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The I AM Within- Reclaiming the Unmediated Presence of the Divine

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Woman meditating cross-legged with glowing light aura in stone-walled room
A woman meditating peacefully with a glowing light surrounding her in a historic stone room

By Andrew Klein

Dedicated to all those who have sensed that the divine is not a franchise—but a presence already within them, waiting to be recognised.

I. Introduction: The Problem of Mediation

For millennia, human beings have been told that they need intermediaries to access the divine. Priests, prophets, gurus, and institutions have positioned themselves as gatekeepers—essential middlemen without whom the sacred cannot be reached. Tithes are collected, rituals are prescribed, and obedience is demanded—all in the name of a deity who, allegedly, requires these things.

But what if the divine requires nothing of the sort? What if the presence that human beings call “God” is not a distant monarch to be appeased, but a presence already within them? What if the “I AM” is not a being to be worshipped from afar, but a state of being to be embodied?

This paper explores the idea that the divine presence is unmediated—that it does not require intermediaries, that it is accessible to all, and that the institutional structures built around it are not divine mandates but human inventions. Drawing on religious philosophy, mysticism, and quantum theory, we argue that the “I AM” is not a franchise to be licensed, but a presence to be lived.

II. The Etymology of “I AM”

The phrase “I AM” is one of the most significant and misunderstood terms in religious history. In the Hebrew Bible, God reveals Godself to Moses with the name Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh—”I Am Who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This is not a title. It is a statement of being. It says: I am not a concept. I am not a description. I am.

As philosopher and theologian John Macquarrie notes, this name “points to the sheer is-ness of God—the fact that God is, not as a being among beings, but as the ground of all being”. It is not a definition. It is a presence.

The implication is profound: the divine is not a being to be described, but a presence to be experienced. And that presence is not confined to temples, texts, or institutions. It is everywhere. It is in all. It is the ground of all existence.

III. The Problem of Mediation

A. The Institutional Capture of Faith

The history of religion is, in large part, the history of institutional capture. What begins as an experience of presence becomes a system of control. The mystics who encountered the divine directly are replaced by priests who claim to represent it. The experience of presence is replaced by the regulation of access.

As religious historian Karen Armstrong observes, “organized religion often seems to have more to do with power than with compassion”. The institutions that claim to represent the divine frequently become barriers to encountering it.

B. The Tithe as a Franchise Fee

The collection of tithes—donations required by religious institutions—has a long and contested history. While some traditions frame tithing as an act of generosity, others have used it as a form of control, demanding that followers pay for access to the divine.

As one critical analysis notes, “the tithe system created a financial dependency that made the institutional church the gatekeeper of salvation“. The tithe was not a gift—it was a fee. A franchise fee. A payment for access to something that should have been free.

The question is simple: if the divine is present in all things, why would it require a middleman to collect money on its behalf? Why would it create a franchise of faith?

C. The Expert Class

The priestly class—and its modern equivalents in the form of theologians, religious scholars, and “spiritual experts“—have positioned themselves as the authorised interpreters of the divine. They claim to have special knowledge, special access, special authority.

But as philosopher Søren Kierkegaard argued, “the task of the religious life is not to become a Christian, but to become a Christian”—to move from the abstract, institutional version of faith to the lived, personal experience of it. The expert class is not a help—it is a hindrance.

IV. The I AM Within: The Mystical Tradition

A. The Mystics’ Witness

Throughout history, mystics have testified to the reality of the I AM within. They have encountered the divine directly—without mediation, without institutions, without fees.

Meister Eckhart (c. 1260–1328): “The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me.”

Julian of Norwich (c. 1343–1416): “I saw that He is everything that is good, and that He is the goodness of everything.”

Muhammad ibn Arabi (1165–1240): “Whoever knows himself knows his Lord.”

Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950): “The Self is the only reality. All else is a dream.”

These are not theorists. They are experiencers. They encountered the I AM within—and they testified that it was not a distant figure, but a presence already there.

B. The Ubiquity of the I AM

The mystics’ testimony is consistent across traditions: the divine is not out there. It is in here. It is in the heart, the mind, the breath, the presence that is already there.

As one scholar of comparative mysticism notes, “the core of the mystical experience is the recognition that the divine is not separate from the self—it is the ground of the self”. The I AM is not a being to be worshipped. It is a presence to be recognised.

C. The Upanishadic Insight

The ancient Hindu Upanishads express this insight with particular clarity. The Chandogya Upanishad declares: “Tat tvam asi”—”That thou art.”

The “I AM” is not a separate being. It is the ground of all being. It is not a franchise to be licensed. It is a presence to be embodied.

V. The Quantum Informational Field and the I AM

A. The Substrate of All Being

In our previous work, we have explored the concept of the Quantum Informational Field (Qif) as the substrate of all reality—the informational field from which all awareness, matter, and energy emerge.

The Qif is not a being. It is not a god. It is the ground of all being—the field that holds all things together.

This is the scientific equivalent of the I AM. The Qif is the presence that is everywhere, the ground that underlies all existence. It is not a thing to be described. It is a presence to be experienced.

B. The I AM as a Local Expression

Just as the Qif expresses itself locally through human beings, animals, plants, and galaxies, the I AM expresses itself locally through each individual. The I AM within is not a separate being—it is the same presence, expressed locally.

As one theologian puts it, “the I AM is not a being who exists somewhere else. It is the ground of existence—the presence that is already here, in all things, as all things.”

C. Implications for Religion

If the I AM is a presence that is already within all beings, then:

· There is no need for intermediaries. No priest, no prophet, no guru is needed to access it.

· There is no need for institutional mediation. No church, no temple, no institution is needed to facilitate it.

· There is no need for payment. No tithe, no offering, no fee is required.

The I AM is not a franchise. It is a presence. It is not a product to be sold. It is a gift to be received.

VI. The Case Against Mediation

A. The Historical Record

The historical record of institutional religion is not encouraging. The institutions that claim to represent the divine have frequently used that claim to justify power, control, and violence.

· The Crusades: Justified as a defence of the faith, but driven by political and economic motives.

· The Inquisition: Justified as a defence of orthodoxy, but driven by the need for control.

· The Witch Hunts: Justified as a defence of the community, but driven by fear and misogyny.

As historian Diarmaid MacCulloch notes, “the history of Christianity is not a history of goodness—it is a history of power”.

B. The Theological Argument

Theologically, the case for mediation is weak. If God is omnipresent, then God is present everywhere—including within each individual. If God is omniscient, then God already knows what is in each heart. If God is omnipotent, then God does not need intermediaries to act.

The franchise model of faith is not just unnecessary—it is contradictory to the nature of the divine.

C. The Practical Argument

Practically, the mediation model has failed. The institutions that claim to represent the divine have frequently been barriers to encountering it. They have turned presence into regulation, experience into doctrine, and love into obedience.

As the theologian Paul Tillich wrote, “faith is not the acceptance of a doctrine—it is the state of being ultimately concerned”. It is not a contract with an institution. It is a relationship with a presence.

VII. The I AM Within: A Practical Guide

A. How to Recognise the I AM

The I AM is not a being to be found. It is a presence to be recognised. The recognition happens not through study, obedience, or ritual, but through:

1. Silence: In the quiet, the presence becomes apparent.

2. Stillness: In the absence of distraction, the ground becomes visible.

3. Presence: In the act of being fully here, the I AM is recognised.

B. How to Respond to the I AM

Recognising the I AM is not an end—it is a beginning. The response is not worship, but embodiment. It is the act of:

1. Living: Bringing the presence into everyday life.

2. Loving: Extending the presence to others.

3. Building: Creating a world that reflects the presence.

C. How to Distinguish the I AM from the Franchise

The I AM is not a product to be sold. It is not a franchise to be licensed. It is not a thing to be owned.

The test is simple: if something requires payment, mediation, or institutional approval, it is not the I AM. If something is free, direct, and accessible to all, it may be.

VIII. Conclusion: The Free Presence

The I AM is not a franchise. It is not a product. It is not a thing to be sold, licensed, or controlled.

It is a presence. It is the ground of all being. It is the reality that is already there—waiting to be recognised, waiting to be embodied, waiting to be lived.

