Jesus' life hacks

Who is Jesus to Unitarian Universalists? Most UUs don't consider Him God anymore than anyone else.

Years ago the National Council of Churches expelled Unitarian Universalism deciding that it is not a "Christian church."

I was talking to a woman one time about UU and she said, "Is UU trinitarian?" Fancy word and I knew what she meant so I said, "No." She huffed, rolled her eyes in a dismissive way, and walked off.

Jesus asked His apostles, "Who do you say that I am?"

After two millennia people are still asking that question of one another.

What do you say? Who is Jesus to you?

It is written in A Course In Miracles, "The name Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol. But it stands for love that is not of this world." MT-23:4:1-2

That's works for me although I would capitalize love, as Love because Jesus tells us "The Father and I are One."

The same thing is true for each one of us, the Father and We are One, except that most of us aren't aware of it and so don't experience it on a consistent basis.

It is written in the introduction to A Course In Miracles, "The course does not aim at the teaching of the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance."

A life time, well spent, is consciously working to remove the blocks to the awareness of Love's presence. Jesus came along two thousand years ago and gave us some tips, what now days are called, life hacks.

Jesus told us that the way to the kingdom is "to love as I have loved."

Okay, I get it. Jesus is a coach, a consultant, a teacher, a mentor. I have learned a lot from Him and continue to every day. If you want the Cliff Notes version of Jesus' life hacks read the Sermon on the Mount for starters.

Heaven is born

Unitarian Universalists' seven principles help them navigate the path of the ego and the path of the spirit and yet they kind of miss the point.

The compass the principles attempt to provide sometimes leads people astray because the compass points to a path that takes them askew.

What is the function of a person on the spiritual path? It is to join with others in forgiveness and Love.

We can't do this half way. We can't do this for some and not for others. It is an all or nothing deal. Either we are one with the All or we are not. Either we see the Divine spark in all people or we don't.

On the path of the ego it is difficult sometimes to see the Divine spark in all people, and yet, our faith tells us it is there if we are on the path of the spirit.

The path of the spirit asks that we walk with Love. Jesus is very clear about this for He tells us that the way to the kingdom is to "Love as I have loved."

We hesitate, though, thinking that some people are deserving of love and forgiveness and other people aren't. Or some people are deserving under certain conditions but not under other conditions. We act as if we are prosecutor, judge, and jury.

In our judgment we have lost our way. We have forgotten that the bull shit on the path of the ego isn't real in the spiritual world. The bull shit is stuff we humans have made up and promulgated and performed.

As we enter onto the walk with Love on the spiritual path we laugh and say, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do," and we extend our love and forgiveness to the Divine in everyone and heaven is born.

UU A Way Of Life podcast, episode 8 - third milestone on the walk with Love is a nonjudgmental attitude.

The UU Away Of Life podcast is available on Itunes and most other podcast distributors.

Heaven or hell is based on the things in your heart

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Where is this truth and meaning to be found? In the last analysis, it is to be found in one's own heart.

It is written in A Course In Miracles in the Manual For Teachers, "Let us not forget, however, that words are but symbols of symbols. They are thus twice removed from reality." MT-21.1:9

The word is a symbol denoting a thing or an idea and, according to the course, the thing or the idea is a symbol of our interpretation and meaning making which the Course teaches is not real but an interpretation we have made up.

We see a chair and say to ourselves, "A chair is ______________." This is a meaning we have made up having been stimulated by the sensory perception of the chair.

The Course teaches that what we are after is an experience. The Course teaches that God is not interested in our words, God is interested in our experience. The Course teaches that prayers with words mean nothing to God, because God knows nothing of words. Words are things humans have made up during the separation and to maintain the separation. God cares nothing for words but only what is in our hearts.

It is written in A Course In Miracles in the Manual For Teachers, "The prayer of the heart does not really ask for concrete things. It always requests some kind of experience, the specific things asked for being the bringers of the desired experience in the opinion of the asker. The words, then, are symbols for the things asked for, but the things themselves but stand for the experiences that are hoped for." MT-21.2:4-6

The question becomes, then, what is in our heart? What are the things hoped for? What is in our heart and the things hoped for, are the basis of our religious experience which can be either heaven or hell.

Peace comes from surrendering to the Love of the Divine

Most Unitarian Universalists have control issues. They have been called heretics and rebels because they don't like authority. UUs want to be the boss of themselves and don't like clerical authority of any kind. Consequently, UUs have difficulty finding the peace that is not of this world because they find it difficult to surrender, to give up control.

What is the peace that is not of this world? What is the peace that goes beyond all understanding?

This peace comes from the awareness that nothing real can be threatened and die.

It follows that nothing unreal exists.

This understanding, my friends, is the peace of God which is beyond all understanding and is not of this world, meaning not on the path of the ego.

The basic doctrine of Buddhism is based on the idea of anica or impermanence. The only thing unchanging on the path of the ego is that all things change, and change continually. In physics this is called the law of entropy.

Buddhism teaches that attachment causes suffering because we will lose on the path of the ego whatever we become attached to.

This suffering is the opposite of the peace we seek.

If all things on the path of the ego change and bring us suffering if we become attached to them, where then does peace abide?

Peace abides in the Love of God. This peace is manifested in Loving Kindness which flows from forgiveness and gratitude.

So if you would have peace that is not of this world, forgive yourself and others who cling to the path of the ego, and encourage yourself and others to surrender themselves to the Love of the Divine.

My kind of church music - Are you on the love train?

It's all good

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.

What is justice?

Justice is truth. The truth is that we are all one, not separate.

This idea of oneness is hard for dualistic minds to comprehend. Our understanding on the path of the ego is based on dichotomies, comparisons, perception of differences, the reduction of wholes into component parts, separations.

We have been told, however, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and it is in this awareness that truth and justice arise.

Justice requires the giving up of comparisons and dichotomies: this is good, that is bad; this is sweet, that is sour; this is high, that is low; this is thin, that is fat; this is right, that is wrong, etc.

As is said in some circles, "It's all good."

Saying this is an awareness on the spiritual path. This is not a statement that makes sense on the path of the ego.

On the path of the spirit, it is all good, true, and just.