Sidewalk Bends

Bound leather.
Parchment paper.
Saints of men.

Stains of time.
Words warped.
Intentions lost.

Guidance sought.
Warped minds.
Confused soul.

Stay true to your heart. Stay true to yourself. In the face of pressure, in the house of another, do not judge. Accept as you wish to be accepted. Love as you wish to be loved. Compromise not the essence of your soul, but allow another to be.

The idea of prophecy has captured the minds of many over the ages. From religious and ancient texts to self-proclaimed psychics and seers to seemingly miraculous personal experiences, men and women from cultures around the world have contemplated its purpose and power. From seeing, whether in the waking state or sleeping state, to feeling, physically and or emotionally, the experience and idea of prophecy has left many to question their faith, the workings of the universe and sometimes one’s very own sanity.

For many people, the future is thought to be unknowable, but bound by something we call “time.” Just out of view it serves as inspiration, and hope for something better. It serves as motivation for improving one’s current state of existence. For others, the future is thought to be knowable, but only in dribs and drabs. Sometimes dreamlike, it entices the seer. What could be the reason for having a glimpse into the future? Is it really the future that is being seen, or has all of this happened before?

Regardless of whether what is seen serves as a warning or a fanciful “what if” moment, the experience often serves as a reminder of the mysteries that surround us. When one sees what they perceive as the future, are they an observer, or do they remain an active participant in their own lives? The idea of free will comes into question and suddenly one is thrust into contemplating a future and life that has already been predetermined. If life and existence itself were predetermined, is the value of life suddenly cheapened? Is birth, death and all that comes in between simply a formality?

Perhaps the question of predetermination and free-will are more a matter of perception than practicality. For many the idea of a predetermined life is slavery draped in different clothes. For others it is the acceptance of choices made long ago, but also made in this very moment. What if every choice, and every choice resulting from that choice, and so on, for all possible choices of every creation, existed all at once? What if like the threads of a blanket, by pulling and manipulating one thread, each thread of that blanket were affected? And so in being able to understand one choice, one has the ability to understand all other choices affected by that single choice and all other choices before it.

In that breathe, perhaps the past, present and future are all the same, existing simultaneously, although for many, experienced one at a time. Like a series of dominoes in every which direction that fall and reset themselves, the past, present and future are continuously unfolding. From the view of the domino it only knows itself, and what comes immediately before and after it. When seen together, one path is realized, and sometimes more than one path is realized at a given time. Which is the present? Which is the past? Which is the future? Does it matter?

When our choices are realized, maybe it is not the order in which they are seen that matters, but rather what is learned or understood in that moment. Like an intricate dance, all of existence is being expressed, and what we choose to see is up to us. Suddenly the power of prophecy lay not in the future, but in understanding the eternal now.

Do not turn your back on love. When all seems lost, and you are walking in the desert aimlessly seeking a way out, do not turn your back on love. Do not follow the haphazard as they flee into the night. Do not turn your back on those who would only show a way out. Do not turn your back on those who would only remind you of what is possible.

Hold your chin up and remember who you are. Hold your chin up and remember the love inside. Hold your chin up and enjoy what is all around. Worry not about those who would proclaim doom. Worry not about those who have run in fear. Worry not about the desert night. Follow the guiding light of your heart.

The power of prayer does not come from how many times we recite a prayer. The power of prayer does not come from how many people pray for the same outcome. It does not come from facing Mecca, or facing the Wailing Wall. The power of prayer does not come from sitting in a church or peering through a glass floor at the supposed birthplace of Jesus. It does not come from ringing bells, or lighting candles. The power of prayer does not come from intermediaries such as saints or devotees. The power of prayer comes from one’s true intent. Prayer is like having an intimate relationship with the Creator. Prayer allows one to speak directly with God/Allah to give thanks, or to ask for guidance. Prayer allows for communing with all that is. Prayer is meditation with purpose. Prayer is peaceful awakening.

I am a Sufi.
I am a Jew.
I am a Christian.
I am a Buddhist.
I am Hindi.
I am you.

I am a man.
I am a woman.
I am you.

I am a teacher.
I am a preacher.
I am a lawyer.
I am a servant.
I am a slave.
I am you.

I am creation.
I am destruction.
I am you.

I am you, becoming me.

