Thanks again Mark. I do agree that the problem lies more in our faulty concepts and definitions of what the scripture writers mean by the words “peace” and “joy”. Digging a little deeper, l’m pretty sure we’ll discover our 21st century concepts surrounding both this terms are anemic and incomplete.
Mark: VERY good stuff, but you just don't go far enough. FINISH reading the psalm! It claims several times that nothing can ever separate is from Father. Jesus was reciting the whole psalm while on the cross....and others as well. He had at least a few memorized. IF we set our minds consistently on the facts as God sees the facts, we can easily remain in the same Joy that God experiences always. He sees EVERYTHING differently from the way we see things. People are very much like chicken eggs, shell and all. An egg is NOT a chicken, but there is a chicken inside, a chick. The shell has to be broken so the chick can come forth. So, the actual egg has to be "put aside" so the real thing can come forth. God is not the source of suffering, but He does allow it, but not always, for His own reasons, one of which may be to allow the shell (in our case, the ego) to break open, or diminish to allow who we really are to shine forth. Christ in you, the hope of glory" is for real, but so is the lizard mind somewhere inside, afraid of a lions, tigers, and bears arriving and eating the whole family. The ego is not evil, but it is not who we are. SO, the real us can abide in joy, all day and everyday, no matter what happens, even while events occur that may well break-open our selves, our shells. WE all know "our better angels," and we all are familiar with our dark side. The dark side can never become light. Jesus said what to do with our dark side: "Say 'no' to self." People tend not to do it, because they think that "self" is actually who they are. Wrong. They all are precious, lovely, gentle and kind eternal spirits, emerging from their shells. As my wife tells me, I could be wrong:).
Thanks again Mark. I do agree that the problem lies more in our faulty concepts and definitions of what the scripture writers mean by the words “peace” and “joy”. Digging a little deeper, l’m pretty sure we’ll discover our 21st century concepts surrounding both this terms are anemic and incomplete.
Mark: VERY good stuff, but you just don't go far enough. FINISH reading the psalm! It claims several times that nothing can ever separate is from Father. Jesus was reciting the whole psalm while on the cross....and others as well. He had at least a few memorized. IF we set our minds consistently on the facts as God sees the facts, we can easily remain in the same Joy that God experiences always. He sees EVERYTHING differently from the way we see things. People are very much like chicken eggs, shell and all. An egg is NOT a chicken, but there is a chicken inside, a chick. The shell has to be broken so the chick can come forth. So, the actual egg has to be "put aside" so the real thing can come forth. God is not the source of suffering, but He does allow it, but not always, for His own reasons, one of which may be to allow the shell (in our case, the ego) to break open, or diminish to allow who we really are to shine forth. Christ in you, the hope of glory" is for real, but so is the lizard mind somewhere inside, afraid of a lions, tigers, and bears arriving and eating the whole family. The ego is not evil, but it is not who we are. SO, the real us can abide in joy, all day and everyday, no matter what happens, even while events occur that may well break-open our selves, our shells. WE all know "our better angels," and we all are familiar with our dark side. The dark side can never become light. Jesus said what to do with our dark side: "Say 'no' to self." People tend not to do it, because they think that "self" is actually who they are. Wrong. They all are precious, lovely, gentle and kind eternal spirits, emerging from their shells. As my wife tells me, I could be wrong:).