Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness

8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness

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BEYOND

THE

DISCONTINUITY

FROM AN AGE OF IGNORANCE

TO AN AGE OFNEWNESS

WHEN HUMANS

TRANSCEND FEAR

ALAN STEINLE


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ii

Beyond the Discontinuity: From an Age of Ignorance to an

Age of Newness. Copyright 2009 by Alan Steinle. All

rights reserved.

To contact the author:

[email protected]

All Bible verses labeled NASB are from the New Ameri-

can Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,

1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foun-

dation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All Bible verses labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible,English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway

Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used

by permission. All rights reserved.

All quotations from theBhagavad Gita are fromBhagavad-gita As It Is, by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,

Copyright 1968, 1972, 1983 Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.All Rights Reserved.

The Eternally Practical Way: An Interpretation of the Ideas

of the Dao De Jing. Copyright 2009 by Alan Steinle. All

rights reserved.


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CONTENTSIntroduction 1

PART ONE:BASIC IDEAS 3

1 The Universe Does not Repeat Itself 5

2 The Trouble with Verbal Communication 7

3 Knowledge and Humility 9

4 Joy Is the Ultimate Good 11

5 To Judge Another Is to Judge Oneself 14

6 Some Search for Security in Repetition 15

7 Science and Surprise 168 The Fear of Death 19

PART TWO:VIEWS 21

9 The Age of Ignorance, the Discontinuity,

and the Age of Newness 23

10 The Parasites, the Hosts, and the Indifferent 25

11 The Day of Recompense 28

12 The Two Removals 32

13 The Earth Is Laid Waste 35

14 The Awakening and Purification of Those

Who Have Faith in God 3715 The New Covenant 40

16 A Glimpse into the Age of Newness 42

17 A Purpose for Technology 46

PART THREE:QUESTIONS 47

18 Why Are People Lonely? 49

19 Why Do People Disappoint Each Other? 50

20 Do I Have a Basic Nature? 53

21 Can Joy Exist Without Sorrow? 55

22 What Is an Oath? 5623 How Should We Treat Each Other? 57

24 What Should I Pray For? 59


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BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 1

INTRODUCTION

The thoughts expressed in this book should not be

taken as dogmatic conclusions, but should be seen as

reference points for further thought and discussion. As

implied within the book, I dont think that a fixed verbal

statement can correctly describe an ever-changing world

for very long.

The first part of this book, Basic Ideas, deals with

some fundamental philosophical ideas that I felt the

need to express. I begin with the idea that the universe

does not repeat itself and put forward some of the con-

sequences of this idea. In the next chapter, I discuss the

subject of verbal communication, and how it can often

lead to misunderstandings. Next, I discuss the need to

allow ones knowledge of the world to shift as the world

changes. Then, I assert that everyone is seeking to obtain

feelings of well-being, but that everyone is imperfect in

achieving these feelings. Next, I discuss the issues of

moral judgment and the search for security. Then, I deal

with science as it relates to an ever-changing world. Fi-nally, I talk about the fear of death and its cause

ignorance.

In the second part of this book, Views, I outline the

principal terms, people, and events surrounding the age

of ignorance, the discontinuity, and the age of new-

ness. First, I give a brief outline of the two ages and the

time between themthe discontinuity. Next, I give a

description of the three groups of people on the earth at

the end of the age of ignorance. Then, I give a descrip-

tion of three things that will occur during the discontinu-ity: the day of judgment, the two removals of popula-

tions from the earth, and the desolation of the earth.

Next, I discuss the awakening and purification of those


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BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY2

who have faith in God. Then I briefly discuss the new

covenant as described in the book of Jeremiah. Finally, I

give an overview of what the age of newness will look

like, and I discuss a possible purpose for technology in

the present age.

In the third part of this book, Questions, I write

down some of my own questions about life issues. This

part deals with loneliness, disappointment, human nature,

joy, oaths, behavior, and prayer.


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PART ONE:BASIC IDEAS

One who ceases to change ceases to live . . .

The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 24

(part)


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CHAPTER1

THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT REPEAT ITSELF

The universe does not repeat itself. In other words,

God is not redundant. In yet other words, each experi-

ence is unique (if the universe can be divided into multi-

ple, discrete experiences). By universe I mean every-

thing that is, including but not limited to everything that

a human can perceive. The universe has not had and will

not have two identical states. This idea assumes that theuniverse is continually changing and irreversibly evolv-

ing and that no part of the universe is separate from the

rest of the universe.

If at least part of the universe is changing at any given

time, and if the entire universe is fundamentally con-

nected, then what happens in one place affects every-

thing else in every other place in the universe. If one

part of the universe changes, then every other part of the

universe has to adjust to this change. If one thing in the

universe is changing, then everything in the universe is

changing. Experiencers in and of the universe are con-

tinually changing. The experiences of the experiencers

are not lost but are retained in the experiencers and in

the universe. Therefore, since the experiencer evolves

irreversibly, no experiencer has had or will have identi-

cal experiences. However, certain experiences may be

very close to identical if the experiencer and his envi-

ronment have changed little.

Those who cannot remember the past are con-

demned to repeat it.George Santayana


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Far from being condemned to repeat the past, if the

idea of non-redundancy is true, one cannot repeat the

past. One can try to relive the past in ones mind, but

ones mind is continually changing and the mental ex-

perience of the past must be integrated with the new

knowledge in ones mind.

That men do not learn very much from the lessons ofhistory is the most important of all the lessons of his-

tory.

Aldous Huxley

People learn from their own vivid experiences, but they

find it nearly impossible to learn from the experiences of

others.

One learns by interacting with others and coming toones own conclusions, not by being told what to think.

The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 27 (part)

If this idea of non-redundancy is true, then there are

no reproducible experiments. Each experiment is aunique process that may be grouped with other similar

processes, but it is not exactly the same as any other se-

quence of events that has been or will be observed.

