All the World Together
We can each listen deep, we can each strive to follow God on the deepest level we believe we are able, and sometimes even deeper. We can each have deeply transformative experiences, find our own testimonies to the world and then resign ourselves, content to think, "I am working so, so hard, doing all these good works and listening to God; I am a good person, and this is more than enough," leaving the matter at that.
But it is not enough to follow God just in our personal journeys. We are missing the deepest, most difficult calling if we stop there. We are called to suffer together. Together we must help each other build the Divine Community, and together we must enter into it. All our judgements of each other, of ourselves, big or small, all our blame, accusations, hatred, violence, toward friends and strangers alike, all of it tears at our foundation, shaking us further apart, further from God.
We cannot ignore it. We cannot remove ourselves from the crimes of our fellow humans. We are all responsible. We must all suffer together, leaving no one behind. No one in the world. This is what it means to truly love, and to truly live in the Power of the Spirit.
So look to your neighbors, friends and foes, and declare "You, too, are coming with me," for none of us will make it there alone.
Love and Light,
Claire
But it is not enough to follow God just in our personal journeys. We are missing the deepest, most difficult calling if we stop there. We are called to suffer together. Together we must help each other build the Divine Community, and together we must enter into it. All our judgements of each other, of ourselves, big or small, all our blame, accusations, hatred, violence, toward friends and strangers alike, all of it tears at our foundation, shaking us further apart, further from God.
We cannot ignore it. We cannot remove ourselves from the crimes of our fellow humans. We are all responsible. We must all suffer together, leaving no one behind. No one in the world. This is what it means to truly love, and to truly live in the Power of the Spirit.
So look to your neighbors, friends and foes, and declare "You, too, are coming with me," for none of us will make it there alone.
Love and Light,
Claire
posted by Claire at 6:55 PM
6 Comments:
Amen, Claire.
I have found that one of the hardest things for me to understand about Quakerism is the corporate nature of our faith. This post speaks to that, in a sense. We are all brothers and sisters to one another. And God needs all of us as much as we do, if we are to have Heaven on Earth.
Blessings,
Liz, The Good Raised Up
When I was a kid in church - the bigger troublemaker you were the more likely you were to have a grownup - almost any grownup - say "You, come sit with me." On a community scale we often want to make misbehavors scapegoats - cast out into the wilderness with their sins. but the wilderness is getting smaller, and the answer I believe in is to get close to the problem people - even if close means loving and clear supervision.
In suffering together we are transformed. Withdrawing allows us to maintain illusions about others and ourselves; I think that's the root of judgement and violence. We have brokenness in common. Allowing it to be forgiven is our bond. It is the teaching of Jesus. But avoidance is a powerful urge.
The Latin word for "suffering together" is "compassion."
Greetings Dear Claire:
As a writer and spiritual person, may I commend to you my book, Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel, a mystical adventure tale on the Sufi path of Love. I think you will like it :)
You can view the book and read an excerpt at http://www.masterofthejinn.com
In the name of the Merciful, 10% of all profits go to charity.
Peace and Blessings,
Irving
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