A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … let’s just say
for the sake of the story …
There was this technology that, when applied, would remove
everything that a person believed, except for one single idea. All the
complications and clutter of belief and dogma and doctrine and feelings and
thoughts … just *poof* … gone. And only one idea would remain.
That solitary idea would be the center, the core, the pillar
on which all the rest were constructed. The remaining idea would be the idea
that served as the foundation of the house. It would be the heart of hearts of
everything you believe to be true.
Got it? Do you see the concept? (Never mind how would it
work, just play the game, okay?)
What would yours be?
What is your core idea? What is your single central belief
on which all the rest are built? What’s the one idea that, if everything else were
wiped away, you would hold on to with all your strength?
(Yes, just one. Again, just play the game!)
Please post your answer in the comment section, on Facebook,
or on Twitter. I’m curious to read the responses.
Mine would be: Everybody matters. That would be My One Idea.
If everything else were taken away, I would cling to the
idea that every single person is worth something. Not because of what they do
or might do in the future, but simply because they exist. They matter because
they are.
No matter your age or gender or wealth or health or race or
religion or language or culture or nationality or anything else … YOU ARE
IMPORTANT. For me, everything else builds upon that idea.
And that means that whenever that idea is challenged, I rise
to defend it. Providing foster care, working for marriage equality, helping
someone pay for a motel room, confronting racism, or just being nice to someone
– it all comes back to believing that people matter. It shapes what I believe
about God, who I believe Jesus is, how I identify the Holy Spirit, how I read scripture, what I think
the church is about, and just about everything else.
So, I hope you’ll engage this little thought experiment with
me. Here come the aliens with their belief-erasing devices! They have you in
their sights! And … ZAP. All but one of your beliefs has just been eradicated.
What’s left?
7 comments:
Silence is better than noise. Reflection better than gut reactions. Listening better than speaking.
Put others first.
Great post, Andy. Picking up for UM Insight.
Awesome! Thanks, Cynthia.
An interesting concept, people matter was a good way to put it. I was thinking of the golden rule but went simpler, it is never too late to do something nice for someone. Somehow I think it all boils down to how we flesh it out whether we are doing God's Will or not.
Honor the worth of each individual. Or as Cheryl Cloar always says, YOU are a child of God.
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