adlemi wrote:melikio wrote:
I know "faith", "hope" and "LOVE" prevail (with some believers), but I don't claim to be perfect in any of those aspects (despite the reality that I am sometimes EXCELLENT in one or more of them). I have aspirations concerning all of those things, but not necessarily by the approach others have claimed I SHOULD.
-Mel-
Just focus your whole attention to God ignoring the things around you so that you can make it with God as Paul did.
I don't want to be "
Paul", I want to be "me". Not that I am any more or less than him, but that it has turned out the only thing in the Bible that really inspires me, is the love of Jesus. It's what causes me to be interested or motivated at all.
The shape and form of my spirituality appears to be "standard"; I can relate to most things "Christian" (even various ideas/concepts I disagree with) socially, as I was
taught to do; but where my "
heart" is, has never lined up with the Bible or others' concepts of God (per se). Love, is the main thing which has affected religion in my life; it is
my connection to what goes beyond merely what I know (God and othr things I believe are greater than myself). And I believe I have some significant understanding of why it is of as primary importance as anything human beings could meditate upon and discuss. Jesus made a point of putting "love" first (as I interpret the character), and interestingly enough, I've found the concept to be absolutely foundational in my own life (
faith and
hope are their companions). Faith, hope and
love are what I live by, even though I can't
always put a "
Christian" or
intellectual wrapper on any of them.
So, that has indeed become the "focus" in my life and to the core of my being. As I said, it is the primary reason why "any" of Christianity matters to me at all, and
more importantly, it is why I endeavor to care about others.
Funny thing is, today I look at "
Paul" and listen to how others interpret many of the verses associated with that particular biblical author, and I basicaly see the right-wing, conservative Christian mindset (for the most part). Still I know someday, it may all make more sense to me in the future.
The Bible or
Paul isn't my primary connection to God,
love is.
Additionally,
if God's grace isn't great enough to reach out to "Mel" (and not just "Paul") right where I am, then I will never "...make it with God..." (as you imply).
I don't believe that Christians need to be lock-stepped, bio-clones of one another, to receive from God that which He has decided to afford mankind as a whole. And I don't necessarily believe that
Christians have the exclusive "formula" or "method" for understanding and receiving the goodness of The Creator.
Over time, despite my deeply-fundamental
Christian experiences, I realized and accepted that while the
Bible (and study of the same) points to certain forms of
wisdom, there are other things which also apply to our lives (even spiritually) in this world. And it's almost as if each person must carve out a unique window from which to view the "realities" that are common for all.
So what I'm saying, is that individual people are different; that love regards what is unique and what is common, in the best possible way/s. And if anyone asks me, or says to me the kinds of things you say, I will tell them that I can only connect (to God or to them) via "love". Otherwise (for me and likely for them), it will all be a meaningless charade or exercise, which "religion" easily can become.
If is weren't for the essence of what Jesus taught (hopefully that which many find to be "Christian"), I wouldn't even discuss Christianty or the Bible at all. For me, it's not just trying to be like "Paul" or anyone else in the Bible, but to be "me" and allow God to find/meet me wherever I happen to be; I'm not against going to where He may be, but I don't assume I REALLY KNOW where He is.
I'm just a human being; I just want to love an be loved. That has been the true meaning of life for me.
-Mel-