Hate’s Design

     

Hate was designed to be destructive. 

Hate has no positives, and yet, it will always exist, as will love.

     Hate exists through its acceptance as a normality, as does love.

Hate is a result of choices made, as is love.

     Hate wants your soul, as does love.

Hate wants your death, love wants your life.

     Hate, through segregation, was designed to keep ‘different’ people, apart.

Hate, through abortion, was designed to keep minorities, minorities.

     Hate, through welfare, was designed to keep the poor, poor.

Hate, through victimization, was designed to keep people, dependent.

     Hate, the projects, was designed to keep ‘others’ invisible.

Hate, through oppression, was designed to suppress speech and religion.

     Hate, selfishness, apathy, is preached by Satan, love, hope, fervor, is exhorted by God.

 

Hate was designed to be destructive.

 

May the peace of Christ fill your hearts, and the love of God fill your soul.

 

David E. Gonzales

…and we still don’t get it!

          It’s unbelievable. 2,000+ years and we still don’t get it. It’s been 2,000+ years since Christ came to teach us, and we still don’t understand the message. 

          Christ came by the power of the Father to teach us there is but one true God, and to be kind to one another. That’s it. He came to teach us that our relationship with God is, as is, our relationship with each other. As we mistreat each other, we separate ourselves from God. 

          And we still don’t get it! 

          As we continue to tear each other apart, regardless of how we self-identify, we drive a larger and larger wedge between us and God. The word used in the New Testament, or Christian Bible, is Love. The “Love” used throughout, is from the Greek meaning “charity” 

          Charity in its simplest form is “kindness”. This is the key to heaven or hell. When we fail in kindness and excel in hate, we fail. We fail completely. There is no room in heaven for hate. As there is no room in hell for love. Christ taught us, “Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven”! 

And we still don’t get it! 

          The New Testament may the most nonracial book(s) ever written. It’s about faith. It’s about how to express that faith between we the people, and as a people, with God. This relationship is intertwined. Our interaction with one another is intertwined in our faith without exception. 

       It is without exception, in all functional relationships, there is one foundation. This foundation consists of mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual care and mutual support. This is true regardless if the relationship is with the divine or with each other. For they are the same. 

          Mutual, not equal. I define it this way, “Equal can be written in law, mutual is expressed person to person”. Mutual kindness, it’s that simple. And it’s that hard. It’s been 2,000+ years and we still can’t or won’t do it. 

          We still insist in exalting ourselves one over another. We read the Bible to self-justify, instead of with a willingness to learn. We are indeed a “stiff necked people” [Acts 7:51-53] 

          We have been saved by Christ, but we can still condemn ourselves. We can throw away the sacrifice of Christ and the “place prepared for us”, [John 14- 2] or we can chose to live in our faith. We have the option to choose between good and evil, love and hate, kindness and cruelty.         

          Love nurtures love and hate nurtures hate. To me the options seem obvious.

And yet we still don’t seem to get it. 

May the peace of Christ fill your hearts and the love of God fill your souls. 

David E. Gonzales

Mutually Equal

          

        The law is written in equality, but is not exercised in equality. As imperfect humans, the best we can expect is to exercise the law, mutually.         

          We can be kind to each other. However, it is doubtful that we will be equally kind, but we most certainly can be mutually kind to each other.         

          Equality is a noble goal, mutuality is an obtainable goal. Hate begets hate, love begets love. In the New Testament “Love” is used quite often, and quite poorly. Love in the New Testament is better and more appropriately defined as “charity”. This is, to give without an expectation of a return. Kindness is the simplest form of this “charity” or love.         

          The Golden Rule (Matt 7:12) exemplifies this love. Although this also brings Karma into the equation. Be good, or else. 1 Cor. 13 expands upon The Golden Rule and brings it into better focus. The focus of kindness/charity.

          I think Matt 25:35-45 could be the best example of this kindness, love, charity. It rightly expresses, How you treat others is for the Glory of God, not for your Glory. This is a mutual kindness, not equal. Yet, this is the kind of kindness that can bring about equality. Not lawful equality, but, practiced equality. Real day to day equality.         

          Kindness is the simplest form of love. By being kind to one another we can bring about equality, a different kind of equality. The type of equality only we as a people can create. For equality isn’t a law brought down upon us from a government. It’s a law of God that must come from our hearts and souls and be extended to one another.         

          The laws have been written. And they help, but they don’t and can’t change the hearts of people. Acts of kindness, can and do. These acts of love bring about an internal change and a respect for others. Acts of kindness change an individual’s soul. A community’s soul, a state’s soul, a nation’s soul. 

