Comentário do Prof. James Coleman - Washington, D.C. - USA. Enviado em: sábado, 06/12/2014. Publicado no Espaço do leitor - abibliaeobushido.blogspot.br/. In response to A God at the Service of Christians: excerpt from Bible and Bushido by Darcio Lira. I have been working through the manuscript one chapter at a time, as provision for translation and consideration of the text. This chapter was longer and took me longer to translate. I began to feel frustrated that I had not read and responded to the text in the time I had intended. However, the timing of God is always perfect. When finally able to read the chapter my heart was filled with peace as it was so relevant to my current situation. Willing servitude I believe to be the surrender of ego and vanity. One must be willing to embody a cause and carry on traditions much larger than self. In this we give of ourselves. We give our loyalty and our talents to spread the message of the master. Darcio Shihan, discusses the story of the rich young ruler who requested to follow Jesus. The wealth accumulated by the young man prevented him from serving with his whole heart and this reflected a self-serving attitude making it impossible for him to be a disciple. “Only a spiritually free person is able to make commitments to the ultimate consequences” (Lira). We cannot be spiritually free when our pursuit is wealth or the accumulation of objects. In many stories form different religions we see this example. Often the prophet seeking enlightenment must shed the desire of wealth or deny the normative expectations of society. A Buddhist quote calls us to be a “willing participant in world full of sorrow” (source unknown). Jesus says “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Later in Matthew we read that the strongest of character and purest of heart will be called to serve and humble themselves; resulting in Gods exaltation. It is my belief that those pure of heart will always desire to be a part of something larger and live as reflection of their master and collective consciousness. This expands beyond a tribal camaraderie but to a sense of place in the world. We define our existence by perceived boundaries. If our world is one of self-gratification our place in the world becomes an illusion. Humanism considers man as the measure of all things. This concept is the antithesis to spiritual accountably and leads to a false sense of self-importance. The example of the Ronin resonates strongly with me, and served as the perfect illustration to further my connection to the chapter. Another excerpt, which I found very poignant, was Darcio Shihan’s reference to “theological speculation” and “scrutinizing of the will of God”. As a reader and lifelong learner I often find myself in this position. I must remind myself that it is not my place to question but it is my calling to serve. Honoring our duty brings meaningfulness to our existence and as Darcio Shihan says “ the empty idea of personhood is avoided”. Just as the samurai where willing to commit the ultimate act of service through seppuku, we must be willing to deny our sense of self, thus killing our pride and vanity if were are to serve with a willing and loving heart. Gandhi said “The best way to find yourself; is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 23:51:42 +0000
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