God's Holy Light

God’s Holy Light

Do you think my eyes tell you?

All there really is to know

Do you make assumptions about my life?

Before first asking me so?

What means of measure do we use

To decide a persons value in our eyes

And if my hair color comes from a box

What am I trying to disguise

If I do not disclose my true weight

Does that mean that my soul is more lean

Or perhaps our judgment system

Has just become a little bit obscene

If I am homeless...heated only by a fire

Burning in an open can

Does that make you better than me?

Or make me less of a man

Or perhaps you think your bank account

Will make your words have weight

And perhaps...even you...

Believe the lies that you create

For you see within my soul

Lives the story of God untold

And that cannot be purchased

With any diamonds or gold

The monetary value we place on life

Will guarantee us nothing but a mirage

After all we can’t get to heaven

By driving what’s parked in the garage

Your new hairstyle...while very cute

Does not pay homage to our King

Neither does thinking that

You are better than anyone or anything

The color of my hair and eyes

Do not tell you what you need to know

Anymore than watering a plant with sand

Will encourage the seedling to grow

Ask me about my Lord and

The promises to Him I keep

Then you won’t guess but know

That my love...it runs deep

Ask me about my path and how

I face adversity when it comes

I will tell you...with my faith in God

My feet firmly planted...facing toward the sun

I challenge anyone...anything

And when it’s given all it’s got

I will tell that mountain to get out of my way

Because the love of God...I’ve got

When we challenge the value of anyone

We are challenging God and all His glory

And the wrath of God is steep

You know...you’ve read all the stories

So I’m saying to you be cautious

And when you talk of others be bright

Because you must look beneath the layers

To see people with God’s Holy Light

Our Master's Touch

Our Master’s Touch

We are linked together

Love is our only rope

Connecting us as one

With a chain of hope

We can lean on one another

Or push each other away

But hand in hand we can develop

The tools needed today

We need them for compassion

What the world seriously lacks

Or a tool of forgiveness

And kindness perhaps

We can learn that we

Were created to be one

And somehow together

God’s work will be done

Put down your weapons

Lay down your swords

And stop taking jabs at people

With your unkind words

Remember a jagged tongue

Can leave a brutal scar

And is one of the reasons

We are in the shape we are

Spreading vicious rumors

And using vindictive tones

Can sometimes be more harmful

That throwing large stones

We need to set aside our differences

Life is far too short

War is not necessary

No matter what the news reports

You will not get to heaven

With my blood on your hands

You must find kindness and mercy

It’s what God commands

So let’s stop preparing our children

For an untimely death

And teach them how to love

And show them they are blessed

Our children have important matters

Like school...sports...learning to run

They should not be bothered

With purchasing a gun

They are like fine spun crystal

So easily it will break

Far too many have perished

We have no time left to wait

Love one another often

You can’t say I love you too much

And I will see you at the divine alter

Waiting for our Master’s touch

A Single Drop of Water

A Single Drop of Water

  During this time of year, there will be people who will be singing and celebrating; laughing and crying; shopping and worshipping; remembering and mourning. It is the season of many emotions and experiences, for most. Not unlike any other time of year, I have spent time reminding us to be kind and loving with one another.

  I realized long ago that we all are different, in one fashion or another. No matter how similar we appear to be, if we search deep enough...we will find our distinctive characteristics. By the same token, if we search deep within those that we find to be our polar opposites...we will find the very likeness of us.

  What is the point of this? It’s a point in which, I take great pride in shining light on. We were all created from the same source and created with the same foundation. Our Creator, our point of origin...the maker of all things great and small...started our lives with a single drop of water. And throughout time we can visit and re-visit how water restores, replenishes, revitalizes and revives all living things. That single drop of water, brushed with the love of our Creator...is where we all started and where we should remain focused.

  For all of our differences and unique qualities...one thing tangible keeps us connected...like it or not. Our Creator, no matter what you refer to Him/her as...built us with love. We know this is true because no matter where we look, in music, lyrics, movies, art, even in our most divine books...we are told to love each other. At this point, we should have realized that loving our fellow living beings is important...because we are constantly being reminded to do so.

  The one constant we will have in this life is that as much as we are dissimilar...we are exactly the same. Our foundation cares nothing about how we look differently, speak differently, behave differently, or even worship differently. In the eyes of the Creator, we are the same.

  When the time comes and we are asked how we made use of our time here on earth...I pray that we have something more to offer than we spent time separating people because we have convinced ourselves of the superiority myth. None of us, not one single human being...is better than, above, greater than or superior to ...ANYTHING. Your hair color or texture, the pigment of your skin, the accent of your voice, the size or shape of your body, the location of your earthly home, nor the religion, faith, or the life philosophy that you adhere to...does not put you above anyone or anything else. And as long as we have that delusion in our minds...we are not doing the work of God/Allah.

