I don’t know about you, but I was told many things as a
child that didn’t seem to make sense to me. Before I share some thoughts about one of the
most confusing and contradictory issues I encountered, I would like to say that
I believe 100 % that there is an Unconditionally Loving God, Creator of all
that is. Further, I would like to add we are all a part of and come from the
same source.  

 

That said, let me get back to the point I wanted to share.
One of the most confusing notions I struggled with regarding God came from my
religious teachings.

 

I was told God was omniscient (All Knowing), Omnipotent (All
Powerful), and Omnipresent (present everywhere at all times). While looking
at these basic tenets, I had no trouble accepting that they were in fact attributes that accurately represented God.

 

What troubled me was not that God would possess such ineffable
qualities. The problem I had came from hearing God did not possess such
qualities. I once read that there is no contradiction to truth. Once again, I
am in 100 % agreement. To me, there is no contradiction to truth and where
contradiction appears you can be assured you have not found truth. With that
thought in mind I would ask you to consider the following.

 

If in fact God is all knowing, all powerful, and omni-
present, wouldn’t’ that mean God would be perfect and incapable of error? Moreover,
wouldn’t that also mean God would know the outcome of any moment before it is
played out in this world. Didn’t Jesus say in Matthew 6:8,  “Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him?”

 

Once again, I have no problem with the concept that the Creator
of all that is has the ability to see every detail of His Creation including
the timing and outcome of a moment.

 

The problem I struggled with was regarding judgment. From my
viewpoint, I asked myself,  “How is
it that some of us in this world can do certain things that others might find
offensive?”  It did not take me
long to conclude that each of us was equipped with a different mind and value
system that functions slightly different from someone else’s. A natural and
logical question that comes to mind is, “Who then created one person to
struggle in this world and another to live a seemingly blessed life if not God?”

 

From Isaiah. 45:5-7

“I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace,
and create evil. I am Jehovah, who does all these things”

 

Going back to the concept or belief that God is incapable of
making a mistake, wouldn’t it be logical to conclude, if any one is guilty or responsible for anything, wouldn’t it be God
himself? 

 

Recently I saw a movie that may shed some light on this
conjecture. The movie was based on a true story about a young man who during
the time of the great depression stole five dollars to buy food for his younger
sister. As the story was told, their parents had passed away and he felt responsible
to provide for his younger sister. Unfortunately for him, he was caught and
sentence to prison. After an escape attempt,  he was sentenced to life in prison and moved to Alcatraz.
Upon his arrival he was moved to a cell below the main cell block and held in
solitary confinement and beaten on a regular basis. He remained there for 3
years and was allowed to see sunshine and the outer yard for only one half hour
per year. Without any interaction with the other prisoners he became mentally
unbalanced. On his first day back in general population he killed a fellow
inmate for no apparent reason other than his mind had snapped.   

 

At his murder trial his defense attorney did something that
was totally unexpected. He said it was not his client that was guilty but
rather the prison and those who ran the prison who were guilty. The jury
agreed.  It was the prison and the
inhuman treatment that was responsible, they concluded.      

 

I think the main point here is that without having all the
details, no one is in a position to come to the real truth about anyone or
anything.

 

Perhaps that’s why Jesus taught us that the way to the
Father can only be experienced through non-judgment.

 

Please note, I said if any
one is guilty it would have to be God Himself. Personally, I do not believe in
judgment or in the view that the majority of the world holds. I do believe
there are consequences for our thoughts and actions both in this world and
beyond. In Prophet or Madman, I wrote about the various dimensions of time and
space and shared the view of creation that God presented to me in hopes that
there are those who are ready to see more.

 

As Shakespeare once said, “There are more things in heaven
and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

 

Regardless of your path or what religion you practice, if
you wish to awaken yourself and live awakened in this world you will have to
struggle.

 

More to come…

 

Love and Light,

 

Brother Bruce

 

Prophet or Madman