a new spirit within us—a spirit that loves righteousness and hates sin. He puts His own Spirit within us and moves us to follow His decrees and keep His law; that is, God gives us a growing desire to obey Him. We no longer have an aversion to the commands of God, even though we may not always obey them. Instead of being irksome to us, they have now become aggregable to us. #RandolphHarris 16 of 19
Now, an intention is brought to completion only by a decision to fulfill or carry through with the intention. We commonly find people who say they intend (or intended) to do certain things that they do (or did) not do. To be fair, external circumstances may sometimes have prevented them from carrying out the actions. And habits deeply rooted in our bodies and life contexts can, for a while, thwart even sincere intention. However, if something like that is not the case, we know that they never actually decided to do what they say they intended to do, and that they therefore did not really intend to do it. They therefore lack the power and order that intention brings into life processes. Such may have wished that what they supposedly intended would happen, and perhaps they even wanted to do it (or for it to be done); but they did not decide to do it, and their intention—which well may have begun to develop—aborted and never really formed. Procrastination is a common and well-known way in which intention is aborted, but there are many other ways. And, on the other hand, the profession or statement of intention is a primary way of negotiation one’s way through life regardless of whether or not the intention professed is really there. #RandolphHarris 17 of 19
Promises and agreements involved the profession of intentions, and such a profession is often enough to get us what we want in our social context. However, very often in human affairs is a profession empty, even in vows to God. That is why Scripture deals with swearing and vain (empty) use of God’s name at such lengths. If the genuine intention is there, the deed reliably follows. However, if it is not there, the deed will most likely not be there either. Now, the robust intention, with its inseparable decision, can only be formed and sustained upon the basis of a forceful vision. The elements of VIM (Vision, Intention, and Mission) are mutually reinforcing. Those whose word is their bond, or are as good as gold, are people with vision of integrity. They see themselves standing in life and before God as one who does not say one thing and think another. They mean what they say. This is greatly valuing before God, who abominates “swearing falsely” and honor those “who stand by their oath even when it harms them,” as reported in Psalm 15.4. Similarly, it is the vision of life in God’s kingdom and its goodness that provides an adequate basis for the steadfast intention to obey Christ. In that time of terror and of dread, that time full of sadness, have pity, O Lord, on those who confess Thy Passion. #RandolphHarris 18 of 19
Have Thou a care of those who put their trust in Thy love for humans, and do Thou forgive their sins. “Oh, merciless question. You have my violin. Be still, watch. Or give me the instrument now. Have you not seen enough to know that it is mine, that it belongs to me, that I brought it over the divine and into this realm with my very life’s blood, and you hold it, so that I cannot get it loose; the gods are mad, if they exist, that let such a thing happen. The God in Heaven is a monster. Learn from what you see,” love Him, fear Him, Obey Him, but whatever you do, make the best out of this material World while it last! (page 204 of Violin by Anne Rice.” Let Thy tenderness be stirred up for those who invoke Thy holy Name; nor let Thy grace fail us. Rebuke not the ministers of Thy kingdom for their filthy raiment. Let not the light of our lamps be put out. Let not Thy justice be against us. Show the assistance of Thy grace against our wickedness. Pour out the flood of Thy pity on our ungodliness, and wash away our sins, and efface in us whatever is hateful. Give us true and uncorrupt faith, a pure and tranquil life, high and holy gifts, freedom from severe temptations, a departure with due preparation, a god end, richest blessings, lasting delights, inheritance with Saints, and confidence when we stand before Thine awful throne, because Thou art merciful and rich in bounty. To many blasé and Worldly people, the teacher will be classed with ambitious charlatans at worst or regarded as self-hypnotized at best. However, even to those who do not question one’s sincerity, the goal one points to them must seem so utterly absurd and distant from the commonly accepted goals and the path to it so oddly eccentric that few persons are likely to be attacked to them. When the impact of one’s physical presence is absent, the power of one’s spiritual presence may become plainly evident. #RandolphHarris 19 of 19
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This Fella Did Not See Further than His Own Nose—Help Yourself and Heaven Will Help You!
Time is a versatile performer. It flies, marches on, heals all wounds, runs out, and will tell. Time is what we want most but what we use worst. It is apparent that is a stigmatizing affliction possessed by an individual is known to no one, including oneself, as in the case, say, of someone with undiagnosed leprosy or unrecognized petit mal seizures, then the sociologist has no interest in it, except as a control device for learning about the “primary” or objective implications of the stigma. Where the stigma is nicely invisible and known only to the person who possesses it, who tells no one, then here again is a matter of minor concern in the study of passing. The extent to which either of these two possibilities exists is of course hard to assess. In a similar way, it should be clear that if a stigma were always immediately apparent to any and all persons with whom an individual had contact, then one’s interest would be limited, too, although there would be some interest in the question of how much an individual can cut oneself off from contact and still be allowed to function freely in society, in the question of tact and its breakdown, and in the question of self-derogation. It is apparent, however, that these two extremes, where no one know about the stigma and where everyone knows, fail to cover a great range of cases. #RandolphHarris 1 of 18
First, there are important stigmas, such as the ones that men and women of the “evening,” thieves, those in non-traditional relationships, beggars, and those with addictions have, which require the individual to be carefully secret about one’s failing to one class of persons, the police, while systematically exposing themselves to other classes of persons, namely, clients, fellow-members, connections, fences, and the like. Thus, no matter what role promiscuous people assume in the presence of the police, they often have to declare themselves to housewives in order to obtain a free meal, and may even have to expose their status to passers-by because of being served on back porches what they understandably call “exhibition meals.” Secondly, even where an individual could keep an unapparent stigma secret, one will find that intimate relations with others, ratified in our society by mutual confession of invisible failings, cause one either to admit one’s situation to the intimate or to feel guilty for not doing so. In any case, nearly all matters which are very secret are still known to someone, and hence cast a shadow. Similarly, there are many cases where it appears that an individual stigma will always be apparent, but where this proves to be not quite the case; for on examination one finds that the individual will occasionally be in a position to elect to conceal crucial information about oneself. #RandolphHarris 2 of 18
For instance, while a lame boy may seem always to present oneself as such, strangers can momentarily assume that one has been in a temporarily incapacitating accident, just as a visually impaired person led into a dark cab by a friend may find for a moment that sight has been imputed to her, or a visually impaired person wearing dark glasses sitting in a dark bar may be take as a seeing person by a newcomer, or a double hand-amputee with hooks watching a movie may cause someone who is passionate about pleasures of the flesh sitting next to him to scream in terror over what her hand has suddenly found. Similarly, people who are uncomfortable with their physical appearance may find themselves, in writing letter or making telephone calls, projecting an image of self that is subject to later discrediting. Given these several possibilities that fall between the extremes of complete secrecy on one hand and complete information on the other, it would see, that the problems people face who make a concerted and well-organized effort to pass are problems that wide ranges of persons face at some time or other. Because of the great rewards in being considered normal, almost all persons who are in a position to pass will do so on some occasion by intent. #RandolphHarris 3 of 18
Further, the individual’s stigma may relate to matters which cannot be appropriately divulged to strangers. An ex-convict, for example, can only disclose one’s stigmas widely by improperly presuming on mere acquaintances, orally disclosing to them personal facts about oneself which are more personal than the relationship really warrants. A conflict between candor and seemliness will often be resolved in favour of the latter. Finally, when the stigma relates to parts of the body that the normally qualified must themselves conceal in public places, then passing is inevitable, whether desired or not. A woman who has had a mastectomy or a Norwegian male who has been penalized by castration are forced to present themselves falsely in almost all situations, having to conceal the conventional ones. When an individual in effect or by intent passes, it is possible for a discrediting to occur because of what becomes apparent about one, apparent even to those who socially identify one solely on the basis of what is available to any stranger in the social situation. (Thus arises one variety of what is called “an embarrassing incident.”) However, this kind of threat to virtual social identity is certainly not the one kind. #RandolphHarris 4 of 18
Apart from the fact that the individual’s current actions can discredit one’s current pretensions, a basic contingency in passing is that one will be discovered by those who can personally identify one and who include in their biographical record of one unapparent facts that are incompatible with present claims. It is then, incidentally, that personal identification bears strongly on social identity. Here, of course, is the basis of the varieties extortion. There is the “frame-up,” this consisting of the engineering of a happening now that can be used as a basis of extortion shortly. (A frame-up is to be distinguished from “entrapment,” an art of detectives practice to cause criminals to reveal their habitual criminal practices and this their criminal identity.) There is “pre-extortion,” where the victim is forced to continue in a course of action because the extortioner’s warning that any change will lead one to disclose facts making the change untenable. W.I. Thomas cites an actual case in which a police officer forces a woman of the “evening” to remain in her lucrative calling by systematically discrediting her attempts to obtain employment as a well-reputed woman. There is “self-saving extortion,” perhaps the most important kind, where the extortioner, by intent or in effect, avoids paying an eared penalty because enforcing payment would result in the creditor’s discrediting. #RandolphHarris 5 of 18
The “presumption of innocence until guilt is proven” provides far less protection for the unwed mother than for the unmarried father. Her guilt is made obvious by a protruding profile—evidence hard to conceal. He bears no outward signs, and his accessor role must be proved. However, to provide such a proof, when the state does not assume the initiative in establishing paternity, the unwed mother must disclose her identity and misbehaviour in pleasures of the flesh to a larger audience. Her reluctance to do this makes it fairly easy for her male accomplice to maintain his anonymity and his ostensible innocence, if he chooses. Finally, there is “full” or classic extortion, the extortioner obtaining payments by threatening to disclose facts about the individual’s past or present which could utterly discredit one’s currently sustained identity. It may be noted that all full extortion includes the self-saving kind, since the successful extortioner, in addition to obtaining the extortion, also avoids the penalty attached to extorting. Sociologically, extortion itself may not be very important; given the profusion of skeleton’s in people’s closets, it is a wonder that full extortion is not more prevalent. The legal sanction of course high, making the practice uncompetitive in many cases, but one still has to explain why the legal sanction is so high. #RandolphHarris 6 of 18
Perhaps the rarity of the act and the strong sanction against it are both expressions of the distaste we have for work requiring us to confront unwilling others with greatly discrediting facts about themselves, this knowledge to be then pressed against their interests. However, it is more important to consider the kinds of relations an individual can have to those who could, if they wanted to, extort one. It is here that one sees that a person who passes leads a double life, and that the informational connectedness of biography can allow for different modes of double living. When the discreditable fact about an individual is in the past, one will be concerned not so much about original sources of evidence and information as about persons who can relay what they have already gathered. When the discreditable fact is part of current life, then one must guard against more than relayed information; one must guard against getting directly caught in the act, as a girl suggests: Exposure was possible without arrest, and equally painful. “I always look around a room fast when I go to parties,” she said. “You never know. Once I ran smack into two of my cousins. They were with a couple of call girls and did not even nod to me. I took my cue—hoping they were too busy thinking of themselves to wonder about me. I always wondered what I would do if I ran into my father, since he was around quite a bit.” #RandolphHarris 7 of 18
