Monday, December 27, 2004

Hope for the New Year!

Greetings to All,

Another year is about to end. It has been, as always, filled with good and bad which is of course all relative. Some think the fact that George Bush was re-elected was a good thing… others think is was a sad day for our planet. Reality and what’s good and evil is a matter of perspective and opinion – everything depends on point of view. Most of us are quite sure we are RIGHT (as in correct) in our opinions and that the world would be a better place if everyone else agreed with us. But, we can probably all accept that we are not always right about everything. If we believed that the quality of life on this planet and beyond out to a zillion other planets in the Universe was at the mercy of our decisions on a day to day basis, would we take more care with how we lived each day?

If you accept that every action causes a reaction, you will know that every action you take plays a part in creating your future, the future of those around you and the rest of creation. Some of us have been given great power to affect the world with our actions. Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha and lesser know Enlightened Spirits have lived lives that inspired massive transformations in consciousness – unfortunately although most would consider their messages Good, even Godly, their messages have often been subverted to evil purposes and good people have been lead to evil deeds that they were convinced were right, they may even believe they were divinely ordained. It’s all a matter of point of view.

Possibly, in the New Year, more of us can come to realize that we are each an integral part of a world community and that anything that diminishes or harms any of us hurts us all just as every kind word or act helps us all. Possibly we can realize that killing in the name of God is always an abomination, a total corruption of the messages of all of the enlightened beings that have lived among us. Possibly we can realize that while the ends can sometimes justify the means it is a dangerous path to follow and we will be required to pay for the mistakes we make. Every action we take will cause a reaction – we will be blessed as we bless others and we will suffer harm as we harm others – and that goes for all living things and our home, this Earth. It also does not matter whether we believe we are doing right or wrong – the Universe is non-judgmental BUT, there is perfect balance. The Love you get is equal to the Love you give.

Each day you have a chance for a new beginning – each day you can make the world a better place and even your smallest actions start a chain reaction that sends ripples throughout the world. May God bless you with the wisdom and insight to be a blessing to yourself and the world around you through the year ahead and beyond. Have a wonder-filled and Joyous New Year!

Friday, December 03, 2004

Make no mistake, Sizzla ain’t no Rasta, he’s an Imposta.

Have you heard of Sizzla? With such album titles as “Words of Truth” and “Rastafari Teach I Everything” you might think some words of wisdom and a righteous message would fill his music. Unfortunately, he has shown himself to be nothing more than an unenlightened thug. Here’s an excerpt from a London newspaper:

(London) A reggae performer whose music advocates killing gays says he has nothing to apologize for, instead claiming it is gays who must beg forgiveness. "They can't ask me to apologize," Sizzla told BBC radio on Thursday. "They've got to apologize to God because they break God's law." Sizzla, whose real name is Miguel Collins, is one of the largest selling reggae artists in the UK. His hit tune Pump Up has the line “Shot battybwoy, my big gun boom (Shoot queers, my big gun goes boom)”. He has consistently refused calls for an apology and continues to perform the song.

Make no mistake, Sizzla ain’t no Rasta, he’s an imposta.

Let’s get one thing straight - this is not about whether gays are breaking God’s Law or not - it is about another loser claiming God as his authority to promote a philosophy of hate. Sizzla is no different than a turd in the KKK or some neo-nazi. God will do a perfect job at dealing out rewards and penalties for breaking his Law. Anyone espousing a philosophy of hate needs to be rejected and condemned for the false message they carry. It is a shame – Sizzla has produced some great music but now we can only be embarrassed by him and regret that his ego has led him so far from righteousness.

Let's teach compassion to the world. Let's teach understanding. Let's teach Forgiveness - we should even forgive Sizzla for his lack of conciousness but we should never let it go unchallenged.

One Love,
Ras John