RAISING UP IN SONG

 

 

“In whose heart there is no song, to him or her the miles are long,” Anonymous, (thanks to KARLA MUNDT).

 

In all of our lives we have songs that raise our joy meter or pull at our heart strings.  There are songs that make us feel free and alive, to celebrate or to cry, music comes from the hearts and souls of all people worldwide.  I am happiest when in song with family, friends or my God.  It may be in bed one cold Iowa night in February that I feel rising to the occasion in song for my deceased Grandma, IRENE FISHER, whose love kept me warm and cozy – may she rest in the peace of song appropriate to her personality.  The songs of songs may come to me the outdoorsman, where I talk to the trees and plants, the deer of the land or the birds of the sky, the air and the water and where we all dance for joy in perfect harmony.  This brings to mind one of my favorite songs, “The Sound of Music,” by Rogers and Hammerstein.  As one holy force, let us sing, raising up in song with our God, Great Spirit or Higher Power of the universe.

 

“The hills are alive with the sound of music

With songs they have sung for a thousand years

The hills fill my heart with the sound of music

My heart wants to sing every song it hears

 

My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise

From the lakes to the trees

My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies

From a church on a breeze

 

To laugh like a brook when it trips & falls

Over stones on its way

To sing thru the night

Like a lark who is learning to pray

 

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely

I know I will hear what I’ve heard before

My heart will be blessed with the sound of music

And I’ll sing once more”

 

I am just a silly 40 year old, whose tears roll down my face after every beautiful song like above.  Looking out my window, the sun is shining brightly across the land that I cherish; it brings back fabulous memories of the Green Mountains of Vermont, one of my jewels of all mountain ranges in the U.S.  My heart is billowing with music of love, to share my whole self, to surrender to those melodious tunes cascading down a mountainside of green pine so heavenly in succession with all benevolence among the dominion of all substantiality.  Just now, I hear the sounds of music chirping in the trees – the birds are welcoming the new morning sun with song.  It is only a rapturous existence when we rise up in song and measure out our whole substance to our God and our neighbors.  Our neighbors are all humans found throughout the world, mortals with hearts, minds, body and souls that sing songs of a thousand years with feelings of elation, as well as lamentation.  As creations of the universe, we must ascend to the euphonious lyrics of love and sacrifice for the higher calling that all of us are seduced by the inner harmony to promulgate in the universe.  Let us all rupture and breach the walls that divide us in varied ways, and allow the sounds of music to persuade our hearts to sing love to everyone everywhere.

 

As a Unitarian Universalist Christian, I know the essential truths that prophets and saviors like Jesus have given us a superior command to obey as intelligent and rational humans that we are to follow.  From the Christian Scriptures, MARK 12:28-31; “Which is the first of all the commandments?  Jesus replied the first is this: Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is NO other commandment greater than these.”  This is all about priorities and idolatry!  What or who comes first in your daily 24/7 life?  I received a call from a friend of mine, who once lived here in Burlington, Iowa, and graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1964.  MICHAEL SLATTERY of Green Bay, Wisconsin now told me a real story.  In the Catholic Churches, as well as others the priests and ministers pray for the Green Bay Packers to win – this is an example of immoral priorities and definitely a true form of idolatry.  In the meantime, Michael’s son William, a young 18 year old man who is committed to helping his neighbors in Central and South America was imprisoned for six months, and those same churches did not publicly pray for his welfare.  Instead, a sports team took priority over a virtuous human being!  Something stinks like skunk in America today!  Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy watching football.  I squirm when my hometown team, the Detroit Lions lose constantly, and I am delirious when my St. Louis Rams kick some butt up and down the field, but I do NOT pray  or worship them, nor do I place them above human beings in need of love, in need of joyous music to uplift their mighty hearts and souls.  MICAH 6: 8 in the Jewish Scriptures of the Bible says this; “You have been told, O human, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

 

