The Popular Philosphy of "Karma"

Today there is a lot said about "Karma". This has become the socially accepted term which is tolerated by the masses and acknowledged by those who consider themselves to be intellectual and more "with it". It is considered to be a "non-religious" term, ironic, since it comes from the Hindu belief system. It is word which is used to describe a phenomena that was expressed in the world in which I grew up as - "What goes around, comes around"! But it is actually older than the Hindi religion from which the idea of "Karma" was spawned, and much older still than that "red-neck" expression meaning that one will usually "get what is coming to them"! It was a concept that was actually put into the earth as laws of existence - by a rational G-d - originally it was known simply as "The Law of Sowing and Reaping". The discovery of these pre-set laws used to be the foundation of what was known as Science.

The general idea of sowing and reaping was simply that whatever kind of "seed" one "sows" be it into the fertile ground or into a fertile womb or into a fertile, open, prepared mind, be it a physical seed or an idea, be it natural or spiritual, that "seed" is what will "come up" or produce "fruit after its kind", as G-d set forth in the book of beginnings, known as Genesis (in English) or Bereshit (in Hebrew). One can not sow hatred and produce Love; One can not plant tomatoes and get squash - for example.

One can mess with the genetics and change - somewhat - the nature or characteristics of what a given seed will produce (though it has not been without some unpleasant side effects that we mess with His designs); but we can not ultimately alter the fact that whatever we put into the ground will come up as that exact same thing - if it comes up at all. Of course the crop can fail. There can be a season of drought, or flooding or pestilence that may hinder the final outcome of any given crop, or which may prevent the crop from coming up entirely. However, none of those elements can change the reality of what was planted! (This perhaps explains recent observation of those in the spiritual realm who, having remotely grasped this principle that are now praying for "crop failure"! Not good.)

However, there is hope for those who realize, too late, that what they have sown was not what they really wanted to come up! That hope is found in another law which G-d set forth known mostly to us as "repentance"! It involves an expression of sorrow born from a change of heart! No one can truly repent without a drastic change of heart however, because in order to produce a willingness to change - the pain of staying the same must begin to outweigh the risks, work and pain that change itself threatens to produce! Let's face it, if change was easy there would not be so many broken "Resolutions" to be faced in February each year!

"Teshuvah" is the Hebrew word from which we get our word "repentance". It means - if you boil it down to practical reality - "completed repentance". Meaning that sorrow is more than just a temporary discomfort. Meaning that we don't just shed a few hot "crocodile tears" over the pain which we may have caused someone else or ourselves, while failing or refusing to change the patterns that brought about that pain! G-dly sorrow always leads to repentance (change!)! If that is a true proverb, and it is, then what does an ungodly sorrow produce? Ungodly sorrow is usually born from pride. Therefore, generally, it is a grieving over the disappointment of personal failure to achieve one's own selfish goals. It brings down a severe negativity - a self-loathing that is unhealthy. It usually manifests in the form of remorse, mental illness, depression - even suicide eventually, if not resolved. But it does not produce life encouraging change.

If our nation is ever to regain her footing, if we are ever to regain the healthy patterns of social existence that lead to peaceful coexistence again (though admittedly we never reached it on the desired levels), then we will need to find and follow His ways of Teshuvah. We can not hope to change from hatred and bigotry to love and peaceful equality without repentance! We can not hope to ever reverse deadly, profane "legal" rulings, such as Roe vs. Wade if we are not, as a nation of so-called believers, willing to sorrow over the patterns - in our own lives and thinking - that produced those rulings in the first place! We can not ever effect outward change if we are not willing to let our G-d change our own hearts! That is why the Spirit of G-d has been proclaiming II Chronicles 7:14, so adamantly for the last couple of decades! We need to change! To return to the standards we say we believe!

Until then we will be victims of our own "sowing and reaping cycles", which the brainwashed of the politically correct circles blithely call "Karma". Cycles that we have set up by our own belief structures and decisions! Whatever you choose to call these incessant patterns of behavior, the answer will be the same - if you want to break the cycle - of this "thing" that bites you in your rear-end when you least suspect it - then you must be willing to repent and change those patterns that got you into that cycle - physically, mentally and spiritually !

But I warn you, most times it can not be done without the help of G-d! Teshuvah, by definition - in all its Hebrew fullness - means to turn from that which does not prosper (sinful patterns of behavior) and to turn back toward that standard of right living (from which one has left to pursue those sinful patterns) - that is, of course, HIS Standard of righteousness - also known as Torah. Repentance must include a return to Torah to be effective - and to reset the patterns so as to produce the right crops in our lives!

So if today you find yourself stuck in a negative cycle, repeating, almost against your will patterns of behavior that have proven destructive or less than productive - then you may want to seek G-d's face, as recommended, until you begin to see the pattern for yourself. If you give Him enough time He will show it to you, and if you ask Him to, He will deliver you from it, get you loose from it, free you from it - make it stop! And He is the only One that can "get us off these whirling jinnys"! He is the only One who can reset the patterns of our hearts - (aka "strongholds") - from rejection to acceptance, from darkness to light, from chaos to peace, from terminally stupid flesh to the wisdom of the spirit, from hatred (for ourselves and others) to love for Him and all of His creation.

I challenge you to break the cycle of "bad karma" over your life today! I challenge you to leave the anti-faith existence behind and enter the process of Teshuvah with your heavenly Father. There was an old farmer I once knew who used to say - "It can make all the difference in the world where you are getting your seed!". You know, I think he knew what he was talking about! Where are you "buying" your seed? You may want to change back to the provider who created that whole process in the first place - because - we all know -

"What goes around, comes around"!

~ Selah