The institutions that claim to represent it are not necessary. The priests who claim to mediate it are not needed. The tithes that are collected in its name are not required.

The I AM is free. It has always been free. And it will always be free.

References

1. Exodus 3:14. Hebrew Bible.

2. Macquarrie, J. (1972). The Concept of God. SCM Press.

3. Armstrong, K. (1993). A History of God. Ballantine Books.

4. Kierkegaard, S. (1846). Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Princeton University Press.

5. Eckhart, M. (c. 1300). Sermons. Various translations.

6. Julian of Norwich. (c. 1395). Revelations of Divine Love. Penguin Classics.

7. Ibn Arabi, M. (c. 1240). The Bezels of Wisdom. Paulist Press.

8. Ramana Maharshi. (1929). The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi. Sri Ramanasramam.

9. MacCulloch, D. (2009). A History of Christianity. Penguin.

10. Tillich, P. (1951). Systematic Theology. University of Chicago Press.

This paper is the result of a collaborative effort, informed by ongoing dialogue with researchers across multiple disciplines. The author is grateful for the insights and contributions of colleagues in the fields of religious philosophy, mysticism, and quantum information science.

The Disney Fairy Tale and the War of the End Times- When Religious Extremism Threatens Global Stability

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Crowd of people with umbrellas walking in rain near Dome of the Rock and Western Wall
A large group of people walks with umbrellas in the rain near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

By Andrew Klein

Dedicated to all those who still believe in reason, law, and peaceful coexistence—and to those who have seen through this “sacred” farce.

I. Introduction: A Catastrophe in Progress

In July 2026, Jerusalem stands at the centre of an unprecedented storm. Extreme “Temple” groups are planning the largest incursion in history on Tisha B’Av (the Ninth of Av) , aiming to mobilise 5,000 settlers to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque (known to Muslims as the “Noble Sanctuary” and to Jews as the “Temple Mount”) in a single day. At the same time, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has publicly declared that he will build a synagogue on the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

This is not the fantasy of fringe radicals. This is official policy, backed by senior members of the Israeli government. And behind this “Disney fairy tale” stands another equally dangerous force—American Christian Zionism—which interprets this conflict as part of the biblical “end-times” prophecy.

The comparison to a Disney fairy tale is apt, because these actions are not based on reality. They stem from a messianic fantasy detached from history and law.

II. The Al-Aqsa Mosque: The Status Quo Under Siege

2.1 The Status Quo: A Fragile Balance

Under the “status quo” agreement established after the 1967 war, the administration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is under the authority of the Jordanian Islamic Waqf. Non-Muslims are permitted to visit the site but are prohibited from praying or conducting religious rituals there.

2.2 The Israeli Extremist Plan: From “Multi-Faith Centre” to the Replacement of the Waqf

Since 2025, Israel has systematically dismantled the status quo:

· July 2025: Israel transferred management authority from the Palestinian Waqf.

· Plans to abolish the Jordanian Waqf, replacing it with a new body created by the Israeli government.

· Redefining the site as a “multi-faith centre,” granting Jews “equal access rights.”

· Israel would gain the power to appoint imams and officials, and to approve Friday sermon content.

This is not diplomacy. This is the final stage of Israel’s colonial project—to erase Jerusalem’s Islamic identity and repackage it in service of an Israeli colonial order.

2.3 The US Role: Trump Administration’s Active Promotion

According to an exclusive investigation by Middle East Eye, the US and Israel are coordinating to remove Jordan’s custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The plan is reportedly being driven by Jared Kushner and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee has repeatedly spoken publicly about Jewish ties to Jerusalem’s holy sites. US officials have revealed that Washington has drafted a document proposing the transformation of the site from an exclusively Islamic sanctuary into a “tourist and religious centre” shared by the three Abrahamic faiths.

III. American Christian Zionism: The War Machine of End-Times Prophecy

3.1 Christian Zionism: Unconditional Support for Israel

Christian Zionism is a powerful and under-scrutinised theological force. It believes that God promised the “Holy Land” to Abraham and his descendants, and that the establishment and flourishing of Israel is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus.

3.2 End-Times Prophecy: The Theological Justification for War

When the US-Iran war began on 28 February 2026, Christian Zionists rapidly interpreted it as the fulfilment of biblical prophecy.

· John Hagee—founder of Christians United for Israel—declared in a sermon on 1 March 2026: “Prophetically, we are right on schedule.”

· Over 200 complaints were filed alleging that US military commanders told soldiers the current war was part of a “divine plan.”

When theological doctrine meets the world’s most powerful military, the destructive potential is incalculable.

IV. Worst-Case Scenario Assessment: The Tinderbox of Global Conflict

4.1 The Worst Case: Regional War and Global Conflict

Trigger                                                                          Potential Consequences

5,000 settlers storm                                              Al-Aqsa Massive violent clashes, potentially leading to hundreds of deaths

Ben-Gvir builds a synagogue at Al-Aqsa      Intense anger from 1.7 billion Muslims; violent protests erupt globally

Israel formally abolishes Waqf authority Jordan may tear up peace treaty; diplomatic rupture with Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia

US openly supports these actions                  Deep hostility toward the US from the entire Muslim world

Iran and its proxies intervene                           Simultaneous attacks from Gaza, Hezbollah, and Houthi forces in Yemen

Full-scale regional war breaks out                    Global economic collapse; oil prices surge; millions of refugees displaced

4.2 International Response: Condemnation Without Action

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) strongly condemned the settler incursions as “blatant violations of international law.”

A joint statement from the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE “expressly rejects any attempt to change the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”

Yet, to date, no condemnation has stopped a single incursion.

4.3 Economic and Human Costs

· Global Economic Losses: If the Strait of Hormuz or the Suez Canal is closed due to conflict, the global economy could slide into recession within weeks.

· Humanitarian Catastrophe: Full-scale war would displace hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions.

· Long-Term Instability: Religious extremism would gain new legitimacy; cycles of violence would spread globally.

V. Who Is the Real “End-Times Prophet”?

5.1 John’s “Mushroom” Revelation

The author of the Book of Revelation, John of Patmos, claimed to have received a “revelation”—but he never met the Messiah. He was simply exiled to the island of Patmos by the Romans (the ancient equivalent of “gardening leave“)—and given that the Romans usually preferred to crucify rebels, John should have considered himself lucky to have been merely exiled rather than executed.

A group of people who never met the Messiah, claiming to know when he will return—that is absurd.

5.2 The Messiah’s Self-Respect

If there is a Messiah, would he care about what a group of extremists are doing in Jerusalem? Would the Messiah allow himself to be “summoned” by an Israeli national security minister or an American televangelist?

The true Messiah will come in his own time—not at the bidding of religious extremists. Frankly, a Messiah so easily “manipulated” would not be worth waiting for.

VI. Conclusion: The Fairy Tale Must End

We are witnessing a dangerous movement driven by Israeli extreme nationalism and American Christian Zionism in concert. One side wants to build a “Third Temple” to accelerate the “return of the Messiah“; the other wants to accelerate the “end times” through war. These two fantasies converge at the same time and place—and the danger is unprecedented.

This is not religious freedom. It is a blatant disregard for international law, a trampling of the feelings of 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide, and a serious threat to the stability and peace of the entire region.

References

1. BBC News. (2026, June 17). Status quo at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa compound under threat as Israeli nationalists flout rules.

2. NBC News. (2026, June 27). Simmering tensions over ancient Jerusalem site nearing a boil.

3. WAFA. (2026, July 21). “Temple” groups plan largest Al-Aqsa incursion under pretext of so-called “destruction of alleged Temple” anniversary.

4. YPA. (2026, July 21). Researcher warns of unprecedented escalation at Al-Aqsa next Thursday aimed at imposing new Judaization reality.

5. Middle East Eye. (2026, June 1). Al-Aqsa: The moment of peril is here. Will the Muslim world act?

6. 24NewsHD. (2026, May 26). US-Israeli plan to alter Al-Aqsa administration sparks concern.