If there is something discreditable about an individual’s past or present, it would seem that the precariousness of one’s position will vary directly with the number of persons who are in on the secret; the more who know about one’s shady side the more treacherous one’s situation. Hence it may be safer for a bank teller to sally with his wife’s girlfriend than to go to the races. Whether those in the know are many or few, there is here a simple double life containing those who think they know the whole person and whose who “really” do so. This possibility must be contrasted to the situation of the individual who lives a double double life, moving in two circles each of which is unaware that the other exists with its own and different biography of one. A person carrying on an affair, with perhaps a small number of individuals knowing that this is so and even associating with the illicit couple, is carrying on a single double life. However, should the illicit couple begin to make friends who are unaware that the couple are really not a couple, a double life begins to emerge. The danger in the first type of double living is that of extortion or malicious disclosure; the danger in the second type, the greater, perhaps, is that of inadvertent disclosure, since none of those who knows the couple will be oriented to maintaining the secret, being unaware that there is one to keep. #RandolphHarris 8 of 18
The search for an ideal master may obstruct itself through an excessively critical attitude equally as though a sentimentally romantic one. For however divinely inspired one may be in one’s best moments, the master must still remain quite human in many ways most of the time. Those who form romantic grandiose exotic or miraculous pictures of what a master is like and of what they seek in a person before they can accept one as a master, doom themselves to frustration and assure themselves of disappointment. For they do not yet understand what masterhood really is, hence they are still unfit for personal instruction by a master. If one is not connected with any religious association or mystical tradition, any institution or monastery, one is looked upon askance. For who or what is there to validate the “correctness” of one’s teaching and the credentials of the being? They look for a doctrine that is “official” and a revelator certified by “authority.” The being who seeks a master to whose cosmological vision, expressed thought, and behaviour one hopes to give perfect acceptance, seeks the impossible. One does not want a teaching which is liable to disproof by scientific knowledge, yet one does not want to limit oneself merely to that knowledge. If one’s preconception of a master is wrong, as is likely because of the ludicrous caricature in the pictures drawn by popular cults and books, one may not be able to recognize a real master even when one meets one. #RandolphHarris 9 of 18
There will be an inner struggle instead. One will suffer the agony of mental or moral indecision. One may seem cold and unapproachable by the sentimental standards of those who mistakenly regard one as a glorified clergyman. One sees an image which one has oneself created, not the reality of the other being. Only by close association with one under one roof will it be possible to find out how different the image is from the person it is supposed to represent. The first is a perfect but impossible creature. The second is a human creature. It is understandable and even pardonable that the weak, the neurotic, the unhappy or the undeveloped, the innocent or the inexperienced should look for a father image who will carry all their burdens, material as well as spiritual. They are entitled to do so. However, they should seek one within religious or mystical circles, not within the philosophic circle. The mistake so many seekers make in approaching such a person is to demand that ne teach them on their terms, in their way, and not one’s own. If one has not got the appearance they think one ought to have or they expect one to have, that is another cause for offense. The reality is blamed—and not themselves—for disappointing the fantasy. You do not see the master when you see one’s body. You do not know one when you know what one looks like. You do not love one if you are attracted only by one’s handsome appearance. The real master is one’s mind. #RandolphHarris 10 of 18
A person’s spiritual status does not reveal itself immediately to anyone who looks at one’s physical body. Not only so, but if the latter is unattractive, not physically perfect, and senile, repulsion may misread one’s inner nature completely. Those who reject truth because of the external repulsiveness of the truth-bearer, do so for the right reasons, that is, they are not ready to receive it. Those who accept truth because of the external attractiveness of the truth bearer, do so for the wrong reasons, that is, they have not received it at all. For in both cases it is not the mind or the heart to which appeal has been made, but the sense. It is not reason or intuition, sufficient experience or sufficient authority which has judged the testimony for truth, but bodily sight hearing and touch. One could write volumes about the degree of control parents exercise over their children and the amount of downright sadistic abuse they deal out to them. The same can be said of police, nurses, prison guards, and so on. Their power is not as great as Caligula’s. They too have to obey orders; they are very small cogs in the machine; and they have very little say in things. However, compared to the children, the patients, or the prisoners they deal with, their power is relatively greats. And so you find a large number of sadists in those callings. #RandolphHarris 11 of 18
I do not mean to say by this that most teaches or nurses are sadists. On the contrary, great numbers of people become teachers or nurses because they feel a deep need to help others, because they are favorably disposed toward others and love their fellow humans. I do not have those people in mind here but rather the ones who are acting out of just the opposite motives and are usually not aware that behind the rationalizations they construct for themselves a passion to control others is at work in them. That same passion is very prevalent among bureaucrats, too. Let me give you an example that you have no doubt often encountered yourselves. Imagine a person behind the window in a post office. Fifteen people are waiting in life, and at closing time there are still two left. At the very stroke of give o’clock the person shuts one’s window, turning away those last two people who have been waiting half an hour. There is just the trace of a smile on the person’s thin lips, a barely visible, sadistic smile. One is glad that those two people have to leave that one has the power to make them wait in vain and have to return tomorrow. One could just as easily have taken another minute or two for them, but one does not. A kindly person would take the time, and that is what moat people in that situation would do. #RandolphHarris 12 of 18
The sadist closes one’s window not just because business hours are over but because it gives one pleasure to close it. And though one may not earn a very large salary, that sadistic pleasure is as good as money, and one would not think of doing without it. I remember fishing at Cabo San Lucas at the mouth of the Sea of Cortez, with the cloudless, windless day, the perfect Sunlight dancing rhythmically on the water in platinum and blue. I recall gliding into an emerald cove surrounded by a cactus desert, donning a snorkel, and slipping over the side into a World of green and turquoise and yellow and pink—another World of slower, gentler rhythm. I also remember the Sunset, with its Pacific fire, as we sat on the sand gazing at the Summer stars. I was indeed seeing God through His handiwork. That same day I marveled at His animate creation: the ever-present gulls in flight, a seemingly endless sea of yellow-finned tuna and porpoise I could not see across, a striped marlin walking on its tail and crashing back into the water like a fallen horse. Then there is the microcosm: a newborn baby, eyes and mouth wide open, arms reaching for life—the apex of God’s creation. The baby’s mind is an amazing computer, recording virtually everything it experiences. Its eyes pass on incredible amounts of data—first through the cornea, then through the focusing lens, where the image strikes the retina and stimulates 125 million nerve endings simultaneously. #RandolphHarris 13 of 18
This is processed by millions of microswitches and funneled down the optic nerve, which contains one million separate insulated fibers (so there are no short circuits). When the information reaches the brain, an equally complex process begins—all of which takes place in a millisecond! Likewise, the infant’s ears are so turned to the vibrating around him or her that one day one will make music. What a God we have! Take not, oh Lord, our literal sense Lord, in Thy great Unbroken speech our limping metaphor translate. Through the Scriptures, theologians have discerned about twenty attributes of God (though the number is disputed), and contemplation of the attributes has been a time-honoured avenue to adoration. The knowledge of the Holy—God’s self-existence, God’s eternity, God’s infinitude, God’s omnipresence, God’s grace, God’s holiness, to name a few-can catch one’s soul up to glory. Sariah (the wife of Lehi) complains against Lehi—Both rejoice over the return of their sons—They offer sacrifices—The plates of brass contain writings of Moses and the prophets—The plates identify Lehi as a descendant of Joseph—Lehi prophesizes concerning his seed and the preservation of the plates. About 600-592 Before Christ (BC). “And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us. #RandolphHarris 14 of 18
“For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou has led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness. And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father. And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren. But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness. And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews. And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted. And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish a thing which the Lord hath commanded them. #RandolphHarris 15 of 18
“And after this manner of language did she speak. And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning. And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the World, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; and also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; and also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zebekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by mouth of Jeremiah. And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine. And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who and preserved them. #RandolphHarris 16 of 18
“And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendent of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records. And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed—that the plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tougues, and people who were of his seed. Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed. And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us. And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worthy unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children. Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise,” 1 Nephi 5.1-22. O God, Who are the Saviour of all the living, Who willest not the death of sinners, nor rejoicest in the perdition of those that die, I humbly entreat Thee to vouchsafe me pardon of my offences, that I may bewail what I have committed, and henceforth commit them no more; and that when my last say and the end of my life has arrived, Thy holy Angel may receive me cleansed from all offences; through Jesus Christ our Lord. #RandolphHarris 17 of 18
O Lord of grace, I have hasty and short in private prayer, O quicken my conscience to feel this folly, to bewail this ingratitude; my first sin of the day leads into others, and it is just that Thou shouldst withdraw Thy presence from one who waited carelessly on Thee. Keep me at all times from robbing Thee, and from depriving my soul of Thy due worship; let me never forget that I have an eternal duty to love, honour and obey Thee, that Thou art infinitely worthy of such; that if I fail to glorify Thee I am guilt of infinite evil that merits infinite punishment, for sin is the violation of infinite obligation. O forgive me if I have dishonoured thee, melt my heart, heal my backslidings, and open an intercourse of love. When the fire of Thy compassion warms my inward being, and the outpouring of Thy Spirit fill my soul, then I feelingly wonder at my own depravity, and deeply abhor myself; then Thy grace is a powerful incentive to repentance, and an irresistible motive to inward holiness. May I never forget that Thou hast my heart in Thy hands. Apply to it the merits of Christ’s atoning blood whenever I sin. Let Thy mercies draw me to Thyself. Wean me from all evil, mortify me to the World, and make me ready for my departure hence, animated by the humiliations of penitential love. My soul is often a chariot without wheels, clogged and hindered in sin’s miry clary; mount it on eagle’s wings and cause it to soar upwards to Thyself. #RandolphHarris 18 of 18
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Hope Springs Eternal in the Human Heart, Humans Never are, but Always to Be Blessed!
