My dear children, and believe Me, that is all of
you,
I consider Myself a pretty patient guy. I mean, look at the
Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And about
evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole
Darwinian thing to take place cell by cell and gene by gene. And I
have been patient through your fashions, your civilizations, wars,
schemes, and two Darrins on "Bewitched." Yes, and the countless ways
that you take Me for granted until you get yourselves into big
trouble again and again. Now, I want to let you know about some of
the things that tick Me off.
First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall. Enough
already! Let's get one thing straight. These are your religions, not
Mine. I'm the whole enchilada. I'm beyond 'em all. Every one of your
religions claims that there's only one of Me, which, by the way, is absolutely
true; but in the very next breath each religion claims that it's My favorite
one. And each claims its bible was written personally by Me, and that all of the
other bibles are man-made. Oh, Me. How do I ever begin to put a stop to such
complicated nonsense?
All right, listen up now. I am your Father and Mother, and I don't play
favorites among My children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don't write.
My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of a doer anyway. So all
of your books, including those bibles, were written by men and women. They were
inspired men and women, they were remarkable people, but they also made mistakes
here and there. And I'm happy about that, because I never want you to trust a
written word over your own loving heart. You see, one human being to Me—even a
bum on the street—is worth more to Me than all of the holy books in the world.
That's just the kind of a guy I am.
My spirit is not an historical thing. It's alive right now, as fresh as your
next breath. Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but they
are not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the
right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to
keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Me.
Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense. You act like I need you
and your religions to stick up for Me or win souls for My sake. Please, don't do
Me any favors. I can stand quite well on My own, thank you. I don't need you to
defend Me, I don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each
other. And another thing, I don't get all worked up over money or politics, so
stop dragging My name into your dramas. For example, I swear to Me that I never
threatened Oral Roberts. I never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces, I never
told Pat Robertson to run for president, and I have never had a conversation
with Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell or Jimmy Swaggart. (Of course, come Judgment Day,
I certainly intend to!)
The thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of a
loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of religion is so that you can
become more aware of Me, not the other way around. Believe Me, I know you
already. I know what's in each of your hearts, and I love you anyway, with no
strings attached. So, lighten up and enjoy Me. That's what religion's best for.
Play nice with each other. Love and respect everyone. Be kind. Even when life
is scary or confusing, take courage and be of good cheer, for I'm always with
you. And learn how to be quiet, so that you can hear My still, small voice. I
don't like to shout. Leave the world a better place by living your life with
dignity and grace, for you are My own child. Hold back nothing from life, for
the parts of you that can die surely will, and the parts that can't, won't. So
don't worry, be happy. (I stole that last line from Bobby McFerrin, but Who gave
it to him in the first place?)
Simple stuff, now. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're
always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I am very tired of being your main
excuse. Do you think I care whether you call Me God, or Yahweh, or Jehovah,
Allah, Wakatonka, Brahma, Father, Mother, even the Void of Nirvana? Do you think
I care which of my children you feel closest to—Moses, Jesus, Mary, Buddha,
Krishna, Oprah Winfrey, Mohammed , Tom Cruise, or any of the others? You can
call Me and My children any names you choose, if only you will go about My
business of loving one another as I love you. How can you keep neglecting
something so simple?
No, I am not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions,
honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from
your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents
are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the
most special place in your heart. I don't mind that at all.
And I don't want you to combine all of the great traditions into one big
mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique style so that
people can find the best path for themselves. But all My children—whether your
religions revolve around them or not—all live in the same place in My heart, and
they get along perfectly, I assure you. The clergy must stop creating a myth of
sibling rivalry where there is none.
Now, I am not really ticked off. Not really. I just wanted to grab your
attention because I hate to see you suffer. But I gave you free will, so what
can I do now other than try to influence you through reason, persuasion, and a
little old-fashioned guilt and manipulation? After all, you know I am the
original Jewish Mother! I just want you to be happy, and I'll sit in the dark.
I really am, indeed I swear, with you always. Always. Trust in Me.
Your One and Only,
God