IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD

Destroying remarks float around and out of the schoolyards as freely as if the whole purpose of these facilities was to teach and perpetuate the art, or maybe it has become a science, of bringing one another down. Whether this degrading practice is something brought from home or is a byproduct of the schoolyard atmosphere, makes little difference, since the image damaging attacks continue unabated, being spewed loud and from generation to generation, over asphalt and grass.

Sadly, the targets are often those, who by some act of nature, have already had to start their young lives with two strikes against them or with one hand tied behind them. If we could linger near the schoolyard fences before, after or during lunch and recess times, we would quickly realize that these evil practices have no boundaries over which they do not spill. They are just as viciously spit out equally to all races, abilities and social groups.

Whoever the evil words are directed toward, their purpose always has but a single aim, which is to attack and ultimately bring another child of God to a lower state of self-esteem. This ugly practice of trying to lower others with the twisted aspiration that somehow we will personally rise to a higher status, has been perpetuated so long and the general populace has become so skilled at the sarcastic or demeaning cut, it is a wonder that mankind hasn’t, (as some have theorized we all began) returned to the muck from which we came.

We attack physical attributes, as is we all had the choice of rearranging our genetic makeup at will. (Just think of the billions upon billions of dollars which are spent annually, because for some reason we have been made to think that our bodies fall short in one or a number of categories)

You are too fat – You are too skinny – You have four eyes – Your hair looks like a carrot – You are bald – You have a comb-over – Your nose is too big – Your nose is too crooked – Your belly is too big – Your muscles are out of proportion – Your skin is too dark – You look like a ghost – etc. etc. etc.

We attack mental ability, as if we all had total control over the quickness of the electrodes in our brains.

You are an egghead – You are a dunce – You are the teacher’s pet – You are a rascal – You are a nerd – You are a dummy – etc. etc. etc.

I pray I have not unwittingly supplied some with a supply of new demeaning cuts. My purpose in giving these examples was just to bring reality to this Thought. I also pray that your mind is not opening up to the many additional rude and cutting remarks you have heard during your lives.

As we move from the schoolyard into what some have referred to as ‘real life’, many of us, while adding calendar years to our increasingly creaky bodies, hold fast to these childish bullying tendencies. We go to our places of employment or our social groups and spend the day tearing down and destroying each other’s characters and abilities. Spewing forth words which will make our fellow workers, (another euphemism we use in order to make strangers out of our brothers and sisters, who all share the commonality of a singular set of Heavenly Parents) look and feel less than they really are.

They can't figure things out – They are lazy – They are a kiss up – If you could hear what they say behind your back – They are only concerned for themselves – etc. etc. etc.

There seems to be a graduate school for those who really excel in making great things small. For those who have become bored and are no longer content with tearing down mere mortals, (whose flaws are after all, so easily recognized), that they have turned to attacking God striving to make Him nothing, just as they have done with a brother or sister. They heap guile upon guile until they feel they have achieved their ultimate goal of making Him nothing.

If God is good why is there so much evil in the world – God no longer exists – God is a devise of man to control others – Belief in God is a crutch for the weak – Anyone with an ounce of intelligence understands the concept of God has just been a belief perpetuated so that men can have a name by which to command their destruction of one another – etc. etc. etc.

As I have witnessed the ongoing diatribe coming from the schoolyards, work places, social groups, heaping condemnations on brother, sister, fellow and friend and observed those who have moved through the elementary levels and on to the graduate level of spewing condemnation upon God, some quotes from an article I read years ago (December 3, 1986) in the Christian Century, seem appropriate.

It is an astonishing reflection that at the beginning moment in the history of the Universe, all of the hydrogen would have turned to helium if the force of attraction had been only a few percent stronger. (Bernard Lovell)

In the stars, carbon just manages to form and then just avoids complete conversion into oxygen. If one atomic level had varied half a percent, life would have been impossible. (Fred Hoyle)

The odds against a universe like ours coming out of something like the big bang are enormous. I think there are clearly religious implications. (Stephen Hawking)

But how can there be Intelligence behind the creation? Have we not reduced God to nothing? After all, if man in all his nothingness can explain away God, then God really must be nothing.

It would be a shame if we woke from our mortal death to find out we
had been so caught up in our childish kindergarten game of ‘slam our neighbor’ that we then hear our Eternal Father say ‘in spite of all my reaching out, in spite of my constant grace and mercy, you were so busy with your absurd game of degrading one another and Me, that you never recognized my hand during you three score and ten.

Just one more quote from the previously mentioned article in the Christian Century.

In our 150 pounds of protoplasm, in our three pounds of brain, there may be more operational organization that there is in the Andromeda Galaxy. The number of associations possible among our ten billion neurons, and hence number of thoughts humans can think, may exceed the number of atoms in the universe. (Holmes Ralston III)

I believe the sooner we can become dropouts from the vulgar spewing of insulting epithets which affects society to such a horrendous degree, the sooner we will realize the wondrous and good characteristics in others, the marvelous abilities our fellows have and most importantly, the marvels and comfort which come from drawing closer to our Heavenly Father.

What a staggering thought that man may really be a being of unlimited capabilities derived from the eternal DNA of Exalted Parents, and should therefore, be treated with utmost respect.

Which leads us to an even more important thought. If man has such unlimited capacity, what might be the capabilities of an Exalted Being? Would He not be ultimately worthy of being worshiped with reverent thoughts and words?

It is little wonder that when Moses came to know God that he also came to know there was not anything that was too hard for the Lord. (Old Testament – Genesis 18:14)

Therefore, I believe it is not too difficult for him to cause me to have a change of heart, so that I no longer feel a need to denigrate the character of a brother or sister and even more importantly that my heart can be turned to seek Him rather than diminish Him.