I was recently asked “What are you trying to accomplish?” concerning all my research and reading about other religions and spiritual quests. My answer was quick: Jesus said the way to eternal life is this:

“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’* and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” Luke 10:25-28

I love myself by respecting my person, by facing my demons, accepting my limitations, understanding how and why I think and act the way I do, being radically honest with myself and taking 100% responsibility for my life. And so, when I try to live out loving my neighbor as myself, I seek first to understand.

I have found that the more I learn about the foundations of other faiths, the more I see the Oneness of God throughout time and culture. The more I look at the relgious institutions that come from those origins, the more alike in arrogance and error they seem. I do not believe that all paths lead to God – only paths that lead to God, lead to God. For me that means following the teaching of Jesus quoted above. It has nothing to do with deciding who is going to hell and who isn’t.

Fear is the main source of superstition,
and one of the main sources of cruelty.
To conquer fear is the beginning of
wisdom. -Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970

In my sorting through old papers, I came across this reflection I had written 20 years ago randomly tucked in a folder of bits and peices:

“Prayer has always been a mystery to me. My first memories of prayer (other than Grace said before meals) are my early grade school prayers of confession which I deemed necessary for assurance of salvation. At eight, I was taught such theological truths as eternal security and salvation by grace alone. Although relieved of my burden of laborious confessions, I began to wonder what the point of it all was.
For awhile, it was enough to know that Jesus prayed and therefore so should I. But soon I began to wonder anew, why did he bother? Some mystical soul pointed out to me that the book of Revelations describes the prayers of the saints as incense offered to God, as something which delights and pleases him. That’s a beautiful thought to me but I don’t really understand it.
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In preparation for a move in March, I’ve been sorting through old papers – things I’ve moved around the past three moves without even thinking about it. 26 garbage bags and two trips to the Salvation Army later, I feel much lighter. There’s something both cathartic and affirming about it all. As I read through things I’ve written, bills I’ve paid, notes of encouragement, little post-it notes from my children reminding me to do something a decade or more ago, I remember the many lessons over these past two decades and find I have learned many of them in spite of myself. Here’s what I think I’ve learned imperfectly but deeply:

1) Trust in God always no matter how horrific life may look.
2) Be a blessing in whatever circumstance life has brought – we are created to be a blessing to others.
3) Say no firmly and repeatedly to anyone who tries to destroy your person.
4) Treat yourself and your life as a gift to unwrap rather than as a thing to endure.
5) Be grateful for the forgiveness of others when you fail them and pass on that forgivness to anyone who has failed you.
6) Never be ashamed of love even if you have loved someone or something that was not worthy of that love. Love is never wasted.
7) Trust that God is placing all around you invisible forms of support to bring you home to God’s heart.
8) Hold on to true friendship but let go of those that fall away from you naturally.
9) Anxiety and depression aren’t necessarily things to avoid. They often are flags to alert you to something you know unconciously but don’t want to see.
10) Believe in your own worth and face your own weaknesses with love.

I’ll probably want to add to this list or modify it over time. But here it is for now.

I just finished reading Abraham subtitled A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths . The author, Bruce Feiler, takes a physical, spiritual and emotional journey to the heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. And what in incredible journey. If you want to gain an understanding of that which all three religions hold in common as well as how that very commonality has led to violence, I highly recommend this book.
The very first book of the Old Testament, Genesis, has always held fascination for me. The stories of each patriarch and matriarch are so universally profound, warts and all. None of them comes across as holy or particularly intelligent. The lessons they have to teach us are about both our humanity and our longing for the Divine at our very center. Here’s a quote from the book, quoting Sheikh Abdul Rauf describing becoming “Abrahamic:”

“First, complete devotion to God, even if it involves leaving your family and leaving your town. On another level, making our own contractual agreement with God. Each of us has a covenant to make with God, ‘ I will worship you as my God and you will take care of me’
And finally, knowing yourself on the deepest level. The prime objective of religion is to know God, but the only way to do that is to discover God within our own conciousness. This happened to Abraham, and it can happen to us. And anybody that happens to will choose to life a life in accordance with God’s practice.”

