Keeping with my gay marriage theme I am reposting this post from Christ Community Church:
California Does the Do-Se-Do on Sexual Equality
by Ian Lawton
America has taken one step back and one step forward on the issue of sexuality and equality. California’s Proposition 8, a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, passed. One step back for equality. A week later, more than 100 retired generals and admirals called for repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy so that LGBT people can serve openly in the military. One step forward for equality.
The state of California took one step forward before taking the huge step back. While the sun shone bright in the month of June, 18,000 same sex couples in California said “I do” thanks to a state Supreme Court ruling. Proposition 8, that passed on a cooling November day, now says "Sorry, you can't!"
The driving force behind Proposition 8 was evangelical Christianity. The argument is that God, as clearly revealed in the Bible, ordained marriage as being between one man and one woman. This is curious, particularly when Californian Mormons argue the case. Many Mormons believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman, oh and another woman, and maybe several other women. They believe in polygamy as Palestinian Jews of New Testament times believed in polygamy. To be consistent, we should reintroduce concubinage as well. Oh, and women should marry at 13 years of age, just as they commonly did in the first century without challenge from the Bible writers.
If we look to the Roman world of New Testament times for marriage principles, then we also need to be consistent and include some other revisions to social standards. Married women should not be allowed to vote in public elections, sit on a jury, give testimony in court or take any public office. As in first century Rome, women are free to enjoy a happy life. They can visit friends, go to the baths and the theatre and accompany their husband to dinner parties, but they must remain the legal property of either their fathers or their husbands.
This is absurd. The Bible doesn’t prescribe how marriage should or should not be defined. The Bible writers took for granted Jewish and Roman views on marriage. They operated out of economic necessity, more than from any sense of morality. The more wives a man had, the more children he could have, therefore the more laborers he had to work his land.
We now know more about gender equality and legal rights. We don’t depend on children for cheap labor. We actually legislate against it. We don't encourage women to get married at 13. We actually legislate against it. We don’t see women as merely procreation machines. We legislate for women to play equal and autonomous roles outside of the home. Society has changed, as it should change. Now its time to take a giant step forward in our understanding of the Christian tradition.
Maybe we could begin by looking to the radical example of Jesus, who showed mercy for the woman caught in adultery, realizing the injustice of persecuting the woman while her male partner avoided responsibility. At a time when men did not even speak to women publicly, Jesus offered spiritual guidance to the woman at the well, a member of an outcast race. He taught women, healed women, and accepted women, even those considered "unclean." Jesus made no moral comment on marriage, but he did model liberation and equality.
Maybe then we could acknowledge that the early Christian church was far more accepting of diversity than the current church. Early Christian writers celebrated the loving, same sex relationship of two Roman soldiers who were also Christian martyrs, Sergius and Bacchus. Documents from the 10th and 11th centuries reveal that the Christian church devised same sex marriage rituals alongside heterosexual marriage liturgies. Homophobia is a recent aberration in the Christian church. Could we step forward, by regaining the Christian celebration of diversity?
Maybe then we could stop scapegoating the LGBT community, and address the dysfunction in marriage itself. The current financial crisis will do more to tear marriages apart than same sex relationships have ever done. Then we could turn our attention to wider social dysfunction. Wars will do more damage to the sanctity of marriage than legalizing same sex marriage. Some reports suggest there were over 10,000 divorces in the US army in 2007 alone.
Let’s take a huge leap forward by channeling our energy towards ending poverty and war, with the sort of courage and empathy that Jesus fought inequality. Let’s stride forward with a massive celebration of diversity and love that shatters fear, bigotry and superficial boundaries of difference.
Fight poverty, wage peace, and let same sex couples say “I do”. The Christian tradition requires nothing less than the full equality of all people, a full hearted celebration of all loving relationships. The Christian tradition supports it. Your own conscience demands it.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Marriage Manifesto... Of Sorts By Tom Ackerman
Another repost that I enjoyed very much:
A Marriage Manifesto... Of Sorts
By Tom Ackerman
A gay man experiments with language, love and law.
I no longer recognize marriage. It’s a new thing I’m trying.
Turns out it’s fun.
Yesterday I called a woman’s spouse her boyfriend.
She says, correcting me, “He’s my husband,”
“Oh,” I say, “I no longer recognize marriage.”
The impact is obvious. I tried it on a man who has been in a relationship for years,
“How’s your longtime companion, Jill?”
