"THE HOLIDAY & GOD BY MANY NAMES"
The Dali Lama, Buddha, Jehovah, Jesus, Krishna, Mohammed, and Yahweh. The value in Difference.
My friends, this Holiday season I come to you with one basic message. Love one another. Learn from each other. Grow because of each other. Live in the Light and not the dark. Do not be blinded by the light. Feel the warmth in its glow. Let your God fill your hearts with Peace, Love and understanding with compassion for your fellow man. For this is the way we all can reach the same conclusion. That, there is a better place waiting for us on the other side. Where our loved ones passed, and those yet to be born, await us in Golden Glory. There has to be more to this life than just living.
If one has never heard the Word, nor been exposed to Scriptures from the Koran or Holy Bible...would that make them doomed to Eternal Damnation just because they haven’t? Do we honestly believe those whom have not…will suffer the same as those whose sins have not been forgiven or turned into a 'debt-owed' as each of most religions attest and command? It would seem that couldn’t possibly be the case, though this is why wars are fought and sacrifices made throughout history.
he great Dali Lama, spiritual leader of many, many millions of Tibetan Buddhists world-wide has made an interesting comment this past year. When asked philosophically of what man can do to find the right path and its rewards, his reply absolutely stunned millions. He said (I para-phrase here)"Do not follow me! Go back to your own religions and be the best you can be for that religion. They all need devoted followers such as yourselves! There is some good to be had in ALL religions!" This was NOT the answer most devotees had expected. Many looked to him as the leader and most righteous of all here on Earth. Whether he was or wasn’t, who am I to say? You may believe what YOU want, and I respect you for that belief. His answer sent the world into a tizzy.
Ever since the hippy days of the 1960's, when Beat-niks and flower children lit incense and were listening to Ravi Shankar and his Sitar, many learned and followed the Eastern religious philosophies as the true 'light and the way'. Whether Christians or Muslims, 7th Day Adventists, or Hare Krishnas…it seemed the answers lay somewhere in the mountain heights of Tibet and in the teachings of the Great Buddah. This has never sat well with the Muslims or Baptists, Mormons or Shintos even. All had proclaimed and believed theirs was the right and only way(s). The real answers lie somewhere in the middle.
So, what if I believe in Jesus as the only true way to get to Heaven? Or that the Great Mohammed rose to heaven from the rock beneath the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem? What I believe personally is not what this is about. It is about belief and faith in general. Many have died for their belief as the one and true way. I sit here today to tell you that I believe "our" God probably has a better sense of understanding these things than we do. As I said. That’s why wars are fought, and empires tumble. And its not gonna change anytime soon. But I believe there will come a day in the not too distant future where we all will come to a mutual agreement about what and who God is. It may not come in my lifetime, but it will come. The answer so wisely given by the Dali Lama was the closest answer…even though up the middle of all somewhat… that I have ever heard.
We all need to be the best of what we can be for each of our OWN religious belief systems and God(s). Is it right? Is it the right way? What exactly did he mean by that statement? Hell if I know! (Pun intended) But, I get it. I always thought that we should not pass judgment on anyone else. Maybe it was all those years of being a musician throughout the "hippy era" where we all learned tolerance and understanding…or at least TRYING to be understanding. And yes, even I, after all those years of studies with the Nuns in Catholic school, took to Yoga, Meditation, and to chanting "Hare Krishna, Hara Krishna, Krishna-Krishna, Hare-Hare" etc. It wasn’t that I changed beliefs, but moreover, it was because I wondered if there wasn’t something to EACH of the religions and what they believed in, taught and died for. I realized a well rounded view would only help my understanding of Jesus as the Savior. Something I may or may not believe, because to get my point across here, I wont go into my own personal beliefs. This is about everyone's beliefs. There has to be some greater meaning in all of it. And (for one minute let me address my own Christianity) I had to believe that even Jesus would want us to be tolerant and understanding of each other. And Mohammed for that matter. To me…it all seemed clear.