       Hate is strong, but it has to be fed. Kindness is the fuel that feeds our souls and starves hatred. Hate begets hate, Love begets Love. Charity is the path of our salvation. Hate the path to our demise. 

May the peace of Christ fill you hearts and Love of God fill your soul. 

          David E. Gonzales

9-11 / Covid-19

I’m self-isolated. I’m fine, just doing my part. I have a lot of time to think, good or bad, here is some of it.

            I see few aircraft flying through the sky. I see few cars on the road. I smell fresh air. I sense similarities between now and 19 years ago. After 9-11 air traffic stopped. Cars and trucks slowed to a crawl. The air cleared. There was both a calm and a tension.

            That tension was created by an unknown element. Then it was terrorism. Today it’s a virus. Then as now, both are setting a mood of uncertainty. The stock market doesn’t know how to react. Money’s not being made, but the underlining cause isn’t financial. The uncertainty is time and extent.

            The public, us, are also uncertain how to react. Suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar life style. A few weeks ago we were so busy and the virus was so far away, now it’s here. Today many of us have so much idle time. Time to think about “the virus” and all the effects it’s causing. Even those on the front lines, as busy as they are, are thinking about all the effects of this experience.

            In times of stress we could fall back on our favorite activities to help us relax. But now many of these activities are shut down or severely limited. Now we’re down to the core, or at least our core. Our families, our friends and of course our faith.

            Since most, or many, of the spiritual places we congregate are closed, we need to find options to find solace. The “E” world is filling a void, it’s good, but not the same. In reality it’s our faith, that which is in us, that we need to lean on. Not out of choice, but, instead, necessity.

            We have arrived at a time where it’s necessary to draw on the faith we profess. Whatever your faith, it’s time to trust in the promise. It’s time to understand what “living your faith” really means. Take a look at some of your favorite religious texts and see if you find new meaning in them. Or perhaps the solace you/we are looking for and need. I fill my need with ‘1 Corinthians 13’.

            As I read these verses I replace the word love with charity. I understand this is the root word used in the original texts. It reminds me that love and my faith are one of giving. To you it will most likely be a different verse, and it most likely it will just as personal, just as meaningful.

            We trust in the professionals to do their jobs. Now let’s trust in our faith and do our jobs, as well as we can. We are all different as to how we can contribute, some simple and some grand, all are meaningful and all are needed. So stop, breath, read, recite and bring your faith to a higher level of understanding. Bring your faith to a higher level of practice.

God’s peace be with you. God’s blessings, always.

David E. Gonzales

There Is No Power...

There is no white power, nor black power. No brown, no yellow. No Christian, no Jew, no Muslim, nor any other division created by humanity. 

There are but three divisions, those are of love, hate and apathy. The last one listed is perhaps the most dangerous and insidious. I can understand where some apathy comes from. It's hard to openly care about something, anything, these days. And even harder to voice your concern. Take a look at your social media and read the vile comments, some on the most benign posts.

Those vile comments usually come from a place of hurt, which has festered into hate. Their hate turns into our apathy. Many slowly lose their ability to love/care, thus allowing apathy to creep into their daily routine. These same people become increasingly self-concerned and defensive.

As they/we become increasingly "self" orientated, we lose the ability to extend ourselves outside of our comfort zone. This allows the hate to grow, to manifest into a controlling entity. Only then do we see a push back from the masses. Sometimes, that happens too late to constrain.

           

Usually, hate can be pushed back into the shadows of existence. Unfortunately, it can’t be eliminated. Understanding this helps us to be conscious and resilient.

           

As love will find those of a similar persuasion, so will hate. Apathy is safe, and it too will find those of a similar ilk. Love and hate will always go head to head in the battle for dominance. Because love can be passive, and hate aggressive, hate will slither into those shadows and await its next opportunity, its next excuse to try and take control.

           

Love, hate and apathy, these three levels of being dominate our lives, our time here on Earth. Let us take our stance for love. Let us never fall to the lies of hate. And never let us fall into the false comfort of apathy.

Many Faiths have as their core a belief of compassion toward each other. How we treat each other embodies our relationship with our God, Higher Power or Positive Energy. When we live with kindness and charity, we live our Faith and we are in harmony with our Faith. We understand our Faith and we are exercising that understanding.

Hate is easy to understand, while apathy is easily overlooked. In Faith, apathy is condemned. In the Christian Bible, Luke 16:19-31, tells the story and effects of apathy. And it’s not pretty. At the same time hate should never be met with more hate, as this will only fuel the fire of hate. There is no simple or easy solution.

Earlier I stated that hate can’t be eliminated. It can, however, be minimized, but not with more hate.

