1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
In the beginning was the word. Everything begins with an idea in the mind. As we allow that idea to take shape in our own mind we see how we can bring it into this world in which we live.
In 1968 the French government threw Henri Langlois out of The Cinémathèque Française . They had taken it over. They had decided to fund it. They decided the biggest improvement they could make was to show Langlois the door.
There was a huge international outcry which meant I read about it. I decided then to do in Toronto what Langlois had done in Paris.
2016 is not 1968. Toronto is not Paris. I am not Henri Langlois.
I doubt Henri Langlois ever read let alone studied THE I CHING. I doubt he made a conscious decision to live by it. I did that in 1968 the year I read about Langlois and The Cinémathèque Française. 1968 was the year several important people entered my life. One of them was a young man who when his father said to him, “My way or the highway,” chose the highway. His name was Bruno Weckerle. I met him that first night he was on the highway. He had no home. I gave him one. He took me to a party where I saw a fellow holding a copy of THE I CHING (Wilhelm/Baynes edition). The next day I bought the first of my many copies of it. Many because I kept passing my copy on. Unlike academics who study its ideas while getting their bowl of soup from the institution that pays them I trusted it completely. Because I did that it showed me its power.
What power?
THE LINES Nine at the beginning means: You let your magic tortoise go, And look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping. Misfortune. The magic tortoise is a creature possessed of such supernatural powers that it lives on air and needs no earthly nourishment. The image means that a man fitted by nature and position to live freely and independently renounces this self-reliance and instead looks with envy and discontent at others who are outwardly in better circumstances. But such base envy only arouses derision and contempt in those others. This has bad results.
http://www.akirarabelais.com/i/i.html#27
What power indeed. Self-reliance is the greatest gift we can receive. Reading MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Charles Chaplin I found that Chaplin was brought up white trash. His mother had three sons by three different fathers. He was born in the slums of Kennington. He wrote that he thought the doors open to the sons of the rich were closed to him. He wrote, “Then I read Emerson’s essay, ON SELF RELIANCE. It was as if I was handed a golden birthright.”
As a result I read Emerson’s essay. I re-read it. I re-re-read it. Here is a brief excerpt:
“The reliance on Property, including the reliance on governments which protect it, is the want of self-reliance.” Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in ON SELF-RELIANCE, “Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you only have an extemporaneous half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. No man yet knows what it is, nor can, till that person has exhibited it. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? Every great man is unique. The Scipionism of Scipio is precisely that part he could not borrow. Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much…”
“Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world. I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted to make to a valued advisor who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines of the church. On my saying, ‘What do I have with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within?’ my friend suggested, ‘–But these impulses may be from below, not from above,’ I replied. ‘They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the Devil’s child, I will then live as one from the Devil.’ No law can be sacred to me but that of my own nature. Good and bad are but names transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it…I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions.”
Those are powerful words, powerful ideas. They become infinitely more powerful when we live them. These words thrill me as do few other words I have read: “I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted to make to a valued advisor who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines of the church. On my saying, ‘What do I have with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within?’ my friend suggested, ‘–But these impulses may be from below, not from above,’ I replied. ‘They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the Devil’s child, I will then live as one from the Devil.’ ”
“If I am the Devil’s child, I will live then as one from the Devil.”
The boldness, the strength of character in that.
Our problem is we lack honest Devils.
Today media hail around the world the birth of the only begotten Son of God.
But look at the word at the beginning. See what it actually says. Look close at the idea expressed: Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become begotten children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
That was and is the good news of Jesus. Not that he was the ONLY begotten son of God but rather that he is the FIRST of the begotten children of God. The slaves of the Roman Empire, the lowest of the low, understood that message as few alive today understand it.
As I write my cat, Berlin, that was lost and then was found is sprawled in front of me. He vanished for a week. I thought him gone forever. I have three cats. The other two, Irving and Askhim (“What is his name? Ask him.”) go about their business ignoring me and that is fine by me. But Berlin was caught by a person who said to them self, “What a wonderful cat! I will take proper care of him as clearly his owner isn’t.”
So Berlin vanished. I have found dog and cat heads and paws littering the streets from torn trash bags. I thought perhaps Berlin had been turned into someone’s dinner.
Well, Berlin is home now. He was lost. Now he is found.
So, too, we have to be well and truly lost before we can appreciate what a great miracle it is to be found.
