We are living in times that could become violent in a moment's notice. Political, religious, social systems- all are under stress. And why? We have reached another great period of turning. It is no accident.
This year we are 500 years out from Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Thesis which sparked the reformation movement in Europe. The movement impacted not only the Roman Church, but every aspect of life in the culture of that time, including soical systems and politics. The culture changed, radicals arose from every corner, people died in the name of what was "right".
Fundamental change never takes place without severe, radical activity of some kind. The activity usually involves a violent reaction in the physical world, and also in the world of people. Enemies will go so far as causing violence and blaming it on their foes in order to stir more violence and create chaos. Liars thrive on chaos, deflection and accusation.
Jesus caused fear in his time by upsetting a well established hiearchy and by encouraging people to see beyond the status quo. He was too radical for the powerful, came too close to upsetting their deal. His weapons were love, forgiveness and redemption. His motto was inclusion, his method was healing. His mission was truth, the thing liars fear most. And, like most people who shine light in the dark corners of corruption, he was killed for it. But, as we believe, the tables were turned in his case. His resurrection showed that even the ultimate human contrived punishment, the intentional taking of one's life, can not stop the power of God.
As Christians, it should make no difference to us who is in control, what government we have or what amount of tax we pay in this time and place. Our Saviour told us plainly, these things are of the world and gaining the world is not our goal. If we live in God, we live for him, not for political gain, control over people, or possessions. And, as Jesus said and as the Psalmist sings, those who make these things their God have already received their reward.
I believe we are all about to be challenged. Those who resist change are going to be put in the place of the scapegoat, the obstructionists, the people who are not willing give to the good of the order. As a people, if one may indeed call something as diverse as Christianity a people, we should be used to this. And, if we stick to the teachings of the Bible, we are easy targets. They, the liars, know this. And they will use this to their advantage. Our reaction will determine the future of more than the current attempt to change an already corrupt and feeble culture. Like Luther's list of complaints, it will reach far beyond anything we can imagine.
It is time to be awake, time to look for the bridegroom in the early hours of the morning, and most importantly, time be at peace.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Remain spiritually tenacious
"If our hopes are being disappointed just now, it means that they are being purified. There is nothing noble the human mind has ever hoped for or dreamed of that will not be fulfilled. One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting for God. " From Oswald Chambers, "My utmost for His highest". His point for today, we must remain "spiritually tenacious" while we wait.
As Lent begins, I find myself once again, waiting. Waiting for something to happen to propel me in the direction I need to go. Something to carry me through the ups and downs of the economy, the fickle job market, the political uncertainties. I've asked, if not demanded that God help, to fix the problem, even. Then I wait.
Yesterday at the Eucharist for the First Sunday in Lent, and again later in the day at the closing service for a Cursillo, I heard the message repeated- Lent is a time for reflection, at time to face the question, who am I, really? To examine whether or not I could ever have a fraction of the spiritual tenacity demonstrated by Jesus when he faced temptation in the desert.
Then I think again about the lessons I've learned in this life and the fact that I am where I am because I drove the car that delivered me to this spot. I drove it, filled it with gas, kept the tires inflated, changed the oil- I did every thing I could to keep it moving and personally chose the roads upon which it traveled. Now it crashes and I ask God to fix it?
God is doing that. God is showing me that I drove the car into the ditch and that only I can pull it out. Then I have a choice. Continue down the same road, or chose another. Or better yet, to allow him to drive.
I am waiting, but I know that while I wait for the driver, there are plenty of things I need to do for myself. So in the meantime, I will be busy doing just that.
As Lent begins, I find myself once again, waiting. Waiting for something to happen to propel me in the direction I need to go. Something to carry me through the ups and downs of the economy, the fickle job market, the political uncertainties. I've asked, if not demanded that God help, to fix the problem, even. Then I wait.
Yesterday at the Eucharist for the First Sunday in Lent, and again later in the day at the closing service for a Cursillo, I heard the message repeated- Lent is a time for reflection, at time to face the question, who am I, really? To examine whether or not I could ever have a fraction of the spiritual tenacity demonstrated by Jesus when he faced temptation in the desert.
Then I think again about the lessons I've learned in this life and the fact that I am where I am because I drove the car that delivered me to this spot. I drove it, filled it with gas, kept the tires inflated, changed the oil- I did every thing I could to keep it moving and personally chose the roads upon which it traveled. Now it crashes and I ask God to fix it?
