Clarifying Language

Clarifying language is important, especially among religious folks. These are a few of my working definitions—at least currently. Faith is my lived experience in relationship with/by God/Divinity or the “I Am.” I prefer to use “I Am” as a name of God/Divinity since the I Am gave us this name (Exodus 3:13-14, 15b). In that 15b verse we find “This is my name forever and this is my title for all generations.” I prefer calling God/Divinity the name or title the I Am told us to use. Jesus often used this name/title even though we usually think he used it to refers only to himself. I suspect he also meant it to refer to the I Am or God/Divinity. I like to use the gerund of faith or faithing as it is a process. Faithing is a life-long journey. Faithing is never complete; it is evolving, growing, maturing, etc. I often use the phrase “The journey (faithing) is our destination.” Beliefs are my concepts or thoughts of my lived experience with the I Am. Beliefs may be changing as I learn new insights and/or receive new revelations. Therefore, my beliefs are evolving, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (I Corinthians 13: 12, NRSV). I am uncomfortable around individuals who have their beliefs all work out and there is little chance of their beliefs changing. By religion I mean the generational accumulation of doctrines, dogmas, beliefs, institutions, etc. that are purposed to assist individuals in the worship (faithing) of I Am. By spirituality I mean the “desire to please” (“Thanks,” Merton). Pleasing I Am as I choose to adapt and adjust to the experience and the following of I Am. I think of salvation or redemption as transformation. Transformation is something that I cannot do for myself; it is formation from a divine source, hence the prefix of “trans.” I also believe that transformation is an individual process rather than a one-method-fits-all for everyone. The I Am deals with us individually. I hear many folks talk about judgement, but I think of judgement in terms of Matthew 25, especially the sheep and goats (verse 31-46). This judgement does not have much to do with doctrine, church, denomination, religion, beliefs, etc. I suspect we judge ourselves by our lives or behaviors and actions. Judgement, or judging others, is not my business anyway. “Thanks,” I Am, judging others is one less thing I need to be concerned about.