Revolution, Rebellion, or Reformation ~ All Souls Day

Greetings Dear Reader,

The final day of prayer and observation as we enter the season of gratitude and giving is that for all souls.  No matter how we address it my faith informs me that we are all in revolt against God at some point.  We use words like fallen and sin.  The situation is that we are the ones who turned good into not good.

We revolted and claimed our own dominance independent of what the Father has outlined.  We rejected his standards and rules.  We used our freely given free will to free ourselves from innocence.  We have been trying to blame God for this ever since. 

His response is to love every soul.  His reaction to our rebellion is reconciliation to anyone who will receive it.  Not only does he build a bridge of love and sacrifice to us through his Son, he demands that we love every soul as well.  His answer our rebellion with restoration. 

Really ponder that for a moment.  We turned our backs on him.  We destroyed good in our lives.  His response to our failure and rebellion is to love us all and demand that we do the same.  All he asks of us is a little faith that he will fix what we have broken.

Instead we continue the revolution.  Even those who have offered their faith and fealty walk away.  Those who have promised their lives to serve the reclamation of good revolt anew because things are not done in the way they wish.  God refuses to conform to their vision of morality and justice so he is again deposed and discarded.  His failure to fit into the box we create for him results in our rejection.

His response is to let us have our freedom of him but not to abandon his plan to reconcile us.  Every soul matters.  Every mote of existence is his and no matter whether we accept it or not he is working to bring all things back to good.  We can revolt through unbelief or worse, using his name for our own purposes.    

I must realize that anything less than complete love for the Father and for his creation of every soul is rebellion against his most foundational thought.  I must only follow and not try to shape or mold him into my own wants and wishes.  I must love and honor every soul.

Revolution – Beatles

You say you want a revolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

You tell me that it's evolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

But when you talk about destruction

Don't you know that you can count me out

Don't you know it's gonna be

All right, all right, all right

You say you got a real solution

Well, you know

We'd all love to see the plan

You ask me for a contribution

Well, you know

We're doing what we can

But if you want money for people with minds that hate

All I can tell is brother you have to wait

Don't you know it's gonna be

All right, all right, all right

You say you'll change the constitution

Well, you know

We all want to change your head

You tell me it's the institution

Well, you know

You better free you mind instead

But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao

You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

Don't you know it's gonna be

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Revolution, Rebellion, or Reformation ~ All Saints Day

Greetings Dear Reader,

One may wonder what All Saints Day has to do with rebellion.  It is simple.  Our history is one of rebellion against the good things that the Father wishes for us.  Whether it is outright denial of his existence or treating those who disagree with us with scorn we all rebel in some way. 

Rebellion is the rejection or resistance of authority, control, or convention.  It is not always wrong to question these things.  It is always wrong rebel against that which is good.  We do this out of fear or greed.  We want what we want when we want it.

The path of peace does not include rebellion.  The journey home is from what our rebellion created.  All that has been lost to us is because of our choice to rebel against the Father.  The path home is the journey of faith and redemption. 

All Saints Day is the day to remember all those who are on this journey of faith.  Those who have reached the end of rebellion and accepted following in faith are those we celebrate.  We follow Christ toward that undiscovered country where the rebellion has been healed and good has been restored.

I realize that this sounds a little mystical or fantastic.  I know that not all of you agree with me.  My intention here is to honor all those who share my journey.  I wish to thank those who have gone before me and marked the path.  I am a bit jealous of those who have already made it home.  I cherish the company of those who travel with me now.  We do not always agree but when we care for each other the journey is richer.  Lastly, I hope to leave the path a little smoother for those who follow. 

To all the saints who make the journey, I am thankful that we have begun to mend our rebellious ways.  Thank you for your companionship along the way. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Revolution, Rebellion, or Reformation ~ Reformation Day

Greetings Dear Reader,

Five hundred years ago (31 October 1517) on All Hallows Eve, Martin Luther is reported to have nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany.   This act started the Reformation that changed much of Europe.   If one has not read them they are provided here without commentary. 

His desire was to begin a conversation.  His wish was to challenge the thinking on indulgences and earning the favor of God.  He understood that “the just shall live by faith.”  The Church was demanding increasingly extreme political and religious conformity to its will in order for one to earn salvation or favor with God.  If this sounds like current rhetoric from certain views one may be on to my point ahead of me whittling it.

Marin Luther was an educator who understood that reason and discourse could change things.  This was his intent.  What resulted was not what he wished.  The world did gain a better understanding of the Gospel.  The door was opened to common folk being able to comprehend that faith alone was required of them for access to the Father.  It was his appeal to the common man that garnered him success. 

We have forgotten how to reform.  Instead we rebel and revolt.  We put our desire for change ahead of the good of others and often do it in the name of doing good.  We demand instead of discourse.  We shout down and degrade the opposition instead of engaging in respectful exchange.  We fail to love our enemies in this.

I will honor this day by giving great thought to the ways in which I have benefitted from the Reformation.  It is my faith that has its roots in this act so very far away so very long ago.  I must always seek to refine the reformation of my faith so that it is perfected in truth and love.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Searching Social Stances – Reformation versus Revolution

Greetings Dear Reader,

This is one of those stances that requires careful distinction.  To revolt is to rise up against something as a rebellion for whatever purpose is claimed.   Revolution is not interested in peaceful discussion.  It demands and destroys.

Reformation, however, seeks to reform that which exists.  It is a presentation of ideas through which one seeks to right the course of things.  Reformation is based in idea and their free congress between people of integrity.  It is not necessary to revolt to reform.

The violence inherent in revolution is not necessary to reform things.  When we abandon peace to make others do as we wish we become the tyrannical things we hate.  Burning a shopkeepers business does not further the truths of a cause.  It destroys an honest man’s livelihood. 

If that alone does not give you pause then perhaps the motivations need examination.  If you are willing for one innocent to suffer to defend your ideas then perhaps there is something wrong with you methodology.   It is never necessary to shed blood to be heard.  It might mean yours gets pummeled out of you.  It might cost you more that you are willing to pay.  But that is the nature of reformation instead of revolution..

Revolution – Beatles

You say you want a revolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

You tell me that it's evolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

But when you talk about destruction

Don't you know that you can count me out

Don't you know it's gonna be

All right, all right, all right

You say you got a real solution

Well, you know

We'd all love to see the plan

You ask me for a contribution

Well, you know

We're doing what we can

But if you want money for people with minds that hate

All I can tell is brother you have to wait

Don't you know it's gonna be

All right, all right, all right

You say you'll change the constitution

Well, you know

We all want to change your head

You tell me it's the institution

Well, you know

You better free you mind instead

But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao

You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

Don't you know it's gonna be

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)