KEN’S POETIC PRELUDE to this week’s CedarS Met (to be sent soon with audio):
HEAR on YouTube a KEN COOPER POEM, “Jonah” and two monologues, “Wilt thou be made whole?” and “Simon the Pharisee”. All three are inspired by application of ideas and citations in this week’s Bible Lesson.
[Ken wrote:] “All that is everlasting is the now, the “I AM THAT I AM” that has been uttering the Word of God ever since now began. Now has no past or future, – it is simply the present existence of the omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent God, the All–in-all. God does not consider past or future. Life is the vibrant now of being, complete, perfect, infinite good, beyond any threat. All healing is a recognition of the now of present perfection. We do not have to wait for redemption. God is not preparing a welcome back for some future date. Man is the full expression of what God is thinking, and this includes gladness and joy in which is no sorrow or mourning. This gladness and joy is the everlasting I AM. Now will always exist as God’s expression of Himself. There is nothing else.
The beauty of the present is found in the knowledge that the past can be forgiven. “Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear, – this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony” (s6 324:2-4). We see in the Bible stories this week the profound change this makes.
Jonah had made up his mind to disobey God, and went his own way. The poem “Jonah” (read by my son James), tracks his progress. Despite his disobedience, God still loved him. Love is always what it is. A way is always provided for our redemption because infinite Love links with infinite Mind in knowing here and now “every human need”. Jonah’s innate honesty leads him to his own three days and nights of deep thought, in which he finds a renewed motivation, the stone in his thinking was rolled away, and a renewed obedience to the God he loves was rewarded by the salvation of many. It shows the impact one person can have. Ninevah was saved. The extreme wickedness of all those in Ninevah was forgiven, for in their repentance they were freed from their past. In the now of true love, repentance makes free, and history is expunged.
The man by the pool of Bethesda was stuck in his history, and needed to change his thinking. This was the false landmark Jesus came to heal: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, – which means now. Man is not trapped in his past. Jesus said to him “Wilt thou be made whole?” A huge question. Many are content to stay as they are, despite all the limitations, but the question applies to everyone who believes in a mortal identity. Jesus was addressing that man’s state of mind, not his physicality, for he knew man’s true nature was as God made him, as God loves him. The monologue takes his whole story through to meeting Jesus again, and the instruction to “sin no more”. This is the progress, when the desire to sin is washed away, as is inevitable. When its nothingness is seen, forgiveness is the inevitable result. He obtained “gladness and joy”.
The theme continues with “Simon the Pharisee”. In this monologue, the proud Pharisee is intent on understanding what makes Jesus so popular, – more than him! He invites him to his house, and perhaps only because he is intrigued by everything about Jesus, he allows the harlot to enter (would we have done?) wanting to see Jesus’ reaction. Her repentance is clear and genuine, and Jesus’ admonishment of Simon is severe. The result of her repentance is unmistakable: “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:” . The release from her past, the fruit of forgiveness, gave her renewed gladness and joy, but Simon was left in doubt. “Wilt thou be made whole?” applied to him. The monologue ends “Am I really prepared to put God first? All the time? Before me? The choice is mine.” While he believes in choice, his mortal self clouds the sunshine of Life.
In the now of being, man is the full reflection of his Father, the expression of Love. In this reality of now we have no choice, for the perfection of God is the present perfection and governance of man. In repentance, there is forgiveness, thought becomes aligned with Love, and God is recognized as ALL, the eternal now of man’s ever-present Life.
PDF copies of the poem and monologues in available in color and B&W on the top right of the week’s metaphysical article. See YouTube Ken Cooper Poetry for all Ken’s videos.
