THE TIBETAN AND CHRIST

 

That Tibetan, who was not a Christian, but an earnest seeker after God, was ready to commit suicide because he could not find the truth in the religions of his time.  One night he awoke to find his house seemingly ablaze in a bright light.  He ran outdoors to see what was wrong and suddenly he saw Christ standing before him.  Jesus spoke to him and gave him power to perform God's "miracles."  Then friends of this man urged him to go to the Christian countries to see what the Christians were like.  Very sadly he returned, telling that those so-called Christians were not Christians.  They were interested only in making money.  He found that they were stealing and were robbers and murderers just as in any other land.  They even locked their doors which people of his land never had to do.

The name "Christian" does not mean a thing if it is not lived truly in the hearts and deeds of those that call themselves Christians.  True Christians existed even long before Christ descended upon this Earth.  The Israelites knew God and tried to follow His commands and waited patiently for the Messiah who had been prophesied.  Anyone can be a Christian and many are Christians without knowing it or being called so.  The Christians received their name years after Christ when Paul lived.

Belief in God has to be experienced in our hearts, in our deeds, in our daily lives.  Sound reasoning tells us that there must be a God.  A building must have a builder.  If we take a watch and proclaim that this watch came into existence all by itself, that there was no watchmaker, we would be declared insane.  The greatest watch, our universe which runs around a central sun, not our sun, also has a watchmaker.  Our sound reasoning tells us that there must be a creator of this universe.  No one can logically say there is no God.  Nothing grows out of itself.  Nothing appears all of a sudden and just is.  A cherry tree grows from a cherry seed.  All humans and animals have parents.  We are the end of a long line of descendents which must have had a beginning, although we have never seen it.  Today is the last day of a long series of days which began eons ago.  Everything has its beginning, and thus there must be a creator.  And also: "No one is excused," as Paul said, "if he has not found by his reasoning that there is a God."

For us, the phrase "I believe in a God" is wrong.  We should say "We know that there is a God."  Jesus said, "Fortunate are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  He did not mean that they should see Him with their human eyes.  He meant that they would experience Him, not only after reaching their heavenly goal with the Father, but already here in their human lives.  By "pure in heart" Jesus did not mean that we must be free entirely of shortcomings.  That is impossible.  He meant that we must have the right intention to follow God and to do His will.  That is what counts.  And in this desire, to know God we shall experience Him in many ways.  He will be our physician when we are sick, and He will give the explanation of all problems which we do not understand. 

We know that there is a God, and what is more natural than to speak to Him?  He is our Father, our Friend.  He is greater than all "famed" men together and should deserve more respect.  He is the source of all life and power.  All His laws are natural ones and are within us.  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  Very simple, is it not?  Do that in all walks of life and teach others the true meaning of religion and help them to know God.