As a Christian I endeavor to follow the life and example of Jesus, imperfectly for sure. I try to be loving, forgiving, giving and congruent, although too often I fail and fall short. In my heart I see the goal, I aim for it, and re-aim.
This morning I am reading a book by Rufus Jones. I find all of his writing inspiring. He was a Quaker. I'd like us to consider something I just read of his.
The influence of Erasmus, the greatest of the humanists, upon the scattered groups of spiritual reformers was very profound. He discounted the value of dogma and theology and turned instead with freshly awakened interest to the original teachings of Jesus...
( A few pages later he wrote this.) It may well be said that the world is not yet ready for this advanced idealism, that Christ Himself was filled with apocalyptic hopes, that He was proposing a programme for a new dispensation, not for this present mixed world. That may all be as it may be. But in any case, there ought to be a world like this one for which Christ lived and died. And that kind of world will never actually come unless some of us take the vision and the hope seriously and set to work to make it real here on this very earth.
Let us set our various dogmas aside and look again at what Jesus taught and endeavor to follow with our whole beings, with heart and mind and action. If you agree that there ought to be such a world of love and compassion, of caring and generosity, let's do as much as we can to bring it about. It won't come magically. It will come when good people all over, scattered in all countries, decide it is time to Be as Jesus called us to be.
They will know we Walk The Way by how we live our lives.