Love does not require a sacrifice on the cross because Love simply forgives

 I think somebody will appreciate the invitation to think out of the box (tradition). Let's consider these questions.

Why would 'you' need grace from a God that is love? WHEN would LOVE have ever stopped loving? Are you sure that you have a clear understanding of what grace is all about? Love would simply forgive! NOT require a son on a cross!

These questions raise a pertinent point about grace because "grace" has often been used in a legalistic way in the christian circles. To some preachers, grace is like having a transaction with God, such as "God gives us his grace only when we give God our faith" or "God needs to punish Jesus to fulfill the law in order to give us his grace and forgiveness". That is not grace; that is legalism disguised as grace because the law is always conditional whereas grace is always unconditional.

Teachings that represent God/Jesus as a vindictive and vengeful divinity are actually anti-Christ because revenge and retribution are against his loving, gracious and non-violent nature. Jesus himself taught people not to return an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth, but to love their enemies. It is amazing to think how much the mainstream christian teachings that propagate a picture of a judgmental and vengeful Jesus have the gospel upside down that is contrary to his true nature.

The cross simply demonstrates Jesus' love, compassion and forgiveness. He had said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". If he had wanted revenge, he would have said something that was condemning.

Since God is love, and love keeps no records of wrong, then it does not make any sense for God to punish or require a sacrifice to atone for people’s wrongs. The “atonement for sin” theology therefore is man’s theology. I think Jesus came to help people repent (change their mindset) about God – that the idea of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is not compatible with God’s love (which keeps no records of wrong), and that God’s heart is to love one’s enemies. He also came to show us that we are already innocent and perfect/complete, for the kingdom of God (innocence/righteousness, peace and joy) is within each of us.

This also answers the question “If God doesn’t require sacrifice for “sins”, then why did Jesus die on the cross?” because Jesus’ suffering and death was to demonstrate what Jesus himself taught in the sermon on the mount – he did not return an eye for an eye when he was beaten, and instead he blessed those who cursed him, and prayed for those who persecuted him. The cross is a demonstration of the love of God which keeps no records of wrong, and not to atone for so-called sins (which man-made religions have mistakenly taught).

I believe there are people who will appreciate the invitation to think out of the box and question religious traditions, so as to find their own freedom from any kind of bondage of fear and condemnation imposed by organised religions, and experience peace within themselves and with others.

Related posts

Once you start seeing The Love of God, Hell Won’t Make Sense ~Dr. Michel W. Jones
Progressive thoughts on why Jesus died on the cross and whether God’s justice is retributive or restorative

"The next evolutionary step for humankind"

"The next evolutionary step for humankind is to move from human to kind." ~ Sun

Yes, we all could always do with more kindness. Like what the quote says, the next evolutionary step for humankind is to move from human to kind, so it is a witty observation on the wordplay since history has shown humankind is not always kind. I suppose it is an important evolutionary stage for humans to rediscover their own humanity and get in touch with human emotions after leaving organised religions and other brainwashing institutions, and this will naturally lead to the next stage about rediscovering kindness as our innate nature.

Perhaps when people see our connectedness as humans regardless of perceived differences in belief systems, cultures, traditions, backgrounds, nationality etc, they will naturally develop kindness and empathy towards self and others. May it be so more and more.

"This is my simple religion.

There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy.

Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."
~ Dalai Lama

Love and freedom

"If you spend a good amount of time around religious folk you soon begin to pick up on the fact that most of their focus and energy is upon being good. In order to achieve this goal they have built their individual and collective way of relating upon form. A set of rules and regulations that when kept do produce a temporary feeling of being good. This of coarse also comes with a side dish of fear and the realization that if you fail to keep up the rules you are no longer good. Leaving the evil religious empire we walk out into the realm of the secular world. Here we find the focus is not on being good, especially (your version of what that means), but instead on feeling good. Pleasure seems to be the highest rung on the ladder. For someone fleeing the strict rules of religion this can feel like the ultimate freedom. And though there is an allowance to participate in many things once forbidden you get the sense that you have traded on small jail cell for a much larger one. As I have observed these things in my own own life and in those around me I have found that in both you can have powerful experiences that touch things deep inside and as these are awakened they demand more from those systems than they are able to give. For me the freedom that I desire has not been found in form i.e.,the strict adherence to rules of men or in feeling i.e., the pursuit of what fulfills my senses, but in faith. Faith here is simply the belief that there is something apart from myself and those systems that can and has met my deepest longings. That which both the world and religion have awakened but failed to satisfy.The freedom it produces is not a freedom from religion or from this world but from myself. A freedom from a self centered life. A freedom from those deep longings that are motivating every human being as they strive to be good and to feel good.It seems for me that when I find this foundation beneath my feet the world and religion loose their hold over me and I can see clearly to move about and make rational decisions rather than feeling like a junkie looking for his next fix."

