CHAPTER NINE

- CHAPTER NINE -
INTERMEDIATE FAITH



Circumstances desperate enough to cry out for help invited opportunists of every ilk. The finger pointing fear monger niche of our evolving society grew stronger as followers were manipulated into deeper dependancy. Convinced personal efforts to make demands on any of the increasing cast of pseudo-gods would be fruitless, most had little choice but to seek out the services of an intercessor whose own requirements and authority varied just enough to suit the occasion and means of the seeker. The heightened tendency to believe in their abilities to intercede on someone's behalf, prompted these agents to bring their individual solicitors together, convincing them; more is better. This congregational format worked only if all agreed to the secrecy that gave each the assurance to seek help individually. The reasons for anonymity had not changed because of the “group” scenario. The fear of appearing weak or vulnerable was still very real.

A trust had to be constructed among those who shared the belief that deliverance from a perceived threat lay in the hands of benevolent powers greater than themselves, individually or collectively. This trust between relative strangers relied on the assumption; each had some “evidence” they could hold over every other member of their group, preventing any from telling outsiders why and where they met or what they did. The privacy of such proceedings were crucial for maintaining one’s public image while seeking dispensation from “otherworldly” sources regarding increased burdens and responsibilities, not to mention the ubiquitous natural calamities. The inability to handle certain aspects of our daily affairs without pursuing the support, guidance and council of someone outside our family or circle of peers, would prove evidence enough to keep the cloak of secrecy in place. Enough at least for the onset of these gatherings, because much more would be expected as the ceremonialism evolved in sophistication and elaboration. Even though a weakness of resolve toward worldly matters might seem insignificant, being considered unsure of oneself opened a door of vulnerability many would find to be grounds for incapacity and to declare property fair game or public domain. At best, hesitation would be an embarrassment, worst case scenario, loss of all standing in the community. These were unforgiving times, after all the rudimentary rules of acquisition had advanced little beyond take and hold whatever your strength allowed. With every “devotee” risking the real or imagined consequences of exposure, all could be sure of maintaining the requisite resolve of secrecy under the guise of trust. Additionally, those who claimed to facilitate the desired outcome of a proceeding accentuated the notion of privacy, as it applies to this precursor of worshipful behavior, because they didn’t need anyone second guessing their methods or motives. Their control and authority needed to be absolute and was assured by selective membership. Initially, and for a very long time, many seekers were among those who had acquired, by whatever means, some measure of affluence and so had every reason to fear “something to lose” if failing to offer an appropriate appeasement. It’s not so hard to imagine their patronage being sought out by neo-clerics then. It only stands to reason; if they had something to lose, they had something to offer.

So greed took the trappings of a seekers social position and fashioned a double edged sword, by first necessitating a reason to secure their holdings––even if that meant giving some of it away as an offering––and second, providing the leverage that would guarantee their silence, with regard to the proceedings they were becoming increasingly involved in. Practicing the belief that our well-being would be enhanced by sacrificing a personal possession to an object or idol we’ve been convinced represents a force of nature, is not in and of itself, illusory. From the “now” of that point in time, we could see that greed had only begun to evolve in its own right, after having a background based on a proprietary pecking order ruled by brute strength, it began taking on the many layers that would eventually prove impenetrable, by most who later attempted to unravel its origins. In that example of an early manifestation, we glimpse how as a seedling, its roots found footholds in the weakness of our insecurities, as represented by our attempts to project an image of being someone or something other than who we are. Our self defense instinct caused us to deny our fallibility and prompted the invention of deceptions designed to maintain the illusion of strength of character. The way we regarded, or were regarded by, our peers in an evolving social climate that replaced pecking order with a “have or have not” mentality, in an increasingly hubristic display of one-upmanship. Greed then, both foreshadowed by and building on the self defense instinct, found its birthing place in our immature ego.

From the observer’s viewpoint outside the “now”, the path leading to believing and faith is unfolding just as it should, individually and as a whole. So if our first attempts to solicit the beneficial influence of extrinsic entities were purely self serving and reward oriented, it could be ascribed in part, to the fact; material gain, or greed, was the only lure able to get ego’s attention off what was growing into an obsession for independence. Acting in much the same way as guilt does in our consideration of faith, so greed freed us to move away from ego-centered individuality toward ego-centric peer recognition, but more importantly, socially interactive behavior.

While it’s true, establishing an identity apart from the family / clan unit was the initial exercise of free will, the individual manifested as a result, was (and still is) necessary, only as a venue from which to practice Divinely Guided behavior, for the sole purpose of usurping and discarding instinct. The choices (and mistakes) are ours to make and learn from, because returning to divine, eternal, perfect oneness (“at-one-ment”) is where all our paths are leading and it can only be realized by overcoming instinct through acts of free will. Until our very last temptation, this will be our challenge with each step on that path and overcoming is an ongoing daily, even hourly vigilance of choosing to be in control of our choices, rather than allowing instincts to control us. If we only knew beforehand that choosing how we act, instead of instinctually reacting to every circumstance, would be measure enough of our resolve in overcoming any challenge that might slow us from fulfilling our part in the Divine Plan, then choices would come easily, instinct would be no more and vigilance unnecessary. However, given the condition of our ignorance about Divinity in general, let alone Its plan for us, it’s perplexing how even the smallest advancement could have been possible. That is to say, in light of the darkness shrouding our knowledge of any spiritual agenda, how is it we’ve survived long enough to consider any possibilities, beyond our own capabilities? None of it would have happened, or began for that matter, without the Divinely Orchestrated symphony to which all creation is tuned, and if our “instruments’” contribution isn’t clear enough to be appreciated yet, believe and have faith in this one absolute certainty; that’s why we’re here, to implement the free will choice of being a harmonious part of the whole, by discarding the discord of instinct.