Biblical Billionaires and the Taming of Jesus

Column by Dr. Carl Krieg on 25 June 2020 6 Comments

My initial intent in writing this column was to look at how the early church lost the message of Jesus, but both the pandemic and climate change seemed more urgent, demanding immediate attention. Then I realized that lurking behind all of them was the dark but pervasive shadow of society’s rich and powerful, those who expand and protect their interests at any cost.

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Question

The only religion I was exposed to as a child was Pentecostal. I never subscribed to it, tried several denominations, never felt any connection. The hell and damnation thing is so deeply rooted in me that it makes me afraid to speak my real mind about God. The older I have gotten, I am 64, the more alone and abandoned I feel. Is there a God? If there is, how can I worship authentically? What books can I read to help me resolve this spiritual crisis in my heart? I desperately want a connection to a higher power and I would love to share that in a group of people but I just cannot abide the Christian faith. I respect it but I cannot go, sit, and pretend that I believe it all. It’s just too hypocritical. Can you offer guidance?

Answer

Dear Reader,

This is a very exciting moment in your life. It is never too late to begin or to continue on your unique authentic spiritual path. I am not surprised to hear of your skepticism with the Christian faith because our traditional religions have long subscribed to a paradigm that is no longer relevant to our times - a paradigm that used religion to make sense of mysteries of the universe we could not explain, a paradigm that told us to focus not on this earthly reality and our present life but instead to always look toward transcendence and live our life according to what will get us into a mythical heaven.

To step away from a dogma or faith tradition that does not resonate with you is one of the bravest and most important things you can do. I could recommend hundreds of books that might spark a new spirituality within you - anything by Bishop John Shelby Spong, Matthew Fox, Joanna Macy, Yeye Luisah Teish, Bill Plotkin, Robin Wall Kimmerer, poetry by Maya Angelou, David Whyte, Mary Oliver, Walt Whitman, and the list goes on and on. But what I recommend before reading any books or following any teachers is to find yourself, in nature. Develop a practice of finding a spot where you can connect with nature - a creek, a tree, a house plant, and meditate. I trust that eventually you will find God in every wild creature this planet has to offer, from the littlest ant to the highest mountain. The limitless divine energy that imbues our sacred Earth, our only home, is one that we can always trust.

~ Jennifer Berit

 

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