THE PLACE OF LOVE IN NATION BUILDING (PART 5).

LOVE AS THE BASIS OF NATIONHOOD

In part 4 we discussed the law of sowing and reaping and the law of like attracts like. Before we conclude, let us consider a third law: -

The Law of Spiritual Gravitation: This Law ensures that the inner attitude of man determines his spiritual weight. So, the less pure a person is, the heavier he will become spiritually. On the other hand, the purer the human being is, the lighter it is spiritually. Such a soul strives for spiritual maturity and obeys the Laws of God joyfully. On earth, such a man will be blessed with true joy and happiness, and when he leaves the flesh, he rises high and higher in the beyond because of the lightness of his spirit. This will ultimately lead it to Paradise the abode of the blessed spirits who are saved from the danger of being destroyed along with the world.

In applying this law to nation building, one needs only mention that living in some countries today is like living in hellish conditions. Insecurity, wars, unrest, and crime is the order of the day. However, if we change the way we think speak and act and engage in only what is based on love in thought word and deed, then through the workings of this law our nation will be uplifted, and our environment will become lighter. We will then soar above the present dark and heavy environment of despair!

Conclusion:

It is generally accepted that men are better governed by the rule of law and not by the whim of individuals or institutions. We need to add that such laws that govern the people must be aligned with the Laws of our Creator mentioned earlier. This way the executive, legislature and judiciary will work in love and justice for the benefit of the nation and its people.

Love is the basis of nation building and the love we talk about here relates to the justice expressed in the laws of creation. The laws of creation promote joy, peace and happiness. They help in our development at the individual level, the family level and at the national level.

You will recall that we discussed our topic under three subheadings:

1.            The building blocks of a nation: - Here we noted our role as individuals. It is to keep our thoughts pure. We also said that the role of womanhood is to ennoble her environment and influence it for the good and that parents should shun the idea that they need to amass wealth for the sake of their children.

2.            Peace and development: - Under this sub-heading, we discussed the law of balance which ensures harmony, how we can work with the human word for peace and progress and that wealth is not for oppression but is to be utilized for development.

3.            Love as the basis of nationhood: - Here we spoke of the three laws of creation which are an expression of the Love and Justice of the Almighty and how these can be applied to nation building.

My wish is that we all resolve to live henceforth in accordance with these laws so that we can build a blessed nation that is pleasing to God.

THE PLACE OF LOVE IN NATION BUILDING (PART 4).

LOVE AS THE BASIS OF NATIONHOOD

Love is the fulfilment of all the laws and the laws promote upbuilding and development. Therefore, to build a nation, love which is tantamount to the laws of creation must be made the basis and the foundation for everything that is to be done! Now, how do we apply these laws? We must first know them. Before we examine these laws, let us give some thought to love. Love is to give of our self to another by voluntarily giving them respect, consideration and understanding. If we do this the other person will draw immense strength from it such that they can change for the better! This type of love at the individual and national level will result in peace and progressive upbuilding. Now to the laws which themselves bear love and justice: -

The Law of Sowing and Reaping: This Law stipulates that we will reap what we have sown unconditionally and in multiples. As this Law manifests in nature it also applies to our words thoughts and deeds. These are seeds which in the workings of Creation bring back to us fruits of a similar kind.

I have experienced it many times when I put on a smile and use kind words on reaching police check points that the policemen simply were nice in return. Even the harshest of civil servants have cooperated with me when I speak to them in love. I then get responses such as: “because of the way you spoke, I will assist you”. In the same vein a leader who expects the loyal following of his team needs to treat them with love and he will obtain their loyalty. Rigidity or the regular use of threats will result in forced obedience that can break down at any moment. Such a leader seats on a keg of gunpowder!

A nation will therefore be able to build itself by always acting with this law as basis so that peace and joy can reign.

The Law of like Attracts like: This Law maintains order in Creation. For the human spirit, there is an inherent ability to attract things just as a magnet will attract metals. This Law of Nature ensures that man will not attract all sorts of things to itself in a wild confusion. To maintain strict order, this Law ensures that only what is like the nature of the human spirit is attracted to it.

So, if as a nation we desire good leaders, let us change and become good people. After all it is from us that the leaders emerge. Through the operation of this law, we attract the leaders that are just like us.

Do you want to have dedicated and honest workers in your business? This law can help you! Start out by being a dedicated person, pay yourself a salary and do not dip your hands into your company account anyhow saying you are the company owner who can act anyhow. Come to work on time and be disciplined. You will discover to your happiness that those who will be attracted to your company will have the same attitude as you.

In the next  essay, which will be the concluding part, we will consider the law of spiritual gravitation and have a conclusion.

THE PLACE OF LOVE IN NATION BUILDING (PART 3).

WHERE LIES PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT?            

Peace will reign where we shun unhealthy rivalry and evil thoughts. This peace in turn creates the environment in which development occurs. Amongst other factors such as building sustainable national  institutions, three things that contribute to national peace and development are: 1. Observance of the law of balance; 2. The right use of the human word and 3. The right attitude to wealth.

i.                     The law of balance.

This law cannot be circumvented without repercussions. We find this law operating in the need to have balance between work and rest; between giving and taking; between breathing in and out and so on. With respect to nation building, we need to observe this law such that what is due to each one in the polity is given to them. The workers need to be adequately compensated for what they put in as their labor and contributions.  No part of the country must be made to feel that they are being cheated or taken advantage of. The non-observance of this law leads to nothing but agitations, unrest and instability whereas its observance guarantees harmony, peace and progress.

ii.                   The right use of the human word.

