Mid-week Inspiration,                                                          

Another new church has opened it’s doors in Vernon; a city already boasting a number of churches.   I recall when I came here for a church youth rally many years ago a friend informed me that there were more churches per capita here than in any other city in North America.  This may still be a fact.  Yet still we need another church? 

It is a phenomenon to me that a religion which believes in one basic creed and philosophy, based on one God can have such a proliferation of denominations.  All of whom proclaim their particular brand as the correct way, the real truth, with an ongoing implication that the others are just a little misguided.  Is it possible that so many people could be wrong and so few could be right? 

It would appear to me that possibly we are all correct, possibly every religion that embraces one deity and a creed of love, compassion and forgiveness, is right and correct in the eyes of  their God.  All records I have seen show the great teacher Jesus never criticized a person for his or her particular faith.  In fact, on the contrary, he was very clear that every person was measured according to their actions, their thoughts and their degree of integrity.

It appears to me that an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent deity might have many right answers to any situation.  Maybe we are all right.  Maybe the only person who needs to be converted is the one who feels the need to convert others. 
I was once told that the longest journey any person ever makes is thirteen inches, the distance from the head to the heart.  Virtually all conflict in our world today comes from an intellectual game of right and wrong.  The only solution ever found, with the capacity to completely resolve differences, has been forgiveness; the healing power of the heart, the domain of God in every person.

Five years ago the world spiraled into a state of increasing terror with the destruction of the World Trade Center and ensuing events of reaction and further reaction.  Immediately following these tragic events there was a rising up of common people calling for peaceful resolutions.  These voices went unheeded.  Violence, wars and fear mongering by our global leaders caused an escalation of senseless destruction and deaths.  Nothing was resolved and most problems were exacerbated.  This movement toward war and violence is not embraced by any major religion in the world today.

The world does not need another church; it does not need another religion.  What the world needs more than anything is for its people to start practicing the religion they embrace.  What this world needs is for each and every one of us to actually risk practicing compassion, forgiveness and tolerance. It needs for each of us to get out of our heads and submit to our hearts. 

The world needs us to start at home, in our families; it needs us who are able to reach out into our communities.  It needs us to stand up in our provinces and territories and be accountable in our nations.  What the world needs is for us to practice our religious or spiritual creeds of love and compassion and stand in integrity to those practices.  And when we do we will find a miracle in our own lives.  Conflicts will resolve and love will be rekindled; harmony and health will be re-established.  We will discover our heaven right here on earth.