[Nfbc-info] another old Christmas favorite

[Nancy Lynn]

AN OPEN LETTER FROM GOD
My Dear Children, and Believe Me, That Is All of You,

I consider myself a pretty patient guy, I mean, look at the Grand
Canyon, it took millions of years to get it right!  And about
evolution--boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole
Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, gene by gene!  And I
have been patient through your fashions, your civilizations, wars
and schemes and the countless ways that you take Me for granted
until you get yourself into big trouble again and again.  I want to
let you know about some of the things that started ticking me off.


First of all, your religious rivalries are driving me up a wall!
Enough already!  Let's get one thing straight:  these are your
religions, not Mine.  I'm the whole enchilada!  I'm beyond them
all!  Every one of your religions claims that there's only one of
me, which, by the way, is absolutely true, but in the very next
breath each religion claims that it's My favorite one, and each
claims that it's Bible was written personally by me, and that all
of the other Bibles are man-made.  Oh me!!!  How do I ever begin to
put a stop to such complicated nonsense?

All right!  Listen up now!  I am your father and mother, and I
don't play favorites among my children.  Also, I hate to break it
to you, but I don't write.  My longhand is awful, and I've always
been more of a doer anyway, so all of your books, including those
Bibles, were written by men and women.  They were inspired men and
women.  They were remarkable people, but they also made mistakes
here and there, and I made sure of that, so that you would never
trust a written word rather than your own living heart.

You see, one human being to me, even a bum on the street, is worth
more than all of the holy books in the world.  That's just the kind
of a guy I am.  My spirit is not a historical thing; it's alive,
right now, right now, as fresh as your next breath.

Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but they
are not more so than the least of you.  They were only meant to
steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each
other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own
personal connection with Me.

This brings me to my next point about your nonsense.  You act like
I need you and your religions to stick up for me, or win souls for
My sake.  Please don't do me any favors!  I can stand quite well on
my own, thank you.  I don't need you to defend me.  I don't need
constant credit.  I just want you to be good to each other.

And another thing, I don't get all worked up over money or
politics, so stop dragging My name into your dramas!  For example,
I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts!  I never rode
in any of Raj Nish's Rolls Royces, and I never told Pat Robertson
to run for president.  And I have never ever had a conversation
with Jim Baker, or Jerry Fallwell or Jimmy Swagart.  Of course,
come judgment day I certainly intend to.

Now, the thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some
sort of a loyalty pledge to me.  The true purpose of your religions
is so that you can become more aware of Me, not the other way
around.  Believe me, I know you already.  I know what's in each of
your hearts, and I love you anyway, with no strings attached.

So, lighten up, and enjoy Me.  That's what religion is best for.
What you seem to forget is how mysterious I am.  You look at the
petty differences in your scriptures and you say, "Well, if this is
the truth, then that can't be."  But instead of trying to figure
out my paradoxes and unfathomable nature, which, by the way, you
never will, why not open your hearts to the simple common threads
of every religion.  You know what I'm talking about.  Play nice
with each other.  Love and respect everyone.  Be kind, even when
life is scary or confusing.  Take courage and be of good cheer, for
I'm always with you, and learn how to be quiet, so that you can
hear my still small voice, I don't like to shout.  Leave the world
a better place by living your life with dignity and gracefulness,
for you are my own child.  Hold back nothing from life, for the
parts of you that can die surely will, and the parts that can't
won't.  So don't worry, be happy.  I stole that last line from
Bobby McFaron, but, who gave it to him in the first place?

Simple stuff now.  Why do you keep making it so complicated?  It's
like you're always looking for an excuse to be upset.  And I am
very tired of your main excuse.  Do you think I care whether you
call me God or Yahweh, or Jehovah, or Allah, Wakatonka Brahma,
Father, Mother, even the Void of Nirvana?  Do you think I care
which of my special children you feel closest to, Jesus, Mary,
Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, or any of the others?  You can call me
and my special ones any name you choose, if only you will go about
My business of loving one another as I love you.  How can you keep
neglecting something so simple?

No, I am not telling you to abandon your religions.  Enjoy your
religions; honor them; learn from them, just as you should enjoy,
honor and learn from your parents, but do you walk around telling
everyone that your parents are better than theirs?  Your religion,
like your parents, may always have the most special place in your
heart.  I don't mind that at all.  And I don't want you to combine
all of the great traditions into one big mess.  Each religion is
unique for a reason.  Each has a unique style so that people can
find the best path for themselves.  But, my special children, the
ones that your religions revolve around all live in the same place
in my heart, and they get along perfectly, I assure you.

The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there
is none.

My blessed children of earth, the world has grown too small for
your pervasive religious bigotries and confusion.  The whole planet
is now connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax
machines, rock concerts, diseases and mutual needs and concerns.
Get with the program!

If you really want to help me celebrate the birthday of my son
Jesus, then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your
hungry and clothe your naked and protect your abused and shelter
your poor, and just as  important, make your own everyday life a
shining example of kindness and good humor.

I've given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your
fear of each other and begin living and loving and laughing
together.

Finally, my children everywhere, remember whose birthday you honor
on what you call Christmas, December twenty-fifth, and the
fearlessness with which He chose to live and die.  As I love Him,
so do I love each of you.

Now, I am not really ticked off.  Not really!  I just wanted to
grab your attention because I hate to see you suffer, but I gave
you free will, so what can I do now other than try to influence you
through reason, persuasion, and a little old-fashion guilt and
manipulation.  After all,you know, I am the original Jewish mother.
I just want you to be happy, and I'll sit in the dark.  I really
am, indeed, I swear, with you always, always.  Trust in me.

Your one and only,

God