Does sin abate when surrender abounds?
I cannot bow down to any lord, as solicitous scriptures suggest. I do not see how reverence to the lord God is any different then reverence to lord Caesar or lord Bush. The paradigm, the holding to hierarchy (patriarchal or matriarchal) is what needs to be dismantled for us all to live in unity. This is what I have believed, and yet, sin (defined as separation from true self, in my Book) continues to plague me. I wonder if surrender to the Lord God, release of my knees into soft soil, the buckling of pride and independence would not just bring me the freedom i seek. And yet, (yes, yet again) Ephesians states we are the adopted children of God. While an adopted child can (and did in Biblical times) have the same rights as a blood child, anyone adopted can tell you, it's not the same. If I am not of God's womb, how can a surrender to God lead me to my true self? We, God and me, never had the symbiotic relationship, the umbilical connection (according to what I read), so how can I return to wholeness through God if I was never whole in God in the first place?
And another thing. We are all One in God's love through the sacrifice of Christ. What about Buddha? What about Ghandi? What about MLK Jr.? What about the rest of the world? The Euro-centrism disturbs me. I want the Bible to make room in my head for a more global embrace of humanity. Seems to me that's what Paul was suggesting with his chain letter to all communities in Asia Minor. Still so much to learn. I must remember to read loosely.
Two thoughts...
ReplyDeleteThe first is that as an Episcopalian, there's lots of talk about the Lord, the King, etc. It really, REALLY bothered me at first, but over time, I realized that "bowing down to the Lord" is just the stuffy, British way of saying to make yourself an instrument of peace. The opposite of faith is not doubt- it's certainty. Just when you begin to think that you've got everything tied up and you know what's best, it's a short leap to self-righteousness *cough*Southern Baptists*cough* Sorry, got something caught in my throat. Anyway, I think of giving my life to God/Jesus as keeping myself open-minded and open-hearted.
I also think that in Eastern religion, it's the same God with different names. I am very serious about following the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. I practice Buddhist meditation and occasionally go to the Buddhist temple in my neighborhood. The great thing about Buddhism is that *they* aren't righteous about *anything,* so as far as they're concerned, I can be as Buddhapalian as I want.
I think Paul thinks everybody "gets in"...or perhaps the right phrase is "IS in"...Funny that this week I was researching Origen for Pam, where he talks about universal salvation FOR ALL in "On First Principles" (bases is argument on part on Romans).
ReplyDeleteHe was declared a heretic, by the way. So he must have been on to something...
"Whatabouts" are some of the things with which I struggle most as I try to orient myself on this spiritual journey. One of my aversions to Christianity in the past was that I always had this sense that claiming it precluded believing in the validity of other great spiritual teachings, precluding my belief that they are all paths to the same mountaintop. My greatest fear in pursuing this particular path was always that increasing certainty would close me off, make me like those who scared me away from Christianity in my younger years. So, here, feeling like a spiritual novice (perhaps in some sense one always does, even should), I find a lot of comfort in your questions. They make me feel less alone in my own.
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