“She’s my wife!”
“Yeah, well, my beliefs don’t recognize marriage.”
Fun. And instant, eyebrow-raising recognition. Suddenly the majority gets to feel what the minority feels. In a moment they feel what it’s like to have their relationship downgraded, and to have a much taken-for-granted right called into question because of another’s beliefs.
Just replace the words husband, wife, spouse, or fiancé with boyfriend, girlfriend, special friend, or longtime companion. There is a reason we needed stronger words for more serious relationships. We know it; now they can see it.
A marriage is a lot of things. Culturally, it’s a declaration to the community that two people are now a unit, and that unity should be respected. Legally, it’s a set of rights and responsibilities. And spiritually, it’s whatever your beliefs think it is.
That’s what’s so great about America. As a constitutionally secular nation, or at least in reality a vaguely pluralistic nation, we can all have our own spiritual take on what marriage is. What’s troublesome is when one group’s spiritual beliefs deny the cultural and legal rights of another.
But, back to the point. They say their beliefs don’t recognize my marriage, I say my beliefs don’t recognize theirs. Simple. It may seem petty, and obviously the legal part of the cultural/legal/spiritual trilogy is flip-floppy, but it may be the cultural part that really matters.
People get married to be recognized as a permanent couple. To be acknowledged by friends, family, and strangers as being off the market, in a relationship, totally hooked up, yikes… it’s impossible to say without saying ‘married.’ We wear rings to declare this!
So, we can take this away. We can refuse to recognize marriage in the cultural sense. It is totally within our rights, as Americans, to follow our beliefs and recognize or not recognize what we like.
I guess this is a call out to all Americans with beliefs similar to mine.
If you believe that all people should have equal rights, and if you believe that marriage is one of the greatest destinations of a relationship, then perhaps you believe that nobody should have marriage, until everybody does.
That’s what I believe.
A Marriage Manifesto... Of Sorts
By Tom Ackerman
A gay man experiments with language, love and law.
I no longer recognize marriage. It’s a new thing I’m trying.
Turns out it’s fun.
Yesterday I called a woman’s spouse her boyfriend.
She says, correcting me, “He’s my husband,”
“Oh,” I say, “I no longer recognize marriage.”
The impact is obvious. I tried it on a man who has been in a relationship for years,
“How’s your longtime companion, Jill?”
“She’s my wife!”
“Yeah, well, my beliefs don’t recognize marriage.”
Fun. And instant, eyebrow-raising recognition. Suddenly the majority gets to feel what the minority feels. In a moment they feel what it’s like to have their relationship downgraded, and to have a much taken-for-granted right called into question because of another’s beliefs.
Just replace the words husband, wife, spouse, or fiancé with boyfriend, girlfriend, special friend, or longtime companion. There is a reason we needed stronger words for more serious relationships. We know it; now they can see it.
A marriage is a lot of things. Culturally, it’s a declaration to the community that two people are now a unit, and that unity should be respected. Legally, it’s a set of rights and responsibilities. And spiritually, it’s whatever your beliefs think it is.
That’s what’s so great about America. As a constitutionally secular nation, or at least in reality a vaguely pluralistic nation, we can all have our own spiritual take on what marriage is. What’s troublesome is when one group’s spiritual beliefs deny the cultural and legal rights of another.
But, back to the point. They say their beliefs don’t recognize my marriage, I say my beliefs don’t recognize theirs. Simple. It may seem petty, and obviously the legal part of the cultural/legal/spiritual trilogy is flip-floppy, but it may be the cultural part that really matters.
People get married to be recognized as a permanent couple. To be acknowledged by friends, family, and strangers as being off the market, in a relationship, totally hooked up, yikes… it’s impossible to say without saying ‘married.’ We wear rings to declare this!
So, we can take this away. We can refuse to recognize marriage in the cultural sense. It is totally within our rights, as Americans, to follow our beliefs and recognize or not recognize what we like.
I guess this is a call out to all Americans with beliefs similar to mine.
If you believe that all people should have equal rights, and if you believe that marriage is one of the greatest destinations of a relationship, then perhaps you believe that nobody should have marriage, until everybody does.
That’s what I believe.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Gay Marriage: Can We Get a Little Respect?
Reposted for your benefit:
Gay Marriage: Can We Get a Little Respect?
By Candace Chellew-Hodge
Is it really about morality? And if so, should only "moral" people be allowed to wed? Think harder, people.
