Jim Palmer's Blog, page 8

Finding Jesus (2,000 years later)

JesusPerhaps no person in history has been the subject of so much controversy and debate. It began two thousand years ago, when religious and political powers conspired to brutally execute him. Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically. After that point, agreement is difficult to find; opinions about the life and message of Jesus differ sharply.CNN currently has two original series airing that relate to religion and spirituality. One of those isFinding Jesus, which explores new insights into the historical Jesus, utilizing the latest scientific techniques and archaeological research. CNN has also debuted a new original series,Believer– a “spiritual adventure series” with Reza Aslan, who immerses himself in customs, rites and rituals of various religions, sects and cults around the world.These two new CNN series are an acknowledgement of a couple things. First more generally, that people are intrigued and interested in matters of religion and spirituality. And secondly and more specifically, the mystique and controversy over the person Jesus is an enduring and provocative subject of interest among most people.My own understanding of Jesus has been a long and winding journey. You might say that I have my own “Finding Jesus” story that has passed through many phases.Religion’s JesusI was raised loosely in the Catholic Church, attending Mass most Sundays. I made it through my First Communion and First Confession, but drifted away and did not pursue official Confirmation by the Church. I had no personal interest in God or religion until life’s existential questions began troubling me in my late teens. I first came to know Jesus as “Religion’s Jesus.” I accepted Jesus as my savior and became a born-again Christian the summer before I went off to college. Throughout my collegiate years I was a leader in a Christian campus ministry. Along the way my understanding of Jesus was shaped by traditional Christian teachings, which could be summed up in the Nicene Creed. I was heavily vested in this view for many years of my life, including earning a Master of Divinity degree, and many years as a professional Christian minister and church pastor. I experienced a crisis of faith when I acknowledged to myself that I was empty, broken and unhappy inside despite my religious devotion. I observed this same dissonance in many of the people I led and cared for in my church parish. As a result, I left professional Christian ministry to sort out my spiritual struggles.Religion-free JesusThe next stage in my understanding of Jesus, I’ll call the “Religion-less Jesus” phase. I knew something was not adding up in terms of my Christian belief-system. Jesus himself said that knowing the truth sets a person free, and yet I was anything but free. Discontented, restless, afflicted, fragmented – yes, but not free. I began deconstructing my Christian belief system. Belief by belief, I questioned and examined every teaching and doctrine. Walt Whitman wrote, “Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.” My own version of Whitman’s sentiment was to re-examine all my Christian beliefs based on the preeminence of love. I used the scripture, “God is love” to scrutinize my dogma. I realize this may sound quite simplistic, perhaps even childish, and certainly unbecoming of a person who studied the Bible in Hebrew and Greek, and understood the finer points of proper exegesis. But for all my theological sophistication I had no inner peace, and so I decided upon a much simpler method for accessing the validity of my beliefs. It’s at this point of my journey that I began writing books, the first of which was,Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God (and the unlikely people who help you).This endeavor of questioning and deconstructing my beliefs resulted in the demolition of my Evangelical Christian belief-system. And yet in all the theological rubble, there was still a Jesus standing there. I could not seem to deconstruct Jesus out of the picture. This left me in a quandary. Jesus had once been necessary as the central piece of the theological edifice I called Christianity. But if I no longer believed in that theological edifice built around him, then who was Jesus and did it really even matter.This quandary led to a question that guided my spiritual journey for the next few years: Is there a credible way of understanding Jesus apart from traditional Christianity?My first step in this direction was a chapter I wrote in my second book,Wide Open Spaces: Beyond Paint-by-Number Christianity. In that chapter, I explore what I believed to be the unreasonable motto of modern Christianity – the WWJD-question: What would Jesus do? I pointed out the insanity of this proposition – binding people to the notion of living as Jesus did while also asserting that Jesus is God, therefore making his life unattainable by mere mortals. This ultimately led to the question: What makes Jesus and me different? Through some theological gymnastics I managed to come up with an answer, which stated that any person could actually do what Jesus did, without compromising the notion of the divinity of Jesus. Phew!But my explanation inWide Open Spacesseemed incomplete and for me raised more questions than it answered. It became a splinter in my mind. I devoted my third book,Being Jesus in Nashville, to more fully exploring the premise of the WWJD-question. I did so by devoting a year of my life to test the notion that I was capable of doing anything Jesus did, including the miraculous or supernatural works that are attributed to him. Being Jesus in Nashville is the story of what unfolded over that year and what I discovered. Though I took no specific theological position, I blurred the lines of Jesus’ divinity enough for the comfort of my Christian publisher. I was accused of being a “heretic” who had “abandoned orthodox biblical theology.” The manuscript was rejected and my book contract swiftly cancelled.This “Religion-less Jesus” phase ended with a paradox. I was more interested in Jesus than I ever had been, but conflicted about referring to myself as a “Christian,” at least not on the terms of my own particular Christian persuasion.Spiritual JesusLet me say that I think it is unfair to pit “religion” against “spirituality” as if they are two completely different and unrelated things. There is a robust “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) movement that can sometimes imply that organized religion is devoid of true personal spirituality. I believe this is an unfair criticism, and is not true across the board. I refer to this next phase of my Jesus journey as “Spiritual Jesus” because I discovered a deeply significant and meaningful understanding of Jesus that did not require that I necessarily identify with the institution or organized Christianity.Jesus himself was a Jew and raised in a family and culture of Judaism. As such, Jesus both affirmed Judaism for its goodness, but also confronted the ways Judaism had been corrupted by the religious establishment. Not to be comparing myself to Jesus, I did imperfectly walk this line myself. On the one hand, the world can thank Christianity for having established and preserved a witness to Jesus down through history. But there are ways I believe that the Christian establishment misconstrued and corrupted the relevance and significance of Jesus, and I explore these in detail in my fourth book,Notes from (Over) the Edge. Then in my fifth book,Inner Anarchy, I offered an alternative way of understanding Jesus, based on a different interpretation of the Jesus story in the Bible. This book was controversial from the start because of the sub-title:Dethroning God and Jesus to Save Ourselves and the World, which I explain in great detail in aFAQ about the book.During this phase I was heavily criticized on all sides. Some of my Christian tribe criticized, even demonized me for my non-traditional views of Jesus, while others took issue with my continuing to talk about Jesus at all. I have since written several blog posts in attempt to clarify my position, and answer my critics:Did Christianity get Jesus right?Why I Speak of Jesus (why I'm not a Christian)Jim, are you a Christian?I’m not sure I succeeded but I discovered in the process, mainly through private messages and emails, that there are many people who were at a similar place as myself with respect to Jesus – having misgivings about Christianity and traditional Christian theology but not wanting to throw out the baby with the bathwater.Universal JesusThe more I pressed into an alternative way of thinking about Jesus, I discovered a universal significance and relevance to Jesus that I have found quite meaningful. In most instances, religious division is based on the premise that someone has to be right and someone has to be wrong. Or stated another way, when it comes to the world’s religious, spiritual and philosophical belief-systems, everyone can’t be right. In recent years I have challenged this notion. In my view, virtually any open-minded person can see that despite differences and distinctions among the world’s religions, there is agreement on what I believe to be the most profound level – values such as love, compassion, harmony and the golden rule. I also believe there is much morecosmological agreement between science and religionthan people may think. In a nutshell, it is my view that all religions, spiritualties, and philosophies (including science, humanism, agnosticism and atheism) can peacefully coexist, enhance one another’s understanding of the universe and life’s existential questions, and find a rationale for building a world that works for everyone.For my part in this, coming from a Christian background, I am wanting to influence my Christian tribe to shift from a message of exclusivity about Jesus to a message of inclusivity. I don’t believe Jesus came to start a new religion to compete with all the others. I see Jesus as one who lived, demonstrated and bore witness to the truth that humankind has never been estranged from God, and the only issue to work out now is to end our estrangement from one another. Jesus taught that love for God is synonymous with love for one another, and anything less is missing the point andfake religion.There is no reason why we can’t maintain our own uniquely meaningful ways of understanding God, find and make meaning for our place and purpose in the universe, and express and satisfy our own spiritual or self-transcendent proclivities, without it being a source of division, hostility and hatred in the world.I have written several blog posts, speaking to this subject:Why Jesus matters, regardless of your beliefsScapegoating ReligionHow can there be religious tolerance if Jesus is the ONLY way?This is a summation of how I have come to understand Jesus. I don’t believe this is a violation of the Jesus in the Bible, nor a rejection of the person Jesus associated with the Christian tradition. Every generation, every Christian denomination, every church, even every Christian “finds Jesus” differently. This doesn’t make one person “right” and another person wrong.” In my view, if love, compassion, harmony and the golden rule are non-negotiable then we can all learn from and appreciate how each of us finds Jesus.

