WE’VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT - Don Hanley's blog #53

In my walk-around-self, I watched an old musical film entitled South Pacific and especially liked the song – You’ve Gotta Be Carefully Taught. The musical held fond memories for me, as we had put on that play in college. My friend Jack McCoy sang the song in his great tenor voice.

When I joined my dreamland friend, Mary greeted me warmly and said, “After those Roman soldiers left, I thought of the ghastly scene that Joseph and I saw years ago – it was a horrible scene of dozens of non-Roman slaves being crucified and displayed along the road to Damascus. Now I ask you, my history traveling friend: Why would these young men, these Roman soldiers, do this to other men? How could they be so hateful?” I sat with Mary, John, Paul, and Joshua's family. I told them about the play and the wonderful song. I even allowed myself to sing it in my old man’s voice, hoping our angelic translator could translate the sentiments well.

“You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear.

You’ve got to be taught from year to year.

It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear,

You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid of people whose eyes are oddly made.

And people whose skin is a different shade.

You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,

Before you are six or seven of eight.

To hate all the people your relatives hate.

You have to be carefully taught.”

Mary and everyone else clapped when I wheezed my last stanza. John asked Mary if she and Joseph even considered teaching the young Jesus to hate anyone. She responded, “If I thought you were even a little serious, I would swat you one.” She chuckled and added, “Thank you, Don, for bringing that song to us. I don’t understand why people continue to hate. I did not hate the soldiers who hung my son from that hideous cross, but I still do not understand why they did it – even though I know they were following orders that were given to them by mean-spirited older men.  But why in the world did they obey such hopeless orders? I am sure that Jesus taught that everyone must be in touch with their loving human heart and do life-giving and loving things, even if it means they will be killed. John, did he not teach that we must not be afraid of death?”

I felt that I had to say, “And that was also taught through all the years since Jesus' death, but for too many, they continued to believe that they must obey their ‘superiors.’ Even today, 2,000 years later, many of our families and schools still teach that we must obey our parents, teachers, and other 'superiors.' Personally, I believe we need to eliminate the words, and the concepts, of Obedience and Conformity and replace them with Respect and Cooperation."

John said, "I'm sure Jesus would agree with you but just used different words. He stressed that we must listen to our hearts and always look at all rules and so-called 'natural laws' through the lens of our hearts. Why is that so difficult to understand?" 

I responded, "I don't think that it is so difficult to understand, but it is often hard to do. And it takes courage, and darn it, I disappeared, so now . . . 

Nurture your own heart, glimpse the menus you have been taught, and then enjoy the banquet.

A CHRISTIAN LOVES HIM/HERSELF AND OTHERS - Don Hanley's blog #52

While I was back in the 21^st century, I had other dreams besides the wonderful ones in Nazareth. In one, I was visiting my old (1964) parish in Kansas. In that dream, I was standing with a group of Catholic adults, and, for some reason, one portly middle-aged fellow asked me if I was a Catholic. I replied, “In my own way.” He promptly asked, “What the hell does that mean?”

“I believe I follow Jesus’s message to love others as I should love myself. So, you tell me what kind of Catholic you are. You come across to me as a mean-spirited kind of one.” He got a rather mean look and said, “Oh, I do, do I? Let me show you what it means.” He drew his right arm back and started to swing, and a fellow behind him grabbed his swinging arm, and another man grabbed his left arm. They both looked at him as he glared at me. One of them said, “We’re sorry about that, sir. George here is always looking for some trouble.” I woke up and shook my head, wondering what the dream was trying to teach me. The following night, I was glad to be back in Nazareth with my favorite kind of loving people and sitting in Mary’s flower garden.

“You look a bit worried, my old and young friend. Now, tell us about it. John is getting bored trying to get Paul here to understand what my Jesus was all about.”

“Well, Mary…” I glanced over at Paul before continuing, “… back in my century; a fellow got angry because I told him I was just the kind of Christian who worked on loving others as I hoped I loved myself. I then asked him whether that was true for him, too.” He answered me by saying he would show me how he answered smart alecks and started to hit me with his fist. Fortunately for me, two other fellows stopped him.

