Perhaps I'll get to that September summary before Halloween ...
I'm putting off my September summary for another day ... again. It took me longer than I thought to type up an email to my travel group (for Rome and Athens), and I can tell that I still need some recovery time from whatever exhaustion bug hit me during the weekend. I've already "pushed through" a lot today, so I don't want to do so now for a post.
Perhaps I'll get to that September summary before Halloween ...
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There are those who see their religion as a type of contract with God. As long as they follow certain rituals and say certain things, they expect to receive an eternal reward. Some even use the holy book(s) of their faith as a part of this contract, as though attaining heaven requires following a recipe.
I wonder if this is why most of the founders of major religions refused to write down their message, knowing that human language is not capable of handling the intricacies of meaning which they were trying to convey. It was only the disciples of Buddha, Socrates, Jesus, and even Mohammad who decided to write down their masters' teachings in an effort to preserve them. As a student of literature and history, I am grateful that they did so, but I also note how much of the spirit behind the ideals is lost when people attempt to put them into a formula for salvation. In today's Gospel, Jesus talks about the power of faith, but then immediately pivots to explain that there is no way to teach it. His disciples wanted that step-by-step guide from Him, but He explains that if He told them what to do and they do just that it would mean nothing because their faith would not have come from within. I'm reminded of the Taoist sayings that "The Way cannot be taught" and that "Once one thinks they know the Way, they do not know the Way." In essence, faith in God is part of a continual journey throughout our lives, every moment in question; there is no resting point where one can say, "See. I've checked off all the boxes. I've finally made it." I did not sleep well last night, but felt fine this morning. However, after being outside in the sunny but windy football stadium, I found myself completely wiped out. I now have a fever, and I barely have the energy to write this on my phone as I couldn’t force myself to go upstairs to my computer.
Hopefully a good night’s sleep will set me right. |
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