I'm in personal spiritual revolution. My posting at LJ and my other sites has been way down while I am digesting a sequence of things that has opened me up in ways that are, for now, beyond words. Last week we did the Q conference which addressed the issue of the future of Christianity. The conference was in many ways more conservative than I am, yet I pulled much from it in some areas where I needed balance. I am really focused on developing a whole earth view of spirituality---to move beyond my own socio-economic-political boundaries.
I have been reading voraciously, soaking in viewpoints from all over. Even though I read a dozen hours a day, I am a methodical plodding reader so it is encompassing much of my time. I have been profoundly pensive as my brain rewires.
Recently Karlita and I met with a man that I greatly respect to discuss some of these matters. After listening to us, he outlined his own thoughts: he noted there are three major schools of thought regarding faith paths, exclusive (it's our way or you are going to hell), inclusive (our way is best, but you are not going to hell), and pluralism (my way is fine for me, yet I support your path equally). My current belief system falls into the inclusive camp. This man, who has thousands of people looking to him for spiritual guidance explained why, even though he grew up in a conservative denomination and went to a conservative Christian seminary, explained to us that he is now a PLURALIST. Hearing that, from this guy who I hold in the highest esteem personally and as a spiritual leader, really messed with my head. There are things I have deep inside which I could not contain at all within an exclusive belief system, and honestly the inclusive system does not fully contain it, yet the pluralist view is beyond where I am today. As liberal as I am, I suspect God still does not fit into the huge box I have constructed. Moving outside the box is imminent, yet that requires a revamp of my entire belief system. All this does not take me off of my own fervent, Christ centered path, yet the coming limitless expansion is still overwhelming to me.
(Photo of a window manikin at Rag-a-rama in L5P, copyright Kel Vick 2007)
(Photo of a window manikin at Rag-a-rama in L5P, copyright Kel Vick 2007)