16 Characteristics of Fake Religion

Lately I've been pondering what sadly get's passed off as true religion.  It has been said that there's enough religion in the world to make men hate each other, but not enough to make them love. Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote, "Nothing in human life, least of all religion, is ever right until it is beautiful." Saint James defined true religion as caring for the vulnerable and the defenseless. The Dalai Lama said, "Kindness is my religion." Karen Armstrong wrote, "Compassion is the key in Islam and Buddhism and Judaism and Christianity. They are profoundly similar."We've heard a lot in the media lately about "fake news." Well, I'd like to use this post to expose what I believe to be fake religion. What follows are 15 Characteristics of Fake Religion.1. Claiming to know God and demeaning people is fake religion.2. Quoting scriptures to win an argument about God is fake religion.3. Disparaging people of other faiths as a sign of devotion to yours is fake religion.4. Casting judgment upon others while giving yourself a pass is fake religion.5. Dividing the world up into “us” and “them” is fake religion.6. Fostering fear of God is fake religion.7. Telling people they are inherently bad is fake religion.8. Repressing individuality and demanding conformity is fake religion.9. Casting disapproval on those who question is fake religion.10. Perpetuating a spiritual superiority class structure of “clergy” and “laity” is fake religion.11. A performance-based system of earning God’s love and approval is fake religion.12. Assigning maleness to God and esteeming men over women is fake religion.13. Allowing differences of beliefs to prevent working alongside others to alleviate suffering in our world is fake religion.14. Praying for divine intervention without taking direct action is fake religion.15. Claiming a close relationship with God while perpetuating discord and hostility in human relationships is fake religion.16. If it is not about love it's fake religion.photo by darla winn

Advent: What are we waiting for?

We are currently in the season of Advent, a season observed in many Western Christian churches. The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. The word ‘Advent’ derives from the Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival.” Advent anticipates the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. In the Christian religion this is understood in terms of the “Second Coming” of Christ. The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often the preparation for the “Second Coming” while commemorating the first coming of Christ at Christmas.My question is: What are we waiting for???2000 years ago Jesus bore witness and demonstrated the truth, which is that the life-giving Spirit – the same Spirit that was in him – is within us. So why are we waiting for what we already have? What’s left to do is to lift that life and Spirit up out of us and into the world. That’s the “Second Coming” this world is waiting for and needs.With the typical way Advent is practiced, the Christian religion has us standing around powerless, looking into the sky waiting for Jesus to come back. The reality is that Jesus never left in terms of his Spirit being with and in us, and what we must do now is lift that Spirit out of us.Here’s another Latin word – animaduertere. It means “to take action.” That’s the season we are in now – not Advent, but Animaduertere. It’s a season to stop waiting and to take action. It’s a season of inner anarchy. It’s a season of tearing down those false mindsets that have been ruling within us. It’s a season to turn to that deep-feeling life, Spirit, and source within us, and to lift it out of us into the world. It’s a season of true and authentic togetherness – speaking what we feel deep inside of us to one another in our own words. The waiting is over! It’s time to birth that Kingdom Jesus spoke of. This is the second coming the world is waiting for.Christendom has sufficiently convinced billions of Christians that Jesus is one future day going to come back in the sky to save the world, and how his true followers will receive eternity in heaven as their reward. Something about this story always seemed a little fishy to me, and the more I pondered it the more I questioned it. I tugged at one of the threads of that story and the whole thing unraveled, and an entirely different story about the salvation of our world and humankind emerged in its place.Jesus is not the savior of the world in the way the Christian religion has told people, and that story is actually preventing the world from experiencing the salvation and freedom that Jesus promised. Jesus the person cannot save anyone, but the truth he bore witness to and demonstrated has the power to birth a whole new world, order and age that every human heart has imagined, dreamed and longed for. This powerful truth that Jesus demonstrated is simple and uncomplicated but is difficult for this very reason. It requires starting over. It involves dethroning all the religious and worldly beliefs, mindsets, narratives, stories and ideologies that are ruling us all from within, and turning to an entirely different source within us, which a child accesses naturally.This is why I wroteInner Anarchy– to lift up the truth that can save us all… a truth that applies to every person and can be embraced universally  without being religious or becoming a Christian. So many people are waiting on the future and the fulfillment of “the return of Christ,” not realizing that this “return” – this breakthrough of the life-giving Spirit into our world – is a reality that is birthed out of us.