God is doing that. God is showing me that I drove the car into the ditch and that only I can pull it out. Then I have a choice. Continue down the same road, or chose another. Or better yet, to allow him to drive.
I am waiting, but I know that while I wait for the driver, there are plenty of things I need to do for myself. So in the meantime, I will be busy doing just that.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
What do we Christians really do?
A column appeared this week in the New York Times by Nicholas Kristof on the subject of religious oppression of women. Of course, a topic such as this is always a sure fire way to get a good argument going, and judging from the comments on the article at the Times website, a great forum for the people who love to get their hate on for religion to bring out their sledgehammers. There is apparently, a lot of anger and resentment toward organized religion out there, a lot of it likely justified. But there is also a lot of misconception, in my humble opinion.
Leaving the specific issue of the oppression of women to another day, the most common theme of the commenter's was that religion is nothing more than control of the individual through behaviour modification, most notably, the double barreled guilt of sin and threat of damnation (of the eternal type). I grew up in such a culture, so I have empathy for those who's experiences (or who's information about religion comes from people who had such experiences) put them in this place. There is no denial that such ideologies are out there, in every religious format. But this is not what religion in general and Christianity in particular are about and were never meant to be about. In my opinion, of course.
Now, before anyone starts feeling the need to run to their Bibles and proof text me into oblivion, I'll say from the beginning that I don't care what you quote or how well you argue your point that religion is most certainly about damnation for those who choose to ignore the rules. Such are hopeless arguments leading to hopelessness for all mankind, unless of course, one removes hypocrisy from the definition of sin. When will people learn that the easiest thing in the world is to find a line of scripture that will put almost anyone, anywhere on a rocket sled to hell? That is not religion, that is ego based self justification.
I can speak about Christianity because I am a Christian. It is my Christian belief that my religion is not about control, but about freedom. This freedom comes from God and the offer of grace to each of us, individually, and that Grace gives each person the knowledge that life is a remarkable gift, a thing to be savored and relished.
Freedom also comes in the knowing that to have this life, one must surrender one's life to the will of God. The conscious self must give way to the inner, spiritual self, thus opening itself to the love of God, it is then that the wonder of the world opens to all who will see, all who will hear. So simple, yet so difficult.
I know, the idea of surrendering to the will of anything is antithetical to human nature. It's actually frightening. But, I have found, that living outside the will of God is no life at all, just a foggy illusion of one. Even worse, surrendering to the will of social circumstances, substance abuse, materialism- to the point where these things actually do control one's life, this is better?
Of course, if one chooses not to surrender, to not find the inner self, then other things will naturally get in the way of that spiritual bliss. Things separate one from the love of God- not dry it up, or make it go away-it is always there- but separate one from it, the way a curtain separates a room. As St. Augustine and Miester Eckhart taught, if there is anything other than the love of God in one's heart, then one is not loving God, and there is room for failure.
"Things" are not just material in nature. Things are also thoughts, behaviors, fears. If one lives with fear in one's heart, then one is not loving God with all one's heart. There is room for fear to take over. There is less room for compassion. This is where things like oppression of women, bigotry, dissipation and violence come into play. There are religious people, who, in spite of their efforts, still live in a state of fear. I say, if someone is afraid of a person enough to look that person in the face and say "God does not love you, you have no place here", then that person is not loving God. That person is trying to be God. That is not religion, that is heresy.
As mere humans we can not know where God will go and not go, who God will love or not love. Whom God will accept or reject. Jesus taught many lessons about the futility of such presumption. But somehow we haven't caught on yet and people still judge based on fear, when we are all called to love.
Leaving the specific issue of the oppression of women to another day, the most common theme of the commenter's was that religion is nothing more than control of the individual through behaviour modification, most notably, the double barreled guilt of sin and threat of damnation (of the eternal type). I grew up in such a culture, so I have empathy for those who's experiences (or who's information about religion comes from people who had such experiences) put them in this place. There is no denial that such ideologies are out there, in every religious format. But this is not what religion in general and Christianity in particular are about and were never meant to be about. In my opinion, of course.