May you always have to strength to LOVE!

by David E. Gonzales

I Express-

I write to express my feelings, thoughts, faith. I write as a matter of need, not want. I don’t write to become a master of the “like” button. I write to help myself and I hope to help others in my expressions. I believe that writing is one of the better ways to help me understand life. The true reality of my perceptions that surround me. It is through writing that I help to heal my damaged ego. It is through writing that I heal emotionally and psychologically, this is where I stabilize my mental state.

Writing isn’t for everyone. But for those who do write, even a little, it can be a big piece of keeping oneself in state of “being happy.” Being happy, getting happy, desiring to be happy, staying happy, for some its easy, for other it takes a little more effort.

Perhaps effort is really the key here. For nothing happens if you don’t try. Without putting yourself forth, nothing is going to happen. It’s a daily exercise of communicating with others and yourself. Understanding yourself is absolutely necessary to living in harmony with others. Writing is a wonderful way of clearing out the clutter and focusing your thoughts into complete lucidity.

This is not a one step or one day process. It’s also not an agonizing one. Or at least it shouldn’t be. And while writing down one’s personal thoughts isn’t easy, clarity can be shocking, responding to yourself can be most rewarding.

The response you have to your writings can and should be gaged on how positive the effects will be. And the effects should be, must be, positive in nature. Our faith, our relationship with God is, as is, our relationship with each other. This must always be positive! Our relationship with our faith and our relationship with everyone in our lives should be one and the same. If God is love, (expressed as charity), then our relationships should reflect that ideal as much as possible. Writing can bring to light the imbalance in our lives.

As we increase the balance in our lives, that “happy” feeling becomes increasingly consistent. Our personal lives and faith should and need to be, as much as possible, in harmony with each other. Writing allows me an outlet for my thoughts to be expressed in an ever clarifying manner. I’ve only been writing for a few years now, but I find writing an increasingly valuable tool in my life. Note: Not all my thoughts are published.

Writing is self-care. It is necessary to take care of yourself in order to care for others. You must be good to yourself in order to be good to others in a consistent manner. Otherwise you may find yourself in a state of emotional flux. Self-care is a necessary element in life. Everyone I know has this element in their lives.  

I hope that this expression, written from the heart, will help you in attaining balance you are looking for.

by David E. Gonzales

The Gift of Mortality

If we were all immortal, then there would be no reason to live. There would be no one to take care for. There would be no one to nourish. There would be no births, no deaths, no babies, no aged and no disease. There would be no one; new. We would be as we are. We would have no desire to learn, for we would know all things necessary to know.

Life would not be worth living. Oh, sure, there would still be buildings to build and re-build, clothing to make, food to grow. But those things would simply be the status quo. Impressing your neighbors would be a moot point. All things that could be done would already have been done.

Truly living is to be engaged. Engaged in life, in people and in creating things new and better. Immortality takes away any incentive to engage anything. This make our mortality a gift. The gift of desire. To be engaged. To give birth, to aid the aged, and the inflicted. Even grief, as painful as it is, is a gift. For we can’t grieve without first having loved. And love [charity] is our greatest calling. Charity is what brings us the most gratification.

Charity is born from our mortality. Charity houses and clothes the poor and feeds the hungry. Charity brings light to injustice and justice to the most vulnerable. Our mortality brings out our humanity in us. Our mortality is a gift, not a scourge, from God. For without our mortality, complacency would be the rule. Immortality would allow us to live forever, but our mortality allows us to be alive!

May you always be alive in life!

David E. Gonzales

God and Tragedy

It’s always the darkest before the dawn. It’s in the lull before the storm that my fears are heightened. It’s after the storm has passed that I feel the calm of normality. It’s also here the love of God is most visible. After the danger has passed, after evil has shown its face, I feel relieved.

This event is over, they are dead, it can’t happen again. Not exactly like this anyway, and not in the same place. Awareness is heightened, and everyone’s head is on a swivel. Reacting to every noise, car out of place, backpack set aside. Evil recedes into the darkness waiting for another opportunity. It will not return until it feels safe, this when we drop our guard.

God becomes most visible in these tragic times. You see God in the mass outpouring of people helping people. They do not cower in their homes, or seek safety in a shelter. They venture out in the open, allowing themselves to be vulnerable for the greater good of humanity. This is true love, this is the Grace of God which is always present, devouring hurt to help others who have been hurt.

We, as children of God, put aside our differences to everyone, regardless of our faith, skin color, age, gender, language, in order to reach out to give aid, comfort, and spiritual healing. God does not create tragedy, nor does God cure the injured. At least not directly, that’s our job. God gives us the power, through the Spirit, for us to aid each other. The power to not cower after a tragedy

happens.

