Hey God, I've got a great idea for You.

Hey God, I've got a great idea for You.

Caveat: One of my beliefs in God is that He/She has a sense of humor... or at the least, a tolerance for all. Otherwise, why would God put all of us ridiculous people on earth to do all this stupid stuff and still have a good shot at Heaven.
If this isn't your belief, that's OK. It is the concept of fairness I'm talking about and this is just an easy way to look at what should happen in a hypothetically perfect way.

So here's where I come in with this great (in mere mortal-speak) idea. Follow me:

God says that getting to heaven, in its simplest terms, is not that hard:  

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and with all thy mind," and "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Arrgh! I knew there was a catch to it.


But with all the discord going on and so much hate in our 'one against another' contentiousness, we are rude, crude, disrespectful and uncivil as we tromp (?) all over each other. We tend to see others as less that us if they have different ideas and thoughts and/or are less respected if they are poor, ethnically and/or gender different, politically and/or socially other than us. And we are angry, often using what power we have to step on others. We often lack the most critical emotion in the world, empathy.

This love thy neighbor thing is out the window for the disrespectful.

So God, how about this:

Some religions-- Hinduism and Buddhism and others--have a concept that we are reincarnated... we come back in a different way than we are known on this earth. If Shirley MacLaine was once Cleopatra as she says, then who were you... and more frightening perhaps, who will you be next?

Other religions don't accept that  BUT... if God is almighty and can be anything and do anything then why not, unknowing to us of course, allow every person to return to earth or any other place God might/could put His/Her creations in a universe where they are the most opposite of themselves? Yep, like the best Seinfeld episode ever, Bizarro Universe.

• Those who hate will become those who are hated.

• Those who have prejudice become those who are the subject of those prejudices.

• The white will become black or Hispanic or 'other', the mighty will become lowest, the rich who regard money as their god will be poor,  the subjectors will become the subjected, the dictators will be ruled as they so dictated and so forth.

• The good, the humble and the kind and loving in mind and spirit will be rewarded, as they represent the sweet spot of God's people.

That way, everyone not in the "Golden Zone" will be the opposite of who they are now to experience fully the life they once subjected on others. You know who you are. Fair? Yes!

So what do you think God? Oh, you are already doing that? Wow! Great news. OK, I promise not to tell anyone. But between you and me Lord, it makes my heart and soul smile... if a heart and soul smile, of course.

You got our back... and of course, everything else. It's nice being in touch God. Thanks.

Those born very rich--and sometimes those who have found wealth later in life-- have a problem. CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IT IS?

Most of the very rich have a prob- lem... and as you can imagine, it's not money, though they always seem to need more.  Acknowledged, money cannot buy health, happiness or true friends but we pretty much know that.

A very real problem for many, especially those born with a silver spoon in their mouths, is that no matter how they may try, they cannot understand how the less fortunate of us feel, think or manage in our shared world. And worse than that, a great many don't care, presuming wealth equals all knowledge.

In my career as a magazine publisher, I worked for three extremely wealthy people... two born into money and one who earned his way rich.

My first, born that way, was gregarious and generous to a point, highly principled and kind-hearted in his way. He never knew a want or had a need. So his acts of kindness often presumed he knew much more about people than he did, so he was often clumsy and misunderstood. But if he perceived you were on his wrong side, he would fire or sue liberally. He was an insecure man of action.

The second earned his way with the role model of a parent in the publishing business. He was a wonderful man to work for, totally open with no hidden agenda, fair and understanding in good news or bad, helpful toward a mutual successful relationship and he cared for people.

The third was a corporate nightmare. His bottom line was sacred, no mater the cost, and growth was mandated or heads would--and did--roll, often despite good news... but not quite good enough. It was of no concern to him to order valuable, dedicated people fired to make the bottom line look better or to help prop up another lagging venture.

My publishing entity became a small part of a much larger corporation and we would have a quarterly meeting in the New York headquarters where we were to be present two days in advance of our meeting to "practice" what to say and how to say it for "the big man." We had slides to address every possible question "he" might ask--dozens and dozens of slides--to be certain we were fully prepared.

Then, on the big day at one winter meeting, there were two dozen of us in a giant conference room at 8:30  for a 9 am meeting. It was soon 9:45 and "he" was not there. At 10 minutes after 10, "he" ceremoniously burst into the room in a cashmere top coat, hat and scarf, greeting everyone as he pulled off his outerwear handing it to an aide one step behind. He joyfully said, "Good morning everyone. It was such a beautiful morning that I just had to walk through Central Park today." No "Sorry I'm late," or anything of the sort. After he was attended to with "A latte, just the way you like it... and a sweet roll with butter and your favorite marmalade," he nodded and we began.

Yep. Most of those I'm referring to lack Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feeling of another. 
 
Empathy is a moral virtue that enriches any and every relationship. I am not referring to decision-making itself but an understanding of the gains and losses of all involved and respect and thought for another perspective, even though it may not be yours.

The Golden Rule has been stated in many different ways over time, but has become a horrible aberration when cited, "He who has the gold, rules."

In sports, winning and losing is part of a game. In life, winners and losers are often determined by "he who has the gold" without much consideration for the consequences. It is often referred to as winning.

Politics has become so ruthless and contentious. Each side must win without regard of the consequences. It seems winning is the most important element of every action. Politics has become a wicked game of our lives where winning is more important than any consequence that may be swept aside by a myopic determination.

And yeah, I'm referring of the rush to kill The Affordable Care Act with anything that can pass, effects be damned. (Author's note: I am strongly for any and every improvement our legislators can make that truly benefits us all. But lacking that, to dispatch one for another just because, is disastrous to millions with no political clout by legislators who don't seem to have the empathy to care.)

I end with three quotes:

Empathy is the most mysterious transaction that the human soul can have, and it is accessible to all of us, but we have to give ourselves the opportunity to identify, to plunge ourselves into a story where we see the world from the bottom up or through another's eyes or heart. Sue Monk Kidd 

... that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Abraham Lincoln (the conclusion of the Gettysburg Address)

My whole life is about winning I don't lose often. I almost never lose.  Donald Trump