BTW, above I said, "The trance state itself, therefore, is neutral." IMO, the same is true of G0D.
In other words, there is no god out there, demanding that we worship and obey him, or her, before we can qualify to be blessed with favours.
Here is how I see it: GOD, IMO, is nothing more, or less, than pure love in action, not a superhuman being who makes demands of us.
It seems to me that this means that it is up to us to freely choose to connect with and to use all the god-like power there is available. This power is available and free for the asking. I feel it would be foolish of me not to do so.
The following anecdote will illustrate what I mean:
THE STORY
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It was a Friday evening about 5 PM., when the phone rang. I was in the process of getting ready to take the family out to dinner.
The voice on the other end of the line was that a young teenager. When I said, hello, I could sense the desperation in her voice. When she told me who she was, I recognized her as a church member who came fairly regularly, and had taken the lectures on pneumatology, which I gave as a regular part of my teaching ministry. Her mother came, once in awhile, with the daughter's two-year old brother. The father never came. The family lived in a rented house. Obviously not well off, they lived near, if not below, the poverty line.
"Rev. King, I am calling from a pay phone, not far where we have lived, 'till now.", she said, "Dad has been without work for the last while and we got so far behind in our rent we have been evicted. We have no money, and I have no idea even where we can stay tonight. Can you help us. I feel so ashamed ... having to ask."
In response, I told her: "Let me pause for a moment to gather my thoughts ... " Then I went on: "I have a solution in mind, but before I tell you what it is, may I ask if you remember what we talked about in the pneumatology classes--about finding answers to the problems life often throws at us?"
"Yes!" she said, "You told us that God, is Spirit, not a human-like being; that Spirit is the source of all solutions to life problems; that if we opened ourselves to receive the answers we need, and if we actively pursued matters, not just by asking, but by using our imaginations to visualize the answers as coming to us, somehow--maybe from others. The answers needed are there for us...." She paused for a moment and, obviously in tears, added: "This is why I called you."
After she told me that she was more than willing to use her imagination to get things started I asked. "Is your mother nearby?" When she responded "yes!" I said, "let me speak to her. I want get her in on the whole process."
My chat with the youth's mothers was also a very positive one and she also agreed to use her imagination in the same way agreed on by her daughter. Then I asked: "What about your husband? ... May I talk with him? There more involved, the better."
The mother apologized and said: "He is not at all religious. He is very cynical about churches. They are just businesses, he says, and only interested in people with money."
"Perhaps some churches are. He may have had a bad experience with one. Never the less, let me have a word with him."
It took a minute or so, but they were able to get him to come to the phone.
"I just finished putting the last few items we own on the small truck I have....which I may have to sell" he said.
Briefly, without blaming him in any way, I went over the conversation I had had with his wife and daughter. I asked him to tell me what he thought of religion. He was very open about his attitude and was a bit embarrassed that his daughter had called me. Then I asked him if he was willing to join in the meditative process with his daughter and wife.
He responded: "I would feel like a hypocrite if I prayed now that I am in trouble ..."
I said, "I am not asking you to pray to a god..." I said, I am asking you to use your reason and your imagination." I sensed that he was surprised and relieved by this comment. He became more open.
Then this thought came to me to ask him: "Do believe it is the rational thing to do to use all the tools available to modern media? Tools like telephones, radios, computers and the like to help people find jobs, places to live, etc.?"
"Of course!" He said.
"Right now, your daughter used the phone to phone me, right? And you know what she asked ..."
When he acknowledged that he knew why she had phoned me, I asked him if, on his truck, he had mattresses, bedding and blankets and enough of other things to make do for the week-end-- I explained that social services are closed until Monday--He responded, "Yes, we do ..."
I said, "Good! Be at the church parking lot--it is not far from you--about 30 or 40 minutes from now. Here is my plan: I will let you in the church building. Another denomination rents the sanctuary and offices on Saturday, but there is a comfortable room, or two; and there is a kitchen where you can prepare food.
Get a good night's rest and I will talk to you and your family tomorrow and Sunday. Then we will make plans as to what we need to say to social services on Monday about their shelter program.
Then I said to the husband: "You say you do not believe in a god who answers prayers, but you do believe in computers which, if we know how to search, gives us information, agreed?"
"Yes!" he said.
"OK then" I said, "meanwhile, here is what I want you to do: Take five minutes and think of GOD--[I gave him my usual mini talk on this.]--as a very powerful computer with a search engine program. Visualize, imagine, that you are using this search engine to find a job and an affordable place to rent--no pleading with, or begging from, a god out there, OK?. Then leave it at that and I'll see you shortly, as arranged.
THIS FAST ACTION EVEN AMAZED ME
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About one half hour later, just as I was getting my keys to go to the car and drive to the church, the phone ran.
"Rev, King, Jack here. Am I glad I got you before you left your house. I did as you said and that imaginary computer/search-engine exercise did the trick. I was amazed with the results. And so fast! You do not need to come to the church tonight.
"Shortly after I stopped using the imaginary computer and search engine I remembered a note that I had put in my wallet--It was well over a year ago. On the note was the name of a fellow trucker and friend--not close, but in my mind still a friend--who I met, and chatted with often, at a truck stop. More than once he invited me to give him a call, anytime.
"I had no idea where he was when I called tonight, but I did have his name and number. When I phoned he sounded really glad to hear from me. Then, with an apology, I explained to him what led me to make the call. I told him the whole situation of my family and me.
"His response really amazed me." He said:
"Since we met last I have struck it real lucky. I now own three trucks. You called me at precisely the right time. I need a driver. Come on out. The wife and I have no children, yet. We live in an old farm house which we just renovated, and which is about an hour and twenty minutes north west of Toronto.
"There plenty of room for you, your wife and two children. Thank that daughter of yours. Her call to that church has brought us together again. If your as good a man as I think you are, Jack, maybe, the good Lord willing, we can make this business grow.
"Anyway, we'll soon find out. Come and let's talk things over."