This gift of God is always there. We as a people take it for granted until something happens. Then we look to God and ask, why? Why did you allow this to happen to so many innocent people? Unfortunately to real question is, “Why did we allow this to happen to ourselves and to each other?”

We get comfortable in our everyday lives and turn a blind eye to our surroundings. We get comfortable with our faith, we forget that God has challenged us to be involved in the world through the work of charity. It is through this work that God is most prevalent. Unfortunately, it takes a tragedy for us to extend a hand outside of our comfort zone.

It’s difficult to reach out a helping hand where conflict may arise. But this is our challenge. This is the command that God has given to us, a command of unbridled charity. Yes, it’s hard to reach across the lines we have drawn for ourselves. I believe that if we, as a society, work towards this goal, this command, then we can limit these man made tragedies and live in an increasingly peaceful world.

Love is charity! Read 1 Cor. 13, and replace the word “love” with the word “charity” and you’ll get a better understanding of what kind of love (agape) is being defined in this most beautiful passage.

May God's love and peace be with you always!

David E. Gonzales

God Has No Plan

This post will undoubtedly upset some of you reading this. If you are, I will apologize in advance. With that said, I think this post has some merit that should be considered.

I’ve heard it said that “God has a plan for you”, or something to that extent. I think this is an incorrect, albeit, easy and common way to explain the hardships, we as his children experience during our lifetimes. It is difficult to answer questions as to the “why” in life. As in “He or she is such a good person, how or why did this horrible thing happen to them.” It is here I hear the answer, “it’s all in God’s plan.” I must disagree.

God doesn’t have a plan for our lives. This time between our birth and our death. God may very well know what is in store for us here. But that’s not the same as making a plan. One reason I don’t believe that God plans out our lives is that our lives are filled with hardship. God, and as our parents, don’t wish hardships on us. Also, I do not believe that God tests our faith through our hardships, although through our hardships our faith is lessened or strengthened.

There is something important about having us go through the process of life. There is something important about making the decisions, big and small, that make our lives what they are. I do not believe that God micro-manages our lives. God is not controlling our every step along the way. If this were true then we would be little more than robots, with no free will. God does not have a plan for us, but God didn’t leave us completely to our own accord either. God did give us a guide. Three in fact.

God gave us this guide to support us as we make our decisions, big and small, every day in our lives. This guide is the root of our faith. It is the root of almost every faith. This guide is called Faith, Hope, and Love.

Love, especially in the New Testament, is translated from the Latin word “agape” and this is where we get our word for “charity.” I have written in some of my other posts that our relationship with God is, as is, our relationship with each other. That every sin against humanity is a sin against God. And the simplest form of charity is kindness.

Faith, each of us understand our Faith in our unique way. Simply, Faith is offered to us by the Grace God to accept or reject, freely. It is through study, prayer and our life experiences we make our decisions. Our Faith may vary in depth, becoming weaker or stronger as we grow and mature.

Hope. It is Hope, in my opinion, that gives us the driving force to face tomorrow. It is persons without Hope that have no will to continue. All those with the gift of hope can face all the tomorrow’s that are in our time of life.

Whether your Hope is rooted on a Faith or is just something you feel welling up inside, it is Hope that that gets us through each day. No matter if it’s the best or worst of times. It is Hope that keeps us moving forward. It is Hope that gives us courage. It is Hope that allows us to expand our world beyond the confides of our physical and intellectual present.

It is Hope, not a plan, which God gives us. Faith and Love complete the balance in our lives. And it is truly our lives to live. And it is by the gifts of God that we are able to live it.

May God’s gift of Hope be with you always.

David E. Gonzales

I’m Not Attached-

I’m not attached to things, physical things. I hear people say, “I love my car, phone, or other things.” Or, “I don’t know what I would do without this or that thing.” I have a truck I’ve been driving for 14 years; I am no more fond of it than I am of the chair I’m sitting on or the door to this room. These are inanimate objects. They have no life. They give no love. Yet many people do give of themselves to these “things.”

Why do so many give of themselves to things that cannot give in return? It never ceases to befuddle me when I see people have so much emotion over a car. Perhaps it’s because so many people are lonely? Or do they lack in having a Faith? We, as a society seem obsessed with the things we create. Things that give us moments of pleasure, or wonderment, but not a lasting relationship. In fact, not a relationship at all, for a healthy relationship is a two-way engagement.

A healthy relationship is between two human beings. I’m speaking here in regards to personal relationships. There are relationships in families, groups and societies. I wish to keep this within the personal relationship. I believe that personal relationships are both physical and spiritual. Both of these types of relationships have the same foundation of trust, charity, mutual care and support.

