By Rev. Dr. Shannon Rogers, DDiv
What does the modern 21st century Unitarian Christian believe? We each have our personal relationship with our God and our own convictions relative to Jesus and scriptures. But there are some general concepts that are accepted as being basic.
The reality of the one true God is without question. God is Creator of all existence and Sustainer of that existence, (by virtue of the natural laws that govern the universe and all existence). Jesus was fully human in every way; he taught and demonstrated the indwelling of the Spirit of God within all humankind, with himself as the example. The Spirit of God dwells within each of us, and the Kingdom of God is nothing more than us recognizing and accepting this fact and seeking to allow God’s Spirit to “Rule” over our thoughts, actions and our lives as a whole (just like Jesus). The truth of this is found in the Great Commandment: we are to love (accept) the Lord our God totally and completely (with every ounce of our being) and we are to PROVE IT by loving (accepting in every way) all others and all God’s creation. Nothing else is needed, all law, doctrine, theology and both spiritual and physical truths are bound and fulfilled when we do this. None of the “miracles” or “mythologies” have any true bearing on the realities we are to live as taught and demonstrated by Jesus of Nazareth, whether they happened or not has only served to be a “smoke screen” to mask the reality of the true message we were to receive and a stumbling block to many. The only validity of any notion of “miracles” or the “mythologies” found within recorded writings is found in a simple statement: it isn’t the realities of these myths and miracles, it’s a question: could the God you believe in do such things, and the answer is; God has no limits or bounds other than those God chooses or God would not be. So the truth is; not did God but could God. We now dwell within the 21st Century and see past these “miracles” and no longer believe the “myths”, we seek a more realistic and rational faith one that can withstand the test of our times and our understanding. It matters not what the ancients believed or whether the “Scriptures” are true
The truth of this is found in the Great Commandment: we are to love (accept) the Lord our God totally and completely (with every ounce of our being) and we are to PROVE IT by loving (accepting in every way) all others and all God’s creation. Nothing else is needed, all law, doctrine, theology and both spiritual and physical truths are bound and fulfilled when we do this. None of the “miracles” or “mythologies” have any true bearing on the realities we are to live as taught and demonstrated by Jesus of Nazareth, whether they happened or not has only served to be a “smoke screen” to mask the reality of the true message we were to receive and a stumbling block to many. The only validity of any notion of “miracles” or the “mythologies” found within recorded writings is found in a simple statement: it isn’t the realities of these myths and miracles, it’s a question: could the God you believe in do such things, and the answer is; God has no limits or bounds other than those God chooses or God would not be. So the truth is; not did God but could God. We now dwell within the 21st Century and see past these “miracles” and no longer believe the “myths”, we seek a more realistic and rational faith one that can withstand the test of our times and our understanding. It matters not what the ancients believed or whether the “Scriptures” are true or false; this is here and now and to be true to the teachings we follow our God is the same today and always as God was in the past, a reality that we must accept and recognize as revealed to us today, but the one common ground is the “thread that binds” all creation; that being the “Greatest of all Commandments” but only if we accept them and live them with every ounce of our being, in all we do, for the world to see and hopefully follow, just like Jesus.
When properly read and understood all ancient religious scriptures (especially the Bible) teaches us how those who lived in “that” day followed God; this is not that day, this is now. God has never stopped “talking” we are just not listening, we choose to allow others to tell us “this is what you must believe” and the blind will lead the blind, just as it was in the time of Jesus and we will never get it right until we get back to the reality of his simple message.
The simplicity of modern Unitarian Christianity will either draw one near or cause one to turn away for the true simplicity of the message Jesus brought was hidden long ago and will remain so to all who refuse to accept its reality, that Jesus was not a myth but a true child of God’s just we all are. Amen.