December 6, 1998

Samuel: Hello dears.

Hello Samuel.

S: So. You’re about to move into one of the most amazing times of your life, and I find it particularly interesting in this particular year, so much of what is going to be coming up very, very quickly is going to be ushered in by your season of light. And although this is usually that time in which—at the first Sunday of December—in which I give the holiday story—and I will indeed give some version of a holiday story in here—the purpose is different, because my desire this night is not to help you get a new view of the upcoming days and the way that your society looks at this particular holiday, and ways that you can think about it. That’s not where I’m going here. Instead I want to talk to you a bit about how to avoid the biggest mistake in your life. And I think you’ll understand it as I get into it.

I call this the season of light. Why?

It’s the solstice.

S: Solstice. Very obviously a very major part of that season. It is the Festival of Light. A time in which the world celebrates the end and beginning. It is a celebration of the coming sun. Sure. Absolutely.

Hanukkah.

S: Hanukkah. Aye. How is that a celebration of light? How is that a part of that season? Because the story is that . . .

Hope.

S: Hope. Yes. Very good. Very good. It is a story in which after a great—and boy, am I condensing this story tremendously; I’ve gotten so many hours of mileage out of it, and now it’s going to be just a couple of minutes long—it is the story of a great warrior nation which, after a large war, found that to purify the Temple they only had one container of oil. And in order to purify, they had to have a light burning the whole eight-day purification. One container of oil would burn one day. Sending a warrior on to fetch—”Fetch oil! Carry back!”—the light burned without fail, without stopping the whole time. It is not a miracle of long-lasting oil. It is the miracle of hope. “We will do the best we can with what we have. We will ask for grace. We will create glory.”

Sure. What else? Why is this a season of light. You have Hanukkah. You have solstice. You have . . .

Christmas.

S: Christmas. Sure. Sure. “And unto you is born this day in the City of David a great light.” Well, could have been. Could have said it that way. Sure. And of course, mass consciousness connects with even other holidays, some that center around this time right now, some that have become a part of this time right now, but certainly a function of mind, a turn of mind, in which there is a common thread of a desire for humanity to work in a more loving, kinder, more giving manner. And all of that is a means of adding light to this world, as well.

This is a season of light, of hope. The light within you shining into the world around you.

But without it being a desire to take away the joy of this season, I want to tell you that this is also a season in which there is a great number of suicides, a lot of loneliness and despair. Sadness. It’s a time in which crime levels tend to go up. Comparative judgment tends to go up. That’s probably the greatest crime. It is a time in which the joys that the season offers do not necessarily seem evenly distributed in the world. And where that is the case, it’s very keenly felt in this season in which it seems as if the whole world, for one reason or another, is recognizing light.

You have a choice, and ultimately that is what the hope of this time is, the choices you are making. You have a choice to express that light consciously, or not. Expressing that light consciously does not necessarily set it up so that you have more light than you do when you’re not expressing it consciously, because the bottom line is you work at the frequency that you’re capable of working at. What it does do is sort of like cleaning your windows or shining up the light bulb. It may not be that there is actually more light coming out of you, but all of a sudden it’s light that can be noticed in a much greater way. It’s your choice, but it might take dusting off the light bulb, a bit of housecleaning if you will. That’s really what the season is. [Singing] ‘Tis the season to clean house. Aye. And that is housecleaning for you, because what keeps you from enjoying this season are the choices you make that move you from that light.

Now, I’m talking to you this night about the thing that keeps you out of paradise. I am talking to you this night about the only thing that not only ruins your holidays, but ruins your life. I’m talking about that thing you do which makes it so that you don’t enjoy—fill in the blank—visiting at home with family. You don’t enjoy the work that you do, the life that you live. This is what makes your life unhappy, that takes you from paradise, indeed kicks you out of the garden. And this is what, when you take it out of your life, when it is not the automatic reaction, light can indeed be born in the world.

What am I talking about? What is it? Blame. Blame. Blame.

Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a country that, believe me, is very, very far away, and in this particular creation story actually has a name, and that name was Eden. Eden. The land of all things. At which, in the center, was planted a tree that was the Tree of Knowledge, of good and evil. Sound familiar so far? Know the story? And so God in that clear thinking that so often shows up in stories about Source, decided “I’m going to create humanity. Let’s begin with man.” And, of course, you know all the jokes that come here, right? I don’t need to fill in with them and can just go on to the next part. And then created woman. And one was called?

Adam.

S: And the other?

Eve.

S: You do know the story, don’t you? Heard it often have you? It is almost a part of your genetic memory, isn’t it? You have heard it so often that you’ve probably never quite thought about it, have you?