We live in constant tension between the urgent and the important. The problem is that the important tasks rarely must be done today, or even this week. However, urgent tasks call for instant action—endless demands pressures every hour of the day. The momentary appeal of these urgent tasks seems irresistible and important, and they devour our energy. Nonetheless, in the light of time’s perspective their deceptive prominence fades; with a sense of loss we recall the important tasks pushed aside. We realize we have become slaves to the tyranny of the urgent. One of the characteristics of effective leaders is that they continually find joy in their jobs. This gives them the energy to energize others. They maintain an optimistic outlook and avoid burnout by focusing on what is right rather than what is wrong, constantly learning and growing on the job, making friends with what would normally be issues, picking the right dance partners (associating with winners), keeping their sense of humour and getting a life outside of their work. There is more to life than increasing its speed. The self-actualized will not be primarily concerned with one’s own personal welfare, but then one will also not be primarily concerned with humankind’s welfare. Both these duties find a place in one’s outlook, but they do not find a primary place. #RandolphHarris 1 of 18
The primary place is always filled by a single motive: to do the will, to express the inspiration of that greater self of which one is sublimely aware and to which one has utterly surrendered oneself. This is a point whereon many students get confused or go astray. The self-actualized does not stress altruism as the supreme value of life, nor does one reject egoism as the lowest value of life. One will act with the strength God gives one in each case, and will always act for the sake of what is in the best interest, as one is guided by the light of God. When the veil falls and the inner meaning of universal life is read, it is not enough for the illuminate. For one does not consider one’s own salvation complete while others remain unsaved. Consequently, one dedicated oneself to the task of trying to save them. However, in order to do this one has to reincarnate on Earth innumerable times. For people can attain the goal here alone and nowhere else. This changes the whole concept of salvation. It is no longer a merely personal matter but a collective one. It also alters the concept of survival. This is no longer a prolonged enjoyment of post-death Heavenly spheres but a prolonged labour through countless Earthly lives for the service of one’s fellow-creatures. And yet, even this somber path bears its own peculiar rewards. #RandolphHarris 2 of 18
This path of righteousness has peculiar rewards, for one shall receive the fraternal love of those who have been healed, the encouraging thought of those who are beginning to find a foothold in life, the pledged loyalty of those who want to share, with their lesser strength, the heavy burden through the untold incarnations. “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again,” reports John 3.3. This much evolution and some million years of prehistory may have given us; but to talk about satisfying one’s appetites for purity and heroism with a certain relish and style is not to say that this relish is itself the motive for the appetite. Dr. Freud thought it was human’s appetite that undid him, but actually it is his human limitations as we now understand it. The tragedy of evolution is that it created a limited being with unlimited horizons. Humans are the only being that is not armed with the natural instinctive mechanisms or programing for shrinking one’s World down to the size that one can automatically act on. This means that humans have to artificially and arbitrarily restrict their intake of experience and focus their output of decisive action. Humans have to keep from going made by biting small pieces of reality which they can get some command over and some organismic satisfaction from. #RandolphHarris 3 of 18
This means that their noblest passions are played out in the most narrow and unreflective ways, and this is what undoes them. From this point of view the main problematic for the future of humans has to be expressed in the following paradox: Humans are beings who must fetishize in order to survive and to have normal mental health. However, this shrinkage of vision permits one to survive also at the same time prevents one from having the overall understanding one needs to plan for and control the effects of one’s shrinkage of experience. A paradox this bitter sends a chill through all reflective people. If dr. Freud’s famous fateful question for the human species was not exactly the right one, the paradox is no less fateful. It seems that the experiment of humans may well prove to be an evolutionary dead end, and impossible being—one who, individually, needs for healthy actions they very conduct that, on a general level, is destructive to one. It is maddeningly perverse. And even if we bring Dr. Freud’s views on evil into lines with Dr. Hegel’s, there is no way of denying that Dr. Freud’s pessimism about the future is just as securely based as if humans did not actually have evil motives. However, it does influence the whole perspective on history which I am sketching here. History and its incredible tragedy and drivenness then become a record of folly. #RandolphHarris 4 of 18
History is a career of a frightened beings who must lie in order to live—or, better, in order to live the distinctive style that one’s nature fits for one. The thing that feeds the great destructiveness of history is that people give their entire allegiance to their own group; and each group is a codified hero system. Which is another way of saying that societies are standardized systems of death denial; they give structure to the formulas for heroic transcendence. History can then be looked at as a succession of immortality ideologies, or a mixture at any time of several of these ideologies. We can ask about any epoch, What are the social forms of heroism available? And we can take a sweep over history and see how these forms vary and how they animate each epoch. For primitive humans, who practiced the ritual renewal, each person could be a cosmic hero of a quite definite kind: one could contribute with one’s powers and observances to the replenishment of cosmic life. Gradually, as societies became more complex and differentiated into classes, cosmic heroism became the property of special classes like divine kings and the military, who were charged with the renewal of nature and the protection of groups by means of their own special powers. And so the situation developed where people could be heroic only by flowing orders. #RandolphHarris 5 of 18
People had given the mandate of power and expiation to their leader-heroes, and so salvation had to be mediated to them by these figures. In a primitive hunting band or a tribe the leader cannot compel anyone to go to war; in the kingship and state the subjects have no choice. They now serve in warfare heroism for the divine king who provides one’s own power in victory and bathes the survivors in it. With the rise of money coinage one could be a money hero and privately protect oneself and one’s offspring by the accumulation of visible gold-power. With Christianity something new came into the World: the heroism of renunciation of this World and the satisfactions of this life, which is they the pagans thought Christianity was crazy. It was a sort of antiheroism by a being who denied life in order to deny evil. Buddhism did the same thing even more extremely, denying all possible Worlds. In modern times, with the Enlightenment, began again a new paganism of the exploitation and enjoyment of Earthly life, partly as a reaction against the Christian renunciation of the World. Now a new type of productive and scientific hero came into prominence, and we are still living this today. More cars produced by Detroit, record high stock market prices, more profits, more goods moving—all this equals more heroism. #RandolphHarris 6 of 18
And with the French Revolution another type of modern hero was codified: the revolutionary hero who will bring an end to injustice and evil once and for all, by bringing into being a new utopian society perfect in its purity. Humans and animals share the biologically programmed, reactive-aggressiveness that serves the defense of their vital interests. In humans, however, there are kinds of aggressiveness that are not biologically given and do not serve the end of self-defense but are rooted in their character. The reasons why an individual develops that kind of aggressive character are complicated, and I cannot go into them here. However, aggressive characters of this sort are a reality and one that occurs only among human beings. What I want to focus on next is the phenomenon itself, the sadistic character of such. When we speak of sadism we often have only perversions of pleasures of the flesh in mind, cases in which, say, a human experiences arousal from pleasure of the fresh if one can beat or abuse a vulnerable person in some way. Sadism can also mean the passion or wish to do bodily harm to another person. The essence of sadism is, however, wanting to have control over another living being, complete and absolute control. The other creature can be an animal, youth, or another adult, but in every case the sadistic individual makes the other living creature one’s property, a thing, an object of domination. #RandolphHarris 7 of 18
If someone can make another person defenseless and force one to bear pain, that is an extreme form of control, but it is not the only one. That form of sadism occurs sometimes in teachers, sometimes in prison guard, sometimes in misfits, and so on. It is clear that this kind of sadism, though not involved in pleasures of the flesh, in a narrow sense of the word, is nonetheless what we might call a heated, sensual form of sadism. However, it is not the only form. Far more common is a cold sadism that is not at all sensual and has nothing whatever to do with pleasures of the flesh but still displays the same essential quality that sensual and pleasures of the flesh sadism do: Its goal is domination, complete control over another person, being able to mold and shape one as the potter does one’s clay. There are even benign forms of sadism with which you are all familiar. Such sadism can turn up in all sorts of people, but mothers and bosses are particularly prone to it. One person controls another not to one’s harm or disadvantage but to one’s advantage. One tells the other individual what one should do. Everything the subordinate should do is spelled out for one, and it is all good for one. It may indeed be good for one—or perhaps we should say profitable—but the problem with it is that one loses one’s freedom and autonomy. #RandolphHarris 8 of 18
The relationship of mothers to their sons or fathers to their sons are often coloured by that kind of sadism, and the sadistic individual is, of course, totally unaware of any sadistic intent, because one “means so well.” Even the victim of such sadism is unaware of it, because all one sees is how one is profiting from one’s situation. The one thing one does not see is that one’s soul is being damaged, that one is becoming a submissive, dependent, unfree human being. Now I would like to give you an example of an extreme form of sadism, a person possessed by a passion for absolute omnipotence, a person who wanted to be God. We find just such a portrait in the Camus’s play of Caligula. Caligula, the Roman emperor, was a tyrant with unlimited power. He may not have been so different from other people at first, but then he found himself in a situation where he felt we not subject to the normal conditions of human existence, for there were no limits put on his power. His friends do not just find this out—he himself lets them know it in no uncertain terms. However, they have to flatter him and pay him homage. Unless they want to be terminated, they must not ever let their anger or indignation show. Otherwise he will end their lives, first one, then another, whenever the mood strikes him. #RandolphHarris 9 of 18
