Surat Al-Ikhlas - Maghribi script, 18th Century, North Africa I ventured over to the Spirituality and Practice website today and was stunned (in a positive way!) to find a review of a book entitled It's Really All About God (subtitled "Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian".) I definitely want to read this. The author, Samir Selmanovic, is "the co-leader of Faith House Manhattan, an interfaith 'community of communities' that brings together forward-looking Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists and others who seek to thrive interdependently."
Selmanovic is a convert to Christianity who has experienced distress over the self-serving attitudes and practices of organized religion. Here is something he said that just knocks my socks off:
We can either stay within the Christianity we have mastered with the Jesus we have domesticated, or we can leave Christianity as a destination, embrace Christianity as a way of life, and then journey to reality, where God is present and living in every person, every human community, and all creation.This reminds me of the part of the baptimal covenent in which we promise to "seek and serve Christ in all persons". We don't have to bring Christ to the person; Christ is already there. Rather, we seek Christ in the person. Big, big difference.
my socks have also left my feet :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad it struck you that way, too, Roberta! I'm going to be reflecting on that quotation for a long, long time, I think.
ReplyDelete