Let's Talk Post: How can there be religious tolerance if Jesus is the ONLY way?

(Each Wednesday I answer a question submitted through the"Let's Talk" page.)“Jim, how can there be peace among the world’s religions if each of them believe that only their view of God is right? You often talk about tolerance and inclusivity but didn't your Jesus say he was the ONLY way?"Great question!It is true that the claim of exclusivity – only our way is the right way – fosters disharmony and division among the world religions. In my view, virtually all religious, spiritual and philosophical traditions and belief-systems share beliefs in common, and perhaps even the most important beliefs such as the preeminence of love, compassion and the golden rule. But despite this, religion continues to divide people in our world.The way I see it, there are three options:One option is to continue with the status quo of dividing people and pitting them against each other based on differing religious/spiritual/philosophical beliefs. In my view, this option is disastrous.Another option is to take what’s common among all religions and create one unified belief-system that everyone is happy about. This is known as syncretism, which is the merging or assimilating of many different belief-systems into one new system. I don’t believe this option is practical because most people ascribe great meaning and significance to the distinct and unique elements of their particular tradition.The option I suggest is to agree to coexist peacefully in a world of religious, spiritual and philosophical diversity.When it comes to religion, I believe cooperation is better than competition. A deeper look into Darwin’s view about evolution reveal that it is cooperation and not competition, which is the essential trait that ensures the human race’s survival. There are some who believe that intelligent beings might have evolved many times over the long history of the universe but then destroyed themselves because they lacked cooperative genes. The only ones that could survive were those that had the urge to get along. If this is right, the drive toward supercooperation is not just an interesting sideline in the story of evolution. It lies at the heart of why we are here—the kind of real answer that is critical for the future of humankind and all living things.If we go with the coexist-peacefully option, I feel responsible to address what seems to be the claims of exclusivity within the Christian tradition. These claims are particularly tied to these words attributed to Jesus in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”In my view, this is one of the most misunderstood statements of Jesus. The traditional Christian interpretation of these words of Jesus is based upon a mentality and framework that I believe to me flawed. Christianity essentially built a religion around the person of Jesus – the actual, historical, human person, Jesus. What’s interesting about this is that Jesus himself dissuaded people from worshipping him and creating a new religion around him. There are stories of Jesus’ first followers doing this, which Jesus scolded. When Jesus spoke of his imminent death his followers were distraught, but Jesus explained that his death was necessary so that people would become less dependent upon Jesus the human person, and learn to live in harmony with the spirit that was within them. In a nutshell, the same spirit, life, transcendent nature and guiding values that were within Jesus are within all of us.The John 14:6 words of Jesus are traditionally interpreted within this framework of dependency upon Jesus the person. A paraphrase would be, “I – me the physical, historical, human person, Jesus – am the way and the truth and the life. The only way to connect with God and know ultimate reality is through sole allegiance to me – the physical, historical, human person, me.” In other words, it’s all about Jesus the person.On another occasion Jesus made this statement, “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Notice that Jesus did not say, “I will make you free,” but that “the truth” will make you free. In my view, the correct interpretation of Jesus words’ John 14:6 would be, “The truth that I have lived, the truth that I have demonstrated, the truth that I have borne witness too, the truth of who I’ve been right before your eyes – is the way to truly know what is real.” Jesus is not making some statement of exclusivity whereby the world must become Christian, and build and perpetuate a Jesus-religion as the one and only true religion.  I do not believe this is what Jesus meant.So the $64,000 question is: What truth is Jesus referring to? If Jesus meant to say that the truth he expressed is the truth that sets us free and the way to know God, what is that truth? In my view, what is abundantly clear about Jesus was his message that you can be both divine and human. In other words, there is no real separation between God and humankind, ultimate reality and humankind, the whole and humankind, Love and humankind, transcendence and humankind. Other ways of saying it are: we are all God’s children, each of us is a part of the whole, the same eternal spirit of life runs through us all. This is the basis of the “Namaste” term. Regardless of the different ways we make God and ultimate reality meaningful to us, we can hold the following mindset toward one another:The Divine light in me acknowledges the Divine light in you.The God/Goddess in me greets and meets the God/Goddess in you.I honor the spirit in you that is also in me.I greet that place where you and I are one.I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light and of peace.Jesus also said once, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Once again, in my view Jesus is not speaking of his physical self but is speaking of the truth he lived and demonstrated. In other words, Jesus was saying, “When my truth is lifted up – when people see that there is no separation between God and humankind – then all of us will be free to live in love, peace, harmony and well-being together as one human family.”I have been writing about this view of Jesus for years, most notably inNotes from (Over) the Edge, andInner Anarchy. It’s no secret that I believeJesus holds universal significance and relevance, regardless of one’s religious, spiritual or philosophical tradition or belief-system. In my view, we can stopscapegoating religionfor our world’s problems and acknowledge that we can embrace our own particular tradition, but learn from each other. The assumption tends to be that an openness to different beliefs will compromise our own, but I have discovered instead that it expands and deepens my beliefs in very meaningful ways.I’ve stated elsewhere that I believe this is possible if we could unanimously adopt the following five notions:Every person can fully embrace and follow their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views without creating division, destruction, hostility, or hatred. ​Every person can find a rationale and motivation within their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views to be an instrument of goodness, peace, love, and compassion in the world, and affirm the inherent, equal, and unconditional worth of every human being.​Every person has the right to follow their own inner guidance in choosing their own religious, spiritual, or philosophical views and practices. ​Every person can participate in a process of personal growth, self-actualization, and fulfillment of one’s highest beliefs and aspirations, and encourage the same for others. ​Every person benefits when each of us follows our own unique inspiration for building a world that works for everyone.We need to shift our thinking about religion from a competitive mindset to a cooperative one. Whether than focusing on the question of having the “right” beliefs about God, what if we asked questions like this:Do my beliefs promote harmony?Are my beliefs a source of joy, goodness and beauty?Do my beliefs inspire kindness and compassion?Do my beliefs motivate love for all people and living things?Do my beliefs hold a space for people to coexist peacefully?I know what some people are thinking: “Jim, what are you smoking?” “Is this some kind of Utopian fantasy?” “Never going to happen.” “Wishful and deluded thinking.” “As long as there is religion, there will be division and hostility.”I’m not going to give up holding this possibility. I believe we are capable of it. We have perfected the art of religion as competition. In my view, the challenge and opportunity before us is cultivating religion as cooperation, the one characteristic we most need if we hope to survive.

