∆
I finally finish my examination of the Apostle’s Creed.
I had arrived at the litany of the faithful, beginning with the belief in “the holly spirit.” If I ask myself whether it’s possible to walk with the holly spirit and try to understand what God would have me do and be, the answer is an obvious, “of course.” Once I know that Jesus Christ lived as a man, and walked this earth with his family and friends, that he did die because of his teaching peace in a world of division and hate, I also understand that his spirit lives. That means that I can attempt to follow the path those incredible folks followed with the living Jesus two thousand years ago. According to the Bible they failed their master / teacher at times, and I know I will also, but that should not prevent me from the attempt to follow in their steps. *
As far as “the Holy Catholic Church” is concerned, I’ve already dispensed with it. As to the “communion of Saints” The binding together in love and peace of all Christians, living and dead, those in heaven and here on earth - I have no problem with that - as long as it can be extended to all of mankind because God created us all, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, and Hindu. Most certainly God loves us all! For the church to say that one must accept Jesus Christ as savior in order to be saved is absurd. As long as we all hold in common certain fundamental beliefs about loving behavior toward one another, the earth and God - why limit God’s intentions. I doubt that God does.
This is my crazy artist’s version of a Ven Diagram showing just 4 variables; Republican, Democrat, Muslim and Christian. I have made no attempt to balance the variables as they are not balanced in the real world. The area of consensus is extremely limited and it shows just how difficult it is in this human world to bring everyone together. So, while I am an idealist, I am not blind to the limitations we humans place on ourselves.
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* It also seems particularly applicable in this day and time to the political and economic position we find ourselves. I have had little patience with the Republican attitude toward Obama and the Economic Rescue Package, which has basically been that they will have nothing to do with him or it. At the same time they will lie about that refusal and blame President Obama for their own failure. I have been very angry and thought that Obama has been foolish to place trust in any Republican, most recently, Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), the no longer to be Commerce Secretary. However, it would appear that Judd Greg failed to follow in Jesus steps. So did the Obama people, because they did not trust Gregg to deal with the 2010 Census (his position about illegal aliens and other marginal people is well known). I have also failed because my gut reaction is not to trust Republican leaders at all. So, I will follow Jesus’ example, and continue to discuss politics with Republican friends hoping that unlike our government, we are able to come to some kind of acceptable consensus.
Credits
∆ Saint Giles with Christ Triumphant over Satan and the Mission of the Apostles, part of an altarpiece, 1420s - Miguel Alcañiz (or Alcanyis) (Spanish, Valencian, active by 1408, died after 1447)Tempera on wood, gold ground. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of J. Bruyn Andrews, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/eusi/ho_76.10.htm. Viewed 10:30 EST, Friday, February 13, 2009.
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