This morning I was reading another blog where people were fussing at one another, postulating about “truth” and acting rather grandiose in their opinions. Of course, I have my own take on “truth” and was tempted to throw my hat in the ring.
It seems that we love to debate “truth” like somehow truth can’t stand on its own two legs without our help. This has become a strong tendency in our culture and in religion. We feel compelled to convince others of our brand of the “truth”. In so doing, we assume that we actually have the truth—like somehow it can be possessed or owned by a group of people. When we do this, we become “true believers” or those who hold an exclusive market or corner on the truth. Once we become a true believer, we set out to convert other people or to condemn them in their ignorance of “truth”.
This creates an “us or them” mentality and is exclusive in every sense of the word. It creates division and not unity. It creates intolerance and hatred not love. It creates fundamentalism and fundamentalism in any form in any religion or creed tends to shut out instead of draw in. It can even be at the root of holy wars, witch burnings, racism, and intolerances of every kind.
Christ offers us a better way. He stated that he didn’t come to destroy or abolish the law but to establish it. He said that the law in essence was to love God with your whole heart and your neighbor as yourself. This gives me a hint at an important wisdom principle, that my neighbor and I are all connected—we are one. What I see as a flaw in others exists in myself. In order to be reconciled to others, I must recognize that the flaws I see in them are also in me.
When I embrace them with love and forgiveness, including their tendency towards being fundamental and priggish, I can embrace the fundamental priggishness in myself with love and forgiveness. Their tendency is no different than my own. I have the same desire to own the truth and see myself as morally superior to others. It is a regrettable tendency, but it exists in all of us nonetheless.
Divine Love is an amazing thing. It accepts everyone. Where we find the space, time, and energy to feel so much better than others is really amazing. I’m learning that my time and energy are better spent trying to learn to stay tuned in to the Source of Love. I need constant reminding and a secure connection to help me remember that God loves me, God loves you and that God is love.
We really know very little about anything. Holding our “truth” lightly and being willing to revise it as we go might not be a bad idea for all of us. Rather than packing everything I’ve ever heard or believed with me, I might be better served to bring along the two great commandments given by Christ as a lens through which I can view the world. It will make my journey through life a lot less cumbersome and I might even appreciate my fellow travelers a little more. Travel lightly or the journey will become tiresome instead of a joy.
It seems that we love to debate “truth” like somehow truth can’t stand on its own two legs without our help. This has become a strong tendency in our culture and in religion. We feel compelled to convince others of our brand of the “truth”. In so doing, we assume that we actually have the truth—like somehow it can be possessed or owned by a group of people. When we do this, we become “true believers” or those who hold an exclusive market or corner on the truth. Once we become a true believer, we set out to convert other people or to condemn them in their ignorance of “truth”.
This creates an “us or them” mentality and is exclusive in every sense of the word. It creates division and not unity. It creates intolerance and hatred not love. It creates fundamentalism and fundamentalism in any form in any religion or creed tends to shut out instead of draw in. It can even be at the root of holy wars, witch burnings, racism, and intolerances of every kind.
Christ offers us a better way. He stated that he didn’t come to destroy or abolish the law but to establish it. He said that the law in essence was to love God with your whole heart and your neighbor as yourself. This gives me a hint at an important wisdom principle, that my neighbor and I are all connected—we are one. What I see as a flaw in others exists in myself. In order to be reconciled to others, I must recognize that the flaws I see in them are also in me.
When I embrace them with love and forgiveness, including their tendency towards being fundamental and priggish, I can embrace the fundamental priggishness in myself with love and forgiveness. Their tendency is no different than my own. I have the same desire to own the truth and see myself as morally superior to others. It is a regrettable tendency, but it exists in all of us nonetheless.
Divine Love is an amazing thing. It accepts everyone. Where we find the space, time, and energy to feel so much better than others is really amazing. I’m learning that my time and energy are better spent trying to learn to stay tuned in to the Source of Love. I need constant reminding and a secure connection to help me remember that God loves me, God loves you and that God is love.
We really know very little about anything. Holding our “truth” lightly and being willing to revise it as we go might not be a bad idea for all of us. Rather than packing everything I’ve ever heard or believed with me, I might be better served to bring along the two great commandments given by Christ as a lens through which I can view the world. It will make my journey through life a lot less cumbersome and I might even appreciate my fellow travelers a little more. Travel lightly or the journey will become tiresome instead of a joy.