From:
GOD
To:
My Children on Earth
Re:
Idiotic Religious Rivalries
My Dear
Children (and believe me, that's all of you),
I consider
myself a pretty patient guy. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took
millions of years to get it right. And about evolution? Boy, nothing is
slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place, cell by
cell, and gene by gene. I've been patient through your fashions, civilizations,
wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until
you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.
But on
this occasion of My Son's birthday, I want to let you know some of the
things that are starting to tick me off.
First
of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall. Enough already!
Let's get one thing straight. These are YOUR religions, not Mine. I'm the
whole enchilada; I'm beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims
there's only one of Me (which by the way, is absolutely true). But in the
very next breath, each religion claims it's My favorite one. And each claims
its Bible was written personally by Me, and that all the other Bible's
are man-made. Oh, Me. How do I even begin to put a stop to such complicated
nonsense?
Okay,
listen up now. I'm your Father AND Mother, and I don't play favorites among
My children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don't write. My longhand
is awful, and I've always been more of a "doer" anyway. So ALL of your
books, including those Bible's, were written by men and women. They were
inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there.
I made sure of that, so that you would never trust a written word more
than your own living heart.
You see,
one human being to me-even a bum on the street-is worth more than all the
Holy Books in the world. That's just the kind of guy I am. My spirit is
not an historical thing, its alive right here, right now, as fresh as your
next breath.
Holy
books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so that
the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction,
not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you
from trusting your own personal connection with Me.
Which
brings Me to My next point about your nonsense. You act like I need you
and your religions to stick up for Me or "win souls" for My sake. Please,
don't do Me any favors. I can stand quite well on my own, thank you. I
don't need you to defend Me, and I don't need constant credit. I just want
you to be good to each other.
And another
thing, I don't get all worked up over money or politics, so stop dragging
My name into your dramas. For example, I swear to Me that I never threatened
Oral Roberts. I never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. I never told
Pat Robertson to run for President, and I've never EVER had a conversation
with Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart! Of course, come Judgment
Day, I certainly intend to...
The thing
is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge
to Me. The true purpose of your religions is so that YOU can become more
aware of Me, not the other way around. Believe Me, I know you already.
I know what's in each of your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached.
Lighten up and enjoy Me. That's what religion is best for.
What
you seem to forget is how mysterious I am. You look at the petty differences
in your Scriptures and say, "Well, if THIS is the truth, then THAT can't
be! But instead of trying to figure out My Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature-which
by the way, you NEVER will-why not open your hearts to the simple common
threads in every religion?
You know
what I'm talking about: Love and respect everyone. Be kind. Even when life
is scary or confusing, take courage and be of good cheer, for I am always
with you. Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear My still, small voice
(I don't like to shout). Leave the world a better place by living your
life with dignity and gracefulness, for you are My Own Child. Hold back
nothing from life, for the parts of you that can die surely will, and the
parts that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy (I stole that last line
from Bobby McFerrin, but whom do you think gave it to him in the first
place?)
Simple
stuff. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're always
looking for an excuse to be upset. And I'm very tired of being your main
excuse. Do you think whether you call me Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Wakantonka,
Brahma, Father, Mother or even the Void of Nirvana? Do you think I care
which of my special children you feel closest to-Jesus, Mary, Krishna,
Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Me and My Special Ones any
name you choose, if only you would go about My business of loving one another
as I love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple?
I'm not
telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, honor them,
learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents.
But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than
theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special
place in your heart; I don't mind that at all. And I don't want you to
combine all the Great Traditions in One Big Mess. Each religion is unique
for a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best
path for themselves.
But My
Special Children-the ones that your religions revolve around-all live in
the same place (My heart) and they get along perfectly, I assure you. The
clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none.
My blessed
children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious
bigotries and confusion. The whole planet is connected by air travel, satellite
dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs
and concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help Me celebrate
the birthday of My Son Jesus, then commit yourselves to figuring out how
to feed your hungry, clothe your naked, protect your abused, and shelter
your poor. And just as importantly, make your own everyday life a shining
example of kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you
need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving,
and laughing together.
Finally,
My Children everywhere, remember whose birth is honored on December 25th,
and the fearlessness with which He chose to live and die. As I love Him,
so do I love each of you. I'm not really ticked off, I just wanted to grab
your attention because I hate to see you suffer. But I gave you free will,
so what can I do now other than to try to influence you through reason,
persuasion, and a little old-fashioned guilt and manipulation? After all,
I AM the original Jewish Mother. I just want you to be happy. And I'll
sit in the Dark.
