Interfaith Spirit Quest

Doing what you love

The latest craze is to find something you love and then make a living at it. And I'm all for it, but maybe this is not always the best way to approach your career. The problem with this idea is that once you make work of the thing you love, it could start to look more and more like just another job, and then you may not love it anymore.

Hobbies are supposed to take us away from the stresses of the real world. They put us in the zone, a place we like, because this is where we feel the Zen, where we can relax and just enjoy life. Some people like to fly in hot air balloons. We can easily see how this could translate into a great career. Charge people money to fly in your hot air balloon and right there you have a fantastic business model. But what happens when the weather is bad, or you live in Wisconsin, where we have winter for almost half the year? What happens if someone falls out of your balloon or gets hurt simply trying to get in the thing? Uff da. Pretty soon, the hobby starts to look more and more like a job and you don't enjoy it as much as you used to. It used to be that when the winds were just right, you would automatically start thinking about your beautiful balloon, now, you think of how many people you can fly around before the day is over because tomorrow it might rain! You know what I mean?

Hobbies, whether they are the kind you do alone or with others, are the equivalent of a personal, spiritual relationship with God. Enjoying the things we love is a form of worship. When we practice our hobby, and we receive the joy that comes from this practice, we are relating to God, who loves connecting with us in our happiness.

If you are unable to make a living while doing what you love, don't stop doing what you love. ABUBAKAR JAMIL

Einstein: Our task must be to free ourselves

  A human being is part of a whole, called by us the “universe,” a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few people near us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.                     

— Albert Einstein

Reflections on the 4 Agreements

Happy Thanksgiving!  We hope you enjoy the holiday, however you choose to spend it. Food, family, football, relaxing day off... We look forward to seeing you at our next meetup where we will continue our study of The Four Agreements and/or The Four Agreements/Companion Book, by Don Miguel Ruiz. The Four Agreements present a powerful code of conduct for attaining personal freedom and true happiness.   Visit the Interfaith Spirit Quest Meetup site for more details.

You can join in anytime - please read up through Chapter 4 of the Companion Book - or Chapter 3 of The Four Agreements book, depending on which book you might have, highlighting areas of interest as you go along. If you're not a big reader, just try to glance through the book and/or make yourself familiar with the 4 agreements.

REFLECTIONS on the 4 AGREEMENTS:
(From the Toltec Wisdom 4 Agreements Card Deck)

1. Be Impeccable with Your Word
Create a beautiful dream. Your word can create the most beautiful dream, or your word can destroy everything around you. Impeccability of the word only creates beauty, love, and heaven on earth.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
See other people as they are. When you see other people as they are without taking it personally, you can never be hurt by what they say or do. Even if others lie to you, it is okay. They are lying to you because they are afraid you will discover that they are not perfect.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Assume nothing. In any kind of relationship, we can make the assumption that others know what we think, and we don't have to say what we want. We assume they are going to do what we want because they know us so well. If they don't do what we want, we feel hurt and think, 'How could you do that? You should know.'

4. Always Do Your Best
Express your own divinity. You don't need the acceptance of others. You don't need knowledge or great philosophical concepts. You have the right to be you, and you express your own divinity by being alive and by loving yourself and others.

 

Respect for the beliefs of others without advocating

Interfaith Spirit Quest

From our Interfaith Spirit Quest blog post today in the Appleton Post Crescent, our local paper: 

We can respect without advocating.  This philosophy applies to many other areas in life besides religion; such as politics, lifestyle, sports... that about covers it, right?  There are those who are opposed to the 'without advocating' part; they demand that we accept, adore, affirm, and applaud what they deem to be true, right and good.  But we don't have to do this.  Doing so begins an equivalent retaliation; 'if I have to affirm your beliefs, then you have to affirm mine'.  This is not possible.   People conveniently ignore the truth of the other.  We can live in peace with each other when we share a mutual respect for each others belief systems without becoming their advocates or number one fans. 

After a dozen years studying religion and spirituality it became quite clear that there are many paths to developing a better understanding of God (Creator, Energy, Force b-with-u, choose your term).  In fact, I have come to believe that the path we are on is the path to God.  The more deeply we reflect and contemplate our inner nature and being, the better we come to understand 'the will' or desire of God.  Accountability for our actions come in the form of consequences (in this life or the next).  Actions opposed to the will or desire of God create the opportunity for personal development through a natural and divine process designed to produce a whole and harmonious personality.  Love, truth, beauty, goodness and grace are consequences of sincere and right (righteous?) efforts.

I respect the beliefs of others, including Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and others.  In fact, advocating somewhat, I even incorporate many of their spiritual practices into my personal spirituality; feeling most comfortable with the Christian tradition since it is my personal heritage.  I also respect the choice of others to worship exactly as their faith teaches, and not in general terms, but rather because these spiritual practices and disciplines more often than not produce well-balanced individuals who really try to love others as they believe God loves them. 

