We are coming up to Easter Sunday- one of the biggest event in the Christian calender. I confess to having a mixed religious bag- perhaps one I would call 'integrative' where I have a mishmash of Christian, Buddhism and Taosim. I always admire people who are 'true believers'- I think it takes a lot these days to embrace in totality, a set of beliefs without questioning/ doubt.
This weekend, for the third time in my life, I have been asked to be a Godparent. My first Godchild was/is Philippa- a lovely daughter of a friend of mine- Russell and Kaye. My second Godchild was/ is Max, an energetic and strong son of a friend- Nikki and her husband, Adam. My third Godchildern this time are Ruppie and Benji- my nephews- lovely sons of Rosie, my sister-in-law. For a change, Antony will be Godfather so I feel that our responsibility is shared. I always have some concerns about this type of thing because I am not a great one for rituals so, in these situations, I am largely ignorant of what these rituals call for and for me to be able to honestly sign-up for whatever the deal is. Thanks to Google (!) I was able to look up THE definition from Church of England. Apparently, the job of Godparents is to provide guidance for Godchildren on issues concerning Love, Hope and Faith. Phew! Big sigh of relief---that, I feel I am able to do. This is not because I have answers but because I have thought about these three things- a lot. For me, these three things are inter-dependent and holographic.I can't understand why Love is upheld as 'the greatest of the three' when Love itself requires and has embedded in it, Hope and Faith. So, in this sense, Love cannot exist without Hope and Faith.
Another insight, when contemplating about Love, Hope and Faith came about in a car with Ginger, Dean of a seminary who is a Baptist. In our conversation, it occurred to me that there is something missing- Humility. To me, Humility is a natural feeling in all things spiritual. It is present in all spiritual practices. The root of the word 'Humility' is from 'Humus', soil- which we return and from which new life springs forth. So it's curious isn't it why Humility is not included in the trinity. I would love it if someone could talk to me about this! Another insight that 'popped out' quite unconsciously was during our week-long consulting assignment in a seminary, I was asked a question by Pastor Gary who asked me whether I was a Christian to which I gave a long-winded answer about my Grandfather setting up a Christian school in the New Territories in Hong Kong, my parents meeting through church, going to Church of England schools and later, through my mother's return to Buddhism, embraced Buddhism also---blah, blah, blah- then, out of the blue- I found myself saying 'what I miss is Fellowship you have in the Church'. Whoa- where did that come from? Perhaps that was Divine Intervention? What I need/ want, is to be part of a group where I can explore the question of Humility- with others who are also discovering their unfolding spiritual paths. And maybe the task of Godparents is to provide such 'Fellowship' or 'Guardianship' when it is needed/ wanted. And I wonder where/ who I can go to explore my own unfolding relationship or understanding of 'God'- in my integrative world....
