There are innate deconstructive forces with the house of Abraham that seem to be bringing it down. The Abrahamic triad, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, all have splinters from the striving to be more like the patriarch of each, to being just people who like to talk the talk, but not walk the walk. In each group there are those that commit transgressions that in no way exhibit the spiritual traits of the Patriarch.
There are some in Islam that believe they have the right to commit Jihad and kill others who do not fall in line with their belief system. Just as there are Jews who oppress others humanity. Just as there are Christians who feel they are endowed by God to take the life fo another. Each having their own tools of validation for the human sacrifice to God. Religious wars do not always just include violence, though it certianly does in many cases.
Indeed, most lasting in religious war is done through oppression. Just as there are "spinter" groups In Judaism like the recent statements made by the Rabbis in New York to continue oppression of a class of citizens.
Then there are the "ians" in Christianity. That is a Christian who takes the humanity of Christ out of the equation. There are those Christians out there who indeed ooze the very essence of the Christlike spirit within their human interactions. Then there are those who like to preach about Jesus and how everyone else should strive to be that way, but when is comes to them...eh...not so much.
As prime example of this is the current Ugandan whitch hunt for those with HIV and/or are homosexual. To round them up and hang them. Just to send to point home, if you happen to know a homosexual and do not turn them in within 24 hours, you go to jail for three years.
I have yet to hear of any tests to prove homosexuality, however I can only envision throwing the accuse in water and if they sink and drown, they aren't homosexual. However if they float, their gay and get hanged. This all being because the current penalty of life in prison was not adequate. Uh yeah, that sounds like all the accounts of Christs love I have found.
Splinter, right? Well we have splinters here in America as well. These are Christians like those politicians in "The Family" located on C street in Washington D.C. who sent "missionaries" over to Uganda to "whip up the passions" of the President against that scourge that is...the gay. These "ians" feel speaking out on such an atrocity is something Christ would do, but them, again...not so much.
Then there is the most pious Rev. Rick Warren who has a cozy connection with the Ugandan President. He has had a prominent verbal terrorist minister preach to his congregation. He knows the man who introduced the bill. He was quoted in TIME as saying he did not feel it his "personal calling" to speak out against the polices of other governments. EXCUSE ME? REALLY? So you are only called to speak about Jesus, just not do as he would do unless it was convenient for your agenda. You honestly think Christ would keep his mouth shut; especially in addressing another who would claim to being as Christian as you?
Putting Christ back into he equation, I feel Jesus would indeed speak out and especially if he was personally acquainted with this individual or had a connection to those who would perpetrate such hate and aggressive transgressions. I believe Moses would have spoken out against this perversion of Gods' love by murder or oppression of the child of God. I believe Allah does not feel humans should be doing the work
God is most capable of doing on God's own. God shows God can take the life of another in an instant without the intervention of any human Yet these splinters don't think God works fast enough (or is it God just doesn't work fast enough for them?) There is a grave difference between defense and aggression. This line has become blurred within the past 10 years especially.
It is this aggression that has caused splinters in the house of Abraham. As any good carpenter knows, the more splinters in the log that serves as strength in the home, the weaker this log becomes. Like the infrastructure of many cities, lack of improvements done to maintain the structure of the house of Abraham has caused a great weakening in the foundation of the house of Abraham. Standing idlly by, watching the splinters continue to weaken the structure, in this case by apathetically not speaking out or even worse, secretly feeling good knowing the splinter has another victim without you having to involve yourself.
I fear there have become too many splinters in the structure of the three most populous religions in the world, it is becoming to feel as if the home of Abraham has become the empty house that has seen its better days. So many splinters that its logs are about to give way. Perhaps, if some prophets prove correct, the fall of this house will be in 2012. I can only theorize from what I have seen over the past decades and noticing the cracking of the logs over the last decade.
So this holiday season, no matter your Abrahamic religious festival, remember the love you celebrate. If this love is not used to mend this old house of Abraham, then celebrate well. For there most likely will not be but a few more holiday seasons left to celebrate. Use the love of the most high to sand away the destructive splinters of hate and aggression that crack and weaken the structure. Wrap the weakening beams in cloth soaked in the healing power of compassion to strengthen them
Being 50% of all donations to charity fall in the holiday season, your money is quite welcome and needed, but more then ever, the love of God needs your voice. You need to speak out against those things that do not reflect the reverence of life and compassion, that is God's love. If you don't and continue to stand idly by, as you huddle and snuggle around the cracking cozy fires of this time of year, remember the logs. The splinters allow life giving oxygen to burn the log ever faster. It may burn a while, but as it burns, it burns faster and faster until only ash is left. Wouldn't it truly be a shame, if in a few years we (those left behind after the collapse) will be watching the embers of a past religious dynasty of love and humanity fly above what used to be the house of Abraham?
May the light of God Shine Upon you and through you, now and forever!