We have been told --“Let your communication be yea or nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil!” This statement means that useless talk leads to unrest and decline! Much talk and talkative leaders lead a people to misery!

We must therefore be careful how we use the God-given ability to form words. Politicians should avoid making empty promises which they do not intend to fulfil as this breeds disquiet in the polity. 

Communication between individuals is better done in love, avoiding hate-speech, mockery and harming our fellow countrymen. This is because in accordance with the laws of creation a type of speech can only bring about what is similar. Hate speech will breed hatred and suspicion while the use of words of peace and love brings peace and progress.

iii.                 The right attitude to wealth

The United Nations in 2015 put up a collection of 17 goals known as The Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). These are the goals that nations must meet in the years ahead. Let us mention the top 4 of these goals:

Goal 1: No Poverty

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being for People and

Goal 4: Quality Education

Nations need to make resources available to attain to these lofty goals. At national and individual levels, we need to consider wealth creation. This must be coupled with the right attitude. We should not seek wealth just so that we can become objects of envy to others or so that we can oppress.  Rather, wealth is to be used towards development and progress.

Money on its own is not evil, but the inordinate ambition to acquire it at all costs even at the detriment of others is what is evil. We should not make the acquisition of wealth the sole purpose of our lives forgetting that we must also spiritualise our endeavours. (a topic for another day!)

                                                                                                                                                                       

We need to be diligent at the individual and national levels so that we can work our way out of poverty, live decent lives and be able to provide necessary healthcare and quality education for our people. We should eschew the “get rich quick” mindset, embrace diligent work and direct all our thoughts, words and deeds towards all that is good so that we can reap progress and development as reward.

THE PLACE OF LOVE IN NATION BUILDING (PART 2).

The building blocks of a nation. 

Let us look at the various strata of society and their roles with regards to nation building: 

i. The role of everyone 

If you say for example that all Nigerian are corrupt. I will not argue with you. But if we must change this, then let that change start with me and you. If I change truly for the good, then most likely some of those around me who see the change in me will wish to emulate me and make a change and before you know it, we will be a good influence on our surroundings. 

But how is this change to be attained? We find help in the Grail Message which tells us that the foundation for the upbuilding of a new humanity, which we cannot and must not evade, rests in the one sentence: Keep the hearth of your thoughts pure! 

And it is with this that we must begin! That is our first task which will make us what we must become. If we fulfil this then we will receive the full measure of help that awaits us in Creation which leads us and our country upwards to peace and progress without interruption! 

ii. The role of the woman 

If we wish to build our nation to the honour of our Creator, then we need to understand the real role of the woman and tap into it. 

She is not just there for child bearing or making herself the domestic servant of her family. 

The woman is blessed by the Creator such that she can sense clearly the will of the Almighty and she can ennoble her environment by influencing her people to follow the will of God. Men will do all they can to be in good standing with the women in their lives be they their mother, wife, daughter or friend. Therefore, imagine if the women of this country resolve that they will shun any man who cannot explain the source of his wealth. This alone will have a great and positive effect in reducing the compulsion to corrupt practices in our land. 

The role of womanhood is to be priestesses of purity wherever they are. Let us look up to our women and girls in this regard and they too will change to what we see in them and we will thereby uplift our nation! 

iii. Children and parents 

Many say that they work for their children! They work so hard, make deals, and if they are in public office, resort to outright stealing so that they can provide for their children and grandchildren yet unborn! 

Let us free ourselves from this unnecessary burden. Once parents have taken care of the child to the point where the child can take care of his own physical body, then anything done beyond that is a gift because the child is really an independent individual who is just a guest of the parents who have implicitly agreed by their voluntary act of love to accept this loved one. 

It is not true love to make everything easy for children. True love will allow them independence as soon as they are mature. The children just like their parents have a lot to do to become mature spiritually and to be materially independent and each should be allowed to work their way upwards freely. This way we curb corruption and unrest in our nation. 

In the next essay we will treat the question of peace and development.

THE PLACE OF LOVE IN NATION BUILDING (PART 1)

A nation has been defined as a stable community of people, formed based on a common language, territory, economic life, ethnicity, and a common culture. The concept of nation building means the efforts of newly independent countries notably the countries of Africa to transform their territories into viable nations. These new states are not nations ab initio but countries with many nations embedded! Nation building therefore becomes necessary because these countries had been carved out by colonial powers without regard to ethnic, religious, or other boundaries.

Nation-building includes the creation of national paraphernalia such as flags, anthems, national days, national stadiums, national airlines and national languages. At a deeper level, national identity needed to be deliberately constructed by molding different ethnic groups into a nation. This is essential because as said earlier, the colonialists usually brought many nations together to form a country. For example, Nigeria has been described as a country comprising many nations.

Most times these new countries or states are plagued by distrust among the member ethnic groups, conspiracy theories and destructive rivalry between the ethnic groups within the state. This sometimes resulted in their near-disintegration, such as the attempt by Biafra to secede from Nigeria between 1967 and 1970. In Asia, the division of British India into India and Pakistan was in part due to ethnic differences, which might have been aided by other factors like colonial mismanagement of the situation. The Rwandan genocide as well as the recurrent problems experienced by the Sudan can also be related to a lack of ethnic, religious, or racial cohesion within the state. To this day, the national question remains a topical issue in Nigeria.

