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Journal — August, 2004 |
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AN ONGOING
SPIRITUAL WEBLOG
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August 30, 2004
This week the Republican National Convention takes place in New York City.
Like the Democractic National Convention last month, there will be speeches,
glad-handing, promises, challenges and more speeches.
In an election year we can all get caught up in choosing sides. But, isn’t
it extremely important to look honestly at the issues and to continually
pray to God that our hearts will be enlightened? That’s what voting
with a conscience requires. Personally, I don’t need any church, “religious
right” or “liberal left” to tell me which candidates
to support.
Some say politics and religion don’t mix. Actually religion mixes
with everything. However, God esteems our freedom of choice, so we must
never force religion on anyone. I find that I must consider my political
choices and decisions from the perspective of the Gospel. Jesus didn’t
spend a lot of time on being politically correct or asserting that any
particular “side” had God’s favor. He called for loving
God with our everything and loving our neighbors, too. Remember, God created
us in His divine image. That means everybody has that image. Republicans,
Democrats, saints and sinners.
Tom Gilbert
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August 26, 2004
As I am wont to do, here’s another update on the rebuilding of Eagle
TV in Mongolia (go here for background).
The process of getting the station back on the air is continuing and Tom
Terry is providing regular updates for us on the construction of the new
studios – see
the progress.
Please keep Tom, his family in prayer. His wife and three daughters are
currently in the United States and one of the girls, Whitney, is getting
some needed medical attention. The Terry’s are fine Christian people
who are living the Gospel, not just talking about it. God bless them.
Tom Gilbert
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August 24, 2004
I’m back from my experience with the Men’s Rites of
Passage at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico (see previous journal entry).
The event was rich, humbling and deep. It will take me many days – perhaps
years – to un-package the profound experience. I will not attempt
to do so now.
However, I do want to share with you a few thoughts and images. I know
in my heart of hearts that I am different. I also know in a much greater
way than ever before that I am loved. This is at the core of God’s
message. It is what Jesus came out of his forty days in the desert knowing – that
he is a beloved son of God. It is also the message Jesus Christ gives to
each of us.
Immense scenic beauty in the majestic red/brown/grey/purple cliffs. Solitude
in the desert. True intimacy with nature, with other men, and with God.
Honesty. Humility.
The brilliant arcs of lightning across dark skies and brooding clouds dripping
with rain. Rumbling thunder against the canyon that you feel in the pit
of your gut. Hurt, pain, the belly of the whale and ultimately forgiveness.
Gratitude. Freedom.
Brothers and sisters, I pray that each of you can go beyond words, beyond
simply trying to be good and living on your own power. Discover what God
is really saying to you. God’s saying live and love it all – all
of it! Then you will know what Paul is saying in that Brother Pete so wonderfully comments on in today’s Daily
Thought.
Peace and joy,
Tom Gilbert
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August 18, 2004
The journey to discover your true self requires many guides along the way.
Otherwise we end up just getting lost. It’s hard to know our true
self when we have so much of our personal agenda blocking the view.
On Thursday, August 19, over one hundred men will be discovering more what
it means to become the true men God has created them to be. The Men’s
Rites of Passage at Ghost Ranch in Northern New Mexico is
an intensive five day combination of learning, sharing, discovery and letting
go. I’m excited about attending this event, and even a bit anxious.
I’m sure it will be good, but I’m also sure there will be some
pain. I must pay the price for letting go and that means dying to the false
self.
While I’m there I hope to stay as much in the moment as possible.
Later there will be time for reflection and to share some of the experience
with you, my fellow travelers of “Living the Solution”.
Tom Gilbert
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August 17, 2004
Now that the USA team has had some humbling setbacks in the Olympic Games
we can all take a moment to realize that winning is not everything
(despite what your coaches and CEO’s tell you). Doing your best,
striving (like Paul) for the finish line, accepting losses as opportunities
for growth and being part of the bigger event won’t put you on the
medal platform but it will make you a better person.
Once in a while I hyper-jump over to blogs4god to
read some varied opinions. I came across Pruitt
Communications blog and you should check out the posting from August
13. I think Terry’s Olympic analogy for the Body of Christ made some
good points.
Tom Gilbert
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August 13, 2004
I used to live in St. Petersburg, Florida. When I was there in the early
1990’s we never had a hurricane, but we did get a brush with a tropical
storm. Nature’s fury can be severe and frightening as demonstrated
by the current Hurricane Charley storming the Florida
west coast. We pray for safety and comfort for all those affected. Also,
we should pray for the many people who have been killed or injured in a
strong Typhoon that hit China.
Natural disasters are another reminder that we live in a global village
and how powerless we are over many circumstances. The drama of our planet
is a daily occurrence. It is through trust in a loving God expressed in
service to others, especially those in need, that we demonstrate our Christian
love.
The Summer Olympics in Greece are underway, too. The event
brings together great athletes and performances as well as a call for peace.