Now, before anyone starts feeling the need to run to their Bibles and proof text me into oblivion, I'll say from the beginning that I don't care what you quote or how well you argue your point that religion is most certainly about damnation for those who choose to ignore the rules. Such are hopeless arguments leading to hopelessness for all mankind, unless of course, one removes hypocrisy from the definition of sin. When will people learn that the easiest thing in the world is to find a line of scripture that will put almost anyone, anywhere on a rocket sled to hell? That is not religion, that is ego based self justification.
I can speak about Christianity because I am a Christian. It is my Christian belief that my religion is not about control, but about freedom. This freedom comes from God and the offer of grace to each of us, individually, and that Grace gives each person the knowledge that life is a remarkable gift, a thing to be savored and relished.
Freedom also comes in the knowing that to have this life, one must surrender one's life to the will of God. The conscious self must give way to the inner, spiritual self, thus opening itself to the love of God, it is then that the wonder of the world opens to all who will see, all who will hear. So simple, yet so difficult.
I know, the idea of surrendering to the will of anything is antithetical to human nature. It's actually frightening. But, I have found, that living outside the will of God is no life at all, just a foggy illusion of one. Even worse, surrendering to the will of social circumstances, substance abuse, materialism- to the point where these things actually do control one's life, this is better?
Of course, if one chooses not to surrender, to not find the inner self, then other things will naturally get in the way of that spiritual bliss. Things separate one from the love of God- not dry it up, or make it go away-it is always there- but separate one from it, the way a curtain separates a room. As St. Augustine and Miester Eckhart taught, if there is anything other than the love of God in one's heart, then one is not loving God, and there is room for failure.
"Things" are not just material in nature. Things are also thoughts, behaviors, fears. If one lives with fear in one's heart, then one is not loving God with all one's heart. There is room for fear to take over. There is less room for compassion. This is where things like oppression of women, bigotry, dissipation and violence come into play. There are religious people, who, in spite of their efforts, still live in a state of fear. I say, if someone is afraid of a person enough to look that person in the face and say "God does not love you, you have no place here", then that person is not loving God. That person is trying to be God. That is not religion, that is heresy.
As mere humans we can not know where God will go and not go, who God will love or not love. Whom God will accept or reject. Jesus taught many lessons about the futility of such presumption. But somehow we haven't caught on yet and people still judge based on fear, when we are all called to love.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Compassion
There is a new look at the concept of compassion being undertaken on a worldwide scale, put into motion in part by author Karen Armstrong. It is compelling, to say the least, that such a project be undertaken with the aid of the www, and I wonder, will it actually take off? As of today's date, just over 15,000 people have signed on to affirm the Charter for Compassion since its release on November 12, 2009.
Compassion in itself is a good thing. The very idea of putting oneself in the shoes of another, considering feelings outside of one's own ego centered existence, is one of, if not the, core teachings of the Christian Gospel.
This teaching has been all but lost in the post modern world where individuality has been celebrated to the point of self worship in the religion of consumerism.
(As a consumer myself, I hate to admit it, but it is unavoidable, to a point).
Individualism is not inherently bad, but it does tend to take one away from the other. The other being defined as the billions of souls making up the rest of the world's population. We all have no choice but to exist together on this tiny rock of a planet. There have been precious few periods in history where that was actually accomplished in a peaceful way. Rather than accept, share and rejoice in the miracle of living, people have chosen just the opposite.
Individualism in religion easily lends itself to ego based religiosity, where God becomes an extension of the individual's idealism concerning justice and morality. It is easy to isolate, become xenophobic and literally hate those outside the comfort zone of ego based religion, which has to contributed more to conflict in the world than it has towards peace.
My question, is the goal of the Charter for Compassion too much to ask? Has humanity evolved to the point where individuals can understand it's concept? Could this be the beginning of a movement that could accomplish what spears, swords, bullets and missiles have been unable to? Is there enough compassion in the world to overshadow the fear that is so easily kindled in the hearts of people? I certainly hope so. I am planning to participate, what have we to lose?
Compassion in itself is a good thing. The very idea of putting oneself in the shoes of another, considering feelings outside of one's own ego centered existence, is one of, if not the, core teachings of the Christian Gospel.
This teaching has been all but lost in the post modern world where individuality has been celebrated to the point of self worship in the religion of consumerism.
