Journal of Sacred Work

Caregivers have superpowers! Radical Loving Care illuminates the divine truth that caregiving is not just a job. It is Sacred Work.

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Former President & CEO of multiple hospital systems and founding president & CEO of 20-hospital OhioHealth, best selling author, film artist, ordained minister, composer, published poet, syndicated T.V. host, trial attorney, federal prosecutor and Municipal Court Judge. Erie is internationally known as the founder of the Radical Loving Care(R)movement. He also heads Erie Chapman Foundation, Dane Dakota Productions, LLC, and Chapman Health International, Inc.

Recent Posts

About

Former President & CEO of multiple hospital systems and founding president & CEO of 20-hospital OhioHealth, best selling author, film artist, ordained minister, composer, published poet, syndicated T.V. host, trial attorney, federal prosecutor and Municipal Court Judge. Erie is internationally known as the founder of the Radical Loving Care(R)movement. He also heads Erie Chapman Foundation, Dane Dakota Productions, LLC, and Chapman Health International, Inc.

Days 193-194 The Many Faces of God

Unity.jpg
Erie
recently explored the divine omnipresence of God in his Journal essay called,
"How Big is God" (June 28,
2010.) I can’t help but wonder why it is so threatening to affirm
that God is known by many different names. Some may not even profess a faith in
God but these same individuals are some of the Holiest people I have ever
known.

 Some
believe so strongly in their God as the “only way” that they feel compelled to
save non-believers from an eternity in hell. Yet, many individuals are turned
off to religion precisely because of such literal interpretations.

Perhaps,
it is because our relationship with God is so deeply personal. I think for
those who practice religion, it can become a very important aspect of one’s
identify. We gather together with people of like-heart bonded within a
community of believers. Differing beliefs may feel threatening because
subconsciously we fear that to accept others beliefs will crack and erode our
very existence.

A
bible passage that is often translated literally is John 14:6, when Jesus said,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me." I receive His instructive message to be more about living a Christ
like life of selfless Love. A Love that is as difficult to live as a “camel trying
to pass through the eye of a needle” Mathew 19:24.

In 1Corinthians 12 my favorite the passage is the analogy of one body and many differing parts.“If a foot should say, because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body it does not
for this reason belong any less to the body. We were all given to drink of one spirit." Now to me that is really good news!

Fear
creates division. We fear losing something very precious to us. We want the security of knowing absolutes. I would like to
encourage each of us to be more aware of our subtle responses to diversity.
Stretch beyond the confines of religion to observe your encounters with others
and reflect on these questions. How do I receive people? Is my response
welcoming and receptive, or resistive, reactive and closed? What am I trying to
protect? Notice the little nuances, like how we might defensively cross our arms while talking with
another person.

Lately,
I’ve been stepping back to notice my thoughts and the stories I tell myself
about people and situations. This simple practice helps me recognize that my
stories are often based on incomplete, non-factual information. Since I am the
only participant, my internal dialogue is one sided and biased. I make faulty
assumptions, which leads to creating a barrier between myself and others. It is
easy to distort reality when I do this. However, I am forever hopeful because awareness
can lead to meaningful change.

An open attitude an a receptive heart is necessary for Love's presence to awaken within us. Father Michael Adams explains, "We cannot be healed until we surrender our disbelief that the Divine can and does want to create within us a perfect expression of itself."

When
we feel intolerant toward others, divisiveness sets in and we risk becoming
enemies, as we water seeds of hatred. This is how conflict is fueled and on a grand
scale we all know of endless wars fought in the name of religion. Conflict
resolution seeks common ground.  In matters of diverse faith, does it have to be in all or nothing terms? Can’t God be a both/and radiant source of our being? We can widen
the lens through which we see the world to discover inner beauty. As Erie
would say, we can look with sacred eyes. Do we recognize the face of God in all we encounter? I can think of no higher purpose than
to accept one another in reconciliation and Love. That is God’s call to us. We
are all of One spirit. “Love one another as I have loved you,” John 13.

It
is my sincere hope that the Journal provides a sacred space where we can learn
more about each others faith and cultural traditions as we seek a common
ground and unity. In this spirit, I share this video with you.

"There is no they, only us." ~Anon.

~liz
Sorensen Wessel

Posted in

9 responses to “Days 193-194 The Many Faces of God”

  1. Marilyn Donan Avatar
    Marilyn Donan

    Hello, Liz. I was moved by your post and wanted to respond. It reminded me of a story. A dear friend of mind went on Christian mission to visit the Yanamamo, an ancient tribe that lives along the Amazon. She had never heard of them before going on her mission. She and others on the mission were appalled that these people didn’t wear clothes and encouraged them strongly to do so. But, I thought, who is to say they need clothes. They’ve lived in the steamy Amazon jungle successfully for who knows how long without clothes. Perhaps there is something to be said for letting sweat evaporate off your body or just taking a cool swim in the river when you get hot. I didn’t voice my opinion because I know when you spend your life wearing clothes, you have to think those who don’t must be “wrong.” Maybe the mission people should have shed theirs…

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  2. marily Avatar
    marily

    He is the great I AM, known in many different names. Jesus too said, to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself. In loving one another they know we belong to Him. We are to have unity in diversity…

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  3. Marilyn Donan Avatar
    Marilyn Donan

