May: Other Religious Traditions, Connections
“We are all rooted together in the ground of consciousness that is God’s gift to all of us, and our joining is absolute. When the Islamic mullah prays with a true and quiet heart, I believe that the souls of the Iowa farmer and the Welsh miner are touched. When the gong sounds in the Japanese monastery and the monks enter the timeless silence of Zazen, their quiet nourishes the Brazilian native and the Manhattan executive. When Jews and Christians pray with true willingness, the Hindu scientist and the Russian policeman are enriched.”—Gerald G. May in Will and Spirit (HarperOne, 1982), pp. 319–320.
Return of the Prodigal Son Rembrandt
Many authors remind us of our connection to Nature and the world around us. Others remind us of our relationship with the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely. Gerald May reminds us of our connection to other religions—how the Spirit moves in so many different paths that we do not understand. Too deep for words.
There is more here, though, than just recognizing God at work in so many varied ways. May also tells us that this Spirit intimately connects us. What we do to further the Spirit, to connect to God in our own day, in our own way, makes a difference across the globe in some distant rainforest.
Again, this relationship is a profound mystery beyond our knowing. Sometimes when I read this passage from May, I can sit and almost feel the Iowa farmer working his black dirt, since we spent four years in Iowa City training. Then I try to cross the Atlantic to England. I can connect to the shepherd, his dogs, and sheep striding through green pastures, since we have made several trips to England and Scotland.
Because of our political situation, I am having more difficulty connecting to the people in Russia. I have never been there, but I always wanted to go to St. Petersburg to see Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son in the Hermitage Museum. So the next time I watch a newscast from Russia, I will look and try to imagine the people there instead of the leaders. I think this could make a difference. Perhaps they are doing the same for us.
Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/