The greatest gift for our heart

Someone said:

"The greatest gift you can give your self is a safe place for your heart to be and to heal.
Whatever that looks like to you.
A safe place where you can be fully you, where there is full unconditional love, and absolutely no judgement.
It's the greatest gift.
It truly is."

I agree it is the greatest gift as it enables us to live loved and function at our optimal level as a unique and authentic expression of our true self. It reminds me of the 2013 daily affirmations, in that we see ourselves in Peace, harmony, love and joy, and as we continue to connect with people of kindred spirit and place ourselves in conducive environments that nurture our spirit, we will keep growing, evolving and transforming from glory to glory. So, finding that safe place for our heart is to keep ourselves in such conducive environments. This is a timeless reminder for me as well.

The biggest embrace of love

"The biggest embrace of love you'll ever make is to embrace yourself completely. Then you'll realize you've just embraced the whole universe, and everything and everybody in it." —Adyashanti (((Hugs)))

Yes, to embrace ourselves is to embrace the whole universe because the universe is in us and we are the universe. All love is self-love, as you have shared before.

Whitney Houston's song "The greatest love of all" came to mind:

"I found the greatest love of all 

Inside of me 

The greatest love of all 

Is easy to achieve 

Learning to love yourself

It is the greatest love of all"

I also like a similar message in this article: 

"And when we nurture ourselves, the ripples really do pulsate outwards.

Love yourself, exactly as you are, right now…

This is the most divine gift you can give yourself.

It is also the most powerful gift you can give to the world.

By loving YOU, you send out a message of unconditional love to all sentient beings."

Angry preaching comes from angry preachers

 "Angry preaching comes from angry preachers. If you attend a church where the preacher fusses and fumes and yells at the congregation you should consider leaving it because you the listener are not being respected. No one should be yelled at. Respect yourself and your family enough to not subject yourself to it.

If you want to snuff out the flame in someone's heart, tell them what the Bible says about their mistake. Tell them "I told you so!" Tell them how God hates what they did. And when you're done you will have taken what little spark of a life there was left and turned it into a smoldering ember nearly extinguished" Scott Livengood

Judgment and condemnation always kill life whereas understanding and compassion will always nurse life back to health.
~ Skip Newby

 "A preacher can be disrespectful without yelling too. Those are the sneaky ones".EDK

I  agree with Scott Livengood, Skip Newby and EDK - angry and/or disrespectful preachers are to be kept at a distance for the sake of our peace and dignity, so that we are not subject to their abuse. We would rather be where there is gentleness and compassion instead of judgment and condemnation. The letter (literal interpretation of scripture and law of telling people do's and don'ts)
kills and condemns, but the Spirit (symbolism and unconditional love and grace of unveiling our true identity of beauty and perfection) gives life and builds people up. May we continue to follow the
unforced rhythm of grace and rest in the kingdom of heaven within,  even as we love the religious people from afar.

 For myself I can say, that if there is a God, and he is such a being as [the Universalist] describes, I can bow before him and give him all my heart. He says God is love, made the world in love, and in perfect wisdom, and well adapted to serve the divine purpose.

He then made a family, all of them have sinned, and some of them have fallen very low, but God is determined, according to [the Univers alist], to stand by His family, every one of them, let come what will come, till he makes all of them respectable.

This standing by His family, as every true Father ought to do, is what I like in [the Universalist's] idea of God. But if there is a God, and he has created a family and will at last turn against most of them, and in burning wrath cast them into Hell forever, as [traditional Christianity] describes, I should hate him—he is not as good as I am, for I propose to stand by my family and every member of it for as long as I live. It is an insult to ask me to love and worship a God who is guilty of doing what we would detest in an earthly father. –Robert Ingersoll

 Yes, like what Robert Ingersoll said, a loving God (according to universalists) is a true Father who loves his family unconditionally and stands by them come what may, and is worthy of our worship and admiration. But a vengeful god (according to traditional christianity) who consigns most of his family to eternal torture is not worthy of our attention and respect - I would say that kind of god is only a mental projection of the human ego or shadow.

We know that Jesus came to reveal who the true Father is, for we who has seen him has seen the Father - one who is kind, gracious and compassionate. We also understand that those who hold on to the idea of a mean, vengeful god are also mean and condemning to others because that is their worldview that causes them to behave that way. Hence, Jesus had prayed for the Father to forgive such people, for they knew not what they were doing, for indeed in their unconscious state, they did not know what they were doing. They probably didn't know how much harm they caused when
they quoted bible verses to judge or condemn people because they thought they were serving god, when actually they were serving their ego. (Paul used to persecute others thinking he was serving god, until he encountered the grace of Christ.) As for us, we will continue to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves when dealing with religious people,

Nuggets of encouragement (October 2010 archive)

"Much more we who receive abundance of grace (free divine favour) and the gift of righteousness (our true identity as Love and Innocence) will reign in life through Jesus Christ."