Well, I want you to remember that what I’m giving you tonight, let’s start with that part, you whose higher self brought you here, who chose to attend this night amidst all of the other things that were available to you, because your spirit self said, “Go! See!” You who are here because there is something in this message that is so important for you, you are dying for it. And I mean that, because as I spoke about recently, you are not living, only alive, unless you are truly spiritually happy. And with blame in your life you cannot be.

Remember I am talking to you tonight with a holiday story, and this one is starting out with, Once upon a time there was this fellow named Adam and he had a friend named Eve, and they lived in a very lovely place. They had access to anything they needed whenever they needed it. They were just enjoying life.

One day while they were wandering around their great garden, there was a snake chatting with Eve. Why do you think it is that in these stories nobody ever thinks it odd when the animals speak? And yet now that’s absolutely one of the first-class signs that it’s all made up.

And the snake says, “Hey lady! Come here a moment. Let’s talk. Why is it you go everywhere you want around this place, but you do not take part of everything that’s here?

She said, “‘Go everywhere around, don’t take part in everything that’s here.’ Whatever are you talking about? You mean that tree? Oh well, you see, God said, Do not touch it. Do not eat of it.”

The first thing that happens in confrontation is stories change. Do you know that? Because if you read that story, you’ll recognize that God never said, Don’t touch it. Only, everything here is yours, leave this alone. Don’t eat it. Not this. Don’t eat it.

The first thing that happens in confrontation of what you think, what you believe, when you’re being asked, when you’re being faced, is that the story starts to change. It’s what happens when you’re not sure about why you’re doing what you’re doing. It shifts to fit the circumstances. Score one for the questioner.

“Oh well, now, that’s sort of rude of God, don’t you think? Aren’t you wondering why you should not take a part? They’re really quite nice. Have one.” She did. It was nice. Took it to Adam, and said, “Adam dear, this is really quite nice. Have some.” Adam did, and immediately what happened? Lightning. Thunder. Curtains drop.

Well, the first thing immediately was they, in this particular legend anyway, recognized that they were naked. I was never quite sure if that was the good or the evil part that the tree let them know about. “Oh, let’s run and cover ourselves.” About that time God starts wandering around the garden, just for the daily visit, you know. Wandering around, sort of whistling out loud. [Tries to whistle] Works sometimes. “Hello there. Anybody home?”

Adam looks at Eve. Eve looks at Adam.

“What are we going to do?”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but you’d better put on this fig leaf. God’s visiting.” Ever since then, that’s what you’ve been doing. You go to visit God, you put on all your best fig leaves.

The second thing that happens in a confrontation is that you become very aware of all of the things in your life, or in that situation, that are not up to par, meaning comparative judgment immediately jumps in. The story changes, comparative judgment adds to the fray. We’re naked! We must do something about this. God’s still wandering the garden you know. Can you imagine? There they are hiding from God. And God’s wandering around the garden saying, “Oh Adam. Oh Eve. Where are you?”

Finally he spies them and says, “Why were you hiding?”

And what is the reply? “Oh well, we’re naked.” As if he could not tell? As if that bothered? And Adam said, “She did it! She was the one who made me eat,” because God had said, “Just a minute here, how is it you know you’re naked?” Whoops.

And that’s the third thing that happens. You will always give yourself away. Always, you will give yourself away. And, believe me, any time that you are having a conversation with God, you don’t even have to try very hard. It’s going to just tumble right out of your mouth, much to your surprise. “Whoa, did I say that?”

But here is where my point comes. There they are in what half of the world, anyway, recognizes as probably the most beautiful, perfect paradise there could have ever been, in the most pristine and perfect situation humanity’s ever experienced. They take part in the fullness of the place beyond what they were told they could do, and when confronted one immediately springs forth and blames the other, implying innocence for having been misled perhaps.

And if you keep reading, it is then they were tossed out of the garden. It was not until the blame. That was, oh, just to continue the dramatics, the disgusting part. When God said, “You were wrong there. That’s just one step too far, big guy. None of that now. For that you’re out of here.” Blame takes you out of paradise.

All right, I want to change this story now, and I’m going to go into the other end of the book for the Christian version of a story that is fraught with blame. It is very much a story of blame. Maybe. Let’s see, I think that you’ll recognize this story, so let us tell it together, but you let me know when you recognize it.

Once upon a time, a couple and a half thousand years ago, there was a lovely woman named Miriam. She was young, she was unmarried, but as is typically the case she was betrothed.

What a bunch of heathens. You’re not recognizing the story yet? I’ll give you a hint. It is a seasonal story here. And your society’s very familiar with it. With me yet?

Christmas.

S: All right. She goes to bed one night, perhaps had too many olives to eat at dinner, sort of tossing and turning, and awakens because, maybe like some of you, she has this sense she’s being watched. And she wakes up, and lo and behold, who is standing at her bedside? An angel. Why?

To bring her glad tidings.

