It's all beautiful, isn't it?


   Life is an interesting place, doncha think?  I mean.. we have tons of
varieties of people, foods, animals, plants, stars -- you name it.  And in
their own right, everything truly *is* beautiful, isn't it?  I mean.. why
would any good God create something that wasn't beautiful?
   
   But then if you take things that far.. you have to say that pain is
beautiful.. and that it's beautiful when people hurt one another, right?

   Ok.. so not *everything* in this world is beautiful.  Yet there are a lot
of philosophies out there.. religions even.. that want us to accept certain
things as beautiful when they truly aren't.  Of course.. in order to even
*make* a point as to what is beautiful and what isn't, we need some sort of
"standard" by which we can judge what is truly beautiful and what isn't.

   But where do we get the standard?  This is going to be an arguing point
for a number of years to come.  Everyone seems to have their own notion of
what is beautiful and what isn't.  And everyone thinks their own standard is
the correct one -- or nearly everyone.  So what are we supposed to do?

   The U.S. seems to be turning in the direction of saying "everything that
doesn't hurt people is beautiful".. or at least acceptable.  Of course, in
our nation where "freedom" is viewed as our ultimate crowning achievement, it
becomes relatively easy to accept today's prevalent notion of "if it feels
good, do it!"  We value our freedom to do what we want so much in this
country that we seem to be leaving behind the notion that freedom really
*isn't* what's most important.  Freedom is wonderful.. yes.. and if I were
not in the U.S. I would probably value it more than I do.. but I have come to
the notion (through much tumult in my life -- mostly self-caused) that
freedom isn't all it's cracked up to be.

   Think about this:  What if you were in a nation where if you were the
third child to be conceived in a family, that your parents would be free to
kill you at any time.. even after you were born?  Or what if you were in a
country where your brother was free to cut off your ear because you were
eavesdropping?  Freedom doesn't seem too good when it hurts another person,
does it?
   But what really *does* hurt people?  Just because a person doesn't feel
physical pain or noticeable emotional anxiety doesn't mean they didn't
experience something that was, in effect, "hurtful".  And yet.. also.. what
about growing pains.  Are they "bad"?  What about teething pains.  Is that
bad?  Or is it merely part of life which requires you to experience pain, and
yet is not bad for you?

   So what really matters?  I mean.. what is really, honestly, truly
important beyond all things?  For one.. it sure doesn't seem to be telling
everyone else what to do.  Nobody likes to be told what to do, right?  But if
we were never told by someone what the letter 'A' was, would we have ever
learned it?  Maybe we could pick it up from context.. but it would've been
more difficult.  So being told good things isn't bad.  And, as discussed in
the above paragraph.. just because something brings you pain doesn't mean
it's bad.
   Another example -- Think about being a kid, playing with your friends in a
lumber yard.  Now.. think about climbing onto the wood and playing around..
balancing.. then falling.. and when you land, somehow a nail ends up lodged
in your hand.  It hurts.  But not only does it hurt as it is, it will hurt to
take it out.  But if you don't take it out, it will bring you more and more
trouble.. maybe even destroying the usefulness of your hand somehow.  So,
just because you feel pain doesn't mean it's bad -- it could simply mean that
your body, emotions, or what have you, are reacting in a way that brings you
pain.. because of how you were created.  As well.. if you have something that
*is* bad happen to you that causes damage.. it can often feel painful to fix
that damage.  A well known example is dealing with wounds that occurred in
childhood.. wounds because of how your peers or family mistreated you.  When
you talk about the wound, it can really hurt.  But it needs to be brought to
the surface in order to be dealt with.
   This is one of the major reasons why we, in this culture of freedom and
quick-to-get pleasures, have a real tough time dealing with the morality
issues that are brought up when we have to deal with the real God.  As
humans.. we are born not only imperfect.. but in wounded bodies -- bodies
that need to be restored unto God.  And when we these wounds are brought into
the open.. (which happens when the truths and morals of the true God are
discussed) then we often feel pain.  But this pain is often merely because we
are so resistant to becoming the people God wants us to be.
   Unfortunately, the pain is also often from times when we reached out to
those who we believed to be from God.. who ended up hurting us and
mistreating us and misleading us.. so we chose, out of our pain, to regard
the God whom they claimed to serve as just as nasty and unloving as they
were.. if not worse.  And for those of you who have been so "splatted" by
those around us who self-righteously wield the "truths" of God and pummel you
with them, I have great sympathy.  You are being lied to in the grandest
sense of the word -- as you are told by these people's actions that God is so
unloving and uncaring.  The *REAL* God is in no way "unloving".. yet He *is*
just and He *is* righteous.. which means He has standards which do not
change.  He doesn't treat us like we want Him to.. He doesn't adhere to our
standards.. He adheres to His own *perfect* standards.. and He doesn't ask us
first if they meet with our approval.  He is who He is.  But I can also
guarantee you that if you truly *are* willing to seek the real Him.. that you
will find satisfaction and peace beyond anything you have ever known before.
You may not find the your life to be easy.. but you *will* find it to be
fulfilling.
   For those of you out there who are busy looking down your noses at us
imperfect people.. STOP IT!  God hates it and wishes you would stop it.  He
wants you to know how much you are hurting not only other people.. but Him as
well!  You are slandering Him far more than you are helping people find
Him... and you need to learn what a real Christian is before it's too late.
   