Can evolution and creationism peacefully coexist?

All human activity and endeavor finds its essential meaning in the context of a people’s cosmic story.The overarching question of our existence are:Who are we? (the question of identity)Where did we come from? (the question of origin)Where are we going? (the question of destiny)Why are we here? (the question of purpose)What ultimately matters (the question of meaning)How are we to live? (the question of morality/right action)What happens when we die? (the question of finality and continuity)Our answers to these questions are embedded in a person’s cosmology.Cosmologyis a branch of philosophy that deals with the origin and general structure of the universe. In layman’s terms, a person’s cosmology is their creation story. Traditionally, there are two options: (1) God created the world, which means God is the captain of the universe, or (2) Evolution is responsible for the universe, which means science is the captain of the universe. All of the answers to those above existential questions are determined by which option you decide upon. This is why religion and science have so often been adversaries down through history – their fundamental cosmological disagreement, which splits off into two very divergent paths.In my view, this is a false choice. These two views don’t have to be incompatible butcomplementary. Science/evolution and God/creation can be assimilated into a deeper and more unified understanding of the universe?Darwinism and creationism can coexist. It will require science to let go of its insistence that anything that can't be substantiated by empirical evidence is not valid, and would require religion to let go of a fixed and traditional/religious view of "God." Dominican priest,Francisco J. Ayala sees no conflictbetween Darwinism and faith.This cosmological view goes like this: there is an evolutionary energy embedded in the nature of all living things, which enables life at all levels to realize its fullest and transcendent potentiality.Take the human individual, for example. A widely accepted model of universal human needs is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.Self-transcendenceseeks to further a cause beyond the self and to experience a communion beyond the boundaries of the self through peak experience.Self-actualizationseeks fulfillment of personal potential.Esteem needsseeks esteem through recognition or achievement.Belongingness and love needsseeks affiliation with a group.Safety needsseeks security through order and law.Physiological (survival) needsseeks to obtain the basic necessities of lifeWith respect to self-transcendence, Maslow wrote, “Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to nature, and to the cosmos.”  Notice that self-transcendence is above self-actualization. While self-actualization refers to fulfilling your own potential, self-transcendence moves past one’s own needs to serve something greater than yourself.These ideas are explored further in the field oftranspersonal psychology, which is a sub-field or school of psychology that integrates the spiritual and transcendent aspects of the human experience with the framework of modern psychology. Issues considered in transpersonal psychology include spiritual self-development, self beyond the ego, peak experiences, mystical experiences, spiritual evolution, religious conversion, altered states of consciousness, spiritual practices, and other sublime and/or unusually expanded experiences of living. The discipline attempts to describe and integrate spiritual experience within modern psychological theory and to formulate new theory to encompass such experience.We human beings are not separate creatures on earth, in a universe. We didn’t come into this world, we grew out from it. A human being looking through a telescope is literally the universe looking at itself. Consider the possibility that the universe has always been evolving and is evolving, and as a human expression of the universe, we are evolving along with it. For better or for worse, the universe and all living things are interrelated. The evolution of one part of the universe impacts the reality and evolution of the whole. We are all in this together. What is unique about the human expression of the universe is that we have the ability to consciously guide our individual and collective evolution – who we are and what we become individually, and who we are and what we become collectively.How does Jesus fit into this perspective? Things don’t work and breakdowns occur, whether personally or institutionally, when fear, arrogance, inauthenticity, deception, blame, self-righteousness, apathy, irresponsibility, injustice, self-centeredness and greed happen. When these elements are in play our evolutionary path is dreadful. Now think of the life Jesus lived, which was characterized by qualities such as humility, authenticity, responsibility, compassion, courage, service, and solidarity. It’s doesn’t take much effort to see howChrist-centerednesscould offer a meaningful guide for a more hopeful and promising evolutionary trajectory.In my view this is a worthwhile area to think more deeply about – how science and religion, evolution and creation, physical and spiritual fit together. These few thoughts are just a primer, which I hope will stimulate further thinking and investigating on your part.

Let's Talk: What does purpose look like outside of religion?

