Sacred is thy Body..

Greetings sacred people!....

Thought I would give a different salutation this time..An appropriate greeting considering that the title of today's entry is ...Sacred is thy body..."Why on God's earth are you writing about things being sacred Mr. Verifiedbeliever?" Well, my logic is not that Christmas is coming soon but that people should be reminded of their sacredness every so often...Maybe everyday! We usually leave that to the clergymen of the various religions and to the many TV evangelists who have reserved their Sunday spot for the benefit of many believers...Yea the daily grind of life does a number on each one of us as we 'zoom along' life's fast lane looking for excitement, big profits...and Mick Jagger's elusive 'satisfaction'...Being sacred is furthest from everyone's mind..well at times even the clergy might find it hard to believe.. that yes...people ...all people.. are indeed sacred! Some may say that the church could be considered a 'clean, slick, well oiled survival machine'!.. Why so hard on today's churches Mr. Verifiedbeliever!?" Well..when people get caught up in their own little world other people just zoom by them and the harsh reality of their individual sacredness is lost!..Making these harsh statements can be partly justified and criticizing a local church minister isn't usually done...A simple wrong such as the denial of what is human has blackened my confidence in the church...To be fair and also specific one must remember that many churches in the Annex area of Toronto do help the homeless and are doing charitable works within the general community..but I'm a firm believer that a minister of a particular church should represent that church well and his actions should at least be deemed appropriate most of the time..Well...my fury was like a 'powder keg' last Tuesday when a local minister was invited to speak at a community dinner event...I'm a firm believer in attending church dinners and also donating money for their upkeep.. since most of these dinners are designed for the marginalized of society...A nominal fee usually buys one a good quality meal and all proceeds and donations are used to provide people with a place to go and a place to have dinner..Fellowship and respect is encouraged..or so I thought! Well...after attending most Tuesdays I met a senior citizen...a grand old guy of 78 who lifts weights everyday and is a born again Christian...We had many talks about how the bible teaches us and I must say he was very knowledgeable! His knowledge was validated by the fact that he read a verse every day for the past 40 years! He really touched my soul and on this particular Tuesday came in with dirty clothes and smelled badly..I asked him what had happened..He explained that he was kicked out of his apartment for no justifiable reason and all his belongings were trashed...An illegal act for sure but later explained he was too old to fight it.. Well if that wasn't bad enough... he only had one dollar and couldn't even pay for the 7 dollar dinner we both attended!..I paid for his dinner happily and we all had a good thanksgiving meal..After the minister's speech we went to the back to talk.. I wanted to know why he was living in bus shelters for 13 days..I recommended a couple of missions which could help him get off the street..I also gave him another 4 dollars to get a few cups of coffee..I wish I could of done more but he was very distraught and suicidal and didn't want to go to any shelter..I felt a minister could talk to him better than I considering that he may have had more experience in these matters...After the minister's speech I approached him and asked him if he wanted to talk to a senior citizen that is presently homeless..I was hoping he could give him some spiritual guidance or could recommend a church where he could stay temporarily.. so as to calm his suicidal thoughts....Well what came out of his mouth was pure selfishness and indifference!..He explained he didn't have the time now and told me to go to the coordinator of the community program for help...I explained that the reason why I approached him was because he was a minister and that I was was very concerned for his safety..I firmly believed that he could of guided him better then the coordinator could..His indifference was shocking and to tell you the truth I even felt unimportant to him as he was too consumed with talking to two ladies that were sitting next to him!
As my friend and I talked about finding a shelter to go to this minister and his two lady friends whizzed past us..unconcerned by us but totally absorbed with their own conversations...Well after witnessing all this for myself I can now understand why a lot of people do not go to church...electing to do good deeds outside the church is something far more superior than going through the motions of kneeling in prayer! Yes the business aspect of running a church has given me a deeper insight on it's true reason for being...

