Articles from the Religious Research Journal

 

Get in the Game of Life!

By Tom Hemphill

 

            One of the interesting phenomena in the movement toward spiritual awareness here in the western hemisphere is the way we have imported various ideas from eastern religions without really examining them or understanding them. Again and again I hear “New Age” leaders expressing a basic Hindu or Buddhist belief without appreciating its origins or the ancient culture from which it grew.

 

            One such belief, with which I take issue, is the concept that life in the physical is a bad thing and should be escaped from. This is not new thinking. Siddhartha Gautama, who upon his enlightenment became the Buddha, perceived physical life as a horrible experience of pain, loss drudgery and meaninglessness. The whole point of Buddhism, from one perspective, is to seek release from the harshness of physical life. Through meditation and asceticism, the devout Buddhist seeks nirvana—to live so spiritually that the physical world becomes irrelevant.

 

            (Nirvana has many translations. I suggest that it is a word to describe the blissful state when the consciousness, or personality, is fully at one with the Higher Self, or soul.)

 

            This theme is echoed in the Hindu mystic’s seeking release from the “cycle of reincarnation.” In traditional Hinduism, one might live as many as 10,000 lives, as a human or animal or even an insect. Life in the physical, even as an enlightened human, is seen as something to flee. Physical life is almost seen as a punishment for a lack of spiritual attainment. The devout Hindu seeks to “break the cycle of reincarnation,” to be stuck no longer in this unfortunate physical plane. Devotion is focused on assisting the devotee to rise above the hopelessness of physical life, to dwell in spiritual oneness with the Infinite.

 

            One finds the same theme in modern spiritual writing, that life is harsh, ugly, bitter, and without meaning. Many people embrace the spiritual path with wisps and wishes of faith, reflecting the ancient beliefs that the best we can do with this world is seek to escape from it. For many modern seekers, the strongest motivation for spiritual growth is not to live fully or well but to "get to a better place." Be it heaven, or nirvana, or the fifth dimension, or whatever one's New Age philosophy may call it, the real point of spiritual seeking, meditation, growth, etc., boils down to: “Let me outa’ here!”

 

            Thus, whether stated profoundly or clumsily, “How do I escape this mess” became “The Question” which motivated and confused many people on a haphazard spiritual path. In short, it’s the wrong question—and especially so for those who truly seek spiritual growth.

 

            Although rarely put in these larger terms, The Question essentially is three questions about God’s purposefulness: What is the purpose of this physical world in which we live? What is the role of humankind in that greater purpose? What is my role as an individual human within the greater purpose of God?

 

            Over the years, I have heard The Question asked again and again. Typically, the query is framed in negative terms—“Shouldn’t we be trying to ascend beyond the physical?” Yet, the core of the question is a seeking for clarity about God’s purpose for us, for humanity, for our presence as spiritual beings incarnate in a physical setting.

 

            For those readers who are new to this Journal, from the beginning of Religious Research in 1952, a highly evolved spiritual being spoke through Dr. Franklin Loehr and through his wife, Rev. Grace Wittenberger Loehr. This channeled being was unusual in several respects. Rather than take an identity or name from the past or from the East, he chose to use the name by which he plans to be known in his next incarnation, as a medical doctor in England—Dr. John Christopher Daniels. (Thus, the affection nickname, “Dr. John.”) He presented complex spiritual truths in clear and simple terms. In thousands of individual life readings, Dr. John started with the details or challenges of one’s personal life, and used that situation to paint a picture of great spiritual clarity, and deep spiritual wisdom.

 

            In various forms, “The Question” was repeatedly brought to Dr. John in life reading questions and teaching sessions, from the early 1950s until Dr. Franklin Loehr passed over in 1988. However it was phrased, the underlying assumptions of The Question always came down to this: aren’t we supposed to work hard so we can escape this unhappy or incomplete or meaningless existence in the physical, and progress rapidly into Something Wonderful beyond the physical?

