No time for religious fundamentalism

One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain in most of christian history, and still believe that Jesus is one’s “personal Lord and Savior”... The world has no time for such silliness... The suffering on earth is too great.
~Richard Rohr

Richard Rohr's observation of many people who profess to believe Jesus as their lord and saviour and yet demean their fellow human beings is unfortunately spot-on for the most part. It is as if they think saying the magic word "Jesus" is the passport to go to "heaven" and yet they can continue to discriminate others for whatever reasons such as when others do not agree with their dogma. This reminds me of a recent blog by Dylan Morrison in which he shared some observations about self-professed Christians or "religious junkies" (RJ).

"1) The RJ believes that they are on a mission for God.

This mission is more or less defined as getting others saved or to put it more eloquently, to bring others into a relationship with Jesus Christ. The RJ believes that God will hold them accountable for their efforts on this mission of mercy. At the end of the space-time road, the Divine Judge will have a look at the facts and figures of their evangelistic efforts. Many RJs who get into full-time ministry are doubly zealous in this conversion push, especially as it may overlap with running a successful church i.e one with many bums on seats."

(From "Religious Junkies - The Sequel" by Dylan Morrison)

Like what Richard Rohr says, the world has no time for such silliness, for the suffering on earth is too great. What people need is kindness and acceptance, not religious affiliation or fundamentalism.

The gospel introduces us to ourselves again, so that we may know evenas we've always been known! 1 Cor 13:12

"Neither Jesus nor Paul told people to “get born again”! You couldn’t even get yourself born the first time, how are you going to get it right a second time?

Jesus did say to Nicodemus unless you’re born from above (meaning unless you realize that you originate from above) you would have no interest or appetite for heavenly things! John 3:13

God is not man’s idea; mankind is God’s idea. Man began in God, not in his mother’s womb. God says to Jeremiah, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb” Jer 1:5 Mankind is by design the god-kind.

(You'll enjoy "Thoughts on the new birth" in my book Divine Embrace! Kindle or print)"

- Francois du Toit

Yes, it occurred to me that the phrase "born again" was used only in the context of addressing the Jews to give up their natural identity as Jews and embrace their true identity as sons and daughters of God, together with other members of the human race, regardless of ethnicity, nationality or religion.

As I learnt recently, Jesus could be telling Nicodemus to give up his natural identity as a Jew and adopt a new identity as a child of God in the family of humankind. (Jesus had said in another place that the kingdom of God is within us.) If Nicodemus sees himself only as a Jew, he will see himself separate from other people who are seen as non-Jews. But if he sees himself as a child of God in the family of humankind, he will see himself as one with other fellow human beings and there is no separation between him and other people.

Similarly, Peter wrote to the Jews about "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever", which I believe is about renewing their mind to see themselves not as Jews by natural descent but as children of God by spiritual descent. In the same way, we are all made in the incorruptible image of God and we all began in God, as mentioned in the post.

I like what 1 Cor 13 said about that which is perfect has come.

"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." 1 Corinthians 13:10

Yes, the perfect has come in the person of Jesus, and we no longer see ourselves through a glass darkly but we see ourselves face to face with our Beloved in the mirror of our divine beauty. Indeed, the gospel introduces us to our true divine self, and we shall know even as we are known by Divine Love.

Annie Daugherty: What we resist persists

"i understand the egoic allure of (self-)'righteous indignation', that surge of endorphins in imagining oneself the sole defender of truth and justice. yet, in the end, what we resist persists, and Jesus offered some pretty good advice regarding the 'pharisees': "Leave them alone..." - Annie Daugherty

I think that is good advice from Jesus who had much experience in dealing with the Pharisees of his day. There were times he engaged them on a discourse about God and the kingdom of God, and there were times he disengaged from them and departed from them when they resisted his message and wanted to stone him. Similarly, when his disciples shared the gospel, they also learnt to shake the dust off their feet and moved on to another town if they were not welcome in a town.

I think today's Pharisees can be likened to those who do not see Jesus manifested in the flesh (in everyone on earth) and look forward to a physical return of Jesus in future, not realising the kingdom of God is in the here and now and is within us. This egoic allure of imagining oneself to be the sole defender of truth and justice is in everyone, including the Pharisees. For example, many a times, some modern pharisees/evangelists would claim to speak for "God" and pronounce judgment on some groups or some societies for not living up to certain expectations. That could also be a manifestation of the egoic expression of the dualistic self.

When it comes to promoting social justice and setting people free from oppression, we can follow our heart and intuition, as Jesus did. Sometimes it involves speaking up for the marginalised, just as Jesus defended the woman he healed on the sabbath day who was bowed down by religious oppression. Sometimes it involves speaking in parables which invite people, including Pharisees, to think for themselves what the kingdom of God means, as Jesus said, "he who has ears, let him hear." When people's hearts are open and ready or willing to learn more about the gospel, they will come to Jesus and listen more of his teachings, as it was in the case of Nicodemus the Pharisee.

A short sermon by Rob Bell (25 Feb 2013)

"how about a short sermon?

