And an old priest said, Speak to us of religion. And he said: Have I spoken this day of aught else? Is not religion all deeds and all reflection, And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stones or tend the loom? Who can spread his hours before him, saying, "This for God and this for myself; this for my soul and this for my body?" All of your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self. He who wears his morality but as a best garment were better naked. The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin. And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage. The freest song comes not through bars and wires. And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn. Your daily life is your temple and your religion. Whenever you enter into it, take with you your all. Take the plough and the forge and the mallet and the lute. The things you have fashioned in necessity or for delight. For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures. And take with you all men: For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes, nor humble yourself lower than their despair. And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles. Rather, look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children. And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain. You shall see Him smiling in flowers then rising and waving His hands in trees.

-Kahlil Gibran-

Gosh, he has a way with words. :)

Hope you guys like it too.

-- temple (jahsmine@netzero.com), March 07, 2005

Answers

Nice, Temple.

He who wears his morality but as a best garment were better naked. The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin. And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage. The freest song comes not through bars and wires.

Let freedom ring, even when in some places close it.

The Christian Yahwist

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), March 07, 2005.

If you had to classify your religious beliefs, temple, what would they be?

What kind of Yahwist are you?

Mine are here:http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl? msg_id=00CDeh

The Way-The Church of Yahweh in Chjrist jesus

and here http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00CEz3

What is Christian Yahwism

The Christian Yahwist

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), March 12, 2005.