Obviously, the task of forming states into nations is quite an onerous task. We shall in this series examine the task of nation building using the above topic which will be treated under the following three sub-headings:

1. The building blocks of a nation.
2. Where lies peace and development?
3. Love as the basis of nationhood.

The following essays will address the above-mentioned points. Enjoy…

THE ADAM AND EVE QUESTION

It was mentioned at a hearty Sunday family discussion that there are theories that the first humans came out of Africa. Why do we have paintings that depict Adam and Eve as whites despite this “out of Africa” theory? We humorously resolved that African visual artists and painters should wake up and correct this obvious anomaly!

A highly respected Pastor who was also Professor of Biology told us in church one Sunday that if he asked about the origin of the human race in church and you mention Darwin’s evolution theory you will score zero. You must say we came from Adam and Eve. But if he asked the same question in his Biology class and you say Adam and Eve you will score zero as the right answer will then be Darwin’s theory!

Nearly all who have studied Biology are convinced of the evolution theory. Many are however conflicted because their religious beliefs compel them to accept that the human race appeared at once as fully developed male Adam and female Eve. But seriously, can science and religion be reconciled especially in this case?

I say yes because it is my conviction that religion and science must consistently correspond in all simplicity and clarity for them to represent the Truth! The deficiency in the sciences of today is that scientists have tragically limited themselves exclusively to the material world. Also, religions at times propagate ideas which are not in accordance with the Natural Laws of Creation to which science already bows at least as regards what scientists can observe in the world of matter, the minutest part of Creation.

Perhaps we can understand how man came to this earth and unite religion and science if with our intuition we recognise first that everything on earth starts as a seed. Secondly, the body is different from the spirit of man. Man’s body is not the real man! Therefore, while the body issues from the materiality of this earth starting initially as a seed, then developing into simpler life forms until it reached a sufficient level of maturity, the real emergence of man on earth only occurred when the human spirit coming from above incarnated in the body after a long earthly preparation aforementioned which spanned millennia. This long earthly preparation of the physical body is what science refers to as evolution! What does science know about the human spirit that incarnated in the body? Nothing! Religion too has refused to accept that the human body had to first undergo a process of a necessary development before the human spirit can take it over.

Once we remove the obvious fanaticism of each side, we would have united science and religion in this case!

TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK.

We have read: ‘If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also'. What does this mean? 

The meaning of turning the other cheek is that we should endeavor not to react in a vengeful manner when we perceive that we have been wrongly treated by others.

All the actions that proceed from us must be out of love instead of an evil intent which includes taking revenge by taking some actions meant to harm the other person who has himself perpetrated a wrong against us.

In addition, it also means that we must forgive those who offend us. That is the way we ourselves can be free. If we do not forgive those who trespass against us our own sins too cannot be forgiven! Remember a portion of the Lord’s Prayer that says: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. If we forgive others, we will not intentionally harm them in retaliation. Acting in retaliation only heaps up a burden of guilt on us regardless of the temporary satisfaction that the vengeful act may bring.

Finally, all the foregoing does not mean that one should encourage others to treat one shabbily. That will be promoting evil and this is not the meaning of Christ’s Teaching. We should be fearless and face others with dignity and firmness. We should demand the same respect we voluntarily give to others and seek to be treated fairly but we should not ourselves commit a sin in that process. 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT?

In Mathew 5:3 we read: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

The spirit is the very core of man; his essence! Viewed this way, one will have to ask: How come that it is the poor in spirit who will inherit the kingdom of heaven? One would have thought that the kingdom of heaven should be for those who have developed their latent spiritual gifts and have become rich in spirit! 

However, we might be able to understand this first sentence of the Beatitudes when we cross reference it with some other scripture. 

First is Isaiah 66:2 which says: “… But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at my word.” 

Second is Matthew 19:14 where we read: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

From the forgoing we can intuitively sense that the words “poor in spirit” refers to those who are simple, pure at heart, childlike, humble and unassuming. These are men who are able to accept the true teachings of Jesus as simply as little children, without pre conceived ideas and an intellectual “wanting to know better” attitude. 

Let us note that Jesus also did not choose His Disciples from the elitist Pharisees and Scribes but He took them from the simple, natural people, because they had no need to struggle against the great misconception that the way to God is difficult. 

Here is the good news: he who bears within himself the firm volition for what is good, and strives to give purity to his thoughts, has already found the way to the Highest! One does not need to lock himself up in solitude, and insist on some austere measures to find the right path. Neither is it necessary to eat grass or otherwise enslave oneself to some religious leader, become a prayer warrior, or fast until one emaciates. 

The “poor in spirit” are the simple. They absorb the Truth with a pure heart as children in an unassuming and humble manner. They are the ones who have the promise of Jesus: theirs is the kingdom of heaven! 

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL WARFARE?

On my way to play Table Tennis one evening I came across a wall poster which announced a church program entitled “That witch must die”. I reckon the program will attract many participants because quite a large number live in the belief that their life is a continuous battle with enemies seen and unseen! Usually, the belief is that the attacks are of a non-physical nature hence the battle is regarded as spiritual warfare. 

In addition to the aforementioned spiritual warfare terminology comes another popular phrase: “prayer warrior”. The prayer warrior is battle ready for the enemies, evil doers, witches and so on. The words of Ephesians 6:12 is the usual reference point: - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. 