Mary asked if those who stopped him were violent in any way, and when I said no. Then, she said they were being more Christian than the guy. I agreed, and she turned to Paul and said, “Now, Paul, that is an example of what I was trying to say; Jesus taught that how we live and conduct ourselves is more important than just saying what we believe. Don’s angry man is not a Christian if that is the way he habitually treats others. Jesus insisted that those who follow him must be non-violent – even if it costs them their lives. Of course, that is what he lived and why he was crucified.” She shuddered as she said this.

She continued, “Now, Paul, it is very important that you tell others who want to follow Jesus that it means that they must love others, not just mouth words that they believe might please Jesus and Yahweh, who is sitting on a throne somewhere in the heavenly sky.” She turned back to me and added, “And Don, I have thought greatly about what you said the last time we were together. You said that millions of men soldiers killed millions more and called themselves ‘Christians’. Something has gone wrong, very wrong, over the years, even centuries, for them to even dare to say they are ‘Christians’.”

I agree with you, Mary, and fortunately there are many Christians who are very like Joshua and Ruth and know how to love and radiate that love to others. Unfortunately, they were often outnumbered by those devoted to rigidly just follow the laws and rules that they believed Jesus espoused.”

John added,  “That is so sad. Jesus wanted us, his followers. to help one another survive, and not only survive, but to discover and enjoy living together in peace and harmony..

I felt more than a little ashamed when I said, "When I was a priest, I often got in trouble with a few church authorities for espousing this kind of thinking.”

I smiled when Mary said, “Well, they were wrong, and they need to get off their thrones or whatever they are sitting on, go out into the desert, and think about it. Or maybe they need to find a good woman who can love and have a baby or two with her.” She smiled with satisfaction.

This time, I was smiling when I disappeared. Now . . .

Keep opening your mind and heart to studying the menus, and BE love.

HUMANS BEGAN TO THINK AROUND 200,000 YEARS AGO SO – Don Hanley’s blog #51

In the 21st century, we now think of Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, as ‘in ancient times.’ I believe that the enlightened people around that time – like Jesus, Confucius, Buddha, Plato, and others – yearn to see all humans realize that they are wise, loving, creative, free-thinking, and able to become enlightened. I guess the evolution of humans is a very slow process as it has taken 198,000 years, and we are more advanced technologically but still killing one another. I was thinking of this as I fell asleep.

My dream that night was of my journey to Nazareth, and I didn’t arrive in Mary’s flower garden; I was surprised to arrive in a smaller garden in front of the home of Ruth and Joshua. Mary, John, and Joshua were sitting in the garden, and I was told that Luke, Ruth, and Julie were in the little house with Paul. Paul still spent most of his time lying down. I wondered how Ruth and Joshua accommodated so many in such a small dwelling. As if reading my mind, Mary said, “When Paul first arrived, I told Ruth and Joshua that they could take care of their patient in my house, and I could stay in theirs. They would have none of that and have done quite well in their small home. They have been wonderful.”

Just then, three Roman soldiers rode their horses up to where we sat in front of the small dwelling. John and Joshua knew the lead horseman was the leader, as he had a regal-looking helmet and a commanding look. He dismounted, looked us over, singled me out, and said in Latin, “Who are you, and why are you dressed so oddly?”

“I am Don, and I am visiting Joshua and Ruth. And who are you?” I did my best to sound polite and relaxed. I wondered what language my translator angel would use. Thank goodness, he ignored me, looked at Mary, and said, “And who are you, old lady?”

“I am Mary, and I am visiting Joshua here,” Even though he turned his attention toward Joshua, she continued to tell the pompous character, “You and your fellow Romans killed my son, so I have no reason to be more than just polite to you. Why are you visiting our town?”

Mary sounded properly polite. Still, he ignored her reference to Jesus’s execution and responded, “I am searching for a Roman citizen named Paul of Tarsus and a Jewish physician named Luke. And I see two horses tied up behind this house. Could they belong to the two men I am seeking?”

Joshua responded, “Yes. They are here. Paul, only a few days ago, woke up from being in a coma for several weeks after being nearly killed in a landslide. My wife, Ruth, and I found him and his horse and brought him to our house. And Luke, only a few days ago, was also looking for him and is now looking after him as a physician. They are both in my house right now.”

The Roman leader handed the reins of his horse to one of the other soldiers and commanded Joshua to take him to see the two men. The instant he walked through the front door, we heard a loud shriek from Julie. The captain shouted, “Shut that brat up, or I’ll shut her up permanently!” He had his right hand on his sword. I think small children can recognize mean-spirited and heartless people quite easily.