So while my other two cats are far away doing cat business Berlin is here beside me practically on top of my keyboard. He is where he most wants to be. His life is short compared to our lives. Who am I to deny him what he wants?
The slaves were the lowest of the low. Their very lives were not their own.
Through faith in the ideas brought to them by Peter, Paul, the apostles they were raised to equality not only with their earthly masters but also to equality with God:
“Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God and thus declare yourself equal with God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?[c] 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe[d] that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
That equality of each person regardless of political or social rank expressed at that moment was bold enough but then Jesus becomes bolder still. He declares us through Faith in his Word Equal to the very being by whose Power the Word was made flesh.
That was and is the gospel of Jesus. The word ‘gospel” is old English for “the good news.”
What does it mean “to have faith on the word.”
The meaning is simple. I buy a cookbook because I have faith in the recipes in it. I then put that faith to work by trying out the recipes. If my faith is well founded and I follow the recipes people like what I cook. Then, once I have mastered those basic recipes I can begin to experiment, to play with them. Some of my experiments of course will prove disastrous. Others will not. As I grow more and more proficient I will have fewer disasters. Perhaps, like the late Colonel Sanders, I will come up with a secret recipe for finger licking good chicken.
What is all too lacking is the sense of fun in all of this.
The purpose of our education system is to produce servants/slaves. It is to produce people who will exchange our birthright for Esau’s bowl of lentils. Consider again Hexagram 27 of THE I CHING:
27. I / Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment) above KêN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN below CHêN THE AROUSING, THUNDER This hexagram is a picture of an open mouth; above and below are firm lines of the lips, and between them the opening. Starting with the mouth, through which we take food for nourishment, the thought leads to nourishment itself. Nourishment of oneself, specifically of the body, is represented in the three lower lines, while the three upper lines represent nourishment and care of others, in a higher, spiritual sense. THE JUDGMENT THE CORNERS OF THE MOUTH. Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment And to what a man seeks To fill his own mouth with. In bestowing care and nourishment, it is important that the right people should be taken care of and that we should attend to our own nourishment in the right way. If we wish to know what anyone is like, we have only to observe on whom he bestows his care and what sides of his own nature he cultivates and nourishes. Nature nourishes all creatures. The great man fosters and takes care of superior men, in order to take care of all men through them. Mencius says about this: If we wish to know whether anyone is superior or not, we need only observe what part of his being he regards as especially important. The body has superior and inferior, important and unimportant parts. We must not injure important parts for the sake of the unimportant, nor must we injure the superior parts for the sake of the inferior. He who cultivates the inferior parts of his nature is an inferior man. He who cultivates the superior parts of his nature is a superior man. THE IMAGE At the foot of the mountain, thunder: The image of PROVIDING NOURISHMENT. Thus the superior man is careful of his words And temperate in eating and drinking. "God comes forth in the sign of the Arousing": when in the spring the life forces stir again, all things comes into being anew. "He brings to perfection in the sign of Keeping Still": thus in the early spring, when the seeds fall to earth, all things are made ready. This is an image of providing nourishment through movement and tranquillity. The superior man takes it as a pattern for the nourishment and cultivation of his character. Words are a movement going form within outward. Eating and drinking are movements from without inward. Both kinds of movement can be modified by tranquillity. For tranquillity keeps the words that come out of the mouth from exceeding proper measure, and keeps the food that goes into the mouth from exceeding its proper measure. Thus character is cultivated. THE LINES Nine at the beginning means: You let your magic tortoise go, And look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping. Misfortune. The magic tortoise is a creature possessed of such supernatural powers that it lives on air and needs no earthly nourishment. The image means that a man fitted by nature and position to live freely and independently renounces this self-reliance and instead looks with envy and discontent at others who are outwardly in better circumstances. But such base envy only arouses derision and contempt in those others. This has bad results. Six in the second place means: Turning to the summit for nourishment, Deviating from the path To seek nourishment from the hill. Continuing to do this brings misfortune. Normally a person either provides his own means of nourishment or is supported in a proper way by those whose duty of privilege it is to provide for him. If, owing to weakness of spirit, a man cannot support himself, a feeling of uneasiness comes over him; this is because in shirking the proper way of obtaining a living, he accepts support as a favor from those in higher place. This is unworthy, for he is deviating from his true