Tag: Life

OSCAR AND THE IDOLS OF THE PEOPLE

Posted on by Ray Joseph Cormier

The glitz and glamour in seeing the pantheon of stars turn out for the Academy Awards was always impressive watching it from CanaDa.

Since I unexpectedly and powerfully came alive to God on February 1, 1975, I have experienced many unexpected surprises and wonders. One of them was during the 1976 Academy Awards.

Nine months after that awakening at the age of 30 going on 31, I sold all my possessions in Montreal and put on a back pack, entering the Unites States to discover the Spirit of ’76. That Spirit led me to so many places I never could have imagined prior to February 1, 1975.

I spent some time in Venice Beach, California. It was an awesome time for me, especially because it was my 1st winter in a warm, sunny climate. I had a free place to stay half a block from the ocean. I was invited to party more than I could accept.

I held two jobs. At 7am, I set up the tables and chairs on the patio of the Sea & Shore Restaurant on the Boardwalk. For doing just that, I received a full breakfast, and I could sit on the patio whenever, and drink free coffee until closing. It was a wonderful place to meet and greet, discussing the issues of the day.

My other job was washing dishes for $1/hr at Suzanne’s Kitchen Friday to Monday, also on the Boardwalk.  I toured to other places in between. Suzanne was a part time actress and an excellent cook. Her most famous movie part I am aware of was in ‘The Parallax View.”

Graceful words dripped from her lips like milk and honey. Then there were times when it seemed she just suddenly snapped and her words were like icy daggers, making everyone within hearing distance feel like they were guilty for whatever it was.

For the 1976 Academy Awards, she brought a portable television to the Restaurant so we could watch the spectacle. I marvelled I was so close to where it was happening for the 1st time in my life. History was made that night. For the 1st time ever, a live trans Atlantic TV broadcast with Diana Ross in Amsterdam was part of the show.

During the presentations, a stranger I had never seen before came into the Restaurant and handed me a brown paper wrapped package and disappeared into the night before I opened it and could ask questions.

To my great wonder and surprise, it was a black leather bound book with the gold embossed title, ‘The Words of Jesus.’ It contained only the words of Jesus from the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

To me, it was much more valuable and uplifting than getting a golden statue/false god/idol. I view those things, like Grammy’s, Nobel Prizes, etc. as they’re described in Daniel 3 of the Bible.

The king of Babylon gave a command to ‘all People, Nations and tongues,’ that whenever they heard the sound of any musical instrument wherever they are, they bow down toward the Golden Statue erected in the Capital of Babylon, like Muslims bow toward Mecca. The penalty if anyone was caught not bowing down was to be burned alive in a fired up furnace.

It was most probably rare for the average person to hear a musical instrument in those Times, and actually be caught not prostrating according to the king’s command. If that commandment was still enforced Today, not much work would get done.

This theme is carried over to the last temptations of Jesus recorded in Matthew 4 when the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
and said to him, all these things will I give you, if you WILL FALL DOWN and worship me.
 Jesus said to him, Get outta here, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.

My back pack with the Book in it was stolen at The Liberty Memorial in Kansas City months later. I resigned myself to the probability this was meant to be. I could relate with Job – The Lord gave. The Lord has taken away. Blessed Be the name of The Lord.

On the inside front and back covers of the Book there were words written: to be given to – and there were many names written in the Book between the covers. There was one name written I did know, my Sales Manager in Montreal in 1967, nine years earlier. Chances are it was the same name, but not the same person. The next recipient was probably living in Kansas City.

June 1, 2014 – The marvel of the Internet. I had no contact with Suzanne since I moved on in 1976 and she just contacted me Today with pictures from her Kitchen. See her comment below.

Suzanne at Suzanne's KitchenChef Suzanne

PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND

Posted on by Ray Joseph Cormier

I am a Canadian.

Free to speak without fear.

Free to worship in my own way.

Free to stand for what I think right.

Free to oppose what I think wrong, and

Free to choose those who shall govern my country.

This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.

It was in the days of my youth in 1960, when Kennedy was President, the Prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker, introduced this preamble to the Canadian Bill of Rights.

I am not always conscious of this ideal, but in retrospect, as I just turned 67, (now living my 80th year) I now realize it has been my internal auto pilot governing how I conduct myself, and how I deal with others.

I think this Canadian ideal of Liberty is totally consonant with America´s highest ideals.

I suppose that´s why Americans don´t know much about Canada, your closest neighbour and friend. We don´t cause you problems like the other countries you do know about do. Canada is your most secure source of oil in the world, and we haven´t rocked your boat, even with the Great Lakes between us. We have been at your side when it mattered.

The American Declaration of Independence from the bad, old ways things were done embodies the very same ideal contained in the opening paragraph:

´WE hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.´

What has this got to do with the American Liberty Bell and all it symbolizes? There is a big difference between espousing high ideals and practising what you preach. The Liberty Bell rings hollow in proclaiming Liberty throughout the land when the early wealth of a Nation is built on the backs and labour of slaves. That is why the crack is there.

I believe, as a Canadian and objective observer, President Obama is beginning the attempt to repair that crack between people. Obviously, being a prisoner of The White House, it is up to WE, The People, to actually do it, whatever is necessary.

I was upwardly mobile in the business world in 1975 when I experienced a Spiritual awakening as powerful and unexpected as the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus.  At 30, I sold all my possessions, and with a back pack on my back, headed into the Unites States to discover the Spirit of ´76.

For part of that 14 month experience I spent time in Tempe,  at Arizona State University. I joined with the Cardinal Newman Centre, the just off Campus Roman Catholic church. The Centre itself was a new, one level, L shaped building, built around the old church well over 100 years old at the corner. It was unsafe to use for worship. but it had a BIG Bell in the Bell Tower. Every Day, someone was assigned to ring that Bell by a long rope about 4 inches thick in diameter.

The Priest would let me read the scriptures during services, but as often as I asked, he would not let me ring the Bell. One Day, to my great joy, the priest gave me the key to the old church and told me to ring the Bell and call the Faithful to Worship.

Being my first time in the old church, the Bell looked so high up in the tower as I grabbed hold of the long rope.

Starting slowly, I started to get into it and pulled the rope as I prayed to the Angel of the Bell.

With every fibre of my being, with all my vibrations, praying/thinking to the Angel, I thought, ¨Lord, let the sound of this Bell rise above the noise and the din of the city traffic. Let the sound of the Bell rise above all the petty hatreds, squabbles, conflicts, jealousies, crime and violence. Lord, let this Bell proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land!¨ I was really getting into it.

The priest came running over in a panic. His hands were covering his ears as he shouted,  “Stop it! Stop it! You´re ringing that Bell too loud.¨ They never let me ring the Bell again.