I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve written on matters of faith/religion/spirituality. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time. It’s probably time for me to explain.
Initially, I was drawn to what the earliest Christians writers said about Jesus and the way he interacted with those around him. He showed us what loving one another looked like, how to take care of those most in need, and how to break socioeconomic barriers.
The New Testament authors relayed their understanding of what it meant to follow The Way. In Mark, the earliest of the four Gospels, Jesus began his ministry with “come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” intent on leading and investing in his first followers (Mark 1:17, also see earlier post Jesus’ call to be leaders). And in a similar way, I felt that I was being called to learn more about the Christian faith. What followed for me might have been predicted by wiser souls, but was just part of my unfolding journey.
I studied the historical context of early Christianity. I looked more critically at the Bible and quickly learned that I couldn’t take it literally–and I don’t believe it was meant to be taken that way. It’s a wonderfully ancient collection of literature that gives readers the opportunity to learn about people who were trying to make sense of their family, community, and a loving way of life.
The thing is, the more I’ve traveled on this journey, the more appreciative I have become of learning from people with different cultural and religious backgrounds. I once again picked up my copy of Tao Te Ching to read and learn from the wisdom of Lao Tzu. I found myself reading and searching out articles about His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Just last night I began rereading “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” by Carl G. Jung.
And so, I continue on my journey reading and exploring how I can live my life in a way that brings belief systems together rather than emphasizing separateness.