(Each Wednesday I answer a question submitted through the"Let's Talk" page.)“Hi Jim, Can I ask you a question? I was wondering if you've ever tackled the subject of purpose. I get confused - is living a life of so-called significance a product of my religious conditioning? Why do I feel driven to "make a difference" in this world, but in the end find that I can make very little difference - I can only change myself really. So is this conditioning - the need to help others or to be of service in order to feel like I matter? What does purpose look like outside the walls of religion?”Thanks for your question.First let me say that there is much more that could be said about your question than I could answer in one blog post. This issue of negotiating one's mindset about "purpose" as part of the shedding religion process is something I often address with people in myspiritual direction practice. It's also a matter I deal with in my onlineLife After Religion Course.Okay, let me map out some concepts here. Hang with me.Depending on your background, your question relates to three notions that are common in Christianity: (1) God’s will; (2) God’s plan; (3) God purpose. All three of these have a macro and micro version. The macro version is that God is engineering his divine will, plan and purpose for all things – directing and guiding the saga of human history according to his intentions. The micro version is that God has a specific will, plan and purpose for each individual’s life. This is why you find many people who pray to know “God’s will” for their lives, or take comfort in the idea that whatever befalls them in life is “part of God’s plan,” or seek to discover their God-given purpose or fulfill “God’s Calling” for their life. People also fear missing God’s will, plan, purpose and calling for their lives, and can have great angst about it.Keep in mind that the above notions are common of Monotheism such as Christianity – the belief in the existence of one God who created the world, is all powerful, intervenes in the world, and is achieving a grand plan. But even within this framework, there is more than one way to work out the idea of life’s purpose. In my second book,Wide Open Spaces, I wrote a chapter entitled, Spiritual Living: Do We Need a Purpose in Life to Live. In that chapter I wrote:“My drive for determining a purpose in life was much ado about nothing… Purpose is not something you have – a specific skill, gift, interest, passion, endeavor, vocation, volunteer involvement, or grand achievement. Instead, your existence is one unifying purpose, and every facet of your life is part of it. That unifying purpose is this: knowing God… God’s purpose is not fulfilled by doing a lot of religious things you may or may not want to do. The things you love doing, what you are most passionate about, are the most significant avenues through which God wants to be known… My next email or phone call, the next person I encounter, the next place I go, the next set of circumstances in my life, what I see outside my living room window or rearview mirror, the next words spoken, the next song on my playlist… are all part of my life purpose of knowing God.”There are other belief-systems about God in which the notion of purpose would be seen differently. Take Deism for example. Deism is a religious belief holding that God created the universe and established rationally comprehensible moral and natural laws but does not intervene in human affairs through miracles or supernatural revelation.In his book The Age of Reason, Thomas Paine proposes a new religion/philosophy called Deism. In Deism he argued God could become known through reason, science and nature. There would be no need for faith or blind belief in revelatory religions. God could be known to the individual without the need for priests or prophets simply through the application of the individual's own reason and intelligence and the study of science and nature. Given this premise, by studying science and nature one might conclude that the purpose of life is to evolve.Thinking as a Deist, evolution is Darwin’s great gift to theology. An evolutionary worldview sees the purpose of everything and everyone as part of the grand narrative of an evolving universe. The enticing elements of this view are: it’s a creation story not yet over; a planetary perspective that could be embraced by diverse cultures and open to multiple interpretations; it marries science and religion; it’s a perspective that could be embraced from any religious, spiritual or philosophical tradition. In terms of one’s “purpose” in life in this Deist framework, consider the possibility that each of us individually and collectively at every level consciously participate and influence the evolutionary trajectory of our universe. This evolution encompasses our own individual personal growth. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs identifies “self-actualization” as the highest need and desire of the human being – to realize one’s fullest potential or to actualize oneself as fully as possible. A Deist point of view is that our purpose individually and collectively is to evolve, and we can consciously participate in this process.In your question, you wrote, “Why do I feel driven to "make a difference” in this world?” You put “make a difference” in quotes, which seems to imply that making a difference was some sort of burden or expectation placed on you through religion – you SHOULD make a difference in the world, you’re SUPPOSED to DO something GREAT, the significance of your life is measured by the impact you have. In my view, that entire mindset is problematic, and I understand why you would want to disentangle yourself from it.So let’s simplify this.A couple questions I would ask you is: Do you genuinely WANT to make a difference in the world? If the answer is yes, the next question is: How do you want to make a difference in the world? In other words: In what specific way are you compelled to serve humankind, meet a need, alleviate hardship and suffering, address systemic injustice and oppression, and build a world that works for everyone? Whatever you come up with, do your investigation and homework, connect with like-minded people, and determine the best way for you to get involved and make your contribution.People every day who hold no belief in God are actively engaged in doing this. Why? Because it’s a natural human thing to do. Caring about the plight of human beings and all living things is an integral aspect of what it means to be human. We don’t need God or guilt to prod us; these are natural impulses of our humanity.The problem, however, is that religion made “making a difference” a burden to carry, and equated your worth, value and significance with what kind of “difference” you made. That’s the part you need to let go of. This is why you are so concerned with the outcomes of your efforts. You have observed that the best you can do seems imperceptible in the bigger scheme of things. So why try? Despite all your effort, it seems to not to add up to much.Margaret Meade wrote, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Mother Theresa said, “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you. If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.” Gandhi said, “It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important.” He also said, “In a gentle way you can shake the world.” This is the part of my answer trying to refute your idea that what you do doesn’t really matter. In my view, anything and everything any individual does, matters, including your own personal growth and transformation. Every time a person turns away from just one false belief, mindset or mentality, it makes a difference in concentric circles in the world.Every day there are countless people who feel they are not making a difference. They wake up with this burden and go looking for something to do or achieve to feel significant. People will go to great lengths to alleviate this burden.But consider this. Humankind is interconnected and interrelated in the same way as the cells of our human body. The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is the building block of life. Humans contain about 100 trillion cells, but the condition of one individual cell has an effect on the wellness of the whole body.So it is with the body of humanity. Each of us are individual cells – 7 billion of them. The healing of the body of humanity can only occur in the measure of its single cells healing themselves. Each time a human being changes his or her mind from false perception to true perception, the effect on humanity is immeasurable. The effect of one individual releasing fear, the cause of all spiritual disease in the body of humanity, is beyond measure. The impact of one person being liberated from the illusion of separation is incalculable.By healing ourselves, we heal the world.If only we knew what absolutely extraordinary healing power we have as single individuals, we would not hesitate one second in wanting to transform our ways from fear to love, and the healing of one’s own separation.We feel we are not making a difference in the world and then we run out the door, expending tremendous energy doing nothing more than addressing symptoms, and applying band-aids. We are also very good at pointing the finger and blaming others for the problems and conditions of our world.Look no further than yourself. Nothing will change in our world until we address the root problem. More specifically and importantly, nothing will change until you address the root problem within yourself.Do you want to change the world? Change yourself. Do your personal work. Address the root cause of suffering within yourself – there is no greater difference that one can make than this. Humanity is aching, needing your cooperation. When you awaken, the energy and reality of your awakening reverberates through all humankind like the concentric circles of a pebble tossed in a pond.That doesn't mean we don't take action in the world. I have written quite a bit aboutspirituality and social revolution. But we tend to want peace and harmony in the world but refuse to have them within ourselves. We are very aware of where peace and harmony are breaking down out there, but often unaware or dispassionate about the absence of peace and harmony within ourselves. We are embroiled in all kinds of thoughts, concerns and actions to solve the disharmony and suffering we see in the world, but leave our own disharmony and suffering unattended. We have failed to recognize the connection between our own disharmony and the disharmony that plays our everyday before our eyes. We want to remove the speck of discord and distress in the circumstances that surround us, but we are content to accept the log of discord and distress within ourselves. We want to make it about them and not about us, and fail to realize that there will be no peace and harmony in the world unless or until it is within us. How can there be a world of peace and harmony if that world is not real within ourselves?To summarize my answer:Religion burdened you with the idea that you should make a difference in the world, and that the significance of your life is measured by how big a difference you actually make. Forget this idea. Along with that idea, get rid of the notion that whatever you do doesn’t really make any difference. That’s not true either. You are a human being. Being human means caring. You get to decide what caring means for you. Whatever it means, do that and forget about the scope or size of your impact.issue comes up a lot.