(As a consumer myself, I hate to admit it, but it is unavoidable, to a point).
Individualism is not inherently bad, but it does tend to take one away from the other. The other being defined as the billions of souls making up the rest of the world's population. We all have no choice but to exist together on this tiny rock of a planet. There have been precious few periods in history where that was actually accomplished in a peaceful way. Rather than accept, share and rejoice in the miracle of living, people have chosen just the opposite.
Individualism in religion easily lends itself to ego based religiosity, where God becomes an extension of the individual's idealism concerning justice and morality. It is easy to isolate, become xenophobic and literally hate those outside the comfort zone of ego based religion, which has to contributed more to conflict in the world than it has towards peace.
My question, is the goal of the Charter for Compassion too much to ask? Has humanity evolved to the point where individuals can understand it's concept? Could this be the beginning of a movement that could accomplish what spears, swords, bullets and missiles have been unable to? Is there enough compassion in the world to overshadow the fear that is so easily kindled in the hearts of people? I certainly hope so. I am planning to participate, what have we to lose?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The real nitty gritty
So much is being said these days about division, things that cause or lead to the separation of groups of people. In religion, politics, it doesn't matter, schism is the word. It appears that centuries of Utopian philosophy, wars to end all wars, even ecumenical movements and indoctrination have not been able to change this phenomenon which grips human beings so tightly that one group can just think of another and feel the burn of hatred. When one's first thought regarding another is rage, indignation or elitism, one is lost.
The problem here may be that of groups themselves. It is easy to vilify a group, it typically has no face, no eyes, no feelings. It is a thing. It is a thing that is often created to represent something that another group holds up as bad, counter cultural, or sinful, depending on one's perspective. That group, they say, is a threat to the future of our group because they.....!
Jesus did not minister to groups. He spoke to and showed love to individuals who came to him in faith. He did not require their membership in his group, but He did tell them what membership required of them as individuals. Many found those requirements too difficult and moved on. Likewise, St. Paul's greatest accomplishment was not to try and bring individuals into an established group, but to show people that, yes even they, who were not born into a specific group- even they were able to receive the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Groups serve their purpose, certainly, but when it gets right down to it, I want to know what being in the group means to the individual. Can we talk without feeling threatened, can we listen and understand why this or that is so important? Can we have a discussion over dinner and a glass of wine? Can we share fun stories of our children, our companions, our lives, and find things that we share as people who stand in God's love, and go away friends rather than enemies? Can we exist without fear that my way is steamroller coming down the ideological highway to crush your beliefs and vice versa? We all have such a small space and such a limited time to share on this earth. Is it really God's will that we do so in such a fractious, fearsome manner?
God's message is love, Jesus' message is healing, reconciliation. How can this not be a good thing? How can clinging to fear of anything be better than this?
The problem here may be that of groups themselves. It is easy to vilify a group, it typically has no face, no eyes, no feelings. It is a thing. It is a thing that is often created to represent something that another group holds up as bad, counter cultural, or sinful, depending on one's perspective. That group, they say, is a threat to the future of our group because they.....!
Jesus did not minister to groups. He spoke to and showed love to individuals who came to him in faith. He did not require their membership in his group, but He did tell them what membership required of them as individuals. Many found those requirements too difficult and moved on. Likewise, St. Paul's greatest accomplishment was not to try and bring individuals into an established group, but to show people that, yes even they, who were not born into a specific group- even they were able to receive the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Groups serve their purpose, certainly, but when it gets right down to it, I want to know what being in the group means to the individual. Can we talk without feeling threatened, can we listen and understand why this or that is so important? Can we have a discussion over dinner and a glass of wine? Can we share fun stories of our children, our companions, our lives, and find things that we share as people who stand in God's love, and go away friends rather than enemies? Can we exist without fear that my way is steamroller coming down the ideological highway to crush your beliefs and vice versa? We all have such a small space and such a limited time to share on this earth. Is it really God's will that we do so in such a fractious, fearsome manner?
God's message is love, Jesus' message is healing, reconciliation. How can this not be a good thing? How can clinging to fear of anything be better than this?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
"It ain't me babe, no, no, no..."
The words have a familiar ring. To wit, my daily friend, Oswald Chambers, "God puts us where we will best be able to Glorify Him, and it is not left to us to judge where that is." And if we do try to judge, cue the music once more, we might sing "...it ain't me you're looking for babe".
