Again on the Hill \u2026<\/strong>
<\/span>
\u201cFear God and all will be well.\u201d There it is again \u2014 that thought. What does it mean to fear God? Why, how, is it that \u201call will be well?\u201d<\/p>\nThe man who brought us to the Hill has been gone for a long time. Perhaps it was all a dream? A hoax even? Maybe it would be better in the Garden. Had the man ever been to the Garden? Perhaps he led us the wrong way? Maybe he can be found in the Garden?<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He clearly said that he was on his way to the kingdom. He bid us come, did he not? What was his name? \u201cFear God and all will be well. Fear God and all will be well. Fear God and will be well \u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI fear that I am lost,\u201d we say. There, off in the distance, is the Garden. So inviting. So familiar. We\u2019ve spent so much time there, in the Garden. It looks like home.<\/p>\n
It is home. \u201cLeave your cross and receive your crown, your reward,\u201d bids the creature.<\/p>\n
So be it.<\/p>\n
\u2026 it is so.<\/p>\n
(14 of 33) \u2026<\/em><\/p>\nIn the Garden \u2026<\/strong>
<\/span>
It is easier in the Garden. The Hill involves sacrifice. For love requires that one give up self for other. Joy necessitates suffering. Peace implies war. Patience is ultra-sacrificial. And kindness quite often makes us nauseous!<\/p>\nOur taste buds dance was we bite again into the fruit of pride.<\/p>\n
Yes, we eat it for a remedy. We were a little queasy last eve after a bout with envy and greed. It seems that we just can\u2019t get enough of the Garden. Now, here we sit partaking of the omnipotent medicine of pride.<\/p>\n
From where we sit in the Garden we can see the weak and naked pilgrims ascend the Hill of Hell. Oh how our minds delight in hating them and their pitiful wasted lives. Wait\u2019ll they get to the top and realize that death alone beckons and awaits them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe dies, you know!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe dies!\u201d<\/p>\n
Pride is abundant upon this Tree in the Garden.<\/p>\n
(15 of 33) \u2026<\/em><\/p>\nIn the Wilderness \u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWho am I?\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears. It\u2019s been long in coming \u2014 and still longer since last we cried. Once again we seemingly had it all in the Garden. Now all is lost. Again we were betrayed. It wasn\u2019t the fault of the creature, or the environment of plenty. It was the others who chose to inhabit the oasis of the Garden. Damn them!<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they not know that \u2018I am?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll show them!\u201d<\/p>\n
It was all to no avail \u2014 scheming and planning. They were too powerful. In fact, they\u2019ve actually lived in the Garden a very long time. They KNOW more. They\u2019ve not only eaten fruit, they\u2019ve stockpiled it in their paradisal warehouses. They were too powerful. Had to leave \u2026 but, shall return.<\/p>\n
(16 of 33) \u2026<\/em><\/p>\nAgain in the Wilderness \u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cDon\u2019t want to go to the Hill. Involves commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Garden is much better. It requires nothing but your presence. The beautiful creature is a wonderful host. He is so smart, cunning, and encouraging. He makes us feel good, godlike.<\/p>\n
We find the Hill generally depressing. \u201cExcept when there,\u201d whispers our soul \u2014 but, we know better. What good is a soul? Does it feed you? Thrill you? Does the soul ever dance, sing, or laugh?<\/p>\n
Doubt.<\/p>\n
Doubting in the Wilderness. We\u2019re tired. Our memory races toward the past. The man who claimed to be king. The sinful pleasures of the Garden. The bitter deeds brought on by the beautiful fruit. The dying man. The blood. The Tree. Which tree?<\/p>\n
(17 of 33) \u2026<\/em><\/p>\nAgain in the Wilderness \u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nWe are beginning to get accustomed to the Wilderness. It isn\u2019t life. It isn\u2019t death. It just is.<\/p>\n
We can see the Garden; the fruits \u2014 Life?<\/p>\n
We can see the Hill; the Tree, the man \u2014 Life?<\/p>\n
The questions plague us \u2026 (till death do us part).<\/p>\n
No. It is better to just stay in the Wilderness. Here there is no salvation or damnation. No Satan, sin, and death. No faith, hope, and charity. No day. No night. Neither naked or royally clothed. We are alone and at peace. The beautiful creature has journeyed with us into the Wilderness. All is well.<\/p>\n
(18 of 33) \u2026<\/em><\/p>\nAgain in the Wilderness \u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nThe beautiful creature is a wonderful guide, very intelligent. He has taught us that we can partake of heavenly fruit \u2014 even in the Wilderness. All we have to do is think. \u201cBring the fruit to mind.\u201d In so doing, we conjure up fantasy. Lustful fantasy. We can build palaces of gold and silver, filled with riches, in our minds.<\/p>\n
\u201cMust we go back to the Garden?\u201d we ask.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo my child, you can have it all in the Wilderness.\u201d<\/p>\n
No longer alone in the Wilderness \u2026 thanks to the beautiful creature and the calf of gold.<\/p>\n
+ + +<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A reposting from last year, Part 3. Meditations are intended to be read sequentially, from 1 to 33. Part OnePart Two (13 of 33) \u2026 Again on the Hill \u2026\u201cFear God and all will be well.\u201d There it is again \u2014 that thought. What does it mean to fear God? Why, how, is it that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1691,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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