What is Wisdom? And The Judgment?

(Revised 10-12-2009)

"The Judgment" is not what most people think, and everyone should know the truth about it. But, to get to that truth, I need to speak of Wisdom in the same sense that Solomon did, and as the author of the Book of Wisdom did.

You see, according to that book: "Wisdom is beneficent and kind. She is the aura of the power of God, the radiance of the eternal Divine Light, a spotless mirror of God. She renews all things, and passing into holy souls from age to age, She produces friends of God and prophets. She is firm, but Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all Her paths are peace. She is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon Her. And Wisdom is far better than weapons of war."

About a hundred years before the Christ Jesus was born, a wise Jewish Sage named Hillel the Elder understood the Book of Wisdom, and he taught much of what Jesus later taught.

Hillel had been a Pharisee but came to realize a much milder and more liberal interpretation of Jewish law and traditions, and his disagreements with strict, conservative, orthodox, patriarchal Jewish leaders are well known. Hillel prevailed, and he is credited with the development of the Mishnah and Talmud, the oral and written commentaries on the Torah and Tanach ("Old Testament").

Hillel established the idea that the Golden Rule is a summation of the Torah, and he also advised people to love your neighbor, be loving, gentle and patient, and care for the poor and least of our brethren. Hillel also understood the Book of Wisdom, which reflects the feminine aspect of God and Divinity. Hillel also understood the Greek idea of the Logos or the "Word," which was in the beginning and is made flesh in all human beings, and he also understood and taught the oneness of God and humanity.

Hillel knew and taught that we are One in the Holy Spirit of God, and he knew that even though most people do not and will not actually realize it and be enlightened while they are in this world, we all should love one another and treat all others as we would want to be treated if we were them. And some scholars believe Hillel the Elder was the Teacher of Righteousness referred to in some of the Dead Sea Scrolls that were written by the mystic Jewish sect called Essenes.

I believe Mary and Joseph, the mother and father of the Christ Jesus, were Essenes. I believe they were well versed in the teachings of Hillel the Elder. I believe that they, like Hillel, understood the universal essence and core teachings of Judaism, and were practitioners of the ancient Jewish mysticism teachings of the Kabbalah (now also known as Cabala or Qabalah). It is a combination of three sources: 1) the Torah and Tanach, the exoteric Jewish-Hebrew Scriptures in the "Old Testament"; 2) the Talmud, which was originated by Hillel the Elder and then became a collection of written scholarly commentaries on the Torah; and 3) the Kabbalah, the esoteric oral, written, pictorial, symbolic mystical interpretations of the Torah, called the Secrets of the Torah.

In the Jewish mysticism tradition, these three parts are considered to be the material body, the rational soul, and the eternal spirit of divine wisdom and knowledge, which is the feminine aspect of God: Wisdom, or Chokmah in Hebrew.

Now, in the modern Qabalistic Western mysticism traditions, all that is enhanced by the values and principles taught by the Christ Jesus, the Avatars, the Buddha, and other great spiritual teachers. Its practitioners are the modern Essenes, so to speak, because like the Essenes during the time of Jesus, they are very inclusive and comprehensive in their approach and understanding of divine, universal truths. That’s why Jesus was critical of the Jewish Sadducees, Pharisees and other rigid, dogmatic and exclusive religious leaders who claimed to know God but did not. And that is why I follow that precedent.

The great genius Albert Einstein would have understood the Essenes. After all, Einstein said: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mystical. It is the source of all true art and science." (And by the way, Einstein also said: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.")

The Christ Jesus was a mystic, and one of the reasons he was critical of certain religious traditions held by conservative Jewish sects at the time, was because he was taught by the Essenes, who were progressive and liberal in many respects. And that’s why Jesus went against some of the Jewish economic traditions and the patriarchal religious traditions regarding males and females. That is why he rebuked the money changers and the rich, and it’s why Mary Magdalene was actually the most beloved disciple of Jesus.