- Rodney Stepp

Yes, living a fulfilling and satisfying life would entail avoiding both extremes of religion/asceticism (trying to be good by following rules and rituals) and secular hedonism (trying to feel good by seeking sensual pleasures continually to find fulfilment). As the post noted, religion makes people temporarily happy when they think they obey the rules and miserable when they think they fail to be good. While secular hedonism may seem better, it doesn't satisfy one's deepest longings permanently. 

The middle path therefore is practising non-attachment to self and living a life knowing we are already loved and seeking the highest good of all. The pleasure that comes with seeking highest good is a complementary by-product. The act of loving and seeing others helped and blessed and uplifted is a pleasure and reward in and of itself.

 

 

"Doomsday was never God's idea"

"Doomsday was never God's idea; it is a doctrine invented by religion to distract from the powerful message of the cross
Religion cannot bear the thought of an innocent world
That would make them lose both their power and their income"
- Francois Du Toit

I agree with his observation that religion is about power and money, so it is perhaps no wonder they invented the idea of doomsday to control people with fear and make money as well from the sales of their books, CDs, DVDs, etc about doomsday theories.

Yes, God's idea is never about doomsday, but about the unveiling of Christ in us the hope of glory - it is not about the destruction of the physical world but about the transition from the old world system of law and control to the new world system of grace and freedom. The message of the cross is indeed about dying to the old way of thinking and living in condemnation and conformity, and resurrecting to a new and higher way of thinking and living in peace and authenticity. The cross brings to end the illusion of separation and unites humanity as one family of God/Divine Unconditional Love.

God is love, and there is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear. For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

"It is OUR false hope that overwhelms us not these people who've behaved the same way their entire lives..."

Someone wrote:

"You let go by accepting... Insanity is rooted in not accepting... Once you learn acceptance life becomes more a mechanical process and less of a drama... Life can only be overwhelming as long as we carry poisonous false hope within us... It is OUR false hope that overwhelms us not these people who've behaved the same way their entire lives... Replace false hope with acceptance and you'll be free... By accepting (accepting full responsibility for) the reality we create, we ensure this false reality will never be recreated... Focus on what makes you susceptible to these expectations shaped by false hopes... All of life really happens inside of you. Resist the temptation to look outside... looking outside gives others power over you and drama is born..."

Yes, I have come to learn that everyone in the world is on a different journey and lives in their own reality they create. So how they treat me or respond towards me is a reflection of how they perceive themselves and others, which is something I have no control over. Like what the above  post says, I can learn to accept the full responsibility for the reality I create so that I will not be easily disappointed or disillusioned by my false hope or expectation of "people who have behaved the same way their entire lives". 

It reminds me of the example Ralph Smart gave in his video “How to Boost Your Confidence—You Are Worthy…Time to Fly!” - he also learnt to let go of expectations and accepted the fact that not everyone will resonate with his videos. There will be some people who respond positively and there will be others who respond negatively to his videos. So he shared that our perception of ourselves is what really matters because it is what shapes and governs our reality. 

I was reflecting that how people treat me is influenced or determined partly by how I treat or carry myself - if I practise self-love and acceptance and carry myself with dignity, perhaps there is a higher chance people will treat me the same way because according to the law of attraction, I will be attracting more of the good vibes I cultivate towards myself. 

Another part of the equation is that how others treat me is also partly determined by how they treat themselves. For example, if people are kind and friendly to me, it is because they are kind and friendly to themselves first. Similarly, if people like us and show respect to us, it is because they first like and respect themselves, and they like that part of themselves they see in us. I learnt this mainly from Carlton Pearson's teachings, and I find this observation to be mostly true. 

So having this awareness helps me to manage my own perception of the world, and reminds me to focus on living my own life and creating my own world instead of dwelling too much on what people may be thinking about me or how they treat me, which is not really within my control. It is an ongoing process as I need to remember this as often as I can and practise mindfulness so that I can continue to live in inner peace and harmony. 

