Al G Smith

When settling down to that indulgent lunch on Christmas Day, after clearing the wrappings of many-a-present, gift and trinket, it’s appropriate to try and spend a moment thinking of those who won’t have such a great time, and maybe to consider how we can all do something to change things in the coming years.

Tempting though it is for us to allow our own life’s trials to consume our time and attention, it’s really not until we all begin to treat others better that the world itself will start to evolve into the place we would all like it to be…

Here are two youngsters who express, through song, some of the sentiments that many of us recognize and feel… But are YOU doing enough (anything?) to contribute to positive change, and if not just what WILL you do about it in 2010?

It’s a question many of us need to ponder on… And an answer we all need to ACT on…

Troy Sivan:

Declan Galbraith:

Here’s the link that features Troye Sivan’s project on the laudable “Kids helping Kids” website:
http://www.kidzhelpingkids.org/TroyeSivan_ForThem.html

And here are just some examples of the reasons why these young singers are so concerned…

The website referred to in this clip:
http://hski.org/difference.htm

Another worthy project on the ‘other side’ of the Island that comprises Haiti and — here — the Dominican Republic:

Here is the link to the Dream Project in the Dominican Republic: http://www.dominicandream.org/index.html

And finally for now another independent charitable organization that is helping disadvantaged children around the world:
http://www.childrenincorporated.org/

Could you also give them something no matter how small this Christmas?

I was explaining to my wife earlier on today that I had been trying to articulate an important thought that had led me to talking to myself. Now I know that the humorist might note that talking to yourself is a sign of being a bit mad…but, come on now, who amongst us does not talk to themselves at some time or other? If you are honest you are most likely to have done it at some time - although for many folks this may not necessarily have been out loud - perhaps just talking with an inner voice?

But I digress.

I recently read that we (Homosapiens) host something in the order of at least 200 different species of bacteria in, on and around our bodies. These are just the typical bacteria that live happy in or on us wthout causing any particular problem, and in some cases actually being quite positive - that is to say providing some sort of benefit.

This seems quite amazing - I think. We can also be host to a variety of other less attractive micro-organisms and also numerous parasites - some of which can potentially lead to ill health…and even death…but let’s not go too deeply into this just now!

Indeed with the Human genome apparently exhibiting 100,000 pieces of genetic information it is interesting to note that each species of bacteria have genomes that have about 2000 genetic markers. This means that a typical ‘human host’ whilst having 100,000 genetic elements of their own species also hosts some 400,000 pieces of bacteria genetic information - four times as much bacteria genetic data!

It seems reasonable to suggest that “IF Man can survive” (as Zager and Evans query in the pop-oddity “2525″) then this means that it is 200 times more likely that some form of bacteria will survive…

But bacteria are not so stupid as to put all their “eggs in one basket” - or perhaps “genes in one egg”, so to speak - because there are many millions of bacteria in all sorts of other environments. Indeed many bacteria don’t even need oxygen to survive - so even if ‘we’ (humans) manage to screw up the atmosphere big style - then many types of bacteria will not care one jot!

Way back in pre-historic times…in fact in pre-pre-historic times - close (in respect of a billion years or so) to when the globe of materials that became known as the Earth formed - oxygen was a truly rare commodity, being barely a fraction of 1% of the total atmosphere. In these many thousands of years the “dominant” life forms  (whose actual appearance is still somewhat of a mystery…although there are some fairly good indicators now identified) where anaerobic bacteria - that is non-oxygen using bacteria.

Over the period of maybe 1.5 billion years certain types of bacteria began to flourish in the roiling, liquid  masses that covered the face of te Earth in the millennia through which it was cooling. These bacterial life forms from the broad family called Cyano-bacteria actually thrived by processing sunlight into energy - a by-product of which is oxygen. The process now known as photosynthesis is well known now as the method by which plants survive and grow.

Indeed Cyano-bacteria ultimately seemed to have contributed the bulk of oxygen that now forms in excess of 20%  - more than one fifth - of our atmosphere and allows Mankind to survive. The whole story about oxygenation of the atmosphere is more complex and interesting still…but will have to wait until another post.

The point that I wanted to make in this item was to note that bacteria dominated the Earth for many millennia. The processes of development of life and life forms that occurred amongst the three main ‘Domains’ of life - bacteria, eukaryotes and archaea - has actually been shown to be one of success evolution through the exploitation of cooperation…

Sometimes we can be fooled into thinking success in life is about ‘competition’ - but indeed life has evolved successfully through cooperation and there is key lesson to be drawn from this. It is the cooperative (consciously or not) nature of life supporting other lifeforms - such as 200 bacteria species that make every individual human their home (indeed world - if not universe) that ensures the greater likelihood of their continued existence.

