Conversation with Christ part 1
The conversation with the Devil series has brought me so many email comments that I have to say have opened my eyes to new ways of thinking. I have had people write to me with pros and cons which is great. To grow in our spirituality we must give ourselves permission to explore the depths of our faith. This series has challenged my thinking and heck I am the one writing it.
Before I continue the conversation I must share this common response I got from several people. I was asked how I got the courage to write about something that quiet possibly is not in the Bible. The people that wrote said that even though they felt the need to challenge and explore their faith they had fears that there church community would not be a safe haven. I understand that however I decided to knock down my personal obstacles and take the leap of faith to see what God would reveal to me. I do not know where this will go nor do I know what I am about to write about. I just have faith that the words will have meaning to me and others. I am trying to awaken the Holy Spirit in me in new and exciting ways.
Conversation with the Devil part 4
Dale- good morning Devil thank you for coming back
Devil (or so I thought)- good morning Dale, I am not the Devil but I will set in this time if you don't mind.
Dale- ok who are you and how do I know you can answer my questions
Devil- I am a friend of the Devil and honestly beings that he isn't here I am all you have, so if you want this conversation to take place I suppose it will have to be with me.
Dale- not sure I can do this but hey I will try
Unknown- great let's go, I am excited to be here with you. I have read the conversation thus far and feel confident I can lend something to this
Dale- this is tough but let's see if I can get the ball rolling, I had someone asked me this week if I thought the devil was real, so I decided to ask that question. Beings that you are not the Devil can you still answer the question?
Unknown- thank you Dale and yes I am confident I can answer your question. The Devil is very real, however real in different ways to different people which is what makes him so dangerous. You see to some, as you know from your own writings, they blame the Devil for every negative action that happens in their lives. It is almost as if they use that as their personal scape goat. For others though the Devil is a little more cunning, he eases his way into your lives in ways you may not recognize. For some it may be having to decide on a high paying job verses staying close to your family (the allure of money), for others it might be chasing an addiction that slowly erodes your self worth, for some it is creating a hate for the person you see in the mirror. So, yes Dale the Devil is very real yet in many different ways.
Dale- I don't understand that sir, the image we get in the Christian circle is almost like Hollywood the red cape, pitch fork, head of horns, guardian of hell, that constantly recruits people to do evil.
Unknown- that is in fact Hollywood as you say and it is sad that our focus is placed on the Devil and how to avoid hell. Just think if our focus were on the totality of love. Can you imagine a world if we all learned to love people. Instead of focusing on our differences in negative ways focus on them in positive ways. A collusion of people working for a common purpose and that purpose is to utilize our talents in ways that will make this planet thrive.
Dale- not sure where that came from if you are representing the Devil but I like it. How do you think we can promote love sir when the Devil is in our midst?
Unknown- our minds and lives are a compilation of what we surround ourselves with. If we surround ourselves with peace, love, and forgiveness we in turn will promote that, however if we surround ourselves with hate, bigotry, selfish egos, we also promote that. You see Dale peace and love breeds peace and love and yes hate and division breeds hate and division too but in ways much more destructive. The allure of power and control destroys everything in it's path including the person trying to attain the power. Love however is much more humbling and restful. When we love we learn to forgive and when we learn to forgive peace begins to take over. Once peace is attained hope is restored and hope is where life begins.
Dale- this is good stuff and so glad you came to represent the Devil. In a world so full of hate, despair, anxiety, uncertainty, how do we get a grip on things. I mean, everyone talks about the negatives from church to politics, seldom do you hear about peace and love anymore. It seems to me like this ship has sailed and there is no turning back.
Unknown- that is exactly what the Devil wants you to believe, that the world is hopeless. The truth however is that there is hope everywhere. Dale most people in the deep recesses of their heart truly desire a world filled with peace and love. They are just so fixated on what the media is preaching that they have lost hope. They bought the goods and now believe they are stuck with it. What we have to do is sell the goods of love.
Dale- who are you sir?
Unknown- I was not recognized on the road to Emmaus either
Dale- are you saying what I think you are saying? If so how do I really know it is you
Unknown- this is funny, I went through this same thing with Thomas and honestly go through it every day with almost everyone. Dale it is called faith, I can be the Devil if you so choose or I can be Christ as you folks call me. Dale this morning you were searching for answers, you were searching for the meaning of life and love. Your heart felt search brought me because I am always in you. On the other hand if your search this morning was once again to find why we are divided, why we hate, why you can't forgive, why you struggle to accept yourself, then the Devil might have come back. This morning though you finally arrived at a place that you could accept that I live in you.