As the idea of non-redundancy relates to mans law,

there really is no precedent, at least no precedent that

can tell a judge or jury (or anyone else) what to do in the

present unique circumstances. One needs inspiration if

one is to know what to do in a new set of circumstances.

General propositions do not decide concrete cases.Oliver Wendell Holmes


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CHAPTER2

THE TROUBLE WITH VERBAL

COMMUNICATION

According to the idea of non-redundancy, each ex-

perience is unique. Therefore, no one has repeated the

same experience, and no one has had the same experi-

ence as another person. Within the life of one person, if

that person has had two different experiences of love,

with each experience having different qualities, can theword love be used to describe each one? To use the

same word to describe both experiences would be to

minimize the importance of each experience and to gloss

over the differences. If we divide a lifetime into a large

number of discrete experiences, then how can our very

limited number of words accurately describe and differ-

entiate each experience? If, on the other hand, a person

had a unique word (or paragraph) for each experience,

his vocabulary would grow to an unmanageable size and

each experience might seem unrelated to all the others.

When people try to use words to communicate with

each other, what are they really doing? If they agree

with each other by assenting to a statement, arent they

agreeing through misunderstanding? Each person has a

unique idea of what each word or words means because

each person has a unique experience to associate with

that word or words. If people agree to a statement, for

example, life is good, arent they agreeing to their

own unique perceptions of the statement? If people dis-

agree about a statement, arent they disagreeing about

their own subjective understanding of the statement?They might actually agree about fundamental realities

while they fight over a slogan.


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If a person attempts to teach another person with

words, the first person must assume that the second per-

son has the same word-experience associations as he

does. However, the attempt to teach another person with

words what one knows from experience leads to failure

because the two people do not have identical experi-

ences with which to associate the words. Therefore, we

cannot teach each other with words; we can only pro-

voke each otherprovoke each other to agree or dis-

agree with statements that mean different things to dif-

ferent people.

Those who understand life cannot teach others whatthey know; those who think they can teach others what

they know do not understand.


What if we defined each word before we used it?

The cause of the different opinions of men. That this

difference is the effect of the uncertain signification of

words, such as Good, Interests, and Virtue. That ifwords were precisely defined, and their definitions

ranged in a dictionary, all the propositions of morality,

politics, and metaphysics would become as susceptibleof demonstration as the truths of geometry.

Claud-Adrian Helvetius

But the words in the definitions would have to be de-

fined, and so on, ad infinitum. One has to eventually

stop defining words in terms of other words and relate in

ones mind these undefined words to how they havebeen used in ones own unique experience.


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CHAPTER3

KNOWLEDGE AND HUMILITY

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary

that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possi-ble, all things.

Rene Descartes

If I dont know everything, then shouldnt I sacrifice

all of my opinions and assumptions when the truth pre-

sents itself? Shouldnt I let go of my need to appear right?Can I let go of everything that I have thought, said, and

written if new perception reveals these ideas to be wrong,

outdated, or irrelevant? Grasping onto pet theories keeps

me from seeing the living truth that continuously grows

and evolves.

To live is to continually adapt or adjust to a changing

universe. Life is not static or stationary. In this world

one should learn to live life at the speed of biology.

. . . beings that are aware of the way [Gods will] are insync with heaven and earth.


If one is not up to speed or in sync or able to ad-

just to the world around one in real time, then one be-

gins to feel ill-at-ease. However, if one can adjust ones

body and mind to ones environment, then one can gain

a feeling of peace and well-being.

It feels good to think that one is right about every-

thing that one believes. However, one usually has a nag-

ging feeling that one might be wrong about something.

But if one is wrong about something in ones worldview,

changing ones belief about that particular thing will af-


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fect everything else in ones worldview, since every-

thing is connected.

It is useful to admit from time to time that one knows

nothing. This allows ones ideas to shift according to

ones new view of the world. The faster the world

changes, the more often it is necessary to readjust ones

view of it.

To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change of-

ten.

Winston Churchill

When one is not afraid of changing and does not hold

onto a static view of life, one begins to live life fluidly

and perhaps even joyfully.

And such should be the outward biography of man in

time, a putting off of dead circumstances day by day,

as he renews his raiment day by day. But to us, in ourlapsed estate, resting, not advancing, resisting, not co-

operating with the divine expansion, this growth comes

by shocks.Ralph Waldo Emerson


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CHAPTER4

JOY IS THE ULTIMATE GOOD

Socrates equates the good with the pleasant. I would

similarly equate the ultimate good with joy or purely

good feeling. Joy is synonymous with the fulfilling

knowledge of God (the only knowledge). Everyone

wants to feel good and is directing all of his actions to-

ward this end. Moreover, everyone wants lasting good

feeling. If one is afraid that the good feeling that one haswill not last, then ones joy is not complete, but is tar-

nished by this bad feeling of worry. Likewise, if one

feels bad, but also feels that one will eventually feel bet-

ter, then ones feelings are not entirely unpleasant.

No man voluntarily pursues evil, or that which he

thinks to be evil.Socrates

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man

did what was right in his own eyes.Judges 17:6, NASB

Inasmuch as one is seeking ones own good, or ones

own joy, one can be called good. But inasmuch as one

does not know how to effectively achieve this joy, one

can be called evil.

As one goes through various experiences, one learns

from these experiences what leads to good feeling and

what does not. What makes people different from each

other is what experiences they have had, and what

knowledge they have gained and integrated from these

experiences. Telling someone how to act, or forcing him

to act a certain way, will not make him a better person.


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Only his own experiences (be they in time or out of time)

can teach him which methods are effective and which

are not. He will resent being forced to act in a way that

does not seem good to him. I can tell someone that will-

ing what is best for everyone leads to lasting joy, but if

he does not believe me, based upon his own experience

and knowledge and memory, my advice will fall on deaf

ears.