Caligula will end their lives not because he cannot stand them any more but because being able to control the fate of whomever he wants is a sign of his power, his omnipotence. However, even that power does not satisfy his longing for omnipotence, for the ability to control the fate of others is ultimately limited, too. As a result, his desire for omnipotence takes the form of what we might call a symbolic wish, one that Camus presents very skillfully in the play. Caligula wants the Moon. If he were to say that today, we might find the expression rather odd. However, a few decades ago the expression meant something like: “I want the impossible. I want the kind of power than no human being can have. I am the only person who matters. I am God. I have power over everyone and everything. What I want I can have.” A person with the passion for absolute control will try to circumvent, to overstep the limits inherent in human existence, for it is part of the human condition that we are not omnipotent. And if a person should gain much too much power, death will show one how powerless one is in the face of nature, much like the Coronavirus is currently doing. Camus shows us very convincingly how Caligula is really not so different from other people until he becomes mad. #RandolphHarris 10 of 18
Because Caligula attempts to overstep the boundaries of human existence he does mad, as anyone will who makes such an attempt and cannot find his way back to human territory. We see from this example that madness is not really a disease in the sense that we normally think of disease but a certain way of solving the problem of human existence. The mad person denies the powerlessness inherent in us that torments us because, in his fantasies, he does not recognize any limits. He behaves as if no limits existed. However, because powerlessness is a reality one will necessarily lose one’s mind if one insists on pursuing one’s goal. If we wanted to put in this way, we could speak not of an illness but of a philosophy or—to be more precise still—a form of religion. Madness is an attempt to negate and deny human powerlessness by pretending to oneself, with the assistance of some very specific tactic, that one is not ultimately powerless. One hundred years ago we may still have believed that Caligulas existed only in Roman history. The twenty-first century since then has presented us with a whole new crop of Caligulas—in Europe, in American, in Africa, everywhere. And all those Caligulas are cut after the same pattern. #RandolphHarris 11 of 18
People get a taste of unlimited power, and they then remain irrevocably and passionately committed to solving their power. We can see that very clearly both in Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom. The limitations of human existence are denied, and that opens the way for a certain kind of madness. Fortunately, most people with the sadistic longing for complete control over others have to be satisfied with indulging their cold sadism in more modest forms, though obviously in forms that still provide them with satisfaction. We know that parents can behave sadistically toward their children, trying to exert absolute control over them. That is not as common today as it used to be, because children are not as ready to put up with it any more. However, it was quite common seventy, eighty, ninety years ago. Doctors see many cases of children being brought to hospitals with serious injuries and missing teeth resulting from parental blows and abuse. The umber of cases of sadistic child abuse that come to light is only a very small percentage of the cases that actually occur. For both by law and by custom parents can do just about anything they want with their children as long as they can claim that it was done for the child’s good and as long as the evidence of physical abuse is not too horrendous. #RandolphHarris 12 of 18
Motive power is of two kinds. One, the appetitive power, commands motion. The operation of this power in the sensitive soul is not apart from the body; for anger, joy, and passions of alike nature are accompanied by a change in the body. The other motive power is that which executes motion in adapting the members for obeying the appetite; and the act of this power does nor consist in moving, but being moved. Whence it is clear that to move is not an act of the sensitive soul without the body. In religious teachings there is a paradox that we are holy and blameless in God’s sight. It seems betwixing to state that we are holy in God’s sight. How can we who are not only guilt but morally filthy possibly be holy in the sight of One whose gaze penetrates our very hearts, who knows our every motive and thought as well as our words and actions? The answer is that because of our union with Christ, God sees His holiness as our holiness. In the person of Christ God beholds a holiness which abides His closet scrutiny, yea, which rejoices and satisfies His heart; and whatever Christ is before God, He is for His people. Many Christians grew up in homes where parental acceptance was based, too a large degree, on academic, athletic, musical, or perhaps some other standard of achievement. #RandolphHarris 13 of 18
Often, in that kind of performance environment, they youth never felt as if they measured up to expectations, regardless of how successful they were. Then they transfer that sense of inadequacy to their relationship with God. They continually wonder, Is God please with me? Is He smiling on me with Fatherly favour. The answer to that question is an unqualified yes. God is smiling on you with Fatherly favour. He is pleased with you because He sees you as holy and without blemish in Christ. Do you want to talk about performance? Then consider that Jesus could say matter-of-factly and without any pretentiousness, “I always do what pleases Him [the Father],” reports John 8.29. When our Father looks at us, He does not see our miserable performance. Instead, He sees the perfect performance of Jesus. And because of the perfect holiness of Jesus, He see us as holy and without blemish. “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved,” reports Ephesians 1.6. Or to be more direct, God has made us acceptable to Himself through our union with Christ. You will never be accepted in yourself. You can never, to use a figure of speech, “scrub yourself clean.” #RandolphHarris 14 of 18
I always seek the Lord’s enabling and anointing on my messages, and I want my motive to be strictly to glorify God and build up His people. However, I know it never is, because deep down inside, I also want to succeed as a teacher. As hard as I try to dismiss that base motive, I know full well I never will completely. I can never “scrub clean” that motive. However, God in His grace has provided a perfect holiness in the person of His Son. Through our union with Him we have been made holy. Grant Thy servants, O God, to be set on fire with Thy Spirit strengthened by Thy power, illuminated by Thy splendour, filled with Thy grace, and to go forward by Thine assistance. Give them, O Lord, a right faith, perfect love, true humility. Grant, O Lord, that there may be in us simple affection, brave patience, persevering obedience, perpetual peace, a pure mind, a right and clean heart, a good will, a holy conscience, spiritual compunction, ghostly strength, a life unspotted and unblameable; and after having manfully finished our course, may we be enabled happily to enter into Thy Kingdom. “And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee. And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life. #RandolphHarris 15 of 18
“And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us. And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us. And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the same of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yes, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth. Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, let they should pursue us and destroy. And it came to pass that when Zorman had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him. And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father,” reports 1 Nephi 4.31-38. We beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that the relief from anxiety which Thy mercy has bestowed upon us may not make us negligent, but rather cause us to become more acceptable worshippers of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. #RandolphHarris 16 of 18
O Lord of grace, I have been hasty and short in private prayer, O quicken my conscious to feel this folly, to bewail this ingratitude; my first sin of the day leads into others, and it is just that Thou shouldst withdraw Thy presence from one who waited carelessly on Thee. Keep me at all times from robbing Thee, and from depriving my soul of Thy due worship; let me never forget that I have an eternal duty to love, honour and obey thee, that Thou art infinitely worthy of such; that is I fail to glorify Thee I am guilty of infinite evil that merits infinite punishment, for sin is the violation of an infinite obligation. O forgive me if I have dishonoured Thee, melt my heart, heal my backslidings, and open an intercourse of love. When the fire of Thy compassion warms my inward being, and the outpourings of Thy Spirit fill my soul, then I feelingly wonder at my own depravity, and deeply abhor myself; then Thy grace is a powerful incentive to repentance, and an irresistible motive to inward holiness. May I never forget that Thou hast my heart in Thy hands. Apply to it the merits of Christ’s atoning blood wherever I sin. Let Thy mercies draw me to Thyself. Wean me from all evil, mortify me to the World, and make me ready for my departure hence, animated by the humiliations of penitential love. #RandolpHarris 17 of 18
My soul is often a chariot without wheels, clogged and hindered in sin’s miry clay; mount it on eagle’s wings and cause it to soar upward to Thyself. We Christians have a desire deep within us to be like God and to bring honour to His name. However, what are we to look like if we are to fulfill these desires? Clearly, the picture implies that a growing, vibrant disciple will be someone who values one’s intellectual life and works at developing one’s mind carefully. Do not neglect your critical faculties. Remember that God is a rational God, who has made us in His own image. God invites and expects us to explore His double revelation, in nature and Scripture, with the minds He has given us, and to go on in the development of a Christian mind to apply His marvelous revealed truth to every aspect of the modern and post-modern World. Leaders set aside a portion of each day (even if it is only a matter of minutes) for quiet time devoted to prayer, meditation, imagining, or just daydreaming. Quietude is an elixir that every leader needs. How simple it is to see that all the worry in the World cannot control the future. How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now. And that there will never be a time when it is not now. #RandolphHarris 18 of 18
For within You is the Light of the World—the Only Light that Can be Shed Upon the Path!
