WWJD – not this, that’s for sure!

Another personal blog!

2018, a time when attendance in Christian Churches is declining but, atheists are growing in numbers and opening ‘churches’! People are identifying themselves as spiritual, but not religious and a great number of individuals according to statistics believe in some kind of God and pray sometimes. Here in New Jersey the largest attendance in churches is still in Catholic churches – I was surprised by this factoid.

I was brought up in a home where religion did not exist, was not practiced and never discussed, neither was God, Jesus, or what one would do to be grounded in this world in the face of so many challenges. And, there was no conversation about what it meant to be a good person. While my home offered no guidance or comfort, I was equally blessed to be surrounded by a metaphysical community who believed in consciousness, compassion and kindness. THANK GOD!

But for me, Jesus remained a mystery, an enigma whose followers seemed to be filled with judgment and condemnation. Thankfully I began to look at him as a master teacher, but never was he a comfort, resource, or authority of any kind. To this day, I am still not certain that Jesus walked this earth, but I do love the idea of him.

What do I now love about this man named Jesus? I love all of the teachings and wisdom attributed to him. I love how he loved. I love how he prayed and how he moved faithfully through humanity. I love his teachings on faith and non-judgement and I love how human he was while being this amazing spiritual being. Oh, to live and love as he did, that would be a life worth living.

Where is my conflict? Of course, there must be one if I am blogging about it. I have witnessed followers of Jesus that are separatists, judgmental, and so often unkind. This pains me. How can you love and follow this beautiful being and act so differently from how he, himself taught? Jesus said: I am the way. For me, this means I Am is the way, the great I AM not that Jesus, himself, was the way. He wanted for each of us to reach deep within and embrace our full and divine birthright. He walked a path of acceptance and kindness touching the lives of the untouchables. His faith healed those who were scorned by their own. He loved unconditionally, is this not enough?

Knowing this, I just can’t believe that Jesus would want his name associated with the rules and dogma that has been so closely conjoined with his name throughout history. For me, let me walk as faithfully as this man Jesus walked, let me speak with his conviction, let me remember wholly that my I Am is the I Am of God and bring the same light, love, and healing that he brought. This Jesus is one that I can subscribe to, honor, love and even follow. And let me go forward and love those who would judge me for this blog and for my life!