The oldest of the three monotheistic religions is Judaism, with Christianity developing 2000 years ago and Islam only 1500 years ago being a relative newcomer. It had not occured to me in the reading of the Old Testament, that neither Moses or David refer to Abraham. Nor had I remembered, though I am sure I learned this in seminary, that the first five books of the Bible, the central scripture to the Hebrew faith, was not written down until the 3rd centruy BC (or BCE to be more inclusive). The hope of the book is that all three religions can find a way to respect one another through a more complete understanding of our common ancestral father Abraham. I’m not so sure of that but this book has certainly taught me much.
I find it a bit unsettling as well as comforting that out of the whole of this book, it is the quote above with which I most agree. I believe it is only through discovering God within our own conciousness that we will find our commonality and in that I am in agreement with a Sheikh. That is what unsettles my prejudices as well as comforts me with hope.

From the New Zealand Prayer Book, this interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer holds universal meaning:

Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from on another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.
Amen.

I’ve been reading two books with seemingly opposite points of view. The first, If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person is a short some what rambling description of two Quaker pastor’s journeys into embracing universal grace. The second, Facing East: A Pilgrims Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy by Frederica Matthewes-Green is a year, a liturgical year in the life of a convert to Eastern Orthodoxy. These are excerpts from each – the first a vision of heaven; the second a description of beginning such heaven on earth.

“This work of reconciliation must continue until every last person is redeemed. I do not know where we will sit at the final banquet, but I suspect who will sit beside us. On our right will sit the person whom we have harmed the most. On our left will sit the person who has done the greatest evil to us. We will be seated between grace received and grace required.” If Grace Is True p. 190

“Now we are going to do something the devil hates,” he says. “any time brothers and sisters in Christ stand face-to-face and ask one another’s forgiveness and give forgiveness, the demons shudder….” He gives directions for all worshippers to form a long line, extending to his left; they move into place…”The first person in line…will stand in front of me. He’ll make prostration or a metania and ask for my forgiveness. …you can say this however you want: ‘Forgive me for all my sins against you’…I will offer forgiveness and then ask him to forgive me as well”

This description continues in such a way that every person in that gathered church recieves and gives forgiveness to every other person.

“Each interchange is an intimate moment, and I feel on the wobbly border between embarrassment, laughter and tears. Just to pause and look at each fellow worshiper for a momment, to see the individual there, is itself a startling exercise.” Facing East p. 19-20

I don’t believe in eternal damnation in the sense of hell-fires to which God condemns anyone who doesn’t quite get the forgiveness of Christ. I actually agree with the premise of Philip Gulley and James Mulholland in describing the vast and unlimited love of God for all of creation. However, I struggle with this. There are clearly consequences for our actions or lack thereof. And this life certainly is connected with the life after this one – the eternal timelessness. I think it has to do with who or what is God to us. I like C.S. Lewis view of this in The Great Divorce described well by the Jolly Blogger:

“The best way I can describe this book is to say that it is an allegorical study of the psychology of the hell-bound vs the psychology of the heaven-bound.”

I keep reading about Eastern Orthodox worship and practice. I’ve even attended one Sunday service. It seems to be a way to live heaven on earth. Heaven is experienced here and now and Heaven is a demanding place as well as a lucious celebration of love and grace. Except for one thing – patriarchy reigns. God is decidedly male and culturally bound to medieval times from what I can see.

And so I continue to seek heaven on earth and to live in ways that testify to this. Living out God’s grace is not a foo-foo thing to do. It’s demanding, much more demanding than hell.

A few days of a cold turned in to a couple of weeks of moderate misery! A reminder, once again, that health is a fragile and lovely gift. But then, illness has it’s lessons as well. I re-read a short book I wrote for my children during this time and am thinking I just might try to re-write it for an audience greater than two. I called it “Vessels of Grace” and wrote about the lessons of life that I have learned through my various and asundry ill-health and personal failures. Here’s an excerpt on Giving and Receiving

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the
Lord Jesus himself said:
`It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:34-35 NIV

“She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mark 14: 8-9 NIV

“It is better to give than receive” are the words of common wisdom. I would add to these words, “It is easier to give than receive.” Contrary to popular wisdom, the experience of receiving often leaves one feeling vulnerable, lesser than the giver, dependant, perhaps even helpless. The receiver usually has no say in what is given. The giver has the power and the choices.
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I think I have to postpone this year for a bit. Is that possible? I have some sort of virus and my brain is on pause. Perhaps traveling 2200 miles in 12 days to visit family and friends was a bit much for this old body. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Friends, whether relatives or not, are worth the time and effort and a few days of blowing my nose. Happy New Year to all of you. May we each become the peace on earth we so desire.