The God Family
“Jesus went on to clarify the teachings of the law. He said, “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.” Now let us preview the source from which both sides claim to found these definitions.
“Thou shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall
fear God; I am YHWH.
Ye shall do not unrighteousness in judgement; thou shall not respect the person of
the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy
neighbor.
Thou shall not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand
against the blood of thy neighbor. I am YHWH.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor,
and not suffer sin upon him.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against children of thy people, but thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself: I am YHWH.”
Leviticus 19:14-18
“And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou
shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am YHWH your God.”
Leviticus 19:33, 34
The message is clearly, for all practical applications, the same as we find in the love teachings of Jesus. The substance is: Put no stumbling block before the blind; there is no respect of person or position in righteous judgment; do not lie on your brother; do not allow the shedding of you brother’s blood in quarrels; do not hate your brother; rebuke him if he is wrong. Do not be vengeful against your brother; hold no grudges. Love thy neighbor and the stranger as thyself.
These were your guidelines for dealing with the “God Family” and their problems, using the guiding principles of Brotherhood and Oneness. There were those who were making mistakes on the paths to the Father, or that were experiencing problems of growth or simply a lack of understanding. I call them the “God Family”. When you were a child or young adult in the household with your brothers and sisters, sometimes there was resentment or dissension which sometimes led to a physical confrontation. If you got the upper hand, you would prepare your fist to give the crushing blows, but understandably you could not. Each time you brought the fist down you would break the force of the blow, for in your heart you knew he or she was not an enemy of yours. Then Mom or Dad would come in and sit you down and “preach the gospel”.
This was certainly a serious matter, but it was in the family, so they admonished you to get it together; to not hold grudges, or seek revenge at a later date. You said “I hate him; I’ll kill her; I’ll hurt him”, or “we can’t live together”, but with all of your harsh words and feelings, there was an inherent feeling limiting the injuries which you could cause him or her to sustain. There was always someone in the family who had some bad habits that needed correcting; still Mom and Dad knew, even as Jesus of Nazareth, that except the angry feeling were immediately extinguished, they would soon become an all-consuming, unquenchable fire.”
Ben Ammi, God the Blackman and Truth, pg. 151-153
May the words of the Master Teacher resonate in all of our hearts as we enter this High Holy Day season, and cause us all to deeply introspect and to remove the left-over leaven which has caused all of the bitter feelings and inability to forgive in our midst. No one is exempt from what is expressed in these words; we must all let bygones be just that, bygones. Let us all vow in this season to go forward seeking to forge new bonds of Brotherhood and Sisterhood based on love of one another first as “Family”. We cannot undo the past, but we can learn from it and use that knowledge to build a better tomorrow.
Let us all recall to mind the motto of the Nation; “I Serve!” Leaders are responsible for and accountable to those they lead; those being led have an obligation to work with and assist those who lead them for the mutual benefit of all involved. Never forget, all leaders were once followers and never become exempt from yielding to Truth!
May the Most High and Holy bless you all with an inspiring High Holy Day season, one that will find us truly ascending to higher heights as one people, one “God Family”!
Anaviel Ben Eleazer
13.09.2015