Recently, a colleague shared with me on WhatsApp 40 prayer points given by a popular church in Nigeria. Many of the prayer points concern declaring war on enemies who are too strong, that the enemies be swallowed up, broken by rod of iron and that the hands of witchdoctors be broken to mention just a few. 

Must we live in this way, dwelling on what enemies do or are capable of doing? Must we perpetually war against principalities and powers? Should this be our priority as believers of the Almighty? 

Firstly, we need to balance the scripture earlier mentioned with other scripture and promises; and they abound. So in Psalms 91:1-16, for example we read: - He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. This shows that we are protected from evil provided we are loyal to the Almighty. 

Secondly, you and I have direct access to the power from above which streams through all that exists! All we need do is use this power for the good and we are able to live our lives as jubilant victors. No doubt there are people who have succumbed to the temptation out of the darkness who use this same power in their intuition and thoughts to bring about evil. They can even form demons! We need not be afraid of these minions of the darkness because by their actions they have passed the power into impure channels which dims it and makes it impossible for them to overcome those who use the power for the good. They will also be held accountable for their malevolent use of the power from above. 

Instead of focusing on the misguided ones, (which can even make it possible to attract them) let us direct our thoughts towards how to use the power from on high in a way pleasing to God. With a proper attitude towards this power, we can experience miracles upon miracles in our daily lives and we will no longer have to live in fear of the prince of darkness or his minions. Indeed, evil cannot approach us unless we call it. 

Therefore, let us live our lives with childlike and calm confidence in God. The war we really need to wage is the one to conquer ourselves and our vanity and adhere to the Laws of God. Our greatest weapon in this regard is this: keeping our thoughts pure. That way, we will bring to ourselves nothing but peace and happiness! 

OUR DESTINY LIES IN OUR HANDS! (PART VII)

CONCLUSION

I wish to conclude with the words of the Grail Message which says: 

Therefore adjust yourselves now and at last to the perfection of the harmony of Creation, then you will find peace and success! 

So, we who are desirous of a beautiful destiny of success, peace and pure happiness need to understand that this can only be achieved by adjusting ourselves to the harmony of Creation which lies in obedience to the Laws of Creation. 

It is positive to strive for excellence and success in life. It is also good to have a high aim and high goals for what is good in the material and spiritual sense. 

In setting our earthly goals, let us steer clear of self-aggrandizement, crass materialistic ambition and vanity. It is no gain in the true sense of it for any person just because he or she has been proclaimed by some beauty pageant judges as the most beautiful person in the world, or that he can “knockout” a fellow human being in a boxing ring or that his private jet is the most expensive one as of this year! Such “achievements” brings no blessing to humanity, no progress, and no gain for anyone’s existence in this Creation, but only encourages such persons to fritter away their time upon earth. 

Instead, our priority even in setting our earthly goals should be to consider that which helps in our spiritual ascent, furthers Creation in which we are permitted to live and improves the lives of our fellow men. Thus the Grail Message says: 

“One goal must henceforth dominate every man – to recognise and also to fulfil the place he, as a human being, must occupy in Creation!” 

We are constantly advised in the Message to have goals which are high, noble, good and ideal. We are to have a spiritual aim, high goals for eternity, look upwards and ascend. Also, an ideal aim and prayer is to plead for strength finally to pull ourselves together for permanent improvement, humbly strive to throw off all former stubbornness, and joyfully greet the Word of Truth from the Light as redemption! 

With regards to spiritual goals therefore, our resolution or firm decision will be well directed if it is focused on the observance of the Laws of God. Our lives and the years ahead will be blissful provided that we think upon God and His Will at all times! 

My prayerful wish for all of us is that we be granted the strength for this. 

OUR DESTINY LIES IN OUR HANDS! (PART VI)

WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

1. Learn and live in the sense of the Laws of God.

Our ultimate destiny is to attain maturity by experiencing Creation. It is therefore extremely important to understand Creation and how it works. The Grail Message makes this known to us in all simplicity by mentioning and explaining the Laws of Creation also called the Natural Laws. Creation is a Work of the Almighty and the Natural Laws express God’s Will as to how this His Work of Creation operates. Therefore, the knowledge of these Laws leads us unswervingly to our Maker! To the Highest!

No wonder then that these Laws are described in many ways in the Grail Message:

i. The inexorable Laws

ii. Primordial Laws

iii. Unalterable Laws

iv. Self-acting Laws

v. God’s Laws

vi. Living Laws of God

vii. Cosmic Laws

viii. The Laws contained in the great Book of the entire Creation

ix. Eternal Laws

x. Divine Laws

The three Laws of Creation are:

i. The Law of Sowing and Reaping

ii. The Law of Attraction of similar things and

iii. The Law of Spiritual Gravity

I will urge you to examine the Grail Message for more education on these Laws.

2. Pray for help.

Through the Laws of Creation, everyone will have to redeem all they have burdened themselves with through thoughts, words or deeds. We cannot throw this responsibility on someone else! We are therefore obliged to free ourselves.

To help us attain success in this, we again find help in the Grail Message where we are told that the honest volition for what is good, for something better, reinforced by a truly heartfelt prayer, will bring redemption. When praying we receive the strength to enable us to bring into being ourselves what we are praying for.

We still have a lot to do ourselves but the Power from on High that we draw through prayer strengthens us.

