All the lonely people

I want you to be concerned about your next-door neighbor. Do you know your next-door neighbor?
..................................... Mother Teresa Love your neighbour


One of the best songs in the world is Eleanor Rigby, by the Beatles. Here are the lyrics:

I look at all the lonely people
I look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

The first time I ever heard this I cried. The words are very strong and show the kind of society that we live in today. With the material goods we have and the stress of daily life, who needs each other? We have time to think about ourselves. We do not have time or the urge to think about others.
It must be realistic that people like Eleanor Rigby will exist. Imagine the loneliness that they live in. It would be like being in a black hole or an island with no contact to others, where other people do not care.
Because we live in stress, we feel that we are not obligated to help people in need, or the weak people in society. That’s what the government does. They help people that need help. This is wrong. The government cannot reach out and give a hug. Only you can.
As a Christian, we cannot live as an island. We have to bring God’s friendship to others. In a nutshell, we cannot tolerate people living in loneliness. It is these people that Jesus would visit. It is these people that Jesus would console. It is these people Jesus would help.
Its these people that Jesus tells us to notice and help-

Helping in Gods name

In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.
..................................... Mother Teresa
When I was a young adult, I wanted to change the world. I had a plan. I would change the world through children and the weak. I started working with handicapped. This was slow work and my job was to help provide them with a home that they would feel safe in. My job was to give them love that they would feel accepted in their home. This meant lots of practical work. Making sure they had clean clothes, and something to eat. It also meant talking to them. The thing is that I came and would change everything. The mentally ill taught me something. They taught me to take life as it comes. Notice and respect the small things in life. Like spring flowers, like how delicate and beautiful snow is, like how a smile affects other people.
Later, I studied to be a pre-school teacher. I would change so many lives when I took care of the children. They would experience an adult that was there for them, that did things with them and that cared about their problems. I must admit, that I was a popular teacher. But once again it was the children that taught me. Again, notice the small things in life. Smile to others, play with a cardboard box if everything else was boring, and tell the truth.
Now I am older, I can say that misunderstood everything. Like Mother Teresa says, its not the big ambition and plans that will change the world. It is the small things that change the world. It is by helping someone that is in need. It is by treating others, as you would like them to treat you.
The important thing that I forgot is that we help others through the power of God. We should not take full responsibility for helping others; we only help others with the help from God.

The circus

I was watching GOD TV, where they have lots of evangelists and healers. It was amazing to watch. Good music and a preacher that praised God all the time, then he would say someone watching is being healed for a variety of reasons. Then someone would come on stage and testify. Then the preacher puts his hand on the person and they always fall back.
I was once at a service with an evangelist. People did not raise their hands in praise. People did not faint or speak in tongues. It was what I called a normal service. The preacher obviously was not used to this. He told us all to raise our hands in praise. We looked at each other to see who the first one will be. No one did. Then he said raise our hands if we believe in Jesus. One by one, hands were being raised. Then he started preaching. He had to accept that we did not say amen after every sentence. After the service, I could not remember what he said. I just remembered that I raised my hand because I believed in Jesus.
Did this make me a bad Christian? I thought something was wrong. I could not get into the “amen spirit”. I didn’t shake or start speaking in tongues. If he touched my forehead, I probably would have stood up and not fallen down.
A few days ago, I was speaking with someone that also saw GOD TV. We agreed that we didn’t remember what was being said. We would remember what I call the circus tricks. Like falling backwards because the preacher puts hands on you. Am I being too harsh? Or does this show a weakness in my faith?
Maybe the answer is that my faith is simple. This is my advice to everyone. Keep your faith personal and simple. If a religious rally or circus helps, then participate.. Whatever the case, we have to keep religion real. Keep it down to earth. Keep it as a private relationship between God and us.
Do not be fooled by people that turn Jesus into a magic show or circus.

Keep it simple

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

I remember when I was a child; it was so easy to believe in Jesus and what the Bible says. I suppose things were black and white at that stage. I didn’t have that many worries and I was happy. If you asked did I believe in Jesus, I would say that I did. I knew a lot about religion. I listened at mass and at religious classes, and I sucked it in. Jesus was a friend. I prayed to him, I thought of what he would say to different things and I wanted to be together with him when I died.

Then I became an adult. With the stress and busy life that came with it. As they years went by, I could see the injustice in the world, as well as the corruption. I sinned without thinking of the consequences. When I got divorced, I forgot about religion all together. Or at least I thought that Jesus and God were on holidays, and they didn’t care about me. The more that I became an adult, the more that I shoved Jesus out of my life.

Then I would look at the stars, and the childish amazement of how things look and are created came back to me. I started this blog as a place where I can keep my religious thoughts. I started thinking of Jesus as I did when I was a child. It is a simple belief that I have now. Jesus is the Son of God and died for our sins. He rose again after 3 days after conquering death. There are not that many questions as to if and how it could be true. I just believe that it is true.

I think that’s what Jesus means about this statement. If we do not have the time and energy to set aside the daily stress and the scientific proof we need for everything, then it is hard to believe. If we keep it simple, then we will have a strong faith. A faith that will help us in this life