It was an impressive display—more than two hundred people standing in front of the State House on a blustery November afternoon, demonstrating in favor of marriage equality for gay and lesbian people. What made it most impressive is that the rally was in Columbia, South Carolina, a place not known as a bastion of gay rights activity.
As a veteran of the movement in South Carolina, I can truly say I expected the dozen usual suspects who show up at these protests. We're usually small but mighty, but on Saturday we were both large (by our state's standards) and mighty. College-age kids made up most of the crowd, but there were plenty of us older folks, along with gay and lesbian families who brought their children who held signs demanding equality for their parents. It truly was a sight to see.
The rally in Columbia was part of a larger movement to hold rallies across the United States to protest the passage of Prop 8 in California. For those who support marriage equality it is clearly a matter of civil rights. For those who oppose it, as CNN reports, not so much. In the video one anti-marriage equality protestor yells:
"It is not a civil rights issue. It is an issue with morality."
Really? Marriage is an issue of morality? Let's follow that line of logic for just a moment. What kind of morality are we discussing here? Should marriage only be reserved for the moral? Does being heterosexual automatically make one more moral than a gay or lesbian person? What is the definition of this morality? If morality is the issue around marriage then shouldn't people who have sex before marriage be denied marriage? Perhaps those who want to wed after the baby is born should be denied that right. Haven't they failed in "morality" and thus should be denied the right to marry if marriage is an issue of "morality"? Who decides this morality and who will police it at the marriage license office? Will there be a morality test before the license is issued?
So many questions, and so few answers, from those who would deny that marriage is a civil right in order to deny it to people they don't like.
But, the outrage isn't over. The news report shows Prop 8 supporter Frank Schubert complaining that their voices have been "disrespected" by protestors.
Frank, welcome to our world. The voices and the very lives of gay and lesbian people have been disrespected for decades. We've been told to shut up and be happy about whatever scraps of rights get tossed our way from the table of the majority. Frank, you have no idea what it's like to truly be disrespected.
But, perhaps Evan Wolfson, head of Freedom to Marry, has the best advice—for us all to take a deep breath and instead of continuing to fight and protest one another start "having the conversation that moves people forward. There are fair people to be found everywhere."
And perhaps, as we converse, we can all stop disrespecting and judging each other long enough to find respect and equal rights for all.
Candace Chellew-Hodge is the founder/editor of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians and currently serves as associate pastor at Garden of Grace United Church of Christ in Columbia, S.C. Her new book is Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians (Jossey-Bass, 2008).
Gay Marriage: Can We Get a Little Respect?
By Candace Chellew-Hodge
Is it really about morality? And if so, should only "moral" people be allowed to wed? Think harder, people.
It was an impressive display—more than two hundred people standing in front of the State House on a blustery November afternoon, demonstrating in favor of marriage equality for gay and lesbian people. What made it most impressive is that the rally was in Columbia, South Carolina, a place not known as a bastion of gay rights activity.
As a veteran of the movement in South Carolina, I can truly say I expected the dozen usual suspects who show up at these protests. We're usually small but mighty, but on Saturday we were both large (by our state's standards) and mighty. College-age kids made up most of the crowd, but there were plenty of us older folks, along with gay and lesbian families who brought their children who held signs demanding equality for their parents. It truly was a sight to see.
The rally in Columbia was part of a larger movement to hold rallies across the United States to protest the passage of Prop 8 in California. For those who support marriage equality it is clearly a matter of civil rights. For those who oppose it, as CNN reports, not so much. In the video one anti-marriage equality protestor yells:
"It is not a civil rights issue. It is an issue with morality."
Really? Marriage is an issue of morality? Let's follow that line of logic for just a moment. What kind of morality are we discussing here? Should marriage only be reserved for the moral? Does being heterosexual automatically make one more moral than a gay or lesbian person? What is the definition of this morality? If morality is the issue around marriage then shouldn't people who have sex before marriage be denied marriage? Perhaps those who want to wed after the baby is born should be denied that right. Haven't they failed in "morality" and thus should be denied the right to marry if marriage is an issue of "morality"? Who decides this morality and who will police it at the marriage license office? Will there be a morality test before the license is issued?
So many questions, and so few answers, from those who would deny that marriage is a civil right in order to deny it to people they don't like.
But, the outrage isn't over. The news report shows Prop 8 supporter Frank Schubert complaining that their voices have been "disrespected" by protestors.
