If you could talk to God, face to face, what would you say? Would you ask for things, like new clothes, or a bigger house, or a new car for yourself or your parent(s)? Would you ask for world peace, or an end to the sicknesses of the world? Would you lay down your problems at home, or in school, or with a boyfriend, and ask God to fix them all? Who is God? What is God? If there is a God then why is there so much bad stuff in the world?
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If you know me from being in one of my classes (or your mama has told you about when she was in my class; yes I'm that old!) then you know that I'm full of anecdotes (look it up!) and stories that I use to illustrate a point, and here at the black girls guide, nothing has changed. So here goes:
One day a little girl and her mom were walking home from the store and chanced upon a game of softball being played by some older girls in the neighborhood. The game was in full swing, with the score tied 2-2, and the last at bat standing ready at home plate. The little girl dropped her mother's hand and ran onto the field screaming, "I want to play! I want to play, mommy!," disrupting the whole game. The mother was only slightly embarrassed, for her daughter was only 11, and she was a child with Down's Syndrome, a chromosonal condition that causes developmental delays along with other physical and physiological issues.
Running to apologize and take her daughter away (who was now tugging at the bat and succeeding in taking it from the batter), the mother was surprised when one of the girls held up a hand and gave her the thumbs up sign. The mother then watched in amazement as the batter wrapped her hands around her daughter's hands, and the pitcher moved to within 3 feet of where her daughter stood at home plate, and tossed the ball lightly to her daughter who, with the help of the bigger girl hit the ball a few feet down the field. Yelping with joy, her daughter took off running the bases, followed closely by the bigger girls who were screaming and cheering all the way. When the little girl reached home plate, they hoisted her upon their shoulders and took her down field to her mom, who was busily wiping away tears. She thought her daughter had never looked as happy and as beautiful as she had at that moment.
What does this story tell us? First of all, it illustrates one of Jesus The Christ's messages for us all:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Above all things, it is love that answers the question of who and what is God. God is love. Love is God. Minister Farrakhan tells us in the 04/04/2004 issue of the Final Call that:
*This world talks a lot about love, but to understand love is to understand the core out of which God operates. Love is not an emotion. It’s not that tender feeling that one gets in the heart when you see someone you are attracted to. We are not talking about love on the base level. *The scripture says God is Love. When you see the verb "is," which cannot take an object and which represents a state of being, then whatever is on one side of that "is," is equal to what’s on the other side. It’s like an equation: God equals Love. *If you say God is Love, then Love is God. Love is that creative force out of which the universe came. Love is that creative force that gave motion to matter, that made nothing into something. Love is that creative force out of which comes law and order, sustenance, maintenance and the reproduction of all things. God is Love.
And in a Khutbah (sermon) by Mahmoud Mostafa we read:
Dear brothers and sisters, the guidance of Islam is the guidance of love. The innate, natural and ancient religion that is Islam is the religion of love. The Prophet (puh) came to guide us to love and to make clear the love that is at the core of all religion. Our purpose as human beings is to consciously manifest Allah ' s love in our lives. This is the most significant meaning of Khilafa and Ibada that can bring purpose to us and transform our lives. When we reflect upon the history of the Prophet (puh) and the spread of his message we will realize that Islam could not have taken root in the world without the love that filled the heart of the Prophet and was clearly manifest in his way of relating and interacting with people that brought out their own deep and profound love for him. Without this mutual and abiding love, none of us would be here today. Without this love Islam would not have been possible.
And what do we do with this love?
The Pirkei Avot, a book of the Mishnah (MISH-nuh), an early written compilation of Jewish oral tradition, and the basis of the Talmud, Judaism's Holy Book), teaches that the world is based on three things: Torah (law), service to God, and g'milut chasadim, which means "acts of lovingkindness".
http://www.jewfaq.org/brother.htm
http://www.jewfaq.org/brother.htm
Isn't it amazing that a group of ball-playing girls could manage to live up to the tenets (look it up) of three major world religions all at the same time? And on a ball field, no less? Imagine that.
In every religion to which we have access, there is something about love. In Buddhism it is said,
Compassion and love are not mere luxuries. As the source of both inner and external peace, they are fundamental to the continued survival of our species.--His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama
and
'Even offering three hundred bowls of food three times a day does not match the spiritual merit gained in one moment of love.'
--Nagarjuna
--Nagarjuna
and
'If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue'
--His Holiness the Dalai Lama from, 'The Little Book of Buddhism'
http://viewonbuddhism.org/immeasurables_love_compassion_equanimity_rejoicing.html
--His Holiness the Dalai Lama from, 'The Little Book of Buddhism'
http://viewonbuddhism.org/immeasurables_love_compassion_equanimity_rejoicing.html
We have the power to change the evils of the world. That power is love. We may not be able to stop every bad thing that is happening. We may not be able to feed every hungry person, or shelter every homeless person, or cure every person suffering from cancer, or A.I.D.S., or depression, or diabetes. We may not be able to stop every child from dying, or suffering from malnutrition, or being a refugee of war and greed. There are these ills in the world. However, we can do our part to LOVE this world back into some sort of harmony. All of us who are able must contribute, in love and in deed, to the betterment of this world. We must be like the Hindu Goddess:
Radha Krishna (IAST rādhā-kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit राधा कृष्ण) is a Hindu deity. Krishna is often referred as svayam bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology and Radha is a young woman, a gopi who is Krishna's supreme beloved.[1] With Krishna, Radha is acknowledged as the Supreme Goddess, for it is said that she controls Krishna with Her love. Radha's passion for Krishna symbolizes the soul's intense longing and willingness for the ultimate unification with God.
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We must vanquish the ills and evils of the world with love. We must let our love of all things--human, animal, earth, spirit, ourselves--control our existence. For, young ladies, when we operate from a standpoint of love, there is absolutely nothing that can stand in the way. So when you question the existence, purpose and reason of God, the Creator, Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Chango, The Supreme Being, The Omnipotent and Omnipresent One, Yemaya, Elegba, Oshun; or whether you practice Christianity, Santeria, Catholocism, Voodoo, or worship outside under a tree with the sun on your face and the breeze in your hair--know that the answer is this: LOVE.
But it's hard to love. People don't always act the way we need them to act. We fill ourselves with anger over real and imagined slights. We fight, argue and cause trauma to ourselves and others by holding onto feelings of anger and disappointment. How can we save the world, you ask, when we can barely save ourselves? How can we love all that is outside of ourselves when we have trouble loving ourselves? The answer is FAITH.
What is FAITH? Hebrews 11:1 tells us:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We must remember to have faith that it will be okay. That the storm will pass. That the silver lining will show up through the clouds of doubt. That we will pass the Science E.O.C.T or Regent's Exam. That Mommy will get a job and Daddy will come out of his depression. That hungry children will be fed. That there will be enough money, food, shelter, clothing, peace, and love for everyone. But we must remember that:
What is FAITH? Hebrews 11:1 tells us:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We must remember to have faith that it will be okay. That the storm will pass. That the silver lining will show up through the clouds of doubt. That we will pass the Science E.O.C.T or Regent's Exam. That Mommy will get a job and Daddy will come out of his depression. That hungry children will be fed. That there will be enough money, food, shelter, clothing, peace, and love for everyone. But we must remember that:
James 2:17
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
or, in other words:
So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
New Living Translation (©2007)
Let us, little sisters, evolve to the point where our faith is so strong that we believe we have the power to do anything. And then let's do it. Remember who you are. More importantly, remember WHOSE you are. As the Desiderata tells us,
"You are a child of the Universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should." --The Desiderata
