Practice, Practice, Practice

Thich Nhat Hanh remarked that Buddhism is not a religion, per se, but a practice—i.e., a way of being—meaning that anyone can apply Buddhist practice to their belief system, finding a way to put into action one’s core beliefs. He said his joy is seeing Christians, for example, becoming better Christians through the practice of meditation, etc.

Perhaps that is a way by which to make Christianity more effective in offering Christ's compassion to the world. Instead of emphasizing the divinity principles of Christianity, we should instead emphasize the practice of Christianity.

By that, I do not mean the moralism that parodies the teaching of Jesus found in most regressive religion. I mean practicing the selfless, other-centered compassion of Jesus. 

What matters most in this practice is the care of the other person. Are their needs met? Are they fed? Are they sheltered? Are they clothed? Are they freed from all that would oppress them? 

The practices then applied to life are those that feed our ability to be embodiments of Christ’s compassion. Prayer, scripture, and worship all feed this ability as, within a community, we deepen our understanding of Jesus, his way of being, find support for our own practice of that way of being, and find the community through which we can be instruments of transformation and change within the world. 

Then we enter the world—two by two, three by three—following Christ’s own way of sending forth the disciples—to do works of compassion, healing, mercy, feeding, and caring for every person met, revealing to them that they are indeed beloved children of God, welcomed, embraced, and affirmed by the community of Jesus. 

Buddhism has no real theology, instead focusing on a philosophic core of beliefs, creating a way of life. A close reading of the New Testament reveals a similar pattern of altering thinking to alter the way one lives. But we Christians do indeed have a theology—a belief that God is present in and through the presence, message, and work of Jesus. Our mistake has been to overemphasize that piece of our faith, losing touch with the direct encounter Jesus had with the world. His direct laying on of hands literally pulling the broken, wandering, wondering, outcast, seeking, and all other forms of human into the circle of God’s saving grace.

That, too, should be our focus. 

More and more of those outside the Church find entry points when they see the Church descend from her pulpit and enter the world with sacrificial, self-emptying love. After showing the world the transformative power of Jesus, we can then explain why we do what we do.

Again, a close reading of our scripture reveals that most often, Jesus and those following him applied this progression to their work--love someone, then tell them why, then welcome them into the presence of God.

Beloved, let us love one another as God has loved us...

                                                         1 John 4:7