Seeing our divinity with unveiled eyes

Someone said:  

"The word "evil" means "to veil"... All destructive behavior is born of our failure to see our divinity and to accept our divinity... I'm not a Christian and neither was Jesus, but the whole point behind forgiveness of sins is to remove this veil... this obstacle keeping us from loving our self... Most Christians completely miss the whole point of the Gospel entirely... they go on hating who they are and creating destruction as a result... The word Gospel means good news and yet most Christians have found a way to turn it into bad news."

It is interesting to see the word evil meaning "to veil", which hinders a person from seeing one's own divinity. It may explain why Jesus described the Jewish generation as evil because they failed to see their own divine nature. Jesus may have tried to unveil their eyes by telling them that their true identity is the light of the world. Perhaps the law had blinded their eyes to see the truth of who they are because they had thought they had to do something in order to become righteous. 

I am thinking that in Luke 11 when Jesus described whether their eye is single or evil, he could be referring to whether their inner eye/vision is veiled to see their own divinity. 

34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also isfull of darkness.

35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 

36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

(Luke 11:34-36)

To me, darkness simply means ignorance of one's own divinity. Jesus came to bring light to dispel people's ignorance of their divine identity, hence darkness is overcome by light. Sin in the Jewish context also refers to ignorance or amnesia of one's true identity and forgiveness of sin means unveiling of one's true identity, as pointed out by the post. Back then, the Jews and Pharisees failed to see their own divinity and hated themselves and became destructive, to the point they tried to kill Jesus too. Similarly, as noted in the post, many people in Christian circles fail to see the gospel or good news of their own divinity and so they hate themselves and others, seeing themselves as sinful and unworthy. Even though they may be taught to see Jesus as their covering with the robe of righteousness, and know they are crowned with glory, the underlying message they get from institutional church is that there is nothing good in them and only Jesus is their righteousness. But that is the old covenant mindset because the Jews put themselves under the law. The law is the one that condemns, not Jesus/God. God has all the while seen everyone as innocent and perfect/complete because he/she/it made us in divine image and declared us very good. The gospel of inclusion therefore unveils our mind to see the truth of who we are and see our original glory in the face of Christ our true identity. We will have single eye that sees our body as being full of light, knowing we are the light of the world.

Ever-increasing joy

"Make the unknown Christ known within yourself by seeing Him born a second time as the ever-new, ever-increasing joy of your daily deep meditation."

Paramahansa Yogananda

It is interesting to see the expression "seeing Him born a second time" as it reminds me of Jesus' words about being born again. Maybe to be born again symbolically mean to awaken to the Christ hidden in us. The first coming of Christ was to the people at that time to see him in the flesh, and perhaps the second coming of Christ is to everyone to see him at any point of time in the spirit, which can be described as making "the unknown Christ known within yourself by seeing Him born a second time as the ever-new, ever-increasing joy of your daily deep meditation." This reminds me of Jesus' words to his disciples in John 16. 

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Yes the more we behold Christ in us, the more we are being transformed into the same image as in a mirror from glory to glory in ever increasing joy, even by the Holy Spirit. 

Love covers over a multitude of sins

1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

I googled the above verse to understand it better and I realise the context of the verse is about showing love and understanding and seeking peace and harmony in a social setting where people use their gifts to serve one another.

1 Peter 4:8-10

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

⁸ and, before all things, to one another having the earnest love, because the love shall cover a multitude of sins;

⁹ hospitable to one another, without murmuring;

¹⁰ each, according as he received a gift, to one another ministering it, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;

In group fellowships, there may be instances where we notice one another's shortcomings, so usually people prefer to overlook them and focus on offering goodwill and hospitality. It is like loving our neighbour as ourselves - just as we would not like to dwell on our own shortcomings because we love ourselves, we would usually also show the same love to others in normal daily circumstances when they fall short of the mark (as long as they are not intentionally hurting others) since we are all imperfect human beings. 

Proverbs 10:12

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

¹² Hatred awaketh contentions, And over all transgressions love covereth.

The gospel as a mirror (Andre Rabe @ Kainos Ministries )

Video information

Published on 29 Apr 2012

You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself. There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value ... a value beyond your wildest dreams.

Coins used to have the face of the person who guaranteed their value, minted onto them. Any note or coin has a guarantor, a person or institution that guarantees its value. Even if a coin gets lost, the coin never loses it's value.

The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness.

He knows you better than you know yourself ... He knew you even before you were born. You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind.

