.by Rev. Bob Johnson
Talking as I did last week about structure, I want to hasten to add that there is need for structure. If the Church as we know it today should die, we would have to find another structure in which to enrich and enlarge our understanding of God's will.
There are many, as you know, who claim to be doing God's will. The terrorists of almost a year ago claimed the United States was the "Great Satan." As such, these warriors for their god sought to begin the destruction of the "Great Satan". While we have not been destroyed, one has to admit that we, the people of the United States, have been shaken, wounded, if you will.
More than a few doubts continue to plague us. We have discovered some destructive forces in our body - you know that body politic we call "The United States". Some of our financial agents have lied to us and misused that with which we entrusted them. Jobs, savings, retirement plans have all taken a beating. Some have been destroyed all together.
So, have we learned anything? May I say, I have learned again the truth: that always we need to begin with people, the "inner kingdom" of persons, the "hearts" of people. Only when the creation of a structure follows the heart's desire to learn a greater truth, a greater love, a more encompassing understanding of the sacred, do structures reflect such strength. When we can look beyond the dim reflection of ourselves in a mirror and see God's truth, then our structures will serve us in grace and truth.
So long as we play the role of the double minded (James 1:-5-8), our perception of doing God's will remains in a deficient state. James is talking about that state of a human being as a person with two souls or two minds inside of them. One believes the Word of God; the other disbelieves. Our problem is that when we have success we attribute it to ourselves, thus planting the seeds of selfishness and greed. Remember "live" spelled backwards is "evil". To live without cultivating the seeds of God's love in the soil of your soul is to live backwards.
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