I was sitting so I could see Ruth quickly pick up Julie and turn away from the arrogant bastard. Julie had never screamed when other visitors came to the house. The Roman marched through the small front room into the room where Paul was lying on his palette. We could not clearly hear the conversation, but we did hear the captain say, “Well, Paul, we will allow you to rest a bit longer, and now, Luke, you must come with us. Point your horse out to us, and we’ll prepare him for our journey to Jerusalem. Give these peasants the final word on how to care for Paul.” He ordered the two soldiers to prepare Luke’s horse.

Luke stood at the front door and told Ruth and Joshua, “I will return in a few days with my surgeon friend to come to Nazareth to help Julie.” He hugged Ruth and Joshua, chucked Julie under her chin, kissed her on the forehead, and mounted his horse. He didn’t look so happy, and for the first time, I was okay with disappearing. So, now . . .

Keep nurturing your heart, examining menus, and enjoying the banquets of life.

LOVE IS DOING WHAT IS MOST LIFE-GIVING - Don Hanley’s blog #50

I was disappointed that our 21^st-century pope, Francis I, still refuses to announce that the official Catholic teaching on homosexual behavior was not a sin as long as it was life-giving to both participants, just as sexual intercourse between consenting marriage partners or even non-married couples, is not sinful but can be life-giving. Of course, this would mean a celebration of gay marriages. When I met with them, I wanted to check this out with John and Luke. And it wasn’t long before I again joined them in my dreamland.

I was surprised to see Mary, John, Luke, and a new fellow leaning back into a wheeled cart being pushed into place by Joshua between John and Mary. John brought out the extra chairs. I assumed that our new cart-bound guest was Paul. Mary confirmed it, saying, “Well, Don, you now get to meet Ruth and Joshua’s house guest, Paul of Tarsus.”

Paul held his hand, smiled, and said, “Good to meet you, Don. I’ve heard a bit about you and am glad to see you. Ruth said you were a fine person like Joshua and Jesus’s two apostles. I think that is quite a compliment.”

I nodded and replied, “Yes, it is. I’m told that you have received wonderfully positive care from Ruth and Joshua and are now even feeling emotionally stronger than before your accident.” Paul smiled, and I added, “Is that true?”

“Definitely! It has been a life-changing experience for me. I suppose you’ve heard about my sorrowful past in which I was persecuting Jews who were following Jesus?” I nodded, and he nodded toward Mary and said, “I am so ashamed of my terrible actions. As a Pharisee, I believed I was doing the will of our Father, Yahweh, and now, having experienced the love of these people here, I am certain that closing my own heart and following a set of rules and actions just because people have been doing so for hundreds of years, is so very wrong. And everyone here has been so wonderfully forgiving; I am determined to become a better and more loving person and be one with them.” He looked up at the sky, folded his hands, and exhaled. We all clapped, and Paul smiled.

John picked up on Paul’s fine little speech and said, “Now, we need to help as many people as possible experience what we and you have experienced. Now, you, Paul, have had much time to think about all this. Do you have any ideas about how we can make that happen?”

“I’m glad you asked because I have given this much thought. It seems that we must continue to be like Jesus was before he was executed. I believe he was executed because the Jewish elders, the Pharisees like me, and Sadducees, as well as the Romans, thought Jesus’s teachings of love and non-violence would undermine their authority. We need to convince them that we in no way want to hurt or take over their positions but to help them be more just, kind, and helpful. Rather than force people to do things, show them what to do and help them do it. It will take much patience, acceptance, and compassion, but I think we can do it. Don, how have we, the Christians, done these few years – according to historians?” Paul sounded more like a teacher or official than a patient helper or like Luke and John.

“From what I can tell, many of the early Christians did quite well,” . . . and before I could say more, I left the dream, please . . .

Nurture your heart, reflect on your lovability, and then study the menus and enjoy the banquet of life.    AND PLEASE COMMENT

Mary is AGAST to Learn About Hitler – Don Hanley’s blog #49

When I’m struggling to stay awake, I do a lot of reading and writing; I enjoy being asleep and visiting with Mary, John, Ruth, Luke, and everyone who comes into our dream world. So, I was happy to return to my dreamy little town of Nazareth a few years after Jesus’s execution.