I believe many, if not most people, are missing part of this foundation in their lives. One of these parts is trust, and I believe this is why so many of us cling to “things” with an emotional attachment. We don’t have to give much trust to a car or a cell-phone. If these things fail us we can get another one. We can discard them at a whim. Or if they are reasonably reliable we can cling to them as if they are a trusted friend.

Charity brings about another dimension altogether. Let’s bring charity down to its fundamental core, kindness. It doesn’t take much to see that ‘things” don’t bring or offer kindness. Not in any way, whatsoever. So when I hear people say, “Its been so good to me,” I would like to believe they’re speaking metaphorically. Except many are not. They have developed an imaginary relationship with an object. A relationship where they believe this object “cares” about them. This belief can allow people to disengage with others and become increasingly recluse. The attraction is that it’s safer than a personal relationship. However, there’s also no mutual care and support.

Mutual care and support can only be between two people. Again I’m speaking in the context of a personal relationship. Mutual care and support is, really, just two people paying attention to one another. Paying attention with the desire to help one another be as real, productive, and serving as possible. I mean to say, as human as possible. When we put all this together, we call it; being in love, sharing love and being loved.

To be loved is what we desire the most. But I don’t think most of us understand just what that means. To love is to extend to yourself outside of yourself and to take risk with one other. To be loved is to allow yourself to be cared for physically, emotionally, intellectually, and psychologically. A healthy relationship is some combination of all these aspects, each combination becoming unique to each couple. A couple, two people.

Two people, not things, stuff, objects, or toys. A relationship, not something to be discarded and replaced because it’s not working as well as one dreamed it should be working. A relationship takes work, some requiring more care than others. Few relationships, if any, are free of flaws. None of them are attached to “things” more than they are attached to each other. If they were, they would be considered a business relationship and not personal one.

I’m not attached…

I’m not attached to what I have. I have what I need to function in today’s society, both in business and personally. I don’t need things, or want things to replace human interaction and certainly not to mimic a relationship. I think we as a society need to prioritize our emotions regarding “things” and people. I think we need to treat each other with the foundation of charity and kindness.

If we treat each other with this foundation of trust, charity, mutual care and support, we will find a shift in the way we look at the “things” in our lives. Putting our attachments in the human context, first and foremost. We need to pull our heads out of the electronic sand and reinsert our body, and minds back into personal relationships and society as whole. The relationship we have with each other is the same relationship we have with our God, Spirit, or Higher Power.

As we shift from the “things” of this world, we will be more willing to embrace our natural longing toward faith and our humanity. We are all physical and spiritual beings in need of physical and spiritual relationships.

May we all be blessed in our physical and spiritual relationships.

David E. Gonzales

The Golden Rule / Karma

Is this life in a nutshell? Is The Golden Rule/Karma the simplest manner to explain nearly all the World’s faiths? Is this the reason why the “me first” way of life is generally looked down upon in nearly every society today. And not only today but throughout history? This simple “rule” is really quite expansive, as it covers the basics of human interaction.

Not only is the Golden rule/Karma between me and anyone I meet, it also extends to how I treat someone, anyone, in need and as to how I am treated when I am in need. The return on my kindness may not be immediate, it may not even happen in this life. It may not come until I have become debilitated, incapacitated, and/or feeble, but it will come. I believe in The Golden Rule/Karma.

Karma will pat you on the back or kick you in the rear. And it’s all dependent on you. How you treat others is Karma’s motivation. I think it is because of my belief in The Golden Rule/Karma that I’m not a vindictive person. I don’t feel the motivation to “get” someone, or to “get back at” anyone. And yes I’ve had the occasion to feel I should or could do just that. It’ll happen, even if I don’t see it happen, or know it happened. Or, speaking eternally, that it may happen in the next life.

This doesn’t mean that I haven’t had The Golden Rule/Karma kick me a few times. I’ve been on the not so nice end of life. I’m not proud of it, but it’s a fact of life, and I acknowledge it and live with it. I do my best to live The Golden Rule, and I admit, I’m still learning. Yes, I believe in The Golden Rule and Karma. They are one and the same. Different traditions, but very much the same.

There’s the Golden Rule, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” And then there’s the evil twin, “Do unto others before they do unto you.” We all have our choices to make, and the freedom to accept or reject the good or pernicious. And yes, they both can be accepted and/or rejected. Each with its rewards or penalties.

To accept the good is to move forward, looking ahead with a positive attitude, kindness, graciousness, charity, respect, forgiveness, acceptance, and tolerance. The Golden Rule/Karma will follow this trail. To reject the good is to move forward taking advantage of the less wily, knowledgeable, the weak, old and ill. The Golden Rule/Karma will follow this trail also. This is to live a life while looking over your shoulder. Always wondering when Karma’s steel-toed boot is going to leave its mark. Sounds like a tough way to live, certainly not a peaceful way.