The more a person learns from experiencewhether

from his current life or from any otherthe more he re-

alizes that what is good for one person is good for the

Whole, and what is good for the Whole is good for each

individual. When one knows this truth from experience,and does not merely assent to its verbal articulation, one

will act on it.

A human being is part of the whole, called by us Uni-

verse, a part limited in time and space. He experienceshimself, his thoughts and feelings as something sepa-

rated from the resta kind of optical illusion of his

consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us,restricting us to our personal desires and to affection

for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to freeourselves from this prison by widening our circle of

compassion to embrace all living creatures and the

whole [of] nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to

achieve this completely, but the striving for such

achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and afoundation for inner security. [Italics added.]

Albert Einstein

One should not think of oneself as absolutely more orless enlightened than another individual since each indi-

vidual has a unique and indispensable role to play. In

fact, it may be that one cannot truly appreciate joy


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unless one has lived with its absence. Every time there is

a shift or increase in understanding of how the good is

achieved, one repents or changes ones mind about how

to live life. This shift brings about a renewal of ones

inner life.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are for-

givenfor she loved much. But he who is forgiven lit-tle, loves little.

Luke 7:47, ESV

This woman repented of her sins, and the joy and relief

that she felt caused her to love the one who forgave her.

If she had not sinned, or had not been conscious of her

sin, she would not have needed to be forgiven, and her

love would have been less.


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CHAPTER5

TO JUDGE ANOTHERIS TO JUDGE ONESELF

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judg-

ment you pronounce you will be judged, and with themeasure you use it will be measured to you.

Matthew 7:1-2, ESV

If I look at someone elses actions and judge them as

being evil, I am actually judging that I would be acting

wickedly if I were to combine my knowledge with hisactions. But, in fact, his actions are combined with his

knowledge and not with my knowledge. He could in fact

be acting in an optimum way, given his particular ex-

periences and knowledge.

No man can justly censure or condemn another, be-

cause indeed no man truly knows another.

Sir Thomas Browne


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CHAPTER6

SOME SEARCH FORSECURITY IN REPETITION

Perpetual inspiration is as necessary to the life of

goodness, holiness and happiness as perpetual respira-tion is necessary to animal life.

William Law

. . . mechanization is incompatible with inspiration.

Aldous Huxley

Mechanization implies repetition, and while nothing

is exactly repeated in the universe, one can come very

close to repetition. In fact, someone who has a nearly

repetitious job does not exactly repeat any task because

the person is continually changing, bodily and mentally.

However, when ones (mental or physical) task becomes

nearly repetitive, one can become frustrated, restless,

and uncomfortable. One might think that one has gained

security by obtaining a stable job, but there is no real

security on the physical plane, only on the spiritual plane. Therefore, one may have stunted ones life and

ones expression of life to no real advantage and as a re-

sult of the fear of insecurity.

To fall into habit is to begin to cease to be.Miguel de Unamuno

Routine is an early stage of decay.Hans Kudszus

To rest upon a formula is a slumber that prolonged,means death.

Oliver Wendell Holmes


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CHAPTER7

SCIENCE AND SURPRISE

The grand aim of all science is to cover the greatest

number of empirical facts by logical deduction fromthe smallest number of hypotheses or axioms.

Albert Einstein

How about these two hypotheses: God is and God

wills? Cant these two hypotheses explain the whole

universe? Or are they too simple?

It is God who is the ultimate reason of things, and theknowledge of God is no less the beginning of science

than his essence and will are the beginnings of beings.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz

Or is science something else? Maybe science is the

desire to see order in a complex universe. Maybe sci-

ence is the tendency to believe in only what one can

wrap ones mind around or comprehend or control.

Maybe science is a psychological survival mechanism in

the face of perceived chaos.

Why do people call scientific statements about regu-

larities laws? Why dont they call them habits? If one

phenomenon always seems to follow another phenome-

non, do I have any right to formulate a law about how

these two phenomena seem to interact? Should I tell my

friend that because I have always seen him eat his salad

before his main course that he has to eat his salad before

his main course? If people are able to act freely, then

why shouldnt the rest of the universe be able to actfreely also? Would that lead to too much disorder, and

thus to human fear? Perhaps one of the reasons that the


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universe behaves in an orderly manner is so that humans

will not be overwhelmed.

If it is true that the universe does not repeat itself,

then one has never seen the same phenomenon twice;

however, one can put two similar phenomena into the

same mental box and ignore the differences. If this is

science, then science has led to superficial generaliza-

tions and has prevented people from seeing changes and

newness in the universe. There seems to be a tension be-

tween those who cannot or will not see new or different

phenomena and those who try to see them.

According to Charles Peirce, the purpose of a hy-

pothesis is,

through subjection to the test of experiment, to lead tothe avoidance of all surprise and the establishment of a

habit of positive expectation that shall not be disap-

pointed.

If one gets only what one expects to get, then one is

living in a closed, sterile loop. However, if one is con-tinually fed new experiences, then life can go on. In fact,

one is continually fed new experiences, but if one does

not recognize them, or files them with other similar pre-

vious experiences, then one cannot benefit from this gift

of renewal.

Some say that one cannot look for what one knows,

because one already knows it; and one cannot look for

what one doesnt know, because one doesnt know what

to look for. The key is to simply lookto look and to

absorb as many new experiences as one can.

Mind, when not weighed down with the cares of matter, prefers adventure to security and loves the unknown


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more than it likes the familiar. Wayward mind scornsthe given, the mechanical, the stereotyped. [Italics

added.]

Michael Grosso


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CHAPTER8

THE FEAR OF DEATH

Let him then who wishes to be free not wish for any-thing or avoid anything that depends on others; or else

he is bound to be a slave.

Epictetus

What man who dreads not death can be a slave?

Euripides

The majority of people are slaves to the fear of death.

People are slaves to other people who have power over

their lives and health. People are slaves to jobs and pos-

sessions that they think help preserve their lives. How

does one overcome this slavish fear of death and gain

freedom? First, it would help to know why people fear

death. To some people, death is the ultimate failure. To

others, death is something that is out of their control. To

others, death is the Great Unknown.

