As we near the Christmas Holiday and the end of 2013 let us contemplate what this time is truly supposed to mean. This is meant to be a time of peace, a time of giving, and a time of love. And while modern society has turned this holy season into one for primarily the giving of material possessions, there is nothing more spiritual, and no gift more valuable, than the giving of ourselves; both to God & in service to others. In fact, nothing can help us progress quicker than learning to become more SELFLESS in all our thoughts, words, and deeds.

The prophet Isaiah said:

“your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you…” (59:2)

Therefore, if we desire to attune or reconnect with the Spirit of God we must avoid sin.

But, what exactly is sin?

Sin is anything which disobeys or violates the Law of God.

And what is the Law of God?

Simply, to LOVE!

Now, sacred writings of the Holy Bible, Holy Qur’an, Bhagavad-Gita, Zend Avesta, etc… list numerous actions which are considered sinful:

• “The acts of sin are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
• “The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
• “Hell has three gates: Lust, Anger, Greed” (Bhagavad-Gita)
• “Good thoughts, Good words, & Good deeds lead to heaven; while bad thoughts, bad words, and bad deeds pull us down to hell.” (Zend Avesta of Zarathustra)
• And to list all the sins found in the Jewish Torah would take a book in itself.

So, a 4^th Century Christian monk tried to make things easier by factoring sins down to 7 and came up with the concept we now call “the 7 Deadly Sins”. However, we could take this one step further because all evil & sin originates from just one source. That source is – SELFISHNESS!

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Selfishness is the #1 evil against the Law of Love because love by its very nature is giving! Love wants to share itself. Love seeks to be of service and give itself completely & unconditionally to others, without seeking anything in return.

Therefore, “sin” arises from the emergence of any type of selfishness within us. You can analyze yourself, but whether we have realized it or not, selfishness has been the motivation behind all and any sins.

• Adultery & Lust – Is the desire and wanting of another person or thing for the fulfillment of one’s own selfish physical pleasure.
• Pride – Is the selfish notion that we are somehow better than others.
• Envy, Theft, & Murder – Is the selfish desire to possess or take what another person has.
• Gluttony & Greed –is the selfish desire to want more and more for one’s self.
• Etc…

In fact, the story of Adam & Eve’s “Fall from the Garden of Eden”, found in the Book of Genesis Chapter 3, is trying to teach spiritual aspirants that it was selfishness (in this story it was their selfish desire to be like God – Pride) which caused their spiritual “death” & banishment from paradise. Now this story is a metaphor which is supposed to awaken us to the reason for our own situation & feelings of separation. If we can rid ourselves of selfishness, then we can overcome the feeling of distance between ourselves and God. In fact, it is by being more selfless that we can quickly connect and begin to notice & feel God’s presence all around us.

Therefore, as we prepare for the Christmas Holiday and the coming New Year season let living more for others be one of our New Year’s resolutions. Let us look past the materiality of the season, and banish the consumer mentality, by replacing it with a more selfless spiritual attitude. By living this way we can hep to create a more peaceful & loving world. Remember, that “God’s definition of goodness is total giving, total service, and absolute unselfishness” (Sun young Moon). And if you seek to live the good life God’s very promise is that He will make Himself known to you.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

God Bless you on your spiritual journey & remember to always Heed the Spirit,

Anthony