"We do use wisdom when speaking to people who are mature in their faith. But it isn't the wisdom of this world or of its rulers, who will soon disappear. We speak of God's hidden and mysterious wisdom that God decided to use for our glory long before the world began. The rulers of this world didn't know anything about this wisdom. If they had known about it, they would not have nailed the glorious Lord to a cross. -1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-5"
It's a difficult business expressing one's religious beliefs. Particularly among followers of Christ, the one who taught us to love not only our neighbors, but our enemies. That's a tall order for anyone, but some Christians seem further from it than non-Christians. I believe that Gnostics and Christians of all stripes have much to share in common. The thing is that there are a LOT of Christians who don't share my fraternal sentiments. In the past two days, I've been denounced as a "Wop" (though half of my family has been here since 1619) for defending the rights of transsexuals, and accused of wanting to "impress" and of "swallowing a theological dictionary" for expressing my ideas on apprenticeship and Christ. Both of these epithets came from people who call themselves not only Christians, but leaders of the movement of the Incarnate Logos.
Although I am a Gnostic, I defend orthodox Christianity and its traditions to the hilt. Some see me as anachronistic because of my sacramentalism and my deep devotion and respect for the liturgy. This is all very ironic of course, because Protestants and Catholics, my own kin, would have me burn in hellfire before reckoning with the origins of their own historical and archetypal spirituality. The Christian sacraments predate the religion by some time. If you'd like proof, please let me know.
Thankfully, the Christ-impulse in the world is not solely dependent upon the long list of charlatans, torturers, racists, bigots, misogynists, and hypocrites that seem to cling to its name. If they are my enemy, then let me write here, right now, that my love is open to every soul that encounters mine. You are free to believe what you will. But believing and pushing it on other people is quite another matter. You do not have the right to "disagree" with someone on purely aesthetic grounds. You can challenge many things, but you cannot hide from truth and wisdom.
If you think I'm a heretic, that's fine. I am used to that title. And I do not say that you are damned for thinking it. If you disagree or humiliate me without stating your reasons, and without good cause, then please put your armour on, because a Johannite can swing claymores with the best of them.
Here, I try to be as honest to myself and everyone else, as possible. I don't make a profit or a salary from my spiritual path. I express my understanding of things given my limited faculties. Nor more, no less. I'm thankful for the people who read my posts, but I will not change my slouch towards Sophia, the Wisdom of God, for any woman, man or beast.
So there we stand. If you would like to disagree with my theology, I am most happy to learn from you and to breathe the Holy Spirit with you. But there are two pillars of divine motion in this world: that of severity, which we all know from the Book of Job, and the other which is Mercy, somewhat fluffier than Leviathan.
I try to live every moment to reflect the message of Christ, to honor my Mother Wisdom, and to make radical compassion a habit, even with my enemies. I can love you, but in this world of forms, I am not obliged to interact with you. I will love you radically, and I will thank you for the lesson that you are unintentionally teaching me, but I don't have to agree with your version of the truth, whether it's in the Bible or written on the bathroom wall.
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