I received the following comment as a response to my blog entry concerning a spiritual experience I shared.

“Dear Julia, I’m sorry that you don’t know the truth about God’s love. Yes, we are all imperfect until we get to Heaven. And we can only get to Heaven by having and knowing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who cames to take away our sins. Only then can we stand in front of God on judgement day with Jesus by our side when he claims us and says ‘this one is mine’ I paid the price for his sins.”

My Response:

Dear …..
I am somewhat confused by your religious assumptions about me, but I do appreciate your obvious concern and I don’t think everyone would care enough to respond. But frankly, is there any way you could know that what you think about me is actually true?

I personally have always felt that the most “Christ-like” attitude to take when we are faced with diverse points of view is to be respectful and open to learning. I believe it was Christ himself that suggested we leave the judgments to God and that our main assignment was to learn to love others.

If we truly believe our friends and fellow beings are missing a vital part of truth or knowledge it seems a better path to use wisdom, humility, patient, generosity, and care as our teaching tools. I have never met anyone that thrived well in a hostile environment. Everything needs what is natural for it to grow; seedlings, animals and organisms all need food and water; and people need love. We are never very happy without it. I personally learn much better when I feel that I am respected and cared for. I think most people are that way and it is a luxurious position to assume we know what others think and feel and even more daring to suppose we know how God feels about someone.

I am more than aware that I may spend a lifetime getting to know God and understanding my place in this beautiful universe. I just wanted to share my personal experience and did not mean to offend you or create controversy. It has been my experience that people have many levels and brands of spiritual and religious awareness, many of them laced with similar truths and values. These are the things that bind us together as God’s children and these are the building blocks towards ultimate truth.