#1919 Tabula Rasa

#1919

Tabula Rasa

(Latin- Blank Slate)

            "Ye Call Me" - unknown

            Ye call Me Master and obey me not,
            Ye call Me Light and see me not,
            Ye call Me way and follow me not
            Ye call Me Life and desire me not,
            Ye call Me wise and acknowledge me not,
            Ye call Me fair and love me not,
            Ye call Me rich and ask me not,
            Ye call Me eternal and seek me not,
            Ye call Me gracious and trust me not,
            Ye call Me Noble and serve me not,
            Ye call Me mighty and honor me not,
            Ye call Me just and fear me not,
            If I condemn you, blame me not.

From start to finish, no neutral ground, the world will try to make you think that history is not true but every experience; everything around us tells us that it is true.  And, truth is truth whether anyone believes it or not.  Real smart people just will not believe that the Creator of the universe actually wrote a book, the Holy Bible.  There is some awkward language; Adam "knew" Eve and she conceived.  The first born was Cain, the first born child in the world; can we even imagine how Eve made of him a spoiled brat?  Her second child was another boy named Abel, and Abel pleased God.  Cain did not like this, and so he killed his brother, Abel.  Just think the first two children born in the world, brothers and one killed the other.  (Now we expect nations to get along.)  Each of these boys was a blank slate.  Have you ever looked at a newly born baby?  Unlike these first two boys, babies are now blessed with extensive DNA, genetic entanglements of ancestry.  But, when you look at a newly born baby, you think, "Blank Slate".  How is it that in a time of about twenty years, pampering, experience, development of every type...spirits of rebellion, spirits of competition, talent, teasing, even treachery, we have adults in our midst. 

Chosen by God for life, most of us having the same homeostasis in body function-physiology-morphology what a difference in abilities: one, hands that can handle any ball, hands that can play any music instrument, or hands that can perform surgery.  The great atheist, Friedrich Nietzsche (God is Dead, fame) who could play the piano, could never understand why he could not play as well as his friend, Johannes Brahms.  In spite of everything, life's unequal playing field, the fact that many of us are not winners in life's lottery, God expects a positive return on his investment.  AND, there will be a final accounting. 

Have you seen so many beat themselves to death chasing wealth, believing there are pockets in shrouds; seventy percent of the public hates their jobs.  Get little pleasure from work or even living.  The first book of God's Bible, Job, he had it right, "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21) 

The greatest mystery of my lifetime, 86 years, and, man is the only animal that can blush, that there is no longer any shame about anything.  Just one day's news, the atrocities at Aleppo, the shame of Russian-doping athletes,

The first time I was in Russia, when it was the USSR, a friend traveled with me who was a New York City television reporter, we were amazed at the public drunkenness of just ordinary Russians, people were drunk everywhere, on the trolleys-up and down the streets, later, I said to him," If I could not escape living in this God-forsaken place, I would stay drunk too." 

Have we reached a place in our civilization that clean, "blank slates" have become so disoriented-disgusted with the world that we just want to escape?  Just think of a mother and father, going to prison, deserting their own precious children because of drug addiction. 

It is a basic fact of biology that group functioning is best...family life, teams, and congregations.  When the children of Israel, escaped the bondage of Egypt, after 400 years of slavery they left in groups of five, just think, over two million people led by Moses out of Egypt, across the dry land of the Red Sea, water piled up on each side, moving toward the "Promised Land".  There is always strength in numbers, unbelievers believe in counting numbers instead of making numbers count.  In a group, you have cohesion, cooperation; you look out for one another. 

At what point in our maturity did we begin to discriminate?  Many white children are nursed by a black "mammy".  In old Southern homes, before the time of baby food, a black would often chew up food to be fed to a white child.  The most elitist white families were cared for, cooked for, by the same black people they discriminated against.  How could "supposed" white Christians observe separate colored and white water fountains, toilets, doctor's reception rooms, and yet go to their separated churches and sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" knowing full well that most of their soldiers had deserted: while taking up an offering to evangelize black people in other countries: knowing full well of a black church across the tracks, in need.  Perhaps, it is the paradox-hypocrisy everywhere we look, that has caused seventy percent of young people, raised in "Christian" homes, to be antagonized by and later desert the church. 

Compared to most disciplines, psychology is a very new science study, I so remember one of my professors at UNC-CH, the actual writer of a much used textbook on psychology.  The science was new and I was sitting next to Dr. Guy Phillips, noted professor, as we listened to a PhD psychologist, describe his new science, he then showed film involving the human brain, of course, back then, the old fashion reels and projector were used.  One of the film broke and this esteemed psychology professor took out his belt and began to beat the projector.  Dr. Phillips said to me, "This does not speak well for his science."  The human brain, God's greatest creation, is magnificent beyond all words to describe.  Think of what the human brain has produced, when I was a young practitioner, sulfur drugs were important.  Now, most scientists know nothing about such.  When I was young, there were healing evangelists, and yet, the pontiff-Pope of the Catholic Church, still prays in a private chapel, as he has done for thousands of years.  In a world of technology, there are still people who forage for food, human beings who walk many miles to get potable drinking water.  In the complexity of the neurons, every homo sapien's brain, there is a Negro spiritual that comes into play, "Remember me when these chains get broken, set my body free, oh Lord remember me."