So, my thoughts today are on our world. Give glory to God in all things,
pray, comfort and help others and celebrate life.
Tom Gilbert
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August 11, 2004
The troubles in Darfur, Sudan continue. Reports are coming from the country
that the government is not taking the necessary steps to stop the violence
and human rights atrocities (more
here).
Our current Spotlight
Link points to a site designed to raise awareness and action
to stop the genocide in Darfur. We will keep this site spotlighted for
just a few more days, so please visit it soon (more
here). Both prayer and action are called for.
Tom Gilbert
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August 9, 2004
One of the great obstacles many of us encounter in life is being true to
ourselves. Real integrity is rare. Most of us are unwilling to let our “insides
be our outsides”. It may be that you have never spent time getting
to know who you really are. Conducting a fearless search of our character
and facing up to those shortcomings in our lives that are holding us back
from becoming a free and loving person is hard work.
The realization for those who do this inner work is that we are never as
bad or inferior as we might think. Also, we learn we aren’t as grandiose
as our ego often wants to tell us, a coping technique we use to help us
deal with our lack of self esteem.
God already loves you and nothing you can do can increase or decrease that
love. It’s unconditional and limitless. Getting beyond the point
of accepting this and letting that love change your thoughts, and consequently
your actions, is an important part of growing up. Sure, it’s hard
to face facts. And setbacks in this daily living are bound to happen. However,
that starting point – God loves you – makes it ok to “suit
up and show up” for each and every day. I pray you find the courage,
the peace, and the grace to face this beautiful way of life.
Tom Gilbert.
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August 6, 2004
A friend of mine likes to say, “It’s a great day to recognize
insanity”. What he means is for many of us our thinking is frequently
not sound. Who among us can honestly admit we have never had irrational
thoughts or actions? A true, sane way of living requires inner peace and
a love of all.
Now, I’m certainly not saying we are all insane, nor am I discounting
the very real and difficult challenges of serious mental illness. However,
we have only to look at our world, our lives and history to see how insane
some of the things we’ve done and approved of are.
It was 59 years ago this day that the United States dropped a nuclear bomb
on Hiroshima, Japan that killed or injured 160,000 people. The fallout – both
radioactive and emotional - caused uncounted additional suffering. At the
time it was the belief that this was the necessary way to bring an end
to the war with Japan. The “logic” was that the ending would
prevent a much higher casualty rate from continued warfare. The United
States dropped another bomb on Nagasaki three days later to drive the point
home.
The Mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, in a commemorative
address called for a ban on nuclear arms by 2020 and condemned the
United States for a pursuit of next-generation nuclear weapons (the so
called bunker busters and mini-nuclear warheads).
I live in New Mexico, a beautiful state of desert and mountains. It is
a very spiritual area. It’s also the home of the atomic bomb. The
Manhattan Project was conducted in secrecy in Los Alamos and the bomb was
test detonated at White Sands. Currently there are possibly more nuclear
weapons stored in this state than anywhere else in America.
The idea of war is abhorrent. It is always a failure of human communication
and the antithesis of love. The use of mass destruction weapons like nuclear
bombs is truly an insane action, regardless of how it is rationalized.
This weekend the Nevada
Desert Experience (NDE) will again protest in a nonviolent
way the testing and preparing of nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test Site.
Please pray that their sane voices will be heard above the madness. Because
there is another way – a third way – that resolves conflict
peacefully through the grace of God enacted with humility and boldness.
Tom Gilbert
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August 5, 2004
Last night ABC Television aired a program titled, “Jesus, Mary and
da Vinci”. With all the publicity and talk about Dan Brown’s
best-selling novel, “The Da Vinci Code” it was good timing
for the network. You have to hand it to ABC: they’ve been discovering
the great interest in religious topics and they’ve done some decent
programming around it. Recent programs have included examining more of
the life of Christ and also Paul, the apostle who did so much to help establish,
teach and encourage early Christian communities.
This latest special asked if there is any basis to the speculation that
Jesus was married, and if so, was it to Mary Magdalene. They didn’t
settle the matter but offered opinions from a number of scholars. I tend
to agree with the conclusion of some of those scholars that even if Jesus
did marry it doesn’t change who He was, is, or what His mission was
all about.
What is clear from the Gospel texts is that Mary Magdalene was a close
friend and follower of Jesus. The resurrected Christ made his first appearance
to her, a special honor as she was then instructed to tell the other disciples
(John 20:10-18).
Leonardo da Vinci lived in the fifteen century, a time when Christianity
had spread all across Europe and a renaissance in the arts and sciences
was shaking the world. It must have been a fascinating time to live. So
is today. We all should learn from history and tradition and the more that
you study the life of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the writings of the early
church fathers the more you should appreciate God’s magnificent plan.
Tom Gilbert
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved
throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of
International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the offering of
goods or services requires the prior written consent of International Bible
Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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PSALM 118:24
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"This
is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad
in it."
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(NIV)
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