The author of the Grail Message also gave men prayers which fulfills everything in making us gain connection with the help of our Father and drawing strength from the Fount of Living Waters.

What a joy to experience deeply what is given to us as Morning Prayer:

"Thine am I Lord! To Thee alone in gratitude I dedicate my life; O graciously accept this my volition and grant me the help of Thy Power this day! Amen."

Just like the Morning Prayer, the Evening Prayer links us to the Grace of God which helps and sustains:

"O Lord, Who art enthroned above all the Worlds, I beseech Thee: let me rest in Thy Grace this night! Amen."

Even in sleep we can receive help, healing, instructions or warnings to help us in our journey and this prayer helps to open us up to the loving help that surrounds us always.

Definitely our lives will be rich and blessed as we make a firm decision to live by the Laws of God and reinforce this by giving ourselves to the Almighty in our prayer.

In Part VII we will draw our conclusions.

OUR DESTINY LIES IN OUR HANDS! (PART V)

CAN DESTINY BE CHANGED?

Destiny can be changed. 

Our activities form our destiny. Our activities include our thoughts words and deeds. Each of these are seeds that we plant every moment and they are nurtured through the workings of the Laws of creation such that at a definite time we will have to reap what we have sown earlier on as seeds. As an example, a person who nurtures envy in a relationship may not expect to reap happiness from that interaction. On the other hand, acts of kindness will bring us a harvest of peace. So, we can only expect results that are similar to the earlier seed. The Law that brings these about is the Law of Sowing and Reaping, the Law of Reciprocal Action. This Law speaks of the Justice and Love of the Creator and makes man the architect of his own fate or destiny. 

Therefore, what a man burdens himself with can only be redeemed by none other than himself alone. Before there will ever be a change to this, the Law of Sowing and Reaping will have to be amended but this will never happen! What then is the way out especially for many of us who have spent more time sowing seeds that can only bring multiple harvests of bitter fruits? Repentance and the firm decision to start and continue doing only what is good is the only way that leads to redemption! First of all, a complete inner change has the effect of putting a stop to the unwholesome habit of acquiring further debts. One can then begin the upward journey. As one goes along, one must engage only in planting good seeds which is a sure way of attracting help to strengthen us in our new way of life. 

We all can make a start here by keeping our thoughts pure. A huge task, but the rewards are that we will reap peace and be happy. It will lead to pure words and deeds which in turn will lead to bountiful harvest of forgiveness of our past negative actions. The result or harvest of our past activities will come no doubt due to the effect of the Law of Sowing and Reaping but the sustained resolve to be good also forms a formidable covering and protection for us that prevents the onrushing adverse reciprocal action from having full effect or any effect at all depending on the level of the inner change. This is the way to obtaining forgiveness and attaining to a change of destiny! It goes without saying also that a person who has initially set out on the right road can through willful change to a wrong course alter his destiny negatively. 

Let us always give thanks to our Creator the Author of the Laws which makes it possible for us to redeem ourselves and even change our destiny from bad to good. 

In Part VI we will be considering what we need to do in view of all that we have discussed so far. 

OUR DESTINY LIES IN OUR HANDS! (PART IV)

DO THE STARS INFLUENCE HUMAN AFFAIRS?

In a line from Julius Caesar a play written by William Shakespeare, Cassius says to Brutus: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves…”

The quotation above agrees with our topic which says that our destiny lies in our hands. Yet, astrologers tell us that the stars have an influence on our lives. How can these be reconciled?

While some live in fear of what the stars portend, many seek guidance by studying astrological predictions on a daily basis. To be added here are millions who take the easy-going road and dismiss astrology altogether calling it a ruse and non-existent!

In reality, what certainly determines how a man fares is how he exercises his free will, what he draws to himself from out of the Universe and above all, how he makes use of the Power of God which always streams through Creation and naturally also through man. Through his voluntary decisions he can use this power to form his “works”. These works form man’s fate for good or bad depending on how he has put this power to use.

Even when such works of man are invisible, they exist and are active in the world not visible to us. Therefore, in language we use verbs for the activity of these works for example when we say a thought strikes us, courage rises in us, or that we are tormented by some craving.

Just like us, our works emit radiations and this very fact offers the connecting link between man’s work, his fate and the radiations of the stars for the stars too radiate. The radiations of the stars form channels through which the harvest of what we have sown through our thoughts words and deeds come back to us.

Figuratively speaking, it can be said that the stars give the signal for the times when the returning harvest of previous actions flow to the human being in a more complete and concentrated form.

When the radiations of the stars are unfavourable a person also receives waiting unfavourable reciprocal actions and with favourable radiations he will experience favourable reciprocal actions all based on his earlier works. If, owing to the condition of his soul, a human being is surrounded by many dark influences, nothing good can reach him even in times of favourable stellar radiations. In this case, the channel of the favourable radiations remains empty because there are no good reactions available which can pass through such a favourable channel to the person concerned. At such periods of the favourable radiations however, the person sorely hit by evil reactions will at least have a period of respite which he can use to gather strength for endurance and also to reconsider his ways.

If on the other hand the condition of a person’s soul permits only purity and light to surround him, then the most unfavourable stellar radiations will not be able to cause serious harm. So, the stars on their own do not determine how we fare. We remain responsible fully for what eventually flows to us at the signal of the stars!

In Part V we will grapple with the question: CAN DESTINY BE CHANGED?

