I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly, ~ John 10:10

Religion fails, at the personal, ecclesial, social, and cosmic level, whenever it fails to cultivate, encourage, and engender among its practitioners life and love. Certainly from a Christian perspective, everything good is an expression and enactment of these two essential principles. Everything unhealthy or bad is a distraction from them or a failure to make them real. In the end, the only questions that count for much of anything are these: Was she a loving person? Was he a man of life? Did he love in word and in deed? Did she make love more credible, more captivating? Did he enliven anyone? Was he a life-giver? Did she bring life, contribute to life, spread life?

For communities of faith, the simple question rarely asked and yet most important of all is – is this a community of life and love? It can’t be one without being the other. If the answer is “yes,” it is safe to say the gospel is not only being preached but enacted there. Then, faith or spirituality becomes credible, fecund, and the community participates in the divine life and the common good. If the answer is “no,” it is sad to say that the gospel of Jesus which is necessarily a gospel of life and love, is AWOL.

Good on you,
Dan

REFLECTION:

“To know God and to live are the same thing: God is life.” ~ Leo Tolstoy

“Jesus calls persons not to a new religion, but to life.” ~ Dietrich Bobhoeffer

“Just to be is a blessing, just to live is holy.” ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

• It feels not the least bit risky to say that this little 5 minute film will enliven your heart, lift your spirit, make you love love and life more than you did five minutes earlier. I believe we are here on this planet for a fleeting moment and what we are meant to do with our time here is to participate in making God’s DREAM come true “on earth as it is in heaven.” This short film shows the power and beauty of any dream that is in service to love and life. Any such dream is a reflection of the dream of God. In Joy.

Goodpeople, if THE ALMOND TREE reflections add anything positive to your day, please pass them on to family and friends (and if you have any foes, pass it on to them as well). I appreciate it. ~ djm