Bernie's 3 questions
Heaven's dear friend, Bernie Siegel, M.D. posted on the forum yesterday, and it was a mighty post.
Bernie is a man of few words, but, wow, when he speaks, he really says something. You can see that post on the forum here: http://www.heavenletters.org/it-is-all-an-idea.html#comment-28931
Bernie also mentioned an Immune Competency Test, based on Dr. George Solomon's research. I'm not sure what Immune Competency means. I'm hoping that someone will tell me.
Then Bernie asked three questions of his own, and I'm going to give you the three questions and my answers. I would love it if all who come here would also give their answers.
1. I am taking you to dinner, what do you want?
Bernie, I want to look into your eyes! I don't care what I have to eat. If I had to choose food, I would really have to see the menu first. I would prefer ethnic food. If I must choose right now, I would say a good spicy complete Indian dinner.
2. What would you hold up before an audience to demonstrate the beauty and meaning of life?
A newborn baby.
3. How would you introduce yourself to God?
"Hi, God, it's me, Gloria."
How would you answer Bernie's three questions?
P.S. Bernie has a book coming out soon called Life and Death, Self & God. It is part of his Words and Swords Series. It is for this book that Bernie asked me to write something, and you may be sure I did! When is this glorious book coming out, dear Bernie?
Comments
1. I want to enjoy the meal and your company, with a good glass of wine.
2. I would hold up the world!
3. He knows my heart already.
1. Thanks Bernie Let us Have some exotic Indonesian food and have some deep discussions while enjoying it.
2. Here I am happy ful of love and enjoying Life. Hope you All feel the same.
3. Thank you God for all the love you bestow on us.
not sure yet when bookis coming out they are working on it.
#1 correct answer shoulkd come from your feelings and not thinking about what i want or what it will cost me
when i invite you.
#2 you hold up a mirror. we are all part of the beauty and meaning of life.
#3 gloria god would say to you come back when you know who you are because you and the others have separated yourself from god. we are god with skin on so the answer when god says who is it is, it's you or your child or your replacement is here.
Wait a minute! Dear St. B, how can there be incorrect answers! I know there is a point you are wanting to make.
However, Paula and Jack gave beautiful answers. Who can say that their answers aren't right! I wish I had thought of some of their answers!
In regard to the 3rd answer, the God I know, would never ever tell anyone to go away and come back.
I would like to add a question #4, and that would be: What does God say to you after you introduce yourself?
I am certain He would say: "Welcome."
He might also say: "About time!"
Thank you, Bernie, for stirring this discussion!
Loving you, Gloria
from watching the admission line in heaven i am just telling you what happens. if you separate yourself from god by saying it's me or some role you play in life then god is trying to awaken you to who you truly are by saying come back when you know who you are. you need to examine why you are so sensitive to my comments and why criticism doen't polish your mirror as rumi said it does. i am telling you you are a divine child and you are offended. hmmmmm.
?
- I want to stare into your eyes
- I'd hold up a baby or a puppy or a kitten
- With a smile
These are beautiful questions! I love them.
1 To Be with you
2 Silence
3 No introductions are necessary
I don't think Bernie is saying that Jack's and my answers aren't right. First, we both desire just to enjoy the meal and the conversation with him. Second, the world is the mirror for the world, and Jack's love of life is a mirror. And third, I meant that God already knows who I am, and Jack introduces himself with gratitude, which is one aspect of God.
I think it's one of the greatest expressions of God's Love to say: Come back when you know who you are! And I would add: When you know where you are! Because we are never separated from God, and ever living in and as His heart.
I would say,
come back whenever you are ready to come back. Because for Me, you are already where you never left from.
Beloved Paula and Normand, it has to be established that what I think carries no more weight than what anyone else thinks. It's what I think, no more, no less. I want to express what I feel.
In my heart, I can't believe that God would even say, "Come back when you know you're ready." I imagine that as soon as we arrived in Heaven (and it must be we arrive in our consciousness because space does not exist), we would be ready. No matter how we got there, we would simply know it was the right place for us and where we belonged. We wouldn't have to go back to a lower consciousness in order to find this out!
Bernie and I who enjoy a good argument come from different mind sets. Bernie is quick and to the point. He likes to get to the answer without wasting time. He is a doctor, and it's a good thing he doesn't go round and round the way I do. And you know the regard I have for this wonderful man.
I believe that for me it has always been the process that matters more than any conclusion.
Back when I taught school, I wanted my students to know that, in our discussions of stories, for instance, we weren't necessarily looking for the "right" answer. We were looking to have discussions! Everyone's answers counted.
I love that Bernie brought up questions that have us sharing our hearts here on the blog. Look, we have about ten comments so far, and more coming, I wouldn't be surprised. You know I love to read your comments and am always wanting more!
1 What I want for dinner is a quiet, peaceful spot to sit and talk with you over a nice meal.
2 This would take some preparation. I would start going through all the most lovely and stimulating photos I could find for a silent slide-show. It would be wonderful.
3 No introduction would be necessary, today no different than any other day.
Yep, nice, thoughtful questions!
