Articles
Three Kings who were not Kings
THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT “THREE KINGS” TODAY, in some countries more than others. In any case, I’m sure you know the Christmas carol, “We Three Kings of Orient Are”. The claim is that three kings brought presents to Jesus the Christ after he was born. Well, firstly, there is no mention of “Kings” visiting the Christ in the bible. There IS, however, mention of “Magi from the East” visiting him. Those were not kings at all but were spiritual leaders from Babylonia. Magi was the name given by the Babylonians, Medes and Persians to the priests and astrologers who were the religious leaders of those peoples. Also, there is no mention that there were only three of them. Certainly, three gifts were mentioned, but there could have been more than three in the entourage. The account in the bible does not mention that there were specifically three magi. The idea of three goes back to a 12th century tradition. It just shows how myths develop over the years. But what does the bible show about them?
The “Other” Strauss: Music for a New Year’s Day
ON WHAT HAS COME TO BE CALLED “NEW YEAR’S DAY”, it is traditional in Europe to listen to concerts of Viennese polkas and waltzes, mainly by Johann Strauss II (1825 – 1899). What many do not know is that at that time there was another Strauss in Vienna called Richard (pronounced Rickard, 1864 – 1949). Richard Strauss did admire Johann Strauss’s waltzes, but Richard’s music was in another dimension altogether — a heavenly one. Frankly, I would much rather listen to Richard’s music than Johann’s. I don’t mind the occasional waltz; but a whole concert of them, with encores? Nein danke! Waltzes don’t really go anywhere. They are for emotional dilettantes. One can never get to the real marrow of life (or death) in ¾ time. 😊
Breaking News! Christ was not born on 25th December
BREAKING NEWS: CHRIST WAS NOT BORN ON DECEMBER 25th or on any other day in December! That date was simply a disingenuous attempt a few centuries later to forge a union between the religion of Christianity and the pagan festivities which occurred around that date. Church history has been full of wimpish compromise and the complete betrayal of Christ for 2000 years. He didn’t come to create a religion or a global authoritarian church structure but to light the way for genuine spiritual pilgrims and to warn about the decisive catastrophe coming at the end of the aeon — which is around now! Certain events in the bible show that his birth could not have been in December. For example, it is written that shepherds were watching their flocks in the fields at night (words which have been immortalised in the well-known carol). However, December would have been too cold for that to happen out in the open countryside. Also, the bible says that a census was being taken at the time and Christ’s parents had come to Bethlehem to register. Again, a census would not have been called in December as it would be too difficult for many to travel. The most likely time for Christ to have been born would be sometime in the latter part of September, which can be concluded by checking the timeline shown in the first chapter of Luke’s gospel regarding the conception of John the Baptist and the fact that Christ was six months younger than him. I can understand the importance today of having annual cosy family get-togethers in the dead of Winter when the sun is at its lowest and the temperature is at its coldest. But December 25th is now just an excuse for gift-porn and consumerist-gluttony. Nothing to do with Christ’s birth anyway. A much more pertinent question than “When was Christ born?” would be “WHY was Christ born?” That, my friends, will be the subject of a forthcoming article 😉
© Alan Morrison, 2017
Ethical Quandaries: Is it Always Wrong to Judge?
This is the first in a mini-series in which I examine closely a few modern ethical quandaries, which have only become quandaries because people make them so. When one cuts through the bullshit, understanding them is actually very simple and even liberating.
In this article, I begin the series by asking the question: “Is it always wrong to judge?” Today, it has become extremely fashionable to say that “We must never judge” or “We have no right to judge another”. In fact, it has become a kind of litmus test about your credibility as a decent human being. If you judge others, so they say, you cannot be spiritual or a good person. How has this idea that it is always wrong to judge come about? I think it is partly because people confuse the words “judge” and “judgemental”. To be a judgemental person means that one habitually comes to thoughtless, mean or unfounded and condemnatory conclusions about other people, which is obviously not a helpful frame of mind, for oneself or for building a community based on love and grace.
Brussels and Hollywood
Impostors & Bedfellows
RIGHT NOW, I’M IN BRUSSELS, the supposed European capital — or, rather, the capital of the European Union, which has cunningly usurped the real Europe as if it was the same thing, especially in the malleable minds of the young. Which is isn’t. Not at all. The real Europe doesn’t have a capital city. For that Europe has always been a loose group of neighbouring countries which have a common heritage, do business with each other and help each other when necessary. On the other hand, the European Union is a budding superstate conceived by elites (and initiated originally by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, as I showed in an article last year) which seeks to lord it over its member sub-states, as preparation for the absorption of a small number of superstates into a single world government (born out of darkness posing as light). Then the Big Lie and deception will be complete (followed swiftly by its collapse in a blaze of Light).
More Blessed to Give than to Receive
The Noble Work of Generosity
WHY ARE WE HERE IN THIS DIMENSION, on this planet Earth, at this point in space, time and history? One may never be able to answer that question satisfactorily enough, in verbal terms, so long as we are limited in our thoughts and ideation by the boundary of words (even though that boundary can be stretched the more we reach it). But we can say that we are all involved — whether we know it or not — in an increasingly expanding growth of understanding in mind and heart which takes us further into the unknown (thereby revealing its knownness) and deeper into the twilight zone of consciousness, beyond any perceived limitations. This is the evolution of the soul — joyfully harrowing, vitally necessary and deliciously inevitable.
Social Media Friendship: A Contradiction in Terms
“Congratulations, Alan! You’ve reached 2000 friends today!”, Fakebook announced to me. Teehee! [Excuse me while I chuckle]. This bizarre landmark has forced me to meditate on what the meaning is of friendship in this strangesome day and age. So, first, I will write a little piece about this, then, at the conclusion, I will share three poems I have written on the subject of friendship in a “Facets of Friendship” series, entitled “Friendship Lite” (about superficial friendship), “Fairweather Friends” (a sonnet about those friends who only stick around when the going is good or when they can gain something from it) and “True Friends” (about those few friends in life who can truly be called Friends, who will be there for you, whatever the weather, and on whom you can rely unconditionally. But first, social media friendship…
Please click on either the PDF or WORD DOC links here below to read the article:
PDF: Social Media Friends – A Contradiction in Terms
DOC: Social-Media-Friends-A-Contradiction-in-Terms
© Alan Morrison, 2017
The Prosperity Trap
WHEN WE LEARN TO TREAD ONLY THOSE TRACKS WHICH ARE UNBEATEN, then life becomes a chain of fulfilling adventures rather than an inadequate series of accidents. When every road sign which says, “Obstruction ahead!”, makes you press your foot harder on the accelerator with anticipatory exhilaration, then an explosion of entropic ecstasy will scatter the colours of your soul across every flickering trace of darkness. Don’t take my word for it (or for anything). Try it yourself. It can only bring you good (which can come in many disguises, including those which look “bad” 😊). If you follow the untrodden road, epiphany after epiphany will spark in your mind until you almost want to beg for mercy from the avalanche of insights received and experiences gained! Hope and faith will grow within you like a snowball rolling parallel down a hill. Then you will begin to see everything as a gift, whether seemingly “good” or apparently “bad”. You will even see that your times of despair in the past were a gift too. For despair is a gift to keep us humble — to enable us more to appreciate the fullness of joy — for it brings a challenge from the Universe to change our ways and deepen.
The Naked Troubadour 