Namaste

Why is my serenity so easily lost to politicians and preachers who declare that this is a Christian nation? Maybe it's because, next to a lie, part-truths get my goat the most. Through the lens of my mind-heart-life, I see the USA as a work of art, painted in bright colors of religious freedom. Freedom to subscribe to the belief or spiritual path one chooses. And the same freedom to opt out altogether.

 

Hanukkah has ended, and as we approach Winter Solstice, with Christmas on the horizon, I'm thinking about the "Christian nation" thing.  And wondering why I torture myself.  After all, this should be a magical time—the coming of Light, the renewal of love.  Whether you consider Jesus an inspiring teacher of love and kindness, your personal savior, or an interesting mythological figure, the season of his birth is traditionally a time for hope and happy celebrations.  So, it’s especially disheartening to witness the manufactured hoopla over a heartfelt wish for Happy Holidays—a greeting/wish intended for people of all religions.  It’s not a “war on Christmas.”  Quite the opposite.  It's about extending good will and inclusion.  (Here's an example of how strong the negative reaction can be, especially among "Christians"—http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/12/17/happy-holidays-salvation-army-attack/)

 

As I understand it, Jesus was all about inclusion. He'd be the first to say, "Good for you" to anyone setting out to explore a different spiritual path, wherever it might lead. He wouldn't put that explorer out in the street or out of his heart.  He wasn't prone to judging. And he wouldn't be happy to see the judging we’re seeing today—or having his name used to further an agenda of separation and exclusion. 

 

This country was founded as a safe place to believe as one chooses, to practice or not practice one's faith without fear or intimidation. To me, any love-based spiritual path is a good thing. I can respect your beliefs even if they’re different from mine.  No problem. And I would ask that you respect mine, as well.

 

My Hindu friends clasp their hands together prayerfully, at heart level, and bow as they say, "Namaste." This greeting roughly means "I see the Divine in you." Wouldn't it be great if we all would say Namaste to one another and mean it? 
 

 

People sometimes ask, "Are you a Christian?" (Yes, it does get that personal sometimes, especially in my native South.) If I say "no," the questioner often feels compelled to "save" me. So, I usually answer: "Although I'm not enthusiastic about labels, I might call myself an elastic Christian." My life has been expanded by various spiritual traditions:  Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism, and Native American spirituality.   When I learn more about Islam, that path is likely to offer inspiration, as well.

 

So, my country is not a Christian nation; it's a free nation. A spiritual melting pot, bubbling sweetly in a welcome-home kind of way.  It can continue to work well, unless one faith insists on being the only "right" one, unless one individual or group thinks they know what's best for others. With freedom, tolerance—and, most of all, respect—for one another, our diversity of cultures and religions is a magnificent gift. Magnificent.

 

In parting, I offer this from Sufi poet Hafiz's "Would You Think It Odd?" as a gift to you.

 

Would you think it odd if Hafiz said,
"I am in love with every church
And mosque
And temple
And any kind of shrine
Because I know it is there
That people say the different names
Of the One God."

 

Ahhhh, yes. Namaste.