some answered questions...

I smiled thinking about it.

Simply because it struck me as ironic that the last post - which was a sweet little ditty about loving others even though they have different, perhaps even opposing beliefs - sparked the most controversy so far... funny.

But then the more I thought about it, the more upset I became. If we can't even find a way to treat others with respect and compassion, or maintain some sense of humility in a blog - where we have hours or days to think about what we say before we type, proof read, skim the thesaurus, check spelling and hit "SEND", what hope do we have to respond in those ways in real life?
I began to feel that this blog was a waste of time. My goal was to speak something of value, to write something worth reading, because I know what these truths have done in my life and I wanted to share it and watch it produce good fruit in the lives of others! I began to think that this whole thing was a mistake, "this isn't what I wanted" I told my wife.

But when I got up early this morning and spent my time in silence, something occurred to me:

 there are no mistakes, only opportunities.

So I would like to take this opportunity to address some questions that were asked regarding my last post. There are 13 questions, but essentially they are one. By the end you will see what I mean. Forgive me for taking so long to answer, sometimes you have to wait until the water is still before you can see through to the bottom... for the Christians reading this, I guess you could say I was taking a moment to draw in the sand.

1). "Is this god/truth/love you speak of in the space between a satanist and a radical jihadist?" The Infinite answer is yes, but the finite answer is that you have misunderstood the main point. This "god/truth/love" I speak of is not a hybrid of multiple faiths. You can't combine Satanism and Islam to get a yummy God cookie. The point is that when people, ANY people, are willing to lay down the tools they use for building up their belief structures and the weapons they use to defend it so that they are better able to give/ help/ befriend their fellow human being, they are demonstrating the love of God. Not that I need to explain this to a Christian, but the point is self sacrifice. Living in a way that honors the noblest of human (you may wish to say Divine) attributes. Isn't that what your whole religion is about? Isn't it based on a gift? a sacrifice made for us even though we didn't deserve it? That's the point. So if a Satanist was to lay down his/her life for a radical Jihadist, then yes... "God" is in their midst, in that space between their beliefs, where love is manifest.

2). "Does this god bridge their beliefs?" I believe I already answered that, but in case you meant, "is god able to access the human heart even at these extremes, in spite of their beliefs?" then yes. (At some point down the road I'll talk about my own personal specific beliefs regarding the nature of "God", for now I'll stick with the idea of "Him" as a personified God: the big man in Heaven, watching, listening, etc...) God is everywhere, all the time, all knowing and all powerful. There is no heart beyond his reach. Period. 

3). "Is there truth between what the jihadist does with explosives strapped to his chest, and what the satanist does to animals?" Well, yeah. The Jihadist (which I'm not sure is the grammatically correct way of saying that) TRULY believes that he is doing the work of God. And the Satanist TRULY believes they seek a better way. You point out what they do to animals, but isn't your Bible full of animal sacrifice... initiated by the will of God? Surely animal sacrifice isn't your real issue. (side note, one of these days I'd like to post a blog about misconceptions regarding Satanism and various other religions... it's fascinating just how much we don't know about the things we judge). In Both of these examples that were brought up, the people (mothers, fathers, sons, daughters) involved TRULY BELIEVE what they are doing is right, just as some Christians believe that picketing the funeral of a homosexual soldier is doing the work of God. Never mind the grieving family, this is what "God wants". Of course... who am I to say? I can't stop those Christians any more than I can stop a terrorist from doing what they believe is right. I cant change their mind, or reason with them. Do I agree with them? Absolutely not. But here again, what is love? Where is God in all this? What if you had the chance to give your life to save that terrorist? What if by dying, I was able to save the life of one of those Christians picketing?" Would you? Would I? Perhaps the better question is, would Jesus? I think we both know the answer... and This is love - to lay down you life, even for your enemy.

4). "Does truth really bridge all religions?" Truth is not a combination of all religions, instead, each religious idea has grown from a seed of truth. Now whether that seed grows to be healthy, or whether it withers and dies, whether it produces wholesome fruit or produces worm filled balls of poison depends largely on how it is grown, pruned, watered, etc. We are the caretakers. But again, can Truth reach across any and all religious walls? Absolutely, yes.

