Time to Blossom (Updated from 6/28/2013)

  

“As long as the sun smiles above us our hopes will always blossom.”

-- Atalay Aydın

Like a plant, from the moment the seed was put into the ground and germinated, we begin to grow.  We struggled upward, each branch budding with family members.  Each family member creates a branch of their own.  Each "bud" struggles to find their own way. The plant develops and supports each branch while trying to not be crowded out by other surrounding plants as they search for their own path to the light and salvation.

Like these struggling buds, our path takes us in and out of the darkness as we struggle for the nourishing light of knowledge.  Sometimes the path is straight and smooth, sometimes it twists and turns with obstacles to overcome, and sometimes we get onto a side path that, either, detours us on our journey or dead ends.  The light we seek is basic and as old as time.  Who are we?  What are we doing here?  What is the meaning of life?  Is there a God?  We seek all of these answers in order to answer the only truly important question, "Why?"

None of the important questions we have are easy.  If they were, our chosen path would be short.  But, how interesting would that be?  Life, even with all the twists and turns, can give us so much pleasure in the discovery of the multitude, the collection of knowledge we find to try and answer life's questions.  Eastern philosophy would offer that it's the hole in the wheel, what is not there, what is unseen, that makes the wheel useful, not the axle.  Like the wheel, it is what we can't see, and what we don't know, that makes life interesting.  Even in death, we can look forward to solving, yet, another mystery.

Do not bemoan your struggles.  Make the best of them, understand them, and revel in them, as they are the lessons of life that make us more than we are.  Reach upward to the light when you find it, for in its warm glow you will blossom and know the love and beauty of creation.

“Let us break the deadlock and stop doom-scrolling into the narrative of a fluctuating landscape of dispiriting thoughts...but, instead, invite the flowers of compassion to blossom in our hearts and our minds and overwhelm us with a spray of vibrant petals of well-being. ("Absence of Desire" )”

-- Erik Pevernagie

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 view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, 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.

I fervently 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 offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I have come to believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a 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 United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

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 a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He 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 personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com