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JAMES' PERSONAL WRITINGS: SLOVING
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4.07.2009

Jesus, King, Gandhi, Romero, Teresa, Eleanor... accepted Start in their Foxhole tonight

My prayer life has been practically nil for months now.  Why?  The final battle for Humanity is so pitched, on so many fronts - Climate Disaster, Democracy, 28 Yr Vigil (dual shifts like Thomas endured all those years), Washington Peace House Integrity, War-De-funding, Connie, Nuclear Arms Reduction, Gaza/Palestine... there has not been time to Pray; just to be a Prayer.  Secondarily, Prayer is NEVER the end, but the means, the means to become the "change we need to be" (Gandhi), to become the "pencil in the hand of God," (Teresa) and my sense is that I've been good enough on these fronts these last months that it was wrong for me to indulge in further Prayer at the expense of using every moment to Wage all out Love at thise most crucial of all years in the History of the world. 

But tonight I couldn't sleep, my body is not yet adjusted to my morning and evening shifts at the 28 Year Vigil, so I had some time for one of my few Prayer techniques - to put myself, to Imagine myself, in the company of Jesus, King, Gandhi, Romero, Teresa, Eleanor, Dellinger, Joan... and to examine their reaction to my being there, for whatever guidance, positive or negative, that this will yield me regarding "how am I doing?"

Well, tonight as I came to them there was no applause, no high-fives, no warm cheers, no warm "Family" embrace... and I want this from them, very much.   But I'm not worthy of this.  Yet.

But they were in the midst of this desperate, to the death, final battle for Humanity.  And they were entirely accepting of me joining them in the fight.   I take this as acceptance enough, for now; affirmation enough, for now.

Remember the final battle of the Lord of the Rings trilogy?  All our (s)heroes are encircled by a totally overwhelming hoard of Evil, remember?  That is the circumstance in which tonight I found Jesus, King, Gandhi, Romero, Teresa, Eleanor....  And their reaction told me that they felt that I belonged along side them in this fight.  I was sufficiently worthy for that. 

This is good.

4.02.2009

Slowing down on posting for a while. Double Shifts at the White House

Troy, who with Connie and me have been maintaining the Vigil is away for several weeks.   Hence my computer time is cut to nil.  I'm sure I'll sneak some time in, but not much.
 

***** A Progressive Budget Alternative

Our budget starts with an ambitious agenda to address the most pressing matters facing America today. We invest $991 billion in non-defense discretionary spending for fiscal year 2010, which is $469 billion over the President's budget.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lynn-woolsey/a-progressive-budget-alte_b_182001.html

Truth is, I "get" Jesus; and currently I've got a powerful pulpit (in front of the White House)

Well, if I don't "get" Jesus it is time to lock me away. 

But I've no shred of a doubt that I do "get" Jesus.  It is just so obvious to me because my understanding of what he taught and how he lived is the perfect-fitting cornerstone integrating seamlessly with all I've studied and learned these many years now in the realms of psychology, literature, cinema, sociology, neuro-biology, religion, philosophy... and PERSONAL MINUTE BY MINUTE LIFE PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE for decades now.  I was a world-class skiier in my youth.  Not so much because others said so, which they did.  But because the Truth said so - the Truth of how my understanding and action interracted with the Mountain and Snow.  Undeniably I had become an Authority.

Last night was not atypical at the White House ( prop1.org ).  A crowd of high school age students from around the country with a group called Close Up came by.  Somewhat uncharacteristically the conversation was turned by them from the topics of nuclear disarmament and climate change that I stressed, to the crosses on my head, and Jesus.  As typically happens one of the students took the role of asking me questions and commenting.  In this case she was from a fundamentalist Christian viewpoint.  Obviously she was honestly concerned / disturbed as my beliefs unfolded before her in our dialog:

*  The man, not some mysticism is what I am inspired by, as was the Hindu Gandhi;
*  Jesus concern was Heaven IN THIS LIFE for us, not some later life.
*  Of course the Bible is fallible - a hazy window at best back through 2000 years and thousands of authors with who knows what agendas.
*  Jesus is the most perfect model we have of Universal Love.
*  Yes we are born with an evil spirit (conditional love), AND the Spirit of Universal Love.
*  Jesus died that he might save us from the evil spirit, and win us for Universal Love.
*  And if there is a Heaven after this life, that's not my business.  My business is to "do unto the least of these (NOT the Lesser of these),"  "lay down my life for my brother," "do unto others ALL that I would have them do unto me"....

My interrogator was not upset, and even was moved somewhat by my views.  But the crowd with her was deeply encouraged by and grateful for the views I shared, as they made an impassioned and aggressive effort to communicate their agreement to me as they were departing.  "Oh, I sssooooo agree with everything you said!"

What did Jesus say about being the "salt;" the "levin?"

A friend I used to have said, "Start, why don't you become a priest?"

I'll settle for Appostle / Disciple,
at the gates of the Global Empire,
at the dicisionpoint for the future of all Humanity.

:-)