"The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not be in want. He wants us lie down in green pastures. He leads beside still, quiet waters. He restores our soul. He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Surely goodness and love shall chase us all the days of our life. And we will dwell in the house of the Lord (in our higher consciousness) forever."

"The way God corrects people is to give them revelations of Jesus (being their true identity), not condemning them but lifting them up."

"We are transformed when Jesus (the law) is read and we see His glory (grace and mercy reflected in us) unveiled in the Scriptures."

"You can pray for anything (to your highest Self), and if you can believe that you've received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:24 God has made us victorious."

"When we know and receive the riches of Christ (the truth of who we are), we will experience and manifest the fullness of God as a corporate body of Christ (the whole Universe)."

"Broaden your horizons. Set your sights higher."

"People who are not under law (performance-based system) live long because they are not sin-conscious (or lack-conscious). Stay under grace."

"The blessing of the Lord makes us rich and He adds no sorrow or painful toil to it."

"The glory of Jesus (the personification of Love, whom we all are) is to overlook a transgression (and seeing only our own perfection and beauty)."

"Arise, shine, for our light has come." :) (We are the Light!)

"I love my Master, my wife and my children. I will not go out free. I shall serve my Master (our true Self - our divine Oneness) forever."

"Life is precious. Use time and money to love people."

"Use our words to create a bright future."

"Truth spoken with grace makes people feel warm and accepted (because truth is always about unconditional love who believes the best of us)."

"Thank You Abba You have gone ahead of us to prepare each day, and it is a blessed day." :)

Thank You Lord Jesus (our true Self) You daily load us with benefits."

"When we are physically and mentally rested, the promptings of the Spirit become sharper."

"He (our old Adamic identity) was chastised for our peace. He (our true identity) established us in the new covenant of peace. When we believe this, we shall be led forth with peace." (Isaiah 53-55)

"People may not remember what we say, but they will remember how we make them feel welcomed and loved. Kind actions out of the overflow of Love speak volumes." (Luke 7 and John 12)

"Some things are universal, for example, meditation, sowing and reaping. But lasting peace and grace and agape love and rest for the conscience and completeness is found only in Jesus (Christ), our true identity."

Our heavenly Father gives us power to get wealth, that HE may establish His covenant of grace."

If spirituality be your food of love, pray on

Indian nasi briyani, anyone? :)

Many of us who used to be in the grace-universalist-preterist-progressive Christianity circles have embarked on our own spiritual journey that goes beyond the confines of mainstream Christianity. For example, a Facebook friend who used to consider herself an evangelical Christian fundamentalist has embraced a kind of Hindu mysticism, though according to her, her current belief system is not affiliated to any particular branch of Christianity or ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness).

It is good to see people embarking on different spiritual journeys to discover God for ourselves in our own ways. I've come to see the various religions or belief systems as merely a stepping stone - a finger pointing to the moon - and then, we are off on our own in search for the truth within our heart.

I think a revelation of grace and an understanding of our oneness of God is essential so that in the process of exploring other belief systems, we continue to guard our heart against anything that might be legalistic or propagate a sense of separation from God. Life is a more colourful and exciting adventure when we revel in our freedom to discover our true Self in various paths - after all, we know God/Unconditional Love transcends boundaries, and no one belief system has a monopoly on God/Love.

Love is perhaps so vast and multifaceted, that it takes a multitude of belief systems and philosophies to express its infinite varieties of colours and music. Our search and experience in life and spirituality will be personal and meaningful, and our communion with others will be interesting as we learn from one another's insights and experiences. It's like eating from a huge buffet, and yet having our own customised diet best suited for our needs at the same time.

I borrowed the above analogy of food and spirituality/religion from Thich Nhat Hanh's book "Living Buddha, Living Christ" where he wrote "To me, religious life is life. I do not see any reason to spend one's whole life tasting just one kind of fruit. We human beings can be nourished by the best values of many traditions."

Nuggets of encouragement (September 2010)

 
Jesus (our true identity) is the radiance of God's glory, the perfect expression of His grace, truth and love.

Marriage is about we, us and ourselves and Jesus (our true self and origin) in our midst. :)

It is the goodness and kindness of God (our highest self) that leads us to repentance (changing and renewing of mindset) - He (the divine) is ever blessing us. Keep expecting His goodness and grace!

Believe the best in people - don't focus on faults. Let God (the divine universal love) change us as we focus on loving and building up with grace.

Every step of the way, whatever we are doing, we praise the Lord (our true self), for He is GOOD and His love endures forever.

Preach the Word - Jesus and His finished work (ascension with all of us in higher consciousness of love and unity) - in season and out of season.

