What Jesus Is | Sept 2002 |
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Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to something and tell me what I am like."
Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a just messenger." Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise philosopher." Thomas said to him, "Teacher, my mouth is utterly unable to say what you are like." Wynn said, "We all see something different: maybe what we need to see, maybe what we're able to see. You are a Rorschach blot of the soul." | Thomas:13, Scholars Translation |
Karma | Sept 2002 |
And he took him, and withdrew, and spoke three sayings to him. When Thomas came back to his friends they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?" Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the sayings he spoke to me, you will pick up rocks and stone me, and fire will come from the rocks and devour you." | Thomas:13, Scholars Translation |
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And then there is that part about judging not to be not judged. I always figured the judging in question was at the Pearly Gates: turn the other cheek so St Peter will ignore some of your indiscretions.
But it is much more dangerous and sinister. By judging... good or bad... rightly or wrongly... I am agreeing with the universe to assume personal responsibility for whatever karma the other person was due. I didn't know this until someone asked me about the person who destroyed the fence across the entire front of our property. She fell asleep at the wheel and didn't wake up until the whole fence was reduced to splinters and kindling. "Aren't you angry," somebody asked. That simple question made me understand: I don't feel anything toward Juanita-the-sleepster. As long as I feel that way and am sincere about it, the universe will go about its duty and impose some kind of self-correction on the driver. If I judge (even though it can't do a bit of good) then I am telling the Universe that I'll deal with it myself. How can I deal with it? I have enough to deal with, for crying out loud. I release Juanita and the universe to sort things out as best they can. There's nothing to forgive, nothing to forget. I mean nothing -- not good, not bad -- for Juanita. Of course, if offered, I would postpone other forms of entertainment to see what the universe has meeted out. I never claimed to be perfect. |