Gaining the world and forgetting your soul

There’s a story of a rich man (Mark 10:17-22) who once approached Jesus, inquiring about eternal life. The man was of great financial means. His human affairs were well in order and he had no concerns, but he was uncertain about his afterlife. One day he asked Jesus what he must do to secure his afterlife. Jesus answered the man, first by giving him the religious answer, which had to do with obedience to the Ten Commandments. In addition to being wealthy, the man had lived a devout religious life, and explained his to Jesus. In response, Jesus told the man that the only thing he lacked was to sell his possessions and give them to the poor.In my view, the point of this interaction between Jesus and the man was not fundamentally about the man’s possessions per se. Jesus was not delivering a message about the evils of materialism and greed, or issuing a social justice challenge about ending poverty. That’s not to say that Jesus doesn’t address these matters in other places. He does. But I don’t believe this was the point of his dialogue with the rich man. This not a contentious exchange, like those for example we see between Jesus and the leaders of the religious establishment. In the account of the interaction in Mark 10 we are told that Jesus felt a great love in his heart for the man.If the point is not about greed and poverty, then what is it? I think you have to dig a little deeper to find it.I see the meaning of the story in the response of the rich man to the instruction of Jesus to sell his possessions and give to the poor. The rich man walks away. He can’t do it. He won’t do it. It’s asking too much. Why? Wouldn’t giving up your worldly possessions (which won’t last anyway) in order to secure your eternal life be worth it? Does forfeiting life everlasting in order to hold onto your temporary possessions make any sense?Of course to the rich man, it’s much more than that. The man’s possessions were his security and his identity. His entire life was based on what he had. It’s not uncommon for someone to attach their security and identity to “worldly riches.” People externalize their sense of self and value from their financial status, possessions, and upholding the cultural narratives about what it means to be “successful.” People depend on their wealth and possessions for peace, comfort, worth, well-being, status, privilege and power. But lest I sound judgmental, for all we know the man had many mouths to feed, and used his resources to help and aid others in need. He might have been okay with parting with some of his possessions but Jesus told him to sell ALL of them. How crazy is that! Would you do it?We all have misplaced dependencies - external things we rely on to meet our innermost needs and desires. Some have a misplaced dependency upon achievement, fame, fortune or “success” for value and worth. For others it’s a misplaced dependency upon the approval of others. People have a misplaced dependency upon money for peace and security. Some have a misplaced dependency upon their body and physical appearance for worth and acceptance. Some people find their security and sense of self in their religious identity or belief system. There is nothing necessarily wrong with any of these outcomes – being successful, well-liked, fit or religious – but if we become dependent upon these for our sense of innermost well-being, we are setting ourselves up for suffering. Many people perpetuate a particular persona in hopes of finding worth, value, security and well-being – the intelligent one, the pretty one, the thin one, the artistic one, the radical one, the spiritual one, the superior one, the religious one, the anti-religious one, the victimized one.You are understanding correctly the scenario with Jesus and the rich man by asking yourself this question: What attachment or dependency am I holding onto in my life because it provides a false sense of security, identity and well-being? This question requires a fairly stout level of self-awareness.Even if we could achieve and maintain all these attachments and dependencies (which is impossible due to change and circumstances out of our control), they would not satisfy or fill our deepest longing. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with feeling good about oneself as a result of accomplishment or achievement. And of course it is true that we derive a sense of love, belonging and acceptance through our relationships with others, and rightly so. But none of this will ultimately be enough to soothe or satisfy our deepest longings.Somewhere out there along the way in our drive to succeed, our game of image management and pleasing others, our dutiful religious obedience, our constant striving for the “right beliefs,” our obsession with losing weight and being thin, perpetuating our false image of perfection, our clinging and attachments for security and worth… somewhere out there along the way in all of that, we are going to lose something invaluable… the fundamental truth of who we are.There is nothing you are missing.  There is no need to frantically become more, be more, do more, or get more.  You are whole and complete, and were gifted every talent and insight you needed to thrive in this world in the moment you were born.  Your only job is to accept this truth and then allow it to unfold.  Some gifts don’t become apparent until later in life.  Some insights only become clear to you once you have life experiences that unlock such wisdom from within you.  Trust in this and relax. By embracing this truth we will find the true peace, wholeness and well-being we long for.Jesus said in Matthew 16:25-26, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”What did Jesus mean by “forme” – “whoever loses his lifeforme will find it.” Jesus was not interested in building a personality cult. Jesus was referring to the truth he taught, lived, demonstrated, bore witness to and died for. What truth is that? That God and humankind are not separated but one. We are born into this world one with God. In other words, we are born into a fundamental wholeness and harmony of which we each are a part. That wholeness and harmony is the fundamental essence of who we are. We think that we are separate from love, peace, freedom, wholeness, and well-being. We go out into the world every day and strive for these because we think we are separated from them. We think we are separate from each other and fight against each other. This notion of separation is a lie.This was part of the profound impact Jesus made on the spiritual journey of humankind – not that he fixed a separation issue that was real, but that he unmasked the illusion of separation so it would no longer hold sway in our lives and we could be free. Jesus did not say that he would make you free. His specific words were that the truth will set you free. On another occasions Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” What is that truth? It is the truth of no separation. It is the truth of one harmonious whole of which we each are a part. It is that truth that God and humankind are one.Think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 16 like this, “Whoever wants to seek true well-being through their external attachments and dependencies will only find themselves further away from it. But whoever lets these go and turns toward the source of life within them will find it.”When Jesus said the “Kingdom of God” is within us, he was wanting us to see that the source of the love, peace, security, identity, worth, wholeness, value, acceptance, belonging, freedom, joy, fulfillment that we all long for, is inside us ans IS us. We don’t have to scratch and claw for it externally every day, we only have to turn toward it within ourselves.It would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than a person trying to achieve true wholeness and well-being through their external dependencies and attachments.The real journey of life is within. When Jesus said the truth will set us free, he was referring to the truth of who we truly are, one with God – one with life, one with wholeness, one with well-being, one with all. The way things truly are at the most fundamental level is harmonious, undisturbed and complete, and we are a part of that whole… an expression of that whole. We have all heard the axiom, “Know thyself.” Jesus said go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.Jesus often spoke of spiritual reality as a hidden treasure.You have spent your life seeking a treasure, and you are seeking it now. You dream of true love. You purchase your lottery ticket. You chase the carrot of happiness. You read the next great spiritual book. You go on a new diet. Meanwhile, you are unaware of the treasure.The treasure is you! The treasure is your true self that has always been and always will be.