   Now.. for those of you who adhere to some other religion besides
Christianity.. I have to say a few things.  First of all.. you are not a
"bad" person, simply because you have a different belief system.  However,
well.. maybe I can explain things this way:

	Let's say you just moved into town, and are transferring
	into highschool in 10th grade about midway through spring
	semester.  Let's also say that when you first get to the
	school, you meet up with an old friend you haven't seen
	in 6 years.. who knew you from 4th grade.  But this friend
	didn't like you very much back then.. because you wouldn't
	always do things he wanted to do or the way you wanted to
	do them.  So when you come to school, this old "friend"
	ends up "seasoning" the classmates you're about to have.
	These new possible friends are turned away from you by
	this old enemy's evil report of you.  He tells your
	classmates how you do strange things at home and a bunch
	of untrue, slanderous lies.  Would you appreciate it?

	This is somewhat how God feels when you refuse to believe
	in who He really is.  You may have heard many false tales
	from people who think He's someone other than who He
	really is.. or who don't like who He is so they make up
	things about Him to make you think He's not the loving,
	tender, compassionate God He truly is.. or that He doesn't
	have any rights to tell you what to do -- which makes you
	take into the very "pleasure-giving" notion that *you*
	should be the "god" of your own life.. and not God.

   Or how about this:

   	What if someone started saying that you have 3 heads and
	four eyes and have sex with everyone you meet and love
	to chop off birds wings for fun?  And I'm being serious
	here.  What if that person meant it... and it were all
	possible.  Would you appreciate it?  Well.. God doesn't
	appreciate it when we refuse to accept Him as the real
	and true God He truly is.. worthy of all our devotion
	and everything we could ever give.  You probably wouldn't
	like it if people called you by some name other than
	your own.. especially if it referred to someone else..
	would you?  In the same way, God doesn't like it when
	we refer to Him as being someone He isn't.. whether one
	'goddess' or many 'gods' or 'atman' or what have you.
	We are His creation.. and He is our Creator.. who wants
	us to know the real Him.  But the real Him isn't always
	easy to handle.  And His ways of thinking are far above
	our ways.. so we have to be willing to concede that He's
	right when we can't see why He could be.
	
	One thing though -- God is God.. not who people have
	painted Him to be.. but He is who He is.  His love is
	extreme.. and His power is without limit.  But He *does*
	have limits -- and He *does* have the right to require
	us to live in certain ways.  He is the one who made us
	so He has the right to define what is truly moral and
	what is immoral.  Unfortunately, many people have painted
	such poor pictures of Him that we run away from Him when
	we need to be running towards Him.  Many people have
	claimed to know Him well when they are actually very poor
	examples of His followers.. but we end up evaluating His
	merit on theirs.  This may not be a good idea to do, but
	when the only God you see is in the hearts of those who
	claim to follow Him, and those people act nasty to you,
	it's easy to think He's nasty like they are.. even when
	He isn't.

   So what about *evil*?  Is it real?  And what things are truly "evil" and
what things aren't?  In truth.. the word "evil" can be broken down into the
term "anti-God".  Anti-God really means contrary to God's desires.  And in a
very real way.. we are *all* evil.  We all *naturally* do that which God
hates.. and this is how God defines evil.  We all naturally do things which
are bad for us.. and which pull us away from God.  So to be "evil".. though
*definitely* bad.. isn't completely avoidable.  Jesus is the only person who
never did anything evil while on the planet.  The term "evil" is the exact
opposite of the word "good" as used in the Gospels where someone calls Him
"good teacher".  He replies, "Why do you call me good?  For no one is good,
but God."  Jesus, being God's Word.. even a very *part* of God.. *was* good..
but He wanted us to know how God sees "goodness".. and that all men are, in
effect, "evil".. even if they only do one thing wrong in their entire lives
(which doesn't happen).  God tells us in the Bible that if a person breaks
even one commandment in the Law, then he has broken the whole law.  It's
like.. taking out one section of a bridge that crosses a river.  If you take
out one vertical section, the entire bridge will fall, because it all depends
on the rest of it to stay up.  Of course.. probably many of you, if not all,
have heard the word "evil" used many ways.. and aren't really willing to call
things "evil" unless they are downright nastily totally hurtful to people.
But God wants us to be conscious of the fact that without Him, we can't even
exist.. and that His righteousness isn't something we can reach on our own --
that we are a people that needs Him, but can only make it to Him through
Jesus' work on the Cross.  This is how the word "evil" is often used in the
Bible.. to refer to the distance between God and man... and how man cannot
cross it without Christ.

   So what really *is* beautiful?  Most things have beauty simply because God
made them.. but not everything is good to be used every way we might choose
to use it -- like Hemp for example.  Hemp is a great plant when it comes to
making things from its fibers.. but it destroys the mind and body when
smoked.  Many berries in the woods may look good.. but they can also be
poisonous.  They may have physical beauty.. but they will kill or at least
make us sick if we eat them.  So just because something has one kind of
beauty doesn't make them beautiful for use in every type of situation.
   To be certain.. *YOU* are beautiful.  God made you.. and God wants you to
know the real Him.. but you have to come on His terms.  He loves you more
than you could ever measure.. but He also isn't about to wait on you hand and
foot and give you everything you need on a silver platter.  He is Creator..
we are creation.. He is perfect.. we aren't.  He sees everything.. we see
very little.  And He knows that you have more potential in you than you could
ever imagine.  He wants us all to know how much He cares.. but real love and
real caring always does what is really and TRULY moral.. even if it isn't
pleasant to do.. or doesn't produce pleasureable results right away.
   Take the time to realize.. you have more at stake than it seems.  God has
a lot to show us.. and a lot to teach us.. if we'll only be willing to learn.