Dearest Gloria, I think you are right when you say that whenever we get to Heaven, we would be ready. But it's also true that God gave us free will as the greatest act of Love, so He does give us the freedom to go our way, until we are ready to come back to where we already are. In this sense, He might say, Come back when you are ready - when your free will choice is to be with Me! And oh, how sweet it is to get 'there'.
It remains a mystery to me how there can be correct or incorrect answers/responses. A "right" way of introducing yourself to God can only come from some textbook. And if we are God with skin on, then who is introducion him/herself to whom and who is sending whom away?
The thing most often emphasized in Heavenletters is that there is no real distance at all "between" God and His children. The idea of introduction only makes sense as long as we believe in distance or difference, and e v e r y introduction is necessary wrong, but that does not matter at all; it will meet with a smile of the one inside and outside the skin. I have read that story of being sent away until you realize oneness in the sufi tradition. Sending away is human-specific.
introducing
necessarily
You understand anyway, don't you?
folks when you get to heaven just mention my name and when god says who is it say, your replacement is here. god has a sense of humor and is just trying to awaken you to your divinity. your right arm doesn't need to be introduced to your body and you don't need an introduction to god. you are part of and made of the same stuff. i like what paula and dianita had to say. i'll tell god to be more patient and understanding about the meaning of everyone's words and answers at the next board meeting.
God isn't the only one who has a sense of humor!
My answers:
1. I want to eat alone, so I can use fingers and leave at my pleasure, without paying of course;
2.I would hold up myself, in a splendid evening gown (by Valentino) and a diamond-pearl tiara ( every girl should have one in her wardrobe);
3.I want Your superpowers now.
You will be admitted into Heaven.
emilia if you hold yourself up you are going to make everyone jealous unless you let the girls know this could be them too and to be aware of their beauty. that is a tough job when you don't grow up with love from your parents and other authority figures. and i like the idea of asking god for what you want. when god knows you have all you need he steps back but when you don't he comes forward and provides what you need.
gloria, you took on God's role with emilia.
next question: if you could be god for a day why would you want the opportunity?
Dear Bernie,
girls can see themselves reflected in my diamonds;
yes, it is better to find out what you want before God provides for you according to his outdated tastes and it is better to find Him before He finds you, usually when you less expect it ( for instance, you dine at the Ritz in Paris enjoing so much the food and the setting, when the enormous baccarat chandelier above you crashes on your head);
if I could be God for a day I would take the opportunity to transform that day into eternity.
1. I want to eat my favorite salad with a piece of veggie pizza at my favorite place. And I want to talk to you for as long as we are both having fun.
2. my first instinct was to say a new baby as well....I have a friend who says that babies have that "fresh from the Creator smell" mmmmmmmm
3. and my first impulse was to smile at him and raise my arms to melt into his embrace
Bernie's three questions are wonderful, and they evoked such great answers. Everyone's responses stirred my heart more than I can say. I could see all of us appearing before God and so happily showing God a mirror or a puppy or a baby...
And Bernie's 4th question, if I could be God for a day why would I want the opportunity?
If the question is what would I do if I were God for a day, and I could make the rules, then it's easy for me to answer.
I would erase man's inhumanity to man.
I would leave free will, yet it would be no one's free will to hurt anyone.
Now, is it God Who is offering me this responsibility for one day? Or does the offer come from somewhere else?
If God wanted me to take His place for one day, I'd probably agree to do it. How could I say no to God? Otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't. I also would be concerned about making a mistake of some kind.
Dear Bernie, if you have another question that fits for this blog, will you send it to me, and we can make a new blog entry of it?
That's free will anesthetized. Very tricky problem. I'm sure God loves it.
I can't find one reason why I'd want to be God for one day, at least not until I have reached the full god consciousness and can see the whole picture. But, maybe,if I were God, I'd have a full vision, and in that case I would be God as God IS.
gloria as usual you're doing and not thinking about the results. paula i like your answer but there is one reason and it is not about fixing things but about
UNDERSTANDING WHY.
a perfect world is not creation it is a magic trick and would be meaningless. we are here to live and learn and create a world that god will be happy with when we reveal our compassion. so what gloria wants to do is what god wnts also but when we have free will it is meaningful.
if this were a perfect world there would be no evening news and unemployment a real problem.
Dear Bernie,
you make a point here, understanding why, might be a good reason, but after having desired and searched for understanding for many a year, I've given up that need. I'm just being and letting life flow. And, of course, if I were God with a global vision, I would understand why.
This is a great insight, however! A perfect world would indeed be a magic trick, it's our desiring and striving toward it that gives sense to creation. Thank you!
Bernie is "making many points" that lead to nothing which is the perfect direction.
emilia no thing is where we all came from. the undifferentiated nothing created the one. in kabbalah it is the ein sof. that is why the number 10 is a symbolically significant one in our lives. but the one is still not really a number as 1x1 or 1 divided by 1 still=1. life begins when the one, or god, creates man, animals and plants so there are differences and ways of identifying and knowing each other. and no coincidence then we have 1+2+3+4=10
That's my point, Bernie. Creation, evolution, perfect or unperfect world, free will and choices, they are all a "magic trick". But we enjoy playing multiplicity and so we have Liz Taylor with her 8/9 husbands.