• The Baha’is of Kaua‘i • Rebecca DeRoos • Kahu James Fung • Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrine’s perspective on a suggested subject. Every Friday, a
• The Baha’is of Kaua‘i
• Rebecca DeRoos
• Kahu James Fung
• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrine’s perspective on a suggested subject. Every Friday, a topic is printed, inviting a response. Due to space limitations, submissions are edited. Thoughts or suggestions for future topics are always welcome. Next week’s subject is on neighbors. The topic at the end of the column is for the following week.
The Baha’is of Kaua‘i
One of the primary purposes for our existence is to develop spiritual qualities necessary for the next world. We have been counseled to bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.
With this admonishment we examine our actions each day in order to rectify our conduct and to purify our lives. Most of all, we seek forgiveness and strength from God to make each day better than the day before. Baha’is have been assured that God is all merciful and ever forgiving if we but sincerely ask.
Rebecca DeRoos
Science of Mind Practitioner
The strangest things will bring us to a new beginning. It may be a serious accident or disease or simply a small voice within asking, “What is it you want?”
My disease occurred 18 years ago, shortly after I moved to Kaua‘i. At first I would black out and not remember a thing. I was diagnosed with petit mal seizures. I began taking prescriptions that added to my confusion and lack of memory. My teaching career ended after arriving to my class an hour and a half late not remembering where I’d been.
Spirit leads us to new beginnings in the oddest ways and for good reason. Long ago I had wished to become an artist. Now I am. My disease was my beginning.
Kahu James Fung
Lihu‘e Christian Church
If we could rewind the video of our lives and live over segments of our past performance who of us would not jump at the opportunity? If we could re-live certain days in our history, knowing what we know now, how many of us would not want to have done it differently?
Looking back we have all made mistakes perhaps out of immaturity, acting on emotional impulse, giving in to the seductive lure of the easier way. But unfortunately we cannot re-do our history as if we were editing a chapter in our autobiography.
But there is another way. At the heart of the Christian faith is the amazing grace of God that accepts our sincere remorse and offers us a forgiveness that goes far beyond our ability to comprehend. Our God is a God of second chances, a God of new beginnings.
In his dying breath on the cross, in the depth of his agony, Jesus pleaded with God saying, “Forgive them.” It’s mind-boggling that a person in so much pain would be thinking about how the very people who acted out of fear, ignorance and cruelty should be granted another chance. But that’s the God who also gives us another chance to be our better selves.
When we’ve fouled up it’s forgiveness that removes the stain of guilt and the burden of shame from our soul and enables us to begin to live the way that God hopes we will.
Topic for two weeks from today:
• Will you speak to us on
immortality?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to pwoolway@kauaipubco.com
• Deadline each week is Tuesday, by 5 p.m.
