The Way Up The Mountain

In Ancient Hebrew thought, each one of us is considered a pilgrim on a journey.  We have been sent from our Heavenly home, here to this earthly wilderness to experience refinement.  We left with full hopes of returning to our home, however, we did not realize that while we were away, there was the risk that we may forget our native language and the way we must travel to return.

This experience can be taught through a parable from Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov:

A King had an only son, the apple of his eye. The King wanted his son to master different fields of knowledge and to experience various cultures, so he sent him to a far-off country, supplied with a generous quantity of silver and gold. Far away from home, the son squandered all the money until he was left completely destitute. In his distress he resolved to return to his father's house and after much difficulty, he managed to arrive at the gate of the courtyard to his father's palace.

In the passage of time, he had actually forgotten the language of his native country, and he was unable to identify himself to the guards. In utter despair he began to cry out in a loud voice, and the King, who recognized the voice of his son, went out to him and brought him into the house, kissing him and hugging him.

Today, we may come to a place where we recognize that we are in the wilderness and want the comfort of home.  We may also realize that we do not know the way.  Like the Ancients understood, we travelers can find the way.

Imagine a trail.  In the wilderness and on the mountain side there are many trails, but there is one which leads Up the Mountain.   This is the trail which will lead all travelers home.  It can be found through observation & exploration; seeking & knocking, asking, and receiving or discovering.

Both Ancient and Modern Pilgrims understand that there are specific directions or instructions in which to follow the trail.  These directions and instructions show travelers the way.  They give warnings of upcoming cliffs and storms in which to prepare.

Pilgrims on this trail also understand that the trail needs to be walked to be preserved.  If not protected and preserved, the trail would become over grown or washed away and lost.  It is the duty of those travelers to lead out in this trail and preserve this path for fellow travelers.

Preparing the Artist Generation through Symbol and Story

In the book, The Fourth Turning by Strauss and Howe, four different Generations are identified as well as four different periods of time called Turnings. In each of the Turnings, a new group of youth come of age and make their impact on the world.  I am of the Generation of the Nomads, my parents: the Prophets, grandparents: the Artists.  My children fall into two categories of Generations; my oldest three:  Heros; my youngest three:  Artists.

When the period of time, or Turning, called Crisis, comes, it is the Hero Generation which usually bear the burdens of dealing with and solving a series of crisis' after an overall unraveling of society.  It is the Artists Generation who come of age in the Founding Turning, who are being raised during the Crisis, and which set up the new forms and systems for the next four Turnings.

Over the last 15 years, whether we knew it or not, we have been preparing our Hero Generation for their future meeting with destiny.  Even though there is still the tale end of them to be prepared (my youngest "Hero" is 12), I have come to realize my purpose with this entire site, is to do my part in preparing a generation of people who can see symbolically, through Symbol and Story.

It is you and I, any Prophet, Nomads, or older Hero Generations, who must learn to see and learn poetically, and then help our children gain this ability so that our children, who will come of age in the next Founding Turning, will be prepared to set aright "good which has been called evil, and evil which has been called good" and usher in a new Millennium.

An Invitation to See Poetically

Can you see in patterns, systems, or forms?   Our training in the English language has in some way limited us in our understanding. We read house and we understand it as meaning a dwelling place, where we live, etc.  We see it only having a literal meaning, understanding it in prose.

  

In contrast, house represents duality and pluralism in creation.  For example, Man and Woman, Heaven and Earth, Day and Night. This principle alludes to the place of holiness on earth, a miniature sanctuary, Eve, a temple, a wife, hospitality, etc.  Without Eve, Adam was not complete.  Without a wife, man is not complete.  Yes, there are definite differences between the two, but the beauty and process of coming to balance those differences is the beauty of seeing past the blacks and whites and into the grays.

Seeing this word house with poetic eyes, will help add greater understanding to our view of any story or text we are reading or learning from.

For another example, you may have read the story about a Father, Isaac, who has twin sons, Jacob and Esau.  Isaac mentions that he loves Jacob, and hates Esau.  Now this may seem harsh when we see it only literally, or in prose.  However, if we see this story poetically, we may see Jacob symbolizing our Divine Nature and Esau symbolizing our Human or Carnal Nature. When we can see a poetic meaning as this, we are more likely to then see ourselves in this story, to reflect on our Divine or human natures, and to evaluate which parts we are emulating.