Dale- ok ok this is really good and exciting. I have faith I really do, well I think I do, heck I don't know if I do or not. I am confused but in a good way. Christ, sir, I have to ask you this. Are you happy with the direction of the Christian community.
Christ- Dale that question challenges who I am in a way that has no value. I am happy that I am part of the creator that created you. I am happy that you have the desire to find your place in my body, I am happy that you seek hope. As for the so called direction of the Christian community as you call it, I have no say. I created people with the will to choose. The choice is love or hate. It really is that simple. When love is the choice it can look like hate because it comes with it actions that confuse those that promote hate. Dale there is good in every person and every church. It is people like you, forgive me, and others that work to exploit division which in turn promotes it. If you believe in the living word of the Bible then you will believe that love will find a way.
Dale- speaking of the Bible, I have to ask, who wrote it?
Christ- There goes your unbelief again. Does it matter who wrote it? The question should be, can you find the model of love you need to live by? Can you find answers to life questions that you can promote and sustain? Who wrote the Bible has no value, the message it contains is the value.
Dale- my head is spinning so I am going to ask one last question and hope I can have another conversation with you soon. Why are you here, I mean, why now, and why me?
Christ- you really do struggle with faith Dale, just as most people that will read this. The truth is I am always here you just choose not to see me or talk to me. I am the beggar on the street, the prostitute on the corner, the drunk in the bar, I am everyone you judge adversely. I am the preacher in the pulpit, the evangelist in the arena, the dying person in the hospital, the politician you hate, the religious you can't associate with. Dale I am everyone you come in contact with. The bigger question is how do you think you treat me? I will always love you, I will always forgive you, I will always be with you. I want you to share an eternal life with me in a place you have labeled as heaven. You, yes you, must find the faith to believe who I am. You have to find the faith to believe your own spiritual maturity. Dale it doesn't take a brick and mortar church to be a church community. It takes a group of believers seeking to make the world a better place.
It is time for you accept who you are, stop trying to be what you aren't. You have passions and talents you have not even allowed to grow just like everyone else. It is time for you to unbind the people you judge and in turn they will unbind you. Be a promoter of love, be the sunlight for others. When they see your actions they will see me. I live in you and you live in me.
As you can probably tell that conversation did not go anything like I had planned. I am not sure if it went better or worse. Once again it opened my eyes to what lives in our hearts and minds. The message I have to leave you with is, that we all have love in our hearts. If we can just learn to love ourselves I am confident we can love others.
Until next time peace and love
Dale
Before I continue the conversation I must share this common response I got from several people. I was asked how I got the courage to write about something that quiet possibly is not in the Bible. The people that wrote said that even though they felt the need to challenge and explore their faith they had fears that there church community would not be a safe haven. I understand that however I decided to knock down my personal obstacles and take the leap of faith to see what God would reveal to me. I do not know where this will go nor do I know what I am about to write about. I just have faith that the words will have meaning to me and others. I am trying to awaken the Holy Spirit in me in new and exciting ways.
Conversation with the Devil part 4
Dale- good morning Devil thank you for coming back
Devil (or so I thought)- good morning Dale, I am not the Devil but I will set in this time if you don't mind.
Dale- ok who are you and how do I know you can answer my questions
Devil- I am a friend of the Devil and honestly beings that he isn't here I am all you have, so if you want this conversation to take place I suppose it will have to be with me.
Dale- not sure I can do this but hey I will try
Unknown- great let's go, I am excited to be here with you. I have read the conversation thus far and feel confident I can lend something to this
Dale- this is tough but let's see if I can get the ball rolling, I had someone asked me this week if I thought the devil was real, so I decided to ask that question. Beings that you are not the Devil can you still answer the question?
Unknown- thank you Dale and yes I am confident I can answer your question. The Devil is very real, however real in different ways to different people which is what makes him so dangerous. You see to some, as you know from your own writings, they blame the Devil for every negative action that happens in their lives. It is almost as if they use that as their personal scape goat. For others though the Devil is a little more cunning, he eases his way into your lives in ways you may not recognize. For some it may be having to decide on a high paying job verses staying close to your family (the allure of money), for others it might be chasing an addiction that slowly erodes your self worth, for some it is creating a hate for the person you see in the mirror. So, yes Dale the Devil is very real yet in many different ways.
Dale- I don't understand that sir, the image we get in the Christian circle is almost like Hollywood the red cape, pitch fork, head of horns, guardian of hell, that constantly recruits people to do evil.
