NOW WE KNOW

January 07, 2020

NOW WE KNOW that the nameless God has a thousand names or more*...Now we know that God is beyond gender and has both masculine and feminine attributes. Now we know that God is unconditional LOVE, unrestricted LIGHT, and everywhere LIFE. Now we know that all faith traditions teach prayer and love/compassion towards everyone. Now we know that if we accept and respect our differences, peace on Earth can be visible and even Mother Earth will sense it. Now we know that even Science is helping us understand our own reality.
After reading and reflecting on all faith traditions, one has to conclude that no faith tradition is perfect__none. There is a crack in everything, that's how light gets in.** All have used violence/wars and imposed rules/commands to achieve its goal. However, LOVE is perfect and universal. All traditions teach love...love of the Ultimate Reality, love of oneself, love of others and love of Mother Earth. Over time, all religions need renewal, adaptation, integration.
The Spirit within keeps everyone alive and gives the people an inner sense of ethics/justice/freedom/wisdom. And therefore the people cannot be suppressed forever, giving hope for shalom and harmony throughout the entire world.
Early followers of faith traditions were no doubt holy/saintly but over the centuries, error filtered in and so today, wisdom and discernment is of essence.
And true even today we find whole/holy people in all faith traditions and otherwise. Who comes to mind?...Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Thich Nhat Hanh, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Etty Hillesum and others. Now we know how to live in Unity through LOVE.
Now we know that healing is through Presence from our True Self/ Spirit Self, from others, from nature including our pets and from prayer. Spirit/Love is truly all in all. Even scientists now discover that the entire cosmos is in a relation of love... LOVE truly sustains all...
We also know that Jesus warns us against legalism but unfortunately, too much of it still remains in our churches....by works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. Gal 2:16
Now we know (after healthy self-criticism or discerning knowledge), that we don't know much...inviting us to humility and reconciliation.
I am certain of nothing but the holiness of heart's affections...Keats

* Dieu/Dios is from the Latin Dei/Deus which derives from Zeus, a Greek god.

** Words from a song by Leonard Cohen

For more on world religions, read TRACING THE WAY, (Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions), 2002 by Hans Kung...a brilliant Swiss theologian of our time.
Kung writes that all cultures even primitive/tribal ones are "religious" in the sense that they all seek through rituals meaning and healing in their life...He adds that there can be no peace among the nations without peace among religions...

**O Lord, the different paths which people take, varied though they are, straight or crooked, all lead to you.** Hindu Prayer

Here is my conclusion on World Religions.
First, I am not a theologian like Kung whom I admire much but I do have within the Spirit of this Ultimate Divine Reality called by some, God/Allah/Yahweh...inspiring me to write the following: If we recognize that this Spirit of LOVE/LIFE is in everyone giving Life/Breath to everyone, then we will have respect for all cultures and for everyone practicing a religion and even for those of non-tradition. RESPECT (which is LOVE expressed) for all will become a global ethic. Violence will cease and harmony will reign everywhere. .

ALLAHU MUHIBBA (GOD IS LOVE) Qur'an

METTA, MAITRI  (LOVING- KINDNESS) Sutra on Love, Upanishad and Buddhism

LOVE COVERS ALL WRONGS Prov 10:12

GOD IS LOVE 1 Jn 4:8
For more on LOVE, read Sermon on the Mount Lk 6:20-23 and 1 Cor13:1-13

WITH LOVING KINDNESS I HAVE DRAWN YOU.   Jer 31:3

WE HAVE BEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.  Sang-Hee Lee (Paleoanthropologist)

BE STILL AND KNOW... Ps 46:10

LOVE IS THE GREATEST HEALING ENERGY...Sai Baba