Oliver, A hand of friendship is always welcome

Submitted by Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemi (United States), Oct 19, 2009 at 09:59

I think there have been many misunderstandings perpetuated throughouit the ages and I have made it my mission in life to clarify many things as regarging the LAW and the way of Jeshua. As he was a Jew it must be understood that what he taught was no more than the thinking of the more prominent thinkers in the religious community of his day. Their concern was primarily for the maintenance of the integrity of the total community. They were not so much concerned with ideas of salvation in the after life. These sorts of ideas were solely the ideas of the Greeks and the Romans. The focus of the Rabbis ( and to some greater degree the thinking of the religious community of my own folk) was the living of a proper life in this world.

Always, the "LAW" was a central focus in our lives. It must be understood that the purpose of the LAW was not punishment ot retribution, rather it was directed toward the maintenance of the integrity of the whole community. The LAW established for us norms of social behavior. It seperated that which was proper from that which was improper behavior. It endeavoured to establish an attitude of reverance for all of life, not just one aspect or situation in life. The focus in our communities was on social cooperation and communal responsibility and not necessarily on personal gain. Our concern was for wisdom and not for power in direct opposition the the thinking of the Greeks and Romans who thought only of elevating themselves. Herein lies the real source of the conflict betweeen us and the Greeks and the Romans. This conflict has lasted to this very day and it has been a plague upon the Jews and upon my folks for as long as we can remember.

Yeshua was for us a humane and very human being. We did not see him as some sort of unreachable god. He touched our lives as a man and not as a god. We saw in him those qualities of humanity that we should strive to emulate in our own lives. Always he was true to his word. As he said, so he did and what he did could be done by any one who took the time to learn and to discipline his or her mind to the purpose. This is what it means to be a desciple, to be disciplined in thinking and in acting. It is much like the martial arts masters of the Orient. Consider the many feats of physical prowess of those men women and you will see what we are aiming at. But for us, it was not a matter of gaining power over others as it is and was for the Greeks and Romans. Rather it was to gain self mastery because as we see it, we cannot always master the situation around us but we can (and must) master ourselves within the context of the situation.

Our tradition teaches us that every soul that comes into this life is given two cups. One cup is a cup of sweetness and the other is a cup of bitterness and before a soul leaves this life it must drink from both cups. There are no exceptions to this rule, not for a king or for even the wisest of men. Every man and woman born into this life must likewise drink from the same two cups. It is only thus that one might learn the true meaning of life. As it is said," Life is a matter of choices. Choose wisely and live well. Choose other wise and "Oh well", better luck next incarnation".

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