Granted, the Christian gospel writers may have stated that Jesus referred to God as "our Father, who is in heaven." But, if he did, he merely followed Judaic tradition and did so for lack of a better term for our spiritual parent. For God is both our "mother and father," in the spiritual sense, but is actually the eternal, omnipresent Great Spirit and Supreme Consciousness; the formless Divine Light-Energy-Source of all form and material existence; the Essence of all life and form, and the primordial "Word" that was in the beginning and is made flesh in all of us. (See the page on The Word of God.)

The Essenes understood that, and that is why the Christ Jesus said to his disciples, "You have not seen God’s shape at any time," because God is omnipresent, shapeless and formless. And the "face" of God is not a man’s face, but the Divine Light that lies dormant in all of us and radiates fully in the aura of all truly enlightened ones, even though it can be seen only by those who have an eye to see. For like truth, the Divine Light is in the eye of the beholder, and it is obvious that very few if any people "saw the face of God" in Jesus. It takes one to know one, and Jesus was alone and unique in his full realization of God.

Still, the Essenes, like all others who better understand the teachings of those who have realized what God is, understood that God is not an idol, and that we should not worship an idol. And Jesus understood that very well, even though it was not understood by his followers and later followers who were responsible for the Nicene Creed and what is in the Christian Bible as we now know it.

Still, as I said, Jesus may have followed Jewish traditions to the extent that he attributed maleness to God. And, because he may have done that, Christian tradition also holds that he chose 12 original male disciples as apostles. However, we don’t actually know whether the patriarchal tradition of Christianity was created when the original gospels were written between the third and ninth decade after Jesus died, or by later church patriarchs. After all, in the fourth century when the first Christian Bible was compiled, only hand-written copies and translations of the original gospels of Matthew, Mark Luke, John, Paul, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James and Jude existed. And they ignored or dismissed the gospels of Mary Magdalene, Thomas, Philip and others.

But, whoever established the patriarchal tradition and whenever they did it, they included the patriarchal attitudes right along with the man-made doctrines of preeminence and superiority, because they did not fully understand divine will and intent. They didn’t even fully understand the core universal teachings of the Christ Jesus, nor did they truly understand the Book of Wisdom or many other principles in Judaic scriptures. And that's why the Christian Bible compiled in the fourth century was partially concocted and did not include certain gospels and other early Christian writings.

Then, much later in the sixteenth century, male Christian church patriarchs who brought about the Protestant Reformation would not and could not accept the Book of Wisdom and threw it out of their canon and bible. They apparently thought the Book of Wisdom was too Jewish, or perhaps too feminine.

Fortunately, the Christ Jesus was a great seer and prophet, and he foresaw what would happen. That is in fact one of the reasons why Jesus said "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them yet." That’s why he said he had to "go away and be seen no more on earth," but the "Spirit of truth shall come to issue judgment, guide you unto truth, show you things to come, and glorify me [the Christ in heaven]."

It is also why Jesus said that the "son of man to come" would "first be rejected by his generation and suffer many things" before the message he delivers from the Spirit of truth is finally accepted.

All that is why the Christian Bible as we now know it is not the "final word" from God or the Spirit of truth.

Indeed, not only is the Bible not the final word. It contains errors and misleading language and claims. After all, the earliest Christian gospel in it was not written until about thirty years after the death of Jesus, and as I’ve stated on the page title The Virgin Birth Story, the stories of the life and death of Jesus had been told by word of mouth and were surely embellished and exaggerated over time. Some of what Jesus actually taught was lost, and new ideas were added to try to prove that Jesus fulfilled certain Jewish prophecies even though he did not. That’s why Jesus warned of the erroneous "doctrines of men."

But now we can read many of the gospels that were not included in the Bible, and we can read the Book of Wisdom. For it defines Wisdom as "beneficent, kind, firm, secure, all-seeing, and pervading all spirits. Wisdom penetrates and pervades all things by reason. She is the aura of the power of God, the radiance of the eternal Divine Light, a spotless mirror of God. And she can do all things and renews all things, and passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets." (Wisdom 7:22-8:1)

The great and wise Solomon in Proverbs 9 wrote: "Wisdom has built her house and she calls to all: Come, eat my food and drink my wine and you will live abundant life and walk in the ways of understanding. Forsake the foolish, and live. Go in the way of understanding. For the fear of the Lord God is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased."

