To avoid sounding stupid, we rarely post anything about God. We hear commentators and politicians make fools of themselves daily by talking as if God is their buddy and he usually leans quite to the right politically. In sports, God is asked to favor one team over another.
We tend to use terms like Source or Source Energy or the Universe. But Glenn Beck would no doubt tell us those are just names for the creator used by left-leaning New Agers who think God is green. And, hey, he’s probably right.
So when someone asked mystic Leonard Jacobson if God has human attributes, we found his response quite interesting. Jacobson tells us that God is just a word made up by humans. God is not compassionate, God is not loving. Rather, God is compassion, God is love. God is all that is.
We found Jacobson’s You Tube video, Experiencing God, on Marcus Anthony’s web site. If you saw it there, it’s worth watching again.
I just love Leonard. He is so humble, so present, so gentle. He is the real thing as far as “enlightenment” goes (and no, I’m not suggesting his way is the only way).
I first met Leonard Jacobson about 18 years ago in Byron Bay, on the east coast of Australia. He has had a strong influence on my life, even though I’ve only met him a few times. The last time was in Santa Cruz in 2001. I had a personal session with him, including a meditation. The effect of his energy on me was profound. As we meditated my own consciousness field expanded in a way I’d never knew was possible before.
I’ll be in Beijing again in a few weeks. I have just found out that Leonard will be there at the same time. I can assure you I won’t miss the opportunity to see him again.
UH-OH. I must add a touch of humor to this very serious conversation. There IS something animate that I don’t revere. Cockroaches!! I have no doubt Source had a reason for their creation, considering that they’ve survived every catastrophic event since The Beginning that has been thrown our way. There’s a food chain in Nature, ie, snakes and spiders eat mosquitoes, flies, and other insects, which explains the existence of flies and mosquitoes. They provide nourishment for spiders and snakes, and snakes also take care of mice and rats and other rodents that can destroy crops.
But what service does a cockroach provide? I’ve spent my life pondering this from time to time, and haven’t found an answer. (This pondering includes the ever-present Florida Palmetto-Bug!) Anyone?? Bueller??
Maybe the alien invaders are hiding among the cockroaches because they will outlast the human race.
I watched the video at Marcus’s website and I agree God is love, etc. Unfortunately the term God has been hijacked by those that would bend the definition to fit their ideology which usually leaves most people out unless they get in line, so I prefer Source Energy or Universal Consciousness – which includes everyone, including inanimate objects, animals, plants, etc. Everything is made up of the same stuff, we just vibrate at different levels of frequency.
I get tired hearing the hijacks!
That’s so nice, Trish & Rob. I’d never heard of either man before. Thanks for bringing it over here.
Had a lovely synchronicity this morning. I woke up thinking about the conflicts between “normal” science and “paranormal” science. A fragment from that famous poem of Rumi’s came to me: “There is a field. I will meet you there.”*
Then I got up, opened the book I’m reading, and found that the very next thing was about “the archetypal idea of the field. . .and the concept of the field invades practically all branches of science nowadays.” !!
(Quote from a book containing a series of lectures given by Marie-Louise Von Fanz on divination and synchronicity.)
Nancy – love that synchro! What’s the book you’re reading that mentions the archetype of field??
It’s a little book of 5 lectures that Von Franz gave in 1969. I found it on Amazon: ON DIVINATION AND SYNCHRONICITY, The Psychology of Meaningful Chance. There’s a lot about Archetypes in it.
Good morning! 🙂
It sounds a like a good one. Onto my list it goes!
oh, and another aside, anyone else notice that the gcp “dot” has been green and blue a lot lately? great!
my own concept of the thing most people refer to as “god” is vastly different than most – enough so that i do not use that term at all – in a nutshell, for me, as i mention in my blogs’ sidebars, under “gypsy religion”, we are each that thing to which that word is assigned by most – we are the source – the light – the love – the power – it is our own spirit that is all encompassing – all powerful –
intriguing post and comments all –
and as a totally unrelated thing – i’ve meant to ask before, but i’m curious about the “ann arbor dating web site” link on your page here, T & R??? 😉
Friend of Nica – that silly add goes along with a counter. To remove it, the counter would have to start all over again! I keep hoping no one notices it!