Let's Talk Post: How can I stop searching for the "right belief"?

(Every Wednesday I answer a question submitted through my “Let’s Talk” page. Here’s today’s edition.)“Hey Jim, sometimes I get overwhelmed still, with all these doctrines, theologies, philosophies and different ways of thinking that I forget to listen to that little voice in my own head. I'm constantly reading articles and listening to podcasts and it brings me out of touch with my own reality and it's overwhelms me with information overload! I find myself getting stressed out, and I know that's not what God wants for me. My question is, how do I simplify life in this age of over complication? How can I stop searching for the "right belief" and just learn to be? This is all really taking me out of the moment, I have so much trouble with the here and now when I'm constantly trying to philosophize life. I mean, is it even possible to know truth while we're humans? It seems to all just be subjective opinions. I really look forward to hearing back and thanks for giving us an opportunity to ask questions.”Thanks for your question. Here are a few thoughts that come to mind.First off, you should be commended for being a person with highly developed self-awareness. That’s extraordinary! Self-awareness is the first step in creating what you want and mastering your life. There are many things you are aware of: (1) forgetting to listen to that little voice in your head; (2) dependency upon these external sources of spiritual data that leave you out of touch with your own reality and produce feelings of overwhelm; (3) realization that something is off when spiritual pursuits cause stress; (4) desire to simplify your life and spiritual journey; (5) the need to let go of the need to construct “right beliefs” and find spiritual fulfillment from inhabiting your real, authentic and innermost self; (6) spotting the conflict of being present to your life as it unfolds and simultaneously stepping out of your life to philosophize about it; (7) recognition that the whole concept of “absolute truth” isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be.Well, all I can to all that is: Congratulations! You already know everything necessary to move forward on your journey. Let’s take each of those 7 things you already know and formulate an action step for each one. These are just suggestions. Brainstorm and explore more that are meaningful for you:(1) Keep a daily “little voice journal” and jot down a few deep thoughts and feelings that bubble up from that place inside you. Perhaps don’t think of that place as your “head” but something more along the lines of your innermost self and heart.(2) Shift your spiritual focus from consuming data to other pursuits such as: what makes you come alive; what satisfies you most deeply; what fills you up; what brings you joy what centers you; what need in the world moves you to action; what areas, fields, or subjects are you interested in exploring; what makes you feel connected to yourself; what forms of self-expression are the most gratifying; what would your sense of adventure tell you to do; where in life are you inspired to be a tangible expression of love, acceptance, and compassion; what nurtures a greater love for yourself and others.(3) Whatever you are doing in your quest for a deeper spirituality that is a source of stress, STOP doing it. My only caveat is that some aspects of personal growth can involve getting out of your comfort zone and can be uncomfortable. But I think you know the difference.(4) Identify and implement 3 ways that you feel would make the biggest difference in simplifying your human existence, approach to life, spiritual journey, or daily routine or flow.(5) I wrote inNotes from (Over) the Edge,“Has debating your theological positions gotten you any closer to bringing an end to your suffering? Is there more peace and freedom in your life as a result of being “right”?You’ve been told the importance of “knowing the Truth,” and how there’s a menu of options to scrutinize and choose from. You’ve been warned to choose cautiously, the necessity of getting it “right,” the consequences of getting it “wrong.” Is the truth behind door #1, door #2, or door #3?You must rethink your entire way of approaching the matter of Truth. Currently you have it framed in the idea of having “correct beliefs,” and you think this is what matters. But how would you even know if you achieved having “correct beliefs”? Who decides? For the Christian, “correct beliefs” to one denomination or church are “wrong beliefs” to another, and both will argue that their interpretation is the right or “biblical” one.Forget the heady and ego-gratifying search to “know Truth.” Divest your energy from the drama of being right. Correct beliefs are the Booby prize. What you are after is the end of your suffering.Dismiss the idea entirely that the road to Truth is paved with correct beliefs. A belief is a state of mind in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true. You are not going to uncover the Truth by constructing new beliefs in your head because Truth is not a belief in your head.Truth is not an idea, a doctrine, a theory, or a position. Truth cannot be found in a book or on a screen. Truth is not a concept in your mind. It can’t be transmitted through words or grasped by the intellect. Truth is not an answer to a multiple-choice, true or false, or fill-in-the-blank question. There is no essay brilliant or long enough to elucidate it.You cannot know the Truth through your mind. It is that simple. Quit trying.Jesus spoke of a peace that is not as the world gives, and one that is beyond all comprehension. He said that when you know the Truth you will be free, which includes freedom from the never-ending conundrum of constructing correct beliefs.If you could have gotten to true and lasting peace through the work of your mind, you would have done so by now.The fixation of comprehending spiritual things on a cognitive level is largely a Western idea. Westerners insist on packaging up the infinite and unknowable into a system of intellectual ideas, propositions, concepts, and beliefs. It’s a bonus if you can reduce it into a short creed and fit it onto on the back of a church pamphlet.Westerners idolize the mind and imbue it with powers that the mind simply does not have. We think that somehow the mind defines the limits and boundaries of life. We take offense to the thought that the mind has significant limitations. Outside the West, the idea that God and Truth is something you work out in the machinations of the mind would be considered ridiculous.”It is fine to enjoy and gain insight from various thoughts and readings that are spiritual or philosophical in nature but don’t make a goal to create a new belief system or pour concrete over your latest discovery. You might also findthisuseful.(6) The idea of “being present in the moment” sounds right but can be a little elusive and frustrating when seeking to apply it. It can come across as though one should stop and have some sort of deep or spiritual experience. Instead, consider the possibility that the spiritual life is simply responding to situations as they require. If you need to walk from your kitchen to your bedroom, it’s not necessary to stop at each step and “be present in the moment” and have a “spiritual experience.” Life itself is spiritual and no moment needs you to do anything to add the spirituality to it. There are some moments, such as catching a beautiful sunset, when you experience deep feelings and feel a greater connection to God and life. But no not suppose that such a moment is more “spiritual” than walking from your kitchen to the bedroom. It’s only that the two situations were different, inviting two different responses. Your life is your spiritual path… every part of it.(7) Rather than become fixated or caught up in the idea of “absolute truth,” let yourself simply be curious and mindful of the unity of knowledge that exists in our universe. I have found that the more I explore different fields of study/branches of knowledge or am more observant and reflective of my daily experiences that I bump into profound and universal truths that are meaningful in many different ways. Don’t make a new religion from what you learn and find, just be grateful and allow these discoveries to become a part of who you are and your experience of the world.So, the bottom line is this… you’re doing great, you’ll be fine, and you have a level of self-awareness that will help guide you forward. The best thing you have going for you is… YOU! Trust yourself. That little voice has a lot to say. Listen to it.