Frank, welcome to our world. The voices and the very lives of gay and lesbian people have been disrespected for decades. We've been told to shut up and be happy about whatever scraps of rights get tossed our way from the table of the majority. Frank, you have no idea what it's like to truly be disrespected.
But, perhaps Evan Wolfson, head of Freedom to Marry, has the best advice—for us all to take a deep breath and instead of continuing to fight and protest one another start "having the conversation that moves people forward. There are fair people to be found everywhere."
And perhaps, as we converse, we can all stop disrespecting and judging each other long enough to find respect and equal rights for all.
Candace Chellew-Hodge is the founder/editor of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians and currently serves as associate pastor at Garden of Grace United Church of Christ in Columbia, S.C. Her new book is Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians (Jossey-Bass, 2008).
What is Peace?
I saw this quote and thought I would pass it on:
Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.
Peace is not the silent result of violent repression.
Peace is the generous,
tranquil contribution of all
to the good of all.
Peace is dynamism.
Peace is generosity.
It is right and it is duty.
- Archbishop Oscar Romero
Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.
Peace is not the silent result of violent repression.
Peace is the generous,
tranquil contribution of all
to the good of all.
Peace is dynamism.
Peace is generosity.
It is right and it is duty.
- Archbishop Oscar Romero
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
What is Ego? Who are we not!
I was listening to Wayne Dyer and he was defining Ego and I had to again share this with everybody.....
Ego is E-G-O (Edging God Out)
Ego is an idea or thought that says,
"I am what I have, I am what I do, I am what other people think of me,I am separate from everybody else,I am separate from what is missing in my life, I am separate from God."
We are not any of these things and we are so much more than what our minds or others say we are.....It is my prayer that we all come to the place where we recoonect with the Divine, Eternal God and discover who we are........
Ego is E-G-O (Edging God Out)
Ego is an idea or thought that says,
"I am what I have, I am what I do, I am what other people think of me,I am separate from everybody else,I am separate from what is missing in my life, I am separate from God."
We are not any of these things and we are so much more than what our minds or others say we are.....It is my prayer that we all come to the place where we recoonect with the Divine, Eternal God and discover who we are........
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Difference between Spirituality and Religion
Today I was listening to Rev. Ed Bacon on Oprah's Soul series and he said a few things that made me go ....WOW! I thought I would share.
Spirituality simply defined is connecting with God and Love.
religion is man's attempt to regulate and control spirituality through dogma, rules and creeds. It becomes a God substitute.
"Spirituality is what I live for and would die for, Doctrine and Dogma is what I would kill for.
Spirituality requires faith, uncertainty, connection and living and walking it out in the present.It brings freedom. Religion is cut and dry, is about certainty and it's followers do not want freedom or trade it for certainty.
To listen to this awesome broadcast:
http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/20080915_oaf_oss_ebacon
Spirituality simply defined is connecting with God and Love.
religion is man's attempt to regulate and control spirituality through dogma, rules and creeds. It becomes a God substitute.
"Spirituality is what I live for and would die for, Doctrine and Dogma is what I would kill for.
Spirituality requires faith, uncertainty, connection and living and walking it out in the present.It brings freedom. Religion is cut and dry, is about certainty and it's followers do not want freedom or trade it for certainty.
To listen to this awesome broadcast:
http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/20080915_oaf_oss_ebacon
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Rising Above where we are....
"No people can rise higher than the God they believe in and worship"
We can only unleash our God given potential as we let God out of the box and stop limiting him by our ideals we hold about him.
Our Greatness is anchored to God's greatness!
I recently heard a minister ask the question:
"Would we believe in God if we didn't have a Bible?"
He was not trying to get rid of the Bible but was attempting to show us that God is much bigger than the Bible or our beliefs about Him. Now before you take this the wrong way let me be clear....I LOVE THE BIBLE!!! but I do not worship the Bible. I worship God. I understand that God is much bigger than what I know about him.
Most of the Saints and Heroes of the Faith did their great exploits without the written scripture. They simply lived out a faith in Almighty God. When we have greater faith in our religion, our creeds, our beliefs we make God in our image instead of allowing Him to reveal himself.
In the last few years I have allowed my faith to take me outside of the Box. I have found that God hasn't changed and in fact many times He has shown me things in scripture that I would never had seen in my old limited type of faith.
