• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer on…” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrines’ perspectives on a suggested subject. Every Friday a topic is printed inviting a response. Submissions are edited for content
• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer on…” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrines’ perspectives on a suggested subject. Every Friday a topic is printed inviting a response. Submissions are edited for content and length. Thoughts or suggestions for future topics are always welcome. Next week’s topic is neighbors. The topic at the end of the column is for the following week.
Kahu James Fung
Lihu‘e Christian Church
One of my favorite definitions of religion comes from the theologian and mathematician Alfred North Whitehead. He said that religion is “man in his solitariness.” It’s who we are, with no pretentions, no sanctimonious posturing, no spouting of religious clichés. It’s who we are alone before God.
Jesus would like that definition as well. He commended the poor woman who quietly and with a pure and generous heart deposited her two small coins into the temple treasury as compared to the rich and famous who made a show of how much they gave. And Jesus, again, lifted up the religion of the man who privately knelt for prayer in a closet as compared to those who stood up in public places of worship, parading their piety as they launched into long and “religious-sounding” prayers.
Religion comes from the Latin root “re” and “ligio.” It means “to bind together, to re-align, to re-attach that which has come apart.” It refers to how people have somehow lost their connection with that which is real, purposeful and holy. It’s like being adrift at sea because somehow our boat has lost its moorings. And the problem is compounded by the fact that we have no anchor to keep us from floating even further from our home and we have no compass to guide us back.
But as lost as we might be, our religious faith is based not on our intelligence to find our way back to God, but on a loving and gracious God who finds us in the midst of our lostness and leads us home.
Like in the 23rd Psalm when the lamb wandered off into the darkness, he didn’t need to find his way back to safety because the Good Shepherd came looking for him. He picked up that lamb, held him close to his heart and carried him home. In the same way, we don’t need to work that hard to find God. God finds us. All we need to do is to entrust ourselves to His care and his leading.
The Baha’is of Kaua‘i
There is but one God and He is the source of all religions. The many faiths are “chapters of the same book.” If we were to examine the original scriptures of the world’s religions we would find an extraordinary degree of harmony. Therefore, it is incomprehensible that religion has become a source of warfare and great human sufferings. Baha’u’llah strongly states that if religion is the cause of disunity and warfare that it is better that we have no religion.
Baha’is believe that the primary purpose of religion is to “establish unity and concord amongst the people of the world.” Unfortunately, many religious leaders refuse to recognize the legitimacy of other religions and are inciting violence and hatred. No matter how sincere, they are inadvertently negating God’s purpose for His revelations.
Governments, NGOs and citizens’ groups are struggling to halt the endless crisis stemming from religious strife. They have a right to expect religious leaders to sacrifice dogmas and sectarian interests that prevent religion from fulfilling its purpose of promoting peace and harmony among the peoples of the world.
These teachings can be found in quotes from the Baha’i Writings: “…Furthermore we will establish the point that the foundations of the religions of God are one foundation. This foundation is not multiple for it is reality itself.” Baha’u’llah taught that religion is the chief foundation of love and unity and the cause of oneness. If a religion becomes the cause of hatred and disharmony, it would be better that it should not exist. To be without such a religion is better than to be with it.
Topic for two weeks from today
• Will you speak to us on leap of faith?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.
• Deadline each week is 5 p.m. Tuesday.
