Matters of spirituality might be interesting but they would not
give a disciple any relief or release from worldly sufferings and day-to-day
mundane problems. Those who refuse to live according to the solution of their
worldly problems, until they knew about the creation of the world or the nature
of the Absolute would die in misery before they got an answer to these
insoluble questions. What difference
does it make if the world was eternal in time and controlled by a Supreme
Being? Grief, suffering and misery would still exist.
No matter how convincing our doctrines and beliefs,
they’re empty and unsatisfying if there’s no human factor attached to them.
Throughout our faith journey we’ll be faced with moments of suffering, agony,
hopelessness, and sheer desperation — sometimes lasting for what seems like
forever. We’ll want to give up — and sometimes
we do.
Hardships can devolve into isolation, bitterness, and
ultimately transform what was once a healthy spirituality and turn it into a
total rejection of faith in God. Not only do we have a falling out with God,
but we also disassociate ourselves from other believers and those closest to
us. When we feel hurt, betrayed, or abandoned by people we assume God is to
blame, causing us to doubt God’s benevolence for us — even questioning God’s
very existence.
Many quit faith not because of a disbelief in God, but because of our broken and
unhealthy relationships — people
are the main reason we give up on God. There are basically two types of
Believers: those who bring people closer to God, and those who drive them
further away. Our faith hinges on relationships.
. Most religions have an ethical component, often derived from purported supernatural revelation or guidance. Some assert that religion is necessary to
live ethically. There are those who would say that we can only flourish under
the umbrella of a strong social order of equality and justice, cemented by
common adherence to a particular religious tradition.
The first ethical
will or testament is found, giving a summary of moral
teachings, with the Golden
Rule, "Do that to no man which thou
hatest" as the leading maxim.There are even more elaborate ethical
teachings in Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism,
Islam, Judaism, and Secularism, all influenced by Hellenistic influence.
So far my
knowledge of religion has revealed that human being is a spiritual animal. From
very beginning of civilization ape-man and cave-man needed spiritual help in
healing their mysterious diseases, in safety from natural calamities of
thunder, lightening, flood and ferocious animals.
Every Believer has experienced life-changing moments
of spiritual intervention — faith-saving interactions that happen in many
forms. It may have been an old friend, family member, college roommate, mentor,
or even a random stranger that intervenes at exactly the right moment to
provide relief, encouragement, safety, or help — saving our Faith from certain
death.
On numerous occasions we get pulled back into a right
relationship with God only because people were willing to love us, and this
wouldn’t have happened without individuals selflessly making the decision to
invest, sacrifice, and give of themselves.
Throughout the religious scriptures calls us to love
God by loving others. But our loving others are mostly not immune of our hidden
desire of getting material benefits. Some of us are guilty of doing as much as
we possibly can in the name of God while at the same time trying to get by with
as little relational investment as possible.
It means helping those around us: being a good
friend, loving parent, supportive spouse, kind sibling, helpful co-worker,
respecting those who are different from us, and taking the time to love people
in practical, small, routine, and real ways.
We don’t need to be a pastor, preacher or a religious leader to built a
friendly relation with our fellow-being. No special training is required.
Within a society obsessed with money, efficiency, and
busyness, dedicating time and energy toward someone is one of our culture’s
greatest gifts of love. Are people worth the effort? Are they worth the two
minutes it takes to messaging an encouraging note? Are they worth the hour of
our morning to meet for coffee? Are they worth making a meal for? Are they
worth whatever inconvenience it costs us to invest in their life?
So today, tomorrow, next week, and for the rest of
our lives, let’s practice being present with others, interacting on human
level, relating to people and being brave enough to align ourselves with their
sorrows, doubts, struggles, and joys — to be a part of their lives, and allow
them to be part of ours.
It’s
hard work, but it’s worth the effort. In the end, our relationship with God
Almighty is directly influenced by our relationships with others. God is a
relational being that demand we love others just as God loves us.
Edited: Israr Hasan
Aug. 8, 2016
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