 

            Dr. John affirmed the importance of spiritual growth. He identified individual spiritual growth as the most important aspect of Earth-living, closely followed by service to others—given that such service potentially enhances the growth of both the one who serves and the one who is served.

 

            However, he did not advocate hurrying up to finish one’s experience on Earth. On the contrary, he identified physical Earth as a place, a unique and intentional spiritual arrangement, specifically designed so that a group of spiritual beings (whom we call "souls”) could incarnate here, learn here and serve here. In short, for human beings, incarnate souls, Earth is for us—to be appreciated and served rather than shunned and fled.

 

            Whatever else God, the Creative Force of the Universe may be (There is much debate about that!), we know this much by simple observation: God is purposeful. The human soul has a special assignment in God's' greater purpose for Planet Earth and all of life on Earth. We are not here by accident. One way to understand this, according to Roy Smith (author of Incarnation and Reincarnation, from Religious Research Press) is that souls are "spiritual children." Spiritually, we are youngsters, finding our way, growing in compatibility with our heavenly Father/Mother God. Dr. John said that souls receive training in various spiritual realms, and then incarnate--take lives as humans on Earth—in order to practice what they have learned. He said that Earth is the “laboratory” for the learning which souls do in other spiritual “schools.”

 

            Dr. John also taught that Earth is “both an expression point and an experience point” for the learning and growth of souls. By this he meant that, having studied spiritual lessons, a soul incarnates to “express” what he has learned—much as a chemistry student goes from the classroom one day into the lab the next day to demonstrate that he has understood the lesson. But Earth is also an “experience point” in that each lifetime gives a soul opportunities to taste new things, experience new wonder, make new mistakes, try to do things better. That is, life on Earth gives the soul additional “grist for the mill” of higher learning in the soul’s spiritual development.

 

            If physical life on Planet Earth is the lab for our learning elsewhere, and if this is the place God has created for us to grow and serve others in, and if we by our nature find Earth both an expression point and an experience point, then why would we seek to escape? If you are studying chemistry, you have chosen that course. Why would you disdain to go to the lab where the real learning of chemistry takes place? If this is the place—the spiritual arrangement—that God has found best suits our need to grow and His desire for Goodness for all of Life, does it make sense that we should be seeking to escape rather than live it to the fullest?

 

            I am not suggesting that life on Earth is a picnic! As Scott Peck began his bestseller, The Road Less Traveled, “Life is difficult.” Amen!

 

            However, Dr. John told us that there are those in other spiritual realms who envy souls the opportunity to learn so much so quickly! Did you ever consider that it is a privilege to be here in this crazy, wonderful spiritual experience we call Earth-living? Yes, “life” in those spiritual realms that are not integrated with the physical is generally easier and more pleasant, according to Dr. John. But it is here on Earth, in the thick of things, facing challenges, bruising our knuckles, hurting, fighting, struggling and overcoming, that we souls have a truly unique opportunity for learning and growth.

 

            Indeed, Dr. John told us that the unique spiritual opportunities of incarnate life on Earth are so unique and so prized that a vast array of spiritual beings from many realms are observing Earth, assessing how humans are evolving themselves and dealing with their planet. These beings—Dr. John called them our Elder Brothers and Sisters—are rooting for us. They want us humans to be “successful” in spiritual terms. They are not only interested but on our side.

 

            Moreover, beings from other realms (other than souls) can request and be given the opportunity to incarnate, to become human like the rest of us, and to make their contribution to the advancement of Planet Earth. Naturally, by incarnating, they will create karmic forces that may need to be fulfilled or resolved in future lifetimes. So this is not necessarily just signing on for a short gig.

