Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

What attracted people to Jesus? Compassion


But when people followed Jesus, they were drawn by his compassion as much as anything else. He possessed what Frederick Buechner describes as the “fatal capacity for feeling what it’s like to live inside someone else’s skin.”

For more click here.

Friday, February 19, 2021

Who is Jesus to you?




 One of my favorite bible verses of late is Matthew 16:15. Jesus asks His disciples, "What about you? Who do you say that I am?"

Raised a Roman Catholic and now interreligious, I sometimes identify with the Unitarian Universalists who covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. Wouldn't it be a better world if everyone covenanted together to affirm and promote these principles?

If so prejudice and discrimination would go bye bye as would systemic racism.

Maybe it all comes down, in the last analysis, to our values. What matters to us? I mean really, not lip service.

Jesus is my guru, my teacher, that's who He is to me.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

What have Unitarian Universalists learned from Jesus?

If you are not Christian and are not familiar with the New Testament go the gospel of John, chapter 4, verses 7 - 42 and read the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus was a man well ahead of his time and he believed as Unitarian Universalists do in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. Jesus is a great teacher for  Unitarian Universalists.

John 4:7-42

The woman at the well. Video lasts 2:37.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Is it time to listen to the wise ones?

The perception in our society of Unitarian Universalism is that anything goes. There is no creed and UUs accept anyone and require very little of anyone stating that "to each his own" is the way to go. The UU fourth principle is that we covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

The critical word in this principle is, or course, "responsible."

We live in a culture which is radically subjective and relativistic. It has given up any belief in an objective morality. It believes that anything goes in certain situations, for certain people, at certain times.

In the postmodern world, every thought, every belief, every value, every preference is a social construction. Conscience, justice, goodness, truth, beauty have become things of the past that exist in the realm of nostalgia and sentimentality.

Where are the smart people? Where are the wise ones? Does nobody stand for anything anymore? Is there nothing that I can use as my compass, my navigational north star?

Into this moral morass, this moral swamp, comes Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu. However, these enlightened people shared an understanding of reality that the common human, who is asleep in social conditioning, cannot apprehend let along understand and apply in their lives.

What then is to be done to improve the human condition? Psychotherapy is needed at a societal level. The purpose of this societal psychotherapy is to remove the blocks and obstacles to truth. This removal of the blocks and obstacles to truth is the removal of fear. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said which he is believed to have gotten from Henry David Thoreau, the biggest fear is fearing fear itself.

The biggest problem humans experience at a personal and societal level is fear. Fear prevents them from loving which is the path to peace, joy, and comfort.

The tool to eradicate fear is forgiveness. Until we can rise above the dramas on the path of the ego we will continue to experience turmoil and distress. Forgiveness requires a shift in perception and belief from the path of the ego onto the path of the spirit. The means of this shifting is what Jesus, Buddha, and Lao Tzu attempted to teach their fellow human beings. However, because of their fear and willfulness most people do no have the ears to hear, nor the eyes to see, nor the minds to comprehend the suggestions that the great ones offered humanity.

We are coming to a time of listening and awakening. It is here, now, and requires each of us to pay attention, reflect, understand, and apply the wisdom offered to us. Rising above the drama, sensationalism, and entertainment of the ego to embark on a new path of love, compassion, generosity, and charity is the means to the path forward in our human evolution.




Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Jesus' life hacks

Who is Jesus to Unitarian Universalists? Most UUs don't consider Him God anymore than anyone else.

Years ago the National Council of Churches expelled Unitarian Universalism deciding that it is not a "Christian church."

I was talking to a woman one time about UU and she said, "Is UU trinitarian?" Fancy word and I knew what she meant so I said, "No." She huffed, rolled her eyes in a dismissive way, and walked off.

Jesus asked His apostles, "Who do you say that I am?"

After two millennia people are still asking that question of one another.

What do you say? Who is Jesus to you?

It is written in A Course In Miracles, "The name Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol. But it stands for love that is not of this world." MT-23:4:1-2

That's works for me although I would capitalize love, as Love because Jesus tells us "The Father and I are One."

The same thing is true for each one of us, the Father and We are One, except that most of us aren't aware of it and so don't experience it on a consistent basis.

It is written in the introduction to A Course In Miracles, "The course does not aim at the teaching of the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance."

A life time, well spent, is consciously working to remove the blocks to the awareness of Love's presence. Jesus came along two thousand years ago and gave us some tips, what now days are called, life hacks.

Jesus told us that the way to the kingdom is "to love as I have loved."

Okay, I get it. Jesus is a coach, a consultant, a teacher, a mentor. I have learned a lot from Him and continue to every day. If you want the Cliff Notes version of Jesus' life hacks read the Sermon on the Mount for starters.


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