If we fail to see poetically, we tend to only see the story before us, the text, the scripture for what it says literally, completely missing the full meaning and application of stories to our personal lives. 

The Four Levels of Learning

As we journey, we are always learning in one or more of these areas:  Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Spiritually.   We are 4 dimensional human beings, we have 4 bodies.  When we include all these 4 Ways, in whatever we do, we become whole.  We are whole.  We are able to retain what we learn.  We will have greater balance and be nurtured in ways God intended.

40: The Span of Time Necessary for Ripening

Last week, my brother turned 40.  He received comments like, "Life really begins at 40." and "You'll love it. This is when life starts."

Well, I have thought a lot about this time of 40 years.  I've heard about turning forty, mid-life crises, which we all hear about, and then I started learning about Hebrew. I learned that the letter Mem is also the number 40.  It represents the span of time necessary for the ripening process that leads to fruition.   Some examples are: 

• the forty weeks development of an embryo, 
• when Moses went up Mt. Sinai it took 40 days, 
• the 40 days of rain while Noah and his family were on the ark, 
• Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, etc.  

Forty is also considered a "culminating milestone" in man's process of spiritual development.

So, I shared these things with my brother.  He was happy to know he had reached a "culminating milestone" in his spiritual life.  But really, in life we tend to look at things in a literal sense and loose sight of a larger picture.  We forget to find a more far reaching perspective at the top of the mountain.  Rather, when we choose to see things in a poetic way, we will have a greater perspective.  Our lives will be lighter and the load far easier to carry.  Why?  Because we will see things as they really are, will understand things as they were written to be understood, and then, we will apply truths the way they were meant to be applied.

And to my brother I say, 40 is a great season of life to be in.  Now that you have sufficiently ripened, your life has just begun!

The Empty Vessel Principle

Have you ever tried to keep a vase empty on your counter?  Notice it.  Observe the results.  You may find it interesting what ends up in it.  Mail, leftover toys pieces, pencils, coins, etc.  Keep cleaning it out and see it happen again and again.  When you have seen this, come back to read on....

Can we notice this pattern other places?  Is there a story that shows this principle?  Let's look at The Beginning.  In the creation story, there was a void, an empty vessel.  Darkness filled that void and then the Creator divided the light from the darkness. (see the First of the Five books of Moses)

How does this story or principle apply to ourselves?  Can we notice areas within where we are stuffed full of unnecessary items; things out of place?  Do we long to clear out our inward vessel so that better things can come into our life; like the love of God perhaps?

There is an arduous process here and maybe it is quite remorseful.   But there is more, there is hope.  When we recognize this principle, we can see there is a way to be transformed.  Our vessels may be emptied and through Goodness and Light, they can be Re-Formed.  

Days of Celebration

The Day, The Week and The New Year are times to celebrate!  They come regularly in the rotation of the Earth.  They show us there is meaning greater than ourselves.  They can even show us the Intelligent Design in which we are participating.  There are a plethora of examples I could list here.  One aspect is the principle of consistency.   Each day, each week and each new year, we learn what consistency looks like with and without.  We learn this lesson without ever being told.  We do it.  We see it.  We notice what worked.  We can choose to try again.  We explore it.  We try again continuously.  We hopefully ask.  We discover it!  Gratefully, our Creator behind it all grants us grace, the enabling power we all need to continue and celebrate in the journey. 

By observing and exploring these days of celebration, we will come to ask and receive in small ways and ultimately come closer to that great God, which in turn will bring more balance and Connection into our lives.

I found this video which teaches aspects of these ideas amazingly. Enjoy your new day!

Did you Know?

• The Day in the Hebrew culture begins at sundown.  It is the evening preparations which ignites momentum into the next 24 hours.
• The Week in the Hebrew culture contains life.  It is the perfect amount of time to work and rest, release and renew and to restore and re-create.
• The New Year in the Hebrew culture begins in September.  There are several Feasts of celebration  throughout the year and the Feast at this time was anciently called the Day of Remembrance.  In Ancient times, the Lord told Israel to blow a Trumpet on this day for remembrance.   It was a time for Israel to remember their captivity.  Remembering their times of banishment and of lost truths brought them a desire to be spiritually renewed which lead them to making covenants with their God.
• The New Year today is also time of harvest and ingathering.  Along with daily remembrance and renewal, it is a time to remember and turn back again to our Maker and our duty to Him.  It is a time to Release and be Renewed.  It is a time to remember His hand in our lives and the bounty he supplies.  It is a time to rid ourselves of unnecessary burdens and apply the healing power of The One who came to pave The Way.