Sheila
Interfaith Spirit Quest
Calendar:  Meetup.com/interfaith
Appleton, WI

The nerve of some believers

The nerve of some people!  Isn't it irritating when people try to force their religion upon you?  I too am totally offended at the presumptuousness.... of many hard-line atheists.  'Believer' is usually a label attached to people of religious faith, but atheism is also a belief system, so the labels fits.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with one of these hard-line atheists about a controversial topic.  What isn't controversial nowadays?  The atheist, we'll call her Maria, was very concerned about prayer in school, believing that it is and should be AGAINST THE LAW.  She did not want her daughter exposed to prayer or religion of any sort while in school.  Maria went to her daughter's school and demanded that all the children STOP praying, like right now!  She said her daughter didn't need to be exposed to religion and that she was just the nicest, sweetest girl you'd ever want to meet (not that she was partial or anything) without any help from religious people or a so-called god.  When I suggested that perhaps her daughter's excellent character qualities could be due in part to the kind and loving believers her daughter was exposed to in school, she was shocked and offended at the mere suggestion of the idea.  Apparently Maria believes she is the only influence her daughter absorbs in life.

The path we are all on is the path to God.  Resistance only peaks curiosity - so if you really want your child to be an atheist - why object to such things as prayer in school?  In my mind, you only make her more curious.  Let your children learn from life - don't be an extremist by sheltering your kids from every outside influence.  The more you try, the more curious they become, increasing the likelihood that they may stray.  This holds true for Christians, Muslims, Jews and other religious believers as well.  If you force a child into Muslim way of life and they become exposed to other ways - they may leave their way to explore the other.  Only if they truly understand their religion from a love point of view, and it fits their love point of view, will they go back to it.  Only if they deeply understand and appreciate their own religion, will they be better prepared to love others in the special way that God loves.  A shallow understanding of religion is no religion at all, and this is how extremism is born again and again.  The religions we all choose to believe in are of our own creation, atheists don't like the god they've created, so they force their mind-god beliefs upon their children and everyone they meet. 

Think about a sweet little child, or even an exploring teenager or young adult, who is exposed to an angry atheist, angry because they hate people of religious faith.  Why would a God loving, sweet and innocent child want to be like you?  You come across as mean and nasty.  The Christian faith teaches the well known 'Love is patient' Bible verse to their children.  By the same token, they also teach exclusivity - telling others that they must believe as they do, or suffer in hell - which of course I don't agree with.  But perhaps, for the benefit of our children, we can at least agree on Love. 

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous;

love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly;

it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails...

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

I agreed with Maria that she might very well be a great parent, since she insisted;  I said morals have nothing to do with one's religion or lack thereof.  Morals are natural (the Bible also says that God has written his laws upon our hearts, maybe that's why I believe this).  Our multi-faceted nature also can make us violate our inborn moralities.  This is why in the Bible, the Lord said to Cain after he killed his brother Abel "sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.".   Even animals have morals and will not attack a human being unless they have been attacked in the past.  The people, like Darwin, who wrote about the evolutionary island of Galapagos teach us this. 

We must overcome this inclination of superiority and begin to realize we are all in this together.  We don't have to agree with, accept or affirm what others believe; we are free, at least here in America, to believe as we choose so long as we do not harm anyone, but it might be nice to allow a little more love from and for others in our hearts.  Love rules.

THE LAW is not always acceptable or even right.  I prefer to enjoy my Creator endowed rights by choosing to live by the SPIRIT and the HEART. 

Everyone needs a little affirmation now and then

Remember The Secret movie?  Here is a clip that didn't make it to the movie - but is equally inspiring, if not more so.  Esther Hicks in an inspirational scene depicting the law of attraction.   Be encouraged, affirmed and motivated. 

The Jesus Manifesto

Jesus Manifesto  New book release from Frank Viola, a Christian reformer involved with the 'home church' movement, and Leonard Sweet, a preacher, writer, communicator, and bridge builder between the worlds of academe and popular culture.

Will this be a milestone in Christian literature - a spiritual masterpiece?  I'm looking forward to reading the Jesus Manifesto and plan to post a review at a later date.

A new song released in conjunction with the book release (will open in Windows Media):  

"Just Jesus" by John Thompson

Book Synopsis from Amazon: 

"Jesus Manifesto" is a milestone in Christian literature - a spiritual masterpiece. It is both timeless and timely. The book contains a breathtaking unveiling of the beauty, glory, and wonder of Christ that speaks to both the head and the heart (something that few books combine today). The style of writing blends poetry with prose and is brilliantly sprinkled with metaphor. The content is illuminating, compelling, and even prophetic. Epic, true to Scripture, faithful to the testimony of the historic church, filled with seminal insights and written with exceptional prose, this little volume is a clarion call to return to the supremacy of Jesus Christ. For all of these reasons, "Jesus Manifesto" has come along "for such a time as this." -- Searching Together/Baptist Reformation Review

Read Sample Chapters on Google Books:

The Interfaith Spirit Quest Mind

There is a way, a path,

that leads to finding God within;

but there are many ways

to arrive on that path. 

