aha & amen

Just wrote a posting over on All Ages, All Stages about how - in my opinion - the title of Kathleen Dowling Singh's insightful book, The Grace In Aging, should be taken literally, that its wisdom applies across the age spectrum, not just when we are O L D.

A key point, one that I didn't think about until writing the post, was that my current contemplation & study is a natural extension of a practice that started long before hitting my twenties.  My birth faith encourages self reflection from childhood, growing in depth as we edge upward in years; pondering how well our walk matches our talk, how well the life we live is reflective of what is taught in the Bible, so study & contemplation were part of my daily practice early in life.

It wasn't until just a moment ago that I got to wondering how differently I might look at my responsibilities if I believed that Christ died for our sins, that He took them upon Himself & we are saved by believing in Him.  My faith also believes in Christ, but our understanding of the resurrection is radically different than traditional Christian churches.  

My birth faith teaches that Jesus came into a world that was under dire attacks from the hells, attacks so grievous they were beginning to affect the heavens.  In taking on a human form, living with a human nature from his mother but with the spirit of the Divine, being tempted & ultimately overcoming those temptations to be resurrected, He didn't take on the sins of those who believe on Him, but subjugated the hells so that we - through our own actions - CAN be saved.  

It's impossible to imagine how differently my view of everything might have changed had I grown up with the relatively passive faith that believing on Christ will be my salvation.  That is a starting point. Good deeds only have power when they are done from a love of God & because they are what we are meant to do.  Turning away from evil only has power if we shun evils as sins against God.  Yes, those who believe on Christ will be saved, but only when belief is played out in actions that resonate with His teachings. 

That was what I was taught from birth & which I believe a semblance of today.  

Am taking this moment to give a shout-out ~ an aha & amen ~ to being raised in a faith that laid upon its followers the need to be actively involved in salvation, that belief is essential as a starting place, that actions truly do speak louder than words.  It made me think & appreciate, discern the difference between doing things for honor reputation gain & because they are what we are created by the Divine to do.

Praise be!