WE ALL HAVE SPECIAL GIFTS – NO NEED TO ENVY OTHERS – Don Hanley’s blog #58

I was looking forward to seeing Julie and her new smile and discussing our gifts as I walked around my 21^st-century world. I am happy to learn that we, here in our country, will (hopefully) have an energetic, thoughtful, and joyful woman president. I want to be able to explain this to my first-century Nazarene friends easily, but it would take too long and distract them from what is more critical: Julie’s surgery and recovery and their love for one another.

Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to wait long. I arrived right after the evening meal, and Julie looked good two days after her surgery. Her upper lip was swollen and red, but she could smile wonderfully. I hobbled over and kissed her forehead, and she opened her arms. Ruth and Mary seemed to give me a warmer smile than usual. Joshua looked like the proud papa who even performed the miracle operation. He said, “Newsome does have a gift for performing surgery. I hope Ruth’s admonition may have helped him become more human. I think he did smile a time or two before he left.” John and Paul nodded, and John added. “I think there is a heart in there somewhere.”

I looked at Mary and said, “Yes, we discussed being gifted. And I think your son Jesus was, or is, gifted with a powerful ability to understand himself and others more deeply than, perhaps, anyone in the history of humanity. And Mary, how early in his life did you realize how gifted he was?”

“I think I realized it before he was born, but perhaps all new mothers feel this way. He smiled a lot the first day, I think, and Joseph was holding him the first week, and Jesus laughed.”

I added, “I just read that a tribe of Native Americans in my homeland, named Navajos, date the birth of their babies as the day he or she laughs for the first time. The laugh is a sign that the baby is wholly human. Ruth, I hope you helped Dr. Newsome become more human.” Joshua, Mary, John, and Paul laughed. 

John said, “And back to gifts, I was very pleased when Jesus told me that I had a gift of easily connecting with people, and earlier in my life, my mother said I had a gift for languages and writing. Paul, what are some of your gifts?”

“I never thought of my abilities that way, but it is a good way of understanding ourselves. Like you, John, I have a gift for languages, I guess, because I can read and speak Greek, Latin, Aramaic, and Hebrew. And I can write some of each, which I am thankful for. And John, I have a question for you, I heard from someone that Peter, the fisherman, was chosen by Jesus to be the leader of his apostles. Is that true?”

John rubbed his chin and said, “I guess you could say that. Peter was the group's oldest member and seemed to be a good leader. Just before the Romans dragged Him off, he asked Peter to see that we had stayed together and deepened our connection. And I believe that Peter does have a gift of leadership.”

As they were talking, I thought that the followers of Jesus lost some of their giftedness when they began to emphasize what Jesus said and what they thought he wanted rather than developing their common gift of becoming more radiantly loving people. And with that, I disappeared. So now…

Please look at your giftedness, nurture them, and put more energy into them than you do in the words of your menu and add them to your gifts in your banquet.

WE ARE TAUGHT TO DISMISS OUR OWN THOUGHTS - Don Hanley’s blog #56

I pondered what I was learning as I continued having delightful and dreamy meetings with Mary, Jesus’s Mom, and John. I began to think that I was taught to make Jesus an idol of worship rather than learn how to become an increasingly loving being as he taught and lived. I was thinking of the many things I was taught to believe - the worst of these, I believe, is that I am not capable of thinking my own thoughts and must rely on others who are more educated, experienced, or capable than I am.

I had read THE PRINCE by a l6th century fellow named Machiavelli many years ago and thought it applied to Adolf Hitler. who demanded that everyone think just like him. The PRINCE stated that the most important thing a leader must do is to instill fear into the minds of the followers if he wishes to have conforming and loyal followers. Hundreds of years ago, I think that this advice even began to fit the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in matters of faith and morals. The church’s teaching is that one must unconditionally obey the laws as expressed by the bishops and priests, or we would be condemned to hell. It was the kind of fear-filled teaching that smacked of Machiavelli. Some sects make Catholics look like libertarians, e.g., forbidding singing or dancing, or having and driving cars, and many more, if one wanted to go to heaven. And that same kind of teaching applied to nearly everything. I dared not disobey    the government if it wanted me to become a soldier. And, as a male in our society, I must work hard and provide for a family if I was to be a 'good' man. And there are more.

