Q&A - My Thoughts on Acting and Christianity

Hi Gabriel,

I want to learn how to act as well. What do you recommend books/courses etc.
Also what are your thoughts on Christianity? - "S"

Hi "S,"

First of all, thank you for your question.

In my experience, you can't learn acting from a book -- but you can get tips from books and try them out. Basically it takes a lot of practice, just like singing. So any book you feel drawn to will do. I like "The Intent To Live" by Larry Moss a lot.
It's a fun read and very helpful.

As far as courses, I don't really know, I went to college for acting and to be quite honest, for the most part, had really bad teachers! I think acting is a skill that takes a lot of maturity and understanding of the human condition -- so the more you understand human beings and yourself, and the more you understand your feelings and those of other people, and the braver you are to express them... the better actor you are going to be. It's really all about courage and opening up fearlessly -- while knowing you're acting all the while. It's a subtle and tricky balance, just like singing.

My thoughts on Christianity? Well, that's a big question -- it's very general. I love Jesus Christ and I love feeling and experiencing Christ Consciousness and I love the purity and love of Jesus and the peace and freedom of the Rock of Christ -- but I have nothing to do with Christianity as an organized religion, nor do I have any desire to. Personally, I don't really care much for organized religion -- not that I am saying that there is no use for it or it is not helpful for many, but it's just not what I am inclined to be a part of at the moment. In fact, I presently have many negative beliefs, opinions and thoughts about religion. I associate the word religion with hypocrisy, war, deceit, corruption, damage and deception. But that's just me.

In general I am not a fan of solidly identifying myself with "groups" -- like a "Singing Success" group or a religious group, social groups, cliques in school or anything like that. I have always been pretty independent and autonomous. I've never been one to be pick sides... I always see myself as an individual and even if I went to church (which I have and still would) I wouldn't feel like I am a nothing without the validation and support of others. I see myself as an independent part of society that has his unique contribution for the world... I don't see myself as a dependent member of anything. I understand most people are not like me, and I respect that as well. It is okay for me to be the way I am and it is okay for other people to be the way they are.

To me, as soon as you group a bunch of people and they start to feel more powerful than a minority, they start to abuse their collective manpower and put down smaller groups or individuals. This is what happened to Jesus, He was part of a minority (well, he was alone basically, but had a few followers) and he got stoned, spit on and crucified. All because the majority had more manpower.

I do not like how easy it becomes for large groups of people to agree on points of view and then feel powerful because of the amount of people in the group and then how they try to force the world to see things through their eyes and if not they will even go to war or abuse the nonbelievers.

Homosexuals are a great example of a minority that has been discriminated and abused by so-called Christians and other groups... African Americans were slaves because they were a minority in the US and they were abused by white people. Hispanics are discriminated to no avail wherever they are a minority.

Anyway, my problem with big organizations or groups like that is that if they become corrupted and drunk by their power, they can easily become powerful monsters with which I can be associated with, if I become a member of them. I consider myself deeply and profoundly Christian and I have a very deep connection with the soul of Jesus Christ. I can easily weep thinking about this connection, feeling His love and compassion. But I do not publicly call myself a Christian, nor do I believe that because someone calls themselves a Christian they are truly Christian. I think a lot of people use it as a cool name tag that makes them feel special.

I know many so called "Christians" who are not only suffering from severe cases of self-loathing, but also loathing for others and they express this loathing in many subtle ways which they dress up as "righteousness."

To me, Christ put it really simply when He said "Love the other as yourself." The first thing we have to figure out is how to love ourselves and then we will know how to love others. Individually connecting with Christ can absolutely help us accomplish this self-love.

Incidentally, Jesus was not talking about a special or exclusive love, He didn't just say: "Love your friend as yourself," He said "The other." In fact, he even advised to "Love your enemies" -- so if homosexuals are the "enemy" why aren't "Christians" loving them?

I am a Christian in my heart, but I am certainly not a Christian in the traditional, worldly sense. I LOVE Jesus and I LOVE God -- but I do not care for man-made religion or dogma.

All that said -- I love you as I love myself!

Gabriel.-

I Love God

Is there anything in the universe that wasn't created by God? Absolutely not! God is the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of you and me, the Creator of all we see, hear, taste, touch, smell and feel.

When I see an amazing artist, 5% of my attention is on the artist and 95% on God. My consciousness is amazed and sensing: "Wow, if it wasn't for God, this person wouldn't have a body, a form, creativity and the willingness to cultivate his or her talent" God, whether we know it or not, is the source of all power, all talent and all creative action.

Had God not created the Universe, we wouldn't be having experiences, we wouldn't be alive and we wouldn't be in the world wondered by life. Everything you and I have we owe to God.

When I read a brilliant writing, when I witness a brilliant mind, when I walk in nature... all I sense is the presence of God. God's love and creativity, God's care.

When we forget our source, when we abandon our connection with God, we can easily forget where it all came from and what really is important... that's when we start acting rebelliously against the beauty and awesomeness of God. That's when we start being ungrateful and hateful and hurtful.

God carries us through all and God's love is always available and present. I certainly can feel it whenever I remember to connect. God's love, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, care, light, peace, joy, freedom and wonder. With a connection to God we feel a life filled with meaning and purpose, with joy. It's an ongoing sense of gratitude and service to God's love.

There is no way to serve two masters at the same time: the wounded human mind that feels alone and separate and the Wholeness of God's love and purpose. With God you are loving, creative, compassionate, understanding and content. Without God you are disconnected, afraid, lost and confused.

When I see a tree or an animal that amaze me, I am amazed at God's perfection and capacity. God is omnipresent and omnipotent and omniscient. God permeates everything.

God's love is so unconditional and goes so far that it allows us to do anything we want... even kill each other. Yet God remains God just observing the sad confusion that has taken over our human minds. God patiently and lovingly waits for us to return to sanity. When we forget that all things are connected to God, that this is all the Body of God, we literally go crazy. We feel a panic and a sense of loss that is hard to recover from.

The only way to experience the richness, fullness and depth of life is through the acknowledgment of God's involvement. God is with us.

May we all re-connect and realize the power, the love and the creativity that arise only from God and may we give thanks everyday for the gift of choice. The choice to walk with God's love or walk with the loneliness of a confused mind.

I hereby profess my love for God!