So, take your pick, make your choice. Lend a helping hand or slap one away. Just remember, this is your hand you are offering, or your hand you are slapping. This is your future, perhaps soon or perhaps in eternity,…….. Your eternity.

 The Golden Rule/Karma, pay it forward

Scripture is from the NABRE:

Mat. 7; 12a. Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.

Also Luke 6:31. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

by David E. Gonzales

Racism; A Cure?

I’ve heard people say that racism is taught, which it is. However I don’t believe that’s the only dynamic involved with this issue. What I’m bringing into the conversation is that racism is also a decision made. What I’ve been hearing and reading are individuals making the popular statement about racism being taught and following it up with a pointed example. This seems ok, except they usually follow-up their point with something like “THE END, OR THAT IS ALL” This of course is meant to end the conversation. Ah, if it were only that simple.

            President Obama recently stated in a speech that racism hasn’t been cured. And I have to agree with that statement. What I don’t agree with is the idea that there is a cure.

There is not now, nor will there ever be a cure for racism. Racism can be taught, yes, but that is not the only way people become racists. Another method could be that a person sees another person, and that other person looks different. The human mind immediately goes into motion and tries to understand what it’s seeing. The mind can come to many different conclusions. One of those conclusions could be, “if it’s different than me it must be less than me, or flawed in some way”. Once the mind comes to define something in this manner, it may at this time become a sub-conscience truth. It may be very hard, if not impossible, to change the mindset of that

conclusion.

            The mindset of racism is a motivation for people to gather. People tend to congregate with those of similar qualities. Other more common qualities are skin color, language, cultural traditions, and/or religious practices. These commonalities have been around since the earliest of times.

In the Bible racism is largely absent from mindset of its writers. Religious bigotry is a very different matter. There’s also the very prevalent matter of birthright written in the pages of the Bible. You were either Jewish or not Jewish, a Roman citizen or not a Roman citizen, wealthy or poor, and of course later, a Christian or not a Christian. Each one came with its specific rights and privileges. Thankfully, the Bible also tells us how to deal with racism and bigotry.

The Bible states throughout, especially in the New Testament, that love is the answer. It teaches us that love is lived through charity, kindness, respect, forgiveness, acceptance, and tolerance. Living life through love, and teaching through example can no doubt reduce racism throughout our society.

We are predominantly a society of religions. If we truly live our lives as our faiths teach, we can minimalize and delegitimize the idea of racism and bigotry. We will never be able to eliminate racism or bigotry, but we can diminish it to the point that it becomes a scourge on those who practice this belief, and not worn as a badge of honor.

There is no honor in hatred. Hatred begets hatred, love begets love, and love always triumphs. (1 Cor. 13)

May you always practice what you preach, and may you always preach love!

by David E. Gonzales

Related link: God Hates The--- 

Definitions via the Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary:

rac·ism

: a belief that race is the primary determinate of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

: racial prejudice or discrimination

big·ot

: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices ; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

What's Worse?

What's worse? 

Hating each other,

- Or ignoring each other?

     Hating each other leads to destructive behavior.

While ignoring each other results in apathetic behavior.

     I think both lead to sadness, and I think that says enough.

     Love, or more specifically, charity, leads to behavior that is constructive and enthusiastic.  

     Constructive, in building a society that is greatly reduced in destructive aggression. Consistently reinforcing a foundation for strong relationships. 

     Being enthusiastic in kindness, this leads to stronger families, communities, towns, cities, states, and countries. This is laid upon a stable foundation, enduring the test.

-Charity, people lending a hand to people.

--Charity, kindness extended to those in need.

---Charity, Love personified.

by David E. Gonzales

Humanity's Healing

Charity is the essence to Humanity's Healing.

      Charity is;

The hand held out in compassion and kindness for the sake of others.

The care of the poor, and the stability amongst chaos.

The active relationship with our God, Spirit, or Higher Power.

It is what holds Nations, States, cities, towns, communities, and families together.

It is the greatest gift we as a people can give to one another.

It is love in practice.

True charity is Love in its purest form.

by David E. Gonzales

Clip art - Helping Hands

The Perfect Gift, Re-gifted

Every year I receive a gift,

And every year, I try as hard as I can to return this gift.

I try to repackage this gift in as many ways as possible,

Photographer unknown

But still, it keeps coming back to me.

In fact, the harder I try to give this gift away,

The more and greater I receive this gift in return.

Love is this gift I receive,

And love is this gift I try so hard to return.

Re-gifting love,
The perfect gift.

by David E. Gonzales

God Hates the----?