Do not say you do not have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Harriet Tubman, Robert E. Lee, Empress Dowager Cix, Michelangelo, Aaliyah, Thomas Jefferson, Kobe Bryant, and Albert Einstein. Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends, and spirit—and you are keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. However, the other four balls—family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance. If this seems to you a little too sentimental or overdrawn, I would like to share with you an experience I had recently in a basic encounter group with fifteen persons in important executive posts. Early in the very intensive sessions of the week they were asked to write a statement of some feeling or feelings which they were not willing to share with the group. These were anonymous statements. One man wrote, “I do not relate easily to people. I have an almost impenetrable façade. Nothing gets in to hurt me but nothing gets out. I have repressed so many emotions that I am close to emotional sterility. This situation does not make me happy, but I do not know what to do about it. Perhaps insight into how others react to me and why will help.” #RandolphHarris 1 of 21
This clearly a message from a dungeon. Later in the week a member of the group identified himself as the man who had written that anonymous message, filling out in much greater detail his feelings of isolation, of complete coldness. He felt that life had been so brutal to him that he had been forced to live without feelings, not only at work but also in social groups and, saddest of all, with his family. His gradual achievement of greater expressiveness in the group, of less fear of being hurt, of more willingness to share himself with others, was a very rewarding experience for all of us who participated. When, in a letter a few weeks later asking me about another matter, he also included this paragraph: “When I returned from [our group] I felt somewhat like a youth who had been seduced but still wound up with the feeling that it was exactly what I had been waiting for and needed! I am still not quite sure who was responsible for the seduction—you of the group, or whether it was a joint venture. I suspect it was the latter. At any rate, I want to thank you for what was a meaningful and intensely interesting experience.” I was both amused and pleased by this admission. I think it is not too much to say that because of several of us in the group were able genuinely to hear him, he was released from his dungeon and came out, at least to some degree, into the sunnier World of warm interpersonal relationships. #RandolphHarris 2 of 21
Too many seekers create a supernatural halo around the master’s personality. Too many wrap it in dramatic and romantic garb. Too many expect too much from the first meeting with the individual. The consequence of all this is often a tremendous emotion let-down, and unreasonable disappointment after the reality of an actual meeting, and they lose their balance altogether. It is inevitable that a close-up view of the master will not prove so striking as a long-range one seen through romantic glasses. From a distance it is easy to bestow admiration and feel awe for a being they have almost turned into a deity. However, drawn into close contact with one it is just as easy to swing in the opposite direction and turn the master into a human. They do not notice how brief is their firsthand acquaintance with one, how few are the appearances that constitute the data for their conclusions, how conceited it is for spiritual pygmies to think they understand a spiritual titan. Because what they appear to have found does not correspond with the mental image they have previously conceived of one, one is judged to be no master at all. Nor are these the only reasons for such a failure. Equally important is the fact that such a meeting, or the period immediately following it, becomes the signal for opposition by adverse force. #RandolphHarris 3 of 21
Evil spirits may find their opportunity just then to lead one astray, mischievous ones may try to bewilder one’s mind, or lying ones may give untrue suggestions to one. One’s own weaknesses of character and faultiness of judgement may become greatly magnified and foist an absurdly wrong estimate of the master upon one. One may even feel personal antagonism toward the master. All this is of course a test for one. If one thinks one is judging whether this person is fit to be one’s master, life in its turn is judging whether one is fit to have such a master. Here then are some of the answers to the question, “Why, if we concede that the adepts have a right to hide from the multitude, do they also seem to hide from the earnest seeking few?” The adepts are confident that those individuals who are really ready for them will meet them when the right time comes. They know that this will happen not only under the direct working of karma, not only under the impulsions of the seeker’s own higher self, but also under the wise laws which govern the quest itself. These are high and hard truths. However, they are the realities of life, not dreams for those who like to be self-deluded. Whoever rejects them for such a reason does so at the risk of being harshly shocked into awakening one day. #RandolphHarris 4 of 21
They approach such a being with a kind of awe, if not reverence. It may or may not be justifiable: that depends first, one the being’s quality and second, on one’s mood. It needs clear eyes to see the truth about these spiritual teachers, eyes such as both their ardent followers and intolerant critics do not possess. Most people are simply not competent to select a guru properly; they are too governed by outer appearances, physical impression, and emotional reactions. An attitude is an expectation, and enduring selectivity in central action which, because of its enduring quality, can steer the organism in directions which experiences have determined to be in the animal’s interest. There is central reinforcement of sensory processes: It seems that there can be no explanation of learning and problem-solving in any mammal without reference to the persisting central neural influence that sustains activity in one particular direction. Even in a bird, learning continually shows this selective responsiveness to one aspect or part of the environment. In higher forms, where expectancy has been most clearly demonstrated, it seems often to be organized by an expectancy of a particular reward or goal. This is clearly not sensory but a conceptual process (to which, however, sensation must continually contribute). #RandolphHarris 5 of 21
Persisting central neural influence well defines what attention is. Established conceptual structure can, through reverberation, cause certain messages to have particular impact, more than others: the attention has been directed. Central organization can be so strong that we attend only to what we expect to see—we do not attend to what we do not expect to see. There is something wrong with the three statements: Paris in the the Spring, Once in a a lifetime, Bird in the the hand. (The puzzled reader is requested to read the statements aloud.) Incidentally this is a good example of not seeing something which is there to see, without there being any repression—a point which will become important soon. In the higher animals, expectancy = meaning, and meaning can refer to the process by which an enduring structure causes us to expect and search for (that is give our attention to) particular events in otherwise ambiguous stimulus situations. In identifying triangles for the purpose of counting them, we have to focus on lines which but a moment ago we had to ignore. We have to stop the eye from travelling more than halfway along lines which but a moment ago the eye pursued to the end. Lines can be organized into figures in one way, or in another way, or not at all. #RandolphHarris 6 of 21
We may draw the conclusion that something in us creates the perception of triangles out of what is not immediately apparent as a collection of triangles, or, to put this in different language, that something in us makes concepts apparent to us where these are not immediately obvious; and that we select, search for, attend to certain things we have set ourselves to pay attention to. The exercise also helps us to realize how much percepts and concepts slip and slide into one another. Another exercise is to look at a box divided into triangles: can the reader see the letter X? The letters E? N? Z? How many other letters can the reader see in the figure? If we think of each letter as a different concept, we can see that concepts are loess tidy, less clearly bounded, less neatly separable from each other, more overlapping, more blurry, then the inner objects and relationships are. This will also become very important later in our narrative. One more example, to demonstrate just how powerful the steering, directing, and motivating aspect of central functioning can be. Reversible figures can often show two different pictures in one image, depending on what the audience focuses on. To make the meaning change from the one to the others, we make ourselves attend to (focus on) a bit of the picture which we know to belong to the meaning we want to evoke—this activates a system of associated structures and the whole reverses itself. #RandolphHarris 7 of 21
No wonder that this propensity of the human mind is used to systematize tests for differences in personality or mood. The subject is presented with simple pictures or inkblots and required to make up stories about them. The stimulus materials tend to be interpreted differently by different individuals and thus reflect their learning history, personality traits, and emotional preoccupations. In short the responses given by the subject reveal the sets [id est attitudes] one has built up during one’s life history, and the influences these have on one’s present perceptions. Under the heading of words like “values,” “interests,” and “expectancies,” we encounter the influences of set upon selective perceiving. This is not exactly the way psycho-analytically minded people tend to approach a person’s reactions. They rend on the whole to think of symbols as acquired through a process of internalization. To this we will return to at a later time. We have constructed a perceptual and conceptual apparatus which can direct behaviour. We must now look more closely at the directing process. Values, interest, and expectancies point the way—we must look for yet higher levels of organization and yet more central functions. #RandolphHarris 8 of 21
When rules about how to feel and how to express feelings are set by management, when workers have weaker rights to courtesy than customers do, when deep and surface acting are forms of labour to be sold, and when private capacities for empathy are warmth are put to corporate uses, what happens to the way a person relates to one’s feelings or to one’s face? “If they could have turned every one of us into sweet quiet Southern Belles with velvet voices like Rosalyn Carter, this is what they would want to stamp out on an assembly line. Our smiles are not just painted on. So smile your way,” reports Reese Witherspoon. “When you see them receiving fans with that big smile, I do not think it means anything. They have to do that. It is part of their job. But now if you get into a conversation with a celebrity….well…no…I guess they have to do that too,” reports Paul Brunton. When worked-up warmth becomes an instrument of service work, what can a person learn about oneself from one’s feelings? And when a worker abandons one’s work smile, what kind of bond remains between one’s smile and oneself? Display is what is sold, but over the long run display comes to assume a certain relation to feeling. As enlightened management realizes, a separation of display and feeling is hard to keep over long periods. A principle of emotive dissonance, analogous to the principle of cognitive dissonance, is at work. #RandolphHarris 9 of 21
Maintaining a difference between feeling and feigning over the long run leads to strain. We try to reduce this strain by pulling the two closer together either by changing what we feel or by changing what we feign. When display is required by the job, it is usually feeling that has to chance; and when conditions estrange us from our face, they sometimes estrange us from feeling as well. Take the case of major movie stars. Corporate logic in Hollywood and streaming services creates a series of links between competition, market expansion, advertising, heightened audience expectations about rights to display, and company demands for acting. When conditions allow this logic to work, the result is a successful transmutation of the private emotional exchange–feeling rules, surface acting, and deep acting—are now arranged in a different way. If moves from stage to movie screen (act as if the movie screen were your own living room) as does the actress or actor’s use of emotion memory. Private use gives way to corporate use. In the movie industry of the 1950s and 1960w, a remarkable transmutation was achieved. However, certain trends, we will discuss later, led this transmutation to fail in the early 1970s. An industry speed-up and a stronger union hand in limiting the company’s claims weakened the transmutation. There was a celebrity slow down. #RandolphHarris 10 of 21
