Hiring a Gang of Thieves – A Story of Two Trees.
The story of two trees representing two different practices. The two trees represent two different types of thinking. Two different schools of thought producing two different styles of practice producing two very different end game results. One tree signifies the judgement of right from wrong. The other tree symbolises a hope in better.
In the beginning there were two trees in the garden that were featured. One, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and where the devil resides, and the other, the tree of life and home to eternal Spirit. One represents life and the other brought about death. One is about judgement punishment separation and pain. The Other, Peace Grace and Kindness.
One to the letter of the law and the other of the Spirit behind the law. One puffs us up when we’re right and crushes when we’re wrong. The other always encouraging to us, consistently improving all things, indeed constantly making all things new again. One tree represents the home of our Soul and is where our ego lives and the other home to our Conscience and where our Spirit lives. One has to do with hope faith and fruition and the other always ends, and often in disaster or calamity but always in division and pain. One relies on a box set of rules while the other Divine guidance. One is about reprisal and coercion. The other about education and example. One discerns right from wrong and the other knows that Better is always available, knowing there’s always Better. One inspires Better for All. While the other always quick to take us into war.
One brings us freedom because better brings an option which delivers our freedom to choose. Better is even better than best, indeed better, the only way to find our best. Better brings innovation and opportunity. Better offers the hope of what’s not becoming what is. And what is in faith even better.
Thinking or considering Better is better than judging right from wrong because both right and wrong have their own end, which separate and divide, polarising apart and away from each other. Right and wrong both polarise and divide while better unites in the new. Better brings People together rather than driving them apart.
So why stand in judgement over right from right when rather we can all be living in the hope of better instead? We can live in the better hope of the hope of better more so and rather than living our lives in conflict standing in judgement over right and wrong. Humanity can come out from living in the devil’s tree of judging right from wrong and simply be doing better together instead. Better is like a fountain of life because better never ends. Better reconciles the divisions of right from wrong with something new and afresh, something better for all. Better for all unites us all in and as the greater good of us all, for the betterment of us all. Better unites right from wrong toward something new. So Making Peace and keeping us from war.
Practicing right from wrong
Right from wrong drains the colour from life by reducing everything down to black and white and the closing of our minds to better. We have all suffer at the hand of tyranny the ravages of loss or destruction emanating from the human virus called Vanity. The undiagnosed Nutcasery at the other end of the scale from Depression. A more common form of Common Mans Narcissism.
Is there any amongst us who has never suffer at the hand of punishment in order to teach us a lesson? All have suffered the scourge of torment and the pain of distress, the misery of isolation and the gripping pestilence of loneliness dividing and separating us apart, fragmenting community with the adverse effects of the ill-gotten gains gotten by following the dysfunctional and detrimental negative values of greed and violence, prejudice and bias and the selfish self-centricity of self-righteousness that continue to plague and pollute all our world and humanity, forgetful that we only fight when we believe we are right.
All have suffered at the hand of the disease named Pride and at time experienced an insatiable lust for the glory of the pedestal, the glory of higher than our peers. Where our ego has out grown the boundaries of our own skin and our persona, through our lenses focusing on of our image and from the view of our own viewpoint and in the vision our own eyes, our self-perceived persona looms larger than life itself. Right from wrong drive each other apart and will always continue to divide and a divide house is destined to fall.
Selfish self-centric Self-righteousness is the villain of Vanity, hiring a gang of thieves, the voracious henchmen of Pride Prejudice Violence and Greed. Self-righteousness is the father of all lies trying to steal the authority of God, or the diadem of our minds, by twisting, distorting and reducing our collective understanding of righteousness down to the individuals understanding to mean ‘our own rightness’, to distort our perspective away from better and to keep us diverted in the division that comes when standing in judgement over right or wrong, rather than having a better hope, and placing our faith in knowing that there’s always better and Better comes from God.
Punishment has become the greatest legitimiser to the use of harm, violence or coercion. We use it as a tool to change behaviour. The basis of punishment currently resides in harm when it could be clothed in education. Our mentoring can replace our punishment. Example replace our pain. As a society we really do need to come up with a better alternative or approach than inflicting pain or harm to teach people a lesson, for surely this is the way, instruction in, and the leading closer into war all the more, particularly while holding true to the ideology of Vegetius rather than the voice and way of Christ.
Practicing Better.
Better makes all things new again by consistently improving all things. Better consistently improves all that there is.
Better is better than both right or wrong because in Better, or in bringing forward a Better for All, new things come allowing us to come together, united toward that new and Better for All. Better combines in the new. Better brings forward choice and delivers opportunity through option. Better provides a bridge or pivot over or around the stumbling block of judging right from wrong and opens a gateway into something new and better for all. By practicing Better we can live free from judging right from wrong. Better sets us free from the snare of right from wrong yet not beyond its reach. Better makes right from wrong obsolete yet far from completely unnecessary and useless. We can live above the law yet not beyond it. Better is the essence of hope and hope is for the faithful. The law is for the villain. For the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of the better hope did. Better reconciles the divisions of right from wrong by bringing forward something new. So Making Peace and learning war no more.
