I would also like to announce that the OSN has forged links with Conselho Druidico (a portuguese druid group). We wish them well i
At present we have been putting the finishing touches to the novice training course for the Order. I ask you all to take some time to pray for all those undergoing novice training at present.
I would also like to announce that the OSN has forged links with Conselho Druidico (a portuguese druid group). We wish them well i
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I have been thinking about the important role of forgiveness. It seems the idea of forgiving is central to most religions if not all religions. This has led me to the conclusion that forgiveness is one of the divine traits. What follows may seem very Christian centred to some of you but please keep with me and read on............ I was in a discussion with a very liberal Pentecostal man this week. We were discussing the essential message of faith. We both knew something of the background of the other person and we hold each other in deep respect. I would like to share with you what I said was the central message of the Christian Gospel for me. As I see it the most important moment in the gospel comes in Luke chapter 23. There is Jesus on the cross with the two thieves either side. One is there mocking Jesus and the other accepts the innocence of Jesus and defends it. He never says he believes in Jesus but he accepts his innocence. Notice that in this passage Jesus does not condemn the other thief he just blesses the one who has lightened his burden. I see this to be the perfect portrayal of the divine. I tend to believe that at each moment we stand at that point and we have a choice we can choose to defend the innocent or not too. We can choose to be a blessing or to be more of a problem. Now all of us being human, sometimes we choose one way and sometimes we choose another way. The great mystery of the divine for me is that no matter which way we choose to walk, the divine is there again, open armed, asking us to choose again. It never condemns. Each choice brings its own reward or cost which we have to pay and the divine knows this. But of its self the divine never condemns, it leaves that to us. Something we humans have become all too proficient in. It just stands there open armed asking us choose and again we are free to lighten the burden or to add to it. How do we know if we have chosen the right path? This we see in actions. Mathew in Chapter 25 tells us that the kingdom of heaven is for those who feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked and visit those in prison etc. In this passage Jesus does not talk about faith or believing in him he talks about the actions of those on the path to the divine. It is not going to church or having bumper stickers proclaiming faith that saves you. It is your actions pure and simple. For me this is the essential Christian and for that matter religious message. It is not important how you describe your idea of the divine because that is all it is an idea. It does not really matter in what form you choose to give worship because again that is a human response to a meeting with the divine. What really matters is what you do after that meeting. Will you go out and lighten someone’s burden or do you choose to add to it. Was Ghandi a man of the divine.....yes. Is the Dali Lama a man of the divine .......yes. Did they believe in Jesus .......no. But they do walk the path the divine sets out. We all have a grasp on the truth.....well as much as we can see from our perspective. Our mistake comes when we begin to think we have the only truth. It our way or no way!!! Here is something which struck me after..... if we map out our life and our choices in a very simple way then what image appears Maybe the druids weren’t that weird and whacky when they looked for the ideas of the divine in the natural world and centred there worship around a symbol which encapsulates the human state. CHOOSE.
I was talking with my dear friend in London this morning. We have been friends for many years and she has seen me at my best and often at my most outrageous. Yet we remain strong friends even over such a huge distance. I love her deeply.
I was telling her stories about a local minister here who preaches what they have come to call the prosperity gospel. In simple terms I will tell you all that this man boils my piss. This man actually chased a local poor man who went on a Sunday morning to sell empanadas which his wife made. The man did this to live. The minister chased him and lo and behold the next week end there appeared an empanada stall which benefited the minister. It does seem that the Prosperity gospel works if you are a minister.......... As we were talking about this I was reflecting on the implications of this type of religion. The religion of the individual, self sufficiency and every person for themselves!!! This belief system is the complete opposite of our way. We do believe in the individual and in self sufficiency but we also know that by looking to our great teacher nature that a system is only as healthy as all its parts. If part of the system is suffering then the whole system suffers. We hold a faith which calls us to acknowledge the individual and yet we also are called to see the bigger picture. We are called to see society. A society which is imbalanced and uneven will never prosper. It is built on a false foundation and will in time fall. What can we do? We need to make it clear that we do not accept injustice. We need to speak out. We take the time to study. We look beyond the nice words and we begin to read the actions of the people. We need to vote with our feet and with our pockets. If a company or institution acts in an unjust way we make sure they no. We have to make the decision to look past our own gates and to look at our local communities. A strong community has power. This is why they try to keep us thinking in terms of the individual. Take time today to connect with your neighbour and see if you can help or be helped. |
AuthorI am the Reverend Mark P Charlton. I live and work in the South east of Mexico. This is a look at the ongoing experiences of life of a monastic druid. The Order of the Sacred Nemeton basically started after a number of discussions with different people. If you would like to help us grow please contact me using the contact page Archives
February 2012
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