I look at what Man mostly talks about in media, social circles, news and faux-news, and the lives of those around me living life. Man seems to be really busy being Man and busy. It seems to me that people (Man) are just filling those moments between naps. What are we doing?
I know people who are theists, non-theists, atheists, and theists of a different sort – if that makes sense. Some even label themselves ‘Christian’. They have one thing in common, mostly. They do not understand Christianity, or Judeo-Christianity to be more precise. They like to use the term ‘God’ or ‘god’ as if by using the term they are experts on the subject; or as to deride those who believe in the ‘God’ of the Judeo-Christian Bible. My spirit is concerned for them and hurts for them. They do not know what they are doing. Not that I do, but I have a pretty good idea based on what Jesus said and John saw while on Patmos. Bottom line, we as a specie are in trouble.
First, let me tell you how we are in trouble on the ‘God’ level. The word ‘god’ only means mighty person or being; later it implied deity – which comes from the Latin ‘deus’ which mean mighty one. Kind of a circle there, isn’t it? Looking at what Man has written about and believed about gods over the last several millennia, Man is in trouble with those ‘mighty ones’ they lay claim to be higher than themselves. A norse-nordic-scandi-viking-Thule person will be judged lacking and in our times only do well enough to meet Hel then go to torment. Why? They did not die in glorious battle (Klingon-ish, don’t you think?) and will not be taken by Valkyrie to Valhalla to feast with the gods of the north. A pagan will be taken, tortured, and slowly consumed because they did not care for the earth, the mother god. The Hindi will just keep going on the loop to perfection. Little do they realize the cycle is from nothing to nothing, only try to do good while you are here and now. Read Five Rings. It is more for zen Buddhists but gets the point made well. To the polytheists, like Shinto, those gods do not care for Man. Ameratasu and Shangdi are only interested in self and those who can add to themselves. Lilith, or Lilth, is the same in that regard. And with the god of the Muslim, they do not know if they will be good enough or accepted. There is still a judgment of their lives. Did they live as the prophet commanded? Even with the god of the Judeo-Christian Bible, Man is athwarts. Adam, Moses, Bob, Jane, everybody: they all had the same decision. Walk with God or walk after whatever seemed right at the time. All failed. Well, save one. I may touch on that.
They all said Man must do something or some things to stay in good fellowship. Almost all religions have something to say about taking care of the only planet we can reach that has a live-able ecosphere. To an individual, each one has failed in that task. It has become as if Man knowing he/she will fail has decided instead to do good-enough or not at all. Those in the not at all appear to be growing in number; many due to their ownership and control of media streams. My favorites are those that are right because they have decided they are and self-validate by their accumulation of wealth and sycophants (look it up).
Me? Oh this is my observation based on time on the planet, self-education because most systems are lacking, and observation. I would like to say it is because of I have amassed great wealth and now feel I should pontificate my rightness upon the world, but alas. I lack great wealth at this time.
So, as far as Man’s relationship with higher powers, Man has failed and has made more higher powers in his/her own image than acknowledging the other way around. That takes us to Man’s relationship with Man. It has not been pretty.
There have been as many examples of Man’s conflict with Man as there are pantheons for Man. Let me use two examples from the Judeo-Christian Bible as example. Cain kills Abel, his brother, because Cain did not do as well as his brother did. Lamech, Cain’s great grandson, kills two men because they hit him; possibly while stealing two women from them. The Bible said Lamech took two wives then had the fight where two men died. This really showcases Man’s relationship with Man. “I’m gonna beat on you because I didn’t measure up and you offended me.” “I’m gonna take what you have and if you fight me on this, I will kill you.” I challenge you to show me in history where this is a false assumption.
Man spends more time trying to address the issues of Man than anything else. I wish it were otherwise.
Man has become no more than ants crawling around on the surface of the planet; doing whatever until death arrives. Kind of pointless. Man as a specie has gained tunnel-vision. It is as if Man can see nothing else. I look at what is being recorded in video. The drama of ‘this’ to suck in one’s attention, and if it is not dramatic enough, ‘this’ is manipulated until it is. The words being spoken and the words being translated into text are there only to fill the ears with want, anxiety, titillation, and fear.
There was a joke from a documentary movie about a fake band. It was pure comedy as if it was real. The band was reputedly the loudest band ever; even their speakers went to ’11’ instead of stopping at ’10’. “It’s one more. Isn’t it?” It caught on as a catch phrase that something was more than the highest. Recently, some have taken to going beyond even that farce and now say “dial it up to 12”. Why? Well, as if ’11’ was not enough, ’12’ is even beyond what was beyond what was accepted as the maximum you could do. And, that is what Man is doing. Living so ‘large’ that every moment is filled and amazing. Even so-called Christian preachers are joining in this by saying if their people would do ‘this’ they would get ‘this additional’ in super-abundance. For what purpose? So that they – those who follow these people – can have all they ever dreamed. Does it matter that I can’t find where the God of the Bible ever said that?