What if God is love?

You can’t define God or love, but if you could, you would be bumping into the same thing. In fact, the Bible says, “God is love,” which is why I capitalize the word (Love) when referring to it in this sense. If you wanted to shift your understanding of Christianity from a performance-based system to a love-based system, it might come out this way:Before: God is synonymous with religion.
Now: God is synonymous with Love.Before: Christianity is a belief system.
Now: Christianity is a school of Love carried out in apprenticeship to Christ.Before: God’s frame of mind toward humankind is disgust and anger.
Now: God’s frame of mind and His motive in all things toward humankind is Love.Before: I primarily experience God through religious rituals and acts of obedience.
Now: When I am experiencing Love, I am experiencing God.Before: Christian living is trying harder to be more and do more.
Now: Christian living is an overflow of God’s Love in me.Before: My source of Love is outside myself and I’m dependent on others to supply it.
Now: My source of Love is within me and while I enjoy the Love of others, I’m not dependent on it and can freely love others without the expectation of receiving Love in return.Before: I am created in God’s image, which means I have the capacity to make rational choices and exercise my free will.
Now: I am created in the image of Perfect Love, which means Love is the core of my identity and I can choose Love.Before: The main thing is getting people to adopt my beliefs about God.
Now: Loving people creates desire within others to know God.Before: Somewhere out there is God’s purpose for my life and I must find it.
Now: At every moment, God’s purpose for me is to be Love.Before: Being “in Love” is some temporary euphoric guy-meets-girl experience.
Now: Being “in Love” is walking in the conscious awareness of and dependent on God’s Love in me and as me.Before: Tough Love is withholding Love from others as a means of disapproval or attempt to bring change.
Now: Tough Love is Loving others without condition, regardless of the result.Think of the spirit of Christ within, seeking to awaken us and make us aware of God’s Love within us, and to free us to express this Love to all people everywhere.Perhaps you don’t feel Love within and for yourself, or doubt God’s Love for you, or see very little Love in the world. Perhaps you are surrounded by people who do not offer you Love. The truth that God is Love means far more than God simply choosing at times to offer Love or act in Loving ways. God’s Love is not a spigot that He turns off and on depending upon conditions, circumstances or how good you are. God IS Love, which means that at every moment God’s Love flows and is available to all people, all the time, everywhere, without condition. All that’s left is to remove what blocks your awareness of Love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.Sure you might not Love at times, but your behavior and attitudes don’t create your identity; rather, your identity creates your behavior and attitudes. Whoever a man thinks he is, determines what he says and does. If God is Love and you are His creation, then you are Love.I am convinced that the following five beliefs could change the world:God is Love.Every person, beginning with me, is worthy of receiving Love.My true identity is Love.The greatest gift I can give anyone is Love.

Being human together

I have discovered that human beings are beautiful - each person in their own different way. It's my conviction that people are fundamentally good, and I touch that goodness every day. There's no legitimate reason why we can't all be human together peacefully on this planet. I believe in my heart that this is possible. Traveling with an international human rights team, I was a firsthand witness to some of the worst atrocities in our world. And yet I still believe that deep down each of us longs for love and harmony in our relationships with one another and all living things. I believe we all feel this in our heart when we let ourselves go there.Let's go there.Religion should not be what divides us. Here are five beliefs to help us change our global discourse, sentiments, and actions about the power of religious, spiritual, and philosophical diversity for good.1. Every person can fully embrace and follow their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views without creating division, destruction, hostility, or hatred. ​2. Every person can find a rationale and motivation within their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views to be an instrument of goodness, peace, love, and compassion in the world, and affirm the inherent, equal, and unconditional worth of every human being.​3. Every person has the right to follow their own inner guidance in choosing their own religious, spiritual, or philosophical views and practices. ​4. Every person can participate in a process of personal growth, self-actualization, and fulfillment of one’s highest beliefs and aspirations, and encourage the same for others.5. ​Every person benefits when each of us follows our own unique inspiration for building a world that works for everyone.God is not a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, or a Buddhist. All of those are human systems which human beings have created to try to help us walk into the mystery of God. Every person can honor their tradition, walk through their tradition, but humbly accept that their tradition does not define God, but only points one toward God. I have come to believe that the truth that makes us one resides within each of us. It is not so much learned or taught as it is remembered in the deepest recesses of the soul.