Sol's Inner Vault

Did God also make my impetuous curiosity, my persistantly earnest questioning? My mulling over all that I learn about or experience? Or, is my mystery over Creation and the cosmos just another fanciful distraction from simply sensing the answers to all my questions, rather than thinking my way to some perceived conclusion? Perhaps all matters of faith revolve in rarified realms well beyond mundane musings of the mind's aimless meanderings. So, is the human brain an utterly useless machine to calibrate the Mind of God? Should I suspect and temper my curious spirit, rather than trust it's also a God-made characteristic, an inherently positive blessing? Or, a burdened curse to lead me astray?

For all humankind's wondering, and wandering, and seeking, and questioning, and yearning, the Scriptures describe a Mind that is unapproachable by mortal efforts, but rather thru faith, acceptance, and a resolute choice to believe all that is beyond the rational  mathematics of reason and logic. But the mystery-bound paradox also remains illusive of clarity, as the Most High also made the human brain, our intrinsic instrument of comprehension.

(Five Haiku @ 65) Busy spouse, teen son Three strangers all summer long Each in our shadow. The days lounge but weeks Go faster, winter coming  soon, while months whiz by. Who wants to ponder Over distortions of time With so little left? One day in rehab Father asked: "how'd I get here?" He knew. Year by year. So, good to be here  Or anywhere these late days Storms not far away.

This, to me, is incomplete. As I define his statement, he meant other humans. I doubt the Buddha would disagree: seeking strength or comfort from a source of faith, from a Higher Power than myself, although a permanent mystery for this life, is worthy.

We're all seasonal items. Don't mean to be morbid or foreboding, just a thought that re-plays in some form probably daily, in the market, driving around, or at home, a certain awareness, or recalling. Just strikes me starkly some days, how we're here one moment, and then we're not here, ever again as far as we know, not much. Dandelions, blown into wind. At this season of life, the invisible follower just a silent step behind, ready when absolutely necessary but not before, irrelevent now, patient to wait. Remember to be right here, wherever that is, the moment I'm in, leave the future-past where they are, no conflating all three. A season begun in a sunrise inkling, a horizon breaking into a wink of day, as if it's all happened a trillion times before. Later is sooner now, wheels turning slower, more certain, seasons rushing for reasons both common and rare.

The specific understanding (as Jesus of Nazareth himself described it), narrow and unswerving- that every single letter, even "one jot or one tittle..", of the Scripture is divinely scribed, is a strict, inflexible view. Yet, unwavering doesn't at all mean inaccurate- every detail of this literal understanding may be precisely correct- no one knows. That's when choosing to believe becomes all-important, bound by faith, commitment, conviction. But this understanding is "all or nothing", by rational construct. Either God created the Heavens and Earth, and humankind is on a Messianic path, and Jesus born to the Christ and Trinity, who died on the Cross but beat death by the Resurrection, and who will return again to save the world from evil's destruction, all of it- unparsed, undivided by mere mortal reasoning or trivial intellectual debate, accepting and embracing ALL of it, the entire understanding- or then, nothing. You have nothing. No soul, no im

We're inclined to reason and common sense, by divine design. In the end, we believe what rings true for each of us.

"Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."  James 3:18 Disciple J ames speaks boldly about the higher standard for teachers, and how none speak perfectly. So, all must be wary of the power of the tongue, the destructive sin of irresponsible speech, how it can easily harm. In the larger context, James also speaks of two truths: one verifies a person's character thru deeds, righteous actions that help and uplift those most in urgent need. But the actions must be with pure heart, free of humankind's evils. The other truth comes only from the wisdom of Heaven's grace, and God's purest love for us, always impartial and sincere. For me, it's as close as the daily interactions with others, the opportunities to be peaceful, lead more often with my better nature.

The Bible's books, Old and New, are rich with scriptural questions, avenues for thought, wonder, and the challenge of sacred mystery. Hebrews is an elegant and eloquently composed epistle establishing Jesus as Christ and King over Christianity, the Trinity realized, the Messianic promise fulfilled, for humankind's grace and redemption for all eternity. Most Christians don't question Hebrews author as being Paul, the Pharisee disciple. But, there's some intrigue. Was this letter written by Paul, after all? A few inconsistencies emerge that seem historically incongruent. First, there is no salutation at the start, as with every other Paul authorship to the earliest Church. The reference "To the Hebrews" appears in the earliest known copy, but it's not in the original manuscript. Odd. Even more puzzling, some read the letter's style as sounding very different from the other epistles, both in complexity of language and words used, tonal qualities, an

Psalm 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully  and  wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And  that  my soul knows very well. This passage describes the awe felt when considering the exquisite, harmonic beauty of our inner and outer world. Miracle of existance perfect in kind, the Universe makes no mistakes with the physics of God's imagination, all things possible, and time a myth. The inspiring Psalm speaks to the certainty of God, and of our soul.

Psalm139:23,24NLT Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life . This Psalm evokes both gratitude and appreciation that the human universals of doubt and anxiety cannot hide in our hearts. God already knows my thoughts, so there is nowhere to hide from my own integrity; i.e., my conscience. The Commandments answer all.  Praying to know the unaware ways I may offend God's code is always worthwhile and healing. The everlasting isn't my concern. Too many unknowns to fret over. The Psalm generates a humility for the Mysteries yet unsolved, as God also blesses me with constant and random curiosity. Much of Psalm 139 then extols the omnipresence of the Creator, the beautiful splendor of Creation including our own beating hearts, and the human bond that endures.

Historically, Buddhism pre-dates Christianity by six centuries, beginnng with Siddhartha Gautama (better known as the Buddha, l. c. 563 - c. 483 BCE). According to legend, Gautama was a Hindu prince who renounced his position and wealth to seek enlightenment as a spiritual ascetic, attained his goal and, in preaching his path to others, founded Buddhism in India in the 6th-5th centuries. The events of his life are largely legendary, but he is considered an actual historical figure. The origins of Christianity go back to Roman Judea in the early first century. The four canonical Gospels date from around 70-90 AD, the Pauline epistles having been written before them around 50-60 AD. Jesus of Nazareth:  c. 4 BC – AD 30 / 33, also referred to as Jesus Christ, was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religion. Most Christians believe he is the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited messiah, prophesied i

Many folks say it's the greatest story in all the history of humankind. It may be just as believed, every detail, the intrinsically beautiful, immensely impacting, and enduring story of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. The traditions of messianic history, a Savior arriving to deliver humankind from its weaknesses, raise up the concepts of mortality and divinity, the worldly ways contrasted to heavenly ways- it's been a yearning and longing as old as existence, the desire to know God, understand death, and overcome the natural fears of living in a thoroughly unknown consciousness for a finite time. The Old Testament describes a God (Yaway) who exhibits decidedly human attributes: rage, vengeance, jealousy, intolerance. The first five books, the Torah, largely the story of Moses, tell how a people escaped from evil bondage, and awaited a leader to ensure their salvation and future identity. The story of Jesus- as Christians believe- may in fact be completely correct and accu

Everyone is always guessing about what is true. We simply don't know, so we believe this or that notion, or a particular, specific narrative. Faith is a choice, a decision then embraced and followed. Our human guessing goes by many terms. The resolute conviction to believe something is still a form of guessing, as no one factually knows much about this existance, and mysterious universe. Faith and knowing, they're not the same, not ever.