Solomon also wrote: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and not on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge God, and God shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. ... My son, do not despise chastening of the Lord, nor be weary of his correction. For whoever the Lord loves are corrected; even as a parent does the child in whom he delights. Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding. ... For She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retains her. The Lord God by Wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding has God established the heavens." (Proverbs 3:5-19)

"There was a poor wise man, and by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless, the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that rules among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroys much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:15-18)

I am a poor man in a material and monetary sense. But, because I have been endowed with the greatest riches in Spirit, part of my mission is to write in the "voice" of God’s word, which is the stone of truth. But, because I am materially poor and advocate for the poor and the least of our brethren, I have been and still am rejected. My wisdom is despised, and my words are not heard. But in due time the stone of truth will shatter the image of those who have ruled among rich fools and destroyed much good while claiming to serve God and Country. And the time of those who still do is short, and will soon end.

Wisdom is better than strength. The pen is mightier than the sword. The weapons of God’s warfare are not carnal or lethal, but they are mighty through God for pulling down even the greatest stronghold of misused worldly power.

Having said that, I should speak more practically, in a way that might be more helpful to you personally.

I could not talk about Wisdom and understanding without adding commentary regarding Solomon’s statement that "fear of God is the beginning of wisdom," because it has been grossly misunderstood. Fear of God is only the beginning of wisdom, but after you begin to understand why you should fear God, you can grow in understanding to the point where fear wanes and is replaced by joy.

That is misunderstood by certain joyless, power-hungry "Bible-believing Christians" who have given people the wrong idea. That, for instance, is why the great Clarence Darrow believed that: "Fear of God is not the beginning of wisdom, but the death of wisdom." Darrow was the attorney for the defendant in the famous 1925 Scopes trial that pitted the idea of "biblical creationism" against a classroom science teacher of evolution, as depicted in the great movie, Inherit the Wind (see the page on Evolution vs Creationism).

William Jennings Bryan was the prosecutor in that case. He was a candidate for president three times, but lost each time. His heart was in the right place in certain respects, and he did some good for the country. But, his "religious" zealotry was in fact theocratic bigotry, and it was his undoing. For example, Bryan was a vehement supporter of the foolhardy Prohibition (of alcohol) in the 1920s (which was a boon to organized crime and created a myriad of problems and tragedies). He also fiercely attacked Darwin’s educated theory of evolution, which is why he prosecuted the science teacher. And even though he won the trial because of a "Bible-belt" judge and jury, he was made a fool of by Darrow, and Bryan died a few days later.

In America since 1620 there have been many theocratic bigots and hypocrites who claim to be religious Christians. There are many more today. For example, I just saw on the evening news a "Christian" demonstrator with a placard hung over his shoulders, and on the front and back it read: "FEAR GOD AND OBEY!" His face was red with anger and full of hate, and he was shaking his fist. He was shouting, judging and condemning a city government official. And I felt sorry for that hypocritical false Christian, because he has been misled and is totally ignorant of what the Christ Jesus tried to teach us. But it’s no wonder, considering the arrogant, self-important, self-righteous false shepherds that he follows.

The truth is that many religious people do not realize what a "God-fearing" person should fear. Many religious people take it literally where it is written that God is the cause of every event and every thing that takes place on this earth; that God is the direct cause of natural disasters, afflictions, diseases, deafness, blindness and such, and that God dictates and creates all circumstances.

However, that’s because they misunderstand the nature of scriptures. As I explained on the page titled The Word of God, the "Word" of God is not the written word in a scroll or book, nor has it ever been or ever will be a particular man or particular son of man. Words written by human beings, no matter how divinely inspired, are tinged with the opinions, beliefs and cultural traditions of the writer. They always have been and always will be.

For example, Moses, the author of the Torah (the first five books of the Tanach or Old Testament), wrote as if God "spoke" to him and gave him direct instructions. But, that is not what actually happened. In fact, even though God gave Moses the revelatory gift of realization of certain truths, Moses was not infallible, and his writing was not and is not free of error and personal opinion. It does, however, contain much truth, because anyone who has received truly divine revelations are spiritually gifted. That does not mean they are then perfect or holy. Even the few who have been enabled to have the seven seals of revelation and the seven chakras opened, and were therefore enabled to open God’s Book of Life, were not and are not perfect or holy. But, even though they are fallible, they do know certain things that most people do not know.