  Our time here is brief...to prove that fact you only have to ask anyone who has ever loved someone who passed away. So knowing this information...why do we waste so much time on hate and indifference? We are supposed to build our fellow man and woman up...we are supposed to help and guide one another. But in order to do that we must stop trying to isolate one another.

  I hope that during this season of love and hope...that we water the seed which God/Allah planted within us. Love is instilled within our being, but we must cultivate it, water it, and share it with the world. Touch everyone you can...through your fingertips... your speech or your deeds...God’s message can be delivered through us; just as electricity travels through water.

  I implore you to stop wasting time on the negativity that darkness can breed. Remember that just like mold needs darkness to thrive...so does negativity and hate. The Creator’s light is all around us...we need only to seek it. We can see it in compassion, empathy, joy, kindness, thoughtfulness...and when you aren’t watching...you can feel, smell, touch and absorb it through the laughter of children.

  Love is a gift that we are supposed to give to others; and because we were born with it we are supposed to do it all the time. We can hardly hold love hostage, by attaching stipulations to it. The statement “I will love you if...” is a statement of darkness. So here is my message to you: I will love you because God loves me. I will stand by you and defend you against any being that is of the belief that you are not good enough. I answer to our Creator, He holds me accountable for my actions, thoughts and the intentions of my heart.

  Today I would ask you to stand up...become accountable...spread love and joy...for only then can peace prosper.

Forgive Us

Forgive Us

 Often, myself included, we will drop to our knees when we are in need of something which we feel would be unattainable without your assistance. We remember to reach toward heaven when we feel weak or desperate…with no place to rest our weary hearts. I want to thank you and acknowledge all of the bountiful gifts that you send our way, and apologize for those we don’t seem to be grateful for.

 But today, I want to ask your forgiveness…for all that we don’t say and for all the things we do or fail to do. Please forgive us for not falling to our knees, humbling ourselves, every given moment possible. Forgive us for not only creating wars, but for breeding hate…among our fellow man. We make excuses for the reasons we say war is necessary…but is the cost of a tank of gas really worth the innocent lives of men, women and children? Forgive us for being so self indulgent that we believe, that we are better than anyone or anything else…on your earth. How dare we belittle another person for not being exactly like we are…when did we become so arrogant? I humbly apologize for mankind believing that we have the right to take another life…for whatever reason. Our justifications for murder, on any level, are just created to absolve us for any feelings of guilt…and we should feel guilty…because how can we believe we have the right to destroy life when it was created by you? Forgive us for standing by and watching, as innocent children are abused and murdered everyday…by the very parents that were supposed to guard and protect them. How lazy we have gotten, when did parenting become a chore…and not the gift that you bestowed upon us? Forgive us for preaching about how much we love our fellow man…while selling poison to him on the very streets our children play on. Who are we to glorify, and make excuses for men and women who sell drugs to every man, woman or child who have their hand out? What kind of people create petitions to force a homeless person to vacate a bridge…because it bothers us to see some one in that state? I suppose it would be too much to try and help him/her find housing or a job…after all everyone just loves having no place to call their own. Forgive us for using televisions, computers and gaming systems as replacements for active parenting. When did we stop caring what happened in our children’s classes? Why do we no longer question what our children are taught? Forgive the absent fathers and mothers, who fool themselves into believing that their absence doesn’t matter. If for one moment the absent parent had to listen to a child cry themselves to sleep because they hold themselves responsible for the abandonment…maybe they would see things differently. Forgive us for not taking the time to spread love and joy to our neighbors…regardless of race, creed, and religion. I’m not sure why we are of the belief that we are superior to anyone or anything.

 I ask that you forgive us for destroying the very forests that took hundreds of years to grow…and for destroying the communities of living organisms that depended on that growth for survival….and shame on us for believing that replanting a tree would make up for that act. Forgive us for being so thoughtless that we throw trash into a body of water…where marine life is trying to survive. I guess if some one threw trash into a glass of water we were trying to drink…we might feel differently. Forgive us for all the people we have enslaved, killed, raped, tortured, and demeaned…for our own greedy purposes. And please help us learn from this huge error in judgment…so that we can stop making the same mistakes over and over again.

 I ask that you forgive us…so that with your guidance we can learn to appreciate all that you have given us. And with this knowledge we can teach, by example, our children to love all that you created for us. Help us to stop making excuses and start making amends. Please allow us the opportunity to learn how to love without bias, and show us how important it is to not only reach out…but lift up.