“It is God who causes the grain and the fruit stone to germinate.  He brings forth life from that which is dead, and death from that which is living.  Such is God!  How then can you turn away from Him?”  Qur’an, Al-An’am, Surah 6:95, from my wise Muslim friends in solidarity to set peoples minds right, and to allow the sounds of music to work within our hearts to help all people in need by following the two greatest Commandments.  The music in my heart is calling forth a huge priority, one which sacrifices my whole body in the name of the holiest spirituality, one which places my words in conjunction with my actions.  I am spending three months of my life in federal prison, because of my spiritual pilgrimage to attempt to end the slaughter of thousands of innocent civilians in Latin America, especially in Colombia today.  I was in Colombia in May of 2003.  I witnessed for myself the stench of death caused dramatically by a TERRORIST training school at Ft. Benning in Columbus, Georgia.  The School of Americas (SOA) or by its new name, the Western Hemisphere for Security Cooperation (WHISC) is directly linked to the deaths of innocent and beautifully-created humans.  I have stood strong in defense of all human life since I was 14 years old, where I wrote and rallied for the Pro-Life movement, innocent little babies in the wombs of women.  Then, I struggled to protect the unique preciousness of death row inmates against the Death Penalty.  Over the years, I have fought against immoral wars like in IRAQ, while still loving all my American GI’s to come safely and being reunited with their family and friends where they belong.  Now, over the past six years I struggle against our Government’s own form of terrorism through the SOA/WHISC.  It is highly immoral and deadly!  FOR 90 DAYS IN PRISON – I WILL BE FASTING. 

 

I WILL BE FASTING….

 

Listening to the Evangelical and Mainline Protestant churches; I’ll be FASTING  for 90 days in prison for spiritual nourishment, solidarity with impoverished people in IRAQ and AFRICA, as well as a counterbalance to our American consumer and materialistic culture, and a petition to our Higher Power in the universe to advance peace and social justice, specifically at the closing down of the SOA/WHISC.  Across this glorious country, thousands are rising up in song to close down this immoral terrorist training school;

We all shook the evil of the SOA, the SOA, the SOA

We all shook the evil of the SOA – and the walls came a tumbling down.

  1. You can talk about training soldiers

You can talk about human rights

But, we all know the truth about the SOA

And the walls will come a tumblin’ down.

  1. Many spirits walk before us

Their witness makes the sound

Of a heartbeat fueled by fire

And the walls come a tumblin’ down.

  1. We gathered at Ft. Benning

Twelve thousand people strong

‘Cause the truth will not be silenced,

As we lift our voices in song.

  1. Well, I’ve heard God’s voice on the mountaintop

In the desert and by the sea

Crying, “Rise up against those SOA walls

And you too shall be FREE!”

(Melody of “Battle of Jericho/adapted)

 

I WILL BE FASTING….

 

FATHER JERRY STEIN of San Antonio, Texas has been working for an extended period of time with Christian Peacemaker Teams in IRAQ.  He has written a small reflection about fasting which is very pertinent for all of us with a historical perspective.  “Public fasts were sometimes proclaimed as part of public petitions, as when the people of Ninevah fasted to ask God to spare them.  Jeremiah had the word proclaimed to the people on a fast day hoping they would listen and follow it better.  Today, we could be part of a great tide of people begging God to bring about His kingdom on earth now.  Maybe fasting will help us hear the prophets in our midst telling us what role God expects us to play in the current drama of world events.  Through fasting, public lamentation, and petitions to our governments we can show sorrow at the abuse of our brothers and sisters by worldly powers, and at our complicity in this abuse.”  Through the selfless acts of those who sacrifice their bodies while fasting, the rest of us minimally could at least call, fax and write our Congress people to end the war in IRAQ and close down the SOA/WHISC permanently.  While others continue to sacrifice around the world for peace and most of all love of all neighbors, the rest of us minimally must give of our financial blessings to those fasting, to those sacrificing beyond what many can not do.  We should give from our whole substance, NOT from our excess wealth.  Be the poor widow in LUKE 21:1-4, “When JESUS looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and He noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.  He said, I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty has offered her whole livelihood.”  This should be a lesson we take more seriously, especially those of us who claim to be Christians.

 

Take the challenge as I humbly plea by bowing and kissing your feet as your mere servant;  RAISE UP IN SONG IN YOUR HEARTS, AND GIVE A DONATION OF $50. TO  SCOTT P. DIEHL’S CHILDREN AT THIS ADDRESS; 717 S. 9TH ST., BURLINGTON, IOWA 52601.  HOLY AND BLESSED YOU SHALL BE!  THEN, DONATE $25. TO THE SOA WATCH, P.O. BOX 4566, WASHINGTON, DC 20017, AND DONATE ANOTHER $25. TO CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS, P.O.BOX 6508, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60680.