 

I looked forward to talking with Mary and John about this. I was sure they would agree that Machiavelli's ideas were similar to those of the Roman Empire rulers; what about the Mosaic laws?

That evening, I returned to Nazareth and Mary’s beautiful flower garden. John, Ruth, and Julie were with her. Mary said that Paul was ailing with some flu and was resting in her spare room, and Joshua had taken food to him and was watching him. I told my trio of adults about my fear that the Christian churches ruled the faithful by instilling fear in them.  Julie played with her ragdoll as we talked. I told them about my thoughts about the PRINCE and fear-filled leadership, and John said, “This sounds a bit like the way Pharisees see the way we Jews must obey Yahweh. I think most of us conduct ourselves in a way that is not just one way but both ways – with fear and compliance through love and patience.” John said that Jesus often insisted that rules and ways of being are not either/or but both/and.  He condemned any imposition of fear either by word or action. We can honor the laws,  and remember laws were made for man and not man for the laws. And, again, the most important thing for everyone is to grow radiantly loving.

I responded, “And I like that. Most Christians I know are working to be loving and kind but are still somewhat fearful. I think I need to be more aware of the both/and approach, as I often judge myself and others too harshly.”

Mary added, “I fear our Paul of Tarsus has the same challenge. After all, you have lived in that fearful approach to our loving Father. I believe my Son, Jesus, was never afraid of our Father, Yahweh. And he helped Joseph and me to no longer have any of that fear. I still have some fear of our fellow humans, such as Julie’s reaction to that Roman army captain.  I guess some fears are natural and help us stay safe.

John added, “We need to be connected more closely than just gazing at some idol. As Jesus said repeatedly, we need to care for one another in every way and all ways. We are not created to be alone.”

Ruth made an interesting comment: “I think there is a connection between idolatry and adultery. To commit adultery is to try to love more than one person in the same way as one loves his or her spouse. To be an idolater is to idolize or praise some object that is not God, nor is it truly connected to God.” I clapped for her, and the others joined me. Julie looked at us questioningly.

I shared the experience of seeing an inspiring picture of  one of the most radiantly loving person I ever knew - the wife of my dear friend, Joe Dillon. It inspired Joe, but he did not worship it.  I thought of the thousands, even millions of people in the world who were inspired by pictures and statues and even buildings but did not worship them. And with that, I disappeared again.

Now, open your heart and be inspired by an image or a set of writings. Pay attention to the banquet and enhance the world.

SURGEON WITH A HEART IS TRULY GIFTED - Don Hanley’s blog #57

A blog reader told me that I was mocking God and His sacred writings of the Bible. I told her, “I don’t believe I am mocking them; I like to think I am enhancing their stories. I truly like the picture I depict of Mary, John, and Jesus better than the one presented to us in much of the New Testament. I also told her that we need to be more ‘real,’ or reality-based, in our presentations of the beautiful story of Jesus, His mom, and disciples. After all, they all came along, historically, hundreds of years after humans began to think reflectively and wonder about God and creation and what we think of religion and theology. 

None of the original writers were scientists, anthropologists, or historians. We can tell the story and remain faithful to Jesus and the tradition that evolved about Him and his teachings and example. The world would be better if more Christians lived like Jesus rather than preached about Him. I felt that we still needed Jesus’s teachings that we all have different gifts and special gifts, as well as the ones that make us capable of becoming the kind of loving persons I have been talking about. That is the most important gift. But we also have other abilities to make the world a better place.

I shared all this with John, Mary, and all the next time I joined them, but before they could respond, we were interrupted by the arrival of a horse-drawn carriage. It was mid-afternoon, and we were surprised to see Luke riding up with another fellow in the carriage. We were all meeting at Joshua and Ruth’s house that day. Luke climbed down from the conveyance, and so did his companion. Luke introduced him as Dr. Phillip Newsome and told us he preferred to be addressed as a ‘doctor.’  He immediately told us he was here as a surgeon and not a personal visitor. I had gotten used to people here in Nazareth being gifted tradesmen, professionals, and human beings. The Roman soldiers, of course, were an exception. Now, this fellow was another one.

Julie immediately hid behind her mother’s chair and peeked around to see Newsome staring at her. She had immediately shied away from him but did not sheik as she had at the Roman captain. After a few moments of looking at her, Newsome commented, “So this is my little patient, is it?” He said it as if he were looking at anything other than a beautiful little human. Ruth responded, “Yes.” Newsome looked at Luke and said, “And surely you don’t expect me to operate in this ugly little house, do you?”

