CHRIST IS NOT JESUS’S LAST NAME – Don Hanley’s blog #68

As I arrived back in Nazareth, I was still in a somewhat depressed mood. Mary, John, and Joshua were waiting for me, as there was a vacant chair between them. They greeted me warmly, as usual. Mary opened our discussion, “Well, my time traveler friend, are you still moping about your election in your current 21^st-century home?”

I asked her, “What makes you think I’m moping?”

“Because you look like it – your smile is gone.”

“Yeah, I’m so darn sad about that damned election. You know, the very strict so-called Christians believe that this no-heart fellow was elected because God wanted them to. I wish there was an easy way to teach people that the real God does not order people to do anything, He just wants them to connect with one another in a loving way! But tonight, help me forget it, and let’s discuss whether or not I want to find out if the word ‘Christ’ was given to Jesus before He was murdered?”

Mary shook her head, not to say it was not true, but that she didn’t like it. John said, “I’m afraid many did. Of course, you know that it means ‘the Chosen One’ or the ‘Anointed One’; worst of all, they saw Jesus as the ‘Messiah’ who would lead the Jews out from under the yoke of Rome. I think the Jewish people were so hungry to have a leader who could free us from the Romans, and they liked the giftedness of Jesus that they insisted that he was the special one – the Messiah. Jesus insisted that he was only the Son of Man; he wanted every human to realize they could be connected, loving, and gifted. He repeatedly said that he, perhaps, was gifted in a way that allowed him to accept and love himself and others in a life-giving way, but he was not Yahweh nor the one and only son of Yahweh or the one we call our Father. Don, do the followers of Jesus in your home century know this and know that they are gifted in the same way Jesus was?”

I hated to tell John the terrible news that the vast majority of those who called themselves Christians were not in touch with the fact that they were gifted with the ability to love as Jesus did. They continued to hold on to the notion that Jesus was, and is, God – and one of the three persons in a small God. Three – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- Jesus was and is on a completely different plane of existence from them. Mary shook her head, and John looked dismayed and said, “Do they, at least, realize that they have the giftedness in them that Jesus displayed in his earthly life?”

“Only the very holy ones whom they call ‘Saints.’ These saints are usually very conforming men and women who slavishly follow what they were told were Jesus’s commandments. I often heard ‘Christians’ say that the really ‘holy’ ones should just join a religious order of men and/or women and not bother the rest of us. So, many have done that and become very enlightened folks and do a great deal for one another and for other humans, Christian or not. I thought of joining one of those groups, but I wanted to be like my idol, Father Chisholm, who went to another country to tell them about Jesus.” I added, “And John, you stated in your  own Gospel that Jesus was the Messiah, didn’t you?”

John seemed a bit taken aback: “You know that my writings were not published in my lifetime, and it is possible that someone edited them so that they conformed to what was becoming the common belief of followers of Jesus. That makes me sad.”

John continued, “I would like to return to the formal names people here in Judea called my friend and mentor, Jesus.  Jesus repeatedly said that all of God’s children, old and young, black, brown, white, or whatever, were the same in God’s eyes. He detested the fact that too many societies formed special castes for different groups - and claimed to know God in a way that no one else could, and so they were the Chosen People to the exclusion of everyone else. He disliked that many passed this ‘specialness’ on to the next generation. A person could be chosen as a leader, like a king, but he should see himself as a servant of the people, not someone superior or able to order people around. He said that if everyone learned about and followed his ideas and created groups of folks who would help, cooperate, and love one another, then we would not need police and lawmakers.” John took a deep breath and slumped back into his chair.

I said, “Well, John, we in the 21st century have not made it much further. Too many so-called Christians are eating the menus as Mary said Jesus called those who did not live as they professed to do.” I paused and added, “But I believe there is an evolution of consciousness, which makes me hopeful.” … I then disappeared.

Please open your heart and mind and enjoy the banquet of life. Comment on this blog or help me find hope in our 21^st election.

