Betsy Ross and The Joker Who Used To Play Football

God Bless these United States of America.

“Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.”

I haven't written on this blog for several years now. Pressing matters have kept me away. I've missed you all - its good to be back. I don't know if the man who sits writing at this keyboard now agrees 100% with every single word that has come before, but the Values and Principles have not changed.

Like Charles Fillmore, I reserve the right to change my mind. Only a fool would lock himself into a belief of yesterday, in the face of new and compelling information.  That being said, I am and will forever be dedicated to Individual Responsibility, Accountability, and Personal Liberty. I believe we each have a Right, if not a duty, to define God for ourselves - and come to the understanding that all of our Rights are granted to us from this God, and not the State. This is the foundation upon which my personhood is built.

Until yesterday, I didn't know anyone ever took issue with the rendition of the Continental Flag known as the "Betsy Ross" Flag.  It has come to my attention that the shoe company, Nike, had plans to release a new sneaker product with the image of a "Betsy Ross" Flag on the back of the shoe. After disparaging remarks from "some joker who used to play football", they canceled the release of this new product.


I won't refer to him by name any longer. It seems he may be getting high off of his name being mentioned on Twitter. When one man's name has more mentions on Twitter in a week than a technology and life-transforming company the likes of Apple, he's in danger of head swelling. No, from here on out, he will be known as "some joker who used to play football", at least to me. This joker's remarks and pushy personal censorship politics have gone too far, but I thank him for it. He has opened my eyes.

While I always liked the Confederate Flag as an idea representing States' Rights, I had been convinced and understood why it had been categorized as a symbol of racism. I had seen enough pictures of KKK rallies, where the flag was present to see how the flag of the South had been appropriated by this hate group. But now I see how wrong I was to give in to this appropriation without a fight.

Some symbols may be forever beyond redemption. The symbol that has come to be known as the Nazi Swastika is a perfect example. Many may not know that the symbol itself is an ancient symbol, by some accounts at least some 12,000 years old. It had always been a symbol representing positive ideas.

For those of you who don't know, I lived in Japan for over two years while on active duty in the US Air force. A friend introduced me to a Zen Temple in the mountains, where we meditated, ate breakfast, and cleaned. It was a treasure of peaceful awareness. Imagine my ignorant surprise to see a swastika prominently displayed as a crowning symbol to an archway leading to this Zen temple. On one of the mornings, after we had finished cleaning, I was exploring the grounds and one of the monks saw me staring up at the swastika. I asked him, "Were the Germans here during World War two?" He was confused by my question and explained that the symbol was an ancient symbol and had no connection to the Nazis of World War II. His English was far better than my practically non-existent Japanese. Communication wasn't easy, but he said that in Buddhism, it is a symbol that has "Buddha Mind", and represents "good fortune". At the time, I actually found it hard to believe. I was wondering why he was hiding the obvious truth about the Nazis in Japan. Conspiracy theories were begging to be birthed in my brain. He was telling the truth, of course. I was young and ignorant about a great many things. Ignorance really only becomes a problem when one is ignorant of the truth but convinced they are right. Luckily, I didn't cling too tightly to my ignorance and avoided any international incidents.

As a boy growing up in the North, the "Betsy Ross" version of our Continental Flag was a symbol that inspired my imagination. In my mind, it and our struggle for Independence are one and the same. I dreamed of the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution. I imagined injured soldiers carrying that flag to the top of some hill, declaring victory for the Sons of Liberty (they technically used a different flag - but leave my dream alone!). It was and continues to be a romantic dream of our beginnings as the greatest Republic ever to be formed. In truth, I have always preferred that flag over our Old Glory of today. There is something about the feeling of unity that the circle of stars brings to mind. I find the symbology of the circle very powerful.

Now, enter this joker who used to play football and his feelings about the flag. I don't want to deny him his feelings; but, it seems he is content to project his feelings out to the masses with an air of authority. Are his feelings about our history more valid than mine?

Even if there have been hate-groups who have used this flag that I love - will I permit them to appropriate it as the Nazi's seem to have appropriated the swastika? By the way, I supported this joker in his right to take a knee during the playing of the National Anthem before the games he used to play in. I didn't agree with him, but I supported his right to Free Speech - because he was making a statement. He was calling attention to a problem that he saw, and he was using his place in society to have his voice heard. But the free speech I supported for him seems to be of little value to him when it comes to the voices of others.

