I once heard someone say, “Just because you don’t believe in God doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist.” Now, obviously, this person was talking to an atheist, and politely pointing out a perceived shortsightedness in his/her refusal to acknowledge the existence of a higher power. As always, I must state that I am not maligning or supporting the atheist’s position; however, I will point out that religious folks often suffer from the same myopia. They feel that those who don’t believe in God, or in following an organized religion, are incapable of doing good works. As difficult as it is to believe, the atheist and that religious person have quite a bit in common, for neither of them understand that there is no way for any of us—regardless of our deeds or beliefs—to separate ourselves from the Creator.
By way of example, I offer you the story of the Good Samaritan. The biblical story is so well-known that the term good Samaritan has become part of our every day vernacular and is even used in legal jargon. We know the Samaritan was someone who helped others, not for personal gain, but out of a simple desire to do good. We rarely, if ever, ponder what religion he practiced, or whether he practiced any religion at all. In fact, the good Samaritan was not Jew; we know this because in those days a Jew would not touch anyone other than another Jew. The Samaritan was not a Christian either, because, as we know, there were no “Christians” at that time. From these two pieces of information, we can reasonably conclude that the Good Samaritan was simply a kind person—a Gnostic or a mystic, perhaps. His actions were not guided by religious dogma or an obligation that assured his place in Heaven; instead, he was operating on his inner guidance to help a fellow human being in a difficult situation—one of those “Spiritual But Not Religious” people I mentioned in my previous post.
As I state in The Two Agreements: “By asking questions and engaging in an inner dialogue with the Holy Spirit you will receive deep, revealing insights into your personal world of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. In doing so, you will find rest from a belief system that has your body and mind as your own enemy.”
Remember the challenge issued to us by Christ: “Those who have ears to hear, let them hear. Those who have eyes to see, let them see.” Accepting this challenge is guaranteed to change your life, no matter what you believe, and I humbly invite you to do so, and follow the Samaritan’s example.
Artwork by Angelica North
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