We should understand, however, that in many instances the authors of the books of the Hebrew Tanach (Old Testament) wrote for effect, to create the idea that God issues direct punishment to those who do not please "Him," and also to create fear of the God of Israel in the mind of their enemies. But, God is not a punitive god of vengeance. God is The God of love, mercy, understanding, and forgiveness. Man is the agent of judgment and punishment and vengeance, and often Man is wrong.

Furthermore, Christians have been led to believe that a so-called "Judgment Day of Wrath" will come. They’ve also been led to believe that you should fear God’s judgment when you die, and that your spirit-soul will suffer eternal hell and damnation if you do not believe in and abide by the doctrines of church patriarchs and walk a "straight and narrow path of godliness."

But, that is an absurd idea, really, because God knows we cannot be "godly." Only God is Godly. And this is the prophesied judgment, delivered by the prophesied servant-messenger of God and the Spirit of truth, the modern son of man. After all, Jesus said he had come not to judge the world, but like many preceding prophets he said one to come would deliver the judgment. And this one confesses that he is far from godly, and contrite of spirit.

Granted, we should strive to be good, and we should treat others as we would want to be treated if we were them. But, the very notion that you can be "godly" breeds egotism and self-righteousness, and ignores the fact that we learn from our mistakes. Besides, it puts a lot of pressure on people, which is why many fundamentalist Christian churches emphasize the doctrine that: "We are all sinners but we can achieve salvation and become godly by professing that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior."

But, is that really true?

Granted, what you really believe can seem very true for you. In certain instances, beliefs can even become true. But, as I pointed out in my first book, as John C. Lilly, M.D. wrote in his book Simulations of God, "If one analyzes the Bible, the Koran, the sacred writing of India, the Vedas, the Upanishads, one sees that man has been trying to deal with his origins by means of what, today, we call ‘projections.’ His projection of his own knowledge onto the universe, onto his own origins and onto his future end is, then, the ultimate simulation. And when we simulate that of which we have no knowledge, we project our current knowledge into the unknown, into our own ignorance."

That is very true, and the fact is that books, no matter how divinely inspired, cannot give us real first-hand knowledge of God. That comes only from within/above, as a gift from God, through the opening of the seven seals of revelation. (See the page on The Highest State of Consciousness.) And, without that ultimate gift, you could study and memorize the whole Bible and still not know God, as so many right-wing "Christian" leaders have so blatantly demonstrated. They simulate that which they have no knowledge of, and thus they project their knowledge into their own ignorance of God.

On the pages on The Martyrdom of Jesus, The Virgin Birth Story, and Prophecies Re: the "One To Come" you can read what I believe is the truth, and you can read my critique of their doctrine, because it is unsound. It is part of the man-made doctrine of preeminence and superiority that has led many "Christians" to commit many atrocities in the world during the last sixteen hundred years. And even today it is the cause of much conflict, and it has led many spiritually blind shepherds to lead their blind flocks astray.

I submit that the emphasis should be on doing our very best to abide by the universal divine imperative that is common to ALL religions: Treat all others as we would want to be treated if we were them. That is the golden rule that the Christ Jesus and all other great spiritual teachers have taught.

I think it is important to be aware of and admit (or confess) when we do not do that, especially when we cause others harm or loss. I think we should avoid doing that by realizing that we actually do reap what we sow because of the karmic consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions. But we are human. We make mistakes. And by trial, error, and success, we learn by enduring, suffering or enjoying the consequences right here on earth. That is why the universal divine imperative is common to and should be emphasized in all religions.

Now consider Isaiah 11:1-2: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."

