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Wisdom Story
An aged Jewish man was arrested for drunkenness. Following being put in jail, he was taken before a magistrate. The magistrate was taken aback. "How," he asked empathetically, "did this happen?"
"Nothing happened," answered the prisoner. "I'm not drunk at all."
"Now, see here sir," said the Judge, "it's perfectly obvious that something happened to put you in this state. Come, tell me in your own words."
"It is really very simple," began the aged man. "I took one drink. You know, there are many Torah authorities for such conduct. One drink, anyone may take. Now, this drink made me a new man. Naturally, the new man was entitled to that one drink, for he was not the old man. So he, too, had a drink. Then we were two. As the entire world knows, when two Jews get together, it is permissible for them to have a drink. By this time we were both joyous. And on a joyous occasion, one must drink!"
Scripture ~ Galatians 5.13-14
13My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. 14All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself.
Comments
The true, spiritual Christianity leads us to disconnect from the religious legalism that has failed, and miserably, to free persons to love truly each other and all peoples with a god-like love.
Religious legalism, generally and pervasively, is saturated with an unspiritual, even anti-spiritual, religiousness and moralism that is not unlike the spiritless religion that Jesus faced and which killed him.
St. Paul faced this in Galatia. We face it today. We are to be guided by principles of faith, hope, and love. But many under the name of Christ preach, teach, and live religious legalism. They undercut the work of many trying to preach and teach and live the freedom of Amazing Grace that is open to loving with Love all persons and creatures in the Sacred.
Yet St. Paul knew that freedom in Grace can be misunderstood. We are only free in Grace when we are expressing freedom to serve in and for Love. I am only free within myself when giving myself, and the giving must be in true, spiritual Love.
And what is true, spiritual Christianity except that universal ~ timeless Way of true, spiritual Love? And what is the Christ but the energy and presence of this true, spiritual Love? Nothing other than this is Christian.
Surely, religious legalists can give. But they give within and entrapped by the tyranny of legalism that holds captive in ignorance of the wise liberty of Grace: the Way of Christ. Thus they unknowingly invite others into the same tyranny cage they tumble around in, eyes shut to the Light of Love ... enamored are they with the religious fix of self-satisfaction and god-domestication. Their faith cannot open to the world, for they are attached to their faith.
Love, which is opening to all in respect of the sacredness of all, is the sole escape from the vicious self-circling that entraps persons in the tyranny of religious legalism. However love as defined and lived by those in religious legalism is not the Love that can set anyone truly free.
True God~Love is the only hope for escape to those in the cage of religious fanaticism. God~Love is a way of escape for those outside the dogmatic, moralistic religiousness, to discover and enjoy a life of spiritual freedom in a self-oblation to all in a true, spiritual Love. To do this is to know Christ, Who is Love.
There is a Way of realistic, wise freedom, wherein we serve in a spirit, or Spirit, allowing freedom for both the one giving and the one receiving. The sole Way is Love.
Grace!
Brian K. Wilcox
May 13, 2007
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