Sacred Sex

Can sex – real or imagined, elegant or gross, physical, sensual, erotic, messy and unfettered sex, without limits – be sacred?

Is ‘sacred sex’ a contradiction in terms? For Yael, a major character in Devorah, Book One of The Covenant and The Scrolls series, a fictional account of the life of Devorah, Judge, prophet, and human being in ancient Israel, the answer is “No!”

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Save the Dates!

Save the dates. Three opportunities to meet and enjoy Dr Steve and Devorah.

Sat, October 5th, S FL Writers Assn, 10:30 AM, Pinecrest Library, 5835 SW 111 St., Pinecrest, 33156.

Sun, October 6th, 10 AM, Temple Beth Am, 5590 SW 88 St Pinecrest, 33156

Sun, October 13th, 3 PM, Dave and Mary Alper South Dade Jewish Community Center, 11155, SW 112 Ave,  33176

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The Presence and the Goodness

Does God’s presence fluctuate? Is It more present in Mecca, Jerusalem, NYC or Wheeling, West Virginia? Was there more of God and Its goodness at another time? In the 1950’s, 1492, in Buddha’s time or Moses’ time? Many Americans especially those in gerrymandered ‘safe’ Congressional districts would say ‘yes,’ yes God’s presence fluctuates and yes there was more of God and Its goodness at another time and we have to go back to those times and places. Back to rural life, racial and sexual purity, only three TV Networks and no internet, cell phones and video games.

I would ask these people to consider the moon. When we look up at the moon, it appears different at various times. Depending on the time of the month and weather, the moon may appear as a sphere, a crescent, a sliver or unseen. Yet the moon hasn’t changed shape or disappeared. It remains whole and perfectly placed no matter how we see it. So it is with God’s presence and goodness. They are there for us always, forever and wherever, even in Washington, DC.

But to experience the presence and goodness we must let go of our perspective and look from Its perspective. We must accept responsibility for dreaming the world of the ego’s nightmare, stop being victims, and choose God’s dream of love, wholeness, compassion and inclusion instead. We do not deny, explain away or accept the horrors around us, the injustice, inequality, poverty and disease but we go within first, seek the Kingdom which is most assuredly fully present right now, and from that place seek to make our unique contributions to a world that works for everyone and everything in it.

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The Dream of the World

The dream of the world conceals the truth. What conceals the truth is not where you should look to find the truth. No one can waken from a dream the world is dreaming for him. He cannot choose to waken from a dream he did not make. Awaken and forget all thoughts of fear and death, and you will find you have the peace of God. You are the dreamer of the world of dreams. Accept the dream spirit has given instead of yours. It is not difficult to change a dream once the dreamer has been recognized. Dream of spirit’s holy instants instead of the ego’s nightmare. Forgive yourself your illusions and allow the truth of yourSelf to shine through.

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Double Questions

“However, an honest question is a learning tool that asks for something you do not know. It does not set conditions for response, but merely asks what the response could be. But no one in a conflict state is free to ask such a question. Only within the holy instant can an honest question be honestly asked. Therefore, attempt to solve no problems here, but bring the problem to the only place that holds the answer lovingly for you – the holy instant. Within the world the answers merely raise another question, while they leave the first unanswered. In the holy instant, you can bring the question to the answer, and receive the answer that was made for you.”

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Double Questions

“The holy instant is the interval in which the mind is still enough to hear an answer that is  not entailed within the question asked. All questions asked within the world – all – are  double questions, both asking and answering at the same time, ways of looking – ways of perceiving. A question asked in hate cannot be answered, because it is an answer in itself.

“The world asks but one question: “Which of these illusions is true? Which ones establish peace and offer joy? And which can bring escape from all the pain of which this world is made? No matter the question’s form, its purpose is the same – to keep you in your body and denying your reality as spirit. They ask: ‘What can the body get that you would want the most of all? It is your servant and also your friend. But tell it what you want, and it will serve you lovingly and well.’

 

Double Questions

Devorah smiled. “Beloveds, what I’m going to tell you today is so important, yet so opposite the way of the world, that at first you will want to deny it. Yet if you pause a moment and reflect, you will know it is something your own experience tells you is so.” An even greater hush fell over the multitude. “In quietness are all things answered, and is every problem quietly resolved. In conflict there can be no answer and no resolution, for its purpose is to make no resolution possible, and to ensure no answer will be plain. The so-called ‘adversarial system’ does not work.

“A problem set in conflict has no answer, for it is seen in different ways. And what would be an answer from one point of view is not an answer in another. Beloveds, you are in conflict. That means you can answer nothing at all, for conflict has no limited effects. Yet, has God given you a way in which your problems are resolved, a way of reaching another state of mind. It is the holy instant.

Hafiz

The Sad Game. Blame. Keeps the sad game going. It keeps stealing all your wealth—Giving it to an imbecile with No financial skills. Dear one, Wise Up.

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Aggregate and Individual

I’m frustrated as I wait to cross the four lanes of 117^th Ave to get to the park for my bike ride. Traffic! Four lanes of traffic! What a pain! I finally made it to the median. Watching the cars whiz by I noticed one with a woman driving and a child in a car seat. Another, driven by an older guy, was going too slow. Then came a few cars with drivers dressed in ‘business casual’ probably on the way to business/professional appointments. As I crossed the last two lanes and headed to the park, I realized what I’d experienced crossing 117^th Ave, wasn’t ‘traffic’, it was people, individual people like me, living their lives and driving to their next destination.

Aggregate and individual, what a difference the label makes! So when one soldier is maimed or dies, her life – parents, friends, hopes, dreams and potential – are changed forever. When the ‘enemy,’ ‘evil doer,’ ‘terrorist/Taliban’ is maimed or dies, we’re made safer. Yet, even these ‘enemies’ have parents, friends, hopes, dreams and potential. There is always an alternative to war or ‘punishment’ if we think of individuals first instead of aggregates.

Thou Mayest

Prayer is not an act of overcoming God’s reluctance, but an active acceptance of His highest willingness. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck says God wants us to substitute Thou Mayest for the Thou Shalt Not of the Ten Commandments.

Being a Victim

I drifted into feeling like a victim earlier this morning. The bodily aches and pains, the problems with Comcast, the up-front cost of getting Devorah out. I was angry and wanted to lash out. Now, I’m feeling better. My cousin the physician says about people my age, “You’ll never feel worse than when you get out of bed.” Boy, that’s the truth! What happened? Why am I better now and not feeling like a victim? I accepted responsibility; remembered I had a choice, gave it all over. I realized I didn’t enjoy how I was feeling, didn’t want to be a victim and asked to see it differently. It’Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you, seek and ye shall find….

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