The common thread of these views of death is igno-rance. If one knew that death was not a failure, but

merely a transition to another mode of existence; if one

knew that the universe was benevolent, even when one

cannot control it; if one knew more about the nature of

the afterlife; then one might not have so much fear of

death. One can meditate on the meaning of death, and

one may be able to gain some insights in this way. But

the only way to truly gain an understanding of death is

to face it in ones life. To have freedom from the fear of

death while in the body, one may need to face all ofones fears of death experientially. While one is close to

death, one can determine whether death is really some-

thing that needs to be feared.


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Fear of death increases in exact proportion to increasein wealth.

Ernest Hemingway

The higher one climbs in life, and the more screens

one places between oneself and death, the more the fear

of death can increase. If one comes to believe that ones

job or possessions are what bring one security, then one

will begin to fear their loss. If, however, one goes

through the loss of all that one appears to possess

including things, people, ideas, memories, and ones physical lifethen one might learn to find security in

something immaterial and eternal, and experience true

freedom.


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PART TWO:VIEWS

Yet everything happened with a purpose . . .The Secret Book of John 13:18


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CHAPTER9

THE AGE OF IGNORANCE, THE DISCONTINUITY,

AND THE AGE OF NEWNESS

The discontinuity is what I call the time between

the present age of ignorance and the future age of

newness. These identifying terms are not necessary, but

I feel that they are useful and descriptive.

Around 700 B.C., the prophet Isaiah had a vision. In

the vision, Isaiah was given a view of certain world phe-nomena:

Then I [Isaiah] heard the voice of the Lord, saying,

Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?Then I said, Here I am. Send me!

He said, Go, and tell this people: Keep on listen-

ing, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do notunderstand. Render the hearts of this people insensi-

tive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they

might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, under-

stand with their hearts, and return and be healed.Then I said, Lord, how long?

And He answered, Until cities are devastated and

without inhabitant, houses are without people and theland is utterly desolate, the Lord has removed men far

away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of

the land. Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, and itwill again be subject to burning, like a terebinth or an

oak whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy

seed is the stump.Isaiah 6:8-13, NASB

The vision describes an age of ignorance, in which

people do not perceive or understand, they are insensi-

tive and dull. Of course these descriptive adjectives are


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relativepeople know enough to survive for a while.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God calls his people

stupid children, who only know how to do evil:

For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are

stupid children; they have no understanding. They are'wise'in doing evil! But how to do good they know

not.

Jeremiah 4:22, ESV

The discontinuity starts when a large number ofpeople are removed from the earth at once. The discon-

tinuity continues for a time of extreme distress. It ends

when all those who have been chosen for removal are

removed from the earth and the age of newness begins.

The discontinuity is commonly known as the great

tribulation. (Matthew 24:21) The two main features of

the discontinuity are the awakening of the remaining

population of the earth and the purification of the minds

and bodies of the population and of the earth itself.

Until recently, the age of newness has been a veryvague idea. However, there is information in the Bible

and elsewhere about the nature of this age. Exact dates

for when each age begins and ends are not given in the

Bible. In fact, Jesus said of the beginning of the discon-

tinuity, or tribulation, that only God knows the day and

the hour. (Matthew 24:36)


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CHAPTER10

THE PARASITES, THE HOSTS, AND THE

INDIFFERENT

It will come about in all the land, declares the Lord,

that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the

third will be left in it. And I will bring the third partthrough the fire, refine then as silver is refined, and test

them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and

I will answer them; I will say, They are My people,

and they will say, The Lord is my God.Zechariah 13:8-9, NASB

Metaphorically, I call the two parts that will be cut off

the hosts and the parasites. The parasites are those who

believe that they must get rid of their enemies to make

the world safe for themselves. But they do not realize

that they are cutting off their own lives. What happens

when a parasite destroys its host and there are no more

hosts around?

As soon as you finish destroying, you will be de-

stroyed . . .

Isaiah 33:1 (part), NASB

You think you are killing me. I think you are commit-

ting suicide.Antonio Porchia

The parasites will kill their hosts and their guilt will re-

sult in their own destruction.

Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wisemen and scribes; some of them you will kill and cru-

cify, and some of them you will scourge in your syna-


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gogues, and persecute from city to city, so that uponyou may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on

earth . . .

Matthew 23:34-35, NASB

The hosts find their purpose in life (whether they real-

ize it or not) in helping to preserve the world and its in-

habitants, while the parasites tend to destroy the world

and its inhabitants (whether they realize it or not). The

hosts help preserve the world by forgiving those who

have hurt them, thereby dampening the cycle of revengeand conflict. However, this forgiveness often leads the

parasites to think that they can get away with murder

forever.

When the parasites grow to be stronger than their

hosts, many of the hosts will die off suddenly, and the

earth will be thrown into a great imbalance. After the

hosts have been completely wiped out, the parasites will

die. The Bible uses another metaphor to describe this

process:

In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg

driven in a firm place will give way; it will even breakoff and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off,for the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 22:25, NASB

The third part that is left in the world are those who

do not support or lean on any human. They put their

faith in God. They are indifferent about their physical

livesthey do not care whether they live or die. This

indifference is not something that one can gain easily.Actually, the relinquishment of desire for and hatred of

life must be burned off as one approaches death. This is

one of the purposes of the tribulation. The third part


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learn that they are eternally secureno matter what

happensand that they can rest in this security. Their

indifference about their lives is the narrow gate:

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and

the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there aremany who enter through it. For the gate is small and

the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few

who find it.Matthew 7:13-14, NASB

The third part can be spoken of in this way:

Who will adhere to him that abandons himself!

Sir Philip Sidney

They do not try to save themselves or anyone else. They

put their lives in Gods hands.