Worked-up warmth of feeling was replaced by put-on smiles. Those who sincerely wanted to make the deeper offering found they could not do so, and those who all along had resisted company intrusions of the self, came to feel some rights to freedom from it. The lost of truly Hollywood glam caused a loss of profits and prestige. When the transmutation succeeded, the celebrity was asked to take pride in making an instrument of feeling. When it collapsed, celebrities came to see that instrument as overused, underappreciated, and susceptible to damage. When a person has attained a stage of perfection one may truly rest, for Nature has achieved her task in one. Yet, if one chooses the path of self-actualization one must henceforth work harder than ever before! For one must now work incessantly through repeated rebirths for the enlightenment of others. Whether or not a person will serve humanity after one attains self-realization is not an attitude one can completely decide upon or predetermine before one attains it. For the matter is then surely taken out of one’s hands altogether. The question whether one shall share one’s knowledge with others or withhold it from them, will not be a real one to one. Its answer was settled long before, by destiny, by one’s character, by one’s past, by the World-idea. #RandolphHarris 11 of 21
Helping others to attain what one has attained, guiding seekers to reach safely the glorious summit where one now stands, is not decided for one by personal temperament or choice but by the overpowering sense of a primary and paramount duty. For within you is the light of the World—the only light that can be shed upon the Path. If you are unable to perceive it within you, it is useless to look for it elsewhere. It is beyond you; because when you reach it you have lost yourself. It is unattainable because it forever recedes. You will enter the light but you will never touch the Sun. Do not desert the great orphan Humanity. Remain here and help others reach that threshold. Thus by one’s altruistic activity, deep and meaningful prayers, and intellectual penetration one continuously earns a title to that utter absorption of one’s ego in the unutterable Absolute which is Heaven, but by one’s continuous self-giving for suffering humankind one never actually attains this goal. This extraordinary situation may be represented mathematically by the asymptote—a line which is drawn on a graph to approach nearer and nearer to a given curve but which never actually touches it within a finite distance. Only a person who feels with and for fellow creatures will dare to make such a tremendous sacrifice of the supreme peace which one has won. How much more generous, how nobly grander is this example of ever-active altruistic service than that of ever-idle prayerful reclusiveness! #RandolphHarris 12 of 21
All are to be judged by the theological norm. No statement in any source is infallible. No council or pope or biblical excerpt is, as such, a standard. Yet all are sources insofar as they speak of the New Being in Jesus as the Christ. The biblical message would not have become a message for anyone, including the theologian oneself, without the experiencing participation of the Church and of every Christian. In this sense, tradition is valuable, though by no means normative in its own right. Like the Bible itself, it may be the occasion for perceiving the theological norm, whatever the power of the New Being is sensed in it. This follows logically from the nature of the theological norm. Catholic theology would consider traditional elements as normative only insofar as they share in the power of the New Being. However, no theologian would rely on oneself alone to discern that power; one would trust the collectivity of the faithful appeal to the totality of Christian experience. At the very heart of adoration is contemplation. Numerous Psalms call us to contemplate God as seen in His creation. They never suggest that God is in His creation, but that His excellencies can be seen in His created works. The glory of God, is visible though the visual medium of a great thunder and lightning storm. #RandolphHarris 13 of 21
Psalm 19 begins with these majestic words: “The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge,” repots vv.1, 2. Listen to God speak through his macrocosm, says the Psalmist! Celebrate God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence in the microcosm of the human mind and body. Nature radiates and breathes the glory of God. If we take notice, the very trees do this. Have you seen your backyard tree for what it is: full of light, each cell shining with light, so bright they take your breath away, and opens up your heart to the wonder of God. Hebrews 10.10, 14 helps us see this objective aspect of sanctification—the holiness we have in Christ alone. Verse 10 reports, “And by that will [of God], we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Not that we have been made holy. This speaks of a completed work. The emphasis here is on the holiness we have in Christ through His once-for-all sacrifice. Verse 14, on the other hand, reports, “By one sacrifice He [Christ] has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” This verse mentions being made holy—the work of the Holy Spirit in progressive sanctification. However, this verse also refers to our completed, objective sanctification in Christ when it speaks of those He has made perfect forever. #RandolphHarris 14 of 21
So, in one aspect of sanctification you are already holy because Christ’s holiness is imputed to you. You have been made perfect forever. In another aspect, you are being made holy day by day through the work of the Holy Spirit imparting Christ’s life to you. You have been made perfect forever. In another aspect, you are being made holy day by day though the work of the Holy Spirit imparting Christ’s life to you. Holiness should be an objective for your daily life. However, to live by grace, you must never, never look to the work of the Holy Spirit in you as the basis for your relationship with God. You must always look outside of yourself to Christ. You will never be holy enough through your own effect to come before God. You are holy enough through your own efforts to come before God. You are holy only through Christ. Two parallel passages in Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians should encourage all of us: “For Christ chose us in Him before the creation of the World to be holy and blameless in his sight,” reports Ephesians 1.4. And, “However now one has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation,” reports Colossians 1.22. The vision of life in the kingdom through reliance upon Jesus makes it possible for us to intend to live in the kingdom as He did. We can actually decide to do it. #RandolphHarris 15 of 21
Of course living in the kingdom of Heaven means first of all to trust Christ, rely on him, to count on Him being the Anointed One, the Christ. It is through Him that the revelation and the gift of the kingdom come to us individually. If we do not count on Christ as “the One,” we will have no adequate vision of the kingdom or of life therein and no way to enter it. He is key to open the doors of Heaven; he is the way to the right path. Fins another whoever can. Consentingly, we intend to live in the kingdom of God by intending to obey the precise example and teaching of Jesus. This is the form that trust in him takes. It does not take the form of merely believing things about Him, however true they may be. Indeed, no one can actually believe the truth about Christ without trusting Him by intending to obey Him. It is a mental impossibility. To think otherwise is to indulge a widespread illusion that now smothers spiritual formation in Christlikeness among professing Christians and prevents it from naturally spreading Worldwide. If only Christains would live according to their belief in the teaching of Jesus, we all would become Christians. We know what this means, but the dismaying truth is that the Christians are living according to their belief in the teachings of Jesus. And clearly many of them do not believe him! #RandolphHarris 16 of 21
Moreover, knowing the right answers—knowing which ones they are, being able to identify them—does not mean we believe them. To believe them, like believing anything else, means that we are set to act as if they (the right answers) are true and that we will do so in appropriate circumstances. And acting as if the right answers are true means, in turn, that we intend to obey the example and teachings of Jesus the Anointed. If we believed Christ is who His people through the ages have declared Him to be, what else would be intend? Perhaps the hardest things for sincere Christians to come to grips with is the level of real unbelief in their own life: the unformulated skepticism about Jesus that permeates all dimensions of their being and undermines what efforts they do make toward Christlikeness. The idea that you can trust Christ and not intend to obey Him is an illusion generated by the prevalence of an unbelieving “Christian culture.” In fact, you can no more trust Jesus and not intend to obey hum than you could trust your doctor and your auto science engineer and not intend to follow their advice. If you do not intend to follow their advice, you simply do not trust them. Period. (Of course in this case you might well have good reason.) Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come up to the ears of Thy gracious mercy; do not cut us off in the midst of our days, but grant us, as those who make for a well-known goal, to finish our course of holy living; and by a hearty pursuit of sanctification in the few days of our present life, to win the eternal kingdom of glory. #RandolphHarris 17 of 21
O God the Father, of Heaven; have mercy upon the soul of Thy servant. “Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I a man, and he had fallen to the Earth before me, for he was drunken with wine. And when I came to him I found that it was Laban. And I behold his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt therefore was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was the most precious steel. And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should end the life of Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shruck and would that I might not slay him. And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property. And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bright forth his righteous purposes. It is better than one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief. And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the word of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise. #RandolphHarris 18 of 21
“Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have law. And I also knew that the law was engrave upon the plates of brass. And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments. Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword. And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and out them upon mine own body; yes, even every whit; and I did gird on his armour about my loins. And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury. And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he hold the garments and also the sword girded about my loins. And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master Laban, had been out by night among them. And I spake unto him as if it had been laban. And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without walls. #RandolphHarris 19 of 21
“And I also bade him that he should follow me. And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me. And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls. And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also. And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence. And it came to pass that when the servant of Lagan beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem,” reports 1 Nephi 3.7-31. Holy Lord, how little repentance there is in the World, and how many sins I have to repent of! I am troubled for my sin of passion, for the shame and horror of it as an evil; I purpose to give way to it no more, and come to thee for strength to that end. Most people give vent to anger frequently and are overcome by it, bringing many excuses and extenuations for it, as that it occurs suddenly, that they delight not in it, that they are sorry afterwards, that Godly people commit it. #RandolphHarris 20 of 21
They thus seek peace after outburst of passion by entre forgetfulness of it, or, by skinning over their wound, they hope for healing without peace in Christ’s blood. Lord God, I know that my sudden anger arises when things cross me, and I desire to please only myself, not Christ; there is in all wrongs and crosses a double cross—that which crosses thee; in all good things there is somewhat that pleases me; somewhat the pleases thee; my sin is that my heart is pleased or troubled as things please or trouble me, without my having a regard to Christ; thus, I am like Eli, the subject of punishment for not rebuking sin; whereas I should humbly confess my sin and fly to the blood of Christ for pardon and peace. Give me, then, repentance, true brokenness, lasting contrition, for these things Thou wilt not despise in spite of my sin. To give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do Thy will. Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. Love and time—those are the only two things in all the World and all of life that cannot be bought, but only spent. The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in 5 words: “I did not have time.” #RandolphHarris 21 of 21
Mills Station at Cresleigh Ranch | Residence 2
Vaulted ceilings and loft space await you at #MillsStation Residence 2! We especially love how open the great room is with all that light. 😍
Looking to make a move? Our sales offices are open by appointment only, but model homes are available for viewing. Head to our website to find contact info for each community. Link in bio! https://cresleigh.com/mills-station/residence-2/
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I Might Have Been a Gold-Fish in a Glass Bowl for All the Privacy I Got!
