When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam: I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.
*Woody Allen
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The disciples could not understand the seemingly arbitrary manner in which some people were accepted for discipleship and others were rejected.
They got a clue one day when they heard the Master say, "Don't attempt to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time - and irritates the pig."
*Anthony DeMello
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I went to serve as Pastor of a fundamentalist church. I had been warned by a member of the church I previously had served near the University of Florida, a moderate congregation, of likely strong resistance I would face. My first class at the fundamentalist congregation was on the Lord's Prayer. I taught it from deeper spiritual meaning, rather than from any particular dogmatic orientation. Many received the sharing with enthusiasm. Lives were being touched by the Spirit, tears flowed, and persons were praying with and over each other. Certain persons inside and outside the group were not prepared to allow this movement to continue. Other persons, used to a conventional, doctrinaire, and dry approach did not understand this fresh, enlivening movement of Truth-as-Presence. Some simply did not want such a movement, unless it concurred with their dogmatic presuppositions. One such man was a retired pastor who was very much into his fundamentalist control-complex and another person, a woman whom I came to call the queen of the church. Disgruntled members aligned others with them, even persons who were not in the congregation. Therefore, quickly this movement of the Spirit was thwarted by personalities who were not prepared to allow the continuing of this grace. Soon the congregation was split in two groups and, eventually, the congregation returned to its previous status quo. I, within a year-and-a-half, and after repeated personal attacks on both those who supported me and on me, was removed by my Bishop to serve another congregation.
Despite the opposition, there were persons who wanted this engagement of Truth, who were tired of “church-as-usual.” Their lives were changed, their faith transformed. They experienced a shift from the ab-normality of dogmatic teaching to a more open, graceful approach to the Gospel of Jesus. This approach meant giving priority to Truth-as-Presence and Truth-as-Teacher, rather than truth as ideas and a person - usually male - as teacher.
What was blessing lives was due to an evolutionary move beyond the subject-object split that characterizes most religion. Here, persons were being taught Truth by Truth; this means the direct experience of Truth-as-Presence is the work of Grace - for Grace is Truth -, and any ideas are presented only to serve the blessing of Intimacy and Sharing. And, thankfully, Truth is not anything from fundamentalist conservative to fundamentalist liberal: Truth is Truth. Truth, then, has no agenda imposed from outside, either in agreement with or contrary to Truth, for Truth needs no agenda outside Itself period. Truth moves among us, welcome or unwelcome. As we allow the deepening of our "Yes" to Grace, Grace manifests more of Itself to us, Truth unveils Itself. Let us welcome Truth, Truth that seeks through and in all to love and be loved, as One in the Light of Grace.
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*Embracing the Light, Fe Langdon, Flickr
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*Lotus of the Heart is a Work of Arem Nahariim-Samadhi ~ a Hospice Chaplain, interspiritual author, writer, poet, and bicyclist. He is someone in love with Life and inviting others to that same ecstasy of Love ~ and, by the way, herein is nothing he claims as his own.