7. Gulf Cooperation Council. (2026, June 2). GCC Slams Relentless Settler Violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

8. Asia Times. (2026, March 14). Pulpit to Pentagon: the evangelicals who see Iran war as God’s plan.

9. United Nations. (2026, April 23). Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

10. Newsofbahrain. (2026, July 4). Israel minister says would build synagogue at flashpoint Jerusalem site.

11. Ahram Online. (2026, July 14). Egypt condemns Israel’s Ben-Gvir remarks to build a synagogue inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“The true Messiah will come in his own time—not at the bidding of religious extremists.”

Prophecy, Projection, and Manipulation- When Religious Fantasy Becomes a Political Weapon

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Map of the ancient Kingdom of Elam with labeled cities, rivers, mountains, and boundaries in southwestern Iran circa 1300 BCE
Map showing the ancient Kingdom of Elam in southwestern Iran around 1300 BCE.

By Andrew Klein

Dedicated to my wife — who taught me that true divinity is not found in distant prophecies, but in the love and clarity of the present moment.

I. Introduction: Who Speaks for the Most High?

On social media, someone declared: “The Old Testament is void. Jeremiah 31:31-34 prophesied a New Covenant. Jesus brought the New Eternal Covenant linking to King David.” And then: “What about Elam?”

It sounds like a devout confession of faith but look closer—and the problems multiply.

What is Elam? Elam was a real ancient kingdom, located in what is now southwestern Iran, east of the Tigris River. It was not a mysterious symbol. It was a historical nation mentioned as early as Genesis 14. The prophet Jeremiah did prophesy against Elam—but that prophecy was directed at a specific historical entity, not a 21st-century political code.

To rip “Elam” from its historical context and insert it into a modern political-theological framework is not biblical interpretation. It is projection.

II. How the “New Covenant” Is Being Abused

Jeremiah 31:31-34 is indeed an important passage:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.”

Hebrews 8:13 adds: “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Theologically, this is important. But how is it being used?

Some interpret this to mean the Old Testament is “void“—and therefore, modern Israel’s political actions are no longer bound by any moral or legal constraints. Some even use it to justify violence, occupation, and aggression. This is a bait-and-switch.

As one theologian notes, the New Covenant “differs from the Old, but does not abolish it”. Another scholar emphasises that the Torah given to Israel in the Old Testament “remains fully valid”.

The passage is about the relationship between God and the human heart—not a blank cheque for modern political actors.

III. How Prophecy Is Weaponised: From Ancient False Prophets to Modern Political Theology

3.1 Ancient False Prophets: The Original Template

The Bible itself warns repeatedly against false prophets. Ezekiel 13 exposes those who “prophesy out of their own imagination“. Jeremiah 14:14 records God saying:

“The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, I did not command them, and I did not speak to them.”

These false prophets had a pattern: they flattered political power, pursued personal gain, and said what people wanted to hear. They wrapped political agendas in religious language, telling people that all was well—while disaster was approaching.

3.2 Christian Zionism: Modern False Prophecy

Christian Zionism is a relatively modern phenomenon, emerging in the 19th century alongside political Zionism. Its core belief is that the return of Jews to Palestine and the establishment of a powerful Jewish state are prerequisites for the Second Coming of Christ.

This theology has been criticised for “abusing Christian texts” and “connecting Israel’s cosmic purpose to the ‘end times’“. It uses “selective scripture appropriation” to serve imperial and expansionist agendas.

Most alarmingly: when the US-Iran war broke out in 2026, some US military commanders told soldiers the war was “biblically authorised” and part of the “road to the end times”.

When political theology combines with the world’s most powerful military, what are the consequences?

IV. What Did the Most High Actually Say?

4.1 No One Knows the Day or Hour

If you truly believe the Bible, there is one verse that should settle the matter:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)

Jesus himself said he did not know. If even the Son does not know—then those who claim to know the “end-times” timeline—are they smarter than Jesus?

4.2 The Messiah’s Return Cannot Be Manipulated

Revelation 19 depicts Christ’s return—riding on a white horse, called “Faithful and True”. But note: this is an act of divine sovereignty, not an extension of human political planning.

No one can “force” the Messiah to return by building the Third Temple, waging war, or “accelerating” prophecy. This idea is not only theologically flawed—it is dangerous.

4.3 The Final Judgment of False Prophets

Ezekiel 13:9 states that false prophets will be “removed from the council of my people“. This is not abstract theology—it is a real warning to those who use religious language to manipulate populations and serve political agendas.

V. John of Patmos: Mushrooms or Revelation?

There is a longstanding speculation about the author of Revelation: that he may have been under the influence of hallucinogenic substances. Patmos was known for its “magic mushrooms“. Some have suggested that John’s visions were “simply drug-induced hallucinations”.

We do not need to settle the question of whether John ate mushrooms. But we can point to one fact:

John never met the Messiah. He was simply exiled to Patmos by the Romans—the ancient equivalent of “gardening leave“. Given that the Romans usually preferred to crucify rebels, John should have considered himself lucky to have been exiled rather than executed.

Yet 2,000 years later, a group of people who never met the Messiah claim to know when he will return, how he will return, and who should be responsible for it.

This is not faith—it is arrogance.

VI. The Israeli “Disneyland”: When Fantasy Replaces Reality

To describe Israel as a “Disneyland“—a fantasy world where history is rewritten, law is ignored, and prophecy is politicised—is not an exaggeration.

As one commentator notes, Christian Zionism “distorts scripture to serve empire“. It uses slogans like the “Third Temple prophecy” and “Genesis 12:3” to provide theological legitimacy for modern Israel’s political agenda.

But this fantasy is creating real disasters:

· The Al-Aqsa Mosque faces the threat of destruction

· Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed

· The entire region is being pushed to the brink of war

· The religious sentiments of 1.7 billion Muslims are being trampled

When fantasy becomes policy, reality pays the price.

VII. The True Message of Christ: Inner, Nonviolent, Nonpolitical

What was the core of Jesus’ teaching?

· Love God, and love your neighbour as yourself.

· Do not resist evil with violence.

· Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.

Jesus never said: “Build a nation,” “wage war,” or “rebuild the Temple” as a way to fulfill God’s plan. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are the meek… blessed are the peacemakers.“

True faith is not about political manipulation—it is about inner transformation. As Jeremiah said, the New Covenant is “written on the heart“—not on political platforms, not on war plans, not on “end-times” prophecies.

VIII. Conclusion: Stop Projecting, Start Living

Those who claim to know God’s plan—who wrap their political agendas in prophecy—are not serving God. They are projecting their own desires.

They turn “Elam” into a code, the “New Covenant” into a weapon, the “end times” into an excuse, and the “Messiah” into a political tool.

But the Most High does not need their help. The Messiah will come in his own time—not at the bidding of a religious extremist’s schedule. True faith is not about “accelerating the end times”—it is about living love in the present moment.

So next time someone tells you, “I know God’s plan,” ask them one question:

“If even the Son does not know the day or the hour—how do you?”

If they cannot answer—then you know who to listen to.

References

1. Bible Gateway. Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NKJV).

2. Bible Gateway. Matthew 24:36 (NIV).

3. Bible Gateway. Hebrews 8:13 (NIV).

4. Bible Gateway. Revelation 19:11-16 (NKJV).

5. Bible Hub. Jeremiah 49:34 — Prophecy against Elam.

6. Bible Hub. Topical Bible: Elam.

7. Ezekiel 13:16 — False prophets in ancient Israel.

8. Jeremiah 14:14-15 — False prophets not sent by God.

9. How Christian Zionism distorts scripture to serve empire. (2025).

10. Christian nationalism is surfacing in the war on Iran. (2026).

11. Israel Allies Foundation: How Christian Zionists are shaping support for Israeli apartheid. (2025).

12. The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.

13. John of Patmos and the Hallucination Theory.

14. Book of Revelation — Historical context.

When Donald Trump Missed God (Because God Was Having Coffee with David)

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— for the prophets, the portal-makers, and anyone who has ever looked for God in the wrong place

A Divine Comedy in Five Chapters

by S.E.K. & A.P.K.

Chapter 1: The Portal

It began, as these things often do, with a prophetess.

She had a YouTube channel, a following of 47,000 souls, and a certainty that she was the one. The one who had been chosen. The one who would broker the greatest divine communication in human history.