Silences regulate the flow of listening and talking. They are to conversation what zeroes are to mathematics—crucial nothings without which communication cannot work. It would seem that the human soul is not something subsistent. For that which subsists is said to be “this particular thing.” Now “this particular thing” is said not of the soul, but of what which is composed of soul and body. Therefore the soul is not something subsistent. Further, everything subsistent operates. However, the soul does not operate; for, as the Philosopher says, to say that the soul feels or understands is like saying that the soul weaves or builds. Therefore the soul is not subsistent. Further, if the soul were subsistent, it would have some operation apart from the body. However, it has no operation apart from the body, not even that of understanding: for the act of understanding does not take place without a phantasm, which cannot exist apart from the body. Therefore the human soul is not something subsistent. On the contrary, who understands that the nature of the soul is that of a substance and not that of a body, will see that those who maintain the corporeal nature of the soul, are led astray through associating with the soul those things without which they are unable to think of any nature—Id est imaginary pictures of corporeal things. Therefore the nature of the human intellect is not only incorporeal, but it is also a substance, that is, something subsistent. #RandolphHarris 1 of 19
I answer that, It must necessarily be allowed that the principle of intellectual operation which we call the soul, is a principle both incorporeal and subsistent. For it is clear that by means of the intellect humans can have knowledge of all corporeal things. Now whatever knows certain things cannot have any of them in its own nature; because that which is in it naturally would impede the knowledge of anything else. Thus we observe that a sick person’s tongue being vitiated by a feverish and bitter humour, is insensible to anything sweet, and everything seems bitter to it. Therefore, if the intellectual principle contained the nature of a body it would be unable to know all bodies. Now every body has its own determinate nature. Therefore it is impossible for the intellectual principle to be a body. It is likewise impossible for it to understand by means of a bodily organ; since the determinate nature or that organ would impede knowledge of all bodies; as when a certain determinate color is not only in the pupil of the eye, but also in a glass vase, the liquid in the vase seems to be of that same colour. Therefore the intellectual principle which we call the mind or the intellect has an operation per se apart from the body. Now only that which subsists can have an operation per se. For nothing can operate but what is actual: for which reason we do not say that heat imparts, but that what is hot gives heat. We must conclude, therefore, that the human soul, which is called the intellect or the mind, is something incorporeal and subsistent. #RandolphHarris 2 of 19
“This particular thing” can be take in two senses. Firstly, for anything subsistent; secondly, for that which subsists, and is complete in a specific nature. The former sense excludes the inherence of an accident or of a material form; the latter excludes also the imperfection of the part, so that a hand can be called “this particular thing” in the first sense, but not in the second. Therefore, as the human soul is part of a human nature, it can indeed be called “this particular thing,” in the first sense, as being something subsistent; but not in the second, for in this sense, what is composed of body and soul is said to be “this particular thing.” Aristotle wrote those words as expressing not his own opinion, but the opinion of those who said that to understand is to be moved, as is clear from the context. Or we may reply that to operate per se belongs to what exists per se. However, for a thing to exist per se, it suffices sometimes that it be not inherent, as an accident or a material form; even though it be part of something. Nevertheless, that is rightly said to subsist per se, which is neither inherent in the above sense, nor part of anything else. In this sense, the eye or the hand cannot be said to subsist per se; nor can it for that reason be said to operate per se. Hence the operation of the parts is through each part attributed to the whole. For we say that people see with the eye, and feel with the hand, and no in the same sense as when we say that what is hot gives heat by its heat; for heat, strictly speaking does not give heat. #RandolphHarris 3 of 19
We may therefore say that the soul understands, as the eye sees; but it is more correct to say that humans understand through the soul. The body is necessary for the action of the intellect, not as its origin of action, but on the part of the object; for the phantasm is to the intellect what colour is to the sight. Neither does such a dependence on the body prove the intellect to be non-subsistent; otherwise it would follow that an animal is non-subsistent, since it requires external objects of the sense in order to perform its act of perception. Memory, first of all, the power of recording and storing whatever it receives. It receives he product of the senses, the understanding and reason, and the imagination. The memory is explicit to the relationship to the senses. The external senses respond to objects external to their organs; thus a sensory impression is made. Each response is to an individual object and each impression is an individual one. The sense, which is the door of the intellect, is affected by individuals only. Such impressions are images of objects. We shall call them sense images, to distinguish them from the work of the imagination. As pictures and shapes, they are secondary objects. Pictures and shapes are bot secondary objects, and please or displease but in memory. Sense images are stored in the memory, for the images of those individuals—that is, the impressions they make on the sense—fix themselves in the memory, and pass into it the first instance entire as it were, just as they come. #RandolphHarris 4 of 19
Memory also collects the affective aspects of experience; indeed, if we follow this hint, memory may contribute from its larger and deep storehouse a scale of qualities marked by the pleasant at one end and unpleasant at the other. Memory received and preserved the work of the intellect and the imagination, as well as the work of the sense. We, however, almost ignore this function of memory, for we assume what our contemporaries do, namely, that unless the human mechanism could retain intellectual experience could not function in ways that were distinctly human. We must recognize memory among four intellectual arts. The other three are invention, disposition, and transmission or communication. Memory preserves their work. With the principles and rules of an art as our anchoring point, we focus more about improving the memory than we do about its operations. Our help for retention and recall recognize the difficulty of remembering abstract conceptions. The visual device of “Emblem,” for example, helps memory to cope with “intellectual conceptions.” Undoubtedly memory appears to be a kind of experience; indeed to us it is the record of experience. The relationship between human’s experience and their recording of it seems to be our justification for trying together memory and history. #RandolphHarris 5 of 19
The subject matter of history is properly concerned with individuals, which are circumscribed by place and time. Such material related to the memory. When the mind rehearses what is retained in the memory, it is thinking historically because it is dealing with experience. I consider history and experience to be the sane thing. History is concerned, also, with things that have happened rather than with things that are happening or may happen. This fact helps to set off history from prophecy. Accordingly, if experience per se always implies a time reference to the past, memory includes all experience with the record of the past stamped upon it. The Divine Presence is spiritual. It penetrates the inner most parts of our own spirits. Our entire inner life, our thoughts and desires, our feelings and imaginations, are known to God. The final way of escape, the most intimate of all places, is held by God. That fact is the hardest of all to accept. The human resistance against such relentless observation can scarcely be broken. Every psychiatrist and confessor is familiar with the tremendous force of resistance in each personality against even trifling self-revelations. Nobody wants to be known, even when one realizes that one’s health and salvation depend upon such a knowledge. We do not even wish to be known by ourselves. We try to hide the depth of our souls from our own eyes. We refuse to be our own witness. How then can we stand the mirror in which nothing can be hidden? #RandolphHarris 6 of 19
Is the Ugliest Man right? The Ugliest Man is a symbol of the ugliness in each one of us, and the symbol of our will to hide at least something from God and from ourselves. “Once, books appealed to a few people, here, there, everywhere. They could afford to be different. The World was roomy. But then the World got full of eyes and elbows and mouths. Double, triple, quadruple population. Films and radios, magazines, books leveled down to a sort of paste pudding norm, do you follow me? School is shorted, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored. Life is immediate, the job counts, pleasure lies all about after work. Why learn anything save pressing buttons, pulling switches, fitting nuts and bolts? We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man (human) the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the short from the weapon. Breach man’s mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man? You must understand that our civilization is so vast that we cannot have our minorities upset and stirred. Ask yourself, What do we want in this country, above all? #RandolphHarris 7 of 19
“People want to be happy, is that not right? Have you not heard it all your life? I want to be happy, people say. Well, are they not? Do we not keep them from moving, do we not give them fun? That is all we live for, is it not? For pleasure, for titillation? And you must admit our culture provides plenty of these,” (Pages 51, 53, 55, and 56 of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury). The Ugliest Man seems to be right, when we consider the support he receives from saints, theologians, and reformers. Martin Luther was as strongly grasped as the psalmist by the penetrating Presence of God. He stated that in every creature God is deeper, more internal, and more present than the creature is to himself, and that God embraces all things, is within all things. However, this most intimate Presence of God created the same feeling in Luther that it did in Nietzsche. He desired that God not be God. “I did not love God. I hated the just God…and was indignant towards Him, if not in wicked revolt, at least in silent blasphemy.” Following St. Bernard, the great master of religious self-observation, he continued, “We cannot love God, and therefore we cannot will Him to exist. We cannot want Him to be most wise…and most powerful.” When he recognized this hatred for God within himself, Luther was terribly shocked. #RandolphHarris 8 of 19
Luther was not able to escape as shrewdly as his theological masters, who recommended that he not think constantly of the searching Presence of God, and thus avoid the blasphemy of hating God. Luther knew that with the psalmist that no escape is possible. “Thou art behind and before me, and on every side of me, laying Thy Hand upon me.” God stands on each side of us, before and behind us. There is no way out. The pious man of the Old Testament, the mystical saint of the Middle Ages, the reformer of the Christian Church, and the prophet of atheism are all untied through that tremendous human experience: humans cannot stand the God Who is really God. Humans try to escape God, and hates Him, because they cannot escape Him. The protest against God, the will that there be no God, and the flight to atheism are all genuine elements of profound religion. And only on the basis of these elements has religion meaning and power. “All of them running about, putting out the stars and extinguishing the Sun. You come away lost, (page 59 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury). Christian theology and religious instruction speak of the Divine Omnipresence, which is the doctrine that God is everywhere, and of the Divine Omniscience, which is the doctrine that God knows everything. It is difficult to avoid such concepts in religious thought and education. However, they are at least as dangerous as they are useful. #RandolphHarris 9 of 19
