Forgiveness 8

Salaam All

 

The Quran gives glad tidings to ALL religions: "Those who believe and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabians - whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. (2:62)
Religions all over the world preach the act of forgiveness for attaining peace of mind.

 

According to Buddhism, forgiveness “averts harmful emotion” which can cause great harm to our mental well being and fill us with discontentment and frustration.

 

In Islam, Allah is described as “The Most Forgiving.”

 

The Hindu thought considers “forgiveness as the greatest virtue which each one of us should have.” The Bhagvad Gita says “if you want to see the brave, look at those who can forgive.” 

 

Christianity also preaches the doctrine of forgiveness. The Bible says: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgives you.(Colossians 3:13)”

 

Isn’t it possible that the diversity of religions and faith traditions on earth are designed to complement, undergird, and support each other? Isn’t it possible that by coming together, rather than by fighting each other, we might actually discover deeper truths and possibilities?

 

Each faith tradition holds only a couple of the pieces that together make up the grand jigsaw puzzle of God’s glorious intentions for the world. We make the mistake of thinking that our pieces are the puzzle. But this is because we can’t see the finished picture. We only see a part of the puzzle. Instead, we need everyone else’s piece. Only when all the pieces are in place, fitting together neatly, can we see what God had intended in the first place. This religious diversity shouldn’t scare us; rather, it should excite and inspire us.

 

Besides, God is big. Our attempts to limit God, to shrink God within the boundaries of our own officially-recognized revelation, is a disservice to the Divine. It limits the Limitless One, and attempts to make God into an idol that we can control and sell. We must humbly acknowledge that God is infinitely bigger than our convictions, no matter how well-honed and intellectually sound. At times, we have to shut up and let the silence of God overwhelm us.

 

All our faith traditions recognize that God transcends our human limitations, and works in us despite our misunderstandings, sins, and fallibilities. And not just in our own traditions, but in all the traditions of the world, in every nation, every ethnic group, every family.

 

God is the source of this diversity. Reread that quote from the Quran.

 

Shamal...let's accept our convictions as gifts, rather than possessions that must be held with a closed fist.