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!

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.