Even though I have increasingly been blessed (and burdened) with that spirit, I do not actually fear God as some religious people think we should. I fear only the material consequences of some of my thoughts, words and actions when I admit to myself that they were wrong or not positive and constructive. For I know that God is loving and God’s love is unconditional, like the love of a good parent. Moreover, like a good parent, God is understanding, merciful and forgiving, even though God is firm when firmness is called for. For as Solomon said, "whoever the Lord loves are corrected, even as a parent corrects the child in whom he delights." God must love me a lot, because I am constantly corrected, and that has increased as I have become more aware of how God works, sometimes mysteriously.

That is why we all should fear God in this sense. Just as an unruly or difficult or willful child should have a healthy fear of a good parent, we all should have a healthy fear of the consequences of bad or selfish, self-centered, self-important, self-righteous, judgmental thoughts and behavior, right here on earth.

All intelligent people of conscience learn that what we do and say will result in good consequences if it is positive, constructive, fair, kind, generous, and loving. Conversely, what we do and say will result in bad consequences if it is the opposite. Love attracts and brings love, while hate attracts and brings hate. And it’s the same with kindness as opposed to cruelty, understanding as opposed to bigotry, tolerance as opposed to intolerance, and gentleness as opposed to violence. We reap what we sow, and every action brings a like reaction, whether good or bad.

As the late Martin Luther King, Jr. said so eloquently: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness, in a descending spiral of destruction."

So there is good reason to fear. For while the late great Franklin D. Roosevelt was quite right when he said that we have nothing to fear but fear itself when threatened by an evil enemy, we should fear the consequences of our own greed, selfishness, offensiveness, malice, and bad behavior. And we should also fear the consequences of our government’s bad behavior, which even now are coming down upon us as a consequence of Reaganite and Bushite folly.

Like a child fears a good parent who insists on proper behavior and chastises, reprimands and corrects their children when they misbehave, we should fear the consequences of our words and actions when they cause hurt feelings or harm or loss to others. If you cause harm to another, you will suffer harm. If you cause loss to another, you will suffer loss. Maybe not immediately, but inevitably. For we will indeed reap what we sow and we will suffer the consequences, unless we admit our error, make amends, and repent or change our behavior.

People who cause harm or loss to others may get away with it for a while, and they may escape karmic social or legal justice for a time, but sooner or later their karma will catch up with them and they will reap what they have sown unless they repent. The laws of the universe and nature are certain, and sure.

You can be assured that the Universal Consciousness will bring spiritual forces to bear, and the guilty will pay for their offenses and crimes sooner or later, one way or another. The wicked have no rest, and no respite. They may try to escape by running away or hiding, or by using drugs or alcohol, but they cannot and will not escape justice, or poetic justice. They will pay, unless they confess, change their ways, and make amends.

That’s why we should walk in the ways of understanding, forsake selfishness, greed, arrogance, malice and mendacity, and live by the golden rule and the universal divine imperative that is common to all religions: Treat all others as you would want to be treated if you were them.

Now, I think I should also say something about drinking wine, as Solomon advised, because some misguided Christians believe the use of alcohol is bad and "ungodly." Not so. Most people drink alcohol moderately and responsibly, not to get "drunk" but to simply feel more relaxed and sociable. I believe that is a good thing, and it is even healthy, especially when it’s moderate amounts of red wine with meals.

Of course, some people drink to excess to get drunk, but in most cases that’s not bad. Most of them do so to feel greater joy and love, even though some do so to "drown their sorrows" or to escape negative feelings and emotions. Unfortunately, while overindulgence in alcohol can and does enhance feelings of joy and love, it can also enhance feelings of sorrow, and even hate and anger. Most "mean drunks" become so because they overindulge trying to feel better, and then they get angry at anyone or anything that "brings them down." The solution is self-control and moderation, even though that is a very difficult thing to achieve for those with a tendency toward dependent, addictive behaviors. For some, it may be impossible, and for them it may be true that "one drink is too many, and ten drinks is not enough." But I believe that with awareness and discipline, self-control is possible for most people, and I believe Prohibition is counterproductive and unwise.

Now I’ve told you what I think about judgment and fear of God. But, having said all that, I confess I do not know what happens in the "afterlife."

