Being human. Human being. What does that mean? Words have different meanings for different people. We say the words but hear different concepts in our hearts and minds. Christianity is a word that has, in some ways almost lost its meaning. The variety of experiences, organizations and systems of thought that word describes are so divergent as to be nearly amorphous. There is no unified image that comes to all minds- either within "Christianity" or without.
I submit that there is no "Christianity" that is not humane, centered in being human. This may raise the hair on the neck of many "Christians" for who being human has been devalued in the face of concepts of becoming divine, but whose divinity is based in systematic theology, doctrine, codes of conduct and appearances. All the while Genesis says man was created out of clay" in the image of God". God is all about being, calling himself I AM. Jesus is defined as having been created in the image of God. When He said, "If you have seen me you have seen the Father"', he was not make a theological statement about the Godhead. He was speaking of his nature. He was speaking in terms of character, essence and spirit. He was talking about being.
If Jesus was sent, as He said, to show us the Father, then Christianity is about Jesus, teaching by example and the wisdom in his words, how to be a human being in the best possible way. To be humane is to be divine. The essence of divinity found in helping the needy, befriending outcasts and enemies, loving one another and standing against greed and oppression. If God created man in His image, a human being is most divine when he or she is being humane- not when being religiously or theologically "correct".
This is a simple and universal principle that should make common sense to anyone really. What is happening in the world today is that people, in their diversity, believe the propaganda of those who profit on enmity. Being humane is of little value to the talking heads of many religious, philosophical and political groups. Building bridges of mutual understanding is of far less value than establishing "rightness" and winning conflicts and portraying a rigid correctness that everyone else is measured by.
This is so silly. As diverse as we are, the solutions to the chaos created by animosity, disrespect and absolutism are lost in all our polarization and disregard for one another. Regardless of our position, the answers to our mutual problems are not going to be found along the fringes and at the polarized extremes, but rather somewhere in a meeting hall in the middle. Isaiah, and Jesus himself called this meeting hall, "the house of prayer for all people".
John wrote in his gospel. "In the beginning was the word and the word was god". Word, or in Greek, "logos", means "expressed thought". Jesus was the word, spoken by God, to reveal Himself as the expressly humane Jesus, who said, "No greater love has anyone than to lay down their life for a friend". Then, if you believe in "Christianity", he did just that- not just as an objective sacrifice to pay someone else's debt, but as an example that it would be better do die as a humane being than to live as an oppressive religionist or nationalist power monger.
Jesus healed. He confronted injustice. He challenged religious traditions. He communed with his enemies and made enemies of his friends, at times, for doing so. He said, "The wind blows where it wills and you hear the sound, but you don't know where it's coming from or where it is going...so it is with everyone who is born of the spirit."
Christianity with no mystery is just a religion. Christianity with no humanity is religious oppression. God will not fit in any of our boxes. He Is Who He Is.
Hebrews 1:3 says, "He is the radiance of the Father's glory and the exact representation of His nature." Jesus' message was that in order to be divine, we must find our way to be humane to everyone, even our enemies, and never lower ourselves to that animal instinct for treating a fellow human as an object from which we are disconnected. He laid down his life for all, expressing the connectedness of all, building a bridge of understanding for all. He also said, speaking of his crucifixion, "If I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me". He believed his act of love was powerful enough to change the world, and any divine spark within human kind will evidence that same faith in the power of wisdom, generosity, forgiveness and love.
People who kill, rule and oppress in the name of God have no faith in God- whoever or whatever their god is, if that god's glory is so puny that it cannot illuminate in the meeting hall of civilized discourse, in the house of prayer for all people. It is no god at all. It is no prime directive or perfect paradigm. It is not service, it is self-indulgence. It is not "for the people". It is to maintain its own power and profit. It is not for God or The State or Allah. If it is not humane it is not divine in any way.
Agreed.
God doesn't fit in a box.....neither should we.
To be truly Christian, to me, is to be willing at any moment to let go of our own agenda, and do what God is calling us to do. This is messy and usually doesn't work well with efficient and 'well organized' bureacharcies, such as church hierarchal structures. When we try to go by human's schedules, data, etc.we often do not do God's agenda.
To be truly human is to live in a flesh and blood body, but to walk each step in the Spirit. We were meant to be 'in this world', only in our physical make-up, not in our thought process, lest we become materialistic. We are to" be in the world, but not of the world." We are also to walk by faith and not by sight. ( 2 Corinthians 5:7 )
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.
D.
Excellent, post, Eaglesway. Thanks for sharing.
Amen! :iagree: ..with all of the above!
I especially like the pointing out of God's house as a house of prayer for all peoples :cloud9:
..the beautiful people. I used to hear people say won't it be great when all races mix and we all become the same. But why should we have to all totally resemble one another in order to feel we are the same. And now (I agree) powers that be (large and small?) are exploiting differences - I hate to break the mood, but that was a treasured idea of charly manson. So weird over the course of life to see that spirit playing out in the world..
But every person, every ethnicity.. jewels. The human family with its beautiful branches. Human but also humane/divine/sacred. Other things, quasi-reality? :mock: are playing out temporarily.. aionian-ly..
I got to visit with my good friend who has been grieving very deeply for her son who committed suicide.. the whole life changing thing was almost as terrible in its circumstances (for her) as it could be.. People (we/all of us one time or another) we run away from God, fearing the pruning.. But true grief, and not just for one's own, but any grief or any true caring polishes the spirit. God uses it to polish the spirit. We are all jewels becoming. There's a verse about grieving over the ills of the world I'm sure you've read..
That's what this thread reminded me of, that life as we presently know it (the world) is not only a living lesson, God's Truth drama being played out, but it is also accomplishing in us that love.. That love, which is Him! That the carnal self seeking or aggrandizing character is a damn to the flowing of that ocean, tidal wave(?) of that love. But in all cases, it is a damn that can only resist the tide of the living water, for only so long..
QuoteBut in all cases, it is a damn that can only resist the tide of the living water, for only so long..
:banana: