MANY WAYS

            It’s my way or the highway.  I get the sense that this is the attitude of most people where religion is concerned.  Even within the Christian faith, many denominations preach that their version of Christianity is the true version, and others are fakes.  They say that the way is narrow, and unless the spiritual seeker follows their particular doctrine, he or she cannot enter paradise. 

            Outside of Christianity, it is much the same.  Other religions are intent on converting the world to their beliefs, even forcing people to follow their doctrines.  They seek to take over governments and dictate the day to day lives of the people.

            As a child, my first choice of a career was to be a Christian missionary.  I wanted to save all the people in other parts of the world who had never heard of Christianity.  I thought it was terribly unfair that they would be consigned to hell because no one had taught them about Jesus. 

            My current work has evolved as another version of missionary work.  I do not seek to convert anyone, but to share the knowledge that there are many paths to God.  I believe we humans have forgotten that we are all made in God’s image.  Instead, we have tried to make God in our image.  We have designed a God who is narrow minded, prejudiced, and inclined to practice favoritism. 

We have forgotten that we are all sisters and brothers, created by one God, no matter what we call him.  No matter where we live in the world, we are all connected to each other and to God.  No matter how unconscious we may be about our spiritual nature, it remains vibrantly alive, ready to be discovered when we wake up.

We humans have a talent for trying to control others with beliefs which are reinforced by rules.  Over the years, we have caused great harm by insisting on division, separation and religious segregation.  We have created the idea of superior and inferior religions, with our own being superior.  Our actions have distorted the principles of Christianity and other major religions, which were originally based on love for everyone.

Can we hope to move toward an understanding of what it means to be made in God’s image?  Can we envision a God whose benevolence and grace allows people to approach Him according to their own culture and understanding?  Can we see God as pure love rather than harsh judgment?  Perhaps in 2008 our greatest challenge will be remembering who we are and who God is. 

Love and light,
Pat Churchill