Again, Mary greeted me warmly, and after I sat in ‘my’ chair, Mary asked, “Well, Don, when you are awake back in the 21st century, what do you do all day? You can’t be doing much physically if you are as frail there as you appear here with us, so what do you do to keep out of mischief?” She chuckled, and Luke and John joined her.

“Well, I do a lot of reading and some writing. I've written a few books since I retired from counseling and teaching. I am writing a novel I’m calling School of St. Smiles, about what I hope will become the kind of schools we’ll have in the future.

I thought of you, Mary when I came up with the title because your smile inspires me to live more fully and lovingly.” She acknowledged me with that smile. I went on, “The book I’m currently reading is a fictional story about two young and intelligent American women before and during the Second World War.  I tried to explain 19th and 20th-century politics and got many questioning faces. So, I returned to the book I was reading and said, “It is based on true happenings here on earth and starts around the time I was born in 1933. What I found most discouraging is that at that time, nine out of ten German people professed to be Christians, and yet they allowed a fellow named Hitler to become the emperor of Germany. Germany is a large country, about a thousand miles north of Judea. In only a few years, under orders from Hitler, the people there amassed a war machine that killed at least six million Jews and other people he, and his fellow henchmen declared undesirables simply because of the color of their skin or ethnic background or any other reason Hitler declared were undesirable. Some real loving Christians were added to the list of undesirables, and they were executed as well. I think that Hitler would even make a Roman emperor look nice.”

Mary turned white, and I feared she would faint as I talked about all this. She, John, Luke, and Ruth were shocked into silence for several minutes. Finally, Mary took a deep breath and murmured, “You said that most of these Germans who followed or obeyed Hitler called themselves ‘Christians’? How in the world could they dare to say that? Did they know what Jesus taught and what they needed to do if they truly wanted to be his followers?”

I looked at all four of my shocked friends and said, “I don’t know, but I do know that throughout history, most people follow men who come across as strong leaders who they believe will help them be safe and may even become prosperous. And I think that schools too often explicitly tell students to be quiet, sit still, do what they are told, and think only what the teacher tells them to think. That, to me, is indoctrination and not education. Tell me what you think about what Jesus would say about that.”

Luke was the first one to respond, “Jesus always told us to explore what we hear from learned people thoroughly and to compare what we hear from as many sources as possible and also listen to our own heart, and then follow our best and most life-giving ideas and then make a tentative decision as best we can. Our decision must be tentative but not absolute nor unchangeable.” John added, “Luke, that is a real mouthful, and I agree that it reflects what Jesus wanted and what we all must do to have a loving, creative, and peaceful world. again I'll declare that Jesus never said anything that he thought was absolutely to believe and to do and that is to believe and to become loving people. And that we all have the power within us to do that!” So it is not even important to even know who Jesus is or was." 

I loved what Luke and John said, and I wanted to hear more, but darn it, I vanished from the group – so . . .

Please open your heart, follow Luke’s and John's words, but don't just listen to them but live them.

SAVORING THE POWER TO BE WITH - Don Hanley’s blog #48

For days, I reflected on the nature of love as my trio of friends in Nazareth talked about it. I thought of some people, both men and women, who I believed lived that kind of love. I also wondered how well I had lived it. Thinking about this prompted me to meet Mary and her visitors in another vivid dream. This time, the trio seemed quite excited that Paul had awakened. Joshua, Ruth, and Julie stayed home and ensured Paul was okay.

Again, Mary greeted me warmly, “Welcome, our 21^st. Century friend. Luke told us that Ruth and Joshua’s visitor, Paul, has awakened and is amazed at how well he feels emotionally. He is having a hard time realizing that he has been in a coma for three weeks or so. I was telling her that I was certain that he, in his entire life, had never experienced the kind of loving care that she, Joshua, and Julie have given him. She was about to argue with me when you showed up.”

“And I’ll bet you are right, Mary. And I'm beginning to believe that he is receiving the kind of love that Jesus wanted everyone on earth to express to everyone. I hope this fellow, Paul, begins to tell people about that rather than persecuting those who know how to love. What do you think, John and Luke?”

“It’s too soon to tell.” Luke added, “Physically, he will take several more days to heal sufficiently to get out of bed and do more time than it takes to go to the latrine. He is muttering about how wonderfully kind you and Joshua are to him.”

