Clanging Cymbals...

“See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see.” - Wayne Dyer 

This thought that I came across today, was a good reminder for me. 

Focusing on darkness, soils one's mind. Unchecked, it morphs into another manifestation of a "right-er/better-er than thou" mentality. 

Thanks, but no thanks. 

It's no news that religion has always put people in bondage, under the banner of God. But fighting negativity with negativity has never yielded freedom for anyone. 

Rocked by the revelation of grace, the German priest Martin Luther broke out of the Catholic system (this, by the way, triggered the Protestant movement, which is now splintered into thousands of denominations). But since he was primarily driven by dogma and his rightness, rather than love, he was known for his deep anti-Semitism. 

So, the ultimate goal is not about having a "correct" theology (Christianity has plenty of versions of what "correct" is and isn't). It is, and has always been, love. Without love (who God is), we are merely clanging cymbals, whether we are proficient Bible thumpers, or “deep” contemplatives.

Spine

On Gays: 

"Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?" 

On Finding God in Everyone: 
"God is in everyone's life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else, God is in this person's life." 

On Faith and Doubt: 
"If one has the answers to all the questions that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble." 

- Pope Francis

::

Now this is an example of someone, who has a spine.

Bigotry

Having been raised, and lived in multiple countries, and thanks to real friendships (not just acquaintances) with people from almost all the major religious and non-religious backgrounds from several parts of the world, I know how embarrassingly shallow, and alarmingly ignorant it is, to use a very broad brush, to negatively portray a community, or a denomination, or a group of people, that are different from "us". 

The extremist Hindu factions slaughtered hundreds of Muslims in Gujarat, India, in 2002, and continue to cause havoc in different pockets of India. Noting this, some may think that Hinduism is a violent religion. 

Because of the actions of a few Muslims that believe in a particular interpretation of their religious text, some paint that religion as evil. 

People are saying the same thing about Christianity too, when they look at the Westboro Baptist Church, the crucifix-wearing KKK, or the ever-scowling Evangelicals. They also must have thought the same thing about Christianity, when the Catholics and the Protestants deep-fried the "heretics" at the stake. Oh, and let's not forget the blood-bathed Crusades. 

The other day, I came across an article in TIME magazine, about the growth of radical Buddhism in Burma, where scores of Muslims have been killed, due to communal violence. One would assume that equating "radical" with "Buddhism" is oxymoronic, because it is a religion that is known for non-violence. 

What's my point? All the prominent religions have had their share of people who have spoken and acted as the agents of darkness. And they continue to do so, in the name of their beloved beliefs. Their sincerity is not in question here, but the result of what their words and actions produce -- which is anything, but love. 

John says, "…whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7-8 ESV). Period. It's not about our supposed theological rightness, devotion and/or passion. 

However, the fact remains that the rest, if not, the majority of the believers of all the major religions, do not support (as passive as they might be in voicing their disagreements) the actions, or the interpretations of the vocal few. 

Bigotry is a choice. It is birthed by ignorance; and often cultivated by a cocooned upbringing and the environment we choose to surround us with. Not one of us are born as bigots. 

The freeing news, however, is that, choices can be unmade.

Unconditional Acceptance

The “prodigal” son felt like a loser after he squandered his inheritance away and fed the pigs. Yet, that did not alter his sonship and his father’s unconditional love for him. 

The elder brother was the “good boy” of the family. He never missed one church service, he did not hang out with the “wrong” company, he worked hard at his father’s business; yet, he failed to understand the heart of his father -- because his trust was in his obedience and faithfulness, over his father’s unconditional acceptance. 

We serve. But we do not serve to be accepted by the Father. We already are accepted in the beloved, purely by his grace (Eph 1:6 NKJV).