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If each of us would commit random acts of kindness - once a week, once a day- enough to be noticed, might it make a difference?
If a city would proclaim a 'random acts of kindness' year, what could happen?
If classroom students were encouraged to commit acts of kindness to fellow students, might it mold a new generation?
Could a world day of kindness be encouraged by the UN?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Faith Is Action
I have always asked too many questions. This was never much of a problem until I began (and continued) asking them of clergy. In the process I discovered that religions (I can only vouch for the Christian ones) have many different definitions or understandings of words they commonly use. My quest has been to find definitions that I can make sense of. Note that I do not insist that EVERYONE makes the same sense that I do.
Some of the words that trouble me no more include: Faith, Hope, Love, Salvation, and Justification. The core word, of course is faith.
Martin Luther (I was born a Swedish Luthren) discovered that we are justified by faith (not by works, or indulgences). James contended that he would demonstrate his faith BY his works. When we talk of "our faith" today, we usually mean our set of beliefs, i.e. faith is a matter of the mind.
I have come to reconcile these ideas by using the examples from Chapter eleven of Hebrews to clarify the definition of faith. Abraham walked by faith and it was counted as righteousness... What Abram did was hear a specific message from God — a somewhat crazy message in the times when one's personal identity belonged to a tribe or a location. Abram heard God say to "Go." First he went a little way, and then he was told to go a long way. So the first requirement of Abram's faith was to allow himself to listen to God. The second requirement was to act, or obey. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Yes, until we begin to ask ourselves when was the last time we heard God speak specific instructions to us?
Most of our religious culture expects us to listen to our parents, then listen to our group's beliefs as understood in our local religious community. Spiritual 'discipline' begins with the practice of obeying a local leader, whether preacher, pastor, priest, or high ecclesiastical authority. The Friends (Quakers) are the only group I know of that practice listening to God (or to his Spirit) for personal and group guidance. Since most of us have not learned to expect to hear directly from God, the first requirement of faith is difficult. If we don't have the first, the second is impossible (if we use only Abram as an example). Notice that many examples are cited in Hebrews 11, not all are the same.
Abram's/Abraham' s story has many repeats of the same process: hearing a specific order from God, then obeying (more or less).
Some of the words that trouble me no more include: Faith, Hope, Love, Salvation, and Justification. The core word, of course is faith.
Martin Luther (I was born a Swedish Luthren) discovered that we are justified by faith (not by works, or indulgences). James contended that he would demonstrate his faith BY his works. When we talk of "our faith" today, we usually mean our set of beliefs, i.e. faith is a matter of the mind.
I have come to reconcile these ideas by using the examples from Chapter eleven of Hebrews to clarify the definition of faith. Abraham walked by faith and it was counted as righteousness... What Abram did was hear a specific message from God — a somewhat crazy message in the times when one's personal identity belonged to a tribe or a location. Abram heard God say to "Go." First he went a little way, and then he was told to go a long way. So the first requirement of Abram's faith was to allow himself to listen to God. The second requirement was to act, or obey. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Yes, until we begin to ask ourselves when was the last time we heard God speak specific instructions to us?
Most of our religious culture expects us to listen to our parents, then listen to our group's beliefs as understood in our local religious community. Spiritual 'discipline' begins with the practice of obeying a local leader, whether preacher, pastor, priest, or high ecclesiastical authority. The Friends (Quakers) are the only group I know of that practice listening to God (or to his Spirit) for personal and group guidance. Since most of us have not learned to expect to hear directly from God, the first requirement of faith is difficult. If we don't have the first, the second is impossible (if we use only Abram as an example). Notice that many examples are cited in Hebrews 11, not all are the same.
Abram's/Abraham' s story has many repeats of the same process: hearing a specific order from God, then obeying (more or less).
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