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CHAPTER11

THE DAY OF RECOMPENSE

The idea of the Day of the Lord, or the Day of

Judgment, is a recurring theme in the Bible:

For the Lord is a God of recompense, He will fully re-pay.

Jeremiah 51:56 (part), NASB

I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even togive to each man according to his ways, according to

the results of his deeds.

Jeremiah 17:10, NASB

Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will re-

prove you.Jeremiah 2:19 (part), ESV

For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. Asyou have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall

return on your own head.Obadiah 1:15, ESV

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His

Father with His angels, and will then repay every man

according to his deeds.Matthew 16:27, NASB

For we must all appear before the judgment seat ofChrist, so that each one may receive what is due for

what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV

Those who have treated others as they want to be

treated will be treated well in return. The wicked will


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have to face themselves and the imbalances that they

have created in the world.

There are three different ways that people can face

the results of their deeds. Firstly, in everyday life, ones

thoughts and actions can have immediate results. For

example, if one acts selfishly, one may feel guilt or

anxiety.

All infractions of love and equity in our social relations

are speedily punished. They are punished by fear.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Secondly, there is the judgment that people face when

they die. Some people who have had near-death experi-

ences report that they had to go through a life review

when they died. In this life review, a person is able to

look at his life, see and feel the results of his actions,

and thus learn from his life experiences. In this summing

up of his life, a person cannot avoid himself or hide his

actions, but must face what he has done.

Thirdly, there is the day of judgment that will occurwhen the whole earth goes through its own near-death

experience. The inhabitants of the earth who have faith

in God will become aware of how the actions of those

on the earth have created an imbalance in the earth.

They will learn that these imbalances are undesirable

and unnecessary. They will survive the imbalances be-

cause they have lived lives that are relatively unselfish.

Those who do not know God, the wicked, will con-

tinue to act in a fear-based and ignorant way:

Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the

wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will

understand, but those who have insight will understand.Daniel 12:10, NASB


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The pain and sorrow that comes when one has to face

ones imperfections can be mitigated if one has lived a

life based on reciprocity, or based on the knowledge

of everyones interdependence:

Tsze-kung asked, saying, is there one word whichmay serve as a rule of practice for all ones life? The

master said, Is not reciprocity such a word? What you

do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.ConfucianAnalects

To try to take advantage of others and produce some-

thing that is good for oneself, and not good for all, pro-

duces a temporary imbalance in the universe. This im-

balance recoils on those who try to cut goodness in half.

They receive justice.

Always pay; for first or last you must pay your entire

debt. Persons and events may stand for a time between

you and justice, but it is only a postponement. Youmust pay at last your own debt. If you are wise you will

dread a prosperity which only loads you with more.Ralph Waldo Emerson

To dread a prosperity is to realize that the good that

you are trying to accumulate only for yourself will turn

to rot if it is not shared with others.

The wicked live their lives with the illusion that

they are separate from the rest of the universe and that

they can hide from God.

Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from theLord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and

they say, Who sees us? or Who knows us? Youturn things around! Shall the potter be considered as


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equal with the clay, that what is made would say to itsmaker, He did not make me; or what is formed say to

him who formed it, He has no understanding?

Isaiah 29:15-16, NASB

Those who do not practice love, which seeks to rec-

oncile different modes of being, are attempting to cause

separation from others and from God. Though no one is

separate from God, one can live for a while with the idea

that one is independent of God.


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CHAPTER12

THE TWO REMOVALS

The first removal of people from the earth will be the

removal of many of the hosts all at once. This will

mark the beginning of the discontinuity, or tribulation:

Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken

and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill;

one will be taken and one left.

Matthew 24:40-41, ESV

Speak, "Thus declares the Lord: 'The dead bodies ofmen shall fall like dung upon the open field, like

sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.'"

Jeremiah 9:22, ESV

In Isaiah, the hosts are known as the righteous,

and are seen as being taken away from evil:

The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart;

devout men are taken away, while no one understands.For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he

enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in

their uprightness.Isaiah 57:1-2, ESV

In the following verses, a distinction is made between

the two remaining groups of people: the godless and

those who take refuge in God:

The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized thegodless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming

fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burn-ings?" He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,


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who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes hishands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from

hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking

on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of de-fense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be

given him; his water will be sure.

Isaiah 33:14-16, ESV

The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp

is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is pow-erful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awe-

some; who can endure it? "Yet even now," declares the

Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting,with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts

and not your garments." Return to the Lord, your God,

for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and

abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disas-ter.

Joel 2:11-13, ESV

When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver

you! The wind will carry them off, a breath will take

them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall pos-sess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.

Isaiah 57:13, ESV

The second removal of people from the earth will be

the removal of the parasites, or the wicked. When

this removal is complete, the discontinuity will have

ended.

For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer

cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,Isaiah 29:20, ESV


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Behold, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, awhirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the

wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until

he has executed and accomplished the intents of hisheart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

Jeremiah 23:19-20, ESV


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CHAPTER13

THE EARTH IS LAID WASTE

After the first removal occurs, the earth will be

thrown into confusion and imbalance. Because the earth

has been mistreated, those living on the earth will reap

what they have sown.

The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;

for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mournsand withers; the world languishes and withers; the

highest people of the earth languish. The earth lies de-

filed under its inhabitants; for they have transgressedthe laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting

covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its

inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabi-tants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.

Isaiah 24:3-6, ESV

Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness,

so that no one passes through? And the Lord says: "Be-

cause they have forsaken my law that I set before them,and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord

with it,

Jeremiah 9:12-13 (part), ESV

The following verses suggest that the earth will ex-

perience a pole shift:

The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the

earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like adrunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies

heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.

Isaiah 24:19-20, ESV


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Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and theearth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the

Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

Isaiah 13:13, ESV

Finally, we have the assurance that the earth will not

be completely destroyed:

For thus says the Lord, "The whole land shall be a

desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

Jeremiah 4:27, ESV


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CHAPTER14

THE AWAKENING AND PURIFICATION OF

THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH IN GOD

How long to the point of know return?

Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart, Robby Steinhardt (Kansas)

The following verse refers to the awakening that will

occur during the discontinuity:

And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering

that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over

all nations.Isaiah 25:7, ESV

What will be the result of this awaking? Those who

have faith in God will be appalled when their sins are

revealed in the light of a new day, as described in the

following quote:

As the light grows, we see ourselves to be worse thanwe thought. We are amazed at our former blindness as

we see issuing from our heart a whole swarm ofshameful feelings, like filthy reptiles crawling from ahidden cave. But we must be neither amazed nor dis-

turbed. We are not worse than we were; on the contrary,

we are better.

Fenelon

They must deal with their newfound imperfections

and undergo a purification in order to release the nega-

tivity that they have built up in the world.

Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her

warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed,


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that she has received of the Lords hand double for allher sins.

Isaiah 40:2, NASB

Men are not punished for their sins but by them.

Frank McKinney Hubbard

There are no rewards or punishmentsonly conse-

quences.

William Ralph Inge

One can say that God punishes us for our sins, or that

we are punished by our sins, or that we reap the conse-

quences of what we sow. When the awakening occurs

during the discontinuity, those who know God will be

able to see how their own actions have resulted in less

than optimal results. By enduring these results, they will

come to embody the knowledge of cause and effect.

They will willingly endure their just punishment (or the

resulting effects) of their sins in order to cancel their

sins.

In theBhagavad Gita, a classic Indian book, devoteesare told to

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrenderunto Me [God]. I shall deliver you from all sinful reac-

tion. Do not fear.

Bhagavad Gita 18:66

The Bhagavad Gita also describes those who have

been released from attachments and purified by their

love for God:

Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, beingfully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many,


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many persons in the past became purified by knowl-edge of Meand thus they all attained transcendental

love for Me.

Bhagavad Gita 4:10


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CHAPTER15

THE NEW COVENANT

In the book of Jeremiah, the Lord tells us how his

new covenant, or his new plan, with his people will

work:

But this is the covenant which I will make with the

house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord, I

will put My law within them and on their heart I will

write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his

neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know theLord, for they will all know Me, from the least of

them to the greatest of them, declares the Lord, for I

will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember

no more.Jeremiah 31:33-34, NASB

The house of Israel are those who have faith in God.

With the new covenant, men will not have to be told

what to do by other men, because each one will have a

direct relationship with God and will be able to align his

will with Gods will and know what God wants. Joy will

be the result of this intimate knowledge of God.

In the present age of ignorance, men try to control

other men with laws and punishments. However, these

manmade punishments are ineffective at changing the

inner nature of man.

When men are pure [outer, manmade] laws are useless;

when men are corrupt, laws are broken.Benjamin Disraeli


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Probably all [outer, manmade] laws are useless; forgood men do not want laws at all, and bad men are

made no better by them.

Demonax


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CHAPTER16

AGLIMPSE INTO THE AGE OF NEWNESS

The intention of Christianity was to change everything.

Soren Kierkegaard

Nothing will change until everything changes.

Erng Paasilinna

I cannot think of the present state of humanity as that in

which it is destined to remain. . . . Only in so far as Ican regard this state as the means toward a better, as

the transition-point into a higher and more perfect state,

has it any value in my eyes.

Johann Gottlieb Fichte

I devoutly believe in the reign of peace and in the

gradual advent of some sort of socialistic equilibrium.William James

Beliefs are transforming truths. What, then, are the be-

liefs we cherish most, the hopes, the visions we aretransforming into reality? . . . each of us, individually

and personally, has a hand in shaping the future of lifeon earth.

Michael Grosso

What will the future age of newness be like? In the

Bible, we are given a brief description:

For behold, I [the Lord] create new heavens and a

new earth; and the former things will not be remem-

bered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice foreverin what I create . . . It will also come to pass that before

they call, I will answer; and while they are still speak-

ing, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will graze to-


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gether, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dustwill be the serpents food. They will do no evil or harm

in all My holy mountain, says the Lord. [Italics added.]

Isaiah 65:17-18, 24-25, NASB

The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,

and the weaned child will put his hand on the vipersden. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy moun-

tain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of theLordas the waters cover the sea. [Italics added.]

Isaiah 11:8-9, NASB

These verses reveal a world in which no evil is done

because everyone knows God intimately. Knowledge of

God burns away ignorant, evil actions.

After the two removals have been completed, the re-

maining inhabitants of the earth have been purified, and

the heavens and the earth have been renewed, the earth

will begin an age of newness characterized by joy:

The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth

into shouts of joy.Isaiah 14:7, NASB

It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we

have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the

Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and re-joice in his salvation."

Isaiah 25:9, ESV

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to

Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their

heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrowand sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10, ESV


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When creation follows the way [Gods will], it be-comes united in oneness; in this oneness, heaven be-

comes translucent; earth becomes stable; and beings

become fully alive.The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 38 (part)

In 1985 Howard Storm had a near-death experience

(NDE). Later he wrote an account of this experience in

his book called, My Descent into Death: A Second

Chance at Life. While in the spirit realm, he gained

many insights, and at one point he was told that

God wants to give us the power to control matter and

energy with our minds, the ability to communicate di-

rectly with our thoughts, to travel through time andspace by will, to have knowledge by contemplation.

The power of these gifts is beyond our wildest imagi-

nation, but they will not be ours until we mature spiri-tually and can use these powers wisely and lovingly.

Howard Storm was also shown what the earth would

look like in two hundred years. In this world of the fu-ture, no man-made devices were evident. People wore

simple clothes and exotic ornaments. There was no dif-

ference between work and play, and people spent most

of their time interacting with the childrensharing their

love and knowledge of the natural world. People quickly

raised fruits and vegetables by communing with them.

