ORDINARY LIFE - Thoughts and Ideas to Help You Live a Happier Life
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Summary for February 3, 2019
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Dear Folks -
We learn more from the questions we ask and are asked than the “answers” that are given to us. Consequently, and because this ticks boxes on a lot of my teaching goals, I have been going through the narratives about Jesus and looking at the questions he asked. This week I dealt with this one, “Did you think that I came to bring peace on the earth?” Well, yes, I did.
However, it is the intention of the spiritual teacher to disturb before comforting. I quoted James Hollis again this week as saying, “Never in recorded history has there been such a mythological crisis.” We have a lot of wisdom and tenderness in us but we cover it up in our hunger for “security” and “certainty.” Almost all of Jesus’ teachings can be put into one of two categories - forgiveness and/or inclusion. Practicing these is upsetting. Freedom and love cannot replace imprisonment and fear if what we want is consolation and our own prejudices confirmed. We must embrace the fact that things change, that there is no separate self and stop confusing pleasure for pain. If we listen carefully we are welcomed to “total chaos in the peaceable kingdom."
That is a very brief summary of the talk offered in Ordinary Life this week.
You can read or download the text from which I spoke, view the presentation slides, listen to the audio of the talk and/or watch the video of the talk using the links below.
If you are reading this, I want you to know how grateful I am for and to you.
Be well and much love,
Bill Kerley
To read or download the text of the talk, click here.
To view or download the presentation slides, click here.
To listen to the audio version of the talk, use the link below.
To watch the video, use the player controls below.