Jesus Was An Alien (and Other Stories of Faith)

4. Truth in Flip Flops

Imagine for a moment that you are in a huge hall with a very large oval table in the center of it with plush chairs all around.  You might think that this is a meeting of the G7 or a symposium on some weighty matter facing mankind.  You would not be far wrong. 

Various well-known celebrities begin to enter the room and take their places at the table.  Representatives from all the major religions are there – Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism, Confucianism, from the East and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, from the West (although nowadays pluralism has made such east-west distinctions difficult if not obsolete).  Each one of them has an important place at the table with their attendants and advisers in close proximity. 

Finally, a wave of security breaks through the main doors and a phalanx of advisors, philosophers and scientists come in followed by the representative of Secular Humanism. 

Outside are protestors with their placards promoting their particular take on the proceedings. 

“Down with religion.” 

“Religion is Evil. God is Good.” 

“All you need is Love,” and, of course, “Tolerance is the Highest Religion.” 

In the background, as you look out the window, you can see various groups under the trees standing in circles, holding hands.  Some of them are singing and some appear to be praying.

What is all this?

This is a special emergency meeting called by the United Nations to resolve the world’s religious differences and put an end to war and terrorism and intolerance.  Imagine that the world has deteriorated into endless bickering and there is a serious clash of orthodoxies with each side becoming more entrenched in their view of the world.  The differences are striking and conflictive.  Religious differences can no longer be contained.  They are overflowing into politics and racial discrimination and the world is no longer (or never was) safe or at peace.  Well, maybe you don’t have to imagine it.  It has the ring of reality to it as it stands.

In any event, this is a discussion that has taken place in various forms throughout the history of man.  The clash of orthodoxies is a constant reality and a very real threat.  Terrorism fuels religious and racial discrimination.  Immigration reform and the modern development of a pluralistic society are on the table for serious discussion.  Suffice it to say that a person’s view of the world, their interpretation of good and evil, their values, beliefs and needs will affect how the discussion will go.  It is to these questions that this group of people will now turn. 

 “Could I have a word?”

Every head in the room turned toward the sound of the voice.

“How did you get in here?”  One of the delegates stood up.  “Somebody call the guards.” 

But no one moved and I’m not sure any of us really knew why.  He was an old man, obviously off the street.  His hair was a white bush of unmanageable proportions, matching his beard and his size.  He was a large man with a round face.  He had the look of a has-been Santa Clause that had seen better times.  He stank and his hair was smelly and his old, ragged coat hung on his frame like a tent.  I looked down at his feet, which were bare except for an old pair of flip flops protecting them from the cold floor. 

Was he hungry?  Did he want a handout?  Why was he here?  I was about to find out.

“I’ve been listening to your conversation,” he said. 

Really?   How did he do that?  At least his speech sounded educated. 

“And I would like to make a contribution,” he continued.