But again, I thank him for pointing out what it is I don't want America to become. And he has opened my eyes to how quickly I turned over the dreams and identity of my Southern Brothers for a bit of supposed repentance and the notion of a "necessary concession" for the sake of harmony. As I had dreams of Continental America and the Continental Flag as a boy, I see now that it is likely that there was a Southern boy who had dreams of the Confederate Flag. He dreamt of courage, and of his family's pride in who they were. These flag-inspired dreams helped make up his identity. Dreams of individual sovereignty and Liberty for all, where slavery had no place. In fact, his dreams and the flying of the Confederate Flag had nothing to do with slavery. When he looks upon his Confederate Flag he has pride in his forefathers - not for any ills they might have brought into the world; but, for the good they did. (And I know there were plenty of young girls, North, and South, who also had these dreams.)

Who are we to take that away from them because some people have chosen to use that flag while participating in activities contrary to American values of friendship and morality. Who are we to take away their pride because others have decided to take offense at their chosen symbol? How can we stand by while hate-groups appropriate some of the most cherished symbols of our country? What can we say to Nike and those who agree with them that the product with a Continental Flag is in some way inappropriate? Should we storm the Zen Buddhist temples and tear down the ancient archways to rid the land of swastikas of good fortune? No, I think this joker who used to play football has gone too far - and in so doing, has shown me just how reckless we have become in the name of compassion and repentance.

 There is room for being aware of others around us; to notice their likes, dislikes, and concerns. There is room for being sensitive to other people. Empathy and compassion are virtues. But, in this country, we uphold everyone's freedom of speech - even when we disagree with what is being said by our neighbor. We, as free-born Americans, abhor censorship. We are about to celebrate our nation's birthday. We are about to celebrate our Independence. Let us take a moment to thank this joker who used to play football for drawing our attention to what we don't want. 

We don't want to take our concerns about offending others so far that we dilute who we are as a nation, or as individuals. We don't want to live in a world where censorship, state-sponsored or self/mob enforced blazes a trail off the path of Liberty towards some sad neo-Orwellian, lukewarm, grey future. We don't all need to agree on everything in order to get along peacefully and productively. We need only agree on our Principles; Freedom of Speech is one of the biggies.

If I choose to fly a Continental Flag this Fourth of July, please don't call it racist. Please don't try to repaint the pride I have in my nation as something other than Glorious. We are still a work in progress, but these United States of America are truly the best Republic in the world, and even in the 18th Century, the topic of slavery was a hot issue. There were good men, white men, even then, standing up for what they knew was right. If there be blame for the introduction of slavery to the Americas it rests upon the then British King for having permitted its introduction, not upon our founding fathers who were clearly hostile to the Principle of slavery and only tolerated it for a time out of necessity. It is because of our founding fathers that slavery was ultimately abolished in these United States.

To paint that time-period with a wide stroke, and call it "the age of slavery" does an injustice to all those who laid the groundwork to end slavery. If we are to condemn America's 18th Century then are we also to condemn all our Founding Fathers? What of the Constitution? What of its Bill of Rights? I am not suggesting that we forget the wrongs that were done - but let us not throw the baby out with the bath water. We all have much to be thankful for this fourth of July, 2019.

Love and Light to you all!

Historical Timeline of Privacy in America: 4th Amendment to PRISM

I don't know how completely accurate this is...

I had heard about something that sounded a lot like PRISM back in 2000-2001.

At the time, the online-underground was calling it Echelon.

In any event, this is important reading.  Enjoy your short History lesson!

(( sorry - the content was removed from the Internet. ))

Source:

President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, 2013

   President Obama began his speech by invoking JFK.  "The Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress." Indeed, it would seem that it has only been through back-room partnerships that the Constitution has been undermined.  The checks and balances that our founding fathers so carefully crafted in our Constitution only work when each branch does act as a friendly adversary to the others.

   Keeping with the theme of the event, President Obama said, "there is much progress to report."  He said, "after a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home."  This seemed to me a shocking statement, at least as bizarre as former President Bush standing on an Aircraft Carrier claiming that the war in Iraq had ended, and we were victorious.  I can only assume he wanted to get such a bold and erroneous statement made early and up front, before the average attention span faded, and he could get on with the actual details.  Some folks just really wanted to hear that our troops are coming home, for others he said much later in the address, "America will complete its mission in Afghanistan and achieve our objective in defeating the core of Al Qaeda".  He outlined a high level plan for withdrawal.  In the end, for anyone who knows anything about our occupations of other nations, it should have been clear - not everyone will ever be coming home.