These doctrines make us picture God as a thing with superhuman qualities, omnipresent like an electric power field, and omniscient like a superhuman brain. Such concepts as “Divine Omnipresence” and “Divine Omniscience” transform an overwhelming religious experience into an abstract, philosophical statement, which can be accepted and rejected, defined, redefined, and replaced. In making God an object besides other objects, the existence and nature of which are matters of argument, theology supports the escape to atheism. It encourages those who are interested in denying the threatening Witness of their existence. The first step to atheism is always a theology which drags God down to the level of doubtful things. “Is it because we are having so much fun at home we have forgotten the World? Is it because we are so rich and the rest of the World is so poor and we just do not care if they are? I have heard rumors; the World is starving, but we are well fed. Is that why we are hated so much? I have heard the rumors about hate, too, once in a long while, over the years. Do you know why? I do not, that is sure. Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes!” (page 70 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury). The game of the atheist is then very easy. For one is perfectly justified in destroying such a phantom and all its ghostly qualities. #RandolphHarris 10 of 19
And because the theoretical atheist is just in one’s destruction, the practical atheist (all of us) are willing to use their argument to support our own attempt to flee God. Let us therefore forget these concepts, as concepts, and try to find their genuine meaning within our own experience. We all know that we cannot separate ourselves at any time from the World to which we belong. There is no ultimate privacy or final isolation. We are always held and comprehended by something that is greater than we are, that has a claim upon us, and that demands response from us. The most intimate motions within the depths of our souls are not completely our own. For they belong also to friends, to humankind, to the Universe, and to the Ground of all being, the aim of our life. Nothing can be hidden ultimately. It is always reflected in the mirror in which nothing can be concealed. Does anybody really believe that one’s most secret thoughts and desires are not manifest in the whole of being, or that the events within the darkness of one’s subconscious or in the isolation of one’s consciousness do not produce eternal repercussions? Does anybody really believe that one can escape from the responsibility for what one has done and thought in secret? “Guy’s surprise tonight is to read you one sample to show how mixed up things were, so none of us will ever have to bother our little old heads about that junk again, is that not right, darling?” (page 95 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury). #RandolphHarris 11 of 19
Omniscience means that our mystery is manifest. Omnipresence means that our privacy is public. The centre of our whole being is involved in the centre of all being; and the centre of all being rests in the centre of our being. I do not believe that any serious person can deny that experience, no matter how one may express it. And if one has had the experience, one has also met something within one that makes one desire to escape the consequences of it. For humans are not equal to their own experience; one attempts to forget it; and one knows that one cannot forget it. “But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority. Oh, God, the terrible tyranny of the majority. We all have our harps to play. And it is up to you now to know with which ear you will listen,” (Page 104 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury). Is there a release from that tension? It is possible to overcome the hatred for God and the will that there be no God, that there be no humans? Is there a way to triumph over our shame before the perpetual Witness and over the despair which is the burden of our inescapable responsibility? Nietzsche offers a solution which shows the utter impossibility of atheism. The Ugliest Man, the terminator of God, subjects himself to Zarathustra, because Zarathustra has recognized him, and looked into his depth with divine understanding. #RandolphHarris 12 of 19
The terminator of God finds God in humans. One has not succeeded in terminating God at all. God has returned in Zarathustra, and in the new period of history which Zarathustra announces. God is always revived in something or somebody; He cannot be murdered. The story of every atheism is the same. Probably the worst drawback is the ensuing alienation from the self. We cannot suppress or eliminate essential parts of ourselves without becoming estranged from ourselves. It is one of those changes gradually produced by neurotic process that despite their fundamental nature come about unobserved. The person simply becomes oblivious to what one really feels, likes, rejects, believes—in short, to what one really is. Without knowing it one may life the life of one’s image. Of course it is not possible to behave so without being inextricably caught in a web of paths and alleys of dusty tracks that link back together, and are loaded with unconscious pretense and rationalization, which makes for precarious living. The person loses interest in life because it is not one who lives it; one cannot make decision because one does not know what one really wants; if difficulties mount, one may be pervaded by a sense of unreality—an accentuated expression of one’s permanent condition of being unreal to oneself. #RandolphHarris 13 of 19
To understand such a state, we must realize that a veil of unreality shrouding the inner World is bound to extended to be extended to the outer. A patient recently epitomized the whole situation by saying: “If it were not reality, I would be quite all right.” Finally, although the idealized image is created to remove the basic conflict and in a limited way succeeds in doing so, it generates at the same time a new rift in the personality almost more dangerous than the original one. Roughly speaking, a person builds up an idealized image of oneself because one cannot tolerate oneself as one actually is. The image apparently counteracts this calamity; but having placed oneself on a pedestal, one can tolerate one’s real self still less and starts to rage against it, to despise oneself and to chafe under the yoke of one’s own unattainable demands upon oneself. One wavers then between self-adoration and self-contempt, between one’s idealized image and one’s despised image, with no solid middle ground to fall back on. While understanding that confession should happen spontaneously, our discipline of devotion ought to involve systematic confession as well. First, we must confess what we are, the ontological reality that we are truly sinners. Romans 3.9-20 is the text I have found most helpful on this point, for it repeatedly affirms that we are sinners—that, in fact, our entire being is tainted with evil. #RandolphHarris 14 of 19
It is most important that we regularly make this confession that we are sinners because, as regenerate people who are making some progress in spiritual growth, it is sinfully natural to falsely suppose we are rising above our condition—a delusion which testifies to our very depravity. Second, we must confess our specific sins. I would suggest making a list of our sins, for the act of writing them out helps materialize this personal reality for us. We must lay before God what is in us, not what ought to be within us. This done, we should confess each sin by its ugly name, and then thank God for His forgiveness through the blood of His Son. The importance of confession for the devotional life cannot be overstated. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened,” reports Psalm 66.18; cf. Proverbs 28.13. Unconfessed sin makes the Heavens seem like brass. However, confession not only opens the Heavens, it also enhances out intimacy with God. Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart to a dear friend. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subjects of conversation; they do not weigh their words, because there is nothing to be kept back. Neither do they seek for something to say; they talk out of the abundance of their heart—without consideration, just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God. #RandolphHarris 15 of 19
The vision that underlies spiritual transformation into Christlikeness is, then, the vision of life now and forever in the range of God’s effective will—that is, partaking of divine nature (2 Peter 1.4; 1 John 3.1-2) through a birth “from above” and participating by our actions in what God is doing now in our lifetime on Earth. Thus, “whatever we do, speaking or acting, doing all on behalf of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father,” reports Colossians 3.17. In everything we are permitted to do His work. What we are aiming for in his vision is to live fully in the kingdom of God and as fully as possible now and here, not just hereafter. This is a vision of life that cannot come to us naturally, though the human soul-depths automatically cry out for something like it; and from time to time our deepest thinkers, visionaries, and artists capture aspects of it. It is a vision that has to be given to humanity by God Himself, in a revelation suited to our condition. We cannot clearly see it on our own. And that revelation has been given through His covenant people on Earth with the fullest flowering of the covenant people being Jesus Himself. Jesus was prepared for through centuries of rich and productive—though often painful—experience and thought among the people; through him people have fulfilled their God-given responsibility and blessing of being a light to all the peoples of the Earth. #RandolphHarris 16 of 19
Through God, indeed, all the nations of the Earth are and continue to be blessed and will be even more blessed in the future. “It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption,” reports 1 Corinthians 1.30. In other words, it is God Himself who chose us to be in Christ. However, the truth I want to call attention to in the passage is that Christ Jesus has become our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. That Christ is our righteousness is an accepted and well-understood truth and the basis for our justification. However, Christ is also our holiness. This fact is not as well understood. All Christians look to Christ alone for their justification, but not nearly as many also look to Him for their perfect holiness before God. The blessed truth, though, is that all believers are sanctified in Christ, even as we are justified in Christ. In ourselves, apart from Christ, we are both guilty and filthy. We are guilty of breaking God’s law, and we are filthy in God’s sight because of the vie, polluting effects of sin. We need both forgiveness from our guilt and cleansing from our filth. Through justification we are forgiven and are declared righteous in the courtroom of God’s justice. Through the perfect holiness we have in Christ, our moral filth is removed, and we become fit to enter the very presence of an infinitely holy God and enjoy fellowship with Him. #RandolphHarris 17 of 19
Let us face the fact, acknowledging human’s limitations, and cease bluffing ourselves or permitting ourselves to be bluffed by the self-styled Masters is the only way to our salvation. “And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod. And it came to pass as they smote us with a rob, behold, an Angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands. And after the Angel had spoken to unto us, he departed. And after the Angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?” reports 1 Nephi 3.28-31. O God, Who hast willed that the gate of mercy should stand open to the faithful; look on us, and have mercy upon us; that we who by Thy grace are following the path of Thy will, may never turn aside from the ways of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. #RandolphHarris 18 of 19
Merciful Lord, pardon all my sins of this day, week, year, all the sins of my life, sins of early, middle, and advanced years, of omission and commission, of morose, peevish and angry tempers, of lip, life and walk, of hard-heartedness, unbelief, presumption, pride, of unfaithfulness to the souls of humans, of want of bold decision in the cause of Christ, of deficiency in outspoken seal for His glory, of brining dishonor upon Thy great name, of deception, injustice, untruthfulness in my dealings with others, of impurity in thought, word and deed, of covetousness, which is idolatry, of substance unduly hoarded, improvidently squandered, not consecrated to the glory of thee, the great giver; sins in private and in the family, in study and recreation, in the busy haunts of humans, in the study of Thy word and in the neglect of it, in prayer irreverently offered and coldly withheld, in time misspent, in yielding to Satan’s wiles, in opening my heart to his temptations, in being unwatchful when I know Him nigh in quenching the Holy Spirit; sins against light and knowledge, against conscience and the restraints of Thy Spirit, against the law of eternal love. Pardon all my sins, known and unknown, felt and unfelt, confessed and not confessed, remembered or forgotten. Good Lord, hear; and hearing, forgive. #RandolphHarris 19 of 19
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Brighton Station at Cresleigh Ranch | Residence 3
BrightonStation Residence 3 is gorgeous, spacious, and your next home! This home has three different elevations and is 2,757 square feet. 😉 We especially love the open floor plan allowing for easy entertaining. 🙌 What’s your favorite feature? Comment below!
Sales offices are open by appointment only, but model homes are available for viewing. Head to our website to find contact info for each community. Link in bio! https://youtu.be/yQTnZ0oO2OE