The Beginning?

"Where we think to be is often where we are, but not in the way we really want. Perhaps we will find our way, sooner or later, but not right now. Maybe our way exists in the eternal moment we can only find between the ticks of a clock... when time stands still."

-- Me

The beginning. The beginning isn't here, not yet. It is near, only a moment away. And, in a moment, it will, once again, be near, only a moment away, and so on, and so forth. Why? Because the beginning is always upon us. Where the "now" is concerned, the beginning always has been and always will be, just a moment away. When we finally get to what we think is the beginning, it really isn't. It has become now.  My head hurts.

We keep waiting for something to happen, not realizing that it already has. Each "beginning" moment becoming "now" is a happening we tend to miss, and in missing the "now" we have wasted the moment.

Time, for all the importance we give it, does not exist.  Time is a human construct invented to give structure to our existence in this life.  The past is done, lessons we learned or not.  The future is a crapshoot.  Tomorrow may not even happen for most of us.  Now, the moment between the tick of a clock is all we can be sure of, maybe.

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.

-- Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD), Roman emperor, philosopher

But a new beginning is always near, always another moment away.  Whether we admit it or not, we are always living on the cusp of infinity.  We are all the funny little guy on the wall, surveying all that is the universe.  Any worries and drama are of our own making.  We make the choices and decisions that put our lives in good or bad circumstances.

We decide where to live, how much debt to bury ourselves under, who our supposed friends are, and whether or not to keep family around who think we're losers.  Most of all, we decide whether to stay in the circumstances we're in or to rise above them.  We decide whether to remain wallowing in the pit of misery instead of deciding to be always happy.

We should be like the little guy on the wall.  Hands behind our back, seemingly without a care, simply waiting for the next moment, the next answer to the next question.

I'll bet he's smiling.

“Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time' is like saying, 'I don't want to.”

-- Lao Tzu (c. 500 BCE), philosopher, writer

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as a chaplain at the regional medical center.