DISQUS

Church of the Beloved: The Illusive Meaning of Suffering

  • ScottDavidson · 5 months ago
    I normally try to stay quiet, but this question just cut through me.

    Do we have needs beyond what this world can offer? We are not only physical carnal creatures. We have a spirit. That spirit yearns to know why we are here, to make sense of our existence.

    So beyond the fear of hell and promise of heaven is there more to care about?

    We search out purpose and reason for our lives.
    We search for meaning and value in the things we do.
    We want to know fairness for ourselves and others
    We look to be known and to be accepted.

    We can decide for ourselves what is purpose, value, fairness and acceptable in this world. But this world does not conform to our will. Suffering, tragedy and failure meet us at many turns in our lives. There are events outside of us that drag on our souls. The world be itself does not offer what we need. The book of Ecclesiastes looks at many aspect of this. The book explores how unreliable and unfulfilling this world can leave us.

    Christ understands this when he says “One must not live on bread alone…”

    It is only God, who has the complete understanding that can complete us. It is only God that knows the purpose and reason for all creation. God understands meaning and value of all things. God ultimately holds the balance of fairness in his hands. Only God truly knows us.

    So would we still care about God? Yes, for we need him to live a full life. Does God care about us? Yes and it is through Christ that we can see the fullness of his love for us.

    The fullness that we can have by abiding in God’s spirit is worth caring about.
  • MelanieLGillespie · 5 months ago
    My heart is always imperfect
    Filled with swells and falls
    Up in my throat and down in my stomach

    Amazing Grace saves a retch like me?
    Before or after I splatter the bathroom floor?

    Ah I can only imagine this hope
    with tears streaming down my cheeks
    Yet the truth I know of the whole light
    shining through me and
    connecting to all beings near and far,
    we are here,
    Fumbling across this tiny marble,
    little glow snippets
    like fireflies in our one purposed intensity.

    I am primal, near feral, in my natural state.

    The rest of me is some other me I barely know.

    I am a channel for grace.

    I wish to receive your light.

    god touched my forehead today
    a warm balm on my third eye
    sending laughing honey waves of loving healing delight
    wrapping around my soul.

    god is love delight laughter joy
    innocence that comes after knowledge

    my guardian is so adult
    and unmistakably male.
    his broad smooth shoulders
    and wide palms
    bring me calm comfort strength surety.

    we are together humbled with tears of amazement
    when god’s childlikebuddhachrist love
    melted over us like heated butterscotch,
    like sunlight made liquid,
    peace and healing.

    that’s all.
  • jinalamalaika · 2 days ago
    I have been told, that Bible has these words or close... love your neighbor as you would want to be loved?. If we truly did that, all human beings on this earth! many of our sufferings would just melt. and God's LOVE AND Glory would manifest itself upon us. LOVING ONE ANOTHER with all our hearts will please God - our Father. The World, the Earth has plenty- more than enough resources to satisfy our little needs. It is the greed and selfishness (evil, satan) that is on the way to discovering God! Amen.
  • jinalamalaika · 2 days ago
    God is Love/ right! then believe it, God wants us to be happy right here on earth! Not in other life. So what are we? note- that I am not talking about myself. I am talking about "us" collectively, what are doing wrong?. 1. we must love one another as we would want to be loved. in the true expression of that love- God will be pleased and bless us! Note how we have deviated from that line. Everyone to themselves. Corporations are richer than the people. The governments and faiths have lost the moral authority to guide the people. But God has given us the will power, the brains and resources to make ourselves(not myself) happy right here on earth. In doing so God will be there. God Bless you All!!