Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, February 1, 2012

My continuing passion is to part a curtain,
that invisible veil of indifference
that falls between us
and that blinds us to each other's presence,
each other's wonder, each other's human plight.

Eudora Welty, American author


I think that if Jesus, or the Buddha, or Zoroaster, were here now, they would be teaching us to part the curtain. As a matter of fact, if I were to found a religion, I would definitely teach us to work deliberately to “see each other’s presence, each other’s wonder, each other’s human plight”.

I must admit that I am completely bewildered these days by what so-called right-wing religious folk (of whatever faith) seem to feel is the core of their Founder’s teaching or their Scripture. And even more bewildered that so many political candidates kow-tow to such folk. Can it really be true that Jesus or Moses or Muhammad was all about division, intolerance, judgmentalism, cruelty, even outright hate?

No. Absolutely not. All religions and Scriptures have been shaped by their disciples. All Scriptures have been distorted by the prejudices and the politics and the insecurities and the fears and the power-hungriness of their followers. But, for the true disciple - that one who fully opens her heart to the Messenger - they recognize the truth that lies often hidden.

It has been said that the opposite of Love is not hate, but Indifference. I agree.

See clearly “each other’s presence, each other’s wonder, each other’s human plight”. The Christian story says, in its doctrine of the Incarnation”, that that is what God did. Jesus was a great Master of that Path.

I want to follow that Path.

Brian+