I have discovered it is a healthy faith that has questions and that allows growth. Someone might warn...ok careful that is dangerous.....but I would ask this question......if I am seeking Truth with my Faith in God then isn't God trustworthy to lead me into truth. 1 John 2:27
As we allow God to reveal himself to us...we too will rise above where we were...
We can only unleash our God given potential as we let God out of the box and stop limiting him by our ideals we hold about him.
Our Greatness is anchored to God's greatness!
I recently heard a minister ask the question:
"Would we believe in God if we didn't have a Bible?"
He was not trying to get rid of the Bible but was attempting to show us that God is much bigger than the Bible or our beliefs about Him. Now before you take this the wrong way let me be clear....I LOVE THE BIBLE!!! but I do not worship the Bible. I worship God. I understand that God is much bigger than what I know about him.
Most of the Saints and Heroes of the Faith did their great exploits without the written scripture. They simply lived out a faith in Almighty God. When we have greater faith in our religion, our creeds, our beliefs we make God in our image instead of allowing Him to reveal himself.
In the last few years I have allowed my faith to take me outside of the Box. I have found that God hasn't changed and in fact many times He has shown me things in scripture that I would never had seen in my old limited type of faith.
I have discovered it is a healthy faith that has questions and that allows growth. Someone might warn...ok careful that is dangerous.....but I would ask this question......if I am seeking Truth with my Faith in God then isn't God trustworthy to lead me into truth. 1 John 2:27
As we allow God to reveal himself to us...we too will rise above where we were...
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Lie of Separateness
The Lie of Separateness:
The fact that this blog and Ministry is name Reconnection would seem to denote the idea that we can be separate. The fact is that the problem (Sin) of humankind is living separateness when in fact or in Truth we are connected.
We are so good at creating way to divide and separate from the this truth through religion, politics, race, culture and in so many other ways.
But the truth is that we are connected, and interrelated. I may not like it but my sin and yours affect us both. Why should we envy or be jealous because your success in mine and mine is yours. If you do good, i benefit. If I do evil you pay the consequences.
We are in this life together. We area part of creation and we share or pay together.
My blog image is a puzzle with a piece missing. What is the missing piece....it is you it is me.....living connected. Jesus defined Life as Loving God and our neighbor. Who is our neighbor?....it is everybody we are all connected!
The fact that this blog and Ministry is name Reconnection would seem to denote the idea that we can be separate. The fact is that the problem (Sin) of humankind is living separateness when in fact or in Truth we are connected.
We are so good at creating way to divide and separate from the this truth through religion, politics, race, culture and in so many other ways.
But the truth is that we are connected, and interrelated. I may not like it but my sin and yours affect us both. Why should we envy or be jealous because your success in mine and mine is yours. If you do good, i benefit. If I do evil you pay the consequences.
We are in this life together. We area part of creation and we share or pay together.
My blog image is a puzzle with a piece missing. What is the missing piece....it is you it is me.....living connected. Jesus defined Life as Loving God and our neighbor. Who is our neighbor?....it is everybody we are all connected!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Being Human Beings Part 2 (What Are they?)
Many of the problems of humanity is that we think we know more than we do. When it comes to religion, many groups believe they have cornered the market on "Truth". But can anybody have all the answers? Some would say, " Well we do not have all the answers, but we "KNOW" the one who does". But to say you know anybody is in fact an overstatement.
Whether we mean God, or each other. We only know in part. You cannot not truly know all about anybody. That is what makes both God and his created Human Beings so mysterious and Awesome. God is always revealing himself (the masculine label itself is proof we do not understand God fully)to us and we are always growing in our understanding in Him.
People are in a constant state of personal and spiritual growth as well. If you accept either a label or definition of others to identify with you are limiting your potential. God created us to manifest His Glory in and through. What an awe inspiring thought. We are always transcending what we were yesterday.This is why it is such a sin to judge a person simply by their skin color, sexual orientation, culture or social status.
None of us are perfect but we are not fixed in place either. I am changing and growing. If you knew me yesterday you only knew me yesterday....I am not the same nor do I plan are staying put where I am today.....
Lord,
Help us to see ourselves, and each other not as we were but as You see us. Help us to see you in a new way everyday. May our faith grow and become the adventure you meant life to be....a journey were we are not alone but one that has some exciting things in store ahead.
May we not judge you or each other with limited ideas and labels. But may we see you in your generosity and each other as an expression of your image and divinity.
