Courtesy - Riverside CA Press-Enterprise
by Pamela Gray and John Gray
Pamela Gray: Two weeks ago, we shared an exquisite hour with Christina and Sanford honoring the majestic kingdom of animals. We appreciate that one spirit is present in all forms of creation. The kingdoms of the earth naturally give glory to their creator; they proudly display their unique beauty and fulfill the purposes for which they were created. They instinctively rise to loving human touch, whether it’s in person or vibrationally, as in a gathering like ours now. Whatever our topic of consideration, we extend care and stewardship. This is what provides balance for our planet: the healing power of love and unity.
In appreciation for the majesty of nature I would like share images my lens has captured of their gifts, so freely given. Let’s relax with these photos accompanied by music and lyrics by Libera. I invite us all to welcome this opportunity for radiation to the earth and all its forms of life.
[ Slideshow by Pamela Gray, accompanied by “I Am the Day” by Libera ]
John Gray: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [make full] the earth, and subdue it [provide control]: and have dominion [govern; have lordship] over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. [Gen 1:26-28]
These familiar words from the Book of Genesis spell out the role, the place and purpose, of human beings on earth. Here are a few more well-known lines:
“…there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. [Gen. 2:6-8]
Eden is not just a special place on earth; it is the earth—the whole, holy planet. Interestingly, an ancient Hebrew root of the word Eden means “place of pleasure.” There is no earth without heaven, of course, for heaven and earth are one, so Eden refers to the heavenly-earthly whole. Here every LORD God still places the men and women whom He and She forms.
Let’s pause for an identity check: Do I see heaven as something around me but mostly above me, connecting me to God? This perspective was necessarily predominant early on when somehow, through someone, we began to first become aware of the radiance of spirit, the presence of Shekinah. The initial noticing of this Presence began the response phase of what many of us know as the One Law, and as that deepened and became more constant and conscious, the third phase of the Law, attraction, came to the fore. We found ourselves compelled to move toward what we perceived as the source of light.
What’s necessary now is to continue to come all the way through: I AM the One who comes into the world of space and time through the medium of the pneumaplasmic heaven. Heaven is then known as not just something above, connecting the human “me” to God (though it does), but in actual personal experience I AM the One who comes here and now in the name of the Greater Lord. This is how God’s government works, through those who share identity in the very source of the divine design. I AM the LORD God who breathes into these nostrils the breath of life and causes this form to manifest as a living soul.
I’m using language cautiously here, concerned that because many words may be familiar we may think we understand all they mean. I often find it edifying to look at a certain word’s roots, for roots can suggest why the word came into existence in the first place, usually in languages older than English. While digging into the roots can provide a few clues, we must breathe the breath of life into a word to bring forth its figurative limbs and branches and leaves. In this way, transcendent meaning becomes apparent to those with eyes to see. Words have heavens when they’re used to express spirit; and it is through their heavens that meaning is conveyed.
“Climate change” is a charged buzz term these days. It’s a big geopolitical issue and growing bigger, maybe especially in most of the world’s more industrialized societies, but everywhere else, too. Opinions about it run strong on all sides. There are those who deny that climate changes are caused by human behavior, or that they’re really happening at all. Others scream that humanity must take drastic measures now before it’s too late. Between these extreme opinions lies a vast sea of more or less apathetic attitudes: “Just let me live my life.” As with everything in human experience, how we see something and especially how we feel about it matters more and has more effect than most people realize. Major motivators behind opposing measures believed to mitigate climate change are greed and an insular self-centeredness. On the other end of the opinion spectrum, the major motivator back of pushing for taking actions believed to slow down the process is, all too often, an underlying fear. Preserving the manmade world is the goal, and where does that get us? People opposed to climate change measures accuse activists of being unjustified alarmists; proponents, on the other hand, consider opposers to be just plain ignorant or worse. And as with many issues in human nature societies, one has to ask, where’s the middle ground? Maybe there is no middle ground, but there is higher ground. I see untold millions of people who basically eschew greed and fear and anger and seek to live their lives motivated by nobler spirits. So many people simply care for the world—they love animals and fish and plants and “every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth”—including human creeps!—because it is more their nature to love than to judge. The voices of the highly opinionated may be loud, but true spiritual expression inevitably prevails. It may or may not be a conscious thing, and I think often that doesn’t matter so much, but those who love the world just as it is are aligning themselves with God’s attitude toward themselves and creation.
Such people are among innumerable invaluable participants in the body of God on earth, whether they know it with their minds or not. As commendable as this is and as vital as they are, even more essential are those who play parts in the conscious aspect of the collective body of God. It is through these “blessed ones”—which presumably include ourselves along with many others—that God’s love commands and wonders form.
The true climate for garden earth necessarily begins as an internal state of heart and mind. What governs my heart and mind? Our physical body processes exhibit a marvelous governing control at work, most of which cannot be mentally interfered with, which is a good thing! While remembering to breathe we might forget to circulate our blood. But what of heart and mind? Minds might be smart, but for the most part it’s what moves in the heart that governs peoples’ behavior. It’s said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” [Mat 12:34]—and people “acteth!”
The action of divine governance comes down from God out of heaven. Heaven is the medium of connection from earth upward and simultaneously the medium of radiation from above downward. The passage from Genesis I read earlier—“…there went up a mist from the earth”—refers to heavenly substance generated. Through this substance the LORD God is then able to “form man of the dust of the ground,” or, to put it another way, the LORD God, the individual incarnate God being, draws material substance into earthly form. This is not something that occurred only when our fetal bodies were in gestation, but has been underway in every moment since, and right now.
The heaven—the firmament or pneumaplasmic realm—connects “the waters under the firmament” and “the waters above the firmament”—another familiar reference from Genesis [Gen. 1:7]. The waters above refer to the true design or pattern (from pater, father) and the waters below refer to that true design manifested in form or matter (from mater, mother). The divinely governed world is functional on earth (including in human consciousness) when there is sufficient pneumaplasmic substance. Not only is the divine design manifested in and as human beings, but through human beings all the unending wonders of creation are formed alive.
This is why we are here. It’s not enough to nod and agree with what someone else may say, but to yield our whole hearts and minds so completely that the One who Dwells, the incarnate angel, the true Self, is given full and free access to live in the world. Then “Behold I make all things new.” [Rev. 21:5] We both generate the ascending mist that goes up from the earth, and we come into the world of our creation preceded by heaven. The waters above and the waters below are united in us. In this way, individually and all together, the earth, which is the Lord’s, is operationally restored. This is the real climate change that’s required.
Following Comments…
John Gray: Many people go into the natural world to enjoy and soak in the sense of peace and tranquility that’s felt in that environment. Our role is to walk in this garden-world in the cool of the day, understanding that what we sense from the natural world is actually a welcome. It awaits us. We are here to bless it, to fill the world with heaven. The earth is the Lord’s and He is present in it because I am present.
“I own this” is my attitude. We own our actions, we own our thoughts and words, we own what they create, and we love it all with all we are!