 

THE CHALLENGE IS ONLY $100. WHICH 90% OF AMERICANS CAN AFFORD STILL FROM THEIR SURPLUS, NOT FROM YOUR SUBSTANCE.  TAKE MY CHALLENGE!!! BE THE POOR WIDOW FOR JESUS!  LOVE GOD & NEIGHBORS!

 

I WILL BE FASTING FOR THREE MONTHS, NO FOOD ONLY LIQUIDS…

 

Going back to the Muslim tradition of fasting says a lot about their faith with followers of almost one billion.  They believe, as I do too that as the body cleanses and heals itself through fasting, keener mental concentration and clearer spiritual perception develop.  Remember, the brain is the physical instrument of the mind.  As the mucus and toxic wastes are flushed out from your brain cells through fasting, with it go the worries and frustrations from your mind.  It becomes free and clear.  Your memory becomes sharp and keen.  Your creative powers are soon expanded.  Many non-Muslims such as Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and Christians also practice fasting because they know its power to detach one’s mind from the world of sense and to sharpen one’s sensibility to the world of spirit and the music of love in our hearts rising up in song.

 

MY FASTING IS MORALLY BASED…

 

True fasting without any food is a spiritual ceremony rising up morality in song among our hearts.  This ceremony is only performed by those who have received a message that tells them to go fasting in celebration of all life through music, the instruments of our souls.  This is confirmed by meditation, or a dream or vision through the heart and soul.  Fasting is part of the faith-filled of people of old and new over thousands of years of song.  My specific fast is to do without food, because food is one of the great blessings of God in our lives, a true pleasure and a true necessity.  Remember, if something else takes up God’s place in our lives, it is an idol.  Idols can be sports, entertainment and most of all money.  Money will never be my idol – I give it all away after fulfilling basic necessities such as food, rent, medical, utilities and transportation.  I don’t need financial security, because my security lies with my Great Spirit.  ISAIAH 58:3-12, but especially verse 6; “Isn’t this the fast that I want: to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke?”  For my fast to work I must constantly pray and stay centered and focused on Yahweh.

 

MY FASTING WILL BE FOCUSED ON PRAYER…

 

Through fasting and prayer, the Spirit or Higher Universal power can and does transform your life!  There are multiple and vast mentioning of fasting and prayers together as one united force for good in the world.  Let us hear them; “and I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer…with fasting…” by DANIEL 9:3, also I CORINTHIANS 7:5 says; “that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer…” and yet still MATTHEW 17:21; “And Jesus said unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”  Although our world may seem huge, diverse and even sometimes bewildering, prayer is the bridge that unites all neighbors, cultures, spiritual paths and practices.  I firmly believe that all things are possible through the healing power of prayer!  The American Institute of Holistic Theology seeks to teach its students that peace passes understanding and that love conquers all, both of which are constantly affirmed as our divine gifts expressed through prayer, fasting and music.  Those of us who believe in the mind, body, heart, soul and spirit connection know that prayer always unites us with all the good in this world and beyond.  All of us need to tap into the loving and healing power of prayer, especially knowing of all the men and women who sacrificed their entire beings and sit in jails and prisons around this country today for refusing to sit by idly, while our government’s foreign policies are murdering innocent human life around the world.  Check out; www.soaw.org or go to www.godblesstheworld.us for more information.

 

“God wants nothing at all to do with you, if by your fasting you court Him/Her as if you were a great Saint, and yet meanwhile nurse a grudge or anger against your neighbor,”  DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. 

 