nature. Kept up indefinitely, this course leads to misfortune. Six in the third place means: Turning away from nourishment. Perseverance brings misfortune. Do not act thus for ten years. Nothing serves to further. He who seeks nourishment that does not nourish reels from desire to gratification and in gratification craves desire. Mad pursuit of pleasure for the satisfaction of the senses never brings one to the goal. One should never (ten years is a complete cycle of time) follow this path, for nothing good can come of it. Six in the fourth place means: Turning to the summit For provision of nourishment Brings good fortune. Spying about with sharp eyes Like a tiger with insatiable craving. No blame. In contrast to the six in the second place, which refers to a man bent exclusively on his own advantage, this line refers to one occupying a high position and striving to let his light sine forth. To do this he needs helpers, because he cannot attain his lofty aim alone. With the greed of a hungry tiger he is on the lookout for the right people. Since he is not working for himself but for the good of all, there is no wrong in such zeal. ° Six in the fifth place means: Turning away from the path. To remain persevering brings good fortune. One should not cross the great water. A man may be conscious of a deficiency in himself. He should be undertaking the nourishment of the people, but he has not the strength to do it. Thus he must turn from his accustomed path and beg counsel and help from a man who is spiritually his superior but undistinguished outwardly. If he maintains this attitude of mind perseveringly, success and good fortune are his. But he must remain aware of his dependence. He must not put his own person forward nor attempt great labors, such as crossing the great water. ° Nine at the top means: The source of nourishment. Awareness of danger brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water. This describes a sage of the highest order, from whom emanate all influences that provide nourishment for others. Such a position brings with it heavy responsibility. If he remains conscious of this fact, he has good fortune and may confidently undertake even great and difficult labors, such as crossing the great water. These undertakings bring general happiness for him and for all others. It calls us to something much higher, something to which we are by nature born which means it calls us to our Destiny. Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe[ that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
When I grew up in New Brunswick my teachers said, “If you want to be successful move to Ontario.”
In the middle of grade eleven my father, who worked in construction, moved us to Ontario.
My first day the principle in my new high school, Sir James Dunn Collegiate & Vocational School, said, “Son, the standards down east are lower than in Ontario. Don’t be ashamed when you fail.”
I passed with honors. The standards down east are just fine, thank you.
In Ontario me teachers said, “If you want to be successful move to The United States.”
I decided I would succeed in Canada. I decided I would succeed on my terms.
A nation or a part of a nation that tells its young to leave to find success is like person serious about killing them self. That person cuts not a vein but an artery. Canada has been killing itself since it was born.
“Most teachers say you should go to school to get your degree to have something to fall back on. Aside from being a huge lie, that also creates a very high level of mediocrity, because nobody who really believes that is going to take the leap of faith required to be a serious artist. Stay out of school.”–Ellis Marsalis to his sons Branford, Delfeayo and Wynton.
In Grade 13 we studied T. S. Eliot’s MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL. A touring production of the play came to the Sault.
“Why do you think the director changed the symbolism of the play from four murderers to five,” our English teacher asked us after.
Each student gave the answer they thought right. I was the last asked. When I replied, “The fifth person is a very attractive young man. He is either the producer or the director’s boyfriend.” there was a riot. I was called a liar. I found myself in the principal’s office where I was told I had entirely the wrong attitude. He said, “If you leave this school today you will starve in two weeks.”
That night found me freshly arrived on the streets of Toronto, alone, friendless and broke.
My life began. A couple of months later I was asked if I could help out as an usher at a theater. There I met the young man who had been the 5th murderer in MURDER ON THE CATHEDRAL. When I asked him why he was in the play he replied, “I was the director’s boy friend.”
Destiny, Fate showed me I was right.
Thomas à Kempis wrote The Imitation of Christ .
Doing so he missed the mark. We are called to be much more than imitations even of Christ. What we are called to be is infinitely more difficult. There is no guarantee at the end of the day we will get a bowl of soup.
“So long as (man) cannot operate as a savage or less than a savage, and think as a god, or better than god, he will suffer…A man who is full of God is outside of faith…When a man is truly creative he works single-handed and he wants no help. A man acting alone, on faith, can accomplish what trained armies are incapable of doing. To believe in one’s self, in one’s own powers, is apparently the most difficult thing in the world…Whenever an English artist of any value has arisen he has been marked as Public Enemy No. 1.”–THE COSMOLOGICAL EYE, Henry Miller).
We are called to be Public Enemy Number One.–Reg Hartt 12, 25, 2016.
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