However, I do know what it’s like to be carried away in spirit to that "high and holy place where God inhabits eternity" and go into the Divine Light, and I know the Pure Love and Light of God is very real. I bear witness to it. But I doubt that the departed spirit-souls of people who have committed terrible crimes and caused others terrible harm or loss will go into the Light, at least not at first. I suspect they are bound in a kind of spiritual state of limbo — not as Catholic dogma supposes it to be, and not as some television shows and movies portray the state of ghosts, but a temporary state in a spiritual "realm" unique and fitting for the individual --- until they realize and understand their sins, realize divine will and intent, and recognize the true nature of God. But I doubt anyone is "sent to hell for eternity." The God I know is firm, but merciful and forgiving, like a good parent, and part of my mission is to comfort those who are repentant and contrite and have changed their ways to deserve forgiveness.

I also think spirit-souls are reincarnated. It’s clear that Jesus understood that the soul is indeed eternal, and that he was one with the original, the Ancient One, the Oversoul. He knew he spoke for the one "which was, is, and shall always be," which was why he said, "Before Abraham was, I am." He also confirmed the reality of reincarnation by stating that John the Baptist was Elias come again. And the Judaic scriptures also confirm it, such as where it is written that: "My judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. And now, says the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him."

I think that through me the Lord God brings Jacob again. But I confess that I do not understand all the ways of God. In fact, I’m not even close to that, and probably won’t be while I’m in this world. The ways of God are a mystery to us in this life, and that may always be beyond human understanding.

I do know, though, that it is absurd to blame God for the acts of tyrants, terrorists, murderers and criminals, and it is absurd to claim that God is responsible for their acts. Furthermore, I know that natural disasters are not so-called "acts of God." In fact, most are random acts of nature, caused by weather, climate changes, and geological changes, including those caused by global warming. And human beings are responsible for many of them, as I mentioned on the home page.

Of course we should be thankful for the blessings our Creator God has bestowed upon humanity, but God does not give "blessings" only to those who "deserve" it, or punish those who deserve it. As I said, natural disasters are not acts of God, and they effect both good and bad people. As I also said, it is true, generally speaking, that we reap what we sow in the karmic consequences of our own thoughts, words and actions. Wicked people pay for their wickedness here on earth, and good people reap the rewards of being loving, kind, gentle, generous, and forgiving. However, when bad things also happen to good people, God is not responsible for that.

I also know that as I have gradually become more actually faithful and trustful of God, I have more fully realized how the Spirit of truth corrects me more often through my conscience and through all the things that are in my immediate environment. When I have egocentric thoughts that elevate or exalt myself in any way, I am more often made aware of it in a variety of ways, and I do understand why it has been said that God "corrects" loved ones especially. I know that God and the Spirit of truth nourishes our heart but prunes our ego, and sometimes corrects us in very mysterious ways, and we can become aware of them without being superstitious.

The trick, I think, is in recognizing that when we are following divine guidance it warms our heart and produces joy, love and harmony, and when we are guided by egocentric notions of superiority, self-importance and self-righteousness, it is counterproductive, creates conflict, and is even harmful. Self-righteous anger can be energizing, and it can even be a comfort zone and refuge for a stubborn, deluded ego refusing to face a guilty conscience. But a sane, good person will always be tempered by their conscience and accept correction by the Spirit of truth, however it comes, and even if the truth hurts.

Let those with an ear to hear and an eye to see try to understand Wisdom, as I am. Right here, right now, in the eternal now which we are always in, we should do and think and say what we know in our heart is selfless, correct, and for the benefit of all concerned. Otherwise, it is self-centered, vain folly, fruitless, detrimental to others, and even detrimental to our own spiritual growth.

Ironically, as children we understand it, generally speaking, and I feel I should share a story someone forwarded to me by email that is a perfect example of that.

The story was originally told by a veterinarian who kindly went to a family’s home to euthanize their beloved dog who was dying from cancer. The parents and their six-year-old son stood by to witness the dog’s passing, and after the dog died peacefully, the adults talked about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. They wondered aloud, perhaps trying to find a way to comfort the boy.

But the boy was not the one who needed comforting. After listening quietly, he spoke up and said, "I know why." He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

The boy comforted his parents, and the veterinarian. He was a child who understood dogs, and the Wisdom of God.