As a P.S. I wanted to add that as a Pagan since the age of eighteen and now being *****(ancient) years old :), my concept of God/Universe/Source is all inclusive, incorporating each and every God and Goddess, the Nature Entities, including of course Pan, the God of the Wood, Diana, Goddess of the Moon, the Guardians of The Gates, the Rulers of Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Spirit, on and on and on infinitely. For true Pagans, all of Nature and everything within it is sacred and deserving of reverance….not only the entities we recognize as “animate”, but also those more “inanimate” entities such as the trees, plants, flowers, rocks, mountains, rivers, oceans, and so forth. We don’t limit ‘life’ to animate entities, but embrace our planet and the ‘heavens’ and inhabitants of any and all species as having either individual or group ‘soul’ and respect them as such. I choose to not share my spiritual doctrines with most because the very word ‘Pagan”, to the unititiated and/or unaware folks, brings visions of blood sacrifices, satanic worship, and all that ridiculous and erroneous bolderdash, and I have no desire to offend the sensibilities of others even when their definition of my spiritual path isn’t correct. We don’t attempt conversion of others and tend to tread quietly along our journey.
As is often said man makes God in his own image. We all have our ideas – hopefully some of which are actually our own. Just minutes ago I was reading of how we should breath in the glory of God before we go to sleep at night – and then what happens is our very own personal experience.
I like that advice, Mike.
I agree wholeheartedly with your observations about the semantics. I find myself adapting my language in conversation to the more traditional “God” when I feel the receiver might not fully appreciate the term and the idea of “Universe” or isms. Seems that some people need the personification. I appreciate Jacobsons pauses in the video as if he is waiting for it all to sink in.
Adapting the language: it’s a smart way to avoid a confrontation, too.
I haven’t watched the video yet but will do so momentarily. First, I wanted to share with you an experience I had a couple of years ago with a friend of ours who is a bishop in the Methodist church. We were discussing the nature of God, and I made the comment, “GOD IS ALL THAT IS”. He looked at me rather strangely because until that particular occasion, he had thought I was not especially intelligent because I rearely said anything when my husband and I were with the bishop and hs wife. They were much more friends of my husband’s than of mine, and I had little to say. But on this night I did. I also went on to comment that, since God Is All That Is, nothing…absolutely nothing, can exist OUTSIDE of God, including evil. He was astounded and offended. I further commented that if a person accepts that God Is All That Is, and puts anything OUTSIDE God, then that person is LIMITING God. His astonishment level raised even higher, and he was flustered, responding that God did not create evil, yada yada yada. I replied that because God Is All That Is, and that rherefore Nothing can exist outside God, God ALLOWS evil to exist, as well as allowing everything else that IS. Otherwise, God is no longer infinite but becomes finite, with boundaries and parameters. Needless to say, the conversation got quite deep, and the Methodist bishop was, in the end, left with nothing to argue. It wasn’t that I enjoyed feeling correct or in any manner superior in my concept, it was that I truly embrace the conviction that everything indeed does exist within God. It cannot be otherwise, if God Is All There Is. Light and dark, good and evil, right and wrong, angels and demons, all exist within God. And my concept of “whatever” God Is, is exactly that. Born-agains would be incensed by my concept of God and would believe I am being sacriligious. That is their right to believe that, and it is my right to disagree. But that occasion was the only time in my life I’ve ever explained my concept of God to anyone who is a born-again. Usually, I simply sit back and listen. Now, I’ll go watch that video.
It’s tough taking on people who think that way. Good for you for trying!
Awesome. 🙂 Thanks.