Author Archives: jimwdollar

Of Dreams and Glory, and What Are We Here For?

Joseph Campbell said, “Where you stumble and fall, there is the treasure.” The thing that prevents us from reaching our goal opens the way to the goal. We step into our life with a career plan, a blueprint for success and an itinerary in hand, checking off the milestones as we achieve them, on ourContinue reading “Of Dreams and Glory, and What Are We Here For?”

A Meditation on Light and Dark, Part 2

William Blake, in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, said, “Without contrary/Is no progression.” The work that saves us and saves the world is the work of recognizing, accepting, integrating, and reconciling our contraries, contradictions, polarities and irreconcilable differences, within and without. White/Black, Light/Dark, Good/Evil, Right/Wrong are all dichotomies begging to be integrated, reconciled, harmonizedContinue reading “A Meditation on Light and Dark, Part 2”

A Meditation on Light and Dark, Part 1

The Adams Family (You have to be old to know who I mean) were all nice people in their own way, but they were different. How different can we allow people to be? How different can we allow ourselves to be? How harmonized—how pasteurized and homogenized—do we have to be in order to be aContinue reading “A Meditation on Light and Dark, Part 1”

Good Religion

The people of the times that are at hand, need to take the tradition handed to them—whether Judeo/Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Muslim or any of the other traditions—and revise it according to the worldview of the Age in which they live. “You have heard it said, but I say unto you,” does not abolish theContinue reading “Good Religion”

In Praise of a Second Life

When I ask, “What are you going to do with what remains of your life? How will you use your time in the time left for living?” I am met with blank expressions and empty eyes. Many, no, most, people don’t know what I’m talking about. Tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday forContinue reading “In Praise of a Second Life”

The Messiah Is NOT the Messiah!

Fred Craddock said, “The message of the Messiah is, ‘There is no Messiah!’” The Messiah is NOT the Messiah! Our life is our responsibility. We have to find our life and live it, with none to help or point the way. Well, not quite. We have all the help we need to find the way–Continue reading “The Messiah Is NOT the Messiah!”

The Gospel Truth

I. Sometimes, the scenario runs like this: You have God and Jesus and the Undeserving Masses and Satan, of course. Then, there are the angels, the apostles, and the Holy Spirit to complete the scene. God is outrageously angry with the Masses for all the wrongs they have done (Never mind foreknowledge and omniscience whichContinue reading “The Gospel Truth”