There was sickness, but nothing that was incurable. Ill-

nesses were cured by the focused attention and care of

those in the community. People did not accumulate pos-

sessions or food. The weather was controlled by the col-lective will of the people.

There were many different types of people and cul-

tures all over the earth. Although there were many dif-


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ferent languages, telepathic communication was an op-

tion. Technological devices were not necessary because

people were able to manipulate matter and energy with

their minds. People did not need to travel through space

because they could communicate with intelligent beings

in other galaxies while on the earth. People were grate-

ful for their lives in this world because they saw them as

a special gift from God. When a person felt that he did

not need any more experiences on earth, he lay down,

died, and his spirit was taken to heaven. This event

was celebratedwith rejoicing by the community. People

lived to love God, love one another, and love them-

selves. . . . Everyone was happy. There was no conflict.

Howard Storm was told,

This is the future God wants for humanity, and it

will happen. This is the world God has created for us to

live in. This is the way God created human beings tolive.

How will it happen? I [Storm] asked.

They answered, God is changing the world now.God wants worldwide conversion. God is going to

awaken every person to be the person he or she was

created to be. Those who accept Gods will shall flour-

ish, and those who deny Gods love shall perish.

The age of newness will not exactly be a return to a

Garden of Eden, for humans will have a wealth of ex-

perience to integrate and reflect upon. Humans will have

learned from experience that nothing can separate us

from the love of God. (Romans 8:39, NASB) Humans

will exult in knowing that God has carried them throughtheir time of ignorance and has delivered them from the

power of sin.


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CHAPTER17

APURPOSE FORTECHNOLOGY

If we are to live without technology in the future, then

why do we have so much of it now? Perhaps we can un-

derstand the role of technology by comparing technol-

ogy with training wheels. Training wheels are used by

someone who is starting to learn how to ride a bicycle.

They help the rider to maintain balance while he is rid-

ing. However, after a person has learned how to ride a bicycle, it would be ridiculous to retain the training

wheels. In fact, it would impede the speed and maneu-

verability of the bicycle.

In a similar way, technology may be preparing human

minds for greater abilities. Telephones and TVs may be

preparing humans for telepathic abilities. Other tools

and machines may be preparing people for the ability to

easily manipulate matter and energy with their minds.

Rapid transportation technologies may be preparing

people to interact with other cultures and types of people.

One can see that, with the receipt of these mental powers,

technology would become obsolete and unnecessary

baggage. Of course there are other purposes for technol-

ogy, but to prepare people for new mental powers may

be one of them.


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PART THREE:QUESTIONS

If a man will begin with certainties, he shallend in doubts; but if he will be content to begin

with doubts, he shall end in certainties.Francis Bacon


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CHAPTER18

WHY ARE PEOPLE LONELY?

The lonely form the biggest group.

Frans Hiddema

Loneliness got a mind of its own

The more people around, the more you feel aloneBob Dylan

What is the cause of loneliness? Why do people feellonely even when they are with other people? Is loneli-

ness a feeling of disconnection? Is it a feeling that no

one can understand you? Or that no one values you? Is

the feeling of loneliness a reaction to the disappointment

that comes when we realize that we are different from

others? Can one be at peace with ones differences from

others? Is loneliness the fear of not being validated for

all of ones views? If one is able to be away from other

people for a while, can ones relationship with God

compensate for the fact that other people cannot under-stand one? Can the acceptance of Gods love for oneself

and ones uniqueness dispel ones loneliness? If only

God knows one completely, then wont it always lead to

disappointment and loneliness if one looks for under-

standing from other people?


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CHAPTER19

WHY DO PEOPLE DISAPPOINT EACH OTHER?

Last night I knew you, tonight I dont

Bob Dylan

Where is comfort? in division of the records of the

mind?Can I part her from herself, and love her as I knew her,

kind?

I remember one that perishd: sweetly did she speakand move:

Such a one do I remember, whom to look at was to

love.

Can I think of her as dead, and love her for the love shebore?

Noshe never loved me truly: love is love for ever-

more.Comfort? comfort scornd of devils! This is truth the

poet sings,

That a sorrows crown of sorrow is remembering hap-

pier things.Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Once I thought I knew

Everything I needed to know about you

Your sweet whisper, Your tender touchBut I really didnt know that much

Jokes on me, Its gonna be okay

If I can just get through this lonesome day

Bruce Springsteen


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Do not trust in a neighbor; do not have confidence in afriend. From her who lies in your bosom guard your

lips. . . . A mans enemies are the men of his own

household.Micah 7:5-6, NASB

Couldnt one say, Last night I thought I knew you,

but tonight I realize that I have never really known you?

Is there anyone to blame for disappointed love? Is it

more shameful to be deceived or to stop loving the one

who has deceived you? Is it possible to keep lovingsomeone who has hurt you to the core? What kind of

love would it be? Is all of your love conditional, based

on the other persons making you feel good? Or do you

love the other person because God also loves them?

Do you expect others to stay the same forever while

you give yourself the license and freedom to change? Do

you expect others to change along with you, and to un-

derstand all of your new insights?

Is it possible to love someone whom you feel is

wicked or whom you feel hurts you on purpose?

When one is in love, one always begins by deceivingones self, and one always ends by deceiving others.

Oscar Wilde

He who has never been deceived by a lie does not

know the meaning of bliss.Albert Einstein

Why do we deceive ourselves? Are we looking for

something in other people that we have had before? Dowe believe other people when they indicate that they can

bring us joy? Isnt this kind of joy greatest in anticipa-

tion?


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Do people want to believe that another person can

bring them lasting happiness? Does their desire to be

loved and be happy cause them to believe that another

human can satisfy all of their needs in just the way they

need them to be satisfied? Dont these expectations lead

to eventual disillusionment?

What can we expect from each other that will not be

disappointed? Are we just supposed to learn that no hu-

man can fulfill all of our needs and desires? To whom

do we go when we feel that we have been let down by

all of those we have trusted? Is God still faithful?


