Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven
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| Sunny Days in Heaven Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven |
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Tuesday, May 14, 2002 Lover of Truth I applaud Robert, AKA HokiePundit, for his love of truth and of thinking. I will have to come out with that blog I promised on why Jesus trumps all religions; but I salute Robert for his recognition that anyone who has committed himself to life of love and devotes himself to prayer to practice it, has, in essence found Jesus and the Holy Spirit and has been saved from Self. I believe it is better for anyone to know who it is they worship and love, and so Christianity is important, as is the Bible, but the gift of faith is in the desire to love Love. If we have faith in perfect altruistic goodness, then we are indeed in love with Jesus. If we pursue truth wherever it takes us, even if it comes out of the mouth of a devil, then we listen to the Holy Spirit. An image of Love is good, but it is vague and formless; and so it is better to know Jesus is that Person; and that the Father is that Person, and so the Spirit, for these are not simply images or symbols but actual realities one may experience person to person. I know I have and others, too. Nevertheless, I assure anyone that a baby cannot form any words and images but loves Love, and such love saves him. So too with the sincere Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, or Jew. I confess, I am frustrated when I hear a rabbi say, "Jesus is the answer to a question I've never asked." That says to me that he does not love truth above all things, for who would refuse to inquire who wanted to know if what another claimed was true or not? Who would not open his heart and mind to a possibility of truth if they burned with love of knowing? I find that I must constantly question my own authority and that of all others, and only I can judge of what is true or not. No Body of Christ, no book or Bible, no priest or Church can decide for me. All must be weighed in the balance. Yes, even 2000 years of tradition is put to the test, for I know how traditions form and are sustained no matter how absurd or crazy or true they might be. The more God teaches me about myself , himself, and fallen human nature - nothing should escape scrutiny or get the benefit of the doubt regarding claims of truth. Truth is too beautiful to leave up to others. And being an artist, I know something about how most people are stunted or malformed in their creativity; how rare true beauty is in this world. If there are so few Dante's, Bach's, or Da Vinci's, how many pure Saints and writers of Wisdom do you think there are? Also, consider this - Shakespeare was one of the greatest poet/writers ever and he blew it! He was so close, but he was basically a rancid nihilist (as Harold Bloom calls it). He did not know God, but he was so close in his occasional thoughts of what He must be like if he existed. And so I know of a great many saints who thought they knew a lot about God, but who also blew it, because they never examined what they thought they knew and taught to find out if it was true or not. Shakespeare had plenty of questions and thinking, but no real faith. Many saints have plenty of belief but no real thinking or questioning. Part Two The main reason why Jesus trumps all other religions apart from Christianity ( for the moment in this argument) is that he is a stumbling block. The core belief of Christianity is not that it is spiritual/moral/sacramental, but that it claims that Jesus is alive (and presently available to all) and he is God. No other religion makes such a claim (nor wants to, really). It is preposterous on the face of it. The only possible way that this can be believed is that it has to be seen. It must be proven in some way, shape, or form that satisfies an inquirer; and not merely credulous and ignorant folks; but serious, intellectually honest people, also. It takes no leap of faith to believe in a "higher power" of some kind, and an assent to good ethics and moral behavior. Spiritual, ethical and moral people are generally happier, healthier, and more prosperous. History and observation illustrates it well, as do most proverbs and aphorisms in every culture. That is the core of truth and power in the great religions. They work pretty well at making life better for those who practice it seriously. But Jesus? Jesus has to be loved as a person, a man who walked the earth, and seemed to have said some beautiful, but also ridiculous things. One must first fall in love with Jesus enough to trust that it might be possible he is what others say he is - man and God. It is one's heart that must feel the tug like a newborn to be embraced by absolute love and goodness in the form of a man. We have such need of salvation - of being saved from all that willfulness which is ours and makes us unbearably miserable. We need to experience something of Love or we will never know how to love others and ourselves. Life is empty and full of despair should we never know that God is for us and loves us more than we love ourselves and our children, wives, parents, friends, hopes - and that we fear death terribly in our loneliness. It has been my experience that anyone who falls in love with Jesus and wonders about whether - Could he be? Is it possible? Wouldn't it be too good to be true? - That such a person is most likely to have Jesus reveal himself to them in a way that is absolutely convincing. A conviction arising not from speculation, hope, wishful thinking, but from Truth and Knowing. Just as we know that Love is love, that blue is blue, 1+1=2. Faith without practice is meaningless, and so the general result of such a "meeting" is that God sends the one who is paying attention to a church of some kind to gain discipline, practice, and confidence. Some people, though, may be such egotists that they decide they are great prophets and must start their own religion or cult (while many others who do so are simply con men). But Jesus doesn't just trump other religions, eventually we see he trumps Christianity whenever it becomes hide-bound, doctrinal, dogmatic, beyond what can be known or proven. Love is simple - so why is theology complex, convoluted, and finally impossible? Because it is about images of God. We have a lot to say about those, but little to say about God as he is; and because people prefer to talk and intellectualize about God, than pray and learn to embody him. posted by Mark Butterworth | 3:03 AM | |
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