AS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED, RICHARD DELL'S BOOK 'WILD WINDOW...

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AS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED, RICHARD DELL'S BOOK 'WILD WINDOWS' IS BEING PREPARED FOR REISSUE. IT CAME OUT IN 2012 AS KINDLE ONLY. IN A FEW MONTHS IT WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AS A PAPERBACK. HERE IS A SAMPLE FROM CHAPTER 14: 'WHO IS AFRAID OF THE MASTER?' THESE ARE DEEPLY SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS INTO THE DEEPLY SPIRITUAL AND SACRED BEING OF OURSELVES. THE RELIGIOUS LIFE CAN TOO OFTEN BECOME A LIE OF RELIGIOUS RULES. BUT THE TRUE PATH FOR US ALL IS THE SACRED AND MYSTICAL PATH, THE DEEPLY SPIRITUAL PATH THAT TRANSCENDS RULES. FOR WE ARE ALL, WHETHER WE KNOW IT OR NOT, DEEP-SET ON THE SPIRITUAL, MYSTICAL AND INDEED SACRED PILGRIMAGE TOWARDS ONENESS WITH THE ALL, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL GOD.

The parable of the talents is about where people were two thousand years ago, in terms of their understanding of religion and what they had to do; and it is about where we are now, in terms of our understanding of religion and what we need to do. And that is HUGE! The parable of the talents is such a good example. And so many worthy parsons have risen to their feet, and looked down at their congregation from the dizzying heights of their pulpit, and have talked about talents, and hiding our lights under a bushel, and encouraging us to really be frightfully aware of our God-given talents, and to jolly well develop them and use them. And it’s all good and worthy stuff. But I am afraid it is not what the parable of the talents is actually about. Oh dear me no. The parable of the talents is much bigger than that. In fact, it is one of the most powerful passages in the entire New Testament. Because the parable of the talents is about where people were two thousand years ago, in terms of their understanding of religion and what they had to do; and it is about where we are now, in terms of our understanding of religion and what we need to do. And that is indeed HUGE!

THIS PARABLE IS ACTUALLY ABOUT GOD’S TEACHINGS. IT IS ABOUT WHAT IS KNOWN AT ANY ONE TIME. THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE ALIVE TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO WERE BEING ENCOURAGED TO TAKE RISKS WITH THE TEACHINGS THEY HAD INHERITED, TO NOT BE FRIGHTENED OF THE LORD, TO NOT PRESERVE THEIR INHERITED TEACHINGS UNCHANGED FOR FEAR OF PUNISHMENT. AND LIKEWISE, WE HAVE TO TAKE NOTE OF THAT SAME LESSON NOW. FOR TOO OFTEN IN OUR CHURCHES, AND OUR MOSQUES, AND OUR TEMPLES, THE FAITHFUL ARE NOT DEVELOPING THE TEACHINGS THAT ARE CENTURIES OLD. THEY ARE CONTINUALLY TRYING TO PRESERVE THEM, TO MAINTAIN THEM UNCHANGED. FOR THEY ARE FRIGHTENED OF THE ONE ENTITY IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE OF WHOM THEY SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID; NAMELY GOD. AND THAT IS THE SPIRIT6UAL, MYSTICAL AND SACRED TASK THAT IS SET FOR US NOW IN THIS TIME OF PROFOUND SPIRITUAL AWAKENING. AND WITH THIS AWAKENING, SO SHALL COME OUR SPIRITUAL HEALING OF OURSELVES, OF EACH OTHER, OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND OF OUR MOTHER EARTH, OUR HOLY GAIA.

How mundane it has all got. Not facile. Not without its purpose. But really, altogether mundane.

The parable of the talents is such a good example. And so many worthy parsons have risen to their feet, and looked down at their congregation from the dizzying heights of their pulpit, and have talked about talents, and hiding our lights under a bushel, and encouraging us to really be frightfully aware of our God-given talents, and to jolly well develop them and use them. And it’s all good and worthy stuff. But I am afraid it is not what the parable of the talents is actually about. Oh dear me no. The parable of the talents is much bigger than that. In fact, it is one of the most powerful passages in the entire New Testament. Because the parable of the talents is about where people were two thousand years ago, in terms of their understanding of religion and what they had to do; and it is about where we are now, in terms of our understanding of religion and what we need to do. And that is HUGE!

We all know the story. It is in Matthew 25:14-30. The master was going away, so he gave sums of money (talents) to his servants. Two of those servants took risks with their talents, and so when their master returned they were able to give back to their master twice as much as he had initially given them. However, the third servant was so frightened of his master, he saw him as ‘a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter. I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth.’ The master was pleased with the first two servants, but seriously displeased with the servant who was frightened of him, and who thereby buried his talent and did nothing with it.

Now at one level we certainly can learn about how we should enhance our God-given talents. No doubt about that. But this parable is actually about...