Luke shook his head in dismay. Even he seemed surprised at Newsome’s rudeness. He looked at Joshua to see if he had made other arrangements. He sighed in relief when Joshua replied, “Our neighbor has kindly offered his front room for us to use. We did not know when Luke would return with his friend. I will let them know we must set it up today. I hope today is good for it. I’ll go  and check and beckon to you if all is well; then you may join me and tell me what you will need and how to arrange it.” Thankfully, Joshua did not allow himself to be affected by Newsome’s attitude. We saw him talking with the man and his wife, and he shook his head, ‘Yes. ‘ We all strolled into the house, and the living room was nearly as large as Joshua and Ruth's house. Newsome directed them how he wanted the room to be arranged.

Then, he started assigning roles to everyone. Luke was to be his chief assistant, Josuha would be the ‘gofer,’ and John was to see that Julie remained still during the procedure. He looked at me and said, “And who are you—the one dressed funny?” I responded that I was Mary’s friend from another country but would not be here tomorrow. Ruth said, “I will hold Julie’s head and comfort her.”

Newsome nearly exploded, “You will provide a bit of wine this evening for her to take so she will sleep well and again in the morning as an anesthetic and stay out of the way. I do not want any woman in this delicate operation's way.”

I was so glad to hear Ruth say firmly, “I will comfort her and be her primary anesthetic. I will comfort her, and if you do not like it, we will find another doctor with the skill and a HEART.” She looked at Joshua, and he nodded in approval. She looked at Luke, and Luke said, ”And I will take the horse and carriage back to Jerusalem without you.” He later confessed that he might go to prison if he did this, but at the moment, he didn’t care.

Newsome looked around at us and was met by a wall of firm supporters of Ruth. After a moment or three, he finally uttered, “Okay, but stay out of the way.” He turned to Joshua and asked Joshua where he would be sleeping. Joshua remained civil enough to cordially tell him he and Luke could stay in this house.

I definitely grew in my admiration of Ruth and wondered if a 21st-century woman would have stood up to an authoritarian doctor as she had. Before I could tell her this, I disappeared. So…

Now, honor and nurture your heart and help others to do the same. Don’t eat the menus, but do enjoy the banquet.

BE JOY AND BE KIND—LIKE THE DALI LAMA AND JESUS - Don Hanley’s blog #55

In my home in 2024, I watched a delightful documentary entitled MISSION: JOY. It featured a movie camera and mic following two of my favorite old men, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, spending a week together talking about life. If you know who they are, I don’t need to tell you that they spent decades working for peace, justice, and the well-being of their fellow men and women in South Africa and Asia, respectively. And as they worked, they managed to keep a sense of joy. Real joy comes from love - not from what is happening with you on this day. AND I just watched a 'debate' between JOY and HOPE versus GLOOM and DOOM and feeling, deep in my bones,;  that JOY won. So I'm feeling even more joy.

While contemplating the film, I thought of the many pictures and scripture descriptions of Jesus and couldn’t remember ever seeing or reading about Jesus being joyful. So, the next time I sat with my Nazarene dream friends, I want to talk to Mary and whoever was with her. about Jesus and Joy.

I was there that evening—in Mary’s flower garden in Nazareth. John, Paul, Joshua, Ruth, and Julie were with her. I told them my missing mention of any pictures or stories about Jesus feeling and expressing joy by smiling or laughing. Immediately, Mary threw up her hands and nearly shouted, “Your writers and artists are missing a huge part of who my son was and is. They depict only a fraction of what he is. Wouldn’t you agree, John?”

John looked at me and said, “Don, this story might help you: One time, Jesus and four of us followers walked into a small village, and we saw a very emaciated man and his young son sitting by the side of the road. Jesus stopped and asked the fellow how we might help him. He was almost too weak to answer but whispered, ‘We are so very hungry, and so are my two other children and their mother. Our dwelling burned down, and we lost everything, and all of us have been injured, so…” His voice trailed off, and Jesus said to us. ‘Let us go around the village here and see if we can find food, shelter, and maybe a healing hand for this family.’ So, two of us went one way, and Jesus and the other, newer members of our group, went another to find food and help. We were surprised to find that in this village about the size of Nazareth, no one seemed to know of this poor family. Anyway, my partner and I found an elderly couple who had a shanty in the back of their property that the family could stay in, and they would give them some clothes that their children had left them with. They were quite thin and had no extra food, but their neighbors did. Jesus and his two found food, and more was promised for the future. We all helped the family get to the shanty, and one neighbor was a sort of ‘medicine man’ who left some ointment with them after applying some of it on their most serious burns.”