“this is the day that God has made.” [psalm 118]

really-this day? the one with wars and poverty and divorce and addiction and betrayal? this one?

yes, this one.

this one because there’s a difference between analysis and awareness.

analysis pulls things apart, looks for cracks in logic, points out the inconsistencies.

analysis needs things to make sense.

there’s nothing wrong with analysis, of course, it’s often vital to our survival and thriving. but if we stay there, in that mode and that mode only, we can easily find ourselves stepping back with arms folded, pointing out all that’s wrong with this day and all the ways it falls short and all of the evidence for why this particular day doesn’t appear to be the kind of day that God would make-all while this day passes us by.

(this is very easy to do, by the way. it’s why cynicism is so popular. it’s easy.)

but in this psalm-the one that says that this is the day that God has made- this psalm isn’t first and foremost about analysis, it’s about awareness.

and the difference is massive.

awareness doesn’t ignore or gloss over the very real questions and pains of this day, it transcends all of that analysis with the very straight forward acknowledgement that whatever this day is, it’s a gift to be embraced and engaged and maybe even enjoyed.

this day maybe be rough and bloody and heartbreaking but it is here and it is now and it is bursting with untold potential and possibility and our response to it is of utmost, urgent importance.

we may, it’s important to note, not get another one. my friend’s brother was recently killed in a car accident, another friend’s father just died, and the mother of another goes in for another round of chemo this week. you know exactly what i’m talking about-whatever this is, we’re all acutely aware that is very, very fragile.

so yes, this is the day."

- Rob Bell 

I find Rob Bell's short sermon powerful, insightful and deep. It is true that our analysis of things that go wrong and do not live up to our ideals, or things that remind us of pains, suffering, injustice, greed and struggles in the world, can overwhelm us and cause us to be jaded or cynical about humanity, about God, about life, and therefore it is hard to rejoice and be glad in the day that God has made, let alone be glad at all. I have been there before, such as when I read the newspaper yesterday about how establishments wanted to paint a one-sided view of GM (genetically modified) salmon and other GM foods to sway public opinion to accept GM food, while mainly glossing over the fact that such food can harm human health and the environment. And that is just one example of greed and injustice among many others in the world. 

But as Rob Bell pointed out, our awareness frees us from being overwhelmed by our analysis of all the pains and problems as it reminds us that in spite of and in the midst of all these negative things, we can still appreciate - embrace, engage and even enjoy - the gift of the day because not only the here and the now is bursting with potential and possibilities, the day is also fragile, so we can be glad at least for the miracle of being alive. This is a great reminder for me to focus on being in the present moment and live life with awareness and mindfulness, so as to find peace and stability even as I navigate a world that is filled with pains and sufferings but also with hope and beauty.

Meditation on a quote by Dennis Wholey

"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian." ~ Dennis Wholey

Yes, being a good and kind person doesn't quite guarantee that we won't be treat unfairly by the world because we may at times come across or encounter people who are at war within themselves, and we may be unfortunate recipients of their own self-hatred and jealousy. Even for the peacemakers who seek to do good and bring justice and freedom to the oppressed, such as Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, John Lennon, Rob Bell and so on, they have been attacked by those who are jealous of them. Perhaps we have to accept the fact that we live in a world system that is influencing people in a negative way through the separatist and egoistic mindset, and remember we are not of the world. This will help us remember to keep a distance from those who tend to hurt us/others, and remain focused on who we are and what we can do to help make the world a better place in our own ways.

The most important journey

"You can travel great distances, but still stay where you are.

Sometimes we spend our lives running from one place to the next, but remain the same person. This is why the same types of situations, people, and chaos seem to follow us wherever we go until we discover the lessons we are meant to learn and make an inner change.

Personal growth has little to do with where we are, and everything to do with how we are."

~Yehuda Berg

Yes, the most important journey we can make is the inner journey between our mind and our heart, as a saying goes. While the environment may play a part in facilitating or influencing our personal growth and transformation to some extent, much of our inner growth and change lies within us, regardless of our physical location.

I think this is why many of us who make long pilgrimages to our holy land or temple or church building still remain largely untransformed long after we return from our holy pilgrimages because we have not yet learnt to walk our inner journeys of the heart on a regular basis. I think that is also why Thich Nhat Hanh advocates spiritual practice wherever we are, whether home or workplace or marketplace or anywhere else in the society instead of retreating to a remote monastery because we can experience inner growth right where we are and still impact the society with our inner peace. He calls this "engaged buddhism" and I think this practice is applicable for any other belief system or religion as well. I also like what he says here in his book "Being Peace":

"We don't need to go to China to enjoy the blue sky. We don't have to travel into the future to enjoy our breathing. We can be in touch with these things right now."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

the TRUE SELF (the Divine, God within) ~John O'Donohue

"So, we first need to recognize our false self, then comes the struggle with our false self; and then... may it be an opening of our heart to allow the blossoming of the TRUE SELF (the Divine, God within)" - Sigrid Marshall

"Often we can't feel the presence of God because we don't let ourselves alone." ~John O'Donohue

