Let Us Be

When I was in seminary, a "famous theologian" gave a big speech. During the question and answer period, I raised a point. "If God is absolute Being, and I Am, then my being is God, isn't it? Not just me, but a flower. God is the being of every flower. And God is being a fly on the window."

Everyone in the lecture hall was shocked and silent. I guess we weren't allowed to say stuff like that. Then the theologian explained, while God's Being is absolute, our being is only "contingent being." I just stared at him, saying to myself,  'WTF is contingent being?' I sat down.

People wouldn't join me in the dining hall. They thought I was a heretic. They whispered, "universalist." I asked, "What is a universalist?" They said it was someone who believes that God's grace pours equally upon all, no matter what their religion, whether they confess the name of Jesus or not. I said, "Yes, that is exactly what I believe."

So I decided I could never be ordained as a Christian minister, because everyone is already ordained by their first breath, which is the breath of God.

You and I are Being. A stone is Being. I am not sure the stone is aware of it, maybe so. But You and I certainly have the marvelous chance to become aware of our Being, who is God. To be aware of our Being is worship. To enjoy our Being in each other is love.

Let us each take responsibility for who we really Are, and begin treating one another as a human Being.