In God’s Name

It’s amazing the things people do in God’s name. I’m actually not talking about the large stuff, like genocide or ethnic cleansing. But the smaller, more subtle works of the great Satan we call man.

This whole movement by religious conservatives who are trying to wrest the control that people have over their bodies, is crazy. I said it, crazy! It is veiled in a gauzy mystical coded language, which underlies the desire to rid you of your free will in favor of theirs.  And they call it god’s work.

It is simply selfish, self-serving and wrong.

Now I hate to use the term god’s work, because it’s been so bandied around that it has become meaningless. But the ability to take Viagra or birth control pills, the legalizing of same sex marriage or the right of someone to decide how their life ends, in no way limits, stops or curtails another persons right to believe, practice or search for god’s truth.

It just offends them and in this free democratic society, it is their right.

Deal with it!

The parading around of god on a stick, from the bully pulpit, is a sin.

Mortal or otherwise.

The use of god’s word for your own personal gain, is a sin.

Venial or otherwise.

Those that believe in hate and segregation in any form, are to be banned from the Elysian Fields.

Those that believe in the derisive rhetoric of religious exclusion are to be banned from the Garden of Eden.

God has given us choices.

God has given us free will.

If we are wrong, we will know it soon enough.

But here in this life, in this time, it is completely against god’s wishes to curtail someone else’s right to decide, to believe or to choose.

To choose who they want to marry,

To choose who they want to pray to,

To choose whether or not to bear a child.

To choose to carry a child because after rape.

I would like to see the candidates go through that and see what they have to say afterwards.

I am proud to say that I am trying to become a man in the eyes of god. I am embarrassed to say, I am one in the same man as those that deny others.

Blame and fear are the tools of evil. They have always been and they always will be.

Love and the ability to accept are the tools of light.

Selah

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A Dream

I dreamt we were walking through a cathedral of trees.
A deep old grove, that had not known the footsteps of one for quite some time.
Your hand was in mine and we were happy.
The trees, so magnificent, ran all the way up as far as the eye could see. The forest approved of us, as did you.
It was twilight or maybe even dawn, I couldn’t really tell. But the light poured through the trees in a slatted majesty that took our breath away.
You were beautiful there, a glorious feast for the heavens to see and mine to hold.
Mine to love.
For as brief a time as it was.
We walked quietly, not wanting to disturb a single leaf from its ageless slumber.
There was nothing that needed to be said, because there was nothing left to be heard.
All of the words, in all of the worlds, became shadow to emotion.
I carried you from that moment to your bed.
I carried you from that moment to eternity.
Where I held you, till you left me.

Selah

Why not you.

Sometimes it’s hard for some folks to understand the motivation behind getting up and “sermonizing”. It’s a bit unsettling for them. They ask me, “What gives you the right to comment on these things? How are you an authority?”

I don’t ever have a really good answer, except to say, because I feel it.
And it should be enough.

Because, I feel there are not enough things being said about what I find important.

Let me ask you this. Are there enough people speaking about the things that you find important?

Maybe it’s time that you began to shout your truths to the world? Maybe it’s time for you to wear the preacher’s frock?

Those who have had the mantle of pundit or authority placed on them seem to say the same things. Trivial word bites that suffer the pain of frivolousness when placed under the scrutiny of the conscious heart.

I speak from my heart, always.
I speak from the god in my soul, always.
I sing from the depths of my emotion to the hollow of your heart, always.

For no other reason other then, I feel it.

Selah

I vs. We

I like to think of myself as one of the few-who is-one of the many.

That is to say, it’s nice to be alone and in the middle. The Congregation of the We, is about the I and the We. Because there is no I in we, but without the I there can be no we.

See?

We have become a culture of self obsessed Individuals who are completely uninterested in the we, but only the I. Why is this. What has led us to this place and how can we escape? Do we even want to escape for that matter? Are we just as happy being plugged in to our Ilife and go on I merry way?

IPod, IRobot, ITunes, Im, IPhone, IPad, I,I,I,  you get the Idea.

If they were alive to-day would the Three Stooges be the I Stooges? Would it be Albert Ienstien and would the constitution read, I the people?

I am someone who would be considered old by even the standards of the hills. I was not raised on the concept of I. I am not part of the I generation, nor do I own anything that starts with the word I.

I am from the we generation, the last of the Mohicans,

We believe that individuality is what is important. The ability to stand uniquely in a crowd, without the worry of being ostracized is a worthy goal. It is the vast sum of unique individuals that make up the we. The clan of the I believe that their actions be it rude or otherwise are justified. The clan of the I believe the connection to the electronic ether is of paramount importance. Those of the “I” believe, that to belong is more important than to be.

I want to be wrong about this. I want someone to prove to me, that it is just the ravings of an old preacher. I beg for someone to explain all of this to me.

But so far, I have only been getting texts.

Selah

The False Hopes part 2- the Litany of Fuck

I am, I have been, I always shall be.