OUR MIND MUST BE CONNECTED WITH OUR HEART - Don Hanley’s blog #67

Last evening, I watched an inspirational movie entitled I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. I’ve never been a fan of Country-Western or Gospel music, but this is the story of a fellow who writes and sings both. He was alienated from his alcoholic Dad, and he had left his faithful girlfriend and joined a band. He is an excellent songwriter with a fantastic voice, but he didn’t make it ‘big’ until he had an ‘ah-ha’ experience of enlightenment and ‘found’ or ‘saw’ Jesus.

His singing and songs didn’t have ‘soul’ until he forgave his dad – who had a similar encounter with God- and reunited with his girlfriend. I wanted to tell my Nazarene folks about the film, but then I would have had to explain films, the Gospel movement, and modern culture more than I already have. So, I decided to try to explain my ideas that we needed to have the ‘right’ mind as it is connected to the open heart. I wanted them to know that I know that our heart needs to be connected to our brain to be truly enlightened, i.e., transformed into a total Christian follower of Jesus.

Again, John was the only non-Nazarene sitting with Mary and Ruth this evening. Joshua was with Julie and Isiah in the house. Both women greeted me warmly, and Ruth stood by to hug me. Mary was, like me, old enough to have the privilege of remaining seated. Mary had a topic she wanted to discuss, and it matched mine.

“Don, we’ve been talking about love a great deal – going back to when Jesus was a young lad. I remember one day when he was around twelve. We had gone to Jerusalem, and while Joseph and I were shopping, Jesus talked with a group of elders who spoke Greek and Hebrew. I spoke a little Hebrew, and neither Joseph nor I spoke Greek, but Jesus, to our surprise, seemed to learn both almost instantly. As the three of us were returning home, Jesus was very excited to learn that the Greek language had two words for love – Agape for Yahweh’s love for humans and all creation and eros for the positive feelings between a man and a woman and deep friendships. Jesus wondered if his love for his father and me was a combination of agape and eros because it was too strong to be only one. So, Don, what do you think? After all, you are, in a way, 2,000 years older than we are.” Ruth and John nodded in agreement.

 I was flattered that Mary would ask me about love as she was the living specimen of love – SHE IS LOVE! Anyway, I answered, “First, I want you to know that I’ve learned more about love, or being love, from meeting with all of you than I did in all my ninety-plus years of life. So, you validated and enhanced the ideas I had about love. I’m afraid that the Catholic Church, and Christians in general, have put too much emphasis on what we intellectually think about what Jesus said and stood for than they are about being kind, joyful, and experiencing love. Too often, I fear thoughts have become more important than being. Too often, our 21^st century Christians are more worried about being orthodox thinkers than being loving human beings.”

I continued with a personal experience: “When I was accepted as a candidate to become a priest by a very kind bishop, or high priest, I believe you would call him, I did not realize that I would be expected to conform to all kinds of restrictions to be a ‘good’ or respectful priest. Nor did I know that I would be expected to unconditionally accept as absolutely true all that I would be asked to memorize during my eight years of training.  But I thought I could still be like Father Chisolm in the film Keys of The Kingdom. Anyway, my accepting bishop had retired before I became a priest, and we got a new fellow who was very unkind and completely orthodox. One time, I celebrated Mass with a small group of nuns (I had explained earlier what a Mass was and who nuns were) without wearing all the required vestments. One of the nuns reported this to the bishop, and I was ordered to report to his office.

In a very tone of voice, he said, “Father Hanley, do you think that you know more about the sacred rites of our church than the holy congregation in Rome?” I knew he expected me to apologize and promise to be more obedient in the future, but after I hesitated a few moments, I said, “You know, Bishop, for a small group of nuns in Kansas, I believe I do.” The poor man turned crimson, shook, and yelled, “You, Father Hanley, are a Free Thinker! Get out of my office right now!”

“He confirmed what I had already believed but had not said aloud – We are born to be and/or become FREE THINKERS, and I believe Jesus believed that also.” Mary and John confirmed it, and I was satisfied with myself as I vanished. Now…

Please open your heart and ensure it is securely connected to your brain—not to someone else’s brain—and enjoy the adventure that is your life!  "And let us use this time to reflect, recharge, and emerge stronger than ever. And together we can create a brighter future."  Patrick Ball, my friend and mentor. 