    I posted yesterday, but thought some more and wanted to share a personal experience on the subject of religious intolerance.
    My dear husband, Johd, died a little over two year ago of a very aggressive cancer. He was only 53 years old. A few months before he died, I realized I would need a minister for his funeral. John was Presbyterian; I was “spiritual, not religious.” Niether of us had been to church for many years except for weddings, funerals, etc. I went into our bedroom to talk to John about it. He was sitting up in bed, making it easier for him to breathe. His head was drooped, his face contorted in a daze of pain, his eyes rolled upward, toward heaven–does this sound like someone else you might know? Anyway, I asked him what he thought. He said he didn’t even want a funeral, but relented when I told him it was for me and the others he was leaving behind.
    He suggested I talk to his sister, who goes to church every Sunday without fail. Maybe her minister would help us out. I told him that I didn’t want someone who didn’t at least meet him. I wanted whoever presided to know what a brilliant, funny, beautiful person he was. (I didn’t tell him all that; it would have embarrassed him.)
    So this minister came to our house. He seemed like a nice enough guy. He said, “So John, you’re about to meet your maker. Are you ready?”
    I was a little put off, but this. But John politely said, “Yes, sir, I am.”
    The minister said, “Are you a true believer?”
    John emphatically replied, “Yes. I am!”
    The minister and I went to the living room. He said, “Well, since you two don’t go to church, it would be more appropriate for your friends and family to come to your house and tell stories about John. It wouldn’t be appropriate to have a formal service.”
    I said, “okay…” , but what I really meant was
    “Bite me!” John was a believer and had a deep faith in God. Recently, he’d said to me, “Sweetie, after I’m gone, PLEASE try to find God. If you don’t, I’ll never see you again. And I thought I’d never see you again, I couldn’t bear it.” He trailed off and just sobbed. It was then that I realized he absolutely knew he was going to heaven and it was up to me to get there, too.
    After the minister left, I realized that my search for the right guy would have to continue. I talked to the hospice nurse. She suggested I talk to the hospice chaplain. He might know someone who would be willing.
    Michael, the hospice chaplain, came over. He was a very nice guy, peaceful, concerned, and he connect with us. He always had a deep connection to John. He noticed John’s many books. He asked about his life. I told Michael about “the other minister” and my experience. He seemed perplexed and said, “that’s wierd. We’re here to Include, not exclude.” He said that it was okay to have some doubt; the Bible doesn’t say that you have to believe 100%, just that you believe. (I’m paraphrasing.)
    Michael spent a lot of time with me over the months before John’s death. He would sit in John’s favorite leather chair, rocking and listening, as John had always done with me. One time, Michael said, “this is ONE GREAT CHAIR!” John always liked it, too. And when things got really tough, I was exhausted and could barely take one more day of it, Michael assured me that this hell John and I were in would indeed end. (I’m paraphrasing again.)
    John did die. Michael presided over a beautiful service. Even my cranky father-in-law said it was the best funeral he ever attended. When I asked he what made it so, he said Michael was top notch.
    Michael even dropped by for the post funeral wake and shared a killer Margarita with me. That was very special. He was a mench (spelling?)
    In essence, that first minister was excusionary–darkness–and Michael was the light. I remember him telling John he would see him in heaven. Michael said, “I’m tall, so you should be able to find me above the others.” God bless, Michael.

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  4. ~liz Wessel Avatar
    ~liz Wessel

    Marilyn,
    Thank you for opening your heart and baring your soul. I am so thankful that Michael was there for you and John in your time of need. Sometimes we can loose site of what is really important. God sent you his Love through Michael.

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  5. xavier espinosa Avatar
    xavier espinosa

    Marilyn said it best. For many years in doing my diversity work I commented regularly that the most difficult group of professionals to convince that they needed to be open to diverse beliefs were those who had committed themselves to help others find their spiritual path. Unfortunately what they intended to do was to place them on their own religious road without the benefit of examining their own trajectory. These self directed people had difficulty in accepting that spiritual people had in them the capacity to develop a connection to their own place of succor The first stage of Racism is the strong held belief that what the racist believes is theirs is only way that is correct. It is then through self exploration that one develops a more worldly view of what our world’s co-inhabitants believe and how they grow into a combination of beliefs that grow far beyond established rituals and a belief that we must constantly be in atonement for not what we have done, but for what others tell us we have inherited.
    As we become more experienced in our thoughts and life paths many of us become more tolerant and accepting of different beliefs and less inclined to follow the pack. We become dissatisfied with the conduct of religious leaders who despite heralding the tolerance that is “Christlike” become arbiters of others behaviors while they themselves are judgmental, racist, exclusionary and become the ones who condemn the enlightened. When you look into the history of the saints we see the true villains were the highly placed church officials who had the freedom to label those we venerate now as heretics.
    In my own experience those espousing their deep religious commitments and God’s love were the biggest hypocrites and haters. In your email Liz you asked of what you were writing was heresy, I would welcome your follow up to see who your greatest critics were. Certainly it would not be me or Marilyn who have been the object of exclusionary practices or labeled rebels- it would be those who hold on to archaic forms of worship and exclusionary forms of government of our mind, of our soul and of our God.

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  6. ~liz Wessel Avatar
    ~liz Wessel

    Well said, Xavier, thank you for your powerful insights and your impassioned voice of truth.

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  7. Sue Avatar
    Sue

    Is it nice to remember that in any type of religion,spiritualism,the unknown there is an occult side to it. The devil, does he still worship God?

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  8. glory Avatar
    glory

    In John 13 “Love one another as I have loved you” Sometimes it is so hard when you are dealing with a difficult persons, the one that doesn’t behaved as expected, the loud and the impolite….I can stay calm and focused at times but to have a compassionate feelings towards them is so hard sometimes. You have to go through an extreme efforts to have this humble feelings…..

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  9. xavier espinosa Avatar
    xavier espinosa

    Who can calculate the vastness of the harm done to impressionable and excitable persons by the bigoted enthusiasts who ever and anon come forward as teachers of the people? How many suicides are the result of religious mania and depression!
    Kabbala Denudata (‘The Kabbalah Unveiled’) (1887)

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