   "Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis."   President Obama spoke of our expectations for government.  He said, and was applauded for saying, they "expect us to put the nation's interests before party."  I had to chuckle at that. I have no such expectation. In fact, if the party system has any merit at all, it is that the party platforms are meant to outline principles to guide elected officials, or at least inform them. The President seems out of touch with the expectations I do have for them. Such as the expectation to uphold and protect the Constitution.  Does anyone else still have that expectation?

   The President said, "we must do what we have already promised."  He, of course was talking about entitlement programs.  But what about the promise to ensure the blessings of Liberty?  What about the promises that were made in The Bill of Rights?  What about the promise to only use those powers enumerated in the Constitution?  If we are going to be keeping promises now - I think we should go back to the foundation and see where we may have misstepped along the path of Liberty.


   He spoke of tax reform.  He promised the achievement of what could easily be seen as conservative goals, through tax reform.  For example, he said, "... Now is our best chance for bi-partisan comprehensive tax reform that encourages job creation and helps bring down the deficit. We can get this done.  The American people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time filling out complicated forms and more time expanding and hiring. ... [a more equitable or 'fair' tax code] ...a tax code that lowers incentives to move jobs over-seas and lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers that are creating jobs right here in the United States of America.  That's what tax reform can deliver. That's what we can do together."

   Can tax reform really achieve these things?  Can any tax reform achieve such goals, or only the President's intended reforms? I think revoking the Income Tax might have an impact on those worthy goals identified, but I don't think that is what the President has in mind.  Since the majority of Income Tax collected is actully going to pay the interest owed to the Federal Reserve -  we would have to abolish the Income Tax and the FED at the same time.  That would be some true tax reform that would benefit small businesses.  But again - I don't think this is what President Obama has in mind here.

   I think most Americans would like to see the return of local jobs.  I also think that as long as we watch and wait for others to deliver it to us - we will be waiting for a revolution that will never arrive.

   The dream of economic equality is only a dream for those who don't have money. For those who have worked to earn fortunes, it is a nightmare.  Imagine playing a game of Monopoly - and then - because someone was winning, the rest of the players decided to take all of the top player(s) money.  It would ruin the game.  But in real life, those hotels are owned by someone who is providing a service to the public.  Taking their money is the use of force.  It is, in short, theft.

   I could easily see the President's comments on tax reform being heralded by Protectionists.  The notion of more American jobs is a good one - but the ends do not justify the means. The only thing stopping American job creation is fear.  A small business can be started on a shoe-string budget.  Sure, having loads of working capital helps - but it isn't a requirement. The President's every word hinges on a precept that government is the solution.  This premise is unsound.

   Even the president's ideas concerning small business growth and development are corrupted by his fallacious notions of the proper role of government.  In his vision of the future, small businesses tie their wagon to the star of departments within the executive branch of government.  In alluding to an economic plan, he said, "Last year we created our first Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, Ohio... There's no reason this can't happen in other towns. So, tonight I'm announcing the launch of three more of these manufacturing hubs, where businesses will partner with the Department of Defense and Energy that turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs. And I ask this Congress to create a network of fifteen of these hubs and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in America.  We can get that done."

   Clearly, this will result in agendas for small businesses being set by their benefactors (the State).  Why not provide incentives for banks to loan more money to start-ups?  Why not cut taxes across the board, so everyone has more money to start new small businesses? No - from the President's point of view - the people need government to set their direction.  Clearly what we need, from the President's point of view, is an expansion of the Military Industrial Complex and Big Brother into the lives of the small business owners across the nation. What a nightmare.

   I'm in the process of building a small business myself. It isn't easy.  Times have been hard and money is tight.  I would love to get my hands on some of the funding that the President is proposing.  But at what cost? No Sir, Mr. President, you can keep the money you have taken from the people who are generating wealth. I'll build up through the winning of customers.

   The President all but threatened the entire nation to promote his notions about climate change.  "If Congress won't act soon," he said, "I will direct my cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take now and in the future to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change,  and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy."  While I actually applaud the notion of community preparation, I pray it doesn't involve FEMA Camps.