God (our highest self) has chosen the weak (as appeared in the natural) to confound the mighty (seeming illusion).

Keep appreciating what we do have because we have everything we need - we are complete and powerful. :)

Every step of the way, our heavenly Father (Unconditional Love) loves us and thinks good thoughts towards us.

Every breath we take, God's lovingkindness and tender mercies surround us and embrace us.

We are whole, complete, blessed!

Take time to meditate and feed on the love of Christ (our true identity and origin) who reconciles the universe (You-niverse) to our true self.

In Christ (Love), we live and move and have our being.

Keep expecting good things to happen because we are one with Christ and co-heirs with Him.

Our God (highest self, Unconditional Love, Universe) shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (our true identity).

Luke 12:5 Perfect love that casts out fear

Someone asked, "How do you get a message of unconditional love from a figure who repeatedly said things like, "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you in hell?" (Luke 12:5)

Has it occurred to us that Jesus wasn't referring to God or our heavenly Father in the above speech? Jesus Himself spoke of the "thief" who came to steal, kill and destroy. He spoke about Satan, who is a murderer from the beginning. Who is the murderer? Who is the thief? Who is the one who kills?

I believe Jesus was referring to Satan, who is not actually the personal devil, but that part of our conscience that accuses or condemns us. In the old testament, the devil actually was the manifestation of Yahweh, who is a figment of imagination of those who had a separation mindset.


So what was Jesus saying in the above context? I believe He was exhorting His disciples not to fear the Pharisees who might seek to kill them for spreading the good news of how good and loving our Father in heaven is. He told them to fear the enemy instead - the evil conscience who sought to kill by condemning them if they don't believe they are righteous and blameless - that took place in AD70 when the "condemnation of hell (gehenna)" was in the minds of those who had not believed the good news that they were already one with God.


Jesus went on to reassure the disciples that our heavenly Father - the true God - takes care of the sparrows, and we are of more value than the sparrows. Therefore, He can protect us from the murderer (Satan) as well as from the Pharisees. That, to me, speaks more sense about God's unconditional love - love keeps no records of wrongs, and love does not kill anyone! Love heals! Love protects!

In a nutshell, Satan kills but Jesus saves, heals, protects, and gives life. Satan (accuser of the brethren) is a life-taker and condemner, but our heavenly Father is a life-giver and justifier.


Jesus is the perfect manifestation of God. Jesus always tells people not to be afraid of Him. His love is the perfect love that casts out fear.

Grace versus Death Penalty

Someone recently wrote in a post in Facebook: "How can someone claim to be a grace preacher and still be in favor of the death penalty? It's a total contradiction. I believe it's time to make this very clear. If we preach grace, then we need to be consistent. Grace & death are poles apart. Grace and love will always protect, even if it means to distance oneself from the perpetrator or protect what is precious to us. Yes, there will be natural consequences to be accountable. South Africa is currently battling with violent crime. Whenever I hear about another rape or farm murder, it is human to be angry and upset. But there is grace for the criminals, even when they have to serve sentence as part of the consequences for their deeds. But there is no grace in an eye for an eye. I have especially targeted my statement to the so-called grace preaching pastors while simultaneously out of the same mouth they speak death. It does not make any sense."

I agree. Grace is not 'an eye for an eye'. Grace is forgiveness. Grace and love keeps no records of wrongs.

Grace and justice are perfectly compatible because justice is not law or legalism, nor is it about punishment or eternal torture. Justice is setting people free from the law and from condemnation. That's true justice.

Grace changes people from the inside out. Judgment or condemnation doesn't change anyone. It only inflicts guilt and creates more trouble in the society.

There are natural consequences for every action. People can learn from their own mistakes. No one will grow up if they are placed under do's and don'ts, or live under threats of punishment, such as the death penalty.

Grace teaches people to learn to take responsibility for their actions and not depend on outward laws. Under grace, all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial. People will learn to love their neighbour and do things that are beneficial because love does no harm to a neighbour.

Grace is also wisdom. Grace means taking measures to keep a distance from those who are abusive, so as to ensure one's own safety. Grace rules, not death penalty.

Those who receive ABUNDANCE of grace and gift of righteousness (or innocence) will reign in life over sin (or ignorance of God's love and of our true identity in Christ) and death (or condemnation).  

Thoughts on Troy Davis' case

I also agree with Troy Davis' view that true justice is about setting the innocent free from an unfair system. Even if a person has been guilty of a crime, the death penalty is not appropriate since it is equivalent to murder. At the most, imprisonment would prevent the person from carrying out further harm, and at the same time the person will have time to reflect and meditate on one's actions. Everyone deserves a second chance. Law and punishment never transform anyone, but only inflicts guilt and shame, which perpetuate problems in the society. I believe grace is the answer, for unconditional love transforms the heart. Hopefully, with the awareness of Troy Davis' case and his supporters' efforts, the death penalty can be removed from the judicial system one day.

