All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion, and forgiveness. The important thing is that they should be part of our daily lives. -The Dalai Lama
Every day, before he walked into the studio to tape his television program, Fred Rogers said a simple prayer: “Lord, let some word that is heard be yours.” There was never an overt reference to God or Jesus on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, but his values still managed to permeate nearly every moment of every episode. Rogers wasn’t a man who simply talked the talk. He expressed his faith by walking the walk. You knew who he was, and what he believed, because of what he did.
There is a truth that I want to show, to promote, and to advocate for, and that truth is reflected in the Dalai Lama’s quote above. What I want is to be able to bring people together to talk about the values we share as human beings. Ministry should not be a separate thing from everyday life, relegated only for a special day or shoved over onto a separate website. For better or worse, the things I write will hopefully spring from my beliefs in the same way Rogers’ TV show was infused with his.
At the same time, I don’t want the message to get lost in theological chatter, to alienate people whose thoughts run in different directions from mine, or come across as shoving my beliefs on anyone who doesn’t want to hear them. I understand, and respect, other peoples’ thoughts on, feelings toward, and bad experiences with organized religion. The bad behavior of too many prominent advocates of Christianity, to me, doesn’t disprove the value of religion. If anything, it simply proves the frailty of human nature and the need for love, compassion, and forgiveness in all our lives.
So there it is. This is neither an overtly nor covertly religious site, but my beliefs inform and often drive my creativity and my desire to be a better person. Your mileage and opinions may vary, but I hope you’ll still come along for the ride.
Blessings,
Berin
