What We Need (Updated from 5/29/2015)

 

"We need God, we need other people, and we need ourselves."

-- Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop

The statement above was made by Cardinal Dolan during a recent interview.  He said it as if in passing, a side note to another point, yet it was powerful enough to make me stop watching and write it down.  I continued to dwell on it through the interview, until I understood that my focus was another hint from Himself, to get off my derriere and write. 

There are three Catholics I have developed respect for after leaving Catholicism for my own path - Pope Francis, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, and Father Jonathan Morris (ret.).  My reasons for respect are as straightforward as their commentary on any subject.  They speak to us, not at us, and what they say has actual meaning.  If they don't know, they say they don't know. But, they still try to impart the importance of finding out.  They remind me of a President, Vice President, and press secretary, the only difference being the lack of political bullshit flowing out to the people.  I like straightforward people.  I don't like trying to make sense, of the dance they do, when speaking at me and not to me.  They aren't being understood because, for the most part, they aren't saying anything that makes sense.

There are a few people, in the congregation, who could say I am known for answering questions with questions.  They might say, I throw what might seem like riddles in their direction as the answer to a serious issue for them.  They would be correct.  So how is this any different than not being straightforward?  These are people who already know the answer to the questions they ask, they have simply forgotten they know, or have unwittingly become too tired to think for themselves and need a kickstart.  

People, deep down inside, know their basic needs.  They need God, which is why they are on their path.  They need other people. Good reasons to ask for a mental kickstart.  And they need to have faith in themselves, primarily because they usually, deep down, know the answers to most of the questions they ask.  

Was this the point Cardinal Dolan was trying to make? His statement works for so many different issues in life that it would be remiss of us not to recognize the fact.  If we were to stop and remember this when problems arise, we might find life a lot easier to handle.

I thought the three crosses at the crucifixion seemed apropos.  Here, were three souls at the end of life.  They needed God, they needed each other to understand this, even at the end of their existence.  And they needed to ask for forgiveness and to forgive themselves.  What they needed, they already had, but two of them had forgotten most of what they knew.  They needed a mental kickstart.

What we need, is already with us.  We only have to recognize and acknowledge it.  How many times does Christ have to die, before we get it? 

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com