John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, once commented on the dogmatic beliefs of one of his conservative contemporaries by stating, “That man’s God is my Devil.”  And while it is certainly not in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ to utter condemnatory remarks about those who oppose us (“Love your enemies”), it IS important to “listen with your gut” when attending to the spiritual beliefs of another.  In essence, if it “feels wrong” when you hear it, pay closer attention and figure out why.

Dalton Roberts summed it up well when he said, “ Never believe anything about God that offends your inner being. Never believe anything about God that would offend the sensibilities of a child.” We have not been given a neo-cortex and a conscience to let them sit idly by while we fearfully follow another’s religious ramblings.  We must use those gifts or they will recede into impotence.

And how can we best do so?

Not with our words or our thoughts, but with our actions …

John Wesley made another powerful statement with regards to worship & fear — He said, “Set yourself on fire and they will come from miles around to watch you burn.”  What at first seems to be a disturbing call to masochistic self-immolation actually contains a powerful metaphoric Truth:  that we must be willing to courageously walk our own unique spiritual path in order to thereby have a powerful effect on others.

Every Soul’s path is a journey back to Oneness — a state of being that every person can experience in the moments he or she chooses to “be Kind when least inclined” — to actively care for another when she/he least wants to do so.  This requires facing fears consciously and worshiping uniquely.

And both require Courage …

Filed under: Practical Tips for Peace-full Living by Scaughdt