If anyone ever tells you there is only one way,

remember the freedom you have acquired

by achieving the interfaith spirit quest mind. 

Discover the fruit of the

good religions & philosophies,

incorporate these into your life

and continue to enjoy your freedom of religion.

LOST - What just happened? An interfaith perspective

What just happened?  What is the meaning of all this?  One interfaith perspective on L O S T:  

It's about letting go for one thing.  If you watched the season finale of LOST on May 23, 2010, you may have noticed the multi-faith symbols embedded in the stained glass windows of the church, or sanctuary if you prefer, shown in plain view near the end of the program.  I saw all the characters on Lost as the human race, people from different parts of the world, people with different views of the world, fighting with each other; but discovering they shared something deeper than what apparently divides them (borders and religion to name just two).  Overcome at times by their hatred (the smoke monster represents hatred - which we sometimes manifest literally as destructive bombs, the results of our ego-emotions), they agreed to create this meeting place - this interfaith/multi-faith church/sanctuary - they knew they were different, but they also knew they were one - so they could remember the love and caring they shared, and then move on - into the white light where Jack's father went.  

The interfaith symbols in the final LOST episode were put there to show us that God is not a Christian.  God is God.  God loves and accepts people of all faiths.  The show tried to portray, I think, that all we need is a little faith.  A little faith in God, and a little faith in each other.  While it's not real, there are many stories and metaphors, much like the Bible and other sacred scriptures, that were used to try to explain the human condition.  

Ben, the one who chose not to enter the sanctuary was probably planning to go back to the island to be in charge, something I think he'd been coveting for quite some time.  His faith wasn't quite there yet.  There's always one hold-out, isn't there?  True in television - have to leave room for another series or movie; and true in life - some people want to hold on to their way of viewing the world - black & white - good & evil - right & wrong - love & war.  This sort of ruins it for everyone else, doesn't it?  Ah, but we are everyone else - we haven't moved on, have we?

This perspective will obviously fall short in covering all the bases, and it's just one perspective, but it's what I see.  As founder of Interfaith Spirit Quest, I am totally thrilled with the ending, for I believe there are genuine, pursuit worthy core values in the great religions of the world, and that if we can incorporate these values into our collective way of thinking, we will make a difference - and we will begin to see less of differences in each other. 

What do you think?  Some questions to think about:  

1. What was the purpose of the interfaith symbols? 
   
2. Why was it held in a church-like building?
   
3. What was keeping people on the island all the years?
   
4. By investing our time in L O S T for all these seasons, did we learn anything?
5. Who can make a difference?

I Choose Love - Love is where Freedom Flies - Music Video

Love is where freedom flies.  The choice is for humanity to find the strength to rise above their own personal beliefs and embrace their neighbor with love.  Is it possible?  Depends on you.  What is love to one person, may not be love to another.  The only way we can develop more love in the world, is if we stop forcing one way of living upon another.  This is not tolerance or acceptance, it does not require you to change your way, it is trust and it is freedom.  What do you choose?  I Choose Love.  

YouTube Music Video 'I Choose Love' by Shawn Gallaway - see lyrics below the video.

I CHOOSE LOVE

(by Shawn Gallaway)

I can see laughter, or I can see tears
I see a choice, love or fear
What do you choose?
I can see peace, or I can see war
I can see sunshine, or I can see a storm
What do you choose?

CHORUS:
Now I choose to live with freedom flying
From my heart where the light keeps shining
I choose to feel the whole world crying
For the strength that we can rise above
I choose love!
I choose love!

I can see sharing, or I can see greed
I can see caring or poverty
What do you choose?
I can see gardens, or I can see bombs
I can see life or death
Coming on strong
What do you choose?

CHORUS:
Now I choose to live with freedom flying
From my heart where the light keeps shining
I choose to feel the whole world crying
For the strength that we can rise above
I choose love!
I choose love!

I see us healing, the darkness dying
I see us dawning as one world united
What do you choose?
Love or fear?
Oh, we choose

CHORUS:
Now I choose to live with freedom flying
From my heart where the light keeps shining
I choose to feel the whole world crying
I choose to feel One Voice rising
I choose to feel us all united
In the strength that we can rise above
I choose love!
I choose love!
Oh, I choose love

(c) 2003 Shrabuvu Music (SESAC)