Conclusion
Why cast right or why cast wrong when simply we can all be doing Better together instead? To consider better is to bring better results. The good news is that we all get to choose the way we live and have option as to what we practice in our own lives. We all get the choice as to which tree we pick as to where we build our house or choose to make our home. We get to choose and the choice is ours so we need to take more ownership over of our decisions be it collective, or individual.
Why be right when it can start a fight, remembering that we only fight when we believe we are right. So why go there, why be right at all, when Better provides the perfect alternative, an avenue away and apart from the fight.
Or why be wrong while Better awaits. Abusers only abuse those that the perpetrator consider as their “lesser”. Lesser than themselves and therefore acceptable to treat other than equal. Indeed something to dominate and oppress, legitimising obedience enforced with the fear of harm or the things we might suffer in the learning to comply to a perpetrators perceived authority and supremacy or to submit to their every whim. Abusers demand respect mistaking respect for honour. So why be wrong at all, particularly when so often it comes with the a stigma of being the lesser.
It’s okay to be mistaken and in need of correction because such a situation offers the opportunity to learn and to do Better, not present itself the circumstance to feel the shame of being shamed. Equality is the essence of respect just as better the essence of hope. We get to choose to be hoping for Better or judging right from wrong. So to be choosing better is to be choosing wisely.
The good news is that we can always move forward and live above the stagnation found in the quagmire we sometimes find ourselves in when trying to decide right from wrong and choosing our best way to go putting our best foot forward. In empathy we can understand that none amongst us are perfect and therefore we all have a need for grace, both to give and to receive.
We can actually learn how not to become offended as equally as we already learn how not to offend and take away, by taking responsibility for, the offences that still remain deep and hidden within our very own hearts that we get to see in others yet fail to see in ourselves. The unconscious bias lurking within our Soul.
Those that serve will be greatest among you says Jesus in Scripture. We can learn to be more forgiving and our mentoring can surely replace our punishment. We can learn by example rather than by pain. We can serve each other daily simply by being kind to each other every day. Then kindness will be our currency amongst us, returning us a community led economy more so and rather than the economy running on auto-pilot and the marketplace running our show for us.
Thus returning us to a community owning its own economy rather than the economy owning and enslaving us to it. It is in the combined action of seeking and doing Better where we find our very best because Better never ends to consistently improve all things. Consistently making all things new again.
Scripture suggests that the way of Peace we have not known, yet also that we will learn war no more as well. So the way of Peace we have not known, however not only can we find our way, we can begin to learn war no more as well. Meaning that humanity can learn to practice Peace peacefully instead of and rather than learning to maintain it by war.
It is Better to make Peace than it is to go to war. Better having endeavour to improve our entire world than it is to only improve our very own, having only our own as our only endeavour. Our job is to seek better not to declare things that are right, that’s a job for God as it is written in Scripture. Isaiah 45:19, “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.”
There is Hope Faith and Fruition. Better is an essence of hope. Better never ends. Hope initiates Faith. Faith is a doing word. Faith is a verb. Faith is what you do with what you believe to be true. Faith brings into being the joy of dreams come true. Hope asks what’s better and faith says here’s how. Spirit makes it happen. Here’s how’s a process. The process comes from God. A God inspired plan. Process produces the goods. The goods demonstrate The Good, which demonstrates the better greater-good for us all, God wants to prepare and provide for us all, His Peace.
Humanity is better served seeking better together when it’s actually a better world that we all want to achieve and in particular, strive together to establish for tomorrow. So we have the option to decide to stay in the tree where we were all brought up in and continue to adhere to the traditional traditions of men where nothing is supposed to change and humanity remaining in the quagmire of division, stagnating over the separation caused by judging right from wrong or we can choose to practice Better instead, knowing that Better for All reconciles the divisions of right from wrong with something new, something better for all. Something fresh, something living and alive.
Better for all unites us all.
So Making Peace.
“Now The God of Peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, the LORD bless thee, and keep thee and make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee Peace through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Scriptural Reference:
Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Genesis 2:9,”And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
Genesis 2:15-17,
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Genesis 3:2-5, “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:13, “And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
Genesis 3:16-17, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;”
Genesis 3:24, “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Isaiah 59:8, “The way of Peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.”
Romans 3:17, “And the way of peace have they not known:”
Acts 15:28, “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;”
Matthew 16:19, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 23:4, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”
1 John 2:27, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
Luke 22:26, “But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”
Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Isaiah 54:9-10, “For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.”
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
2 Timothy 2:22-26, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
John 13:15, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
Hebrews 5:8-14, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 20:21, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
John 16:8-11, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
Micah 4:3-5, “And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.”
John 15:26, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
Hebrews 7:19, “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”
Psalms 19:7, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
Proverbs 13:14, “The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.”
Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
James 1:25, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
James 2:12-13, “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
J John 4:23-24, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
John 14:17,”Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
Ephesians 2:15, “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making Peace;”
Psalms 37:37, “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is Peace.”
Hebrews 13:20-21, “Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Numbers 6:24-26, “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee Peace.”
Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Hebrews 13:18, “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”
Colossians 3:12-14, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
Ephesians 2:7, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” 2 John 1:3, “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
Further Reading:
Ephesians 1:2-23,
“Grace be to you, and Peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Romans 10:1-21,
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.”