You might think 'why' ... why would anyone have such an obsession with me. Well, the creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything in this natural world. He even sees a possibility of romance!

I like what Andre Rabe said in his message so far, especially the part that we cannot be lost unless we belong, and as we have seen in the 3 parables, the sheep remains the sheep, the coin remains the coin, and the son remains the son. Our true value and identity has not changed, and neither has God/Creator/Divine Love changed his mind about us, regardless of whether we know him or do things that impress/disappoint him. So the idea of separation (as propagated by organised religions) is a lie, and so the truth of the gospel of inclusion sets people free from the illusion of separation and enables them to enjoy peace and wholeness in their lives.

Further thoughts

I have finished listening to Andre Rabe's message video. Overall, it is a good message about God's love that affirms our intrinisc value, which is based on the image and likeness of God in whom we are created/made. This value is unchanging and incorruptible, as he said. I agree that God loves us not in spite of us, but because of who we are - we are valuable, precious and lovable, and God's love rejoices with the truth - that there is something so lovable about us.

Yes, God created us in his innocence and likeness, and God knew us before we were formed; he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1). Jesus is the revelation of what God thinks about us, and Jesus is God's mind made up about us - he is the Alpha and the Omega - he is God's original thought and final conclusion about us (our lives). (This is similar to Francois du Toit's main message of the gospel too.)

I agree that the gospel is not a "product" to be purchased by the "currency" based on the amount of grief, faith, remorse, etc shown by the "customer". As he put it, we are not selling a product. Rather, the gospel is a mirror, and what we declare in the gospel is true, whether we believe or not - that God has declared us innocent and righteous, and has included in his love and acceptance. Yes, knowing this truth doesn't make people grovel in the dust anymore or continue to live in a pigsty like the prodigal son did, parabolically speaking. Looking into the mirror of our true identity can transform our experience of how we live our lives - knowing who we are can cause us to want to not continue in our illusion of separation (since we are already one with our highest self), just as it causes the prodigal son to forsake the pigsty that has never been his origin. (To me, it simply means a place of ignorance of God's love.)

I like his sharing of Psalm 22 - God has done it, and the ends of the earth shall REMEMBER - yes, we cannot remember unless we once knew the truth of who we are and later forgot who we are.

As he pointed out, some people say "God is love but he is also just" as if God is in conflict with himself, and yet there is nothing God does not do for us in justice that is different from his love, so justice and love are one because God does not have a multiple personality disorder. I also noted that Jesus prayed to the father that we may be one - before the world began, we were all already in a relationship of love (John 17) Yes, God is not a grumpy judge in an antiquated legal court. Rather, in his fullness and completion, his love overflows to reach out and embrace us.

I also agree that loving God is shown in loving people - loving our brothers who are made in the image of God too (1 John), so for our doctrine to be worth something, we will demonstrate love to others in our own lives.

Last but not least, Andre also shared that Jesus is fully God and fully man - representing both God and humanity, and that the law came not to fix the problem but to reveal the problem - the law demands perfect obedience and declares man exceedingly sinful (in terms of measuring up to absolute standards). My take is that the law was only for those under the old covenant, who placed themselves under the law of Moses - so it is only applicable in their culture and tradition. The law is not applicable to us, so we are not "sinners" to start with. 

So, innocence is our original state, and in a sense, we did not know until the gospel came to reveal the truth. As for 2 Corinthians 5 that says God has reconciled the world to himself through Christ, I agree that is the gospel to the people living in the first century, and I would add that the world was referring to the known world back then (in the Roman empire), based on a preterist perspective. For us in our modern context, I see it as being reconciled to our true self who is never separate from us. We live in a time that is beyond the Jewish religion, beyond covenants, and beyond sacrifices. While some symbolisms in the Bible may not apply directly to us (such as the temple, covenants, etc), we can still learn and benefit from the gospel described in the bible.

All in all, I agree with the overall message that God the father (Divine Love, highest self, universal consciousness, Great Spirit) enjoys who we are, and is proud of us, and there is nothing wrong with us,  and the truth of God's love sets us free to be ourselves and trust and accept ourselves for who we are.

A still small voice of love

Someone said: "Since God is love and if you want to change circumstances in your life, then be listening to still, small voices. And be a still small voice of love in someone else's life."

Yes, the still small voice within us is the voice of Divine Love/God who always builds us up and guides us from within by teaching us all things and bringing to our remembrance all things concerning our true identity/Self. When we are attuned to the living and loving voice of our spirit that reminds us we are beloved children of God, made in Love's image, we will do all things based on the truth of who we are, as an expression of Love and Light. 