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CHAPTER20

DO IHAVE A BASIC NATURE?

On my saying, "What have I to do with the sacredness

of traditions, if I live wholly from within?" my friendsuggested, "But these impulses may be from below, not

from above." I replied, "They do not seem to me to be

such; but if I am the Devil's child, I will live then fromthe Devil." No law can be sacred to me but that of my

nature. Good and bad are but names very readily trans-

ferable to that or this; the only right is what is after myconstitution; the only wrong what is against it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dont lose any sleep tonightIm sure everything will end up alright

You may win or lose

But to be yourself is all that you can doChris Cornell

Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own

nature, for everyone follows his nature. What can re-pression accomplish?

Bhagavad Gita 3:33

Is it possible to change ones fundamental nature?

Does one have a fundamental nature? Is it possible for a

sheep to become a goat, or for a goat to become a sheep?

Can weeds be converted into wheat, or wheat into weeds?

If ones nature cannot be changed in ones physical life-

time, can it be changed in eternity? Is my self the same

at all times or is it evolving? Do all living things have

something in common, or is each one completely differ-

ent from all others?


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Does it matter what I do? Are all of my actions and

thoughts determined by my nature and my environment?

Is my nature my fate? If I cannot be anything but myself,

then how can I improve? Can I improve my nature? If I

can improve or change my nature, then how can I base

my actions on an authentic and true nature that does not

change?


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CHAPTER21

CAN JOY EXIST WITHOUT SORROW?

. . . for everything you gain, you lose something.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

As no man had ever a point of pride that was not inju-

rious to him, so no man had ever a defect that was notsomewhere made useful to him.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The death of a dear friend, wife, brother, lover, which

seemed nothing but privation, somewhat later assumes

the aspect of a guide or genius; for it commonly oper-

ates revolutions in our way of life.Ralph Waldo Emerson

Is everything equal in the end? Are all my sorrows

made up for with joy? Are all of my joys tempered by

sorrow? Is it possible to have joy without sorrow? Does

a rising tide of joy lift all boats? Is it possible for one

person to be better off than another person, when theirlives are seen in their entirety? Are we not allowed to

have pure joy while others around us suffer? Is it possi-

ble for everyone to be joyful?

Half of the time things change for the better

Chris Barron, Aaron Comess

Is every change for the better compensated for by a

change for the worse? Is it possible for things to get bet-

ter all around? Or do we need contrasts in order to per-ceive anything? Does eternal joy completely annihilate

all temporary sorrows in its infinity?


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CHAPTER22

WHAT IS AN OATH?

. . . I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility

against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.Thomas Jefferson

". . . you have heard that it was said to those of old,'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the

Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, do not

take an oath at all . . .Matthew 5:33-34 (part), ESV

What is an oath? Isnt it a claim that one will always

do something or always think in a particular way? How

can one honestly take an oath if one doesnt know the

future and doesnt know if one will have the power to

carry out what one has sworn to do? Isnt taking an oath

a sort of tyranny over ones own mind, in the sense that

it does not allow one to change ones mind? What if Jef-

ferson later decides that eternal hostility is not the bestcourse of action to take? Should he break his oath and

change his mind, or should he try to maintain a perma-

nent state of mind and keep his oath? Isnt it usually

very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain ones past

state of mind, especially if one has new knowledge that

makes it ridiculous to keep thinking in the same way?


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CHAPTER23

HOW SHOULD WE TREAT EACH OTHER?

I used her, she used me

But neither one caredWe were gettin' our share

Bob Seger

So act as to treat humanity, whether in your own per-

son or in that of any other, in every case as an end,

never as a means only.Immanuel Kant

How should we treat each other? Am I using you

merely as a means to achieve my own happiness? Can I

be happy if you are not happy? What should be the pur-

pose of our relationships? Should we try to make others

happy at our own expense? Can we really be responsible

for the happiness of others? Can we really know what

others are feeling, even when they appear happy? Is the

best thing that we can do for others what we would dofor ourselves? But doesnt everyone have his own likes

and dislikes? How can we know what is best for our-

selves, let alone another? Should we do what we think is

best and leave it at that?

What does it mean to treat someone as an end and not

as a means? Does it mean to believe that people have

infinite worth, worth that cannot be measured by how

happy they make me?

If I believe that I am placing someone elses interests

above my own, dont I merely want to feel good about

my supposed selflessness? Isnt it best to look after

ones own interests at the same time as everyone elses,

and not practice self-deceiving self-sacrifice? Isnt it


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best to believe that ones own good is compatible with

everyone elses? Isnt this belief important when at-

tempting to produce win-win situations?


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CHAPTER24

WHAT SHOULD IPRAY FOR?

Prayer that craves a particular commodity, anything

less than all good, is vicious . . . prayer as a means toeffect a private end is meanness and theft. . . . As soon

as the man is at one with God, he will not beg.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lord, I know not what to ask of you. You only know

what I need. You love me better than I know how tolove myself. Father, give to your child that which he

himself knows not how to ask. Smite or heal, depress

me or raise me up: I adore all your purposes without

knowing them. I am silent; I offer myself up in a sacri-fice; I yield myself to you; I would have no other desire

than to accomplish your will. Teach me to pray. Pray

Yourself in me.Fenelon

What should I pray for? Should I pray for my own

health and well-being? What if God has purposes thatwill only be accomplished if I go through a difficult ex-

perience? Does God care what I want? Or does God

know what I want better than I do? What is the best way

to pray? Should my prayer be a silent acceptance of the

way things are? Should I tell God what I think, some-

thing that he already knows? Should my prayer be an

attempt to cultivate a certain attitude or state of mind?

What should this attitude be? Should I be impatient with

the troubles that I see in the world, or should I patiently

let everything unfold in its own time? Can I improvemyself or the world with prayer, or is every apparent

good compensated for by a lessening of good some-

where else? How can I know what is best?


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Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness

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