The Sound of Silence

The Sound of Silence

    The end of humanity does not occur when man does evil…but when man sits and watches…yet does nothing.

    We are armed with all the weapons that we will ever need to defend ourselves, from birth. It is only when we look for outside implements or instrumentation that we actually go against our very purest nature. The very purest part of us is that with which we were created; over time depending on our circumstances and our will to accept that which others find acceptable…we can develop negative or destructive tendencies. This happens when we no longer attempt to communicate…with our very being. We were created with many means in which to communicate…with our mouths, lips, hands, eyes, ears, even our legs and feet…all can communicate what we are thinking and feeling at any given time.

  For instance I can either speak to you using my mouth…orally creating vibrations which are expressed in words audibly detectable. Or I can just use my lips to mouth the words…with out a sound. Both are forms of communication…but one would actually take active reception. What I mean by that is…the person I am communicating to would really have to pay attention to what I am trying to relay to them. Not only that…but I would have to take my time and make my words easy to receive. Have you ever argued with some one speaking so harshly, and fast that even you can not even remember exactly what you said? Yet the emotion behind the sentiment is never lost…you are angry. However…if you had to take a moment and actually make your words clearly decipherable, due to an inability to yell, or orate any sound at all…then perhaps the communication would not be lost and the emotion would be more even tempered.

  We often we use our bodies as a means of letting other know what we are feeling at the time…often without realizing it. We will point our fingers…which can be interpreted as accusatory or to place blame. We can cross our arms which can be interpreted as I don’t want to hear what you are saying, or I don’t want to disclose something. Of course these things could also mean other things such as pointing when giving direction or folding our arms because we are cold…but again, these are ideas that we are still communicating.

  We can use our legs and feet to position our body in such a way to display our interest or disinterest with what is being said to us. If we sit facing away from someone it clearly states that I am not interested in what you are talking about, or telling me. If I tap my foot it may mean that I am impatient or running out of time. If I stomp my foot it can be out of anger or excitement depending on the dialogue prior.

  But the most important communication tool that we are armed with is our ears.  How carefully do we listen to what is being communicated? If we were asked, could we mirror what we were told or asked? Often, we only hear the first and last thing that is said to us. Which is unfortunate because then we are missing out on the communication.

  We often take these tools of communication for granted. When I was a child …to show us our many blessings my grandmother would blindfold us or have us cover our ears…to show us how carefully we actually listen or watch things. When your vision is impaired in that way…you would be surprised at what we hear that we didn’t hear before…a bird chirping, the snow crunching, footsteps in the distance…and trying to figure out who the footsteps belonged to. We learned that we had to listen carefully to tones and words, because we didn’t have the luxury of seeing a facial expression. When our ears were covered we had to watch things carefully because we couldn’t hear them…or our hearing was impaired to such an extent that it wasn’t clear. We were no longer rushing to say what ever we pleased but actually taking the time to try and read the lips and expressions being communicated to us. Now, of course, the entire purpose of this exercise was not to punish us, but to teach us that we need to take more time with life. We needed to take time to smell the flowers, to watch a sunset, to be more loving and kind with one another.

  Why do we dislike the silent treatment? Because we want to communicate…but often we would rather wage war than take the time to actively listen and participate in a conversation. We would rather lash out than to calmly verbalize what we are thinking and feeling. Words can be like weapons…the can inform us or others…or they can cut like a knife. I can remember, as a child, hearing certain tones and unflattering words that adults used towards one another. They were not speaking to me, no one was calling me names…no one was angry at me. But I absorbed the words…it hurt deep inside of me…it felt like my insides were shaking. I felt violated, like someone had picked up a club and hit me in my stomach. Of course the adults that were doing this made up, they moved on…but I will never forget the feeling it left me with. I was scarred…and even now when I hear certain words I get the same feeling again.

  We, as human beings have the power to create or destroy and we do so everyday. We build up people or we tear them down…every single day. The point being, with that knowledge…which will you choose to do? We have the power to make each day better then the one previous…just by opening our mouths, our minds and our hearts. We can leave loving embraces on the hearts of our fellow man or we can scar them. Keeping in mind very often when we scar people they lash out at others…leaving them scarred, as well. We create a cycle no matter which way we go…but we get to choose which road to take. All that I am suggesting is that we choose that which will help uplift and rejuvenate. If we leave loving kind words…they will resonate in people…and hopefully that will be the trend.

   Does it sound like I am being unrealistic? Talking about love towards our fellow man…I have been told that it does. The thing is this…if being loving towards each other seems like a foreign idea…it is only because we have been living for too long with the idea that we must kill or be killed.