I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “My faith (part II) – The influence of a ‘A Chosen Faith’“
In the book titled ‘A Chosen Faith: an Introduction to Unitarian Universalism‘ the authors describe something that resonated very strongly with me. They described all of humanity as being inside a cathedral where each person had their own window which was unique to themselves. Some windows were large or small, some were dirty or clean, some were colored, or thin or thick; some were circular, square or of other shapes, or clear or opaque; and some were decorated and some were stark. Each person’s window was unique to them and through these windows shines the light of universal truth like the sun at full day light.
Some people get more light and some people get less light. Some people have the full brilliance of the light and some people are in the shadows, but in all cases their individual windows modify how they see that light. A person could be in a place with the light of truth shining directly on them but have a basically opaque window and only have the benefit a modicum of the universal truth even though it shining directly at them. Some people have completely clear windows and are but in the shadow of the light though they are soaking in as much as they can with what little they see. Many, many people have strangely shaped and colored windows so that they receive a filtered and/or warped light of truth. Each persons exposure is different and it is reflected in their personal journey and understanding of their faith and the universal truths.
For me this really spoke to how we are all human and that each person’s spiritual beliefs are unique, and that there is something to learn from all people, because we never really know what our ‘window’ looks like. We may think we have seen the full light of truth, but we really cannot know for sure. Perhaps arrogance and pride will blind us, or perhaps self-doubt and fear will cow us. We have no way of really knowing one way or the other. We are all in the same boat.
The trick is to remain open to be able to receive our lessons as they come and to learn from them what you can. When you stop being open – when you stop being the student – then you stop growing and learning, and close yourself from the shards of truth wandering around in all of us, and in all situations that life presents us.
