Bo Lozoff on Tour

Human Kindness Foundation a little good news Christmas 2006 A FRESH LOOK AT THAT OL’ TIME RELIGION cave, Jesus goes out into the desert, Buddha sits under a tree ear Family, and vows not to move, Native Americans go into the DAs I walked through the hall of one prison in the wilderness and sit in a little circle on the ground. All the midwest recently I overheard one inmate saying to traditions stress turning inward, alone and in silence, to another in an anxious, worried tone of voice, “But is Bo a commune with this great force inside of us. That’s the Christian? Is this a Christian program?” inward teaching of all religions. Call it Communion. That was not the first such conversation I heard along those The outward teaching is just as simple: When we come out lines. In more and more institutions I encounter a very of the cave, off the mountain, back from the desert, when worried Christianity, as if Christians might immediately go we stand up from our spot underneath the tree and open our astray if they found themselves listening to a few words eyes and put our feet on the ground, we are supposed to from a spiritual elder of another faith. love and respect each person, creature, flower and rock that My, oh my. Where do we begin with the Good News that life places in front of us. This is the outward teaching of puts all that worry to rest? First of all, my dear sweet every great religion. Call it Community. Christian brothers and sisters, the Christian faith is not so Communion and community. I have written about them frail and weak as that. It is strong. It is a mighty force. It is before, but we seem to need a reminder these days. There is supposed to fill us with a powerful love that can go no religion that does not stress these two principles at its anywhere and mingle with anyone who wishes to “eat at the very core. Before the religions differ in any way, all people Father’s table.” Believe me, you will find Muslims and of faith are told to turn inward toward the Divine, and turn Jews and Hindus and Buddhists and Wiccans and Native outward to love our neighbor as our self. You can’t really be Americans and all the rest of humanity at that table. No a good anything if you don’t practice these two fundamental religious identity cards are checked, just the goodwill in our principles. And if you do practice them, you’re basically a hearts. Jesus told us this. He said, “Many will come in my good everything. So relax and enjoy the profound simplicity name [calling themselves Christians], but don’t be of your religion. How’s your own balance of Communion impressed by that. Look for those who do my Father’s and Community in your everyday life? work.” The Father’s work – feed the hungry, clothe the There is no religion that is being practiced very well by the naked, visit the prisoner and the sick, love our neighbor as masses. That has always been true. That’s why Jesus warns ourselves. “ALL are welcome at my Father’s table.” us about the “broad way that leads to destruction” (the way Again, this is a strong force, not a fragile identity that can most people are following), and the “narrow way that leads be polluted or shattered by a person of faith from another to salvation” (really following and becoming our faith). tradition. In fact, try to understand that it is virtually When CS Lewis, who is considered one of the greatest impossible to be a good Christian without also being a Christian writers of the 20th Century, was asked why he was good Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Wiccan, etc. In this always criticizing the church, he responded, “I have nothing holy season of Christmas, let’s finally embrace the heart and against Christianity; I’m just waiting for someone to try it!” reality of religion itself. You and I are invited to try it. We are invited, especially Religion – before it splits off into different names – is during this Holy season, to become strong, calm, kind, quiet simply about two things. Every classic religion on Earth is a and humble followers of the Great Way. Not loud and simple two-sided coin. There is an inward teaching and an proud, “Jeeezus this and Jeeezus that,” not shoving His outward teaching, that’s all. The inward teaching says there name down people’s throats. Instead of shouting “Thank is a Divine force that is absolutely real. It is beyond all you Jeezus,” we could better express our thanks to Him by limitation and description, it is Holy, much greater than we devoting ourselves to comforting the afflicted, raising up the are, yet mysteriously it exists within each one of us, and we poor and downtrodden, sheltering the homeless, treating our are supposed to spend some time being quiet and humble in brothers and sisters of other faiths with respect and love. order to turn inward and commune with it. This is why Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus actually does not want us Jesus told us to “go pray in the closet.” Moses goes up to to beat others with His name like a baseball bat. He wants the top of Mt Sinai, Mohammed goes into the darkness of a us to love others as He loves us – without first asking whether they are saved; without first asking whether they Ahh, it’s always so much easier to talk the talk than to walk are Christians. the walk, especially when Jesus’s walk requires us to give our lives to others. Our modern consumer culture urges us Imagine someone who has never heard of Christianity or of constantly to think of ourselves, and Jesus tells us to do Jesus. Their only exposure to Him is through you. What exactly the opposite – think first of others, and let Him take will give them a deeper, more positive impression of Jesus care of our own modest needs. We can’t do both. Popular and His church – you being aggressive and loud and Christianity tells us to be proud we are Christians, but Jesus assailing them with the urgency of taking His name, or you tells us “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” We can’t do both – being a strong, calm, quiet, kind, humble person who we can’t be proud and poor in spirit at the same time. genuinely cares about them? Imagine the conversation with their families after meeting you: We must sometimes choose between Jesus and the church, as Jimmy Carter did recently. After painful reflection and a) “I met a person today who told me that there’s this much prayer, he cut his ties with the Southern Baptist wonderful savior called Jesus and if I ask Him to be Convention because it has become so narrow and stubborn my savior I’ll be okay, but if I decide not to, I’ll be and un-Christlike. I can imagine what a difficult decision left behind to suffer throughout eternity.” A family that must have been for our former president, a lifelong member might say, “Hmm, that sounds strange. Southern Baptist. And I am proud of him for choosing What was this person like?” “Well, he was a little Christ over the Church. He is an example to all of us of agitated, even though he told me that Jesus gives a what it means to be a Christian. We mocked him and peace that nothing else can give. He said he was slandered him and ridiculed him in politics, yet he has never worried about my salvation if I don’t take Jesus’s turned his back on us. He truly devotes his life to “the name. He wanted me to do it right there on the spot. Father’s Work” – helping the poor, being a man of peace in He seemed a little smug about himself being saved a violent world, and following his Savior’s teachings. He is and me being in terrible danger.” “Hmm, do you a strong, calm, quiet, humble and kind person, and that is look forward to seeing him again?” “No, I don’t what we are all invited to practice in every religion. One think so. I have a hunch he’s always worried about Jimmy Carter is a better advertisement for Christianity than something or other.” a hundred televangelists who shout Christ’s name all day or, the conversation might go like this: long with their limousines parked out back. b) “I met a person today who hasn’t left my mind. He In this Christmas season, regardless of what anyone else is was so calm and kind, and his soul felt quiet and doing, and regardless of modern Christians warning you humble. He had an inner strength that drew me that you’re going to hell, why not try REAL Christianity? toward him, and when I asked him to tell me a little Wake up with a prayer to serve your Lord through loving about himself, he said he follows Jesus Christ, the His creatures. Respect and care for everyone who crosses source of all his strength and love. I think I want to your path. Spend a little time in silence and humility, a little find out more about this Jesus.” A family member time “in the closet,” turning inward toward Him.

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