A lot of people wonder about God, if he or she really exists. It’s not uncommon to land in a situation where you find yourself stuck with second hand faith; a faith that belongs to your parents, maybe your friends or your social circle. How can you tell whether your faith is just second hand? One way to know is to see how your faith works. Hand-me-down faith works well when everything is going right but tends to fall apart when pressures and problems hit.
Hand me down faith is like getting dressed up to go to church. You can look good on the outside but that kind of faith is like secondhand religion. You’re going through the motions but nothing is happening. We seek an inside faith; the kind of faith that can be transformative. Firsthand faith is real and personal. Sure you still face challenges but firsthand faith has a habit of getting stronger in the midst of difficulty.
I believe that Kierkegaard said, “If you wonder whether or not there’s a God, try to live like Jesus.” That is an interesting challenge. What would our community, the nation, or even the world look like if we lived like Jesus? Maybe no-one would even have to struggle with the question of faith because it would all be all around us and self-evident. Most importantly, in living like Jesus your way of being would inevitably bring you into the answers you are looking for. Kierkegaard’s statement is a profound challenge to believers and skeptics alike.
Religion shouldn’t be about sermons, slogans and doctrine but about how you live. St. Francis said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”
It’s about how we live. If we say one thing and live another our words and what we profess we believe have no meaning. Rev. Moon was very cognizant of this point and if you researched all of his sermons and messages the number one phrase that would surface is “mind-body unity.” It’s at the heart of the first phase of spiritual growth and when achieved allows us to say we have attained the First Blessing.
When asked by his son what the most important Chinese character is, Rev. Moon wrote the character for sincerity, which if you deconstruct it contains the symbols for “become” and “word.”
Our new series “Be the Message” is about understanding how we can create a life of sincerity by understanding, discovering and living in sync with our life message.
“In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God…….
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.”John Chapter 1
These verses from John clearly explain that the world and everything comes from the word, and light and life come into everyone through the word. The Bible is often referred to as the Gospel or Good News. The Good News points to the Messiah. His value is that he embodies the word.
Finding your message
Everyone has an opportunity to be the message or a unique expression of the Gospel. God uses us and works through our personality and gifts to be a unique expression the word.
The best kind of experience to develop your firsthand faith is when you are in a situation where you can’t speak but simply have to embody your faith. That is the greatest witness and brings to life the statement “If you wonder whether or not there’s a God, try to live like Jesus.”
Speak less – love more
I was reminded of this while reading a very compelling book. It’s the story of a Christian couple who moved to Iran as missionaries. It was illegal for them to witness openly and so their only way to communicate their faith was to live it. What they were able to accomplish without words was incredible. Additionally, there is a beautiful book called “Mission Butterfly” that shares the stories of brave Unificationists who brought the Divine Principle behind the Iron Curtain. They too could only witness by their lifestyle and their love.
In our own lives we have a smaller but just as important opportunity to” be the message” in the workplace, at school or with our relatives.
What if humankind had simply been the word from the beginning?
If Adam and Eve hadn’t fallen away from God they wouldn’t have needed religion and laws to protect people from bad things happening to them; they would have simply just created a tradition of how to love one another. They would have passed that tradition down to their children.
Rev. and Mrs. Moon often referred to this idea when they Blessed couples in marriage. They would tell them that their lives should become a text book of love that people could learn from. They can set the example of how to overcome all kinds of difficulties to create a beautiful, unbreakable bond. Life shouldn’t be about keeping certain rules or just talk, but rather an opportunity to live God’s word or ideal in our lives. God respects us enough to trust us to give life to the word!
As a unique expression of God’s word in the world each one of us needs to find our voice, and allow ourselves to come alive and be the message.
Listen for the Divine Whisper
To understand your message you have to listen to God’s voice in you. It’s rather ironic that when you stop talking, you find your voice. There is an ancient spiritual discipline of silence. Monks practiced it, saints spoke about it and mystics practice it. Rev. Lamson, a good friend, went on a seven day silence retreat. However, with jobs and kids not all of us have that luxury and I, for one, probably couldn’t handle it even if I was given the opportunity!
Nevertheless, it is true that too much noise crowds out God’s voice so I have a little challenge for us. For those who want to hear a Divine Whisper, I encourage you to try silence, even for 21 minutes a day, or if that is too much just 7 minutes. You can sit and just be quiet, or read from something spiritual and reflect on what it means. Our challenge is to do this for just a week and see what God says to you. This is a church wide challenge – you can let me know if you want to join in and let’s see what God says to us. Faith Fusion comes into its own when we can say we are the message.