This ‘metaphor’ of cooperation is just one more clue, laid our for us, about how we should be living our lives in order to reach a higher level of fulfilment.

But, of course, I have strayed from the discussion about the ‘conversation’ I had with myself…

The context I wanted to convey is that Mankind  - as you will likely know - has perhaps been around in a recognizable form for maybe a quarter-of-a-million years. We are arguably the most intelligent, most gifted, most ‘potentially’ successful species ever to have evolved - and some would argue we are the ‘pinnacle of evolution’.

But our tenure in this Earthy domain has been very short in real-time. Most people well-know that the supposed evolutionary failures - the Dinosaurs - were around for maybe 150 to 180 million years! At the current rate it will be a true miracle if Man survives as a species so long (Ok - I acknowledge that dinosaurs encompassed many species and there were of course 3 separate identified pre-historic periods in which quite different species thrived - and became extinct, each in its turn…) - but at the current rate of progress it seems as a if it will be a a challenge for Homo sapiens to make it to a full ONE million years of existence!

The point is, perhaps, that as one surveys the marvellous process of evolution, it is apparent that the patterns become more complex, and that intelligence increases. As a species Man is at the apex (so far) and has the ability to know himself - to be self-aware…But what do we do with this knowledge? We spend most of our time trying to distract ourselves from having to confront it, it seems!

WE are creatures that are conscious of a dimensional parameter called time…no other animal is truly aware of this ‘measure’ of their length of existence. In fact times does not ‘matter’ to ANY species save for Man. We recognize how short time is, how little time we have, yet we also manage to waste time - every day - with deliberation and with little thought or consideration.

God, on the other hand, evidently exists (and for those agnostics and atheists amongst you, should you stumble on this and read so far, I ask you to bear with my insistence that a greater Entity exits) OUTWITH (as the Scots have it) TIME. Time is nothing to God. Time cannot be a dimensional parameter for the Unknowable, the Omnipresent and Omnipotent. For me at least God’s Plan - of which we are a part - is unfolding in its ‘fractal’ pattern just as is should - or at least as it may.

As individuals we may at some point in our lives be savagely reminded of our mortality, our bare few years on this miraculous globe. The reminder might be death of loved ones, illness, accident or simply ‘old age’ - as we call it when our God Given ‘mortal form’ begin to submit to the wear and tear we thoughtlessly put it through.

When we become aware of our ‘limited’ time, this can be for some the inspiration to ‘do something useful’ with their lives…The sad question is why does it have to take imminent demise to inspire such motivation?

In fact - we are part of a cycle of activity - it may be a relatively small cycle,  say just a few billion years - or it may be a large cycle - something akin to what we, as a species, have determined to can ‘infinity’ because it is too large for us to comprehend (yet again would seem as nothing to a Timeless God)….The endurance of the cycle in which we happen to exist will be determined by things such as our tendency towards recognizing the ‘key lessons’ that God has laid before us. If we FAIL to recognize what we must do - we will simply become an evolutionary -hiccup- or ‘dead end’ - a part of the pattern that finishes…If we begin to DO what is right - then our continuity as a species will be come a natural part of the next fold in the fractal pattern of the Divine Plan…

The point is that if we happen to fail…no matter how badly we screw it all up - whilst Mankind as it appears today may cease to exist - there will always be the small building blocks left - the anaerobic and/or aerobic bacteria, the eukaryotic cells, (and even those strange and solitary archaea, that seem to eschew symbiotic modes of development in favour of  - in one form or another  - simply being able to tolerate any conceivable extreme of environment, a tendency that may YET prove to be the saviour of the life-force on this planet)…and one way or another - no matter how badly ‘Man’ performs, and how poorly Man ’sees’ what must or should be done - there will be the foundational organisms to start the pattern of life’s evolution all over again. And in a few billion years time ‘another’ Mankind will emerge and PERHAPS they will ‘get it right’. But if not then another cycle of billions of years will be instigated,,,for as long as the Sun has power enough to warm the Earth sufficiently for the cycle to repeat itself…in the ‘hopes’ that we, or some species that may (or may not) have a passing resemblance, but will certainly have an advanced intellect, will get it right - and at that time the inheritors of the Earth (most likely perhaps they will be meek!) will transcend to the next level of existence…and so it will be…Amen.

