Comments for http://northsidedisciples.com Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:58:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Acts 9:1-20 by Mark Vice http://northsidedisciples.com/?p=900&cpage=1#comment-985 Mark Vice Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:58:32 +0000 http://northsidedisciples.com/?p=900#comment-985 Great post! Great post!

]]> Comment on 1 Kings 21:1-21 by Ron Mottern http://northsidedisciples.com/?p=981&cpage=1#comment-981 Ron Mottern Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:56:12 +0000 http://northsidedisciples.com/?p=981#comment-981 I like the Sufis. That is to say, I like the way they look at things. And I really like the concept of tawid (as I understand it) - all that exists is God. It is a conclusion I came to before I knew it was part of Sufi Islam. The problem in believing that all that exists is God (and nothing exits but God) is that "evil" must be accounted for. Now, being a monotheist, I always come back to the idea that what we consider "evil" is actually the work of God and has a holy purpose that we can't understand - being limited by the flesh we now inhabit. The way I see it, everything that happens in this life is meant to bring us closer to God, to bring us closer to realizing (since all that exists is God) that WE are God. I don't have all the answers, (ha, ha, ha) certainly, but, I don't think we can look at someone else as God and not love them. I think Christ looked at everyone as if they were God. Otherwise, how could he have died for them? For us? The scripture seems to me to include this idea - that what we do to others, we are doing to God and, therefore, to ourselves (since all that exists is God). Sort of the same idea as karma (action) - what goes around comes around. "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood." What a great lesson in empathy for Ahab. Of course, God teaches great lessons - hard and difficult lessons, but lessons we don't ever forget. That's sort of where I am now with this. I struggle with seeing everyone as God (as I think Christ did), especially since I work with people who are considered the dregs of society. Maybe that's why I've been put where I am and doing what I've been doing for the past 10 years! Ron I like the Sufis. That is to say, I like the way they look at things. And I really like the concept of tawid (as I understand it) – all that exists is God. It is a conclusion I came to before I knew it was part of Sufi Islam.

The problem in believing that all that exists is God (and nothing exits but God) is that “evil” must be accounted for. Now, being a monotheist, I always come back to the idea that what we consider “evil” is actually the work of God and has a holy purpose that we can’t understand – being limited by the flesh we now inhabit.

The way I see it, everything that happens in this life is meant to bring us closer to God, to bring us closer to realizing (since all that exists is God) that WE are God.

I don’t have all the answers, (ha, ha, ha) certainly, but, I don’t think we can look at someone else as God and not love them. I think Christ looked at everyone as if they were God. Otherwise, how could he have died for them? For us?

The scripture seems to me to include this idea – that what we do to others, we are doing to God and, therefore, to ourselves (since all that exists is God). Sort of the same idea as karma (action) – what goes around comes around.

“In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood.” What a great lesson in empathy for Ahab. Of course, God teaches great lessons – hard and difficult lessons, but lessons we don’t ever forget.

That’s sort of where I am now with this. I struggle with seeing everyone as God (as I think Christ did), especially since I work with people who are considered the dregs of society. Maybe that’s why I’ve been put where I am and doing what I’ve been doing for the past 10 years!

Ron

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