In my own life, going deep in the Christian religion of my birth
has enabled me to see the same Spirit and Love in other religions as well.
~ Father Richard Rohr
Religion has, arguably, been the source of much human behavior the opposite of what Jesus Christ taught and lived.
Spirit
We realize many of you reading this are o were religious. Berna and Johnny were raised in Roman Catholic families. Both have now left the faith of their families.… Read more
In Alan Cohen’s long list of great books is one of my all-time favorites, Are You As Happy As Your Dog?
For most of my life, I’ve owned a dog. Or maybe the truth is the dogs owned me.
Dogs, and all animals, can be great teachers for us humans. Even though humans are supposed to be the “superior” species, it’s often the other way around.
Spirit
There’s a dog story—a deeply touching true story—Johnny loves. It’s about Shep, a shepherd dog who lost his master.… Read more
Three weeks ago, we did a post called Graveyards. It generated some interesting thoughts and comments, on and off our website. So this week, we’re revisiting the subject.
Spirit
A few nights ago, Johnny had a vivid dream. When morning came, he recalled it in detail.
In the dream, he was speaking with a young woman he knew who had died a few days earlier.
Linda (not her real name) felt lost and alone. So Johnny was helping her get adjusted to her new life beyond the physical world.… Read more
Celine Halioua is the young founder of a company called Loyal. Her life’s mission is to help dogs live longer lives. If you’re a dog lover (as I am) you know your loyal loving dog’s life is likely far shorter than yours.
Today, there is evidence indicating it’s possible to slow down the aging process in animals, including humans.
You may have heard of Methusela, the legendary biblical figure who reportedly lived 969 years. His age cannot be proved, but his story is intriguing.… Read more
We’ve talked about euthanasia a few times over the years. Since all physical life ends in death, euthanasia is a near-constant subject of interest. And a subject of conflict.
A few days ago, there was an article about Helen, the world’s second-oldest gorilla. She was very popular with her keepers and the public.
But she had to be euthanized a few weeks ago because her health was declining. She was 64, far beyond the typical female gorilla life expectancy of 39 years.… Read more
When my son was growing up, he and I loved to visit graveyards. Through the years, we visited many. They ranged from the United States Civil War battlefields, to those of the American Old West, and those of our Italian immigrant family.
As we strolled among the gravestones, reading them as we walked, we often felt a deep sense of peace. It may seem ironic, but these scenes of death brought us feelings of healing and comfort.
What you feel when you visit graveyards is a piercing of the veil between life and death, between the physical and the spiritual.… Read more
A couple weeks ago, Berna and I visited some of her family. They have a 4-year-old son. The family had just returned from a vacation at one of the Dutch islands. To reach the islands from the Dutch mainland, they had to take a car ferry boat.
As the 4-year old was showing his toys to Berna, he said to her, “You were there too.” She told him she had not been on the boat with them. But, he countered, she had been there with them.… Read more
Alan Cohen tells an interesting story about the Burning Man festival. It seems an unidentified man went around to various people, all strangers to him, and said “It’s not your fault.” He said nothing else to them, just those 4 words.
The people’s reactions were amazing, ranging from joyful laughter to bursting into tears. So what happened?
Spirit
What happened at the Burning Man festival was a perfect example of what we consider the major problem facing humanity today.
The problem is simply this: You have forgotten who you are.… Read more
Humans have been searching for happiness forever. Yet, for many, it seems an impossible dream.
Spirit says happiness is our birthright. And, they say, it’s as simple as choosing to be happy. But is it really that simple?
John Kitchin M.D. thinks it is. He might just have the real secret to a long life of happiness and peace: Do what you want to.
Dr. John has created a short movie on the subject. It’s a bit longer than the videos we typically use in our weekly posts.… Read more
Roman Catholic Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan recently said “…there is only one true religion, which is the Catholic Church founded by God himself.”
Berna and I grew up in Roman Catholic families, although we are no longer Catholic. So we’re keenly aware of the Roman church’s sometimes–controversial opinions.
Did God really start Catholicism, as Bishop Schneider says? Did God prohibit folks going to heaven if they were not Catholic? Would you go to hell if you even walked into a Protestant church?… Read more
Depending on your spiritual/religious beliefs (or lack of them), our title today could have radically different meanings for different folks.
Below is a recent, slightly edited conversation between Spirit and Berna. She had asked Spirit for clarification of the terms “conscious being,” “sentient being,” and “souled being.” As Spirit says below, the terms you use don’t matter—it is all God.
Spirit
You and Johnny believe—to put it simply—God is All That Is.
If that’s true, then God is in everything, in all that exists.… Read more
Our title today is an 1839 quotation from 19th-centruy English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
As you’ve probably heard, the legendary writer Salman Rushdie was brutally attacked recently as he was giving a speech.
This dreadful event happened at the famous Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. That happens to be a short distance from my old hometown of Westfield in rural western New York State.
Spirit
As our friend Seth says, “There is never any justification for violence. There is no justification for hatred.… Read more
Arguably, one of humanity’s greatest questions—and greatest fears—is What happens when you die? Does anyone really know? Is there anything to fear?
