The first-century Christian apostle Paul speaks to us across the millenia to inform us, to assure us, of the transformational promise and hope that is ours in faith, prayer and compassionate community. The shared, often documented, experience of the disciplined faithful over those years attest to the reliability of that promise and fulfillment of that hope. The Apostle Paul:
Set your mind on the things above, not the things in the world. Therefore, consider [yourself] dead to immorality, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. [P]ut aside anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech. And do not lie.
[Y]ou have laid aside the old self with its evil ways, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the [nature] of the One who created him--a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, for Christ [or God] is all, and in all.
And so, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bear with one another and forgive each other. Whoever has complaint against another, forgiving the other; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ [or God] rule in your hearts, and be thankful.
--The Apostle Paul's Letter to the Colossians, Chapter 3.
Surely we could choose to listen to worse advise, as many have. But, we could hardly find more worthy sentiments to embrace or characteristics to aspire to, however we may assess the Deistic authority or spirituality of this promise, or whatever it may mean to us personally.
For those of us who've found in Paul's words both resonance and a sense of personal affirmation of our faith and prayer intuitions (Christians of a type, mostly), they inform our evolving, increasingly transcendent sense of spiritual identity. Facilitated by a meditative and contemplative orientation, by mindful attention to God's creation, people, and realtionships, we can explore our own relationships and identity, and then turn prayerfully to our relationship with God.
A more universal sense of understanding and shared love can then fill the empty spaces in our evolving relationships in the world and with God. Those understandings and God's love, His compassion, caring and kindness, more often mark our relationships with others because they overflow to us in a deeper, more selfless and exploring relationship with God, the Reality of it all. And we find gratitude a sentiment more often reflected in who we are becoming.
(And the closer some draw to God, to that Reality, the clearer it seems that place is shared by the selfless seekers of many spiritual traditions, those loving, compassionate God-seekers, Truth-seekers, of Christian, Judaic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu,Taoist, and other traditions, too, no doubt. Now, wouldn't that be what you'd expect from the God who loves us all, from the Reality that speaks to us all?)
For those of us who've found in Paul's words both resonance and a sense of personal affirmation of our faith and prayer intuitions (Christians of a type, mostly), they inform our evolving, increasingly transcendent sense of spiritual identity. Facilitated by a meditative and contemplative orientation, by mindful attention to God's creation, people, and realtionships, we can explore our own relationships and identity, and then turn prayerfully to our relationship with God.
A more universal sense of understanding and shared love can then fill the empty spaces in our evolving relationships in the world and with God. Those understandings and God's love, His compassion, caring and kindness, more often mark our relationships with others because they overflow to us in a deeper, more selfless and exploring relationship with God, the Reality of it all. And we find gratitude a sentiment more often reflected in who we are becoming.
(And the closer some draw to God, to that Reality, the clearer it seems that place is shared by the selfless seekers of many spiritual traditions, those loving, compassionate God-seekers, Truth-seekers, of Christian, Judaic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu,Taoist, and other traditions, too, no doubt. Now, wouldn't that be what you'd expect from the God who loves us all, from the Reality that speaks to us all?)
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