OUR DESTINY LIES IN OUR HANDS! (PART III)

WHAT DETERMINES THE FAMILY AND COUNTRY INTO WHICH ONE IS BORN? AND WHY ARE INNOCENT CHILDREN BORN INTO POOR FAMILIES OR WAR-TORN COUNTRIES?

According to surveys by UNICEF:

• In Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 55% of children had been shot at, 66% had been in a situation where they expected to die, and 29% felt "unbearable sorrow."

• In Angola, 66% of children had seen people being murdered, and 67% had seen people being tortured, beaten or hurt.

• In Rwanda, 56% had seen children kill people, nearly 80% had lost immediate family members and 16% had been forced to hide under dead bodies. More than 60% of the Rwandan children interviewed said they did not care whether they ever grew up.

Why?, you ask.

The Law of Like attracts like or the Law of Attraction determines the family into which one is born and the country. There must be similarity between the human being and the family into which he is born. That family too is a small unit that forms the larger society that we call countries. Each of us do not belong to our families or country by chance. A great orderliness is in play guided by the Law of the Attraction of Homogeneous Species! A Law of God!

Some assert that there is injustice in the unequal circumstances into which children are born. Of course they are wrong. Also wrong are those who say that God’s ways are mysterious and cannot be understood. Clearly, our Creator speaks to us through His unchanging Laws and we are the ones who should strive to recognise them as such! That is the only way we can understand that every happening follows Divine Justice. We will then be able in all things to really give thanks.

In answering the two questions above, we need to understand that birth on earth only forms the beginning of a special section in a man’s entire existence, but not the beginning of man himself. That new born baby is not as innocent as you might think! That soul in the young body might be here with a lot of baggage from past earth lives. The Law of attraction and the Law of Sowing and Reaping ensures that we are not just born anywhere to just any family but to the family that we deserve based on our past deeds.

Therefore, being born into a poor family or a war torn country does not happen by mistake. The person concerned needs the experiences that go with those conditions. The soul might have been an indolent person in the past and now needs to taste poverty. If he resolves now to be more productive, he will be laying a foundation for a positive change and he also becomes a better person in the process. The baby born into a war-torn country might have been a former powerful but warlike leader who must now experience conflict as a vulnerable young person. He too gains if on reflection he resolves to make an inner change and be a peace maker.

If we think it over, we will give thanks and only thanks to the All Wise Creator Who in His Grace makes everything available to us for the purpose of improving ourselves and attaining total deliverance from our past errors!

Next, we tackle the question: DO THE STARS INFLUENCE HUMAN AFFAIRS?

OUR DESTINY LIES IN OUR HANDS! (PART II)

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?

In answering this question we come face to face with the adamantine Law: “What a man sows he will reap many times over!” Man bears spiritually the responsibility for everything he says and does and this includes his thoughts which ordinarily no other human being can see. It is in fact an erroneous presumption to conclude that a person is good just because we see the activities he shows to the world whereas his innermost thoughts remain hidden from us. 

You can imagine that some people can be very good on the outward but harbor evil inside. Some are also deluded as to their sense of right and wrong. Do you know that many suicide attackers have prayers said before they carry out their dastardly acts? Some do! 

Be that as it may, as man may try very hard to delude himself, the eternal Law of Sowing and Reaping ensures that each person gets what he deserves without preference or prejudice and any injustice is totally ruled out. However, one of the mistakes so many people make is to believe that all happenings can be accounted for in only one earth-life. If this were true then Justice would naturally require that the combined causes, effects and reactions must occur during the span of one earth-life. When we turn away from this error, we will discover the logic and justice in everything that happens. 

What we experience now can be a reaction from former debts and if we go through it with the right attitude, we are released from the debt. Apart from this, obstacles can be put in man’s way to teach and develop him in which case he adds to the means of his spiritual progress or ascent. In either case, these experiences help man to advance and works for his good. Furthermore, some can be born into families with hereditary diseases because through the Law aforementioned, they need such diseases for redemption, for purification or for advancement. In some cases a soul may have volunteered to come to this world for a specific mission to help some particular persons or to engage with some others in some beneficial work for all mankind. Out of his free will the soul accepts in advance all that will happen to it on earth. So in such cases too there is no question of injustice.

Since the Laws of the Almighty Creator works only in Love and Justice then the answer to this question which is often asked is this: what we see as the adversity of the apparently good people are in fact the reciprocal effects of their former decisions which must now strike them! 

In Part III, we will treat our next question: what determines the family and country into which one is born? And why are innocent children born into poor families or war-torn countries?

OUR DESTINY LIES IN OUR HANDS! (PART I)

How do students react to examination results? Usually, when the result is good, they will readily claim ownership and exclaim proudly: “I made an A (high score) in that subject!” However when the result is not good, you will likely hear in low tones something like: “they gave me an F (low score) in that subject”, “they failed me!” or “the lecturers are wicked!”

In reality, such is the general attitude of man. We are prepared and happy to take ownership of the palatable results of our previous actions but slow to accept it when we get poor results as a consequence of our former deeds. 

At times, we are alarmed at what befalls us or people close to us. We wonder why bad things happen to good people. We also watch in amazement when some people seem to get all the good things of life almost effortlessly while some others have to struggle every minute of their lives. 

