The Sunday Nail — Reflections on current events

Fear, Isolation and the thought of Death

+++Covid 19 – The Hero of Fear
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I asked a group of friends recently, if they would consider writing a few thoughts down for inclusion in this collection that I stumble along with.
Below is the first response that I have received from a woman in that group – Sophia C.
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Someone asked me recently, if asked what would I like to write as a piece for the website blog?
And I replied,
Well, there are so many pressing problems in the world, that vast, just too many to contemplate in a short burst on that web page and so I thought more in the minuscule of my own life story. Then as if a revelation, something came into my mind space about religion in this twenty-first century Westernised world.
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I thought, what are the many Westernised types of religious beliefs, understandings or notion of a God or super hero in peoples own life stories?
Perhaps a super star as in the Western Movie legend of old or present Sci-Fi version or comic legend. But then I began to question what is the most prolific religious base at present and it began me thinking of this present pandemic COVID 19, the hero of fear.
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Then, I began to think of how this plays out over a century or two to come if that is all it takes to put us into a locked down mode of fear and isolation.
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Fear and isolation.
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How do we overcome something as small as a global pandemic of a virus that has claimed many lives, but of which on the whole we have simply no idea the extent in comparison to a normal so-called pandemic of say, Ebola?
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Or is it that we have forgotten that the major fear should revolve more around nuclear war and the fall out of what is occurring in the “undiplomatic” Western dialogue with those considered of lesser than a supposed democratic stance?
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So what do I consider worth a blog page burst? Well, it would have to be necessary to include the religious base of everyone’s Westernised view of life and that of the sacredness of a life, their own and family too. Perhaps that may also extend to a few very special friends or other family members such as dogs perhaps. But in the main I would have to say that the most famous impact of this present time would have to be fear of isolation and the thought of death.

Tagged as: Culture

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On the Road Again

+++What If
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I recently watched a video of an interview given by an ex Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, to an American media commentator from CNN Reliable Sources, detailing the columnity that Turnbull claimed Rupert Murdock and his son Lauchlan had visited upon democracy.
I found it quite shocking that a political figure of Turnbull’s standing would risk saying it in the public forum. – I need a coffee to think about this and so off I went to get one and;
I was drinking said coffee in a pleasant lounge and got into conversation with a very good looking woman about the role and quality of the Media in relation to truth in a time of hybrid war.
It took less than a minute or two for me to realise that this lady had started to play me like a tin whistle, in a form of reverse Socratic dialogue and I knew that here was someone I was out of my depth with.
Well, how many diverse sources of news and comment do you have she asked?
Well I said, here in South Australia, basically only one.
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AHHHH! – Then a different tack.
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Can I ask you, are you a philosophical materialist?
Oh this is different I thought somewhat startled. No I replied, I am what you might call a philosophical personal idealist.
Which means she said that you probably are a religious person? – I didn’t reply. She went on, can I ask which one of the great wisdom traditions do you follow; being a Caucasian, probably Christianity?
Tentatively; broadly I replied, although I would express it as a pilgrim trying to follow the Jesus way and trying to gain some useful insights along the way.
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Alright she said: What If
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What if what I asked? – What if you could only have one of the four stories about Jesus, which one would you choose?
Well at this turbulent time in world history, and the Eurocentric culture that we live in, I find the first story – Mark’s story, the most challenging for how I am trying to be as an adult human being.
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She then followed with; – Can I ask why Mark’s story as I find most say John?
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Because I find that Mark’s Jesus emerges to be a radical non-conformist in his time of tyrannical Roman World Empire, and so helpful as a basis for contemplating how to be during this present time of tyrannical American Empire. But the insights from all four stories are needed.
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Then she changes tack again.
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Lets come back to the media and the tremendous concentration of corporate ownership of it. What is it in Australia; one overwhelmingly dominant one with another more fragmented and restricted mainly to the eastern states?
Pretty much I said.
Back she comes; is that enough to get a sufficient picture to allow you to be a fully informed, responsible citizen, or does it effectively end up almost ideological propaganda?
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With that she abruptly stood up and announced that she had to leave. I asked if we could perhaps meet again for a cup of coffee but she declined. It hadn’t taken her too long to work out that she had little to learn from me and so needed to move on. I have to say that it didn’t leaving me feeling too bright and that night I reread Mark’s gospel. A deeply crucifixion story I find.
There are just too many examples of people who have gone against the Empire and its comprador followers, very much reminiscent of Proverbs 8:13 and ended up renditioned to either death, exile or locked up, not to be aware of the courage required.
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She reminded me that he who stands still is in great danger of losing his freedom and so;
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN – searching for Truth in this almost post Covid world.

