"I believe an important distinction can be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with faith in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another. Spirituality I take to be concerned with qualities of the human spirit, love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, that bring happiness both to self and others."
---Dalai Lama
I was thrilled to find this quote from the Dalai Lama, because never have I heard this concept stated so clearly.
It took me a long time to realize that my frustration in my own spiritual life was with the institution of religion rather than the idea of God. I find religion to be very flat and contentious. It is about "right fighting", judgment and claims of one's faith being the only way to heaven. It is what produces suicide bombers and hateful fanatics like The Westboro Baptist Church who runs the website godhatesfags.com. "Religious" people tend to get lost in the doctrine of their own religion and forget what the entire purpose of faith is. Their faith is a one dimensional faith that has no relevance to their real life or makes absolutely no positive difference in the lives of others. It pushes people away from God, rather than bringing them to him/her.
Then you will find those people of faith who really get it. They have made their faith relevant. They have brought their faith to life in what I call a "3D Faith". Their faith attracts people to God because they are like a candle in the dark. They emit so much hope and joy, that one can't help but wonder where they get this positive attitude. Their light is not diminished in difficult times. In fact it shines much brighter as they focus on others rather than themselves.
The first person that comes to mind as I describe this person of "3D Faith" is Shay Kelley. Shay is a young woman in her 20's who lost both her job and her home a year ago. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she launched Project 50/50. Her goal was to travel to all 50 states in 50 weeks with just her truck Bubba and her dog Zu Zu and collect canned goods and later, socks for the homeless. Along the way, she has given the homeless a face and a name. These people who are often invisible and ignored in our society, have stories to tell, and Shay is giving them an opportunity. And the world is starting to listen. Following her adventures on Facebook has been inspiring for me and has humbled me in many ways.
It has made me wonder, is my own faith 3D? What am I doing to make a difference? And I must be honest, I'm uncomfortable with the answer. I have found myself asking God, "What can I do to make a difference?" Its a question that has not left my mind for long since I discovered Shay's story.
I have examined my talents and my passions and have laid them at God's feet saying "Here they are. What do you want to do with them?" And now I am listening.
I pray for clarity and open eyes so that I can see the need around me. I don't want anyone to be invisible anymore. I don't want to wait for others to meet the need, but find a way to do it myself.
---Dalai Lama
I was thrilled to find this quote from the Dalai Lama, because never have I heard this concept stated so clearly.
It took me a long time to realize that my frustration in my own spiritual life was with the institution of religion rather than the idea of God. I find religion to be very flat and contentious. It is about "right fighting", judgment and claims of one's faith being the only way to heaven. It is what produces suicide bombers and hateful fanatics like The Westboro Baptist Church who runs the website godhatesfags.com. "Religious" people tend to get lost in the doctrine of their own religion and forget what the entire purpose of faith is. Their faith is a one dimensional faith that has no relevance to their real life or makes absolutely no positive difference in the lives of others. It pushes people away from God, rather than bringing them to him/her.
Then you will find those people of faith who really get it. They have made their faith relevant. They have brought their faith to life in what I call a "3D Faith". Their faith attracts people to God because they are like a candle in the dark. They emit so much hope and joy, that one can't help but wonder where they get this positive attitude. Their light is not diminished in difficult times. In fact it shines much brighter as they focus on others rather than themselves.
The first person that comes to mind as I describe this person of "3D Faith" is Shay Kelley. Shay is a young woman in her 20's who lost both her job and her home a year ago. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she launched Project 50/50. Her goal was to travel to all 50 states in 50 weeks with just her truck Bubba and her dog Zu Zu and collect canned goods and later, socks for the homeless. Along the way, she has given the homeless a face and a name. These people who are often invisible and ignored in our society, have stories to tell, and Shay is giving them an opportunity. And the world is starting to listen. Following her adventures on Facebook has been inspiring for me and has humbled me in many ways.
It has made me wonder, is my own faith 3D? What am I doing to make a difference? And I must be honest, I'm uncomfortable with the answer. I have found myself asking God, "What can I do to make a difference?" Its a question that has not left my mind for long since I discovered Shay's story.
I have examined my talents and my passions and have laid them at God's feet saying "Here they are. What do you want to do with them?" And now I am listening.
I pray for clarity and open eyes so that I can see the need around me. I don't want anyone to be invisible anymore. I don't want to wait for others to meet the need, but find a way to do it myself.
I want a meaningful, alive, relevant 3D Faith.
To follow Shay's adventures in 3D Faith or to donate to her efforts please visit
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