Some say the stars are responsible. Some especially in the western part of Nigeria say that one has chosen whatever happens to him on earth beforehand while kneeling down in heaven to make choices! (Akun’le yan) One wonders why anyone would choose terrible things for themselves. How would one explain the case of people who are born with physical deformities, disease or other deficiencies? Did they deliberately kneel down in the world beyond to choose these? Again, how do we explain the fact that some are born into very poor and war torn countries while others are born into peace and opulence? The same Yoruba that speak of predestination as mentioned earlier also believe that a person’s malevolent actions (Afowofa) can alter the person’s destiny from good to bad and that a person’s character (Iwa) plays an important part in a person’s destiny for good or bad. They add that destiny can be altered adversely by evil people. (Omo araye) Now, whether destiny is chosen or imposed, one can ask: can destiny be changed? 

With the foregoing as introductory comments, we will treat our topic by addressing the following questions through the essays that will follow this: 

1. Why do bad things happen to good people? 

2. What determines the family and country into which one is born? And why are innocent children born into poor families or war-torn countries? 

3. Do the stars influence human affairs? 

4. Can destiny be changed? 

In Part II, we shall start with our number 1 question: Why do bad things happen to good people? 

DID CHRIST’S PHYSICAL BODY RESURRECT?

When in preparation for my secondary school qualifying examinations I had to read the Gospel according to Mathew from start to finish, I was confronted with an account that showed that the Son of God faced acrimonious hostility from many detractors right from the start of His ministration till it ended in a gruesome crucifixion in chapter 27.

Then in chapter 28, Jesus who had suffered so much animosity and death from the hands of His enemies rose from the dead! In my childlike thinking , He now ought to go and see Caiaphas the high priest, the scribes and the elders and say to them: shame on you all; you family of vipers! You think you could stop me by arranging an unjust crucifixion. See me now; I am alive and well. Let the fight start afresh! But then, the story did not go this way. Instead, in the concluding chapter 28 of Mathew with just 20 verses, Jesus showed Himself to a select few and then commissioned them to teach all nations what He had taught them! What an anticlimax!

The other synoptic Gospels tell us how some people saw Jesus after the resurrection. We come across words to the effect that for these ones to see Jesus their eyes had to be specially “opened”. Then in each case the persons concerned did not know that the one they were seeing was Jesus until after some time.  What does all these suggest?

Could it be the same physical body that Jesus used before the crucifixion that appeared after the resurrection?  If yes, why was He not easily recognised by close followers again? Why did the resurrected Christ not continue physically engaging His detractors? Please note that this new body did not need to enter through doors; it simply appeared in locations open or enclosed! It vanished at will! And then, people’s eyes needed to be specially opened to see it. Finally, this body was able to ascend to Heaven!  Can a physical body made up of flesh, blood and bones have all these attributes?

I have since sought and found answers to these questions. I am therefore convinced presently that Jesus the Son of God also required an earthly physical body in order to carry out His Mission on earth and such a body is only useful on earth and nowhere else. Such a physical body of flesh and blood was acquired by Jesus through His birth on earth. Such a body is not required in the Holy Abode of the Son of God from whence He came and to where He returned after His Mission! The resurrected body was therefore not of material substance but another body, a lighter one which is not physical or flesh.   Christ’s physical body was acquired on earth for earthly use, belongs to the earth, and necessarily had to be left on earth after the departure of the Holy One! This also explains why contrary to my youthful thoughts earlier mentioned, the resurrected finer body of Jesus could not continue the physical engagement with his enemies.

HOW CORRECT ARE SOME POPULAR BELIEFS? (PART IX)

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, please permit me to share with you a quotation from the work In the Light of Truth: the Grail Message: “…he who absorbs a wrong interpretation of God and His Creation, and does not exert himself to grasp It more purely, has not absorbed It at all. Indeed, it is far worse, for a wrong belief keeps one back from grasping the Truth.” From the lecture: What separates so many from the Light today?

It can be said that a wrong belief is tantamount to a belief in what is non-existent! It yields no useful fruit. Remember the striking example presented to us by the two thieves crucified with Jesus. The one on the left demanded what is similar to what many regard as a “miracle” today! If you are the Son of God he quipped, save yourself and us by coming down from the cross. He failed woefully to recognize that in accordance with God’s Laws, a physical body nailed to a cross cannot come down without external aid. In his baseless belief, he expected the Son of God to act arbitrarily without reference to the Laws of Creation. Also note his form of prayer which is lacking in humility, similar to the types of demanding prayers so common today! He got nothing for his wrong believes and conceited demands. The thief on the right however did not seek a quick fix but sought the Kingdom of Heaven.  He should be our mentor. We too should seek God’s Kingdom by seeking its Truth with all our heart. We should not settle for the broad and easy road that blind faith offers. Blind faith requires only one thing: believe without thinking! This way one can believe just about anything including eating grass in order to obtain a miracle! The Creator however gave us the little lamp, which is the ability to examine and illuminate so that we will be able to recognise the Word of Truth when we come across it. Let us courageously seek the Truth and It will set us free form the chains of dogmas, creeds and tenets!

In order not to be left behind when the diligent ones enter the Kingdom of bliss, we need to cast away our spiritual laziness which has hitherto made us ever ready and willing to accept the firmly-established doctrines of others.  It is also this very dangerous kind of laziness which promotes the thinking that it is great to adhere to the faith of one’s parents, without submitting its underlying principles to keen, careful and independent examination.

