Leo Tolstoy on God

LEO TOLSTOY ON GOD: "When you look inside yourself, you see what is called 'your own self' or your soul. You cannot touch it or see it or understand it, but you know it is there. And this part of yourself--that which you cannot understand--is what is called God. God is both around us and inside of us--in our souls.

The more you understand that you are at one with God, the more you will understand that you are at one with all His worldly manifestations."

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Leave a Little Room: How One Movie Teaches Us About LOVE!



"God made so many different kinds of people; why would God allow only one way to worship?"

Martin Buber



Muslims against Hindus.

Hindus against Sikhs.

Sikhs against Christians.

Christians against Jews.

That's what I thought about as I sat through this fascinating movie, "My Name is Khan."



If you saw the movie, you know that it is powerful enough that it stays with you for a long time after you leave the theatre. A mildly austic Muslim man taught the world about putting aside all religious differences and speaking the common language of "LOVE!"

What a movie! I highly recommend that you see it!

There is so much about this movie, "My Name is Khan," that has spiritual and redemptive value.


I've always been "open" to people...all kinds of people...all of my life. But growing up, we tend to pick ONLY the people who look like us, because we think they are the only ones we can trust and love.

Well, I'm all grown up now, and I know that whatever your mama told you about "sticking with" your own kind is a LIE!


Obviously, our parents did the best that they could, teaching us values and how to conform to the world. They taught us about taking care of our health and our bodies, our personal and private affairs; they taught us about love.

They also taught us about who and where to worship.




In my case, it was Christianity. So, at a very young age
I learned about Jesus and all he did, like walking on water.


I wondered all my life exactly HOW Jesus could walk on water, until I studied Metaphysics and
found peace in my soul, that, Yes, indeed, Jesus
could have walked on water. "Thank you Jesus!!!"


But as I grew, a very obvious concern began to creep into my Soul!
My key concern was WHY do Christians believe that their way is the ONLY way!

I have posed the question about Jews to really loving people whom I know and asked them that if Jesus were the ONLY way to get to "heaven," then what about Jews?

"Oh, they are going to go to hell!"


Boy, oh, boy.

Now, tell me that ALL the loving and great and beautiful Jewish people whom I know are going to go to HELL, because they don't believe in Jesus!

Pardon my language...but that TRULY IS "B...S..." to me!

Since I've grown spiritually, I've learned to control my emotions.

But when it comes to spiritual ignorance and religious idiocy, I get truly angry, and I learn to quickly, very, very quickly, to disrespect the intelligence of
any person who tries to distance himself or herself from another group of people because they believe they are going to hell because of their religion!


Muslim extremists, too, believe we're going to hell, if we don't believe in the teachings of the Jihad. Read this piece from yesterday's Associated Press headline news:

"Before her daughter disappeared last fall, Christine Mott recalls that the 31-year-old who had been held in connection with an alleged assassination plot announced she had converted to Islam and told her family they'd go to hell if they didn't follow in her steps.

Jamie Paulin-Ramirez also began talking about Jihad with her Muslim stepfather and spent most of her time online as she withdrew from her family, Mott said."



Forget that among Muslims are some of the people who have perpetrated the worst crimes against mankind!

Why is it that logic, commonsense, human decency, intelligence, love... go out the
window when it comes to religious differences with some people?


Why is it that some people cannot think beyond what their well-intentioned parents taught them as children and grow up and still can't think for themselves?

Why is it that we believe that only OUR belief is valid and true?

Let us begin to "leave a little room" in our thinking that we're WRONG!!!


Let us begin to "leave a little room" to extend ourselves beyond ourselves to embrace others of a different color, a different race, a different religion into our hearts.

I'm not saying we need to get into "partnership" or into "bed" with people whose beliefs and practices are so different from yours. But in our hearts we can "leave a little room" for LOVING those people who look different and worship differently than we do.


To Jews, I ask: "What would GOD have you DO?"



To Christians, I ask: "What would Jesus DO?"

To Muslims, I ask: "What would Mohammed DO?"


To Hindus, I ask: "What would Krishna DO?"




To all groups, I ask: "What would GOD...ALLAH...JEHOVAH...YAHWEH... HAVE US DO?"
Within you is the truth. Know and embrace this truth now in your Soul!


As a Christian, I say, "Know the truth and the truth shall set you free!" John 6:32


Get past your religious beliefs and get into the Spirit within YOU...Doing so will allow you to ALWAYS "leave a little room" for others in your heart!




Go see the movie:"My Name is Khan," or make sure you rent the video!

It's powerful STUFF!

Namaste',

Che'

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

From email:
'Good one, Che. It's definitely got me thinking.

Love ya,

Anonymous said...

Another email comment:

This is one of the most important and beautiful blogs you've ever done! Yes, we are all individuals of a single species and it is evil, not the spirit of God, love, and religion that divides us, pits us against one another, and, most unfortunately, has the power to destroy not only human life, but the life of this planet.

I will see this film if I ever get over whatever goo I got in the winter, which is possible now that we have Daylight Savings Time and SPRING!!

Have a wonderful renewal!

Anonymous said...

From email:
Che,

I can’t wait to see this movie. Thank you

Personal Authenticity: "To Thine Own Self Be True"...

"To Thine Own Self Be True and it must follow as the night, the day, Thou canst not then be false to ANY man."
William Shakespeare.