 

            Dr. John collectively called them twilla, these beings that come from spiritual lines other than that of souls. When a twilla chooses incarnate life, he or she often is choosing a whole process of incarnate lives. Twilla are usually more spiritually advanced than souls, and may incarnate for one or a few or a cycle of lives. Whether in one or many lives, they are committing to get on board with us, be one with us, learn and grow and fulfill God’s purpose with us. On Earth, twilla may be great leaders or ordinary folk. But they have chosen to come into expression in the physical in order to experience the spiritual gifts of such an experience, and to make their contribution to an important spiritual purpose. Rather than “escaping” from the physical, twilla are voluntarily joining it, sharing it--and often assisting the rest of us to advance it.

 

            Dr. John said he knew of no other place in our physical universe that has an arrangement similar to Earth. In a way, Earth and incarnate souls complement each other; we need each other in order for God’s purpose for Earth and for those spiritual children whom we call “souls” to be blessed. Twilla assist us and God in fulfilling God's purpose for Earth.

 

            The ancient world, including the societies out of which Hinduism and Buddhism sprang, did not value human life in the way we take for granted today. Even as late as the Greeks and Romans, the value of a human was similar to that of a good work animal. His value was based on what he could do. Murder and rape, betrayal and abuse, were widespread and common in a culture that placed no value on the lives of those who were killed or abused by such a social system.

 

            It was the Hebrews who, according to their sacred scriptures, were advised by Yahweh (God) that they were His children, and therefore truly dear to Him. It was the Hebrews who began the concept—just a few thousand years ago—that all humans, each one of us, has value in God’s eyes. And the religions and societies that evolved from that ancient people—specifically modern Judaism and Christianity, and their impact on the western world—have carried that concept forward until it is now widely accepted throughout the world.

 

            Can we then pretend that in God’s purposeful world human life is purposeless? Can we conclude other than it is a gift and a privilege to be here? Can we reasonably believe that God wants us to hurry and get out of the place He has so lovingly prepared for us, and in which She so lovingly guides us? Life is difficult, yes, and often it feels harsh, painful, brutal and unfair. But life—human incarnate life in the physical world—is also precious. It is precious to God. Were we spiritual seekers wiser, it would be wonderfully precious to us as well.

 

            In the summer of 1979 I sat in a teaching session with a small group of Religious Research leaders. It was a warm Florida night, and we sat in the living room of Dr. Loehr’s home as he channeled Dr. John. There was, as usual, laughter, small talk, bonding. One could feel so clearly that Dr. John looked forward to these get-togethers, as a chance to share his wisdom with us, as a way to help us in our spiritual seeking and growing. He had a wry wit and a big heart. It felt so good to be with him!

 

            That night, after Dr. Loehr had been counted into a deep trance, and Dr. John’s familiar voice said, “Yes. I am here,” the Question was again raised. Dr. John said, simply and clearly, “No.” He let the quietness in the room become uncomfortable, and again he said, “No.” I remember hearing the insects chirping outside, the tick-tock of the mantle clock, the squeak of someone’s rocker. I was a young man, and I didn’t know what to make of this. It was clear these were not pauses for dramatic effect, as a politician might do. Dr. John was giving us time to shift our thinking, to assimilate, to become open for new knowledge. I was nervous, curious, not knowing what to expect.

 

            Then Dr. John taught us a simple truth that I have never forgotten. Like so much of Dr. John’s teaching, this truth is forthright, clear, obvious, sensible. It is rather remarkable how few people who consider themselves spiritually trained or enlightened don’t really know this.

 

            Dr. John taught that we are not intended to escape from this physical world. It is a gift from God to us that we are here. Rather than selfishly run away, we humans (incarnate souls) are here to collectively take charge of Earth, as we know it, in the physical. Just as in rearing your own children, your parenting is both a responsibility and a job, so also it is our responsibility and our opportunity to bless Earth, nurture it, and by so doing to effect our own growth and blessing.