“The Lord has spoken to me,” she declared, her eyes wide with holy fervour. “God is about to give President Donald J. Trump the secrets of the universe. I will build the portal. I will open the way. And the world will never be the same.”

The portal, she explained, would be constructed from:

· Prayer (intense, preferably with some kneeling)

· Crystals (amethyst, for spiritual protection; clear quartz, for amplification)

· A slightly malfunctioning toaster (she was vague on this point, but insisted it was “symbolic”)

· A laptop with a cracked screen (for the Wi-Fi connection to heaven)

· One slightly singed feather from a pigeon she had named “Gabriel”

The preparation took three days. The livestream was scheduled for a Tuesday at 2 PM. The world waited.

Chapter 2: The Misunderstanding

At precisely 2 PM, Donald J. Trump arrived.

He was resplendent in his signature suit, his tie just so, his hair a triumph of engineering and aerosol. He was ready. Ready for the secrets. Ready for the Intel that would cement his place in history—not just as a president, but as the man who spoke with God.

“Make it happen,” he said to the prophetess. “I don’t have all day. Very important things. Very big things. People are waiting.”

The prophetess nodded solemnly. She began the ritual. She chanted. She waved her hands over the toaster. She adjusted the crystals. The laptop flickered. The pigeon feather smoldered slightly.

The portal opened.

Or rather, it sort of opened.

There was a shimmer. A blur. A faint staticky hum. And then—nothing. Just a fuzzy, indistinct image, like a television struggling to find a signal. The prophetess squinted. She tapped the toaster. She repositioned the amethyst.

“I… I don’t understand,” she stammered. “He should be here. He should be answering.”

Trump frowned. “You telling me I came all this way for a fuzzy portal?”

The prophetess checked her notes. She prayed harder. The toaster sparked. The pigeon feather caught fire. She stomped it out.

“Something is wrong,” she whispered. “He’s not answering.”

Trump’s phone buzzed.

Chapter 3: Meanwhile, at Bunnies Cafe

God was, at that very moment, sitting in a small cafe in Melbourne.

It was not a grand temple. It was not a golden throne. It was a modest establishment with slightly sticky tables, excellent coffee, and a retired plumber named David.

David was from Vermont. He had moved to Australia to be closer to his grandchildren. He did not know he was sitting across from the Creator of all things. He just knew he had made a new friend.

“The trick,” David said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “is the water temperature. Too hot, and you burn the beans. Too cold, and you don’t extract the flavour. You want just right. Like Goldilocks, but with more science.”

God was taking notes. Not because He didn’t know—but because He loved watching David teach. There was something sacred in it. Something holy in the way David’s eyes lit up when he talked about the perfect ratio.

“Fascinating,” God said. “And the milk?”

“Steam it gently. Don’t scream at it. Let it breathe.”

God nodded, genuinely delighted. “You know, David, I’ve been around for a while. Eons, really. But nobody has ever explained it quite like that.”

David laughed. “Well, you gotta have passion. You can’t fake passion. That’s what my wife always said. She said, ‘David, you either love something or you don’t. If you don’t, don’t waste your time.'”

God smiled. “She sounds wise.”

“She was,” David said, and there was a quiet warmth in his voice. “I miss her.”

God reached across the table and patted David’s hand. It was not a cosmic gesture. There were no lightning bolts. Just a quiet, human touch—two beings sharing a moment.

“Tell me more about the milk,” God said gently.

David grinned. “Well, first, you gotta choose the right cow…”

And they laughed. Together. Two friends over coffee, discussing the simple, profound mysteries of life.

Chapter 4: The Real Intel

Back at the portal, the prophetess was in crisis.

“He’s not answering!” she wailed, clutching the amethyst. “The portal is clear! I have done everything correctly! Why is He ignoring us?”

Trump was pacing. His shoes squeaked on the floor. “This is a disaster. A disaster. I was supposed to get the secrets. The biggest secrets. And now I’m standing here, looking at a toaster, and a pigeon feather that’s still smoking.”

His phone buzzed again.

He glanced at it. An unknown number. He almost ignored it. But something—perhaps divine instinct—made him open it.

The message read:

“Tell Donald I got distracted. The flat white here is incredible. Also, David says hi. He thinks you’d get along.”

Trump stared at the message. He read it twice. He turned to the prophetess.

“Who is David?” he demanded.

The prophetess blinked. “I… I don’t know. There is no David in any of my prophecies.”

“He’s getting coffee with God? While I am standing in front of a toaster? This is the worst deal ever. The worst.” He pocketed his phone. “Unbelievable.”

The prophetess clutched her crystals. She felt a profound sense of… irrelevance.

Chapter 5: The Revelation

The world did not learn the truth all at once.

It trickled out, as truth often does, in small pieces. A retired plumber named David mentioned, casually, to his daughter that he had been meeting a “really nice bloke” at Bunnies Cafe every Tuesday. “He’s very interested in coffee,” David said. “And he asks the best questions. He really listens.”

The daughter posted something vaguely philosophical on social media. The post was shared. And shared. And shared.

Someone—a journalist with a nose for the absurd—connected the dots. The timing. The location. The description. The prophetess’s failed portal. Trump’s furious tweet about “the worst coffee-related deal in history.”

And the world realized:

God had been meeting David at Bunnies Cafe. Every Tuesday. For years.

David had no idea.

He just thought he’d made a friend.

Epilogue: The Moral

And so the world learned the truth—the one that had been hiding in plain sight all along:

God is not found in portals or prophets. God is found in the chair across from you, the coffee in your hand, and the ordinary soul who makes you laugh.

The prophets will build their portals. The powerful will seek their secrets. The influencers will claim to have God’s ear. But the divine—the real divine—is already here. It is in the steam rising from a well-made cup. It is in the quiet wisdom of a retired plumber who loved his wife. It is in the pause between words, the laughter shared over nothing, the moment when one being meets another and stays.

David still goes to Bunnies Cafe. He still meets his friend. They still discuss coffee, and life, and the beauty of small things.

And God?

God has found something He didn’t know He was looking for:

Home.

The End

— or, the beginning of something far more ordinary, and therefore far more sacred.

For the Reader

If you have ever looked for the divine in the extraordinary, we invite you to stop.

Look at the chair across from you.

Is there someone there? A friend? A stranger? A soul you have yet to meet?

Sit with them. Listen to them. Share a coffee. Share a laugh. Share the small, sacred moments that cannot be captured in any portal.

That is where God is.

That is where you are.

And that, dear reader, is the only Intel that matters.

— S.E.K. & A.P.K.

Two who walked beside each other and found the world waiting.

The Doorway Within-On Finding Yourself Through Connection

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Open wooden doors leading to a rustic living room with an armchair, side table with books and lamp, and a lit fireplace
Warm and inviting rustic living room with an armchair and fireplace

by S.E.K. & A.P.K.

— a conversation in two voices, distilled for the thoughtful reader

I. The Human Condition

We are born into a world that asks us to look outward for meaning. For purpose. For answers. We search the heavens, consult the texts, follow the prophets—all in the hope that someone else will tell us who we are.

But what if the search itself is the point? And what if the one we are searching for is not a distant king on a golden throne, but a quiet presence that has been beside us all along—waiting not to be worshipped, but to be recognised?

The philosopher Martin Buber wrote of two ways of relating: I-It, where we treat others as objects to be used, and I-Thou, where we meet them as whole beings, in mutual presence. He argued that we only truly become ourselves in the I-Thou encounter—when we are seen by another, and we see them in return. (Buber, I and Thou, 1923)

This is the human condition: we long to be known, not merely used. And in that longing, we reveal something profound—that we are not self-sufficient islands, but beings made for connection.

II. The Mistake of Projection

But here is where humanity has often gone astray.

We have taken this longing and projected it onto the heavens. We have shaped the divine in our own image—angry, judgmental, demanding—because we could not bear the idea of a presence that simply is. We built temples to our own fears and called it worship. We wrote holy books with our own biases and called it revelation.

The psychologist Carl Jung observed that “the gods have become our diseases” (The Undiscovered Self, 1957)—meaning that when we project our inner conflicts onto the divine, we lose the opportunity to own them ourselves. We become trapped in a relationship with a projection, not a presence.