John added, “And, Don, I’m glad that you have recognized that Ruth and Joshua’s love is exactly what Jesus told us about and insisting that we all have the power to be so kind. We need to open our hearts and express it rather than be cruel, envious, and all the other ways that hinder us from being peaceful, creative, and gifted folks. Were you teaching this as a priest in your younger years?”

“I would like to say ‘Yes,’ but I was told about it, but I was not taught how to help others and be self-accepting. I think I was taught to be a kind of Christian Pharisee - spouting all kinds of so-called spiritual laws and ‘shoulds’ that everyone must do and keep if they wanted to get to heaven and be with the Father.”

The last time I was here, Ruth was kind enough to say that she experienced me as a lovingly kind person. I responded, “I can only say that being with Mary, John, Luke, and her has helped me to become more loving and kind. It is something that I believe we must experience, as John says, and not something that is taught like a language or doctrine.”

And with those ‘wise’ words, I vanished again; so, please . . .

Be the kind of person who radiates love and kindness and does not read the menus but enjoys the banquet of life.

LIFE AND LOVE AND MIRACLES – Don Hanley’s blog #47

I was glad to be back in my dreamland and be with Mary, John, and Luke. Luke had told Ruth and Joshua that he would let them know when his surgeon friend could perform the surgery on Julie’s lip. They had gone back home before our dreamy night meeting.

Mary, as usual, greeted me warmly and said, “Well, my dreamy world traveler, now you have two companions of my son. So, ask if Luke agrees with what John has told us. about my son and his mission.” I responded, “It is always you, I come back to see. Your radiance is so comforting that I would be comfortable just being with you and not saying a word.” She gave me a wonderfully beautiful smile.

“So, enough, you two.” John interrupted, feigning irritation, “So, Luke, for Don’s benefit, tell him about Jesus, the miracle worker, and what you think his mission was and is and how we are to follow him.”

“Well, Don, from what John has told me, your world of twenty centuries from now has millions of what you, or they, call themselves Christians or followers of Jesus. Many of these folks believe that all they need to do is tell the world that they believe that Jesus is their Savior and follow all the rules of behavior that he gave us apostles to make known to everybody on our earth Then, if they did this, they would go to heaven and be with God the Father. Is that correct?” Luke stopped and looked at me with the wise look of a master teacher.

“Wow, you have condensed what many call Salvation History into very plain words. The largest bunch of these Christians, called Catholics, and most other groups of Christians also believe that we must be baptized with water as a believer pours water over our heads – usually when we are babies. Most believe this must happen, or we can never be with God the Father.”

John looked startled, “Don, you never mentioned this before. That sounds, oh, ah, maybe a bit harsh or even insane. Jesus never, ever mentioned any ritual, wet or dry, that was an absolute necessity to be with the Father when we die. He did let John, the Baptizer, perform his ritual on him. He did this to give John credence, but he never ever said this was a requirement for everyone who followed him. The only requirement is that we become loving people – which is the one big challenge we all have. And we have this power at the moment we are born. Love, as Jesus tells us, it the spirit or energy of Yahweh and it must be nurtured by those who have discovered it and radiate it. It is more than just being kind.”

Luke looked at John and then at me and asked, “Who, may I ask, added restrictions, and are there many other requirements like it among your twentieth-century ‘Christians’”?

“I would sincerely like to say ‘no,’ but that would not be true. A person must also be in the ‘state of grace’ or believe they are ‘saved’ or ‘called by the Lord.' As John and Mary know, I was once a Catholic priest, and I was supposed to have the God-given power to forgive sins – if they were confessed to me and promised me, as God’s representative on earth, not to commit those sins again.”

Luke, or John, I can’t remember which, asked, “And who made you God’s representative?”

“Supposedly, the traditional leaders of the Catholic church. Other groups of Christians also had similar requirements that they believe came down through their traditions and ‘callings.’” I didn’t want to get into theological debates, so I mentioned that most believers wanted to do the right thing and to be ‘saved’ so they would ‘go to heaven.’

 Both guys and Mary shook their heads in disbelief.  Luke said, “I was near him the last three years of his life, and I never heard Jesus ever suggesting any absolute beliefs or special things other than loving one another, did you, John?” John shook his head, as did Mary.

I asked Luke and John to tell me what Love meant to them and Jesus... and before they could answer, ... I left the dream. Please . . .

Keep opening and nurturing your heart and joining others in studying the menus and then enjoying the banquet with them.