by Dr. Tom Thresher
What does it mean to be a Christian in
the 21st century? If you are not
comfortable with the traditional explanations of God as
a big judge who likes some of us better than others and
condemns some to hell because they don't worship in the
right way, you are in the right church. Given how
the designation "Christian" has been usurped by the
"religious right" in popular consciousness, I am
starting to prefer Rev. Larry Winter's comment that:
"I no longer consider myself a Christian so much as a
universalist with a Christian taproot."
I consider this a good
characterization of our theology and fully consistent
with Jesus' message of unconditional love; for to bring
a message of good news to the Gentiles as well as the
Jews was to embrace universalism in Jesus' time.
This notion is also consistent with the emerging "motto"
of the Suquamish church: Inclusive
Christianity for the art of living now.
What does it mean to me to be a
universalist? Websters defines universalist as
"one whose goal is well-being for all man-kind or a
doctrine of belief in the universality of God and
redemption for everyone."
I believe, at least in part, it means
that we do not pretend to be the sole possessors of the
truth. When Jesus says: "I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me" (John 14:6), he is not referring exclusively
to his existence as a particular person (Jesus), but to
his universal nature as the Christ. As Children of
God, we all share the in-dwelling Christ, even if we are
unable to express that spirit with the clarity and
radiance that Jesus did. We have access to the
Divine (Father, Mother, Creator or Cosmic Muffin) not as
particular incarnate individuals, but through the Christ
that dwells within us. It is our most fundamental
nature.
This awareness is not exclusive to
Christianity, but is central to all the world's great
religions: it is our Buddha nature, it is the Tao,
it is the breath, it is Brahma, it is the Great Spirit.
To presume that we have the sole means of access to
Divinity through Jesus is to deny the very essence of
Jesus' message of unconditional love.
Sadly, too many "Christians" say "you
must believe our way or you will not be saved." I
suggest that you are "saved" right now -- what else
could unconditional love mean? Jesus asks, "When
will you realize it? The kingdom of heaven is
spread out before you; when will you notice?" (Gospel of
Thomas). Not just Christians, but everyone, is
utterly and completely saved and enlightened, right now.
A particular religion or faith story is not required for
that salvation, only our utter and complete surrender to
the Divine. And that does not require any
particular religion or even any religion at all.
Universality means that everyone is loved without
condition; God makes the sun to shine on good and bad
alike. To celebrate that universal love without
condition is to be part of the great faith traditions of
the past 3000 years; it is to allow our roots to tap
into the Source with the other great faiths and drink
from the infinite well of Life.
To celebrate the universality of our
Christian vision, the Deaconate has voted to invite what
we call Spiritual Partners into closer association with
our church. Spiritual Partners are other faith
groups that share our inclusive, universalist passion
but have different paths and stories for illuminating
that passion. To initiate and expand this
partnership, we will have an interfaith service on
October 17th. It will include Roy Wilson and the
Otter Clan Medicine Wheel group, members of the Baha'i
faith, and, we hope, the Buddhist monks from the
Bainbridge temple. (This is not to suggest that
these are the only groups who we hope to share a
spiritual partnership; rather, they are the groups we
have been in contact with.) It will be a
celebration of scripture, song, and prayer. Please
plan to be here.
