• The Baha’is of Kaua‘i • Pastor Wayne Patton • Lama Tashi Dundrup • 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
• The Baha’is of Kaua‘i • Pastor Wayne Patton • Lama Tashi
Dundrup
• 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. Submissions are edited for content and length. Thoughts or suggestions for future topics are always welcome. Next week’s topic is gluttony. The topic at the end of the column is for the following week.
The Baha’is of Kaua‘i
True happiness and contentment come from placing our whole trust in God and accepting His laws and ordinances. But mere acceptance is not enough; our actions must conform to this guidance and be pleasing in the sight of God.
The following quotes from the Baha’i writings admonish us to accept whatever God gives us and to seek His good pleasure:
“The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained. … Man must seek to gain the acceptance of God and not that of the different classes of men. If one is praised and chosen by God, the accusation of all the creatures will cause no loss to him; and if the man is not accepted in the threshold of God, the praise and admiration of all men will be of no use to him.”
Pastor Wayne Patton
Anahola Baptist Church
The apostle Paul addresses tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Romans 15:1-13 — particularly as they pertain to diet and holy days — real issues then and today. Paul makes clear that the basis for the mutual welcoming and acceptance of Jew and Gentile, with very different religious practices, is Christ. Paul says in verse seven to “accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
How does Christ accept us? He accepts us unconditionally. God’s love is a first love — before we do anything. As Paul declares, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While in the very state of alienation, hostile towards God, God acted to reconcile us to Himself in Christ.
To say that God’s acceptance is unconditional and God accepts us as we are, not as we should be, is not to say that God approves of everything that we do. There is a difference between acceptance and approval. But only when we believe in God’s acceptance are we set free to become more than what we are. Those who do not find there acceptance in God’s love find themselves on a treadmill, expending energy but going nowhere.
Discovering God’s acceptance allows us to accept others. No one wants to put on a mask, but we fear honest self-communication, especially if we sense that we will be rejected. All of us receive these message of condemnation from time to time.
We find ways to build up layers of protective coverings. If the truth of God’s acceptance can descend from our minds into our hearts, take root and grow, it will eventually smother our fears.
Knowing this allows us to accept others. In fact, this is the responsibility that comes with God’s acceptance. The gift of acceptance is a gift that keeps on giving. We must not try to shape people into the image we thing they should be. The motive behind our acceptance of people must not be so we can convert them to our way of thinking.
There is nothing wrong with wanting the best for others, but we have to learn how to just accept people with all their hang ups and trust God to work in their lives.
We can invite them to be disciples of Jesus, but we must not withhold our love or acceptance if they refuse.
Lama Tashi Dundrup
Kaua‘i Dharma Center
Acceptance of the method and motivation of Tibetan Buddhist practice is based first of all on one’s ability, inclination and having leisure time to perform the practice on a daily basis. Secondly, one must accept the teacher or lama as one’s spiritual guide or guru. This will produce insight and realizations of one’s inner true nature of mind. Once this nature is accepted, then one integrates it into all daily activities of body speech and thinking mind. The result is that one becomes effective and efficient as a mature human being. One then becomes beneficial to all living beings, or “rinpoche,” precious like one’s mother.
Topic for two weeks from today
• Will you speak to us on the aloha spirit?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to afrainier@thegardenisland.com.
• Deadline each week is 5 p.m. Tuesday.