We say these words like they are magical incantations for us to use. But in reality, they are the vile spit that rolls off our tongues. You know that taste, a little metallic, a tad acidic and extremely bitter. It’s like you have just been emotionally kicked in the nuts and it’s welling up inside your throat. Your only response is puking, because is just about all you can do, apart from screaming and beating everyone within sight.

I am strong, I am real, I am enough. I have been through tough times before. I have been alone before.

They are simple words. But they have been given a meaningless existence to control us and to humor us.

You are alone. It is indisputable. You are born alone and you will die alone. You are alone in your thoughts and your  horrors. You are alone in your grieving and joy.

Being alone is NOT the problem.

Ever wake up in the morning and say to yourself; “ I’m so fucked”? It’s a feeling of dread for the rest of the day, the rest of your life, the rest of eternity.

I’m so fucked because of my choices.

I’m so fucked because of my job.

I’m so fucked because of my relationship.

I’m so fucked because of my lack of relationship.

I’m so fucked because of the economy, my cancer, my family….

On and on it goes.

You get out of that bed, on that very same morning, feeling like a fifth of Jameson was your best friend last night. But all it was cookies and egg rolls. And the screaming of the little man in your head repeats, over and over again like a mantra that you begin to believe.

I’m FUCKED, I’m FUCKED, I’m FUCKED…

That’s all he ever says, but we hear him the most. He is the one that guides us. He is the one that is with us in the hour of the wolf. He is the one that stands by the grave and says I told you so.

But I say…

Fuck those who say I can’t.

Fuck those who say they won’t.

Fuck those who choose to lie to me.

Fuck those who won’t look me in the eye.

Fuck those whose tears flow at will.

Fuck those that tell me I’m too fat.

Fuck those who tell me I’m not able.

Fuck those that tell me I’m great.

Fuck those that tell me I’m too old.

Fuck those that tell me I’m to young to know.

Fuck those that tell me they love me.

Fuck those that say they won’t.

Fuck those that think they know me.

Fuck those that say they won’t.

It’s the freedom from the false hopes that we should seek. To be at peace with ourselves in all places, at all times.

Selah

The Litany of Wan

The False Hopes

I have been stripped of my false hopes. My dreams of the savior are gone and
I am at rest, but what about you? Do you dream of the savior? Does he/she/it, come riding in from the dawn of new light, giving you a raise, giving you a lottery ticket, giving you love, giving you the miracle of a cure?

Tell me how it makes you feel, I’m dying to know!

Does the notion of being saved, truly comfort you? Do you truly believe in it? In your soul, do you crave it?

I sadly think that it is the greatest lie that is upon us today.

The notion, that someone else-who is not you-god, man, politician, wife, husband, priest- has the power to save you, from yourself, to take you into the heavens and grant you, the everlasting peace that you so desire. To free you, of the heavy burden of decisions, is beyond absurd.
Yet I am relentless in my prayers to this impossible deity. What a hypocrite I am!
Still I wonder, who are these beings that cast us into these shadows of desperation. Who are these beings that claim brotherhood with us, yet despise us for who we are, these mongers of fear and strife. Who are we to give them our power?

I am a dead-man. I have long ago, fallen to the great plague of our times, so the false hopes, no longer have power over me. The shame has passed, but the habits yet remain.

It is the shame that is born from those who have spread the lies of the false hopes, wishing they would take root in our hearts.
It is the shame that is born from those who have spread the lies, that you are not enough and nothing you can do except to follow them, will ever change anything in your life.
It is the shame that is born from your willingness to believe, when every fiber in your soul tells you they are wrong. Yet, you persist.

Sing me the song of your false hopes.
Sing me the song of your wishes.
Sing me the song of your sorrows.

I will listen.

Selah

Welcome to the Congregation of We

Hi,

I am the Reverend LordRifa, an artist, activist and a preacher. Some have called me a dime store fool and some have called me master. The choice can be yours. This is the Congregation of We. My blog/sermon/never ending search, for god in all his/her/its various forms. I have lived for thousands of lifetimes and can remember each and every one, in vivid detail. It is one of the many curses that I am burdened with. I have not always been a good man/woman, and their relentless haunting of my soul, will apparently be my punishment.
Most likely, I deserve it.
As I have said, I have been searching for a long time and still, through many a life and death have not found him/her/it. So, I begin my search again in today’s world. I search for god in drugs, in money, in fame, and in pussy. I search for god in churches, in mosques, in synagogues and in the alters of wood and water. I search for god in you.
Don’t get me wrong; I have seen the face of god on many occasions. I have seen him/her/it on the faces of those dying or in distress. I have seen him/her/it, on the faces of those who are about to commit unspeakable acts of horror and transgressions and on the faces of the innocent, the newborn and of the stricken.
But they all have the same problem. They are but pieces of the whole and after this many years, I ache to find the whole.
So join me in this congregation, in this movement to find the nature of what we call god. Join me in a search that extends beyond the chains of time and place. Beyond the hands of religion and politics and further then our place in heavens.
Join me in the Congregation of We.

 

Selah