In summary - in case it is still unclear - for me at least - the foregoing encapsulates the answer to the age-old queston: What is the meaning - or purpose- or life? - and/or Why are we here?

It is neither shocking, nor surprising…nor is it difficult to understand - yet as a species at this moment we are tending to prove that it is, indeed, difficult to ‘fulfil’…

We are part of an amazing unfolding pattern of life that beconmes an ever more sophisticated proof of the need for cooperation and  - in human terms - the importance and central role of ‘love’ in the further development and evolutionary transition of Mankind…

The amazing thing is that right now - we are already a species that can undersatnd this and could act on it  - and transform the Earth into a Paradise and the lives of all Men into experiences of happiness and joy…We have the ability to learn, know and understand what we must do…and DO it - to create Heaven on Earth…BUT we also have the potential to ignore the abundance of metaphorical teachings that God has provided a;ll around us, to ‘refute’ the obvious, to continue to remain distracted, directionless, unfulfilled…slowly sickening as individuals and dying as a species, whilst dragging down with us many other less intellectually blessed, and blameless creatures…

Yet in his timeless Wisdom, and endless Patience - God, the All Seeing, the All Knowing, the Ineffable - simply continues to wait until the ‘penny drops’ and this incarnation of Man, or the next, or the next - or the hundreth, or the billionth version of this inellectually and philosphically blessed ’species’, FINALLY recognizes and accepts, and ACTUALLY DOES what it must do - to ‘make the next step forward’ in terms of Spiritual evolution…

The most amazing thing is that we COULD do it now!…Or we can continue to be part of a non-contributing, failing, version of this species!

I recently tried to address one of those ‘Big’ themes that regularly crops up on Yahoo Answers. The questioner basically asked if God was indeed, simply ‘everything’. One presumes that this concept or idea may have been influenced by the thought that if nothing existed before God caused it to exist, then was everything simply an ‘extension’ of God.

My effort to answer this question was made at about 1.30 a.m. and whilst I’m posting it here for now — I reserve the right to ‘tweak’ it in due course as an when my ‘creative muse’ inspires me to improve upon my no doubt all too feeble effort to address such a conceptually challenging subject…I’m only ‘human’ after all:

In My Humble Opinion:

No. But God is in us all.

It would be a mistake to think that God IS everything.

It would also be wrong to suggest that God is a person. God is in fact unknowable. That is to say God cannot be comprehended by the human mind. In fact, God is beyond the ability of the mortal powers of conception. This is not really surprising, but it is generally little talked of…probably mainly because it is easier to allow people at least to have some ‘kind of’ idea of God as being a ‘human like’ entity, albeit all-powerful and the font of all wisdom. But as some hymns still have it, God is in fact ‘ineffable’: “incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible” or “not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable”, as the online dictionary has it.

Whilst God is not ‘everything’, God could perhaps be said to be ‘responsible’ for everything - but even this observation is too simplistic to have any real meaning.

Each of us — as a human being — has a mortal body, which provides an Earthly chalice for our immortal soul and we are are also blessed with the Holy Spirit.

The body ceases to exist upon death of the mortal human biological being. The soul, however, goes on to the next plane. The ‘level of entry’ to the next, spiritual plane, is determined by the development we have achieved (or degree of enlightenment we have aspired to) during our mortal tenure. As individuals we have a choice whether or not to ‘develop’ spiritually whilst we are on this mortal plane. This is an aspect of the concept of free will. Ultimately, the ‘choice’ (for can a choice truly be said to be made when we remain in a state of relative ignorance about spirituality?) to develop spiritually will have an impact on how much we ‘get out of’ our mortal existence — how much happiness, how much satisfaction, how much fulfillment, and so on — and will also affect how ready we are to enter at a particular level into the next part of the process of our ’spiritual development’.

If we recognize the immense benefit that the aspects of spiritual development we can achieve on Earth offers to us, then in choosing to develop as a spiritual being we ‘allow God into our lives’ and are consequently are able to become enlightened by the Holy Spirit. There have been some exceptional beings whose own human spirit has been so special, so strong and endowed with such potential, that they have become what has been described as ‘enlightened’ beings. Given the fallibility of the system we currently have for ‘developing’ humans from infant through to adult, it is sometimes difficult to imagine that all of us have the same opportunity and potential to choose the spiritual path towards true fulfillment as a mortal human. For a child raised in conditions where education is undervalued, surrounded by ‘role models’ who are themselves ‘damaged goods’, and beset by lurid marketing imagery and constant ‘distraction’, it may be hard to see how they could ever have a fair chance of developing spiritually. It is evident that many today ‘fall by the wayside’ as a result of the impact of negative nurturing. However we are also all creatures of Nature, which must mean that even the worst of influences and experiences can be overcome, and a channel towards significant spiritual enlightenment can be opened up. There are too many examples of beings who have achieved phenomenal personal and spiritual achievement despite many negative impositions, to dispute this.

