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Religion and Community by Rev. Wayne Stevenson A few years ago, I lived in Singapore. I remember the diverse population and religions. There were Chinese, Malay, Indian, American, German, French, Thai, Indonesian and Filipino people. They were Moslem, Christian, Buddhist, Confucian and Hindu. With all these cultures and differences, they lived together in peace and built a successful and tolerant society. It made me remember a verse from John 14: "In my Father's house there are many rooms." I believe there is a room "in my Father's house" for all peoples, every belief, every color, every lifestyle and every spiritual pathway. There is a room for the Christian, for the Moslem, for the Confucian, for the Jew, and for the Buddhist. There is room for the gay and the straight, for the Native American and the African American. The same God is known to all, no matter what name we may choose to use. I believe that encoded in our DNA is a belief in "a power greater than ourselves." God must have a wonderful sense of humor to listen to the myriad chants, hymns and prayers that we use. We all seek love and protection, peace and plenty, as well as some belief in life after death. We celebrate the birth of the Rabbi Jesus, whom we call the "Prince of Peace," yet we war over the particular spiritual road or lifestyle our neighbor may choose to follow. If Jesus were to return to Earth today, he would more likely be found in the streets of Calcutta or the refugee centers of Afghanistan or Iraq than in Rome or Salt Lake City. I believe that every soul is precious, and every pathway to God is sacred. There is no one sacred text, no one sacred ritual to be valued over another. The Buddhists have a saying: "There is but one pathway to God, whatever road you may choose, for all roads lead to the Divine." We have at our disposal the power to create a world where all are fed, where no child goes to bed without shelter and love, where we will "Practice war no more" (Joel 3:10). We have the technology and the resources to create a paradise for every human being on earth. We have the divine implosion to live in peace and to share all the goodness and plenty that we have been given. It is only a matter of changing our thinking and diligently seeking that place where we "love our neighbor as ourself" (Matt. 19:19). Rev. Wayne Stevenson is the new Pastor at Celebrate, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Church of Religious Science. Contact him at (952) 888-1973. Copyright © 2005 Rev. Wayne Stevenson. All rights reserved. |