   President Obama also mentioned something called an Energy Security Trust. I'm not quite sure what this is - but I'm sure we will find out more about it as time goes on.

   In typical Big Brother style, Obama took to issuing the continent a new goal.  "I'm issuing a new goal for America", he said. "Let's cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next twenty years."  I wonder how the executive branch intends to enforce such things in my home?  I'm being facetious here - because I have actually read snippets of proposed legislation that provide for 'home inspections' to ensure we are using mandated light bulbs and energy-star compliant utilities.

   The President believes it is the role of government to ensure that colleges keep costs down. In the Land of Obama, the government controls all costs. He believes that the government needs to be smarter - but that everyone else needs to work hard. He corrected himself as he said, "everyone who is willing to work... everyone who is willing to work hard, has a chance to get ahead."  I have always been a fan of the saying - "work smarter - not harder".  But, each to his own.

   Being a CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), and leading CyberCede, a company that specializes in Information Security and Privacy, I am always interested to hear the President talk about Cyber Threats.  He said:

"America must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber attacks. Now, we know hackers steal people's identities and infiltrate private emails.  We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. Now our enemies are also seeking to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, our air-traffic control systems.  We can not look back, years from now, and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy.  And, that's why earlier today, I signed a new executive order that will strengthen our cyber-defenses by increasing information sharing, and developing standards to protect our national security our jobs and our privacy."

   From research I have done regarding the Presidents new Cyber-Warfare Executive Orders - they are going far beyond "information sharing" and "standards development".  He brought John O. Brennan, his chief counter-terrorism advisor guiding him in using drones to bomb countries we are not currently at war with, to the table for this one.  Brennan also happens to be Obama's nominee for Director of the CIA.  A preemptive strike in our society is called "assault".  In the realm of nation states - it has another name:  Aggression.

   The President did impress me, at the very end of his speech. I was impressed by his use of the phrase "these United States".  He used the phrase near the end of his speech, and then in his closing blessing.  I wrote a college paper on the difference between these United States and the United States. It has been a long-time catch phrase for me concerning States' Rights. But again, I understand that while he may be saying things that sound pleasing - he isn't interested in State's Rights as much as he is interested in Nation Building.  He can say we don't need big government, we need smart government - but in the end, they equate to the same thing.  I would love for him to prove me wrong.

MegaUpload - Guilty Before Proven Innocent?

The above image is what you will see, if you visit MegaUpload.

The domain has been seized by the government.  There has been no trial.  How is it that we have fallen so far from the Bill of Rights?

It would seem that the disruption of a service is a punishment.  In this case, a punishment that has preceded any time in court, or any opportunity for legal defense.  A trial is needed to ascertain whether or not MegaUpload was in violation of the law.  What cannot be denied, is that the site has/had legitimate users.  Even if a trial proves beyond a reasonable doubt that those running MegaUpload are guilty of the charges, it would seem that 1. the seizure of this site has interrupted legitimate business in its pursuit of justice; and 2. that there are some big egos behind that banner page.

I'm not certain why that page stirs anger from deep within me - but it does.

If the folks who run MegaUpload are proven innocent of the charges - what compensation will these badges of power be required to make?  What happened to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law?  It seems clear to me that taking this entire site down before there is proof of guilt goes too far.  Do the owners and operators of MegaUpload feel innocent right now?  Are they being treated as if they are accused of wrong-doing - or are they being treated like they are guilty of the charges before a trial?

I can see why Anonymous is up in arms over this.  Without a doubt, there is legal content on the MegaUpload site that is no longer available to legitimate users.  That content has been seized.  That legitimate content has, in effect, been censored.

The government seems to be behaving like bullies beating up on a target they feel cannot defend itself.  There is unquestionably copyright infringements going on within the cyber-halls of YouTube.  Would the government shut down all of Google if charges were brought against them?  

Some people are driven by greed.  Others are driven by the thrill of lording power over another.  Still others are driven by the thrill of revenge.  It would seem that Anonymous has a voice - and that voice has said, "Expect Us!"

Should we be getting used to seeing this banner page?

Processing Anger, Take 1

This was a first attempt at using a site that facilitated making a video like this.  I spent quite a bit of time making a second episode... but the work was lost somehow.  It has to be rated "R"  for "some language".