I must take exception with the all too common adage that God hates. I hear and read that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. It is my belief that God has no hate. God knows and understands hate, but God, as love in its totality, has and harbors no hate.

If we are to believe that God is love (1 John. 4; 8, 16), love in its totality, then I cannot believe God hates. I do not believe that God hates Lucifer, Satan, or whatever name you use, God loves all. Perhaps Satan is God's one true pain, pain for the one who can never be reunited in the kingdom. Then again, with God all things are possible. (Mat. 19; 26/ Mark. 10; 27)

We separate ourselves from God through sin, however, God does not separate from us. It could be said that God cries for us, extends to us his most divine mercy, but with no hatred. Perhaps this is how God can forgive us even though it is known we will sin again?

Why is this important? If we believe our God hates, or has hate, then we will emulate our God and extent this hate to others. If, however we believe our God does not hate or is without hate, and teaches us love is the answer to peace and harmony, then we will also avoid hate and extend our love to others.

If this is true, that God is without hate, then we as his children, must extend this same attitude of love to all people without exception. This is regardless of color, origin, religion, or sex, or any other designation man has devised to create classes of people.

Jesus gave us the greatest commandments, to love God and to love each other. Besides being in all four ¹Gospels it is read throughout the New Testament. To love one another is the single greatest message given to us in the whole of the Bible. Even the passion of Christ is rooted in the love God has for us. It is the common denominator from Genesis through Revelations.

God does not hate, God does not punish the innocent, God does not create pain and suffering, and God did not give us our mortality. Adam brought this into our being through original sin, and now we live to the best of our ability with the tools God has shown us. And love is the tool that trumps them all!

May the PEACE and LOVE of Christ be you now and forever!

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Scripture is from the NABRE

1 John. 4; 8, 16

8-Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

16-We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him

Mat. 19; 26

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

Mark. 10; 27

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

1.     1 - Mat. 22; 37-40 / Mark. 12; 29-31/ Luke. 10; 29-27 / John. 13; 34-35

Related blog: http://daedgo.blogspot.com/2012/11/no-god-didnt-do-it_5.html 

by David E. Gonzales

Works and Salvation, Love is Charity

As I understand it there are two parties to the thought in this debate. On the one side it may be said that by doing good deeds, or works, one can secure, or earn, their place in salvation. On the other side of this debate it is said that we are commanded to do good deeds, or works, in order to retain our salvation, our place in heaven.

            Christ earned our salvation by the way of the cross; however it is clear by Christ’s commandments that we have a responsibility to maintain that earned salvation through “works”. These “works” are works of charity. And charity, of course, is the physical expression of helping the poor by feeding, clothing, and all acts of compassion, without any expectation of a return. This expression should also be accomplished with humility.

            ^1. “Charity, a theological virtue (along with faith and hope), the highest form of Christian love, whose origination source and ultimate end is God” The driving force behind charity is the Holy Spirit, the gift given to us by the Father through Christ. “Though its formal object and final end is God, charity reaches out to the neighbor and well, including even the enemy and the sinner, who are loved for God’s sake”. “Charity is therefore the greatest of the virtues, because it both conjoins us to God and directs all our activity toward the eternal happiness promised us”.

            This “eternal happiness promised us” is our salvation, the final triumph over sin and death. Since our Christ gave himself for salvation, our place in heaven is secure. However we can lose our place through the act of sin. Charity drives us from sin as it is the will of God to do good. The work of charity is how we love God. The work of charity is our spiritual and physical relationship with God. (^2.Mat, 25; 34-40)

            To me it is clear that works are necessary for salvation. Not that works will earn our way to God’s promise to us, but that it will guide us to maintain that which has been earned for us through the works of our Christ, the ultimate work of charity.

            Faith, Hope, and Love are the mainstays of our faith. The words “love” and “charity” are in many places of the New Testament, one and the same. Our relationship with God is through how we treat our friends, enemies, and strangers. Charity is our commandment; Charity is Love, it is how we are meant to live our lives.

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Other examples;

http://daedgo.blogspot.com/2014/01/1-corinthians-13-adaptation.html  = 1 Corinthians; 13

(An adaptation)

http://daedgo.blogspot.com/2012/09/caritas-through-church.html = Caritas through Church

^1.Encyclopedia of Catholicism; Richard P. McBrien (emphasis is mine)

Scripture is from the NABRE;

^2.Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous ¹⁶ will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Mark, 12; 29-31-

            Jesus replied, the first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Luke, 10; 29-27

            Jesus said to him, What is written in the law? How do you read it? He said in reply, You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

John, 13; 34-35

            I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Mat, 22; 37-40

            He said to him, You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment, the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, the whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

* Encyclopedia Britannica (on-line edition)

Encyclopedia

Charity

In Christian thought, the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of one's fellow men. St. Paul's classical description of charity is found in the New Testament(I Cor. 13). In Christian theology and ethics, charity (a translation of the Greek word agape, also meaning "love") is most eloquently shown in the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ. St. Augustine summarized much of Christian thought about charity when he wrote: "Charity is a virtue which, when our affections are perfectly ordered, unites us to God, for by it we love him." Using this definition and others from the Christian tradition, the medieval theologians, especially St. Thomas Aquinas, placed charity in the context of the other Christian virtues and specified its role as "the foundation or root" of them all.

by David E. Gonzales 

Give your life for another?