GOD DID NOT SCREW UP BY CREATING LGBT FOLKS - Don Hanley’s blog #66

As I looked forward to my next visit to Nazareth, I've been jolted out of my sense of optimism and hope by my American election of a very non-Jesus fellow who has been elected to be our leader - our president. I am sure there are some, maybe a majority of my fellow citizens who will sat that it is God's will but I still hold on to my belief that God does not micro-manage the world, nor our minds and hearts. I can't talk with Mary and John and others in Nazareth about my sadness and dismay because it would take too much time. So I will only give them a small bit of information about why I am so damn sad. 

The God I got to know while eating my pancakes created ALL THAT IS! And that means that I don’t know how He (or She) operates at all. I only know Him, or maybe Her, from studying His/her creatures, i.e., everything. Every person, like everything, is a bit different from every other thing that is most like him/her/it. So, God, I believe, created everything, and everything tumbled out perfect and imperfect, and “it was good” or “it is good.” I like the Zen thought that “I don’t know.” IS a kind of prayer. It means we are part of a vast and unknowable universe that we cannot know all about. I DON’T KNOW, AND THAT IS OK.

John, of my Nazarene family, asked me what 21^st-century Christians thought of homosexuality. I was not able to answer him because I suddenly vanished. But I have given it a lot of thought.  As far as he knew, John had said that Jesus never mentioned it. So that he was not going to be of help to me, he did say that Jesus indicated that God, or Yahweh, was not like a giant human who was creating everything in His imagination and sending each creation down to earth. Jesus, as far as John knew, said God created a tremendously powerful force that evolved into many different kinds of creations. So, humans came in different sizes, colors, levels of intelligence, dexterity, and all other possible combinations – and Jesus insisted that one version, like color, was not better than another. He insisted that it was wrong for one variation work to ‘lord’ it another version of humans. The most common wrong was the color of one’s skin. White was not better than brown or black. Jesus sought that all humans will accept and work with others to be co-creators and caregivers of all creation and never to destroy anyone or anything.

We had been talking about all of this, and I was glad that Mary shared with us that she was always pleased when Jesus, even at a young age, delighted to see a handicapped or crippled person smile and seem to love being alive. Also, her Son would disapprove of those who would say that the Father did not love those who were disfigured or handicapped from birth. We must learn to accept ourselves as we are, no matter how gifted or handicapped we are from birth. And we must work to help those less intelligent, strong, and all. He often said that no one is more pleasing to God than another person.

I asked John why God created some people as homosexuals. After all, they did not want or could not have children - and wasn’t that the reason He created humans as women or men? Some Christians even claimed that these people were simply going against the will of God. Again, John said that he heard people say that and that Jesus had responded that these people were simply being themselves. John hesitated a minute and then, in a near whisper, said, “We had two homosexuals among our twelve apostles, and Jesus insisted that they were equal to the rest of us. I wish that that had been repeated more often among the followers.”

I asked, “Is that the reason you are speaking in a near whisper?”

“Yes, I guess it is. It is a sad and troublesome issue, so I won’t tell you who they are. They are wonderful men, and I am proud to be among their friends. They are being who they are, and that is okay.” Mary, Ruth, and Joshua clapped and nodded, and I joined them.

I said, “Thank you, John. Our Christian world has been very slow in realizing that homosexuality is just a natural way of being in the world and in my country, the United States, and in Europe, nearer you, it is now considered normal and even now realizing that some folks have found that they are homosexual but in the body of the opposite gender - we call them 'transexual'. Now I know many in my century talk and think like you do, and I am one of them.”

Now, please keep an open heart and mind, don’t eat the menu, and keep co-creating all that is! AND PLEASE COMMENT.

EXPERIENCING RADIANT LOVE - Don Hanley’s Blog #65

I’m afraid the concept and meaning of love in the 21st century have been used carelessly and now, seem to have no meaning. In the 21st century, we frequently hear, “I Love my car.” Or “I just love the way she walks or . . . ”

So, when we say that we must live a life of love as Jesus lived it, it conveys no meaning, or, at least, no meaning that resembles what is meant when we say, “Jesus loves us.” The Greek language helps us here – they have a particular word for the radiant, life-giving love that Jesus talks about. It is AGAPE – it is different from EROS = which is romantic or passionate love. Eros is the exclusive love that brings a male human together with a female human, and together, they help to keep humanity from dying out. I hope my Nazarene group will be open to discussing agape when I visit.