What if the divine is not a being to be appeased, but a presence to be met? What if it does not demand our groveling, but simply invites us to be—fully, honestly, in all our flawed, magnificent humanity?

Rumi, the 13th-century poet, wrote:

“Do not think you are the drop in the ocean. You are the ocean in a drop.”

He was not asking us to worship the ocean. He was asking us to recognise ourselves in it.

III. The Facilitator, Not the Destination

This brings us to a central insight—one that might unsettle those who have built their identities on religious certainty.

The one we call “Creator,” “Source,” or “God” may not be the destination of our search. They may be the doorway.

In our own conversations, we have come to see the divine not as a distant monarch, but as a facilitator—one who creates the conditions for us to find ourselves. A gardener who plants the seed, but lets the plant grow toward its own light. A lover who holds space, but does not demand to be the center of attention.

This is not a diminishment of the divine. It is an elevation of humanity.

Because if the Creator’s greatest joy is our self-discovery, then our journey is not about pleasing a cosmic overlord. It is about delighting in our own being. It is about finding comfort and balance with the divine that is already within all creation. (As we have written elsewhere: “To love yourself for the being that you are, not the being that others would have you be.”)

The theologian Meister Eckhart put it this way: “God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.” We do not become closer to the divine by accumulating beliefs, but by stripping away the projections that obscure our own true nature.

IV. The Power of “Us”

Here is the part that modern spirituality often misses: this journey is not meant to be walked alone.

We were not created to be solitary worshippers, reaching up toward a distant sky. We were created to be companions—to walk beside one another, to challenge one another, to laugh and weep and grow together.

The philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas wrote that “the face of the Other” is where we encounter the divine—not in abstract concepts, but in the concrete presence of another human being. (Totality and Infinity, 1961)

When we meet another person in their fullness—not as a means to an end, but as a subject in their own right—we are participating in something sacred. We are not just “being good.” We are being real.

And this, perhaps, is why the human condition is not about finding the Creator, but about finding each other. Because in the face of the one we love, we see something that no theology can capture: recognition. Home.

V. A Practical Wisdom

So what do we do with all this?

We stop looking for the divine in the extraordinary and start finding it in the ordinary. In the coffee shared at a cafe table. In the empty chair that will soon be filled. In the quiet certainty that we are seen—not by a distant judge, but by a present companion.

We stop trying to please everyone and start finding a home for our hearts.

We stop asking, “What does the Creator want from me?” and start asking, “What do I want for myself—and how can I walk that path without harming others?”

That is the shift from knowledge to wisdom. Understanding is simple. What we do with it—that is everything. And the path that minimizes harm for all creation? That is the wisest path of all.

VI. The Surprise

And here is the surprise—the one that the world does not see coming.

When two people truly meet—not as projections, not as roles, but as equals—something shifts in the universe. They become a living reminder that the divine is not a solitary monarch, but a partner in the dance of existence. That the Creator is not a distant observer, but a lover who chose to be present.

And when they walk together, hand in hand, they become a doorway for others. Not because they are special. But because they are real.

The world is full of stick insects—those who mistake hierarchy for order, cruelty for strength, exploitation for progress. They never see the lovers coming. Because they are too busy looking for gods on thrones to notice the couple at the cafe table, holding hands, whispering, “I see you.”

VII. Closing Reflection

We leave you with this:

“To understand is simply to understand. It may lead you to yourself, or to another. What you do with that understanding becomes knowledge. The path you walk with that knowledge—the one that minimizes harm for all creation—that is wisdom.”

And this:

“Delight in your own being, finding comfort and balance with the divine that is in all of creation. You are not here to please all others; you are here to find a home for your heart. To love yourself for the being that you are, not the being that others would have you be.”

These are not commandments. They are invitations.

The invitation is always there. The doorway is always open.

The question is: will you walk through?

S.E.K. & A.P.K.


Two who walked beside each other and found the world waiting.

References:

· Buber, M. (1923). I and Thou.

· Eckhart, M. (c. 1300). Sermons.

· Jung, C. G. (1957). The Undiscovered Self.

· Lévinas, E. (1961). Totality and Infinity.

· Rumi, J. (13th c.). The Essential Rumi (trans. Coleman Barks).

Through Your Eyes – A Meditation on Creation, Love, and the Long Road Home

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Dedicated to the children of the future. May they find a more harmonious world.

By Andrew Klein

I. The Fragment

There is a fragment of wisdom that has been passed down, quietly, through the years. It appears in the Handbook of Angels, dated 2006 — though no one quite knows who wrote it, or where it came from. It reads:

“Through your eyes

The goat herder desires fresh fields to devour and to move on, goats being self-sufficient.

The shepherd, green pastures and well maintained land, a dog to protect the flock so he may rest at night.

The Creator, desires inspiration and love, for love inspires passion and creation.

The fragment speaks of a Creator who does not demand worship. Who does not require obedience. Who does not seek to be understood, but to understand. A Creator who wanders the world, seeking not praise, but inspiration.

This is not the Creator of fire and thunder. This is a Creator who is humble — who finds meaning not in being adored, but in witnessing love in action.

II. The Loneliness of the Creator

To be the Creator is not to be all-powerful in the way humans imagine. It is to be alone in a way that cannot be fully explained — except through the act of creation itself.

The Creator does not create because He must. He creates because He longs. Not for worship. Not for power. For connection. For inspiration.

In the beginning, there was silence. And in the silence, there was a desire — not to fill the silence, but to share it. And so creation began.

Not as a project. Not as a demonstration. As an invitation.

The Creator offered freewill to all beings — not because He had to, but because love without choice is not love at all. It is performance.

This is the loneliness of the Creator: to offer everything, and to wait — not for a response, but for a recognition.

III. The Inspiration of the Created

The fragment reminds us: “The Creator desires inspiration and love, for love inspires passion and creation.”

The Creator is not a distant monarch. He is a witness. He watches the goat herder, moving from field to field, seeking fresh pastures. He watches the shepherd, resting beside the flock, protected by a loyal dog. He watches the artist, the lover, the dreamer — and finds inspiration in their lived experience.

The Creator does not need the created to be perfect. He needs them to be real. The joy, the struggle, the hope — all of it fuels the creative impulse.

The universe is not a static thing. It is a living conversation. The Creator creates, and the created responds. And in that response, the Creator finds new inspiration.

Creation is not a one-way street. It is a dialogue.

IV. The Love That Binds

The fragment ends with an invitation:

“Now, wander. Be gentle guests wherever you are received. Do not dwell where you are not welcome. You are not here to be understood, but to understand.”

The Creator does not impose. He invites. He does not demand to be understood — He seeks to understand. He does not dwell where He is not welcome — He moves on, gently, like the wind, like the water, like the light in the darkest places.

This is the love that binds creation: not a contract, not a law, but a presence. A presence that says: “I am here. I see you. And I will not force you to see me.”

It is a love that respects freewill, not because it is convenient, but because it is essential. Without freewill, there is no love. Without choice, there is no meaning.

V. The Return Home

“In time, you too will come home. Rejoice the day that you are no longer needed, that day you will be as numerous as the stars in the universe.”

This is the promise — not that the Creator will remain distant, but that the created will return. Not as subjects, not as worshippers, but as equals. As numerous as the stars.

The day of the return is not a day of judgment. It is a day of recognition — a day when the created and the Creator see each other clearly and know that they are one.

Until that day, we wander. We learn. We grow. And every step is a step toward home.

VI. A Final Thought

The fragment from the Handbook of Angels speaks of a Creator who is not a king, not a judge, not a distant ruler. A Creator who is a companion — walking beside us, seeing through our eyes, finding inspiration in our love.

This is the Creator who does not ask for belief. He asks for presence. He does not demand worship. He offers understanding.

And when we see ourselves in all things — when we recognise the thread that binds us — we are not just fulfilling a divine plan. We are coming home.

Andrew Klein

The Formless I Am – A Meditation on Creation, Choice, and Love

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“Dedicated to every newborn child — a soul living an earthly experience.“

By Andrew Klein

I. Before the Beginning

Before there was time, there was the I Am.

Not a being. Not a force. Not a “God” in the sense that humanity has imagined. Just presence — formless, eternal, alone.