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends”. John, 15; 13

Most certainly our men and women in uniform deserve all the accolades as possible for their sacrifices to all of us individually and as a Nation. This is more about a secondary meaning of “giving your life” than any attempt to disregard the traditional understanding of this thread of Holy Scripture. It is easier to give your life once in death than to keep on living to care for and to give of yourself to others. In life, Jesus gave his life to all in preaching and teaching his Father’s ways. In death, Jesus gave his life for our salvation.

This is about “charity” not so much about giving up your life to death, but is instead giving your life, in life, with service to the poor. To physically die to protect someone’s life is indeed a great sacrifice; to give your life in charity is a lifelong endeavor. To give your life to protect a life is a onetime offering; to give your life in charity is to give life throughout your life.  I believe that this is in congruence with the teachings of Christ. Jesus taught us throughout the Gospels to love one another. Charity is consistently taught to us as a personal lesson.

In the verse preceding John, 15; 13, Jesus gives his greatest commandment: “love one another as I love you”. In the following verses Jesus calls his disciples “Friends” and explains why he does so. (John 15; 15), “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.”  In keeping chapter fifteen (15; 1-16) in context, it is clear that Jesus is commanding that we take of each other. He is teaching his disciples that love is expressed through acts of charity, and that charity is how we love each other.

In these teaching of Jesus we can extract a sense that Jesus in not teaching a collective type of charity. Jesus’ teachings were directed at Jews and the leaders of the temple in Israel. Jesus was teaching a personal sense of love/charity. At no time did he direct the government, any government, to centralize charity. Love expressed is the work of disciples and apostles of God, both individually and through the Church. Charity is the work of salvation, not salvation deserved, but instead salvation preserved.

May blessings of Love and Charity be in your heart.

All scripture is from the NABRE

by David E. Gonzales

1 Corinthians 13: An Adaptation

                        The following adaptation are thoughts regarding what I believe to be the roots and driving spirit of what it means to be a Christian. I am using this approach to express an idea and for the purpose of reflection and deliberation. At the end of this adaptation you will find a definition that I use, in part, to bring this work into a different light. There is no intention here to discredit or demean Holy Scripture.

        If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not extend my love through works of charity,

I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

        And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;

if I have all faith so as to move mountains but I am not charitable,

I am nothing.

        If I give away everything I own,

and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but don’t achieve it with true charity,

I gain nothing.

        Charity is patient,

chairty is kind.

It is not jealous,

(charity) is not pompous,

it is not inflated,

it is not rude,

IT DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN INTERESTS,

it is not quick-tempered,

it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

        It bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

        Love brought forth through charity never fails.

        If there are prophecies,

they will be brought to nothing;

if tongues, they will cease;

if knowledge,

it will be brought to nothing.

        For we know partially and we prophesy partially,

but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

        When I was a child,

I used to talk as a child, (selfishly)

think as a child, (selfishly)

reason as a child; (selfishly)

when I became a man,

I put aside childish things.

        At present we see indistinctly, (as humans see)

as in a mirror,

but then face to face. (with God)

At present I know partially;

then I shall know fully,

as I am fully known.

        So faith, hope, and charity remain, these three;

but the greatest of these are the works of charity towards those who are in greater need than ourselves.

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- Adapted from the NABRE

- Italics are my thoughts inserted.

- Caps are mine. (IT DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN INTERESTS)

* Encyclopedia Britannica (on-line edition)

Encyclopedia

Charity

In Christian thought, the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of one's fellow men. St. Paul's classical description of charity is found in the New Testament(I Cor. 13). In Christian theology and ethics, charity (a translation of the Greek word agape, also meaning "love") is most eloquently shown in the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ. St. Augustine summarized much of Christian thought about charity when he wrote: "Charity is a virtue which, when our affections are perfectly ordered, unites us to God, for by it we love him." Using this definition and others from the Christian tradition, the medieval theologians, especially St. Thomas Aquinas, placed charity in the context of the other Christian virtues and specified its role as "the foundation or root" of them all
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May you be blessed with a charitable heart.

By David E. Gonzales