By: Jeremy R. Rutherford
Everything casts a shadow except that which is surrounded by the light. Within the light, no darkness can pervade, from the smallest matchflame to the brightest lightbulb. Surround yourself with the light and the darkness must yeild. So as it is with positive and negative energy. Though the negative may be great, the smallest spark of positive can throw it back. With faith such as this, you can move mountains.
If I were to tell you where this stuff comes from, it would make you think I was crazy, so I don't. All I am going to state is that we are all vessels if we open ourselves to the Light and allow it to speak the truth. I have been told to put this out there, so I will not deny that small, still voice that stirs within me.
This is about something I read yesterday. Someone stated it was 'their duty to tell someone that they are wrong.' I understand that in the particular society we live in, it is popular and majoritavely "right" to seek reasons for the things that we do. That is all well and good. We should always know the whys that lie behind our whats. This allows us to be true unto ourselves. However, the fallacy behind this is that finding the reasons does not allow us to see the why, because collectively, we are taught the "way to blame."
It is comfortable and easy to lay blame. It is comfortable and easy to walk that road. It is comfortable and easy to throw out responsibility. However, the fact is, we have Free Will. The fact is, regardless of the situation, choice always exists. The fact is, regardless of circumstance or environment, that choice always has to be made by the individual, unless they are incapable and someone else is required to make that choice by proxy.
The fact also remains that no matter where we are, the path to it can be traced back to a series of choices that we made which led us up to our current place and situation in life. The shoulder to carry our responsibility and consequence for choices lies ultimately upon ourselves, not someone else. Choice is always there and truthfully cannot be blamed upon situation, substance or exterior personell. Wake up call, while the devil may be in the details, the devil did not make you do it.
It is not your duty to tell someone that they are wrong. It is their duty to already know. It is not your duty to take away someone else's responsibility, it is their duty to recognize, shoulder and carry it, along with the consequences attached to it. It is your duty to try to gain understanding of your fellow human being and help them on their path/ journey.
Don't enable the mentality of assistive responsibility, rather help your fellow man without condition, for their path is theirs alone to walk and direct. One cannot learn from mistakes if they are taught that the mistake they are making will always be called out by someone else or allowed to be blamed on an exterior force.
Like it or not, Free Will lies in the soul of every human being and they alone are responsible for how they use it. In effect, they need to learn that they are "wrong" on their own. Someone else telling them so is just an opinionated crutch. While we are not islands, we still must each, stand on our own when it comes to choices and laying blame is not an answer to consequence.
The man in the alley robbing people from the shadows knows before he commits the act that he is violating other people, there isn't a reason in the world that can justify the fact that he is doing anything other than what he has chosen to do.
Religion 1 to Religion 2: You are wrong in your beliefs.
Religion 2 to Religion 1: You are wrong in your beliefs.
The question is, if both are placing their beliefs in a faith that has intangible subscripts, how do either know if the other is right or wrong?
The answer is....Let it be and focus on your own faith/ lack thereof/ ethical code, and allow people the ability to have subjective, personalized beliefs. The beam in your neighbor's eye belongs to you, not them. You might have quite a bit fewer useless, desperate arguments with inconsequential results by doing so. The literal reality is, no one concretely, objectively knows because faith and belief are purely subjective. (BTW, harming another person or persons in any manner is a human crime. It has nothing to do with religion, faith or beleif.)
Take the moment, whatever it might be, right now. Close your eyes and quiet your mind, clear it and focus till you can see a single bright spot in your mind. Now, breathe deeply, reading without your sight what you can smell, feel the air passing through you, cherishing the fact that you can breathe..taste the moment in silence and then exhale slowly. Keeping your eyes closed, listen to the moment that you are in, observing every nuance of sound, there, letting the world around you talk for a few seconds. Using your hand, still with eyes closed, reach out and feel something near you, tracing out the detail. Now, open your eyes and simply observe the beauty of whatever moment you are in with all your senses. Then find the positive aspects of this moment and record them in someway. They are always present. If you can, find joy in the fact that you get to experience another one in just a few seconds...life isn't just about what happens, it is about how you choose to observe it.
Through all of life's storms, physical or otherwise, one of the things that has always helped me to remain calm is this little acronym. Remember J.O.T.S. (Jesus On The Ship) I was told to share this again. Hope it helps in your day, somehow.