Man is so focused horizontally, on the lives and happenings of Man, that Man does not see what it is Man is doing to the one world we can reach as a people group and to the other people who are not him/her.
Do you realize that Man has so gotten away from species norm that Man now accepts a female as male and lauds the relationships of female and female; even though they cannot procreate the species? The same is said for accepting a male as a female and lauding the relationship of male and male; even though they cannot procreate the species. Oh and my favorite part: and if you do not recognize and join in with the lauding of their lifestyles then you are the problem. Why is it that I must be accepting of them as ‘normal’ and they are not likewise required to accept me as ‘normal’?
Man as a specie has become quite misguided. There will be no Star Trek future. There are no X-Men or Avengers to save the day. There will only be people like Rasputin, Robespierre, Bonaparte, Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, … and that is only recently. There is rumored to be a million slaves buried in the Great Wall of China. There will only be those who rise up to take for themselves, ride the wave that leads to their death only to have another rise up in their place. Man is about to fail Man spectacularly.
And then there is the Earth.
There are idiots out there right now trying to justify their bad science and deeply held beliefs that Man is destroying the world through carbon emissions. Dying algae and cow farts account for more carbon gases than what Man has put out there. Where Man has made negative impacts to the planet is deforestation to build ships and buildings only to burn them in wars. Strip mining thousands and thousands of acres for gemstones and coal. Over-hunting species to the point of upsetting ecosystems that have been in place for millennia. Hunting to extinction species of animals because of their fur, their feathers, or their skin. Mixing noxious pools of chemical sludge and pouring that into water tables. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So now those who would pretend to power intend to penalize those people groups who are producing excessive carbons by arbitrary standards that are not founded in measurable or controllable science. They just want it seen that they are doing ‘something’. Right. It is not ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ or the next catch phrase to pursue. It is simply Man failing to manage well the one planet that Man can reach. It is simply Man looking at controlling Man rather than Man working with Man to manage and heal the planet. Man has failed the planet. It will be interesting for the next several generations if the current ones do not change course and work together, not punitively but positively, to rebuild the planet. It takes mostly ‘want to’.
Now, you have read my ranting for 1600 words and survived to this point. Thanks. Bear with me for just a few more moments of reading.
It is a fool who says in his/her heart there is no God – God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus.
I will close this with these few words. You do not have to believe me. That is fine. It does not make them untrue.
The God of the Bible is who He says He is, and He made you, Man, after His image and likeness. You are like Him. No, not redheaded or blond or gray or bald. That has to do with your body. That part is unique to you. No, I speak about that which is on the inside of you: who you are deep down. That part was made like Him. As such, you have His nature and character. You are like Him, to be with Him, to make life interesting. Where you differ is in mission. Adam chose to remove himself from a life with God; that is sin. In the same way, you and I did the same thing. The early mandate was to tend the garden, have dominion over everything in it, set rules for it, cause it to prosper, and fill up the planet with it. And, to do all of that in partnership with God, Man-male, and Man-female; in partnership. That didn’t happen. It’s worth studying to find out what happened there.
Since we have no relationship with God like it was early on, everything is difficult and done in our own wisdom – as little as that is. We have come up with our own solutions, our own answers, our own mighty ones upon which to rely since we cannot connect back to the God who created us. We made our own decisions as to how we would work the world. It has not worked out so well. Is there still time to correct it all and get back on track? I don’t think so anymore. I did at one time.
All that matters now is your relationship with the God of the Bible. Some will mock. Some will scoff. Some will ridicule. Some will say there is no ‘god’ so there is no concern. I have learned otherwise. I have learned differently that there is a God, just as the Bible describes, and there is a coming reckoning. Get ready. You are going to face it. God simplified things beyond simple for us; difficult to near impossibility for Him. It all comes to one name: Jesus.
There is not enough space here, or time, to tell you the ins and outs and the whys. There is only this: Jesus covered every gap of Man so Man could get back on track with the original mission. To learn to be like Him, we had to take dominion, set rules, do the work, cause it to prosper, then fill the earth with what we were doing with Him. That is only possible if Jesus covers your every gap and you develop your relationship with God.
Man failed Man. Man failed the planet. Man has an opportunity on an individual basis through Jesus to not fail God.
An additional bit then I am done.
This planet could be healed. There are many brilliant people on the planet and able resources. Methods for profitable business can be devised that would allow money makers to make money while enhancing the planet positively. It is all still quite possible; however, not without a radical shift by Man. I am torn in my hope. I know Man is capable of doing this. I know Man is capable of killing off everyone who disagrees with Man’s various and sundry lusts and deeply held beliefs. We stand at a precipice. Which way do we go as a specie? As a people group? We get to decide.
it is a sad state of affairs – we’re potentially brilliant – yet we really do behave like ants. This was a stellar post.