Obama State of the Union Adress: 2011

State of the Union Address 2011

Before even getting into the actual content of this year's State of the Union Address, delivered by President Obama, it is interesting to me how easily I found the video recording of the speech the morning after it was delivered. The White House apparently uploaded it to YouTube the night of the speech. They even published an “enhanced version”, which is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl2g40GoRxg&feature=channel

The enhanced version starts out with trivia questions and answers regarding the history of The State of the Union Address. Then, as President Obama invokes the recent shooting attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the “ enhancement panel” displays a picture of the Congresswoman from Arizona's 8 ^th District.

When a President has as much charisma as President Obama does, and when that president delivers a good performance in the form of a speech, it may go against the grain to criticize the content of that speech. This speech was really about the American Dream, in my humble opinion. The speech was geared toward restoring confidence, rather than “telling it like it is”.

Something that can be difficult to know, while merely listening to a speech, is where the facts come from. One can shake their head and say “ that's not right” - if one has different figures in mind. Or one can burst out with a comment like, “You Lie!”, as happened in the previous State of the Union given by President Obama. This difficulty was taken away by this “enhanced version” of the speech. I'm glad I just could not stay awake for the speech as it was given live. Had I forced myself to stay awake, I would never had to search for the video on the Internet.

One of the most telling bits of information was a chart showing that the President was using GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to compare the United States with other nations including China. The interesting thing is that his figures showed separate entries for Germany and France, while most comparative sources, including the CIA World Factbook, report a single entry for the European Union when comparing GDP. The CIA World Factbook uses estimates which show the European Union exceeding the US GDP in 2010. Also, some people feel that the GNP (Gross National Product) is a better measure of the wealth of a nation since it takes into account the net income from assets abroad.

One of the largest problems we face, in terms of power consumption and our dependency on oil, is that other governments may decide to put their oil up for sale using a currency other than the US Dollar, which has been a de-facto standard that has increased our “ world-wide credit score”. This sort of information was absent from the speech.

I suppose this speech could be seen as a continuation of Obama's message of hope. He started with rhetoric about the American Dream, and how we all share a common creed. It was all very vague, as if from a dream. He emphasized with precision-vagueness that we are “ set apart as a nation” by our common creed and dream, and also apparently by our contentious debates. It wasn't clear who we are set apart from, but the message was clear: We are better than whomever they may be, and we are unified. Who would argue with something that makes them feel good?

Well... I guess maybe I will. Quite frankly, I'm not sure which creed he was talking about. Everyone at the event must have know though, because it received healthy applause. Since we have freedom of religion, he certainly can't mean that we share a common religious creed; because, that simply isn't the case. Since there is debate over whether or not health care should be a universal “right”, it would seem we have to rule out a common creed that would include Socialist ideals.

Perhaps, the President was speaking of our country's Constitution as our common creed. That certainly could be seen as a set of fundamental beliefs, or creed. Or, perhaps, President Obama was just stating that we share a common creed in the hopes that we will all buy into his dream.

The President invoked a metaphor of the “American Family”. This is interesting, because it seems to me to be a subconscious call to authority that hasn't been granted to Obama. If we are an American Family – then what role does he play in this metaphor?

In his speech, the president outlined a five step outline for “ Winning the Future”. I don't think many would argue with the president's 5-step tango; but, the means which we achieve those goals will truly set us apart from the “other guys”.

I think his comments were mainly designed to try and gather support for the budget he is going to propose to Congress. The word “ stimulus” has been replaced by “investment”, but the overall message is a consistent Democrat strategy: Spend your money to regulate your life

Step 1: Innovation

Obama suggests that this is our “Sputnik moment”. I don't know how much JFK spent to form NASA and send a man to the moon; but, I'm pretty sure we can't afford to have that level of government sponsored innovation take place at this time. I think most people would agree that we need more innovation; but, shouldn't that be a private industry affair? What place does this have in informing Congress what the State of the Union is? This was clearly a call to “invest” tax dollars in government sponsored projects.

Step 2: Education

The president showed that the US has fallen to 9 ^th place in terms of the number of individuals with college degrees. How can the government fix this? Should the government be in the business of fixing this? This will no doubt be a call to more spending by the National Government, as well as regulations forced upon the several States.

In his talk about the future of Education, the president entered our homes and schooled us all in some values we should hold regarding the Super Bowl and the local science fair. While I don't disagree with his notion, I am very opposed to the fact that he took it upon himself to comment on things that are beyond the scope of his authority. He isn't speaking as our father, as a relative, or even a concerned friend. He is speaking as the President of these United States. As such, he was out of line.