Amen
Whether we mean God, or each other. We only know in part. You cannot not truly know all about anybody. That is what makes both God and his created Human Beings so mysterious and Awesome. God is always revealing himself (the masculine label itself is proof we do not understand God fully)to us and we are always growing in our understanding in Him.
People are in a constant state of personal and spiritual growth as well. If you accept either a label or definition of others to identify with you are limiting your potential. God created us to manifest His Glory in and through. What an awe inspiring thought. We are always transcending what we were yesterday.This is why it is such a sin to judge a person simply by their skin color, sexual orientation, culture or social status.
None of us are perfect but we are not fixed in place either. I am changing and growing. If you knew me yesterday you only knew me yesterday....I am not the same nor do I plan are staying put where I am today.....
Lord,
Help us to see ourselves, and each other not as we were but as You see us. Help us to see you in a new way everyday. May our faith grow and become the adventure you meant life to be....a journey were we are not alone but one that has some exciting things in store ahead.
May we not judge you or each other with limited ideas and labels. But may we see you in your generosity and each other as an expression of your image and divinity.
Amen
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Being Human Beings Part 1 (Are They Good?)
I have included a few you Tube vids that I found inspiring but will continue to postas well. The Videos are extra...:-)
Today's post has to do with the "goodness" found in people. First let's look at a few truths:
*Humankind was created in God's image. Genesis 1:26
*God is Good and so is His creation. Genesis 1:31
SO it would be a reasonable statement to make that all people have in them goodness. ( the ability to be good).
Then why is there so much evil and mistreatment in this world caused by man. Well this is a subject that could take some time to explain much less how long to understand. However it the simplest terms to understand, humankind became disconnected from God and their true identity. They no longer lived from their divine image that is only understood in connection with God Himself through experience and a living relationship with him. When humankind lives only from their mind(ego) they become far less than what they were created to be. They live far below their potential. They also become "separate minded". "What about me?" "I am alone". "Who do they think they are?" these kind of things become our thinking. We become run by fear and we think we must protect ourselves. We allow our past pain to define who we are instead of living from our heart (spirits)the place of our true identity.
In truth we are all part of a great community. Race,sexual orientation, religion, cultures are only outward characteristics of our neighbors. We are all neighbors and when we get to know each other we discover we have a lot more in common than different, We discover we all have goodness in us and human beings are actually good.
Those actions and characteristics of evil are actually symptoms of the brokenness and sickness of disconnect. Whether you call it sin, being lost or mental illness it is simply disconnect from the divine and our true selves. When we live from our ego and mind only we are living in disconnect. When we live connected lives to God and each other from the heart and in Love we live lives that reveal our true identity...goodness.
When we look at strangers whether they are the homeless, or the guy driving a BMW we should look for the divine in them the image of God. When we see this it makes ti easy to love them. Both need the same thing to be connected. Religion cannot change a person but connecting can!
Today's post has to do with the "goodness" found in people. First let's look at a few truths:
*Humankind was created in God's image. Genesis 1:26
*God is Good and so is His creation. Genesis 1:31
SO it would be a reasonable statement to make that all people have in them goodness. ( the ability to be good).
Then why is there so much evil and mistreatment in this world caused by man. Well this is a subject that could take some time to explain much less how long to understand. However it the simplest terms to understand, humankind became disconnected from God and their true identity. They no longer lived from their divine image that is only understood in connection with God Himself through experience and a living relationship with him. When humankind lives only from their mind(ego) they become far less than what they were created to be. They live far below their potential. They also become "separate minded". "What about me?" "I am alone". "Who do they think they are?" these kind of things become our thinking. We become run by fear and we think we must protect ourselves. We allow our past pain to define who we are instead of living from our heart (spirits)the place of our true identity.
In truth we are all part of a great community. Race,sexual orientation, religion, cultures are only outward characteristics of our neighbors. We are all neighbors and when we get to know each other we discover we have a lot more in common than different, We discover we all have goodness in us and human beings are actually good.
Those actions and characteristics of evil are actually symptoms of the brokenness and sickness of disconnect. Whether you call it sin, being lost or mental illness it is simply disconnect from the divine and our true selves. When we live from our ego and mind only we are living in disconnect. When we live connected lives to God and each other from the heart and in Love we live lives that reveal our true identity...goodness.
When we look at strangers whether they are the homeless, or the guy driving a BMW we should look for the divine in them the image of God. When we see this it makes ti easy to love them. Both need the same thing to be connected. Religion cannot change a person but connecting can!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
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