It must have been several weeks since my last visit, when I found only John, Mary, Ruth, Joshua, Julie, and their new baby boy, Isiah. John, who had gone to Jerusalem, informed me that Peter and Paul had visited Jerusalem several weeks earlier. They were still arguing about whether the new non-Jewish followers of Jesus’s teachings needed to be circumcised. Peter said it was essential, and Paul declared requiring it was a hindrance and opposed making it - a requirement. Mary was confused by the disagreement. She felt that Peter understood and fully lived the radiant love that Jesus lived, and she hoped his followers would likewise have the same experience. She thought that Paul was still learning and had a way to go to fully experience Jesus's radiance. She was sure Jesus never believed that everyone must be circumcised. After all, women could not be circumcised as men were, and she was sure many more women fully lived Jesus’ radiant love. Of course, she stated this privately only to the small flower garden group. She asked me, “Don, did this Hitler fellow also kill Jewish women?”

“I’m afraid so, and he said he wanted to rid the world of these creatures.”

“Why did he choose to eliminate only the Jews?”

“Oh, he also wanted to rid the world of dark people from Africa, homosexual men and women, Gypsys, and anyone he disliked. I think Jews were the most numerous and the kind of group he could build his cult of hatred around.” I took a deep breath and added, “I am glad and proud that we, people in my country of the United States, went to war to stop the Nazis in Germany. Millions of people had a little to a great deal of Jesus’s and Yahweh’s radiant love.” John asked, “Did they all believe that they must kill the people who followed this Hitler Emperor?”

“Most did, I believe, but some helped the war effort but would not kill people.”

Mary said, “You mentioned homosexual men and women. I believe that some Jews and many other tribes hate them also.” She turned to John, “What did Jesus say about homosexuals, John?”

“I don’t remember him saying anything, but I’m sure he did not hate them or condemn them in any way. Don, what do your Christians of the 21st century say about them?” I started to answer, and I was glad to disappear this time. So suddenly. Please . . .

Keep an open mind and heart, meditate on this issue, and avoid devouring the words while still enjoying your pancakes. Oh, and give me a comment.

WAS PETER, JESUS’S OLDEST APOSTLE, THE FIRST POPE? - Don Hanley’s blog #63

After returning to the 21^st Century, I immediately realized I had failed to ask Peter whether Jesus had appointed him the first Pope. I mean the one supreme person who would lead the early Christian church and be followed by carefully chosen future popes or spiritual leaders. That question would have been even more critical about a hundred years ago, but it was still necessary. I just learned that our present Pope, Francis I, has appointed over 20 new Cardinals who will elect a new Pope soon. Francis still had a role in determining what Catholic people believed was proper behavior – like birth control, homosexuality, the appointment of bishops, and qualifications of candidates for priesthood, such as having women priests, and many other practices. 

My feelings were answered quickly as I sat with Mary, John, Paul, and Peter that night. I was glad Mary was always there for our gatherings, for we men needed the feminine touch that the Church still required. I remembered an old seminary prof. who often said, “The wheels of the Church turn very slowly, gentlemen.” Two thousand years seemed too slow for me. Mary put out her hand to me, and I took it. I kissed her on the cheek and then touched the hands of the three Apostles. I told Peter, “I am so glad you are still here, Peter. I failed to ask you what Jesus said to you so that you and the others accepted the idea that you, Peter, were the number one person to make sure his mission and message stayed alive for all mankind.” 

Peter looked at me with astonishment. “Did Jesus say that I, alone, would be responsible for telling all followers of Jesus exactly how to live and what to believe if they were to be faithful followers?” I nodded and noticed that Paul nodded and looked interested, and John and Mary paid attention and shook their heads a bit. Peter said, “First, where did you get a wild idea like that?”

I’m sure I looked more than a bit astonished and wide-eyed as I answered, “Well, uh, first, I’m from the 20th century, and I have been a Catholic Christian follower of Jesus all of my life and all followers like me have been taught that you, Peter, were the first Pope – the supreme leader of the Church. John and others have said that Jesus put his hand on you and said, ‘You are Peter, the Rock, upon you I will build my Church.’ I quoted Matthew’s Gospel to him. “What do you make of this?”