No one ever called by God has jumped at the chance to serve in the way He has decided. Nearly all of the heavy hitters in Judeo-Christian faith history had their excuses: "you must be kidding, you must be thinking of someone else...I can't speak well...I'm lame...I'm not educated...I am not a member of that society..." Of course, everyone knows the example of Jonah, the man who ran away to hide himself from God.
I have run from God for years, hiding in misguided career paths, relationships, idleness, and duplicity. I've spent a great deal of time celebrating when there was nothing to celebrate, looking for things I already had and asking for help when none was needed. All of this was an attempt to escape, to hide from a reality so blatantly evident, that looking at it burned my eyes like the light from a welding rod. I hid behind self invented missconceptions, bigotries and arrogance, putting myself in the position of the intellectual, a gnostic elitist. But like the character Jonah, I could not escape the Furies, and I definitely lived in the belly of the leviathan. More than once.
It is true that one is always free to choose one's path. As long as one is willing to accept the consequences of the choice, it seems that everything is OK. This is easy for those with little to no conscience, outcomes mean nothing to them, hurt doesn't exist. Or does it? I believe we all have a conscience, we all know in our hearts that God is there, somewhere. It is the denial of that one thing that makes a wrong path become a road to emptiness. Then, all that's left is looking back and feeling that one's time here really didn't matter. There is nothing more depressing than believing in a wasted life.
God always wanted me to know, that only when I can come to the realization that it is His will and not mine, the running stops. The confusion ends. The hurting goes away. Only when I give up the quest for something outside of my own soul do I find the missing piece. Only when I quit asking do I get the answer. My path has always been set, I have been too fearful to walk it. Now I no longer seek. Now I must do.
No one ever called by God has jumped at the chance to serve in the way He has decided. Nearly all of the heavy hitters in Judeo-Christian faith history had their excuses: "you must be kidding, you must be thinking of someone else...I can't speak well...I'm lame...I'm not educated...I am not a member of that society..." Of course, everyone knows the example of Jonah, the man who ran away to hide himself from God.
I have run from God for years, hiding in misguided career paths, relationships, idleness, and duplicity. I've spent a great deal of time celebrating when there was nothing to celebrate, looking for things I already had and asking for help when none was needed. All of this was an attempt to escape, to hide from a reality so blatantly evident, that looking at it burned my eyes like the light from a welding rod. I hid behind self invented missconceptions, bigotries and arrogance, putting myself in the position of the intellectual, a gnostic elitist. But like the character Jonah, I could not escape the Furies, and I definitely lived in the belly of the leviathan. More than once.
It is true that one is always free to choose one's path. As long as one is willing to accept the consequences of the choice, it seems that everything is OK. This is easy for those with little to no conscience, outcomes mean nothing to them, hurt doesn't exist. Or does it? I believe we all have a conscience, we all know in our hearts that God is there, somewhere. It is the denial of that one thing that makes a wrong path become a road to emptiness. Then, all that's left is looking back and feeling that one's time here really didn't matter. There is nothing more depressing than believing in a wasted life.
God always wanted me to know, that only when I can come to the realization that it is His will and not mine, the running stops. The confusion ends. The hurting goes away. Only when I give up the quest for something outside of my own soul do I find the missing piece. Only when I quit asking do I get the answer. My path has always been set, I have been too fearful to walk it. Now I no longer seek. Now I must do.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Is there not one among them?
An ancient psalmist wrote:
"Help me LORD, for there is no godly one left;
the faithful have vanished from among us.
Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor;
with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
O LORD, watch over us
and save us from this generation for ever.
The wicked prowl on every side,
and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone."
Sounds as if this could be a post in the comments section of a modern blog.
If it sounds familiar, if it seems that the psalmist was a prophet, there is good reason for it. People haven't really changed, as a whole, and it doesn't seem like they will anytime soon. Some will say this is due to the battle waging between the cosmic forces, good waiting patiently to triumph over evil when some future cataclysmic event happens. Some see it as evidence that people are simply idiots, and must be herded and overseen by the wise who get their wisdom from...I'm not certain.