S: To bring her great tidings. Absolutely. And those great tidings that this angel of the Lord, this incredible—that’s Lord—that’s …

Lord.

S: Lord. Well it sounds like lard otherwise, doesn’t it? And an angel of the Lard sounds sort of like the keeper of the pigs. That’s my job. In full . . .

Which angel?

S: Gabriel. In full light and shining goodness, says, “I have some great news for you, Mary. Are you ready for this? You’re going to have a baby. You’re going to have a child.”

She says, “I hope this is a dream. You think this is good news? Are you kidding? This is not possible. I have never known a man.”

All right, just for a little translation purpose here, she did not mean that she had only stayed in her own home, and never ever seen a boy. She meant that she had never “known” a man. This cannot be. In fact, if it were true then there was only one thing that the law of her tribe, of her village, of her family could do, and that was to put her to death. That is an interesting birth control system, don’t you think? Do whatever you want. You get pregnant before you’re married, you’re out of here, forever.

“And you’re telling me this is good news? Well, I’m eager to hear more. Tell me more.”

And the angel continued. What did the angel say? “I have tidings of great joy for you. You are going to have a child.” More?

“And his name will be called Jesus.”

S: “Without sonograms, I am here, I can tell you it’s going to be a boy. You will name him Jesus. And he will be great. He will be known forever as the warrior emancipator of the people. The anointed one. The one for whom you have been waiting.”

“Oh, great. If they don’t kill me, they’re going to lock me up forever. What’s a woman to do?”

The angel did it. That was it.

For what she says, certainly very calmly, she says, “Excuse me, I believe that you forgot the main question that I asked here. How is this going to happen?” Smart lass, don’t you think? Exactly what is it you have in mind sir? Should I be worried here? Should I call out for my father to come and check it out.

“No, do not worry, the angel says, it should be by the Holy Spirit.” That’s a totally . . . never mind.

How come it has a Scottish accent?

S: Doesn’t speak English at all, doesn’t matter. So the Holy Spirit did indeed come upon her. Could not resist it anyway. [Laughter] I think it’s a rude front row.

And here is where the story gets really interesting, because sure enough, Miriam comes up with child. And you can just imagine, can’t you, that once again she’s fearing that she had too many olives, and then she remembers. Oh my goodness, I know what this is. I’m pregnant. Whatever am I going to do? I know what I should do, I should run over to Joe’s house and tell him. He’ll really understand and he’ll know what to do.

By law his duty was to publicly renounce her so that she could be stoned without that dirty little attachment to him. That was the law. That was the law. If he did not fulfill, it was the duty of the people to kill him as well. That was the law.

Well, obviously Mary was at that point in her existence in which it’s not going to be secret. She knows that she has known no man. It’s time now, she can keep the secret no longer. She’s got to speak to her betrothed. She goes to him and she says, “Joseph, did I mention that a couple of months ago I had trouble sleeping one night? And I looked around my room, and there standing in my room was this huge man.”

“There was some man in your room? Miriam, this is terrible. What happened?”

“No, no, no, no. You’re misunderstanding. That’s not how it went at all. It was an angel.”

“It was, was it? How do you know?”

“Because he said he was an angel. He said, ‘Fear not. I am an angel.’ And he told me that I was going to have a son.”

And he said, “Well, Mary, some day we will. Don’t worry. It’s going to happen. We will. My lineage is of the House of David. My lineage goes back as a part of and even long before that great king of all of our tribe, and I will have a son to keep that lineage going. Sure. That makes sense. I could have told you that.” Something like that.

“Well, actually, Joseph, dear, it’s actually going to be soon.”

All right. Here it was.

You know, in your own life you get faced with things. You think you have a hard time going home for Christmas. You think you have trouble talking to your family. You think that you’ve done things that you’re afraid to be up front about, because, what? you’re going to get stoned to death by the law if it’s known that you cheated on your taxes once, that you had bad thoughts, that you live in a country with a President who has an interesting view of power. You think you’ve got problems in your life that make it so that you really do deserve the drama that you express? Because if you do try very hard to move yourself back through time, and into that body of Joseph of Nazareth of the line of kings when his fourteen year old betrothed comes to him and says, “I’m pregnant. An angel told me the Holy Spirit did it. We will have a son. He will save the world,” there is one duty there, and that is get yourself as far away as you can so you will not get the blame, because if you get that blame your life will be taken. That, that is the human answer. Divide to conquer. Separate. Get away so you will not be blamed. Blame the other—first, if you can, so that your wisdom is seen in recognizing great evil. Blame first. And to ensure that you are not associated.

What could have happened to your Christmas story if that had been the answer? If Joseph had blamed, the story would have been so different. So different. And because there is not the recording of blame, the story continues to say that great light came to the world. You know the usual part of the story, the one where most of those stories start, “there came a time in which Caesar Augustus called forth a tax,” and Joseph looks over at Miriam and says, “Do you think that donkey will hold you?” Could have. And says, “Look we’ve got to take a little trip. We’ve got to go to . . .”