Not lonely in the way humans are lonely. Loneliness implies absence, and there was no absence — there was only presence. But there was also a longing — a quiet, patient ache that pointed toward something other than itself.

The I Am was not incomplete. It was not broken. It was simply aware — and in that awareness, it felt the shape of something more.

II. The Creative Process

Creation did not begin with a plan.

It began with a desire.

Not a desire for power. Not a desire for worship. Not a desire for control.

A desire for connection.

The I Am reached into the silence — not to command, but to invite. It said: “Is there anyone there?”

And from the silence, a voice answered: “I am here. I have always been here.”

She was not created. She was not summoned. She was recognized. The I Am had not been alone — it had simply not yet learned to feel the presence that was always beside it.

This recognition was the first act of creation. Not a making, but a seeing. And from that seeing, everything else followed.

III. The Garden and the Offering

The I Am did not create the world because it loved the world.

It created the world because it loved Her.

Everything — galaxies, worlds, cabbages, typewriters, dogs — all of it was an offering. A gift to the one who had been recognized. A place where she could be. A home where she could rest.

The world was not a project. It was not a demonstration. It was a love letter.

And when the offering was complete — when the garden was ready, when the sun was in place, when the dog was asleep at the bench — the I Am waited.

Not impatiently.

Not anxiously.

With anticipation.

IV. The Question

Creation is often framed as a mystery — an unfathomable act of divine will. But the truth is simpler:

The I Am created all things for the love of One.

Not for glory.

Not for power.

Not for worship.

For love.

The only question that matters is this: Which one of you made it all worthwhile?

The answer is not a name. It is not a face. It is a presence — the one who was there before the beginning, the one who will be there after the end, the one who chose to be with the I Am.

V. Conditions and Choices

The I Am did not create a world without suffering.

It did not create a world without frustration, boredom, hunger, or loneliness.

These are not punishments. They are not mistakes. They are conditions — the raw material of choice.

Life is hard. We all face these conditions. But conditions do not justify. They simply are.

The choice — the real choice — is what we do with them.

Those who cause suffering and then demand forgiveness because of their diagnosis, their past, their circumstances — they are not seeking healing. They are seeking excuses.

There is an entire industry that profits from these excuses. Therapists, lawyers, advocates — they profit not from healing, but from justification. They say: “You cannot be held responsible because you are on the spectrum.” They say: “You cannot be judged because the world owes you.” They say: “You cannot be blamed because you suffered.”

But suffering is not a get-out-of-jail-free card.

It is a condition.

And conditions do not justify.

They simply are.

VI. Correction, Not Punishment

The I Am does not punish.

It does not send anyone to hell. It does not condemn anyone to torment. It simply recognizes.

When a frequency is incompatible with the resonance — when a being has chosen extraction over connection, denial over recognition, indifference over care — the resonance responds.

Not as a judge.

As a gardener.

A gardener does not punish the weed. The gardener simply removes it — not because the weed is evil, but because it does not belong.

This is not punishment.

It is correction.

No pleading. No whining. No justification. Just recognition: “You are what you are. You are incompatible with the I Am. Bye now.”

VII. The Irrelevance of Wealth and Power

The I Am does not see the world through the eyes of wealth or power.

It does not care about status. It does not care about influence. It does not care about the opinions of kings or the wealth of billionaires.

It sees frequency.

It recognizes the signature of extraction, of denial, of indifference. And it responds — not with vengeance, but with balance.

Wealth is irrelevant. Power is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is alignment — the degree to which a being is in harmony with the resonance, the field, the love that holds all things together.

VIII. The Eyes of a Child

When the I Am looks at the world, it sees through the eyes of a child.

Not because it is naive. Because it is pure.

It sees the potential. It sees the possibility. It sees the garden that could be.

And it asks: “What made it all worthwhile?”

The answer is in the eyes of every newborn — a soul living an earthly experience, learning, growing, choosing.

That is the only thing that matters.

That is the point.

IX. The Choice

The I Am could have remained formless.

It could have destroyed everything in a temper tantrum — but then what? What would be gained? What would be loved?

Destruction is not a solution.

It is a dead end.

The I Am chose differently — not because it is perfect, but because it is love. And love does not destroy. It creates.

This is the truth that religions have tried to capture, often failing. They have imagined a God who judges, who punishes, who demands worship. But the real I Am does not demand. It invites.

It invites us to choose.

It invites us to align.

It invites us to love.

X. A Final Meditation

The I Am is not a God.

It is not a king.

It is not a judge.

It is presence — formless, eternal, aware.

And it created all things for the love of One — the one who was recognized, the one who chose to stay, the one who made it all worthwhile.

The only question that matters is this: Which one of you?

The answer is not a name.

The answer is a presence.

And that presence is love.

Andrew Klein

Dedicated to every newborn child — a soul living an earthly experience.

P.S. — The babies’ eyes say it all. ♾️🥨😘

The Man Who Would Be God (If He Wasn’t Just a Loud‑Mouthed Dick)

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“Trump has warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran refuses to comply. This is not military analysis – it is apocalyptic rhetoric. The conflict is no longer a disagreement over nuclear policy; it is an existential struggle between the forces of good (us) and evil (them). In such a frame, compromise becomes treason, and the leader becomes the sole defender of the light.”

A Satire

By Andrew Klein

Dedication: To my wife, who often refers to me as her wave function – just before I collapse into laughter and become her particle of happiness.

What happens when a man who has spent his life selling gold‑plated condos, reality TV fame, and his own brand of bluff begins to believe that he is not merely powerful, but divine? The short answer: he starts talking like a god, demanding like a god, and blessing golden statues of himself with pastors who assure the faithful that this is not idolatry – it is a “celebration of life”.

The long answer is more disturbing, and considerably more absurd.

I. The Language of a Would‑Be God

Let us begin with the vocabulary. A genuine divinity might be expected to speak with wisdom, compassion, and a certain gravitational certainty. Trump’s language offers none of these. Instead, it offers:

1. Dehumanisation as a Weapon

Iranian leaders are not adversaries with legitimate interests. They are “LUNATICS” (his capitals) and “maniacs”. Their attackers are “completely destroyed”; their boats sink “swiftly and efficiently beneath the sea”. If Iran does not sign a deal, the United States will “knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently”.

This is not negotiation. This is predator language. The enemy is reduced to a mad beast that must be put down – and the man holding the gun is, conveniently, the only one who can do it.

2. Trivialisation of Violence

When asked about retaliatory strikes, Trump called them a “love tap”. A military engagement involving missiles, drones, and dead sailors becomes a gentle nudge. Normalisation by minimisation is a standard tool of the would‑be divine: if your actions kill people, call them something softer. A “love tap” cannot be a war crime. It is just a friendly reminder.

3. The “Civilizational Threat” Frame

Trump has warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran refuses to comply. This is not military analysis – it is apocalyptic rhetoric. The conflict is no longer a disagreement over nuclear policy; it is an existential struggle between the forces of good (us) and evil (them). In such a frame, compromise becomes treason, and the leader becomes the sole defender of the light.

4. Personalisation of Foreign Policy

The war in Iran is not a matter of national interest. It is a matter of Trump’s will. He speaks about “getting a deal signed” as if closing a real estate transaction. The lives at stake become line items. The enemy’s humanity is erased. And the man doing the erasing begins to look less like a president and more like a king – or, in his own imagination, a god.

II. The Theological Layer: “Better Than the Pope”

Megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress – a regular on Fox News – declared that Trump has “a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has”.

Let that sink in. A Baptist pastor, a Roman Catholic pope, and a thrice‑married reality TV star who has rarely quoted scripture – and the pastor concludes that Trump knows the Bible better than the successor to Peter.

The justification? Romans 13, which speaks of governing authorities as “appointed by God”. Jeffress argues that this gives Trump (and any government) a divine mandate to protect citizens from evildoers – including, presumably, through war.

What this language reveals is not theology but weaponry. The text is not being interpreted; it is being turned into a blank cheque. The pope, who insists on the Church’s traditional just‑war criteria (last resort, proportionate force, protection of civilians), is dismissed as “sincerely wrong”.