The Holy Spirit is the Aspect of God that is with us, and within us, throughout our mortal tenure. It is always there, but how much we recognize it is up to each individual. This is why, for example, atheists live lives without truly knowing an important aspect of human potential and enlightenment. Their God given right to refuse to acknowledge that God exists, in itself ’stultifies’ their potential spiritual development. It is a ‘pretty’ conundrum! But necessary, because what kind of true ‘omnipotence’ is there in a God that must resort to force to ensure that every human acknowledges that a Supreme entity exists. God ‘knows’ that all human souls will still have plenty of opportunity to develop, the fact that we measure our lifespan in a matter of less than a century, means that failure to acknowledge the Godhead, as a mortal human, is but a fleeting moment in terms of cosmic time. Considering that our further development, in spiritual form might take many eons, no God could hold a few decades of ‘headstrong ignorance’, simple ‘lack of intuition’, or too much of a reliance on/acceptance of the inherently ‘flawed’ ideas and explanations deriving from human science and logic, for the explanation of ‘life the Universe and everything’!

Indeed, the ability to choose to be a ‘non-believer’, is also an important part of God’s blessing of free will, free choice and part of the total experience of being part of humanity. This is the only time (as stated, a cosmically ”minimal period of about 70-90 years) that our ’selves’ will have the chance to have this kind of experience.

That is why this ‘human life’ is such a critical opportunity to learn about loving, giving and being part of a community of beings. Our frail mortal bodies, governed by terribly fallible but potentially powerful human minds, beset by all kinds of distractions, temptations and unnatural vices. The whole of ‘life’ as a human is an opportunity for making choices, learning lessons, gaining perspective, developing an appreciation that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, which speaks of that need for Unity in order for the Human race as a whole to thrive and develop.

This ‘life’ is all-in-all a period of unparalleled learning opportunities. The short tenure on this planet is one that is filled with triumph and sadness, and by the time you end your days you are fortunate indeed if you have loved and been loved. More fortunate still if you have gained even a small portion of the enlightenment that the Holy Spirit can bring.

We are all one in the sense that we all play our small part in what should be the Unity of Mankind. Sadly too many people still miss the point, and still spend their lives distracted, sidetracked, closed of mind. This is a necessary part of the process of evolution of the species. Whilst ever there is a balance of individuals who seek only self gratification, personal reward, selfish enrichment there is a challenge to address these issues, laid down for the selfless, the wise and the truly enlightened. Who can deny that if (as outlined in the Golden Rule — posted previously) we all woke up tomorrow and treated everyone else ‘as we would wish to be treated’ and truly ‘loved our neighbour’, then the world would instantly be transformed into ‘Paradise’. This ’solution’ has been within our grasp since it was clearly articulated at least two thousands of years, and seemingly endlessly repeated by the enlightened Messengers across the ages. Even so there is still enough bigotry, prejudice, hatred, selfishness, greed, envy…and so on to ensure we are yet many more millennia away from creating our ‘Heaven on Earth’.

When we die, and cease to exist as a mortal human, our soul transcends to the next plane of existence. At this time the Holy Spirit leaves us to continues to work with other human souls whilst they are bound to their mortal body, and mayhap can positively influence the mortal mind within which they reside.

In truth — we live in a world of multitudinous metaphor and all around us are the clues, the sources of learning, the myriad messages enshrined in the very way that Nature works. Such is the ‘multi-dimensional-experiential’ School that God has provided for all of us to learn the things we ‘need to know’ before we can truly progress to the higher spiritual planes of existence. Such is the Earth — our Blessed School, and ‘Play ground’. God is NOT simply ‘everything’, but God has caused everything to be for a purpose, such that every human being has the opportunity to become more than they are, or at least more than they may seem to be. For just as the Human Race as a whole, when Unified (as is the only true objective of Mankind) will prove indeed that the ‘whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ — such is also the case for any individual human, who is more than the sum of bones, muscle, organs and brain he or she appears to be. When working in a purposeful, unified way (i.e. body and mind), enlightened by the Holy Spirit so that the Human Soul is properly nourished, every Human will also be seen to be a far greater ‘Whole’.