I hear it and read it every day here at Universal Studios...oops I mean Universal Life...whatever...point is. WHY ASK? WELL, because you wanted to and you are allowed to ask. WELL now its MY TURN. WHY ARE YOU HERE?
CHANCES ARE that every Christian you have met thus far here at the Universal Life Church Monastery Ministers Network (ULCMMN) is here for some of the same reasons you are.
MOST MINISTERS here have started their own ministry or church or group BECAUSE they were not satified or fulfilled with what they were offered elsewhere. THEY ARE HERE TO EXPLORE, sometimes to EXPLAIN, sometimes to EXPOUND.
SUFFICE IT TO SAY...SOMEHOW WE ALL FEEL .... CALLED .... TO BE HERE.
In the process of SHARING our beliefs, hopes, dreams and findings WITH EACH OTHER here we sometimes get bogged down in trying to understand or even "correct" each others language, codes and cultures. Each one of us clearly comes from a different angle and set of experiences. LET IT BE. AFFIRM IT. ACCEPT IT.
FOR ME it means often trying to explain a lot of things like how can you be born with so many names and how come you are called MOTHER Nanhi and what's a NANHI anyway?
YES, as I tell folks on my website, I am a Christian Psychic/Spiritual Counselor with a psychic bloodline...like some folks get diabetes, cancer, etc. It can be a blessing or a curse depending on how you use it or what others think you should use it for...its hard to explain a lot of our traits that we were born with...SO WHY TRY ANYWAY?
NOW BACK TO THAT CHRISTIAN THING...if anyone quotes from Christian scripture here and tells you they like a verse or another Christian gives a hearty AMEN then they are enjoying the interaction like one would a movie, a piece of music...we ALL SHARE SOME COMMON GROUND...
PLEASE EMBRACE THIS REALITY ! PROTECT YOUR FREEDOM BY PROTECTING MINE !
ON THE OTHER HAND...if you don't have a Christian focus or even background or have left that tradition or line of belief then so be it.
EXPRESS YOUR BELIEFS AND/OR UNDERSTANDING OPENLY and FAIRLY with no apology. People do not have to agree with you...they just shouldn't try to change you or put you down. If they don't seem to understand try to explain it to them in a slightly different way--educate them and then maybe they will find it easier to accept you...but don't always count on it. FIND THOSE who you share common ground with and interface with them more often...but don't give up on those who may not at first accept you...try back once in a while and make sure you are trying to ACCEPT THEM TOO.
BOTTOM LINE--the basic IDEA here is that we are here to LEARN from each other, not to CONVERT or CONVINCE...if that happens in the process of someone celebrating or sharing their belief system with others....SO BE IT.
FREEDOM TO EXPLORE is the one freedom we should ALL PROTECT here.
and that includes the FREEDOM of Christians or those who are some kind of hyphenated Christianity to share their beliefs openly as well without the fear of being accussed of trying to proselytize others.
NO APOLOGIES...no fear...just information sharing and gathering.
I AM no more and no less than,
THE REVEREND DR. MOTHER NANHI MARY KATHERINE KENNEDY MORROW-FARRELL,etc.
Peace to ALL...
