Quotes from Spirituality & Social Action

 

I am convinced we cannot solve our current crises without a personal connection to God and a collective commitment to seek God’s plan for the world. We need to come back into a right relationship with the sacred, with one another, and with the Earth. [p 3]

 

I believe there is a spiritual dimension to our existence of which we are largely unaware, but which will be revealed upon our death.  At that moment of transition, I expect we will experience an incredible “Aha” moment of clarity and understanding. [p 13]

 

When we live for God, we feel connected to an infinite source of love, blessed with God’s abundance, at peace with ourselves, and full of compassion for others. [p 17]

 

Faith is about giving up our ego. It turns out that the ego that we so fiercely defend is not worth a hill of beans. Letting go of it is a relief and gives us license not to defend our positions or justify ourselves. Since the ego doesn’t need to be stroked anymore, we can be present in the moment and just let other people’s opinions of us wash over us without feeling threatened. [p 28]

 

I think well-meaning, righteous Christians are on shaky ground if they believe that only Christians will enter the heavenly kingdom. None of us know where we are going in the afterlife, and I suspect we may be amazed at the array of “non-Christians” who are likely to be seated before the throne of God. [p 32]

 

Centering prayer is a time to reorient our lives in alignment with God’s will. By coming close to the Almighty, we tap into a reservoir of God’s love, healing, and wholeness. We can be the visible sign of an invisible God. [p 57]

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Christianity is not just a way of believing, but a way of living. Those of us who are followers of Jesus are called to reach out to the poor, the sick, the homeless, the vulnerable, and all those who are not at the table for whatever reason. [p 65]

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God wants us to live our lives not by lofty creeds and pious ideals, but with humility, caring, and service. We are to seek our place in God’s design and trust God’s purpose. Our calling is to love God and to serve God by ministering to the needs of others. [p 66]

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Will we push our churches (and synagogues and mosques) to get more engaged in the social justice issues of the day, or are we content with uplifting music and a comforting message that all is well with the world? If the church wants to be relevant, it needs to respond to the social and economic needs that everywhere engulf our society. [p 79]

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We who have been born into relative privilege have an obligation to speak up for people of color who face discrimination in housing, loans, criminal justice, and job applications, and for immigrants who may not be paid their full wages, afraid to report the abuse because they or a family member may be undocumented. [p 82]

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Through faith we believe that God will ultimately prevail over the powers and principalities of darkness. As collective children of God, we believe there is more that unites us than divides us. Jesus taught that love has the redemptive power to overcome fear and hate. [p 89]

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If humans are to be stewards of God’s creation, how is it that we can allow climate disruption, the extinction of species, and the pollution of our planet? For people of faith who believe in a just and merciful God, this should be a moral and spiritual dilemma of utmost concern.     [p 97]

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This is no time for complacency; to the contrary, we are to be fully engaged in God’s calling for peace and justice. When we say, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,” our prayer is more than wishful thinking; we are partnering to make God’s kingdom a reality. [p 109]