Discovering Mission

Do you ever wonder, "Why am I here?  Who am I really?" or "What am I doing here? and Where am I going?" Well, I do.  I have wondered and wondered and desired so much to understand my specific purpose.  "What is it I am to learn while I wander in this lonely world?"  

Well, one day while I was in my daily studies, I noticed a pattern.  A man named Saul was traveling around slandering the names and reputations of friends and family; committing serious injuries.  He did this until one day, a light appeared shining around him and His Creator stood, and told him it was not in his nature to act in such ways.  It was as if he awoke.  In astonishment, he ask this crucial question, "What would you have me do?  

Then another man, John Lathrop.  He was burdened heavily because of his desire to worship his God according to his conscience.  His loyalties to his country were challenged.  He felt called to preach a truth which was not accepted.  His wife begged him to please stop gathering in meetings and to stay quiet, for the sake of their family.  Although he felt torn, it was that deep feeling inside the marrow of his bones and the Holy Spirit that had put the cause into his heart.  He would not turn aside what he knew he was to do; spread light to his fellow captives.  

After reading both these stories, I noticed that each of these men received answers to their questions.  Questions like, "What am I to do?"  Each of these men were shown in their hearts or minds, or both, what they were to do and they did it, gaining confidence in their guidance.  Their stories live on today, I would argue, because their yearned for questions were answered and they knew what they needed to do.

After discovering these men asked similar questions to mine,  I realized, instead of just wondering, I should do the same, and ask.   Well, I did.  "Lord, what would you like me to do?  The result can be seen through My Story of Asking.  

The Pilgrim's Course

A Pilgrim is a wanderer who has a temporary residence on earth.  He is on a journey of human life and possibly traveling the course over and over.  There is also a parallel journey of a Hero.  Both journeys are simultaneously progressing.  Do you see it?  Are you on that course of a Pilgrim?  

The patterns surround us.  They show us everywhere;  if we are observing and exploring;  if we are asking.  If you want to understand more fully where you are in this Course and how you can progress through the traps or roadblocks which surely come, try observing in the one of the Books: the Old or New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, or even the Bhagavad Gita or the Koran.  You will see this course over and over.  

Another way I have found helpful to see the Pilgrim's course more clearly, is to see this pattern through someone's recent story.  

My favorite example of a Pilgrim is Abraham.  He was one of the only true and faith-full members of his family.  His father literally tried to sacrifice him on an alter to a false god.  He was protected and fled from his home into a strange land.  He came to a place called Hebron, which may be one reason why he is called the father of the Hebrew's though his descendants through his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, are today called the House of Israel or the Tribes of Israel.  His family was large and they wandered from here to there as need arose.  He greatly influenced the whole Egypt nation; their technology, history, methods of understanding the heavens, etc.  His efforts and sacrifice to be true, brought him great promises.  Eventually, when he was 100 years old, his son was born under the law of birthright and he and his wife were promised that through their seed all the earth would be blessed.  

Another example I love is Maria Von Trapp.  She was raised in an Atheistic home and after having her own experiences contemplating her life she slowly developed a relationship with her Creator.  One day she found herself at the top of a mountain and committing to her God that she would never turn back.  From that point on she went forward no matter what the circumstances.  Even when her and her family found themselves in America with many little children and homeless.  She trusted in that unseen hand which always lead her along.

                                                      

William Wilberforce's life is another great example of this course.  His story shows the power of recognizing who we are and what we are to do while we are sojourning in this existence.  He developed a relationship with his Creator early on in his life and then began to fight courageously to end the slave trade in the British Empire.  In his journal entries he accounted his efforts to share his love of his God with the many people he met.  It was this motivation and love from within which gave him the power to act and work tirelessly for over 30 years to free the slaves.  

Are you currently on the Pilgrim's Course?  Where?  What is your story?  Observe and Explore these stories and others.  I am sure you will see yourself in a story somewhere.  Find it.  Ask and discover it.  

Here is a short Biographical video about Maria Von Trapp.