Surrounded.

God is surrounded by people who don't understand Him.

As Jesus found with the Pharisees, places of worship are full of people who are ruled by fear.

When we attempt to make contact with God independently we are overpowered by the evil influences that surround us.

When we join a religious community we are surrounded by fear.

So the struggle continues with devils and bullies on one side and fear-driven bigots on the other.

Both are violent.

That is not to say that there are nor good people in the Churches.  There are many who follow the Gospel of Love but they find it difficult to escape the fear that surrounds them.

Why is it like this?

Perhaps Jesus holds the key when he says, "'Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.'"  Matthew 24:28 (NRSV)

Where the Christ is, i.e. the absolute power, those who seek power will gather.          


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)