5). "Do they all point like road signs to the god in the space between?" The Infinite answer, yes. The finite answer, if you look deep enough into any religion you will find a common thread, a longing to "know God", as I've said before - it's like gravity pulling us back to the source. At some point, we all go home.

6). "What about the Tibetan monk performing a sky burial where he chops dead bodies up into pieces so the vultures wont leave anything behind?" Who are you? Are you your body? Your organs, your brain, your blood? Well... I suppose partially, yes. But these things are merely a shadow of who and what you really are. The body is just a shell we use for a time and when we move on to the next stage in existence, who really cares what people do with the empty shell? Here in America we either burn it to ashes, or we dress it up, put makeup on it, take out the organs, plump it up with preservatives and stick it in a very expensive box before will dig a hole and stick it in the ground. Does it really matter? I like what Jesus said, let the dead bury their own dead. 

7). "Who declares whether these are rightdoings or wrongdoings?" Well, it seems that we all do! And we all have a different idea of where they fall on that wrong-to-right continuum. The Better question is, who will be willing to love the other in spite of those differences?

8). "Where is the space" (referring to the space between... where God is). It is both a physical place and a metaphorical one. "God" is everywhere all the time, so the space is everywhere, all the time. And metaphorically the question has been answered several times over, but I'll give a clear visual - It's just past your little stone wall of pride and through the doorway of humility, if you can get there I GUARANTEE you'll find it!

9). "If this god you speak of is the common love they all share... do you serve your god?" This "god" I speak of is like a river with a steady current. I do my best from day to day to strip off all the things that make me feel like me, unique, special, separate, and wade into the cool water with nothing but my naked honesty. I try to slip down into the water and let it take me wherever I'm meant to go. Some days I'm able to let go a little better than others. Sometimes I drift all day long, enjoying the sun on my face and the feeling of the air and the water on my skin. Some days I fight the current... but it only wears me out. This is the best way for me to describe it. I hope it answers you question. It's not a thing to serve, or obey. It's a thing to align myself with, or not. But I cant change it or redirect it. It wears away stone and feeds flowers by the shore... all a the same time... a great and wonderful mystery.

10). "Do you want to aspire to be like him?" day to day yes. I aspire to love, to forgive, to be full of joy and wisdom and peace, warm and bright as a fire for everyone around me. But that's just while I'm here. Some day I'll go home, and that river will run to the sea. 

11). "If it isn't god/truth/love, then who decides what is?" This is the question that was asked, but it's the wrong question. We all decide on a daily basis what's true, real, etc. The better question is whether we will choose to love those who see such things in a different light.

12). "Does this space where god is, respect the different ways these cultures and people groups express love?" The expression of love from one human being to another is our way of respecting God and the various ways in which people show love are all beautiful and all equally sacred.

13). "What is love? Is it different for different people or is there a universal definition?"

This is the ONE question I mentioned earlier.

What is love? If I were able to define this accurately for you, you would have the True definition of God.

 I am not so enlightened. I can only tell you what it does, how it effects us. Much the way we can only define gravity based on how it effects things. 

Although hatred stirs up strife, Love covers all transgressions, Love builds up, Love is patient and kind, Love isn't jealous or arrogant and it doesn't brag. Love doesn't behave rudely, nor is it selfish. Love isn't provoked and it doesn't keep tabs on all the injustice that its suffered. Love doesn't rejoice or gloat over the ignorance of others, but only in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails, though all else will pass away, Love will never fail. Love is greater than our faith and our hope. This is true of Love, and certainly a Truth any Christian will recognise. 

Love sacrifices itself for friend and foe alike. Love is what enables us to forgive those who have left scars on our hearts. Love is the only fingerprint of God, by whatever name you choose to call him, because without Love there is nothing here worth fighting for, nothing worth living for and certainly nothing worth dying for.