Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas!
It seems to me that Mankind has a lot to be rejoicefull for. Our single biggest benefit is; we live in the age of grace. No matter our problems and tribulations we are indeed blessed. Not only are we blessed but our children and grandchildren are blessed. The age of grace we live in is both a blessing, and a calling, it is up to us to open our eyes and listen with our hearts.
At no other time in human history has there been such an abundance. Not only is the abundance rife in our World it is available to anyone who opens up to it. Even in starving North Korea, where the tyrant has died and the new tyrant has taken power, there is abundance at hand. If only the blind men in charge would let power to the one eyed man. “He has but one eye.” the communists accuse, yet they are utterly blind, and so, have a predilection of finding cliffs to fall over.
Since the time of Christ we have seen a thousand fold increase in the lot of Man. Like any complex organic system the gain has not been uniform or smooth. There have been spikes up as well as spikes down. But, taken as a trend the lot of Man has gone up exponentially, and will continue to do so. Accelerated by the market system coming into general usage. The market system would not even have been possible before the age of grace. The philosophy of Man wasn’t up to the challenge. We should be thankful for the market system and the fundamental attribute of it, it’s ability to create new luxury and cheapen old luxury, so that it becomes new necessity. That is a lot to be thankful for.
It may seem as though the barbarians are at the gate all the time. That is because they are. They wait for civilization to lower it’s guard so they can strike making a spike down. It is not their fault they are barbarians no more than it is a dog’s fault it is a dog. It is divine to love those that hate you. It is worldly to hate those that hate you. To be divine is to store up treasure in heaven and on Earth as well. To be worldly is to waste treasure in heaven and to amass the enmity of your fellow man. The one is a path of grace and the other a path of degradation.
Living in an age of grace requires of us a divine calling. Our nature is to envy and avarice. We have gained “grace” in that we have the ability to conquer our emotional elephant and reign it under the control of our reason. We must always remain vigilant that the elephant doesn’t get out of control. The elephant of emotion that our reason rides, that has power, but is prone to destruction. As the rider is strengthened, we affirm the fact, we live in an age of grace.
We have been given grace, not from any good we have done to merit it, but that God sees the time as ripe for us to receive it. It is to our great benefit that we have been so blessed. As I have shown we live in times of plenty. It is that our fathers and their fathers lived in grace that we have such plenty. Our ability, to pass on a blessed land to posterity, is dependent on us living as Jesus urged us to. By, loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, do unto others as we would have others do unto us, God forgives us our trespass’ as we forgive those who trespass against us, so let us pick up our cross’ and follow Jesus.
These are the philosophical truths that he brought into the World. These truths were unimaginable, before he was born, yet they reverberate with us today and are why I say, we live in an age of grace. The grace bestowed upon us by Christ. Not only for Christians, but for all people of the World, both believers and unbelievers. That is just another example of the grace we have been given. The grace to forgive and turn the other cheek. To be divine in our actions even as our nature is worldly.
Rejoice and be glad for we live in a time of grace. Live gracefully, promote blessings on all mankind, and we propagate the age of grace. Understand that those who hate and are closed minded simply have not opened up to the grace that bathes them. They steadfastly say no when yes opens up new opportunities and blessings. Like drinking from a filthy puddle when a clean clear spring is at hand.
“O Lord, I pray that somehow and in some way, I improve the lot of humanity, and that my life is a blessing on mankind… Forever. Amen.”
So goes the Capitalist’s prayer… In the age of grace.
Sincerely,
John