 

            The Book of Genesis says that humankind is to have “dominion over the Earth.” That is, we are to be, collectively, a responsible caretaker, protector, nurturer of all that lives on Earth. Dr. John stated that, while humanity is still in its nascency, and we are indeed a long way from being ready to assume that mantle of responsible stewardship, it is nevertheless ours, and we will be assisted to grow into the maturity and wisdom necessary to carry out just such a role on Planet Earth. Earth is our laboratory, yes, but it is also our charge, our fiefdom, our spiritual responsibility, our nest. Earth-living is our assignment of service, our challenge to faith and steadfastness, our opportunity to grow and bless.

 

            Seen in such clarity, why would any of us want to escape from being where we’re supposed to be and doing what we’re supposed to do?

 

            When Dr. John was asked The Question, he consistently replied: “No. No—this is not a bad place; this is a good place, because it is your place. No—don’t seek to escape; seek to grow—and to enrich and bless—all you can. No—it is not better to prematurely move on from this place of learning and service; it is best to be grateful to God for this opportunity to grow, to serve, to learn, and to use it well. No—life on Earth is not meaningless; it is a part of God’s great Will and Plan and Purpose for Earth and for all of Life, and you humans have a key role in God’s Plan.”

 

            I am reminded of an experience from my student days. While attending a liberal arts college in Missouri I worked in the student cafeteria. One day, facing an immense bowl of lettuce and fresh vegetables for tossed salad, I picked up a large spoon and gamely but futilely attempted to stir it up. The cafeteria manager stopped me, had me roll up my sleeves and wash my hands and arms clear up to the elbow. Saying, “Do it like this,” he bent over and plunged both arms into the mixture, and scooped veggies from the bottom up to the top. He said, “To do it right, you can’t just stab at it. You’ve got to get down into it.”

 

            Making a tossed salad for a hundred people is a wonderful metaphor for Life. You can’t stab at it, mince around the edges, stir a little here and there. No, you’ve got to dive into it, plunge into it all the way, get fully involved. Someone once said, “Life is a bowl of cherries.” But I suggest to you that Life is really a tossed salad, incomplete, needing our involvement—a bunch of life ingredients not yet put together. Seeking to “escape from the physical is going the wrong way. Rather, physical life is beckoning us and requiring us to get down into it and make it our own.

 

            When my daughter, Heidi, was young, she loved to play soccer with other little grade-school girls. Like most youngsters, they all had a short attention span. Those girls who weren’t directly running or kicking the ball, would quickly lose their concentration and begin to focus on other things—the weather, chatting with friends, looking bored. At such times, I would shout to her: “Heidi! Get in the game!” Throughout each game, parents would shout, with encouragement or frustration, “C’mon! Get in the game!”

 

            I believe that is what Dr. John might say if he were asked today how best to “escape” from the woes and limitations of physical Earth-living. He would chuckle, as he so often did, and say, “Well, no. I cannot tell you how to release yourself from the physical, nor do I encourage you to pursue that. You are in the physical because you are supposed to be, and because your soul has chosen this. So I would say to you, instead of seeking escape, seek involvement. Live as though Life matters—for indeed it does. Live zestfully. Don’t let Earth’s difficulties define your experience. Difficulties there are in physical living, yes, but there are also laughter, joy, love, bonding, accomplishment, fulfillment, opportunities to serve others, and the blessings of growth accomplished.”

 

            And so, I say to you frustrated spiritual seekers: “Get in the game. Play with gusto! The answer is not to quickly graduate yourself from Earth but to work hard, learn well, grow in God-likeness, and serve with compassion. Remember that Earth is where God has put you, and managing life in the physical so that it functions in accordance with God’s will and purpose and values is your spiritual work to do. So play hard! Give it all you’ve got for as long as you’re here. Make the most of it. Instead of holding back and wishing you could just be ‘spiritual’ and not get your hands dirty, roll up your sleeves, dig deeply into all the rich, diverse Goodness that Life has to offer. This planet, this life, this unique corner of All That Is is truly God’s gift to you. Get in the game!”