In learning how to listen you will find your inner voice. Then listen to others. Most of us spend more time talking than listening.
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
It speaks volumes when you listen to the hurts of others, so this week be the message in your workplace or school. Listen to your family, really listen so they can feel received and as you do that you will hear God’s voice listen to you.
Recognize your Sacred Shout
Sometimes God does more than whisper; he shouts! C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures but shouts to us in our pain. It is a megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” It’s often the pains and hurts in our lives that wake us up to what God is saying. Many a person finds God in brokenness. Being broken may hurt in the moment but release us to a relationship with God and to an awareness of how we can offer a unique message to the world.
Most ministries are started by people who have failed at some point or another; nevertheless, God uses them in amazing ways. St. Paul is a prime example. Other examples are Craig Gross who started XXX Church to support people who are addicted to porn or Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback Church that was created for people struggling with addictions and later expanded its reach to help anyone challenged by habits, hang ups and hurts. That sounds like all of us!
A friend of mine, Maio, really taught me a lot about turning your difficulties into assets and it is our challenges that teach us how to “be the message.”
Maio and I worked together to write a small group curriculum, The Choice. The Choice supports people in their life of faith to make choices that can help them realize the First Blessing in their lives. How do you substantially achieve that mind-body unity you are looking for? The Choice is based on the Beatitudes. Additionally, Maio and I realized there is incredible power in the 12 step program for spiritual maturity and so we decided to integrate it into the Choice.
What is extraordinary about Maio is that she didn’t just teach me about the 12 Step program she is the 12 step message. I have never been with anyone as honest as Maio. She knows to succeed she must be totally honest about her motivation and actions and not allow herself to get away with anything less than authenticity and integrity. She’s astonishingly honest which is refreshing and liberating. It means that you can go deep into friendship. Because of this quality she can help so many people. Maio has learned to be the message. What seemed like a weakness, ended up making her strong.
God wants you to be the message to people who are going through the same thing you have gone through. They will be able to hear you because you are the message. Your struggle and pain can be the sacred shout that cuts through the noise and connects you to hurting people. For the sake of others discover your life message.
Embrace Divine Disturbance
To discover how you can be the message you not only have to listen for that Divine Whisper and recognize your Sacred Shout but you have to embrace Divine Disturbance. You will discover your message when you realize what really bothers you enough to push you out of your comfort zone and into your calling and into the lives of others.
You only benefit when you face the disturbances in your life. Sir Francis Drake said,“Disturb us oh Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely, because we sailed too close to the shore!”
This sounds a little familiar. Don’t be afraid to dream big! What could you do? What could He do through you in your home or neighborhood? John 1:14 (the Message) reminds us: “The word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”
This emphasizes that the Gospel isn’t just meant to be shared verbally but lived out. This is why Rev. Moon introduced his vision for Home Church. He called for every individual to establish a model of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth in their families by becoming tribal messiahs (loving the people of their neighborhood just as the messiah would.) Buddha taught that the light of one candle can light a thousand candles. Likewise, Rev Moon taught that an enlightened family embodying true love can be the catalyst in creating a world of love and peace.
When we talk about world peace it can seem impossible or overwhelming to think about. Faced with the reality of the horrific events in the Middle East or the Ebola crisis in West Africa it is easy to become immobilized and end up doing nothing. But we can do more than nothing.
Doing more than nothing
You can do more than nothing and for the person you help it can be everything! To be the message means doing something for the person in front of you. That may be your spouse, your child, your relative or neighbor. Sometimes the people closest to us are the hardest to love because it’s not an abstract love – they push our buttons!
The beauty and simplicity of Home Church is that it’s the proving ground for becoming the message.
“In the process of loving your neighbors…you will give totally of yourself, and through that God can bless your home, your spouse and your children. Then you will have a perfectly clear conscience and can enjoy love to an infinite degree.”
Sun Myung Moon
By being the message you can make a difference in the world around you.
Living with eternity in mind
There are only two things in life that last forever. Number one is God’s word. It was there in the beginning and continues to this day. The Bible says, “The grass withers and the flowers fade but the word of God stands forever.”
The second thing that lasts forever is people. We are eternal beings. Any time you invest in others and make a difference in someone’s life the impact will last forever. Most of the things you do in life – eat in nice restaurants, buy stuff etc. are fleeting but your relationships and the love you give lasts forever. This week remember you are the message and give life.
To learn more: bethemessage.org