Yea all life should be considered precious and the most sacred part of being human is sometimes lost in the shuffle of busy feet stepping over each other.. The pursuit of what life can offer can cloud a person's thinking and before you know it people are taken for granted as people scramble to find meaning...Well after mildly proving how unimportant our bodies are let us give an example of what we as a society are focused on..Money, costs, efficiency or the perpetual desire to pad the bottom line is something that all companies strive to obtain..Dare anyone refute this and you will have many executive types pounding their fists at the next board meeting.. Let us give a sad but interesting example of how certain major companies view the word sacred as it pertains to being human..The TTC as we all know has been downplaying the importance of suicide on their property..Many deaths occurred due to people falling on TTC tracks..Many deaths were accidental but a lot were actual acts of suicide..The figure that the Toronto Sun published was 150 dead so far...but it was the figure that the TTC gave the media..Actual numbers could be substantially higher..There are numerous suicide barriers installed in Europe which has prevented many deaths on their own subways.. If they didn't believe that humanity was sacred they would of not installed them..What does the TTC do? Well...they have been 'foot dragging the issue' for many years complaining that the costs would be too high..Is it not worth it to save many lives? Does the TTC realize that they have a moral responsibility to act? If the costs were too high and not within their budget why don't they start a public donation trust fund to pay for these suicide barriers?...Or have a committee or 'think tank' study ways that would save lives..A very simple suggestion would be do be proactive about this very important issue!..Another suggestion would be to slow down the subway car before it enters the station...and then have it coast to a certain marker..giving a potential suicide or accident victim ample time to be saved..The TTC management's response to this very good suggestion was that it could infringe on the efficiency schedule of the TTC..Some drivers say they would only loose 2 minutes out of every hour by adopting this technique..A mere 2 minutes to save a life? If a society cannot wait 2 minutes to save a life what kind of society are we living in? Those 'mule type idiots' from TTC management say they cannot do this because they are already log-jammed with the present load. They also have been thinking of adding more cars to handle the rush hour crowd ... Well Well..the word sacred has no meaning to the TTC because all they are concerned with is moving people within the Toronto area....Their perspective is that costs and efficiency would benefit more if they viewed their customers as cattle that have to be moved faster and faster.. A more logical alternative is to let the paying public decide how important this issue is! This may force those mule heads within the TTC to finally act! We as a society need to stand up and be accountable for deaths that happen needlessly..The act of caring for others is a sacred covenant that should not be broken..Indifference is a form of hatred!

The word sacred exists only in the mind of the puritan or the religiously right wing of society...Of course we can bow down to our favourite sacred saint or genuflect to Our Sacred Heart of Mary.. Our obsession with the materialistic gives us all the incentive to make as much money as we can while we unhappily go to our jobs..Just trying to survive gives people little time to consider if we should be treating each other as sacred...Nevertheless let's explore it further...

The word sacred means that something or someone is made of holiness...we by this definition come from a spiritual womb so we should be sacred and because of this we are considered spiritual brothers and sisters..Well this 'pie in the sky reasoning' sounds very cosy and convenient to a Heaven of some sort but if we observed what is going on on this planet we can see how being sacred is nothing but a pipe dream reserved for angels, saints, the Eucharist, the Pope, and JC himself!

Well as I ponder on how money and industrial progress have become our sacred gods let us give a concrete example of that in modern society... Andy Warhol as you know was a famous artist in the 60's and his own perceptive artistic powers mesmerized art lovers all over the world...His power and influence in the art world eventually became sacred in the minds of art collectors and his candid portraits of ordinary things gave commercial art a new meaning and also elevated it's value... His pop art became an obsession to some and his paintings of the famous Campbell soup can and synthetic polymer paint on 32 canvases was really carrying it too far...but the public praised his artistic genius..One example of how money is left right and centre in our concious mind was Andy Warhol's recent sale of a giant canvas of 200 one dollar bills! This really demonstrates how sacred money is to our world!..The painting sold for 43.7 million US at Sotheby's Art auction house in New York! As his final curtain call his own self portrait was sold to a London collector for 5.4 million! I wonder how many sacred bodies that much money can feed in a starving African nation? Well Well...as this sacred world turns!

Still rambling Mr. Verifiedbeliever? Well I would of ended it by now but this topic really 'rattles my brain' till no end!...How can we really know that our bodies are really sacred or dare I say ....HOLY? One way we can know that are bodies were meant to be considered sacred is how the Ultimate Designer planned it! Whoever you want to call him...I love calling him "The Bigga Bossa upadera!"...but there are so many other names for him..including Jehovah, The Universal Mind, God, The Eternal One, The Master Mind..Let's make this point very clear: This entry is not about religion. It is about human sacredness and how it fits in the scheme of things..We must remember that Adam and Eve were originally considered sacred or holy in the eyes of the Eternal One but their evil deeds of disobedience made them mortal..If they would of chose the path to obedience then they would of been a sacred or the holy manifestation of the Creator..Choosing disobedience meant that we all have to prove ourselves within our lifetime..So in a way we have been given our spiritual sacredness but with strings attached!
"Ok Ok Mr. Verifiedbeliever cut to the chase ok!"..."You are driving us bonkers"! Well patience is indeed a sacred virtue my dear people! Let's begin: Being called the Verifiedbeliever is really an honour I have bestowed upon myself.. The sacred part of me has driven me to write about this..
Here's the proof! We are all sacred by virtue of how are bodies harmonize with nature and our environment..Let's take certain sacred plants and medicinal herbs...There are many people who cannot tolerate the thermogenic heat generated by herbs such as cayenne pepper..Little do people know this little herb can literally kill bacteria, viruses and can admirably substitute for nitroglycerine when having a cardiac arrest!!..It can also rebuild the lining of the stomach as well as increase blood circulation throughout the body!..There must be a reason why this little herb can do all this naturally and without any dangerous side effects..Could it be that it was put on this earth to heal our bodies? It sounds extremely logical that it could be here as a strong medicine so that people can benefit...Even aspirin which is made from the bark of a tree can have protective qualities for our cardiovascular system..Can we not assume these herbs are sacred since it's own reason for being is to cure, heal, and protect? Can we also co relate these medicinal plants and herbs to our own bodies?...Well...today's entry is Sacred is thy body..Is our body in itself sacred? When the Eternal One created the first man and woman his original intentions were for them to be immortal and spiritually sacred...Once they disobeyed the Eternal One they became very mortal and their original claim of sacredness was forfeited..This has been passed on to succeeding generations as we consistently prove to the world that purity is an elusive dream reserved for higher spiritual beings..Our bodies by design cannot be sacred because it functions within the material universe..and we all know that chaotic events are considered the norm within our physical universe..Let us examine our bodies a little closer and analogize how it functions: To give a concrete live testimonial of what actually happens behind the scenes as people gain weight smoke or drink heavily..let us examine what happens at the cellular level..I recently had a test done to measure the inflammation within my blood..The exact amount of C.R.P is a marker for cardiac risk..A test called the hs C.R.P test measures the amount of c-reactive protein within our blood..As a person gains weight their c-reactive protein increases in response to invading inflammatory microbes..each c-reactive protein molecule binds to each invading microbe and this sets up a corresponding white blood cell to destroy it..As we gradually loose weight our C.R.P levels decrease as we simultaneously lower our cardiac risk.. This is considered normal and if you analogize what is really happening we would be amazed to learn that internal bodily wars are an everyday occurrence.. White blood cells and invading bacteria are constantly at war with each other.. Well if our bodies are not sacred things then why the title Sacred is thy Body? Well...to answer that question we need to believe that each individual event may not be sacred in itself but the reason for it's existence is! The battle between white blood cells and those bacterial invaders is a necessary occurrence because it will eventually answer the sacred question as to who will be healthy and who will not! The word sacred is used because there could be an ultimate designer or creator at work here..and certain people may have to die before other people can take their place...So in retrospect people are sacred not because their bodies are sacred but the most important reason is because their reason for being is!!!...My my... is your sacred head spinning yet?

