The ‘news’. (observations from within a spiritual life of awareness)

The subtext of my blog’s title is included in this post’s title. I use it to highlight ‘observations’ because this post is about my observations. And I feel strongly about those expressed below.

Media news reporting, like sharks, go into a feeding frenzy around their subject of the moment. Note I do not use the words ‘the subject’ which would imply it was of import to me. It is the media news subject, not mine. While I have no regular experience of these feeding frenzies in countries other than my own country (U.K.), the North American continent and parts of Europe, I feel certain it happens in all countries where news media are free to roam at will.

Last night my wife came from the room where she was watching T.V. and said ‘Kathryn’s got cancer’ and went out again. My action on this was to ask God what He wanted of me, at this moment, from the information given to me. The answer I received, and am still getting, is ‘nothing’. My heart went out, not to the Princess of Wales, but only to another human being who will have bouts of physical, mental and spiritual suffering. That’s it, end of story.

I checked news pages I could get to from my laptop and there it all was unfolding, a frenzy. This morning it is the same. Is it not monstrous? Is it not unfair and wrong to turn a spotlight onto a human being and their human family’s suffering? I am not angry or upset at what they are doing, I am angry and upset they do not see the reality of what they are doing. And that transmits to those who hoover up this whirlwind over human being’s suffering. The ooh’s and ah’s, the wailing and gnashing of teeth and then demanding more and more information. Regrettably, I can imagine some long-lens weirdo trying to get their camera into this human being’s suffering and then selling it! Excuse me, but that is a sickness more dangerous than cancer.

Evidence of most people being asleep to reality is highlighted at frenzy time. There is no awareness, awareness, awareness. In the main, it is driven by self, greed and ignorance.

The investigation, and to some extent media intrusion, is valid to right wrongs and protect freedoms, but the monstrous feeding frenzy of the 24/48 rolling news cycle is wrong. This never-ending search to fill airtime, airwaves or paper with something or someone to talk about and tear to shreds is, in my opinion, an insult to God and decent living. It can only be policed by the perpetrators waking up and seeing the reality of what they are doing.

That’s it. Written at +/- 08:30 U.K. time.

My day? Keeping myself to myself and behaving, as best I can, to how God would have me behave to others.

Blessings

Prayer and Abandonment.

In recent days, Prayer and Abandonment have spent time in my thoughts and considerations. I will write my thoughts on Prayer first.

It seems to me there is a great deal of prayer asking God for something or telling God what to do.
I think prayer within a Church of England Sunday service includes some along the lines of ‘Keep our King safe’; Keep our Royal Family safe; Look after our leaders, and so forth. Then there are private prayers of the kind to keep ‘my family safe’, to keep me ‘free from sin’, to help me in ‘my endeavours’. Along those lines, anyway.
Then I think of prayers telling God what we want. Help my daughter/son into this job/role or whatever; help my ‘team’ win on Saturday. That kind of thing.
It also seems to me people who are in the spiritual world, or at least have one foot in it, pray at set times. Usually, as they get up and as they go to bed (keep me safe while I sleep).
These observations may be totally, completely erroneous and if so I apologise to the world outside, but I think they have some truth to allow me to write on with my considerations.

First, can I bring to your mind words I have a great deal of time for:-
If you always do as you’ve always done – you’ll always get what you’ve always got.
People keep praying, and praying, and praying in a set format, at set times and never consider changing that. Never stop to consider ‘What am I doing, what am I saying?’.

A great old lady taught me an invaluable lesson some 22 years ago. My father was very ill and dying when I spoke to this lady and said, ‘I have been praying to God for Him to place His hand on my father’s brow and take the pain away’. She shouted at me (and I use capitals to emphasise the volume and passion) ‘YOU CAN’T PRAY LIKE THAT – YOU’RE TELLING GOD WHAT TO DO!’.
You see, I was wanting it my way (as usual). My motive was ‘self’. It brought me up hard and since that day I learned the valuable truth of A.A. Big Book page 59:-
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
On my spiritual journey, ‘praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.’ has been the only prayer. And then listening for, and to, what I am told. And I fall down on the listening. Boy, do I.

Eventually, it becomes as natural as breathing. It is living it. It becomes a two-way, constant communication pathway throughout each day. ‘Hiya Lord, how am I doing?’; ‘What shall I do about that?’; ‘What! You mean you want me to…. No way!’ And so on. My error is I let the world creep in and retune the band wave and tune God out.

Do I believe and have faith (two entirely different concepts) God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit an actuality; is real? (for those of a non-Christ-based faith, use your conception of God). Yes, I do. Do I believe and have faith that God and Son are Master and Lord? Yes, I do. Do I believe and have faith God knows the ‘hairs on my head’ (Matthew 30 24-31). That’s the mystery, and it will always remain so at my human level that God sees and knows the past, present and future from sitting outside of time and space.

So what the heck am I telling Him what I want and what to do!!! All I have to ask for is what is it the Master and Lord want from me today, just as in Downton Abbey, Mr Carson (the Butler) only needed to know what the Earl of Grantham (the Master) wanted that day and then went and obeyed his wishes. What’s so difficult about that?

God’s at my shoulder now (never goes away, I just don’t listen) as I write this. Like a good Master watching over His servant. Simples eh!

But people keep doing what they’ve always done, and so never get anything different (like growth). Fear of losing something they have and fear of getting something they don’t want. Everything’s only ever down to those two fears.

Swiftly on to ‘Abandonment’.

I read the other day (my Bold):-
Abandonment never produces the consciousness of its own effort, because the whole life is taken up with the One to Whom we abandon.
Beware of talking about abandonment if you know nothing about it, and you will never know anything about it until you have realized that John 3:16 means that God gave Himself absolutely.
In our abandonment, we give ourselves over to God just as God gave Himself for us, without any calculation.
The consequence of abandonment never enters into our outlook because our life is taken up with Him.
(Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest)

If I truly look at the consequences of abandonment, true abandonment to God, it fills me with fear.
Do we pay lip service to the ‘Let Go and Let God’ saying? Or is it only a trite statement that used to be pinned up on A.A. meeting room walls? (If it still is, as the God word doesn’t seem to be in A.A.’s vocabulary any more)

When I wrote earlier (above) What! You mean you want me to….No way!’ The ‘No Way! Is real. For me, living the daily spiritual life hasn’t been one of total perpetual quietness of heart.

I’m repeating the words from A W Tozer I used on the 6th of March:-
“Millions call themselves by His name, it is true, and pay some token homage to Him, but a simple test will show how little He is really honoured among them.
 Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of who or what is ABOVE, and his true position will be exposed.
 Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, between God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time.
Those other things will be exalted above.
 However the man may protest, the proof is in the choice he makes day after day throughout his life.”

I wrote, I failed. And I do. I’m not a saint, but I think today I am a spiritual being having a human experience. As they say, ‘A Saint is a Saint until he thinks he is’ (or something along those lines). The point is that as soon as you think you are a saint – you aren’t.

Just pondering now as I write. Please excuse me for writing as I do now, but as I look at Mr Putin, as I look at President Biden, as I look at King Charles, as I look the Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury (Primate of all England), as I look at Pope Francis – as I just look!
I see people who sit on the crapper each day having a good strain as I do; who ‘If I cut you do you not bleed’ and it’s red just like mine. So why do we deify them?

Just a thought.

Here endeth today’s epistle 🙂

Blessings.