I agree that it is in stillness and silence of our solitude that we become more aware of the presence of God or the Divine within us, as the verse goes, be still and know I Am (God/Divine). As the post mentioned, it may involve an initial struggle within to recognise our false self and comes to terms with our false self, and as we open our heart to embrace the totality of who we are, we allow our true self (God or the Divine within) to blossom. This reminds me of the enlightenment scene in the movie "Little Buddha" which illustrates how Prince Siddharta eventually conquered his false self (known as mara or the tempter) while meditating under the bodhi tree, and awakened to his true self. Similarly Jesus wrestled with his false self (or the devil) in the wilderness and prevailed, not giving in to the temptation to do something prove that he is the son of God because he has learnt to be still and know he is God incarnated, and his true self cannot be taken away or changed by doing or not doing anything.

John O'Donohue's quote is also remarkably true because it is usually when we are alone that we commune best with God through listening to the still small voice within us. It is unfortunate that in mainstream or evangelical Christianity, the followers are not encouraged to spend time alone as much as they are encouraged to "go to church" and "be in the presence of God" because the preachers would quote Jesus saying "when two or three are gathered in my name, there I am". However Jesus was not referring to a church building or organisation when he said that, and he was simply referring to his manifestation in terms of a collective body of Christ made up of people that is not confined to any particular location or religion or belief system. So this mistaken idea of "going to church" to be "in God's presence" has become a bondage to fear for both the preachers and the church goers to perpetuate the weekly system of church programmes in the name of God because they might be afraid if they don't go to the Sunday service, they may "miss God's voice" or God may not be pleased with them, and so on. Yet Jesus himself often spend time alone in nature to be with God/Divine, and the bible recorded he heard God's voice audibly not in a synagogue but in nature places, such as by the river or on a mountain, declaring he is God's beloved son in whom he is well pleased. Similarly when we are alone, we will hear the still small voice affirming our belovedness and innocence and divinity as pertaining to our true self. Love is who we are.

Thoughts on "A reading of John 14:6 - Brian McLaren"

Here is an interesting article by Brian McLaren called "A reading of John 14:6".

http://www.brianmclaren.net/emc/archives/McLaren%20-%20John%2014.6.pdf

Brian McLaren's take on John 14:6 generally sits well with me. If only more people in the Christian circles take the time to examine that verse in the whole literary and social context like he did, then they will understand better what Jesus could have meant by those words "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".

I like how McLaren explored the chapter just before John 14 that put in place the context of Jesus' conversation with his disciples about his imminent suffering and death, that led to his statement in John 14:6. I agree Jesus was referring to his destination in terms of suffering and death in the immediate future which he must bear alone, and the disciples could not follow, until some time in future when they would follow his footsteps (willingly).

My take on the "Father's house" is similar to McLaren's in the sense it may refer to a physical manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth. This is revealed by Jesus' words later in the chapter when he said:

"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
(John 14:20)

I believe that is when they received the revelation via the Holy Spirit that they are one with Jesus/God in consciousness and God is in them and with them. They will realise that they are sitting with Christ in the heavenly places (that is, in higher consciousness).

I think McLaren has asked an important question on "Jesus is the way to what?" because different people will answer differently, depending on what they are looking for in life. For example, if people are looking for the four noble truths, then Jesus is not the way but Buddha. In the case of the disciples, they are looking for the way to the Father whom Jesus often spoke about. In his reply, I could almost sense a bit of exasperation when Jesus told Philip that he would have known by then that the Father was in him, and by seeing him, they would have already seen the father. After all, in John 10, Jesus also said he and the father are one.

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."
(John 14:9-10)

So, the Father is not someone up there in the sky who can only be seen somewhere in future but is already present in the here and now, in the person of Jesus standing right before them. The disciples had thought the Father was separate from Jesus, but Jesus made it clear that he and the Father are one. In fact, they had already seen the Father without realising it; Jesus had to confirm it by telling them that they knew and had seen the Father because they knew and had seen him.

"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."
(John 14:7)

Later in his conversation with his disciples, Jesus went one step further and told them not only he and the Father are not separate from each other, the disciples are also not separate from him or the Father, because they are all one. The Holy Spirit would open the eyes of their heart to see their oneness in their consciousness.

"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
(John 14:20)

In retrospect, I am glad Jesus' disciples were not afraid to ask questions; even though they might look silly to many of today's readers of the bible, their bold and honest questions to Jesus actually gave him the opportunity to clarify many things about himself, about the Father, about them, and so on. In a way, their questions and Jesus' answers serve as an essential FAQ that readers would appreciate. In a sense, the disciples might represent us who would also have thought of similar questions to ask Jesus. Yet in another sense, Jesus might represent us answering our own questions because Christ the living wisdom is living in us and as us, and having the mind of Christ, we too can find the answers we seek within ourselves through silent contemplation, listening to the still, small voice of Love. And when we read or listen and learn from others, we can go by what resonates with us that we have already intuitively known in our heart to be true for us.

Related posts
John 14 What did Jesus mean when He said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life?
What if Jesus has come back many times since the Roman Empire?