Highly prizing what is worthless seems to be the national pastime in our culture, how else does one explain American Idol, The Bachelor and (fill in the blank with any of thousands of modern necessities). I'm not an entertainment basher, but the time, money and energy invested in such silliness is amazing. Obviously, people want these things. Dittos with football, basketball, etc. , all except baseball, which is, of course, necessary. And that is the point, we all have something.
Some will also say that it is up to us to change this, that it is our duty to seek out others and convert them to our way of thinking, yes, if everyone would accept (fill in another blank), or if Jesus would simply come on back, or if we could just eliminate those cretins who are ruining everything- then we would be OK. We would have peace. Right. The other side of the coin is that if all the good people capitulate to the bad people out of love and kindness by extending their neck to the enemy's chopping block while telling them about peace on earth, only the bad would prevail.
Is there no answer to this evil other than total annihilation of creation?
Although we live in an age where truth holds little value (has it ever?), where sound bites set social and political policy, where baseless accusations are thrown out just to obfuscate the real evil lurking around the corner, we are not treading new ground. As humanity goes, we've seen it all before and we will see it all again. The Utopians have sought ways to cure these problems, but even they always get stuck on the question of rules and who imposes them.
It is my humble and wacky opinion that things are just the way God intended them to be, and God never intended for anything to be easy, clear, or risk free. I can only know good if I have experienced bad, I can only know peace if I have also known turmoil. I can only know myself I've had my very being called into question. In those times, it is God who waits at the bottom of the pit. It is God who says, try again, this time with courage, this time with a little more faith.
I will never convert the terrorist in Afghanistan, but I can tolerate my neighbor. I can accept that no one else thinks exactly as I do, and that with enough conversation, enough listening and enough love (where God catches me in that pit), we can be brothers, at least for a time. It has to begin somewhere. Christianity began at the foot of the cross. The same place we all begin.
"Help me LORD, for there is no godly one left;
the faithful have vanished from among us.
Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor;
with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
O LORD, watch over us
and save us from this generation for ever.
The wicked prowl on every side,
and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone."
Sounds as if this could be a post in the comments section of a modern blog.
If it sounds familiar, if it seems that the psalmist was a prophet, there is good reason for it. People haven't really changed, as a whole, and it doesn't seem like they will anytime soon. Some will say this is due to the battle waging between the cosmic forces, good waiting patiently to triumph over evil when some future cataclysmic event happens. Some see it as evidence that people are simply idiots, and must be herded and overseen by the wise who get their wisdom from...I'm not certain.
Highly prizing what is worthless seems to be the national pastime in our culture, how else does one explain American Idol, The Bachelor and (fill in the blank with any of thousands of modern necessities). I'm not an entertainment basher, but the time, money and energy invested in such silliness is amazing. Obviously, people want these things. Dittos with football, basketball, etc. , all except baseball, which is, of course, necessary. And that is the point, we all have something.
Some will also say that it is up to us to change this, that it is our duty to seek out others and convert them to our way of thinking, yes, if everyone would accept (fill in another blank), or if Jesus would simply come on back, or if we could just eliminate those cretins who are ruining everything- then we would be OK. We would have peace. Right. The other side of the coin is that if all the good people capitulate to the bad people out of love and kindness by extending their neck to the enemy's chopping block while telling them about peace on earth, only the bad would prevail.
Is there no answer to this evil other than total annihilation of creation?
Although we live in an age where truth holds little value (has it ever?), where sound bites set social and political policy, where baseless accusations are thrown out just to obfuscate the real evil lurking around the corner, we are not treading new ground. As humanity goes, we've seen it all before and we will see it all again. The Utopians have sought ways to cure these problems, but even they always get stuck on the question of rules and who imposes them.
It is my humble and wacky opinion that things are just the way God intended them to be, and God never intended for anything to be easy, clear, or risk free. I can only know good if I have experienced bad, I can only know peace if I have also known turmoil. I can only know myself I've had my very being called into question. In those times, it is God who waits at the bottom of the pit. It is God who says, try again, this time with courage, this time with a little more faith.
I will never convert the terrorist in Afghanistan, but I can tolerate my neighbor. I can accept that no one else thinks exactly as I do, and that with enough conversation, enough listening and enough love (where God catches me in that pit), we can be brothers, at least for a time. It has to begin somewhere. Christianity began at the foot of the cross. The same place we all begin.
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