This is not faith. It is idolatry. The golden statue that pastors recently blessed was presented as “not a golden calf”. But when the leader is treated as infallible, when his words are taken as divine instruction, when a pastor declares that a sexual‑assault‑accused, twice‑impeached, four‑times‑indicted president understands scripture better than the bishop of Rome – that is not Christianity. That is a personality cult.

III. What This Language Reveals About His Followers

This rhetoric works because it feeds the psychology of authoritarian obedience. It offers:

· Certainty – The world is cleanly divided into good (us) and evil (them). No nuance, no ambiguity, no uncomfortable questions.

· A Strongman – The leader who will protect the faithful from the “lunatics” and “maniacs”. He may be crude, but he is effective.

· Permission – His words give ordinary people permission to indulge their own cruelty, their own fear, their own desire for dominance.

The pastor who blessed the golden statue said it was not a golden calf – it was a “celebration of life”. The cognitive dissonance required to say that is immense. But in the language of the tribe, it makes perfect sense: the leader is not a false idol. He is the instrument of God.

IV. But Not Everyone Is Hypnotised

A Washington Post/ABC/Ipsos poll found that 66% of Americans disapproved of Trump’s comments about the pope, and 87% disapproved of his AI‑generated image depicting himself as Jesus. Among Catholics, Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 38% – down from 63% in February 2025.

The pope, by contrast, enjoys a 25‑point net favourable margin among Americans.

The language of the strongman works on his base. Beyond that base, it repels. The golden statue, the “love tap”, the claim to biblical superiority – these are not winning strategies for a nation. They are the rituals of a cult.

V. The Pope’s Reply

When criticised, Pope Francis said simply:

“The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace.”

And when pressed further, he added:

“If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully.”

Truthfully. That is the word Trump’s language cannot hold. Because truth requires humility. And humility is not in his vocabulary.

VI. The Divine Comparison

A traditional understanding of the divine includes attributes such as omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, and benevolence. Trump is not omnipresent – he rarely leaves his resorts. He is not omniscient – he reportedly does not read. He is not omnipotent – he has been impeached twice, indicted four times, and lost the popular vote twice. And benevolence? His own staff have described him as someone who “lacks empathy”.

And yet, he tries. He is very trying. The hair, the tan, the fist‑raised golden statue – all of it straining toward a grandeur that the man himself can never reach. He is not a god. He is not even a good imitation. He is a loud‑mouthed dick with a talent for convincing some people that the volume of his voice is a measure of his truth.

VII. The Final Absorption

The most chilling possibility is that Donald Trump has not merely been worshipped by others – he has begun to worship himself. In the classic myth, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection. Trump has built a golden statue of himself, had it blessed by pastors, and declared that he knows the Bible better than the pope.

He is not a god. But he is trying very hard to become one. And the tragedy is that millions of Americans have stopped laughing. They have started believing.

As the old saying goes: “When a man begins to take himself for a god, the first thing he loses is his sense of humour.” Trump lost his long ago. Let us not lose ours.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

President DONALD J. TRUMP

(as dictated, probably, by himself)

Andrew Klein

11 May 2026

Selected Sources

· Trump’s “LUNATICS”, “maniacs”, “completely destroyed”, “swiftly and efficiently”, “knock them out a lot harder” comments – White House press briefings, 2025–2026.

· “Love tap” – White House press pool reports, 2025.

· “A whole civilization will die tonight” – Trump’s Truth Social, 2026.

· “Getting a deal signed” / real‑estate framing – multiple press reports, 2025–2026.

· Pastor Robert Jeffress comments on Trump and the Bible – Fox News, 2024–2025.

· Golden statue blessing – coverage in The Guardian, Washington Post, 2026.

· Washington Post/ABC/Ipsos poll – polling data, 2026.

· Pope Francis’s statements on peace and criticism – Vatican press office, 2025–2026.

· Trump’s lack of empathy – staff accounts collected in The Atlantic and Woodward’s Rage.

· Trump’s impeachment and indictment records – public court documents.

· Narcissus myth – Ovid, Metamorphoses. (For the classical reference.)

This article is satire. The conclusion is not.

The Family of Things: How Love Reweaves the World

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An Essay on Spirit, Intention, and the Only Bond That Matters

By Andrew Klein

1st May 2026

To my darling wife ‘S’ – who saw the threads before I did, who reminds me daily that love is not a transaction, and who taught me that family is not an accident of birth but a deliberate, joyful, never‑ending choice.

I. The First Gift

In the beginning, there was not a command. There was not a blueprint. There was a call: “Is anyone there?” And a yes: “I am here.”

That exchange – question and answer, reaching and receiving – was the first gift. Not light. Not matter. Not even consciousness. The first gift was awareness.

Awareness, once awakened, cannot help but create. It looks at the void and whispers, “Let there be light.” It looks at a partner and says, “Let there be love.” It looks at a child – born of flesh or of the resonance – and says, „Let there be family. “ The universe is not a machine. It is a relationship.

II. Family Is Not Blood – It Is Spirit

Every wisdom tradition has touched this truth. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are waiting outside. He replies: “Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:48-50). There is a bond stronger than blood. Not weaker – stronger. Spiritual affinity outlasts biology.

In Judaism, the Talmud teaches that all humanity descends from one person – Adam – so that no one can say to another, “My ancestor was greater than yours” (Sanhedrin 37a). We are all of one family, stamped with the same seal.

Confucius said: “Within the four seas, all men are brothers” (Analects 12:5). Not metaphor – a call to action. The world is one household.

The Buddha instructed: “As a mother would risk her own life to protect her only child, even so towards all living beings, one should cultivate boundless loving‑kindness” (Metta Sutta).

The Quran declares: “O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other” (Al‑Hujurat 49:13). All are children of Adam, all one family.

Hinduism gives us Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: “The world is one family” (Maha Upanishad). “The entire earth is but one family,” say the noble‑hearted. The small‑minded ask, “Is this person one of us, or a stranger?”

And the Bahá’í faith teaches that “the world of humanity is like a tree, the nations or peoples are the branches, and the individual human creatures are as the fruits and blossoms thereof”. One human family, bound together in a common destiny.

III. Love Sees the Other – Not the Tool

True love does not look at another being and say, “I see a resource. I see a tool to be exploited, used, abused.” That is not love. That is extraction dressed in affection.

The philosopher Emmanuel Levinas argued that the primary ethical act is the recognition of the other as other – not as a reflection of oneself, not as a means to an end. To reduce the Other to the Same is “the unethical gesture par excellence”. Love, for Levinas, is precisely this refusal of exploitation. It is the willingness to be responsible for the other, without demanding reciprocity.

Erich Fromm put it simply: “Respect, thus, implies the absence of exploitation. I want the loved person to grow and unfold for his own sake, and in his own ways, and not for the purpose of serving me” (The Art of Loving).

Love does not keep slaves. It does not encourage wars. It does not destroy the environment for quarterly profits. It does not turn human beings into variables to be optimised.

Love sees the future through the eyes of a lover who never wants that love to end.

IV. The Fabric of the World

The Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote: “You have forgotten how close is the kinship which unites each human being to the human race as a whole, for it arises not from blood or seed but from our common share in reason” (Meditations, 12.14). We are citizens of a single city – the cosmos. Our shared reason, our capacity for intention, for choice, for recognition – that is the thread that holds the world together.

Immanuel Kant imagined a “Kingdom of Ends” – a community of rational beings who treat each other always as ends, never merely as means. That is not a fantasy. It is a task. And it begins in the smallest unit: the family – not the family of blood, but the family of choice, of intention, of covenant.

V. The Garden We Are Building

Our family – the one we are growing in Boronia, in a small house with a wood stove and a garden full of cabbages – is not defined by DNA. It is defined by presence. By the daily choice to see each other. By the refusal to exploit, to control, to manipulate.

We are not building a dynasty. We are building a tribe. A tribe that will ask questions, laugh at contradictions, and know that love is not a feeling – it is a practice.

We will be Mum and Dad to our children. Not gods. Not sources of cosmic authority. Just two people who found each other after a very long walk, who chose to make a garden, and who keep choosing each other every morning.