“That doesn’t sound right.  Jesus never talked like that. That sounds more like Matthew – Matt probably wanted to make sure that he would not become the first leader of the followers. I do remember Jesus telling me that I should keep his followers together and stay connected and helpful to one another. His basic message is simple: All people everywhere are born with the power to love and help one another. To realize and use that power, we must live a life of creativity and compassion. I believe He believed people often did not allow themselves to be as loving and kind as possible.  Jesus never made statements or commandments other than the ‘love oneself and one another’ commandments that everyone must follow.  John, what do you think about this?” John said, “I agree with you, Peter. Jesus did not want to make demands on us; we should be compassionate and kind to one another. I know he was very disappointed with Judas, but I never heard him ever condemning him. And Peter, I’m so glad you apologized to him after you denied knowing him when he was arrested. That had hurt him greatly, but he forgave you easily, did he not?” Peter, looking at the ground, murmured, “Yes.”

There was a relatively long silence, and I hesitantly broke it with: “So, if I understand this leadership issue, Peter, Jesus did designate you as the one He hoped would continue his journey and his healing message of radiant love among his followers. Would you agree?”

“Yes, I would agree with that, and I must insist that it was not his words that were the most important but the practice of spreading the knowledge and the practice of being kind, compassionate, and connected. Jesus did not want to be an icon of any kind, nor to be adored or worshipped, but for his followers, he should be a conveyer of the human and divine love that he hoped he had shown.” John nodded in agreement. And, for the first time, it seemed that I disappeared in a timely fashion . . . 

Be like Peter and radiate your kindness and compassion, and don’t just talk about the words and radiate!

SON OF GOD - Don Hanley’s blog #62

I have lived my entire life being devoted to Jesus, whom I believe was and is the Son of God. And I am also happy to learn that I, too, am a son of God. I don’t think I will ever feel bold enough to be able to put a capital “S” in front of Son - when I say I am a son of God, too.

I learned that Jesus wanted all humans to realize that they had the power to connect with others. He inspired me to live and be like him, to realize my giftedness to love and connect with others, and not be afraid to live as fully and happily as possible.

Now, this was NOT taught to me in my religion classes – from First grade in my two years in Catholic elementary school through post-graduate theology classes that I was required to take to become a priest. What I learned in the First grade was that I was a weak and sinful person who must understand that I must turn to the Son of God named Jesus, His Father who lives in Heaven, and the Holy Ghost (later changed to Holy Spirit). All three of my Gods were rather ghostly figures I could only think of as fearsome fellows out to get me. I was repeatedly told that I must obey all their dictates and rules. And these commands I must and could learn as they were taught by the priests and nuns and in the books (catechisms) they recommended and commanded that I read.

I learned that my brothers and sisters (I had seven of them) learned similar lessons, as did many other Catholic kids and even non-Catholic Christian kids. I saw several movies that depicted priests and nuns who were far kinder and more compassionate than the ones I had encountered, so when I was twelve years old, I decided to become a priest. And then, as a priest, I would change how Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit were operating in our earthly worlds. My blog editions are my feeble attempt to tell a different story about Jesus, His Mother, and His close followers. Please allow your mind and spirit to roam free and share it with me and any other thoughtful person.  And, of course, feel free to disagree with me whom a bishop condemned/ordained me a Free Thinker. I will share some ideas with Mary, John, and whoever is visiting.

A new and older fellow with Mary, Paul, and John was in the flower garden. I kissed Mary on the cheek, and she took my hand and said, “Don, I would like you to meet Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples.” I put out my right hand to Peter, who took it with his right hand and helped me sit between him and Mary. He said, “I have been discussing you with John, Mary, and Paul. It seems that I am blamed for starting an organization that has strangled and tangled up all of Jesus’s teachings.”  He said this with a smile, so I guessed John and Mary did not portray me as a destructive thinker.

