Saturday, April 21, 2012

A "Dear Divinity" Kind of Question

A dear niece, who is the mother of two young boys, wrote to me: 'I saw this on fb recently and thought it might be just the right topic for your blog about spirituality. A church sign had this quote on it- "God is more welcoming and likely to give blessings to a kind atheist than to a hateful Christian." your thoughts? I think it's "on point." bc of all the hypocrisy and judgement that so many so called Christians practice. It seems to me that God's rule of thumb and clearest messages have to do with "love thy neighbor" and "he who is without sin should cast the first stone." kindness and purity of intention and heart are what it seems Jesus tried to demonstrate most to man. What do you think?"


She went on to ask: "Who is more likely to burn in Hell, the Christian who judged and hated everyone proudly, or the Athiest who was more understanding and accepting and loving though he denied knowing God?"


This led me ask myself, "What is an atheist?" and what is a "Christian?" It seems to me that only an idiot would deny that there is a Divine Power that is so much greater than anything on earth and that imbues everything on earth. Is an atheist one who believes that there is no such Awesome Power? Or is an atheist one who doesn't believe that anyone has the absolute answer to what this Power "looks" like? Over centuries, people have recorded their perceptions of the manifestations of this Power in their experiences. We have accepted some of them as sacred scriptures; others we have rejected.


I choose to believe that any experience that leads people to be their best and treat all of nature with respect is sacred, and that Christianity is a method for following the lead of many manifestations of Divinity embodied in one man. Christendom, however, is a political system that forces acceptance of the codification of one set of scriptures into the laws governing all of creation. My "god" is bigger than this.


What do all of my spi(ri)t sisters think?

Personality, Payments, and Pride

Is it wrong to take payment for what one sees as a sacred mission?
Without food, clothing, and shelter our missions can't come to fruition.
Are we meant to sit alone and pray for falling heavenly manna?
Or are we meant to pursue our callings with our greatest stamina?

I believe that taking care of our own needs is our first responsibility,
But I've missed the ability to share our resources with society,
And I have longed for being able to share the gifts of our largess.
I don't know if this comes from pride; I must honestly confess.

I simply enjoy planting seeds and watching changes grow.
For metamorphosis to happen, there is dormancy, then show.
It seems that I was given an excess of forceful personality,
And people seem to be attracted to and follow me.

Several times, I have been called to be a catalyst for change;
During most of my years of service, my upkeep was arranged.
Now I find myself as, once again, a breadwinner.
Does taking money for my vocation make me a sinner?

My children are good parents who don't need my interference;
Their children are almost grown, and need not my recompense.
The skill I bring to life is the ability to spread passion
In the little mountain hamlets, these virtues aren't in fashion.

This area where even the weather is violent in its expression,
Where if one believes in something, it is accepted as obsession,
Is a good match for someone as passionate as I am?
Is this is a Divinely inspired part of my Eternal plan?