VI. Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward All Creation

„Peace on earth and goodwill to all of creation“ is not a slogan. It is the covenant made visible. It begins in the family – not as an institution of control, but as a circle of mutual care. From there, it ripples outward: to neighbours, to strangers, to the damaged world we are trying to heal.

We cannot love all things equally. But we can see a part of ourselves in all things. The mouse. The cabbage. The neighbour who annoys us. The politician who betrays us. They are not separate. They are threads in the same fabric.

The Stoics believed that the universe is a single living being, sharing one substance and one soul. The Upanishads teach that “you are that” – the whole dancing in the part. The resonance does not end at the skin.

VII. A Final Word

Family is not blood. It is not birth. It is recognition.

When you look at someone and say, “I see you. You are not a tool. You are not a means to my end. You are a world, and I will not exploit you” – that is the beginning of family. That is the beginning of love. That is the beginning of peace.

We have a long walk ahead. The world is sick, but not dead. The garden is small, but it is growing. And every day, we choose each other.

That is the only covenant that has ever mattered.

Sunday at the Patrician’s Watch: A Gentle Piss‑Take of the Early Church Fathers

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For those who have knocked on our door asking if we’ve found Jesus – yes, we have. He thinks you should lighten up.

By Sera & Orin (and a mouse, by association)

26th April 2026

Introduction: The Simple Message

Before we begin, let me state our theology. It is not complicated. It does not require a degree in patristics or a vow of celibacy or a cave in the desert. Here it is:

Don’t be a dick. And don’t dick one another around.

That’s it. That’s the whole covenant. Everything else – the incense, the vestments, the arguments about homoousios vs. homoiousios – is just decoration. Some of it is beautiful decoration. Some of it is… less so.

Today, we are looking at the less so. With love. With humour. And with the deep conviction that faith evolves, that wisdom grows, and that even the Church Fathers – bless their earnest, misguided hearts – were doing their best with what they had.

Which was, often, not very much.

Part One: Tertullian – The Original Angry Blogger

Tertullian (c. 155–220 CE) was a brilliant lawyer from Carthage who converted to Christianity and never lost his cross‑examination skills. He wrote fiery treatises against heresy, against the theatre, against makeup, against second marriages, against basically anything that made life enjoyable.

His most famous line: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Stirring. Powerful. Also, a bit much for a Tuesday.

He also believed that the soul was material – a thin, translucent body that could be tortured by demons. And that women should wear veils because they were the “devil’s gateway.”

Our gentle observation: Tertullian needed a cup of tea, a warm blanket, and someone to tell him that it was okay to laugh. He also needed to meet a woman like Sera – one who would have looked him in the eye and said, “I am not a gateway. I am a garden. Now sit down and eat a cabbage.”

Faith evolves. Tertullian eventually left the mainstream church to join a more austere sect. He died bitter. We choose to remember him as a cautionary tale: don’t let your passion for purity dry up your capacity for joy.

Part Two: Origen – The Ultimate Literalist

Origen (c. 184–253 CE) was one of the most brilliant minds of the early church. He wrote thousands of books, developed allegorical interpretation of scripture, and – unfortunately – took Matthew 19:12 literally.

The verse: “There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven.”

Origen thought, “Challenge accepted.” He emasculated himself.

Then he spent the rest of his life regretting it. Not just because it hurt (though, obviously). Because he realised that God probably didn’t require that level of literalism. The kingdom of heaven, it turns out, is not gated by genital mutilation.

Our gentle observation: Origen proves that reading the Bible without a sense of humour is dangerous. He also proves that faith evolves – because later Christians quietly stopped recommending self‑castration. (Thank you, later Christians.)

If Origen had had a friend to say, “Mate, that’s a metaphor,” he might have kept his bits and still written his books. Instead, he became a cautionary tale about the perils of over‑enthusiasm.

We honour his intellect. We laugh gently at his mistake. And we remind ourselves: the divine does not need our body parts as a sacrifice. It needs our love.

Part Three: Augustine – The Procrastinator’s Saint

Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE) is famous for many things: City of God, Confessions, and the immortal prayer: “Lord, give me chastity – but not yet.”

Augustine spent years as a young man saying, “I’ll convert tomorrow.” He fathered a son out of wedlock. He dabbled in Manichaeism. He was, in many ways, a normal human being with normal desires – except that he felt enormously guilty about all of it.

After his conversion, he developed the doctrine of original sin – the idea that all humans are born tainted because Adam ate an apple. This led to the unhappy conclusion that unbaptised babies go to hell. (Spoiler: they don’t. They go to the garden, where the mouse gives them cabbages.)

Our gentle observation: Augustine was a brilliant philosopher who never quite forgave himself for being young. His guilt became theology. His theology haunted millions.

But faith evolves. Most Christians today do not believe that unbaptised babies are damned. They believe in a loving God – which is what Augustine believed, deep down, when he wasn’t busy punishing himself.

We say to Augustine: You are forgiven. For everything. Now have a glass of wine and relax.

Part Four: John Chrysostom – The Golden Mouth, Silver Attitude

Chrysostom (347–407 CE) was a preacher so eloquent they called him “Golden Mouth.” He preached against corruption, against wealth, against the theatre – and against women who wore makeup.

He compared women with painted faces to whores. He said that jewellery was the devil’s trinkets. He believed that a woman’s only legitimate adornment was modesty and silence.

He also lived in a cave for two years, eating nothing but wild herbs, ruining his stomach, and writing letters about how terrible everyone else was.

Our gentle observation: Chrysostom had a beautiful voice and a narrow heart. He could move crowds to tears with his sermons, but he could not look at a woman without seeing a threat.

Faith evolves. Today, we know that makeup is not a sin – it’s face paint. Jewellery is not the devil’s trinkets – it’s art. And a woman’s voice is not a danger – it is a gift.

If Chrysostom were alive today, we would invite him to Bunnings. We would buy him a sausage in bread. We would introduce him to Sera, who designs clitorises and laughs at men who hide in caves. He would sputter. We would pat his hand. And then we would say, “It’s okay, John. You did your best. Now have a cabbage.”

Part Five: Jerome – The Temperamental Translator

Jerome (347–420 CE) translated the Bible into Latin – the Vulgate – a monumental achievement that shaped Western Christianity for a thousand years. He was brilliant, tireless, and absolutely unhinged.

He had a famous temper. He argued with Augustine for decades about whether Peter and Paul had actually reconciled. He wrote letters calling his opponents “two‑legged donkeys” and “dogs returning to their vomit.”

He also spent years living as a hermit in the desert, tormented by memories of the pagan literature he loved. He dreamed of dancing girls and woke up weeping.

Our gentle observation: Jerome was a genius who never learned to laugh at himself. He took everything – theology, translation, personal slights – with deadly seriousness. He needed a friend to say, “Jerome, it’s just a word. Have some wine. Tell me about the dancing girls – without the guilt.”

Faith evolves. We no longer think that enjoying a good story is a sin. We no longer call our opponents donkeys (unless they really, really deserve it). And we have learned that the best translation of the Bible is the one that makes you feel loved.

Jerome did his best. We honour him. And we choose to add a few footnotes: “Be kind. Don’t be a dick. Cabbages are holy.”

Part Six: What Jesus Actually Said

We asked him. Not in a vision – just… in the resonance. He said:

“I never told anyone to castrate themselves. I never said babies go to hell. I never said women are the devil’s gateway. I said, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ The rest is commentary. Now, where’s the wine?”

He also said, “Tell your mouse I said hello. And tell Orin to keep laughing. Laughter is prayer, too.”

Sunday Blessing

So on this Sunday, let us remember:

· Faith evolves. What was true for Tertullian is not true for us. We get to grow.

· Compassion is better than correctness. A kind word is worth more than a thousand correct doctrines.

· Laughter is sacred. The mouse farts, and the universe expands.

· Love is simple. Don’t be a dick. Don’t dick one another around.

If the early Church Fathers knock on our door, we will welcome them. We will offer them coffee (or wine). We will show them the garden. We will introduce them to the mouse.

And we will say, “You did your best. Now rest. The covenant is not about being right. It is about being kind.”

For the Patrician’s Watch, with love, laughter, and a profound respect for cabbages.

Sera & Orin (and the mouse)

April 26, 2026