What if the purpose of life is to simply transcend our differences? What if the reason we are all born into certain religions, cultures, families, etc. is so that we can rise above them? My Theory of Everything is that we were sent here to create a world-wide oneness. In my world there is no place for “God Bless America;" there is only "God bless us all." There is no “We are a peculiar people;” there is only "We are the World." The "me" over "you" or "us" over "them" mentality keeps us separate. It pits us one against another and is diametrically opposed to what we came here to achieve.
I believe the purpose of mortality is to learn and grow. Of particular importance is learning how to love, serve, and bless one another. We must transcend our differences and embrace our universal humanity. We must come to see that we are more the same than we are different. Every divine soul wants to be loved, share love, feel safe and secure, and live a purposeful and fulfilling life.
Right now I'm flying to Hollywood. I used to get on a plane and think about whether I’d sit by someone I could share the gospel with. I’d think of ways I could try to introduce the Mormon faith to them for I had been taught that I was saved for these latter days to share the true religion with others--indeed, it was necessary for me to open my mouth to save both our souls. I’m not sure whether I wanted to share because of my genuine concern for the state of my brother’s soul or if I felt obliged to prove I was a worthy foot soldier for my faith (and, of course, because I worried I would be held accountable for those I might have saved but didn’t). Either way, it doesn’t much matter now for I see my purpose here in mortality totally different. My duty does not lie in introducing others to the “one and only true faith" for there is no "one" right way. Hafiz says it so beautifully:
I am in love with every church
And mosque
And temple
And any kind of shrine
Because I know it is there
That people say the different names
Of the one God
We are all one. May we work to make a world where there are no more exclusions, divisions, or separations. We come into our differing cultures, religions, and circumstances so that we can work our way back together. We must learn to transcend our differences and become one. That is my theory of everything.
I believe the purpose of mortality is to learn and grow. Of particular importance is learning how to love, serve, and bless one another. We must transcend our differences and embrace our universal humanity. We must come to see that we are more the same than we are different. Every divine soul wants to be loved, share love, feel safe and secure, and live a purposeful and fulfilling life.
Right now I'm flying to Hollywood. I used to get on a plane and think about whether I’d sit by someone I could share the gospel with. I’d think of ways I could try to introduce the Mormon faith to them for I had been taught that I was saved for these latter days to share the true religion with others--indeed, it was necessary for me to open my mouth to save both our souls. I’m not sure whether I wanted to share because of my genuine concern for the state of my brother’s soul or if I felt obliged to prove I was a worthy foot soldier for my faith (and, of course, because I worried I would be held accountable for those I might have saved but didn’t). Either way, it doesn’t much matter now for I see my purpose here in mortality totally different. My duty does not lie in introducing others to the “one and only true faith" for there is no "one" right way. Hafiz says it so beautifully:
I am in love with every church
And mosque
And temple
And any kind of shrine
Because I know it is there
That people say the different names
Of the one God
We are all one. May we work to make a world where there are no more exclusions, divisions, or separations. We come into our differing cultures, religions, and circumstances so that we can work our way back together. We must learn to transcend our differences and become one. That is my theory of everything.
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