We should today resolve to take stock of what we believe, subject them to keen examination and determine whether they can stand to the litmus test of Truth.  In this regard, I recommend with humility and yet with all sense of responsibility that you examine the Grail Message. In my own quest for Truth I found it to be a great and faithful helper!

HOW CORRECT ARE SOME POPULAR BELIEFS? (PART VIII)

7. “My belief is the only right one!”

A few years ago, two colleagues of mine, one of them a clergyman admitted in conversation that some aspects of the faith they both adhered to does not make sense when considered rationally. They however maintained that they will continue to follow their faith regardless!  All they had to do according to them was just to believe!

If however we truly seek the Truth we will have to ask ourselves: Is my belief the right one? Is the belief I came to accept since childhood really valid?  Does it ring true in all its ramifications or am I just practicing blind faith?

There is really nothing special or genuine about blind faith! A belief based on blind faith is tantamount to building something on nothing and expecting it to stand. It will certainly not stand. And if your belief in the Almighty is tainted with a lack of conviction in His Love and Justice expressed in His eternal Laws, you mark yourself as a hypocrite. It is the same where you believe in impossible things about the Almighty or regard the Almighty as being arbitrary. Remember: Christ did not turn stones to bread, neither did He jump from the pinnacle of the temple as these are against the Laws of His Father!

Many of us think that we honor the Almighty by accepting what others tell us about Him without question! We are told for example in some circles to “command” the Almighty and many of us accept this without question! How daring, bold and bigheaded can a mere creature be to even indulge the thought of commanding One to Whom he owes his very existence? And this is just one example of many such audacious and false beliefs!

As believers in God we need to ascertain that our belief is pure, true and living! It must not be based on blind faith or just a crowd following exercise supported with a comfortable feeling that billions of men and women who have the same belief as ours cannot all be wrong! Remember:  2000 years ago when Jesus the Son of God proclaimed the Truth on earth, only a few accepted Him. The majority sided with the opponents and eventually started crying “crucify him” with baseless hatred. They followed a tragically misinformed crowd. It happened then and it is happening today. Many will today bypass the Truth just because it sounds different from the tenets of their religion. Indeed the Truth from God negates all dogma and sets one free from the heavy shackles of false beliefs!

Clearly, Christ Jesus did not concern Himself with creeds! Rather, He sets us free from them!

The Truth is eternal, unchangeable, belongs to God and is not a property of any particular religion. It is universal and is the foundation of Creation itself and therefore predates all religions and tenets! We must therefore be unrelenting in our seeking the Truth even if it means looking outside of our current dogmas and tenets!  Our yearning spirit will be struck when it hears the Word of Truth. It will be clear and unmistakable, will stimulate independent thinking and will never ever demand that we follow blindly! It will ring true and confirm for the thirsty spirit the Laws of God. The Word of Truth is comprehensive, logical and answers the questions of life and existence. Let us therefore be alert so that when we do come across the Word of Truth which will now be brought to us by the Bridegroom as foretold in that Parable of the Lord Jesus, we shall be ready!

HOW CORRECT ARE SOME POPULAR BELIEFS? (PART VII)

6. “Jesus died for all our sins”

The prevalent belief is that the Lord Jesus became man for the sole purpose of dying for our sins and that with this death He took upon Himself our sins vicariously.  

This belief however flies in the face of God’s justice, love and purity! No creature can heap his iniquities on the Holy One sent forth by God!

Over many centuries, our materialistic way of living had estranged us from God. Our religious teachings had also become materialistic which made it impossible to approach God through our religions. Man was in need of the Truth, the Word of salvation. Jesus came to this earth therefore, with the Sacred Mission of showing mankind the Way back to God!  It was this Word which could be the saving grace for mankind. We were meant to listen to the Word of God brought by Jesus, reflect upon its truth and change our lives for the better. It is only this change for the better through putting the teaching of Christ into practice that brings salvation for men.

Meanwhile, the priests who already thought they were masters of the people of Israel felt their authority and their hold on the people disappearing and in self-defense used the earthly power at their disposal to bring the slanders and persecution which Jesus had to endure, resulting eventually in the crucifixion.

Jesus stood His grounds on the assertion that He is the Son of God and faced death so that His Word might be preserved for mankind. His death therefore was nothing more than the result of tyranny by those who envied Him and who as a result used the earthly power as their disposal to kill Him.

Indeed, His utterances contradicts what is conventionally believed. Why would Jesus have said the following if His death was a necessary sacrifice to take our sins away?

1.       He prayed: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”

2.       Jesus reportedly used a Rabbinical phrase to the effect that it would have been better if His betrayer had not been born!

3.       This was also reported: "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.”

4.       While addressing Pilate He was quoted to have said: “…the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

All these translates to the fact that all who had a hand in slaying Jesus were no priests carrying out a sacrifice to God but just cold-blooded murderers whose actions are an outrage against The Most High!

The word of the Lord remains forever true: "Whatever a man sows that shall he reap". This means that each one of us would have to atone for our sins ourselves! Only now it is easier for us to do so because with the Word of Jesus we know exactly how to go about it. The way to forgiveness has been and will forever remain: obedience to the Holy Word of God which is the same as His Laws! Therefore obedience to the Word of Truth proclaimed by Jesus cleanses and can set us free from our sins.

So, we read in John 15:3: “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”

Let us therefore thank the Almighty for sending His Son and let us make the promise to accept the true Word of Jesus and live accordingly. This is the way to our cleansing, our salvation and redemption!