Friday Filler – Jesus, Buddha and Shiva Walk Into a Bar…

Thank Grog It’s Firday!!

So, Jesus, Buddha and Shiva walk into a bar…
The bartender looks up and says, “I can serve you two, but he has to go…”

Of course, this is the kind of open-ended conundrum that has a way of setting all of us afire with debates over who or which “ism” is the best or “only” path to enlightenment.  There is nothing so unenlightened, as deciding that there is only one path to enlightenment…

It’s also a reflection of how we play the game of TSTO…

I know. It’s “only a game.” And, it’s a game that many of us play as an escape from some of the day-to-day conflicts and unending bad news that seems to be swirling around us these days.  However…like it or not, the programmers and writers of this particular episode may be conveying one of the most important life lessons we could ever learn, about how to get along in the world.

The answer?

An Alien Invasion.  Seriously, it may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves.

Think about it.  There are only a handful of times in recent history, that the world came together to act in unison. They were almost always disasters, whether natural or man-made…that for a brief time, brought us closer together.

Today, we have become so completely impervious to bad news, by becoming conditioned to “feel less” when the headlines and events keep coming at usso rapidly, that we are simply overwhelmed and immobilized when trying to decide what actions, solutions, and help to offer. It’s as if we bent down to get a drink of water, and someone opened up with a fire hose of bad news. It’s everywhere…it’s overwhelming.

When things become overwhelming in life, we tend to retract into our own cloistered corners of comfort. Unfortunately, this can take us into divisive, tribal territory, where we believe that self preservation comes from picking a side, and protecting yourself by tearing down other ways of thought.  In the end, as the old saying goes, “seeking an eye for an eye will eventually leave us all blind.”

So…what is the BRILLIANCE of this most amazing, best TSTO Christmas/Holiday/Winter update ever?  It is going to very quickly turn into a parable about setting aside your “isms,” and fighting a common enemy…the ALIENS!!

And let’s face it…the way life is today, we could use a little alien invasion to take our minds off of ourselves.

The very hubris of a species that comes to the conclusion that we are the only sentient beings in an almost infinite universe, is a trait that only humans seem to possess.  That hubris becomes even more evident when we further divide one another into tribes of “creation stories,” that are at the root of every major and minor religion.

But, there is nothing more humbling than an alien invasion to remind us that we clearly don’t “know it all,” and that most of the precepts that we have constructed through various religious and political beliefs, have no place in the “larger reality” that is just a few thousand miles outside of our atmosphere.  An alien invasion would put all of the mythology to rest…once and for all.

Unfortunately, if our “isms” and penchant for taking the misguided practice of “making war as a way to bring about peace,” we may not be around long enough to witness an alien invasion in the future.  We are truly our own worst enemies.

And frankly, I think THAT is exactly what the writers of this game are trying to say…When Jesus, Shiva, and Buddha show up on the same team, it may be time to worry.

I would guess that the real joke would be the three of them (along with any number of other Gods, idols, or symbols of belief) all gathering in a bar and agreeing on one thing…”The World would be a better place if it wasn’t for people.”  That would be tough to argue against.

But, as it is…like our game…it seems that the best hope for mankind, is that the earth, nature, and maybe an alien invasion, finally bring us all together again.

So…yes…I will buy every icon, every character, every smidgen of artifacts that allows me to place Jesus’ workshop, right next to my Pagan bonfire, and my alien Nativity, knowing that they are all part of the larger conversation…and will ultimately just make me laugh when I need to smile and remember how silly mankind really is.

This is the season of hope and miracles.  But, it is also the time to do something for others. This hopefully is in  a manner that is sustainable, and allows you to form a habit of giving and unconditional love that can carry on once the decorations are put away.

It’s really all about Free Will…it’s YOUR CHOICE how you choose to play the game. Let’s just decide that life is better when we are ALL welcome at the bar.