No 769 of Living Life Series 1
If religion is serious business, would we expect the masses to be in the house of God. Frankly, if we want the house of God to be packed, we cannot be serious about religion.
When we make a joke out of God or the place of God, more would pack the house of God for they see fun and laughter in the house of God as a good thing though fundamentalists may view otherwise.
It is after all done in with the purpose of good fun and to entertain as well as be entertained. To ensure that more come, it is necessary to make a joke and make fun out of religion that even the founders and sages of a religion would never have expected. This is the in-thing for religion.
Religion increasingly is about fun and entertainment. But, which would we prefer, a empty house of God or a house full of merry makers and jokers in the name of God?
People buy jokes and fun as a necessity in a house of God and that is how we can have fellowship, they say. But then there is a thin line between what is appropriate and what is not. In the heat of the moment and in the name of fun, people can cross the line of propriety and do the unthinkable.
They turn the house of God into an ungodly one - far from the purpose it is meant for. There is no need at all to mention and dwell in the obviously unthinkable.
Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) goes for fellowship and banding of people together so that their spiritual light will grow and glow together even more than when each man is alone. But if men band together to have fun and have even more fun by banding together, it is a different thing altogether. We may see the exact opposite of what should be.
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| Serious business like this is no longer the in-thing and is this good? |
The good lord says that we must learn from the strength and weaknesses of men. We must learn from the lessons of life - yes the gospel of life that unfurls before us day by day.
Religion cannot be serious business or it may turn away the crowd. But to be spiritual must be serious business and cannot be a joke.
It is often not fun and by no stretch of imagination at all funny to be associated in the very house of God with silly and sick jokes like evil Santa gifts or the likes of this.
But many would say, "Please don't be a stick in the mud and upset others who want fun. Stand aside and let there be fun, never mind the place and even in a house of God."
Doing all in good fun cannot be at the expense of the serious business of a religion. It should not replace the religion. We do need leeway for fun to bring in the crowd but how are we to have the safeguards and controls? This is so when the ones who decide on fun in a house of God are the young who prefer to have their own youth ministry and do what they like without inhibitions from the old.
The oldies have no say. They belong to the retired or at best the mature church or ministry - the sunset group. The temple or church has more future vested in the young and not the oldies. This is good and necessary. But then, what sort of future is in store when there is the dilution of serious business of religion all for good fun?
We need good dynamic balance of yin and yang, of fun in life and serious business of life (religious business). This is as taught by sages of old and is reiterated by the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). If we fail to do so, then the ones supposedly in a house of God are far though near to God and true divine peace and stability - the salvation of souls as they have more of indulgence and merry making of the world and senses. Didn't the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) mentioned that the near may be far and the far near?
On the flip side, there must be no distasteful hypocrisy and overdoing of the serious business of religion such that men especially seasoned men put up more of a front to show that they are more holy than holy but are not as good at heart. Is there the need to impress?
Well, be like Ji Gong (济公) the Living Buddha who finds no need to do away with some fun and he advocates that we don't be too serious outwardly in life. Have some fun but do so not in the house of God but outside. This may send the misleading message to others.
In fact, we can be better off in the serious business of religion outside the house of God. "What matters is not what one does or what goes through the gut but what comes from the heart." This Ji Gong (济公) reiterates.
The serious business of salvation thorough divine inner peace can be secured in life we have. Life is in the life we have and not in the life in the house of God built by men. The gospel is in life and life is the living gospel.
Even Jesus in his days in flesh on Earth had his ministry largely outside the synagogues and in life out there among the masses. Isn't that revealing and an eye opener of sorts? Perhaps the serious business of religion is in life and society more so than in a house of God built by men.
Doing all in good fun cannot be at the expense of the serious business of a religion. It should not replace the religion. We do need leeway for fun to bring in the crowd but how are we to have the safeguards and controls? This is so when the ones who decide on fun in a house of God are the young who prefer to have their own youth ministry and do what they like without inhibitions from the old.
The oldies have no say. They belong to the retired or at best the mature church or ministry - the sunset group. The temple or church has more future vested in the young and not the oldies. This is good and necessary. But then, what sort of future is in store when there is the dilution of serious business of religion all for good fun?
We need good dynamic balance of yin and yang, of fun in life and serious business of life (religious business). This is as taught by sages of old and is reiterated by the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). If we fail to do so, then the ones supposedly in a house of God are far though near to God and true divine peace and stability - the salvation of souls as they have more of indulgence and merry making of the world and senses. Didn't the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) mentioned that the near may be far and the far near?
On the flip side, there must be no distasteful hypocrisy and overdoing of the serious business of religion such that men especially seasoned men put up more of a front to show that they are more holy than holy but are not as good at heart. Is there the need to impress?
Well, be like Ji Gong (济公) the Living Buddha who finds no need to do away with some fun and he advocates that we don't be too serious outwardly in life. Have some fun but do so not in the house of God but outside. This may send the misleading message to others.
In fact, we can be better off in the serious business of religion outside the house of God. "What matters is not what one does or what goes through the gut but what comes from the heart." This Ji Gong (济公) reiterates.
The serious business of salvation thorough divine inner peace can be secured in life we have. Life is in the life we have and not in the life in the house of God built by men. The gospel is in life and life is the living gospel.
Even Jesus in his days in flesh on Earth had his ministry largely outside the synagogues and in life out there among the masses. Isn't that revealing and an eye opener of sorts? Perhaps the serious business of religion is in life and society more so than in a house of God built by men.
