...the greatest of these is Love.

Have you heard people use the term “Universe” to describe their idea of God or a higher power?  Did your sub conscious automatically go to judgment mode?  I know that I have and I did.

I grew up in a Catholic family that had close ties to the church and its philosophy.  I even spent most of my 12 years of education in Parochial School.  I have heard the comment, from my mother, once Catholic, always Catholic.  But then, at the close of my senior year in high school I “found” Jesus.  Now this is very interesting because apparently he was never missing.  It was just that I had begun to ask questions to which no one had the answers.  Well, they had one answer:  Faith!  "If there is no reasonable answer you have to take it on Faith."  That worked for me for a while until the full effects of “faith” hit me square in the face.

God allowed this…and so that happened.  Faith.

God is challenging you so that you…   Faith.

God allowed for your father to die so young so that you…    Faith!

Now granted, no one person ever said that to me directly.  It was more a processing of information that I have received over the years to justify hard times, trials, and loss.  Sort of like the churches that came to the forefront during the 9/11 attacks to pronounce that God’s judgment was upon us for our evil ways.

Faith!

We take a lot of things by faith, but there is a reality that life and death exists and we cannot avoid the death part.  

But the life part?  In THAT we can be totally engaged.  What makes some of us suffer and be victims while others prosper and succeed?  It has nothing to do with God and/or faith, except that it is an integral part of our belief system.  Our beliefs DO determine our Path.  The term “Universe” and the philosophy of “The Secret” is looked at like some hoo doo voo doo by many people of faith, but when it is broken down to philosophy, it does not contradict traditional biblical principles.  In fact it mirrors them.  Check out Matthew 21:22.  The path is the same.  Footprint by Footprint.

However, there is this division created by religion that causes traditional Christians from accepting other ideologies.  And yet the idea of living “Christ-like” is a perfectly acceptable philosophy for those who prefer the term Universe to God.

Interesting thought:  There were no Christians before Jesus.  Jesus attempted to teach us a way to live that included: Loving one another, feeding the poor and healing the sick.  Oh, and of course, Forgiveness.  It is the difference between being Christ-like and being called a Christian.

You can say you believe in “this or that,” but if you don’t adhere to the basic principles of goodness and love, it doesn’t matter what term you use to define God.