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Symbols

+++++++++++The Celtic Cross
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++++++++Represents wholeness for me.
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The cross vertical arm represents the meeting of two trajectories.
The upper movement of the human aspiration to meet the transcendent Mystery.
The downward movement of the Mystery becoming incarnate in the human being.
The cross horizontal arm representing the human trajectory in chronological time.
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The equal arm length cross dividing the circle in four equal quadrants being the symbol of the sought for unity of the two aspects resulting in the wholeness of a human being.
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This is not magical but a very rational thing.
Natural but not foregone. It takes know-how, work and relationship (with the other)
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The upward thrust can be seen in the historical markers that have survived.
For instance: if you have had the opportunity to visit the prehistoric cave paintings at places like Niaux, Lascaux, Pech Merle etc. in France, you not only see the striving to express graphically that thrust, but you also experience the sense of sacredness – the setting apart; that these artists long, long ago must have felt and sensed.
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The downward thrust has been seen in exceptional human beings situated within the historical envelope. People like Jesus the Christ; Muhammad; Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha; Lao Tzu; and many others. Human beings who have risen to such a level of consciousness/self awareness that the Mystery is genuinely expressed in them; in their own particular aspect of it.
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These are people who represent the pinnacle of the wholeness achieved by human beings to this time, people with a total level of commitment to know thyself to make this possible. – Change of a different outlook is possible – but no other way seems known than inwardly to one’s mind; dormant through lack of use, care, denial, fortitude, or simply being unaware for most of us
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The Mystery is the making sense of whatever already exists but appears elusive, out of reach because one can easily become confused or distorted by seeing reality as truth when real TRUTH (capital T) is inside oneself. There to know who you really are and how to survive, by leaving the tribal influences and making your own ‘way’ to a more whole or rounded view of what life was and now can become. A view without the self inflicting, despicable views which only cause oneself and others some pain of various forms.

Tagged as: Spirit

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Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
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Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the King’s horses and all the King’s men, couldn’t put Humpty together again.
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Sitting in a clinic recently, just having had a flue vaccine injection, I overheard a man and woman talking. The gist of the conversation was to the effect that neither could wait for things to get back to normal. Well, being interested in exploring that a little, I tossed in the comment to the effect; yes, but it will be back to a new normal, not the old normal.
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Blank looks and then body language that suggested a further distancing of themselves if they could.
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And so, a quick flick of the eyebrows and then back to yesterday.
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++++++++++++++++++++Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.
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I have thought about that since.
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What does it take to live in the now, the today?
In other words, what does it take to live, always in transition? In this time of pandemic, the acuteness of that question is emphasised.
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What does it take to let go of ‘tradition’, the old ways, and fashion a path needed for growth?
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Jesus’ example of that certainly does not seem to auger well for an easy road.
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+++1. An outstanding human being;
+++2. Acutely aware of the needs of his society;
+++3. Solitary to a degree, isolated from most save his immediate followers and even they did not +++++understand him some of the time;
+++4. A man exemplar of what it means to be in love.
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Do not expect to be liked for this; it challenged people in Jesus’ day and it is probably fair to say that today is more complicated than yesterday, but that human nature has not changed much in the transition.
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The old Humpty Dumpty has broken apart and the piggy bank has been found to be practically empty; robbed by the hoards of sharks, the so-called 1% with their entailed 20% courtiers of piranha.
Unless you live ‘off shore’ (both your money and yourself), ‘the new internationalists’, start thinking what it might be like going back to a feudal like system, redolent of yesterday. Each day that passes, the possibility of that destiny seems more likely to start to grow; well at least for the rest of us 80%.
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+++++++++++++++++++++No. No. No.
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The way forward is the Jesus way and its name is LIBERATION.
But, if one follows that way at least one thing needs to be kept in mind.
When one flouts tradition/yesterday, one needs to be exceptionally good at the new way, tomorrow’s way. You need to be excellent at what you are doing both for self justification of the changed way you are forging, and also because it makes it more difficult for the arrow and stone throwers to hit your mark as yesterday’s people will try and do.
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Needs a lot more thought and reflection but I sense that it is what the BUG is telling us to do!
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What will today’s evolving liberation look like tomorrow?
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I only wish I knew, or that a crystal ball was conveniently to hand but perhaps a much more pressing question, is what will it take to have the courage to rise to the call?
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Well, one thing it will take that I feel absolutely sure about is another Jesus characteristic; a deep belief in your own self worth.That sense of worth that is as strong as granite; that Archimedean rock to stand on that will not let go, unlike quicksand. That sense that you are here to do a job that comes of a higher calling.
Not a ‘new internationalist’ but a Cosmic Wayfarer.That sense that you have a contract to fulfil. A contract entered into before inception, part of your Cosmic trajectory through eternity.
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That is what I imagine Jesus felt and also what was sensed by the community of John’s gospel about the man Jesus, both remembered and contemplated.

Tagged as: Soul

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Lest We Forget

The Sacrificial Lamb
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The sacrificed of a pandemic of economic warfare and failure.
• Loss of who I am
• Loss of the work family
• Loss of livelihood
• Sacrificed to the alter of technology
• Sacrificed to the bestiality of “winner takes all”
• Sacrificed to class warfare
• Sacrificed to political parties of brutalism
• Sacrificed to no taxation for the rich
• …
You get the idea.
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Calling to Prayer
Calling to prayer a past life’s fate.
How is it possible we have learned naught to date
with every avenue available
as history and their horrific debacles
and loss to millions or more during a war
but too of starving
not so much when it comes to one offshore?

But now as the economic divides
who as you West are to now survive?

We are often praying
when the rough hits and no place earthly exists
but when the past history does, why have we ignored
as epidemic, pandemic in all its various economic waves hit,
like the form of a greedy few
plan around wealth as to who has what
and preparing to send warring the likes of you.

——0——

Calling prayerfully
does not stop an arrow fired by the enemy to you.
Calling to a prayerful life
hidden behind bars of steel fortified might.

But in the event of an economical melt down
granted you are not a governmental toy or arm
to those few lot who are to live to plot
the next violent oppressive-ness toward life for us
to become puppets in their defence to succumb?

We are the ones not prayer alone
to raise a banner and stand for life not be owned.

——0——

Tagged as: Perpetual War

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