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

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