Faith and Civility - a Fierce Love!
I was truly impressed by Obama's speech to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. No matter what your politics, it was amazing to hear the President of the US talk about how important it is to realize that no matter who you are looking at, working with, or in opposition to, that person is a face of God. He called this civility and assumed that people of faith could and should demonstrate it.
In the willingness and ability to really see another person as the face of God, a deeper connection is established from which we can find our common ground. Then when we argue about ideals, ideas, or solutions, we are so much less likely to attack the other person's faith, good-will, intelligence or anything else about their personhood.
Civility may be an old-fashioned word - but it's not an old fashioned spiritual practice. Actually, its just another way of saying "Namaste" and living from "Namaste" even in the midst of disagreement or challenges.
This is a powerful way to walk our faith and to practice a radical spiritual Love. I call it Fierce Love - the willingness to be fiercely committed to seeing and realizing my own and your spiritual nature - in other words, to see the face of God in You, no matter what. This fierce love does not get fooled by someone's inappropriate or simply wrong behavior, nor does it get swayed by someone's stories about the past, or their fears or inadequacies. Fierce Love stands for the goodness and best in everyone - no matter what - expecting it and thereby drawing it out of all of us.
Civility is the natural result of deep faith. This is a fierce love which will not be moved from seeing the truth of Love in each other!
- 1 year ago
- • 0 comments (Add)
- • Share