Religion is not a compulsion towards God. Neither is God a compulsion towards religion. Man has made religion a tool. It is a crutch for some, and for others still, a club to beat the weak. Understanding of the divine does not come from inclusion or exclusion from any group. Neither does it come from the adoration of statues or the creation or recitation of the countless names for the divine. Creation was not made for a narcissistic God. It was created simply from love. How one treats this word or idea is up to each person. Though some may reject it, while others embrace it, it is up to each individual. There is no compulsion. Love, like God, is an invitation. It does not need to conquer. It does not need to yell or berate. It does not need to boast or put others down. Love is understanding in the divine.

It’s easy to criticize others. It’s easy to point out the things about a person, their actions or their beliefs that are distasteful to us. It’s even easier to walk away and pretend we didn’t hear something when we know it is wrong or offensive. So who is at fault? Is it the person who spews hatred because it is what he knows; is it the person who adds fuel to the fire through condemnation or blind reaction; or is it the person who walks away? So many of us clamor for a better a life and for a better world, but change does not happen in the minds of men. It happens on the backs of our actions, and the backs of what we are willing to put forth with our own heart.

We can sometimes get so carried away with the rantings of a few that rather than make good from what is poison, we judge and criticize without care for bringing another into the fold. Perhaps there is a lesson for all of us. Judge not the man, nor even his actions, but rather show him the loving light of truth. Reveal to him not our own disdain, but instead an understanding that he can take with him. For not once and not twice will we be given a path to redemption, but many times over shall we see.

Is praying five times a day more important or is our relationship with God more important? Is fasting and abstaining from certain foods and activities more important, or is our relationship with God more important? Is making a pilgrimage to a holy site more important, or is our relationship with God more important? Is tithing and giving a certain percentage of our income more important, or is it the intent that drives the giving more important? In many religions there are rituals that we follow. Some are done because they are deemed as laws handed down by God. Some are done because it has been done for centuries. And still some are done because religious leaders say they should be done. How do we know who is right? Everyone has been following the same way for as long as anyone can remember, so how can it be any different? Could it be that the actions themselves are not so important, but instead it is the intent that drives them?

When we pray or meditate is the reason to ask for something for ourselves or for someone else, or is it to give ourselves to God? In prayer do we not bear ourselves to God? Do we not unload our worries and give our thanks for the life we live and the things that are given to us? Do we not ask for guidance and perhaps assistance in our daily lives? In doing these things, are we not building a relationship with God?

When fasting or abstaining from sex, do we do these things because it is said we should? What is the purpose? Is it not to remind us of the many blessings that God has given us and also of the many distractions that divert us from Him? Is it not to show us that if we build a proper relationship with God that nothing can distract us, neither the temptation of physical gratification, or the hunger pangs that our body might feel?

When giving to the poor, does one do it because they are made to do it? Is it done out of obligation or out of the kindness and generosity of one’s heart? If a person gives and then counts their losses, are they giving freely for lack of want, or out of the expectation of a divine reward? In giving freely, are we not reminded of our own blessings? In giving freely, are we not reminded that the shoe could be on the other foot?

Instead of blindly following rituals and laws written by men long before we can ever remember, perhaps it’s time to ask why we do the things we do? Perhaps it’s time to build our own relationship with God. Instead of chastising others for how they choose to worship God, perhaps it’s time to start looking at ourselves.

“Infidels! Terrorists! Extremists!” These are the words being spewed from men and women alike, claiming to believe in God, claiming to live by the guidance set forth by God. How can any of us call ourselves children of God if all we do is try to claim our superiority over others. Does our religion really make us that much better? Does the brand of our religion really make us any different from the next person? No one has the right to judge anyone’s ability to gain entrance into a heaven they cannot even begin to understand? Is it not God who shall judge each individual, and God alone? if God is the only judge, then what does it matter to you, that another person should choose another path? Are you afraid their path is better? Perhaps you are both lost, or perhaps you are both right? How do you know?

You may claim that the Bible tells you what is the truth, or that the Quran, or the Torah tells you the truth, but what of their authors? Would you trust your soul to a person who is long gone? Some would say that those who have written such texts were guided by God, but who are you really trusting? Are you trusting your priest, the imam, rabbi, or even your parents? Are they not all human, fallible in every way? If God can guide them, who is to say He cannot also guide you? Can we not all look to God for guidance directly? Man would have others come to him for he sees nothing but himself. Seek not in others what you can seek in yourself.