religion
religion
Song: Religiously, Bailey Zimmerman
A topic of great mystery, controversy, significance, and misunderstanding is the topic of religion. At the same time, some of the most peaceful people and some of the most ruthless people put heavy stake in religion. On one hand you have the coming together of people for common good yet on the other hand you have people misconstruing the words given for the purpose of bad. Where do we come to draw the line? Where to we place the fencepost delineating what is acceptable adherence and what is not acceptable or even the works of the devil… Religion has built some of the most influential and beautiful people to exist, there is no denying the works of such as Mother Theresa or Mahatma Ghandi to name a couple. These people were born in strict religions such as Catholicism and Hinduism, but both adopted and welcomed the teachings of other religions. They are both notable examples of the positive impact of religious teachings and adherence. Both also show great personal aptitude in common peace and spreading good to all the people of the world. With that said… How do we choose a religion or where do we go to find our spot or group to follow? Personally, I forgo the entire concept of religion. Instead of focusing all my time and energy on one set of text or word from God, I intend to read or learn from every different religion and sect in hopes to gain mere more understanding of the common God we all praise! I was born a Christian and will die one as well, though I do not believe that Jesus’ work has any qualifiers… I call them qualifiers as I have found myself in conversations that often come to a place begging an answer to the question of “what must be done to earn salvation?” Most people have a few checkboxes at a minimum that need marks before you get through the gates. I do not believe in these qualifiers, I as a Jesus follower believe in his work being absolute and of significance beyond one set of rules to follow. My personal beliefs aside…
To presume I have the answer to that question would be boastful and ignorant at a minimum. Embedded in our adolescence on this earth and the nature of eternity in all directions of time and matter is the truth that we ALL are naive to how the afterlife works. I have read The Holy Bible thoroughly and studied Jesus’ teachings and accounts religiously, I also have read the Quran, Torah, Eightfold Path, and parts of the Agamas as well as most of the Gnostic texts and remaining dead sea scrolls including those enclosed in the Ethiopian Bible. At that end I find myself with desire. Desire for all to experience and live in the holy land just as God designed with each of our existences. Contemplating our existence beyond the cultural and geographical differences of each of our faith bases has been humbling for me. To learn about the different faiths and their love and generosity reminds me of how deep God’s picture and story does go. I cannot define how far that does go but I can admit that I do not know as well. I think we all find ourselves seeking deeper knowledge or understanding at some level.
Humble beginnings from dust will end in dust for us all. Lean on teachings and scripture as you progress through this life. And remain open minded, God loves you deeply.