What is an “Interfaith Temple”?
and what is an “Interfaith Minister”?
An INTERFAITH PERPECTIVE…
is one that holds the conviction, that there is indeed, much more in common between all the world’s great faiths, than that which divides. In fact, it may come as a great surprise to many, to learn that the world’s three largest faiths, (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) had at one time, the same origin and existed as one spiritual faith under Abraham (hence they are all referred to as Abrahamic faiths / traditions). There was literally no division or separation between them because they sprung from the same source.
Fundamentalism is the same regardless of its form; it is the insistence that one’s own belief system is superior to all others and as such, it is one’s own duty to preach, spread and convert all others who think differently. It is toxic and destructive and human history has been nothing short of one gigantic, brutal mess because of it and man’s greed!
Given the fact that most people in this country have been raised in a Judeao-Christian culture, it is not surprising that many have been conditioned to think that Jesus Christ, is the only way! Yet ironically, I really believe that if Christ, himself walked the planet once again today, he would surely not hold such a limited vision, nor insist that everyone follow the same spiritual path. Remember, Jesus wasn’t a Christian, Mohammad wasn’t a Muslim and Siddhartha Gautama wasn’t a Buddhist. To some, this would be clear grounds to declare blasphemy and point a finger of judgment and contempt in my direction. Indeed, many have died in the past for making far less assertions.
Yet, even within the Christian tradition itself, there exist those who have peered beyond the mystical vale of our limited, sensory, world perception and demonstrated tangible evidence that they have done so. How do we hold the various accounts of such mystics as St. John of the Cross, St. Francis of Assisi and Theresa of Avila? How would you regard someone if you witnessed wild animals be drawn to their presence and simultaneously made docile? Do you think such feats were limited to only one single man in all of our history?
Central to an understanding of Interfaith philosophy, is the recognition, that such God illumined beings have come from every culture and continuant and walked the planet many times in our collective history. Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita proclaims that whenever humanity drifts into a threshold of ignorance and suffering, “I come”.
Still many insist that “well yes, there may be certain saintly individuals who have lived throughout history, but still, they are not of the same level as Jesus Christ, for he is the “supreme ruler”. Somehow, there is a point where we question the “littleness” of such an outlook. First off, how many can even say they have ever directly met a saint? And for the vast majority of us left that cannot honestly make such a claim, then what position are we to judge and make such comparisons that “this” one is better than “that” one? Can we see that it would be difficult, if not impossible to hold such views, except through mere second hand belief and dogma? If we look deeply enough with any objectivity, we will see that Christ didn’t so much identify himself as a “body” or as being a “man” so much as he identified himself with “Spirit” Itself. Did he not say that “I and my father are one; I am nothing without Him” or “everything that I have done, you can do and more”? Do these statements sound like the words of one who identifies himself as a separate ego? I don’t think so and it was in this context that he said “I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no man comes unto the Father but thru me”. Sadly, this teaching is often used in direct opposition to the core of what he stood for and represented. How many times does Christ make clear that “Our Father’s kingdom is not of this world”? In reference upon reference, he clearly alluded to his real identity being beyond the fragile and corruptible existence of the “body”. And if this is true, then how congruent would it be for him to then proclaim that all future generations follow, this and only this, teaching, thus limiting himself to a personal identity linked to such a brief span of history?
Buddhists refer to what they call “Dharma” as “The Way”. Only, most often the term is used in context to one’s own personal Dharma, rather than some universal Dharma. As such, they wisely imply that “It” cannot be contained and canned into a single expression. No, one’s dharma is that “way of walking” that is unique and true for them and the expression of their life. Can we expand and allow ourselves to see that Christ spoke such words from an immensely, expanded sense of reality, as opposed to merely some flesh and bones man, limited by the elements of his environment, upbringing and culture? Perhaps then we have begun to understand the concept of “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last; I am The Way”.
There is a famous Zen Koan which states something like the following: “Remember, the finger that points to the moon, isn’t the moon”. The idea behind Interfaith is that, far from negating each other, the world’s great religions have more in common than what separates them. The challenge, of course, is that we ourselves have to “rise” above our own opinions and prejudices to discover the truth of this and “see” for ourselves, and this is not always so easy. The world’s religions are those fingers pointing, but they are not the moon; they are not home, heaven or nirvana. In and of themselves, they are just paths to get “there”. They are at best, only maps to help direct us more efficiently, perhaps saving time.
Can we not see, that people have different predispositions? Psychology tells us that some of us are visual and learn best through watching, while others more tactile and learn better through feeling or doing. Still others do better when told or explained verbally the task at hand. How correct is it to say that one is better than the other? Given that, why would one insist upon only one path back to God? Though the branches are many, all paths lead home!
How many educated, half-way intelligent people would advocate that we “criticize things we don’t know about”? Being the true melting pot of the world, many of us Americans also now see the wisdom and the beauty of honoring our differences and the magnificent mosaic that is encompassed as a result of our collective diversity. Only, the small minded do not! This is the premise of “Interfaith”.