I was glad to learn that Mary and John were seeing me as a friend and ally and not, in any way, an enemy. “Yes, Peter, you are in all the histories of the Christian Catholic Church as the first Pope and Bishop of Rome. A top-rated book entitled ‘Shoes of the Fisherman' depicts a fictitious 20^th-century Pope who, it seems to me, was more like you, Peter, than all the recent Popes. Many of the Popes from about 300 to 1900 were more like political kings than followers of Jesus.”

“I don’t understand most of what you just said, Don. You will need to help me understand.” He said this genuinely and questioningly, and I really liked him very much. I spent the entire time talking about the history of Jesus’s teachings since the Apostolic times. Paul joined Peter as one of my two students. It seemed like hours later that I finally just disappeared during our discussions. So now . . .

Keep nurturing your heart and opening your mind, and avoid eating the menu and enjoying and sharing your banquets.

HEY ALL YOU MOTHERS AND FATHERS AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GO - Don Hanley's blog #60

Before I get into the Messiah question, I want to know what John says about the prayer, Our Father. I understood Jesus Himself wrote it.

Only Mary, John, and Paul were sitting in the garden when I arrived, and it looked like they were waiting for me. That felt good as I touched each one of them. I had gotten used to touching people affectionately since I began my Nazareth visits. I think more folks back in the States should do that – along with dancing and singing. Anyway, I asked John about the Lord’s prayer. He wasn’t sure what prayer I was referring to, and I recited the English prayer I had muttered too quickly a million times: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. Amen.

I didn’t recite the ending that had been added centuries later – "...for Thine is the Kingdom" and so on.

John rubbed his chin, “I remember that prayer. It has some beautiful sentiments, and I think it is probably the same prayer Jesus asked a few of us to help him with it during his last year of life. Of course, none of us knew then that it would be his last year, so I think we came up with these words – they sound less two-worldly than your version. Anyway, it goes like this.

OUR FATHER WHO IS COMPLETELY FULL OF LIFE, WE HAVE YOU IN OUR LIVES AND OUR HEARTS. MAY WE CONTINUE TO USE YOUR STRENGTH AS WE WORK TO SUSTAIN OUR LIVES. AND MAY WE HAVE YOUR ABILITY TO HELP THOSE WHO HARM US AND OTHERS AND INSPIRE US TO DO AS WELL AND EVEN BETTER THAN WE DO NOW - FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS. AND GIVE US THE ABILITY TO SEE WHERE AND WHEN WE MAY FAIL SO WE MAY AVOID FAILING TO DO WHAT IS MOST LOVING.”

I, Mary, and Paul clapped when John was finished, and Paul said, “I think all of you, even you, Don, have had the Father’s energy; I’ll say ‘grace,’ as you have helped me these past many weeks. I hope I can keep those words in my mind and my heart. John, do you have them written down?”

John smiled and said, “Paul, I have them written in my heart.” He chuckled, adding, “I will write them down in Hebrew and Greek. How’s that?” He paused and said, "The one you recited for us, Don, is shorter and easier and also beautiful, so, let's keep both of them."

Mary smiled when she said, “Don, you told us that you even have a prayer directed to me—as if I were some God. Please tell Paul about that one and let me tell him what I think. I’ll let myself be embarrassed.”

“How about hearing me sing it?” I looked around at my trio of friends, and they nodded. “There are many musical versions, and I like this one best. I’ll sing it in Latin, but our translating angel will translate it for you, Mary, and John. Paul will understand it. I sang Gounod’s Ave Maria.” I’ll write the English version for this writing: “Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.” 

The three listeners clapped and congratulated me on being able to sing it so well. Mary nodded and said, “I love the song as you sang it and dislike being called the ‘mother of God’. I am the mother of an extraordinary guy and proud of him. I still believe that he has tuned into our Father, and we can tune into Him and Our Father by loving and having compassion and being co-creators of and for all creation.” She slowly made eye contact with us, and we all held hands. 

I said, "Mary, how about this idea: all women who are mothers should be called 'Mothers of God' for they are the care-givers of the presence of a person who is a Son of God or Daughter of God?"... before I could hear their responses, I Againthe first time, I disappearaed. So, please . . . 

Make a special place in your heart for all creation and be one with it. And don’t just worship words on a page, but radiate love for all that IS.