If we allow him to go beyond his boundaries when we agree with him, it sets a precedent for some time in the future, when we may not.

Step 3: Rebuilding

Infrastructure “investments” will be the outcome of this. Of all the things the government is spending our money on – this is actually the best thing they could legitimately be spending it on. But rather than looking at building high speed rails, perhaps we should be fixing the bridges that are falling apart all over the country. Unless someone is going to throw the towel in on the automobile, our highways and bridges are in dire need. Many of these highways are truly relevant to interstate commerce, and actually do fall within the purview of the national government, as defined in the Constitution of the United States of America.

Step 4: Responsibility

Obama's idea of responsibility is short sited, in my humble opinion. He comments that deficit spending began “almost a decade ago”. This sort of statement would seem to be the antithesis of taking responsibility. His plan is to put a freeze on domestic spending for the next five years. Again – is this responsible of him to suggest? After all, he won't be in the office of the president in five years (God willing). So, he is imposing limits on the future as a way of fixing the problems he should be dealing with today. I think President Obama should sit down with Representative Ron Paul, and have a long talk about responsibility, and our Constitution. As a matter of responsibility, how about holding the FED in the harsh light of accountability?

It is peculiar that he also spoke of restructuring the tax code here, while talking about responsibility, rather than putting it into the “reform” step which follows. Perhaps this is a Freudian slip that tells us it isn't going to happen.

Step 5: Reform

The president's comments here were downright scary. He said, in the coming months his administration will “develop a proposal to merge, consolidate, and reorganize the federal government in a way that best serves the goal of a more competitive America”. I shudder to think of what he might do. Will we be merging the FBI with Homeland Security and the NSA? Without doubt, this is something we are all going to have to keep our eyes on. There have been rules put in place to protect our privacy, and our freedom, as well as to protect against future abuses. Many of these rules have already been thrown the way-side by the PATRIOT act and the creation of the department of Homeland Security. This is a shell game I'm not looking forward to play.

It was important for the President to tell Congress and the Nation that “American Muslims are a part of our American Family”. I'm not sure why that was so important as to make it into the State of the Union Address – but it made it.

The notion of reform is a great one. Few would argue we need reform in Washington D.C. But, what needs to be changed is always a matter of contentious debate. Which, from what I hear, sets us apart as a nation. ;)

God bless us – everyone.

• Metajunkie

notes:

contentious: exhibiting an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes

The 112 ^th Congress' makeup:

• House of Representatives

• 193 Democrats

• 242 Republicans

• Senate

• 51 Democrats

• 47 Republicans

• 2 Independents

2010 Gross Domestic Product

A sidebar chart in the “enhanced version” illustrated that America still has the largest, most profitable economy in the world when you compare GDP.

• US $14.6 Trillion

• China $5.7 Trillion

• Japan $5.3 Trillion

• Germany $3.3 Trillion

• France $2.5 Trillion

The Power of God Is Our Strength

In the separation from God, fear manifests.  That fear may not be apparent.  We may only notice it in a lack of strength within our actions.  That lack of strength may not be apparent.  We may only notice it through an analysis of the path we are on in life.

When we fear, our enemies appear to grow in strength, in size, and in number.  This is evident when we connect with God.  The connection is apparent; for, when our inner focus shifts toward that which we know through personal experience to be God, the path we are on becomes clear, the previous lack of strength, and perhaps unnoticed fear becomes apparent. Such a revelation may be conveyed through analogy:  God is to sight as darkness is to fear.  When the light is turned on, and we can see clearly what before was hidden, or in shadow, we come to understand what before was incomprehensible.  Through the experience of connection with the divine, or communion with God, we become aware of the previous state of fear and lack brought on by separation.

When we reach out to shake the hand of our enemy while we are connected to God, there is no fear.  In the moment our hands meet, we recognize the fear in the other.  We immediately understand the weakness and frailty of their state.  We must have compassion in that instance; for, through the revelation of our own previously weakened and fearful state, through the revelation of our connection to the divine, through the very apparent power that lives within us as long as we maintain focus, we are now aware of the state of our enemy.  For, if they were connected to that intelligent energy which is most often experienced as unconditional love, that energy we call God, they would cease to be our enemy.

This is my want for the world. Praise be to God.