John continued with a smile, “And as we left, Jesus kidded us about being so glum. He said we must always do our very best to feel the joy we have in our hearts. even when we are worried and a bit sad.”

 Mary said, “Now, John, thank you for that story. I had never heard it, but it was typical of how my son was in the world. Even with the children here in Nazareth, he would check to see if they were hungry or hurt. He would laugh and smile nearly all the time. If you hear any of those so-called Christians of yours talking like Jesus was a gloomy Gus, tell them John’s story – and that will also let them know that to love Jesus is to love those in need. And for pity’s sake, do not sit around and say or sing that they love Jesus. Oh, and say all this with a smile on your face. Don, don't be so serious all the time yourself. Even though you are older than me in your life, I’m beginning to think of you as my stepson.” She laughed and added, “How’s that?”

My twenty-first-century fellow believers need an updated faithfulness and have some new two-thousand-year-old thoughts. And with that thought, I disappeared–so with joy . . . 

Smile and open your eyes and heart, glance at the menus, and joyfully sit at the banquet and sing as you get to work.

I REFUSE TO BE A “GOD-FEARING” MAN – Don Hanley's blog #54

When I was back in my walking-around world, I attended a Christian, non-Catholic funeral of my lifelong friend, a dedicated Methodist. He had been a wonderful, friendly, joyous, and life-giving fellow whom I will miss greatly. The minister was much more conservative than my friend. He called John a ‘God-fearing man.’ That was a term I disliked and never used.

One time, I looked it up, and, historically, it did not mean to be afraid of God, but it did mean being very conforming to all the traditional Christian commandments – and there were hundreds more than ten. I was sure my friend John would not consider being God-fearing a compliment.

When I got home from the funeral, I picked up an inspiring book entitled Anam Cara by John O’Donoghue and read this:

A Blessing for the Senses

“May your body be blessed.

May you realize that your body is a faithful and a beautiful friend of your soul.

And may you be peaceful and joyful and recognize that your senses are sacred thresholds.

May you realize that holiness is mindful, gazing, feeling, and touching.

May your senses gather you and bring you home.

May your senses always enable you to celebrate the universe and the Mystery and possibilities in your presence here

May the Eros of the Earth bless you”.

Now, that would have been a far better thing to say than telling us that John was a ‘God-fearing man!’ I decided to take this to my next meeting with Mary and the others at our next dream meeting.

I didn’t have to wait long. I sat in Mary’s flower garden with John, Luke, Paul, Ruth, Joshua, and Julie that evening. Julie was the first one to speak, “I don’t know what that funeral guy was thinking, but as my grandma Mary would say, ‘He’s full of prunes.’” I don’t know how the translator angel said it, but everyone laughed, and I said, “Julie, you are so smart, and I agree with you.” She grinned, came over to me, and hugged me.

John said, “Jesus, as I’m sure you know by now, never wanted anyone to live in fear. He wanted us to do everything we do out of love and kindness, never out of fear or because we think he or anyone else said he or she should do it. I can’t stress that enough.” Paul asked, “But didn’t he say we must love others to get to heaven and be with God, our Father?”

John responded, “Not in the way you seem to be saying – as we must conform to some commandment, but that we do whatever we do because we are living a life of loving kindness and being one with the spirit or grace of the Father. For those who love, we don’t need to think about it; we must act just like breathing.”

John stopped, took a noisy deep breath, and said, “I just decided to take that noisy breath, but I do not need to do that every time I breathe. If I did, I would not stay alive very long. I breathe, and now, after spending time with Jesus and with Mary, Joshua, Ruth, Julie, and others, I am loving. The big difference between breathing and loving is that in love, we need others to help us keep in touch or connect with others – literally or in our memorial experience.”

Luke, John, and Paul continued to discuss what it means to be a loving person, and I was enjoying it a great deal—darn it, I disappeared.

Now, nurture your heart, breathe, and reflect on your menus. Enjoy the banquet of love, and then do something positive!