Thoughts on commentary by Kevin Powell - "Troy Davis did not die"

I just read a heart-felt commentary by Kevin Powell, a fellow black man who is an activist, writer and public speaker based in New York. His writing resounded with me, especially the final part of his article, as he is also against death penalty. Like him, as much as I am aghast by the failure of justice in Georgia, I too believe Troy's death is not in vain but has created awareness in the world about the urgent need for reform in America's judicial system and change in people's mindset to overlook differences in skin colour. Love and justice shall prevail as we participate together in the movement with his supporters to end death penalty.

The issue of human dignity

It is about the value of human life, therefore death penalty in any form, whether lethal injection or other methods, can never be justified. I remember reading a news article recently which said that just by causing the person to wait for the lethal injection to be ministered would likely to have caused some psychological trauma. I once watched a movie "Dead Man Walking", which shows the actor Sean Penn who played the role of the condemned experiencing great fear and stress at the thought of dying before the execution. Death penalty is cruel and should be abolished for the sake of human dignity.

Update (24 October 2012)

I've been through my own seasons of disillusionment and cynicism about the lack of action and responsibility by the authorities to do something about the state of the world, and I am finding my own way to see what can be done. It is not easy to find hope, though I do see some small progress, such as the recent move by the local government to revise laws on death penalty, for example. It's thanks to my best friend's sharing with me about Troy Davis' case last year that I was eventually inspired to write to the national newspaper forum to abolish death penalty, and I believe this, together with other collective efforts by other activists, have helped make some positive changes in the laws.

Hopelessness Leads to New Hope

I think hopelessness is part of the journey when we realise that the past religious notions about God that we have been fed by the institutional church systems are no longer valid or true. I agree with the view that by removing God (which would refer to the religious kind of God that is controlling and petty) gives us the ability to live life, and there is a lot of hope found in life. The analogy of death and resurrection came to mind - for every death, there will be a resurrection. In this case, I think hopelessness is a form of death when people realise that the popular view of God of the Bible turns out to be false or unable to be proven. But through that death, people will then be free from religion, and experience a resurrection of hope, when they realise that the illusionary kind of god with its mythical threats of hell and wrath can no longer bind them with fear and condemnation, and they can live their life freely, lightly and boldly, enjoying friendship, intelligence, rationality, nature, physics, beauty, even things like suffering and tears, which make up the richness and diversity of all that life is.

Similarly, I remember learning about the story of the two disciples who were walking to Emmaus and they met Jesus after His resurrection. Initially, they didn't recognise Him - they were dejected when news spread about Jesus who died like any other man, and it seems like "God" has failed to prove himself. Like them, we experience that hopelessness, when we don't know what to believe anymore, when nothing seems to prove that God exists. It can be a difficult thing to accept. But as the story goes, when the disciples' eyes were later open (spiritually), they realised who Jesus was, and He disappeared. In the same way, I believe through that hopelessness and removal of the religious god concept from our consciousness, we are ripe for understanding God in a new way - one that is not known literally or by the senses, but is known intuitively, subjectively, esoterically.

The author of the book "Conscious Love - Insights from Mystical Christianity" wrote in the Introduction:

"According to esoteric teaching, many of the ideas expressed in Christianity are not and were never meant to be taken as literal truths but refer to states of consciousness 'further in' ourselves. Even the story of Christ is not to be taken at face value; rather it symbolises our own predicament and destiny as humans. The God-man is born on earth; he lives and works and plays his part on the stage of history. He is crucified in wretchness and humiliation on a cross known as time and space. Ultimately, however, it does not matter. He is resurrected in a higher, purer form because what is truly real in him can never die; it can only be transformed.

This is the story of Christ. It is our story as well. Intuitively we know it to be so, and it is a fact, rather than the endless proselytising and self-aggrandisement of the faith's innumerable sects and denominations, that I believe most truly accounts for the enormous success of Christianity around the world. If we have some more conscious glimpse of this truth - and probably we will never have more than glimpses - we will not only know ourselves better but be able to love better. This is the central idea that I hope to explore in this work."

Yea, I think any worthy fruit of any spiritual study, whether of books or people's views, or at least from our own experiences, would be unconditional love. At the end of the day, I think it doesn't really matter whether we have all the right answers about God, because there are also people who are illiterate or have never read a sacred book, being born in a village, for example, and who can demonstrate love, kindness and acceptance. If any teaching about God results in a more loving community, in which people live loved and loving others, then I would say well and good - that teaching would sit well with me.

If there is a God, surely He is big enough to handle all our misgivings and doubts, and continue to love us immensely and infinitely