Please, I beg of all who reads this essay, in no way, shape or form, am I saying anything remotely great about myself.  I am a humbled servant held by my God to help spread TRUTH & LOVE all the days of my life on earth.  I sincerely take up my cross to bear witness of the innocents murdered daily by the SOA/WHISC through rising up in song, while praying and fasting.  I may even die – that is how foolish of a middle-aged, divorced father of two beautiful children; CHARITY ANN STANLEY and ZACHARY SCOTT DIEHL.  I am just a fired and tired old Substitute Teacher.  I do love everyone, even PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH and SADDAM HUSSEIN or heroes like ABBIE HOFFMAN, MALCOLM X, ABRAHAM LINCOLN and DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER or my favorite, former President JIMMY CARTER, a peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia.  I love my ex-wife; KIM BENISH and even Burlington’s recently defeated Mayor Tim Scott.  I have no malice in my heart where songs of joy over ride songs of sorrow.  I am fasting because, I believe, I am being drawn and called to do it from ALLAH.  I am no better or greater than any human being.  I have ailing bad health with severe Fibromyalgia and I am a recovering Alcoholic.  I don’t even have two pennies to rub together, because I gave them to the Salvation Army.  During my early and crazy twenties, I was even arrested for indecent exposure, disturbing the peace, retail fraud and a DUI.  I, as humbled as one can be who has made countless mistakes after mistake, I today fast for your forgiveness of my past transgressions against you.  I have exposed all my flaws to you, because I feel liberated by all the saving and healing words of the prophets past, now and future.  Thank you for your gift of forgiveness towards me!  Jesus even spoke of the hypocrites who fast so that other people may be impressed.  But, fasts are NOT for getting others to say, “Wow, this is one holy dude.”  Fasting is not about showing non-believers or fellow believers how holy you are.  They are not the point; it is the relationship between you and God which is the point of the fast altogether.

 

MY FASTING IS A FORM OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE…

 

GANDHI said, back in 1919 in India; “We begin our civil disobedience by fasting,  This fast is not a show, but a sincere prayer to the Almighty that we may receive proper strength and proper wisdom in going through these struggles.”  I, along with the Spirit of GANDHI earnestly hope and pray that God will give me sufficient strength for this doctrine of self-suffering.  Calling for a hunger strike is only appropriate when it is justified by some form of inhumanity – well, guess what folks, the IRAQ war and the SOA/WHISC is heavily a crime against humanity and against God.  Both are clearly murdering innocent men, women and children, in addition to our great and courageous soldiers.  I, ALONG WITH GANDHI’S SPIRIT AM CALLING OUT FOR A HUNGER STRIKE IN ADDITION TO FASTING!!!  Yet, all of us must remain calm and patient.  All of us in the world must convert people only through truth to power and most of all – LOVE.  Preparation is key with fasting and hunger strikes.  I am prepared to suffer cheerfully the rigors, disgrace, humiliation and injustices performed in jails and prisons, but are you?  There will be pangs of hunger tugging at the fabric of my foundation daily.  Can you devote the prayer and financial resources to help us in prison, to stand by us every step of the way, to write letters and call the power brokers in Washington to close down the immoral “School of Assassins” as people in Latin America refer to it?  Do you have the strength for the non-violent revolution happening in this gorgeous land?   For me personally, this contemplated fast is purely an ethical and moral step in a world that has lost its purpose among false prophets of Capitalism, Corporate Power gone mad, and selfish people hoarding up their money for toys, and not to benefit the common good of society.  The freedom of will must never lead humans to immorality, lack of concern for neighbors, indecency, and licentiousness.  GANDHI is my coach for this 90-day, liquids only fast.  Thank God!

 

MY FASTING IS THE LEAST I CAN DO…

 

Pray, don’t weep; rather rejoice in song and dance upon the stars of the universe.  God, I believe in my inner recesses of my heart has given me both direction and the strength.  This fast of 90 days is the least I can do for my fellow neighbors in this world.  Oh, the agony of it all!  I know every day is a day of torture.  But, I shall soon be at peace.  I have been longing to see my duty and obligation as part of the human race more clearly, and now I have with God’s help.  The light has come like a flash.  Can any human do more than give of their life for another?  Every one of you should be happy about my fasting rather than feel sorry.  When a person performs his/her highest moral duty, even by undergoing trouble, his/her family, friends and supporters should be happy about it and once again rejoice in song, for the freedom of our souls and hearts from the bondage of today’s trash.  The object of this fasting is the boundless love behind my every motivation for its success.  I am today bathing in that ocean of LOVE.  I can only teach love through acts of pure fasting love.

 

MY FASTING IS ABOUT LOVE…

 

I AM EXPERIENCING THE RICHEST LOVE FROM GOD ALONE.  IT IS MORE THAN BREAD FOR ME.  IT IS LOVE…WHAT MORE CAN I SAY OR DO?

 

GOD BLESS THE WORLD

&

TAKE THE CHALLENGE!!!