Genuine

"Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good."  -Romans 12:9

My inner child loves to play.  That is why I've created a miniature Enchanted Woods in my yard.  Here a child-at-heart of any age can pretend to stumble upon a fairy door at the base of a tree and from there let her/his imagination run wild!

In the real world, however, outside the Enchanted Woods we are called to be authentic, real, genuine. It can seem like a life-long struggle to do so once one nears and enters into adulthood.  We end up pretending there, too, but not in a harmless way.  Some start to follow the crowd in order to be accepted, or make compromises to their integrity in order to get what they think they want.  Some wear masks to protect themselves from hurt and some in order to deceive others for nefarious reasons.

I came across a video this week of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, challenging the wording, "Muslim terrorist."  He says it is wrong because anyone who would carry out an attack is "not a genuine practitioner of Islam." They are just terrorists claiming to be followers of Islam.  He contends this is true of any terrorism attached to a religion because, "All major world religious traditions carry the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, self-discipline."

Jesus told his followers that others will know you are a Christian by your love for one another.  True Christianity is radical!  But not in the way some would have it be.  The use of violence is not in Christ's vocabulary--anywhere.  When one of his disciples cut off the ear of the slave of the High Priest who had come for Jesus, Jesus rebuked him and restored the ear to the slave.  He said if you live by the sword you will die by the sword.  He also tells us when struck on the cheek to give them the other cheek also, lay down your life for your brother, and even to love your enemy.  Radical, indeed.

The Dalai Lama went on to say, "So these are the common ground and common practice.  On that level we can build genuine harmony on the basis of mutual respect, mutual learning, mutual admiration."

I am grateful that we can find common ground in the world's various religions because it is a starting point for sharing my Christian faith through the way I live my life.  Genuine religion is of God and will espouse His qualities.  Anything else is misguided and does not lead to a genuine relationship with God.