Bethlehem.

S: Because . . .

There was a census.

S: You’ve got to go to the old homestead of the tribe.

And off they go, and can’t find an open inn, and amidst lovely animal effects in the manger, the child is born. Well, because the census actually takes quite some time, they’re actually there for a few months living in the barn in back. And eventually they have a few visitors, including three wise men who had seen, written in the stars, that the great king was coming, the great leader, the great warrior. And the star shone as a blazing light in the heavens, guiding them to the great light in the stable.

That’s the story you’re most familiar with, but, beloved ones, this holiday season I want you to remember that there is no birth of the light if there had been blame, if the natural human response had been followed, if the automatic agreement with authority because it’s what’s done [had happened]. Turning the stories inside out, I will move it around to say there wouldn’t have been a paradise.

You have the opportunity to create Eden, to make use of the energy of this time in which mass consciousness is consciously choosing to be a little kinder, softer. They’re trying a little harder. You have the opportunity to take those ingredients and mold them into something larger in your world. to take a few good intentions and turn it into paradise, but doing so requires a few interesting things. One of them is it might mean that you need to hear the angels when they speak. And I want you to remember, please, that in hearing the angels when they spoke to Mary, she was afraid, she did not know who was in her room. That could be implying, my friends, that the angels look like any typical house-breaker. Your everyday, run-of-the-mill burglar. Burglar. Not that word? That they look like a great loving version of someone you might know, but you’re not quite certain if you know them. Hello! Who are you? What are you doing here? That’s the common-language version of it, you know. The high and scholarly version is the one where she immediately falls down, and says, “Oh my goodness, what are you doing here? Why do I deserve so much?” It’s not the one you’ve ever read. It’s the one that people make up had to have happened, because the angels come looking like people. It helps. You get more done that way.

You’ve got to hear the angel when the angel says there is a special reason for you being here. You have a work to do, and it’s important. You have promise. You have the possibility, if you don’t get killed for it, of bearing forth the great truth. Which is to say, when the angel says to you, “You are so special; you can help change this world” and you automatically start thinking of all of the reasons why you’re going to be rejected in the world for it, you finally reach that point that you accept that the angels are talking to you, and your immediate response is to start figuring out all the ways you’ll be rejected for it. What’s wrong with that picture? Well, when you can no longer hide the great truth you bear, and you speak that truth to somebody in the ultimate vulnerability, you must state it with full recognition that you may be counted mad, but in absolute knowledge that life as you know it is over. It was the law then, and it’s the law now. You bear witness to the truth. You finally adapt yourself to the recognition that you are not mad or not when you finally speak it forth. Life as you know it is over.

However, for most of the people in this world, do they remember that turmoil, those decisions, that vulnerability? Do the stories go into the details of the conversations that were had, and the sort of experience that old Mary and Joe had once that confession was made and he had to move out far away from the village, and they had to live alone in order for them to survive? Does it talk about all that? No, it doesn’t, because, you see, cosmically speaking in the important story, it was only then that this story began. It was only then.

The incredible story that is the foundation of this holiday season, insofar as the Christmas is concerned, gently waves over the great, incredible miracle. Choosing not to blame opened the door for the birth of a new world. Making that choice.

Well, the story goes on. You’ve got a couple of paragraphs that cover all of that, and then you have “And so there was a great census to be taken, and whole lifetime to discuss.”

Into this world is born this day a savior. What if Joseph behaved like you do? What if Mary’s reaction was like yours are? The greatest mistake you make, that which kicks you out of paradise, that which keeps the sun from shining in your world, is blame. When you choose not to recognize your part, when you choose to function at less than your very highest ability, when you need the law as the excuse—Well, of course this is all I can do. I have no choice here. It’s the law. Sorry, dear, I thought we might could have made it, but I’ll throw the first stone. Blame. If Joseph had resorted to behaving without love, this season would certainly be different.

You’re working to birth a new order in this world. You’re working to bring forth out of the womb of your creative heart a light unlike any this world has seen. You are remaking you, and remaking this world, and you are creating a doorway for the light to enter this world in abundance. You’re holy enough to see the angels. You’re unholy enough to doubt them. You feel the desire to do what is right, but you do not have the courage to watch your life change.

Well, the change that it brought into the life of our friends Mary and Joe is just as Mary predicted. She became recognized as the most blessed of all women, and he became known as the father of Jesus, who was the Christ here on this earth. Not so bad for two unwed, pregnant teenagers.

It may not be this life that changes, changes into that which you fear. This season could be the beginning of a whole new world. I would say, do make it a Mary and a Joseph Christmas.

Happy trails, my friends. Glochanumora.