Unknown- that is in fact Hollywood as you say and it is sad that our focus is placed on the Devil and how to avoid hell. Just think if our focus were on the totality of love. Can you imagine a world if we all learned to love people. Instead of focusing on our differences in negative ways focus on them in positive ways. A collusion of people working for a common purpose and that purpose is to utilize our talents in ways that will make this planet thrive.
Dale- not sure where that came from if you are representing the Devil but I like it. How do you think we can promote love sir when the Devil is in our midst?
Unknown- our minds and lives are a compilation of what we surround ourselves with. If we surround ourselves with peace, love, and forgiveness we in turn will promote that, however if we surround ourselves with hate, bigotry, selfish egos, we also promote that. You see Dale peace and love breeds peace and love and yes hate and division breeds hate and division too but in ways much more destructive. The allure of power and control destroys everything in it's path including the person trying to attain the power. Love however is much more humbling and restful. When we love we learn to forgive and when we learn to forgive peace begins to take over. Once peace is attained hope is restored and hope is where life begins.
Dale- this is good stuff and so glad you came to represent the Devil. In a world so full of hate, despair, anxiety, uncertainty, how do we get a grip on things. I mean, everyone talks about the negatives from church to politics, seldom do you hear about peace and love anymore. It seems to me like this ship has sailed and there is no turning back.
Unknown- that is exactly what the Devil wants you to believe, that the world is hopeless. The truth however is that there is hope everywhere. Dale most people in the deep recesses of their heart truly desire a world filled with peace and love. They are just so fixated on what the media is preaching that they have lost hope. They bought the goods and now believe they are stuck with it. What we have to do is sell the goods of love.
Dale- who are you sir?
Unknown- I was not recognized on the road to Emmaus either
Dale- are you saying what I think you are saying? If so how do I really know it is you
Unknown- this is funny, I went through this same thing with Thomas and honestly go through it every day with almost everyone. Dale it is called faith, I can be the Devil if you so choose or I can be Christ as you folks call me. Dale this morning you were searching for answers, you were searching for the meaning of life and love. Your heart felt search brought me because I am always in you. On the other hand if your search this morning was once again to find why we are divided, why we hate, why you can't forgive, why you struggle to accept yourself, then the Devil might have come back. This morning though you finally arrived at a place that you could accept that I live in you.
Dale- ok ok this is really good and exciting. I have faith I really do, well I think I do, heck I don't know if I do or not. I am confused but in a good way. Christ, sir, I have to ask you this. Are you happy with the direction of the Christian community.
Christ- Dale that question challenges who I am in a way that has no value. I am happy that I am part of the creator that created you. I am happy that you have the desire to find your place in my body, I am happy that you seek hope. As for the so called direction of the Christian community as you call it, I have no say. I created people with the will to choose. The choice is love or hate. It really is that simple. When love is the choice it can look like hate because it comes with it actions that confuse those that promote hate. Dale there is good in every person and every church. It is people like you, forgive me, and others that work to exploit division which in turn promotes it. If you believe in the living word of the Bible then you will believe that love will find a way.
Dale- speaking of the Bible, I have to ask, who wrote it?
Christ- There goes your unbelief again. Does it matter who wrote it? The question should be, can you find the model of love you need to live by? Can you find answers to life questions that you can promote and sustain? Who wrote the Bible has no value, the message it contains is the value.
Dale- my head is spinning so I am going to ask one last question and hope I can have another conversation with you soon. Why are you here, I mean, why now, and why me?
Christ- you really do struggle with faith Dale, just as most people that will read this. The truth is I am always here you just choose not to see me or talk to me. I am the beggar on the street, the prostitute on the corner, the drunk in the bar, I am everyone you judge adversely. I am the preacher in the pulpit, the evangelist in the arena, the dying person in the hospital, the politician you hate, the religious you can't associate with. Dale I am everyone you come in contact with. The bigger question is how do you think you treat me? I will always love you, I will always forgive you, I will always be with you. I want you to share an eternal life with me in a place you have labeled as heaven. You, yes you, must find the faith to believe who I am. You have to find the faith to believe your own spiritual maturity. Dale it doesn't take a brick and mortar church to be a church community. It takes a group of believers seeking to make the world a better place.
It is time for you accept who you are, stop trying to be what you aren't. You have passions and talents you have not even allowed to grow just like everyone else. It is time for you to unbind the people you judge and in turn they will unbind you. Be a promoter of love, be the sunlight for others. When they see your actions they will see me. I live in you and you live in me.
As you can probably tell that conversation did not go anything like I had planned. I am not sure if it went better or worse. Once again it opened my eyes to what lives in our hearts and minds. The message I have to leave you with is, that we all have love in our hearts. If we can just learn to love ourselves I am confident we can love others.
Until next time peace and love
Dale
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