As we compare our reasons for being to our bodies we can come to the conclusion that we are more than our individual parts and to view our worth as humans we need to examine why we are here... We are born and after a few decades we die..That is not a very sacred event if we do nothing to make the world a better place..Is it? Well to justify one's life as important we need to be important to oneself and to others...A mother who sacrifices 18 years of her life to raise children is considered sacred because of the inborn maternal instinct to be a mother...Therefore Motherhood is sacred because it serves and protects children..A child knows who their mother is and a sacred bond of love and trust is immediately formed....This is considered natural and automatic..The majority of mothers raise their children once birth enters the picture...Of course one can choose not to become a mother and therefore forfeits her rights to this sacred bond..either by abstaining from marriage or blocking the birth process.. or in some sad cases agreeing to an abortion once pregnant..In this instance a sacred bond has been violated..The act of serving is therefore a sacred act and has it's place within the material universe..The message of Jesus Christ is considered sacred but there are millions of Catholics who praise and worship him as a god..They marvelled at his miracles and good deeds..To emulate him is considered more sacred then worshipping him...but millions of Catholics still worship him as a god while downplaying what they themselves can actually do to make the world a better place..

Let us examine another sacred act...My favourite topic is music..One of the most powerful singers today is Michael Jackson...He is powerful because he has the support of millions.. People are in tune with his dancing and singing...He really knows how to excite and entertain..His famous moon walk dance took his career to the stratosphere as millions were left thunderstruck as he glided on the stage...This man was indeed an interesting and controversial artist..He was controversial because of his associations with children..To call him a child molester is presumptuousness and judgemental..Let the creator judge him as it is the only universal entity who rightfully can.. There are millions of people who have judged him as evil and corrupt but they still buy his records...His uncanny movements and songs has a power all it's own..Self generating and immense his message is..What is most important about Michael Jackson is not his sexy looks or even his fancy twirls but his enduring and powerful spirit within...It is ever so greater than the man himself..more powerful than anyone can imagine..When coupled with an intense spiritual determination it takes on a life of it's own.. My personal belief is that he was an imperfect human being who was chosen to deliver a powerful but sacred message to the world!..Even though he was not pure or angelic his message to the world was! You decide if the following utube Grammy awards 1988 concert is considered sacred! Man in the Mirror is considered a powerful song which tells the world that we all can change..My personal belief is that the Almighty does inspire imperfect people to deliver powerful sacred messages..Click on the following link and decide for yourself!..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4COxumzxKw
After watching him sing this song many times I can feel the magic and the power of it..It reaches powerful heights because Michael Jackson believes the message is true within the deepest part of his persona...His dance moves, emotions, and powerful performance catapults the message of change to great heights!

Well as we summarize Sacred is thy Body let us remember how many people have died from the hands of drunk drivers...Not every drunk driver causes death on the road but in 2008 over 3 million drunk drivers have been documented..Do people consider the safety of others when they have a drink before they drive? So... Remember.. the next time you are at a party and your buddy says ... "you want one more for the road Fred"?In response say "Can I leave my car here tonight John?..I want to call a cab"!

Stay tuned for the next entry of the verifiedbeliever! Ciaoooooooo Luv yaaaaaaaa!