As mentioned in the quote, I think by reminding someone else of their true identity and their oneness with Divine Love, we can be the still small voice in their life that resonates with them and affirms what they intuitively know in their heart.

Related post 

The Still, Small Voice of Love: Meditation by Henri Nouwen

 

Overcoming doubt and self-rejection and focusing on our belovedness and innocence

"For every person there are two voices in their head. One that brings life and encouragement and another that leads to doubt and death. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. We've been conditioned to believe all the negative things we hear, think and say. But we need not suffer another day. So start by knowing which thoughts to heed and which to throw away. Be impeccable with your thoughts and words today and you will be able to handle anything that comes your way."
- Jacob Israel

This is so true as there are times I also felt vulnerable to the conflicting voices in my mind as described in his post. While I may already know the truth of my true identity as a beloved child of God/Divine Love, there are still times I forget or lose sight of the truth.

Like what he described, we have all been conditioned to believe the negative things we hear, think and say, whether from the mass media or advertisements, or fundamentalist religions, or society or family members or relatives etc in the past. Past experiences and memories of rejection may resurface or may be triggered by some events or some challenges, so it is always good to remember that we do not need to buy into these lies about ourselves, and instead keep resting in the knowledge that we are beloved children of God and we are favoured and precious. And the more we focus on our belovedness and innocence, the more likely we will attract the same vibrations of favour and blessings towards us from the universe too, I believe.

The truest prayer ~ Albert E Day

The truest prayer begins when we pass beyond word into deep silence, when lips are hushed;
when racing thoughts are stilled; when emotions are placid
as the dawning over the waveless ocean.
~Albert E Day

This quote reminds me that God/Divine Love dwells in the silence of our heart and in the quiet sanctuary of Nature. A contemplative quietude is perhaps the best way to start a brand new morn. The phrase "dawning over the waveless ocean", I learnt just now, is captured in a hymn called "Still, Still With Thee".

"Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,
When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;
Fairer than morning, lovelier than daylight,
Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee.

Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows,
The solemn hush of nature newly born;
Alone with Thee in breathless adoration,
In the calm dew and freshness of the morn.

As in the dawning o’er the waveless ocean
The image of the morning star doth rest,
So in the stillness Thou beholdest only
Thine image in the waters of my breast."

I also learnt that Albert E Day is the author of a book called "The Captivating Presence." In a way, he reminds me of Brother Lawrence (author of "The Practice of the Presence of God"), who also practised the presence of God in his daily life.

God is love, and his love is a God-sized-love

"God is love, and his love is a God-sized-love. We can't compare his love to our love. His love is cosmic sized. His love is big, no bigger, no it's BIGGER. It's bigger than we can even comprehend. It's bigger than our own definition of love. It's a completely divine love.

It's a love with no faults and no limitations. It's a love that never fails. It's a perfect love. It's beyond our own definition of love. We only see a glimpse of it. A tiny piece of its whole, but what we see blows our minds.

What we see inspires us to love likewise. What we see is just a fraction of the whole, and the whole of God's love is BIG. BIGGER. Keep going.... its bigness never ends. It's like the universe: Unending, ever expanding, and undefinable".

"Although I can't possible fully understand how great a privilege it truly is, I'm blessed beyond measure to know that God is holding me within his cosmic-sized love." Mick Mooney

"And our God has more than enough love and Grace for ALL who are hurt and confused about WHO they are in this life".

It is good to meditate on the love of God that is unending and limitless. Yes, like the universe that is infinite and yet ever expanding, so is the expansive yet inclusive love of God. NASA describes the universe as infinite in extent.

http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_shape.html

"If the density of the universe exactly equals the critical density, then the geometry of the universe is flat like a sheet of paper, and infinite in extent."

Someone commented in this website that "Incidentally, if the universe is infinite now it has always been infinite, even at the Big Bang. This is why you'll often hear it said that the Big Bang wasn't a point, it was something that happened everywhere."

I think this may align with the panentheistic view of "All is in God", as we are all included in God, including the universe with all the stars and planets and living beings such as ourselves. It is reassuring then to know we are included and safely held within God's cosmic-sized love, as Mick Mooney put it in his quote. 

