Variety And Humor

FRI., SEPT. 13, 1991, 7:29 AM
FARM, STUDY

The “original” title for this Teaching, that you seemed to hear, was “The Lord Loveth Variety.” Then you thought of the study you just reviewed, telling of the variety of experiences that these older women had in conceiving and delivering a baby. You have heard Me state clearly that I am concerned about the increase in the human population… and then you read that most of these women felt that I, as Almighty God, had “done a miracle” with them in giving them a healthy baby… and in some cases I did. So you see that the spirit of fun and humor must be acknowledged when My love for variety means that I am at “cross purposes” with Myself.

I love this earth with its great variety of climes and “settings.” I love humans with their great God-given capacities to change circumstances for living in the earth. I am pleased when there is evident stewardship and maintenance of the earth’s beauty. Then, though I am displeased with other sorts of selfish human action. I have to smile at the irony of My finest creatures despoiling My finest creation. If I didn’t have this sense of fun I would have to be saddened at My impotence in facing future disasters or fiercely angry at the short-sightedness of some humans in power.

You are in the midst of reading papers, most of which deal with tragedies or near tragedies from over-consumption of alcohol. You know that I have told you that alcoholic beverages and drinks are one of My gifts to humans, discovered early in human history. These papers suggest that misuse is rampant… but why does some end in death and others in miraculous “rescue”? Some learn lessons. Some die. Again I have to appreciate the irony that some must die that others might learn. And you must realize that these stories are in the middle of a spectrum, flanked by some who can learn responsibility without tragedy and others who do not learn from the tragedies of others. Emphasize this as you return the papers.

Your culture puts a high value on growth. It can be stated in the rather silly way… if an institution isn’t growing it must be dying. Well, yes, there are some successful large and growing churches, but also there are smaller congregations that do not grow that also are responsible for much spiritual development. Some churches grow and lose their spiritual vitality. What is best for your church? Again I must have some sense of humor to watch this variety in this Body of Mine in the earth, often seeking to be what is not best for it to be.

( 8:10 AM / 11:10 AM )

You are, as you should be, now engaged in a rather in-depth study of a part of Holy Scripture… the Letter of James. As you read the history of it, and who the author might have been… and how it differs from Paul’s letters… you should realize again that I like variety, even in My Scriptures. I see it as a nice humorous touch that James counters Paul, and Paul counters James. Each has an important Christian message, but they are phrased in ways that seem to contradict rather than complement.