Have you ever been to a church service where you were actually encouraged and uplifted for just being you, for being fully human with all your good, bad, and ugly – all your light and all your darkness? I recently had such an experience and it was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed in a church meeting. There was no condemnation, no judgement, no “you are not good enough” disguised messages, no “you need to change or repent” jargon, no heaped upon you shame, etc. It was just pure, beautiful, “you are light,” “you are love,” “you are worthy” truth spoken over the attendees.
During the service we were each given a mirror to look at ourselves with and then a poem was read over us. Here are a couple of lines from the poem that speak volumes:
The Divine Mirror
by Richard Rohr
A mirror receives and reflects back what it sees.
It does not judge, adjust, or write commentary.
We are the ones that do that……
God is a mirror big enough to receive everything,
And every single part of you,
Just as it is, rejecting nothing, adjusting nothing…..
Whatever is fully received in this Mirror is by that very fact
“redeemed.”
And all is received whether we believe it or not……
If your Divine Mirror cannot fully receive you in this way,
Then it is certainly not God…….
EVERY SINGLE DAY I run into people who are hurting and in pain and walking around with shame and a fake smile. These people are from every age group, every walk of life, differing backgrounds, differing social statuses, differing cultures, AND GUESS WHAT? All of them are suffering from the same malady! As I talk and process with them, it ALWAYS comes down to the lies and conditioning propagated by religion that says: “You are separated from God,” “You have a sin nature,” “You are not enough!”
When will we (religion, fundamental Christianity, evangelicalism, etc.) open our eyes and see that the message we have been preaching does NOT work – is NOT God? Christianity (specifically Fundamental & Evangelical) are largely religions of SHAME. Unless we are willing to take a good hard look at what fruit is actually being produced, we will continue to destroy people instead of help them.
You can bury your head in the sand, get angry at me, call me all kinds of names – OR you can get out there and listen to people, really listen – without having an agenda, without reacting and defending, without judging, without thinking you have all the answers.
Believe me – if you can truly listen, you will learn a thing or two:
1) Humanity is beautiful just the way we are for we were ALL created in HIS image.
2) If you look through HIS eyes of love, you will see Christ in EVERY SINGLE PERSON and thing.
3) ALL of us are on our OWN journey to experience HIM – pure unconditional love.
4) Everyone’s journey will look different and that is the beauty of being.
5) NO ONE and no group has all the answers.
6) There is truth all around you, not just in your belief system.
8) Love is the answer.
7) The more you think you know, the less you actually know.
8) LOVE ALWAYS WINS!!!
Blessings – Kami
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