Yes, our God has more than enough love and Grace for ALL who are hurt and confused about WHO they are in this life. Whenever we are being rejected or sidelined by the society that try to make us conform to their norms and expectations to become something we are not, we can take refuge in the knowledge that God always loves us and accepts us for who we really are - beloved sons and daughters of God. 

Young's Literal Translation (YLT) 1 Peter 5:10

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who did call you to His age-during glory in Christ Jesus, having suffered a little, Himself make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle [you];

• 
  

Yes the God of all grace will perfect us with his/her love that casts out fear, and establish and strengthen and settle us in the knowledge of our true divine identity. It is good for our heart to be established by grace.

Peace that passes all understanding

"The highest expression of Universal Mind otherwise known as God is Peace. (Peace in this context is the same as Love.) We are not referring to the ego's version of Peace which is nothing more than the opposite of conflict, but the Peace that surpasseth understanding." James F Twyman

Yes, peace as the highest expression of Universal Mind is much more than an absence of conflict or chaos as it goes deeper than the world's (or ego's, according to the quote) notion of peace. I think the peace that passes all understanding is available to every person regardless of their belief system or religion. For example, peace may be attained through meditation for followers of Buddhism, or through prayer for followers of Christianity and Catholicism, or through yoga for yoga practitioners, and so on. And yes, peace is equivalent to love because both stem from the same source of Universal Mind.

"Observing silence, and breathing deeply and gently is the easiest way to open the heart. You can also open it through sacred dancing and movements which incorporate the breath and encourage gratitude and presence in the moment. The method you use to fall into the heart is just a tool. Do not make it important. What is important is that you find a way to access the deeper aspect of your being which is at peace."
(From "The Silence of the Heart: Reflections of the Christ Mind" by Paul Ferrini)

"Living In More Gracious Space" podcast

This is a good podcast on living in more gracious space (click here to listen). I like the mystical approach that both Wayne Jacobsen and Kent Burgess has regarding relationship with God, in terms of slowing down and being present and in touch with God (or our inner/highest self). I agree with the interpretation that Kent shared about the parable of the prodigal son who came back to the fatheer after venturing to distant lands - a symbol of how we too have left the present moment and got distracted by the performance mindset of the world (religion/politics/society). It is perhaps ironic too that Buddhism and new age seems to help people connect with God (or highest self) better than mainstream Christianity.

Like what Wayne shared, religion with all its rules and regulations and competition with one another tends to make people relationally challenged. On the whole, it is a great message about returning to the present moment and being in touch with our true self.

As also shared by Wayne, the performance mindset of the world/religion/modern societies tends to cause people to want to resist and change things on the outside, but it is much better to be in the flow/present moment of life. I also like the examples given in the podcast that Jesus would take time away from the hustle and bustle of life and find secluded places to pray/contemplate - indeed, Nature is perhaps the best "church" or "sanctuary" where we find rest for our soul and peace for our heart and mind.

We Are Never Alone—The Universe Always Sends Someone—The Empowered Human: 360 Senses

Video message
"Do Not Suffer in Silence—Open Your Heart to The World!" - Ralph Smart

I thought it is an encouraging message reassuring us that even as we embark on our spiritual journey that differs from the crowd, from the world system, we are not alone because the Universe always sends someone in our life at each stage of our journey. 

Love and the meaning of life

"If one believes that the world is meaningful, yet does not love, they cannot help but experience the world as meaningless. Yet if one believes that the world is meaningless yet loves, that person cannot help but experience their world as meaningful."
Peter Rollins

I can see the point in Peter Rollins's quote about love being the main factor in determining whether a person experiences their world as meaningful, and not the belief system the person professes. It is easy for anyone, especially in the religious circles, to dictate for oneself and others a certain set of beliefs to make life meaningful, but without love, these beliefs and actions are meaningless. For example, a preacher may tell the congregation to "give their lives to god" and "get involved in ministries" to live a "meaningful" life but these activities are only superficial acts mainly for show and not from the heart if people are just following orders and rituals.

In comparison, outside of organised religions, when people live freely and do not follow a prescribed set of rules, rituals and programs, though they may seem to live "meaningless" lives in the eyes of the religious, they are actually experiencing a meaningful life when they love themselves and others without any condition. They are living from the heart.

Love and the meaning of life go hand and hand, and transcend all religious, social and political boundaries, because they cannot be bound by dogma. Indeed, as noted in your question in YA, people who love usually do not need to preach about the meaning of life or follow any particular religion - they simply focus on living their own truth and expressing their own authentic self.