I have a good friend who is a staunch Christian. When I posed the question of right and wrong beliefs by say the millions of Chinese or Moslems...he just said 'Well! They're just WRONG!' Jesus is the ONLY way!" I smiled and chuckled and posed him the question again addressing the love and compassion of a loving God. Would He make those people suffer forever in the fires of Hell just because the millions of them either didn’t believe, or just that they havent been exposed to what he thought was…(for him)…the truth? I told him "You can't DO that! You can believe youre right…even KNOW you are right...but you can't just flat-out say they are WRONG!" You have to have respect. Even for things you know or believe deep in your heart to be wrong. Again, that’s why wars are fought and governments toppled.
I think God would be tolerant, right? And if thats true, then so should I be. This was one very powerful truth learned through the '60s and 'flower-power’. Respect of beliefs. If I can sit at a dinner table with the heads of 10 major religions, and we break bread in peace, then should I grab the sword and scream "You're Wrong! Youre all wrong!" Or would it be best, in love and understanding to listen and try to understand all the other points of view? Some, like my friend, believes I should jump up on the table and start swinging my knife. (Isnt that how we got this way to begin with?)
My way! Your Way! His Way! Jesus's way! One Way! That way! It all sounds like traffic signs along the freeways of life. Again, I believe I know the truth…for me at least. But, what that is, is irrelevant to my point. We each of us, of all the world's religions, deserves to be heard and respected if we in turn want the same for us. After all. Jesus listened. Can you sit there and dismiss everyone and everything that disagrees with you and your beliefs? You wouldn’t shop at any store and buy any item for your home, family or business if you prejudiced yourself by only shopping at those stores who held fast and shared your religious beliefs. But, you DON’T, do you? We shop at the Pakistani convenience stores. Pump your gas at the Arab stations. Buy your jewelry from the Jews and their Mall stores, right? So, who is the hippocrite here? We all are. We would starve, and wouldnt get anywhere without putting gas in our cars.
How hard would it be if we only shopped at Christian markets, Christian mall stores and gas stations? Oh. And cut off that cable with it's non-Christian stations, movies, commercials and programming. Have you done that yet? Are you being in denial of all things non-Christian? And you know all media is run by the Jews right? So ,stop watching the news and reading any papers or magazines too. And that next vacation? Forget going anywhere with that non-'believer gasoline, and to those vacation destinations owned and operated by Jewish Americans. And forget most of your Doctor appointments too. And buying all those medicines that prolong you and your family's lives. My point here? It's all about differences. Ideals. Beliefs.
If we all segregated ourselves and isolated ourselves in those areas and places that were say all Christian or all Jewish or all Muslim, we'd all starve, get no medicines or tests to even determine that we NEED any medicines! Maybe now for just a minute, you can stop being angry with me for toying with your belief systems. For me, I know there is only ONE WAY. And, I'll leave it at that. But, I am never too old to learn something new that I can apply to my beliefs to help me be a better person and an asset to my own religion. Never stop learning and growing. Never stop sharing the WORD with any and all who will listen. But my point is more about when WE should listen as well. After all. Isn't that the point? To grow and profess truth and light and to let others know there is a way to transgress life and all its problems. If that IS true…then we too must learn when to shut up…and when to listen to learn.
In Jesus's missing years between the ages of 12 and 30, did you think he was out building tables and cabinets? Hardly. He was LEARNING. And LISTENING. From everyone. We tend to forget that He was a Jew studying Jewish scriptures from Hebrew teachers. Have YOU studied any Hebrew scriptures today? Any books of the Torah this week? How about last week? Last year? Have you EVER? Jesus did. So did Mohammed. After all…."He who castes the 1st stone…"
So, then maybe now you get even a small inkling of where Im coming from. Its where Jesus and Mohammed themselves went to and came from. Teachings. Many teachings from all teachers and all times and from all places in the then known world. And we should do the same.
There was no Christianity in Jesus time. It by the very name was of-Christ. Christ-i-anity. So we celebrate it as though he studied it. He did not. He CREATED it. So whatever and however he studied the Torah, you may now believe it is Christian. It is not. All things came from his studies. And if we want to cast the 1st stone…you better get a really big stick to hit it back. And a larger glove to catch it, because we have a long, long way to go. And, for me? I just can't wait to find out.
Merry Christmas, my friends. Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanza too. You see? It takes all of us to make one whole world. Peace. Love and Light…Always.
"Hurricane" Duane
Johnny & The Hurricanes, Inc.
"Drivin' Sideways in Detroit!"