Spirit
Those are great questions. Are there any good answers? Definitely, yes!
As Johnny said, our title is arguably the most-asked question among humans. So the first thing we want to address today is the myth of death. For there is no death. Most humans move through their lives fearing something that does not even exist!
We realize what you call “death” seems to be a real experience.… Read more
One day many years ago, I was driving to my office in the Washington, DC suburbs. I had stopped at a red traffic light. When it turned green, I started to pull into the intersection. Just then, a car on my right ran through the red light and nearly hit my car.
A bit shaken, I waited a few seconds, and then started through the intersection again, the green light still in my favor. At that moment, a loud, clear voice shouted, “Stop!… Read more
A couple weeks ago, Berna and I went to a concert by the legendary Dutch orchestra leader, Andre Rieu. Because it was in his hometown of Maastricht, Netherlands, it was pretty special and spectacular.
Andre has a gift for making his music a powerfully joyful and fun experience for everyone. And this old world of ours certainly needs more joy and fun! As he says, “My concerts are about joy and love.”
Spirit
If we said you were all meant to experience lives of joy and love, would you believe us?… Read more
In today’s crazy, chaotic world, more and more folks find peace, inner and outer, nearly impossible.
There’s a famous story in the Bible about Jesus calming a raging storm while he and his disciples were at sea. Jesus was sleeping, and his terrified men awoke him. He simply arose and said, “Peace, be still!” A great calm descended over the sea, and all were safe.
Can creating peace be that simple? Merely saying, Peace, be still!?
Spirit
We’ve talked about peace many times over the years.… Read more
Berna and I don’t pay much attention to the mainstream news media. Though we do glance briefly at the headlines so we know what’s going on in today’s world. No doubt, it’s a tough world to navigate these days.
A recent trend that’s caught our attention is using the word “worry” in news headlines. For example, “Should we worry about (fill in the blanks here — viruses, artificial intelligence, polluted water, etc. etc.)?”
As if people didn’t have enough to think about, and now the news media tells you what you should worry about.… Read more
It’s a tough time to be a human on Planet Earth today. So many are feeling lost and broken. Perhaps you’re one of them.
Spirit
You’ve likely heard that tired old cliche, “No one promised you a rose garden.” Many interpret that to mean what one of Johnny’s old friends used to say—“Life’s a bitch, then you die.”
That’s a pretty sad, depressing outlook on life. But it’s the experience of many who feel lost and broken.
So is life on earth meant to be a joyless, tragic, and sad experience?… Read more
One of our favorite quotes from A Course In Miracles is in Lesson 204: I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.
Do you believe those words are literally true? Or are they just a “figure of speech?”
Your bodies are what you might call a “mixed blessing.” The importance you, as humans, place on your bodies is often inappropriate, to put it mildly.
Why do we say this?… Read more
Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu had an interesting philosophy:
Effort and struggle are useless.
That’s just the opposite of Western society’s credo:
Success always depends on hard work and struggle.
So who’s right?
As you know, you all create your own reality. Everything—no exceptions—in your physical human experience is there because you created it and put it there.
We realize that’s a tough one for humans to accept. But take comfort in knowing your higher self, or soul-self if you prefer, can take anything you have manifested (job loss, car accident, divorce, etc.)… Read more
Ancient Chinese philosopher and poet Lao-tzu, author of Tao Te Ching, once said, “When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.”
Spirit
When you are at a place in your life where you do not know which way to turn, what is your usual response?
In our view, the best response is always to do nothing. We’re aware the usual response in Western society is to take action. It doesn’t matter what the action is. Just do something.
Your Western mentality dictates, when faced with challenges, you should do something, anything.… Read more
My first job out of college was as a New York State probation officer in the United States.
Though I loved the work, I was young and had never seen much of life’s dark side. One of my first assignments was supervising a convicted murderer. It was not an assignment I would have willingly chosen.
Over the months, Bill (not his real name) and I got to know each other well. Despite his awful crime, he was a gentle caring man.… Read more
Richard Wagamese was a revered and prolific Canadian indigenous writer. Here’s his definition of God/Creator:
Remember that Creator is the wind on my face, the rain in my hair, the sun that warms me. Creator is the trees, rocks, grasses, the majesty of the sky and the intense mystery of the universe. Creator is the infant who giggles at me…the beggar who reminds me how rich I really am….
Spirit
In your upside-down world today, many humans are confused and lost.… Read more
We realize that might be a crazy-sounding title. Churches don’t go to war. Or do they?
Spirit
When Berna and Johnny were growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, the church defined what it called a “just war.” In other words, war (and all its brutality) was justified under conditions the Church defined.
Many years ago, our friend Seth said “There is never any justification for violence, for hatred, for murder.”
What’s the answer? Is there any single answer?
We will side with Seth.… Read more
In the book series, Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, Baird Spalding talks about meeting a beautiful young woman in his travels through the Himalayan Mountains. He said she appeared to be about 19 or 20 years old. As it turned out, she was well over 100 years old!
How could that be?
Baird goes on to explain the lady’s people were known for their long lives, some as many as 800 or 900 years, as we count time today.… Read more