I once was asked by a friend to attend a local worship service. In the spirit of that friendship, I obliged only to hear the preacher advocate to his parish that Christ’s message was distinctly and uniquely exclusionary from all other “paths”. Not only this, but he threatened that such seeking and open questioning “only leads to confusion and darkness”. Thus, he was waiving the age-old banner of obedience and blind faith. I should have known better than to expect differently. Is there not, however, a biblical passage which says that “all true knowledge leads to God”? Do we not, here in the west, generally subscribe to the principal that the more informed we are of alternatives, the higher the probability that we will make good, clear choices which inevitably prove harmonious and successful?
Joseph Campbell, a professor who taught comparative religions and mythology stressed that the central point in all of the various sacred texts and traditions that man has invented and followed, is that they must become “alive”, lived and experienced directly, not as some story that we are amused by, but that we ourselves become the hero of our own story! To the extent that this is true for us, is the extent that we begin to grasp what “Interfaith philosophy” means, for as we begin to see the intrinsic value inherent in direct, personal experience, then our own nervous systems’ become more sensitive. As this happens, true words begin to have an impact, regardless of their source. Thus, more sublime, yet profound similarities begin to emerge between previously divergent paths and “Truth” becomes something seen and grasped rather than something merely believed. Similarly, “Faith” also takes on a new meaning, one that is visceral. This is what an “Interfaith Minister” represents.
Apart from being spectators witnessing the unfoldment of some grand design happening to us, how graced we our to discover that “We”, collectively, ARE the main event? In his book Hymns to an Unknown God, Sam Keen put it this way:
As far as we know, the planet Earth is the only place that contains a kaleidoscope of multifarious forms of life, many of which are conscious, some self-conscious, and one of which tells stories about itself. Here alone, in all the black holes and infinite spaces of the universe, the Spirit (which the Greeks and early Christians identified as the Logos – the informing, creative rationale that forms every living thing from within) has assumed the flesh of the dolphin, indigo bunting, and human being… I believe the safest wager is this: I assume that my being is encompassed within Being itself. The mystery of the Self is part and parcel of the mystery of Being. The Unknown God for whom I search – the principle of unity – is not absent, only hiding in the substance of things. When we ignore our own intimate experience, we end up searching for God in all the wrong places. If I explore the depths of my being, I will discover the heights of Being. As below, so above. My life provides me with my only privileged access to the Unknown God and to the unknown but knowable sacredness of my own life.
Jesus and Moses and Mohammed and Melcheisadek and the Buddha and countless others were undoubtedly all great beings; God illumined beings! Yet what does this mean to you and me? Ultimately, it means little until we, ourselves begin to touch what they have touched and see what they have seen! Implicit in the message of “Interfaith philosophy” is the acknowledgement that our lives, your life, IS SACRED, and no less so than any other that ever walked this planet. And also…, the story doesn’t end there, for spiritual maturity sees that we are part of an indivisible Whole.
If we accept some of these assertions, that we are indeed the microcosm that contains the macrocosm and if we are each unique, holy sparks of the Divine, made in His/Her/Its image, than it becomes natural that we begin to pay closer attention to what comes into the field of our own consciousness, be it a book, a friend or a song on the radio. Empedocles, and several other Greek philosophers believed that all sensory perceptions are ultimately “messages from the Gods”. It’s interesting to take that thought in and ponder it for a while. If this assertion is even remotely correct, than it’s only perfectly natural to become inspired by a multitude of spiritual sources and documents. Personally speaking, there have been times when I’ve picked up a text for the first time and the resonation within my own body and soul spoke so loudly that I had little doubt regarding the authenticity of its message. I think this is what we need more of, to develop our own internal capacities such that we find clarity and trust within, rather than from some other external source. Its no wonder that many still cling to such a God Fearing imagine filled with fire and brimstone because that is exactly what the Church did to those who had the audacity to question its “infinite wisdom”; the high clergy burned them at the stake in large numbers.
The great sage and philosopher, J. Krishnamurti declared that “truth is a pathless land” before a large audience gathered, anxiously awaiting him to proclaim himself their leader and establish a new world Order (many believed him to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, himself). Instead, he abruptly disbanded the Order. Yes indeed, truth is a pathless land!
Gandhi was once challenged for helping another who was not a Hindu. He replied with the following words: “Yes I am a Hindu, and I am a Moslem, as I am a Christian, a Jew and a Buddhist. We are all sons of God and should be cherished as such.” I think as we progress on our own paths in our own spiritual traditions, at some point we transcend labels. Finally, I shall conclude this brief essay with the words of singer, songwriter, rasta-man, Michael Franti:
Life is too short to make just one decision.
Music’s too large for just one station.
Love is too big for just one nation and
God is too big for just one Religion.
Amen! And so be it. (Rev. David Kin)