While We're On the Subject

God, it would appear, is a convenience of crisis for most of us. A putty for the gaps we can not fill and an excuse for our blessed stupidity as humans. It would seem to emerge that in our zeal to establish proof of our religious convictions over that of our neighbors, God gets lost in the mêlée. I, am guilty of such contravention.

In an attempt to prove it to myself, I've wasted copious amounts of time trying to disprove everyone else. In a voracious consumption of material, both "for" and "against", I've brought myself no closer to an adequate conclusion, individually or for anyone else. (Until, a small moment, while reading a rather insignificant book. Or, perhaps, in my case, quite profound. But that story, is for another day.)

A beautiful human being very specifically pointed this out to me some months ago. I was enraged. How dare they! Insolent brat, indignant, self-righteous, impertinent worm. I have familiarity in these things!! I have mileage!! That makes me wiser! Or, er, uh, blind. I am guilty of the ever baffling oxymoron: religious tolerance.

My desk calendar doesn't often get "turned over". So it's rarely on the right day. I suspect that the Offspring like to play with it. It often sits for weeks on December 25th. Often enough that I have memorized the "quote of the day" that it shares. I didn't hear it, until today.

"Practice wanting for others what you want for yourself by being Christlike rather than a Christian, Mohammed-like rather than a Muslim, and Buddha-like rather than a Buddhist."

Can you hear Him? "Hmmm, why don't you hand me the keys."