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A View of Hope Confucius say... by Hope Hewetson |
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onfucius is too wise to just be found in
fortune cookies. Here’s one of my favorites of his: “If you don’t know how to
serve men, why worry about serving the gods?”
It reminds me of a recent visit to the optometrist. The doctor noticed I was a minister and used the topic for some small talk while he checked my eyes. He told me about his church, and that he makes himself go to a Bible study class, mainly to make his wife happy. He added that he didn’t know if he was getting much out of it, but he was going.
I thought about it for a minute, and decided to give him my immediate response. (We Sagittarians aren’t much into editing!) I told him that at my church, I don’t encourage people to understand the Bible, I encourage them to understand themselves, first.
When we understand ourselves, we trust ourselves, and we don’t need a book to dictate how we should behave or think. We can use books and people as guides to help us find our truth, but I believe we are learning to feel confident enough to use our own wisdom and choose what to embrace as our day to day philosophy of life.
Words can be read by 10 different people, and depending on how those people think and feel, will be interpreted 10 different ways.
Thus, for some people holy books are read to justify their fear and hatred. For others, messages about compassion, and knowing thyself, and the Golden Rule are what resonates with them.
It’s hard to watch people make decisions to begin wars, or annihilate entire groups of people, or exude hatred for others in the name of God or what it says in a book they consider sacred.
In terms of Iraq, if the “religious” leaders on all sides top concerns were to truly serve men, choosing a path that will surely kill thousands of human beings, as well as endanger the entire planet, would not be an option.
Who decides what a god is? Are we creating God? Why worry about serving the gods if we can’t serve men?
I believe that God works through us. So, do my actions reflect a God who I would love to serve? If a great god, to me, is loving, nonjudgmental and compassionate, do I wait to see that type of action on the planet to make me believe? Or do I be the action that I want to see? I know the answer that works for me!
People are in all levels of evolution as souls here. Some are strong enough to adhere to a loving outlook for all concerned. It’s easy for them to look at the world and each human being with eyes of compassion, humility and dignity.
Others can’t. But I will still serve them, because my actions are a demonstration of God, and that is what the God of my heart is all about.
Ponder Confucius’ words for yourself, and see where they
take you!
-Rev. Hope Hewetson
Rev. Hope Hewetson is associate director of Psychic Horizons Center. Call Hope for a reading or healing, at 303-685-8991 or email hopi@frii.com.
