A Guy’s View: The way we live

Man has always grappled with the meaning of life. When Adam took up residence in the Cave of Treasures, he was confused, for it was a new experience for him. That stone ceiling was very different from the open heavens to which he had been accustomed.

When Cain moved to live among other people, he was afraid of what they might do to him, given what he had done to his brother. But he moved on and built a city.

People created gods that were consistent with their environment and seemed to meet their needs. Just in case one did not deliver, some of them had many gods. The need for a god is strongest when we recognise that we are not in control of our destiny.

The idea of god is an ancient one, and so too is our concept of him. We believe as we do because those who went before us told us what to believe. Up until recently, children had to go to church, even if their parents never did. Parents left the idea of god to the church leaders who they assumed knew more about god than they did. While this is still true to some extent, there is less interest in matters of faith.

Western nations have adopted eastern religious traditions, but have married them with their own pagan traditions. The religion which dominates this part of the world now is probably neither fish nor fowl, but we do not bother our heads with those things.

It is estimated that about 400 years after the Hebrew Scriptures were written, the Greek letters went into circulation. These should not be confused with the Scriptures on which they are based, but many have elevated these letters above the Scriptures.

About 600 years after the Greek letters, Islam emerged. It took hundreds of years for the Hebrew Scriptures to be written, but the Quran was completely written in about 23 years. Many hands contributed to the Hebrew writings, but the Quran was the revelation of one man.

Still later, in the 19th century, Bahaullah emerged in Iran, then Persia. Some persons believe that the Bahai faith is an offshoot from Islam. Bahaullah came from a Muslim background, so it is not surprising that there are similarities between Islam and the Bahai faith, but there are also significant differences.

The Hebrew religion, Christianity, Islam and Bahai all share a common region. North Africa and Asia cradled these faiths. They all have in common the concept of one god. Some may question this with respect to modern Christianity, but that is another discussion. Except for the Bahais, they have all shown the world how destructive religion can be.

There is a view that at the base of Voodoo, there is the belief in one supreme god. However, this is an oral cultural religion with no defined written text that is followed by all adherents to the practice. Practitioners generally believe in many gods, so I hesitate to name it as a one-god religion.

But, whatever the label, it seems that some man has always been able to see the short comings in the religious practices to which he was exposed, and glimpse something better between the cracks. This should caution us when we are tempted to be dogmatic about our religions.

There is a reason for this mini tour of the one-god religions. Bahais believe that the Quran is a holy book and Muhammed was a prophet of God. Muslims believe that Yeshua was a prophet of God and the Bible is a holy book. And yet, they have all found the need to create something else in which to believe.

“Praise be to GOD, the LORD of all creatures; the most merciful, the king of the day of judgment. Thee do we worship, and of thee do we beg assistance. Direct us in the right way, in the way of those to whom thou hast been gracious; not of those against whom thou art incensed, nor of those who go astray.”

These first words of the Quran could be offered as prayers by any Jew, Christian or Bahai, and not be misplaced.

Bahaullah’s emphasis was on the unity of mankind. He wished that all nations could become one in faith and all men brothers; “that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled”. Giving effect to this glorious message is the challenge of challenges.

The Hebrew writings, the earliest of the lot, outline a series of seven times when God said that he wanted to meet with his people. One of those times is the Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths or Ingathering, which begins this evening, the 13th day of October, at sunset and runs for one week. It is believed that this is the Feast during which Yeshua was born. It was then that he came to tabernacle with us, observant Christians say. There is strong evidence to support this view, but that is another discussion.

On the fourth day of creation, God created lights in the heavens to separate the day from the night, “for signs, and for seasons”, and for days and years. It is noteworthy that light was created on the first day, but the sun and moon were created on the fourth day. But that too is another story.

The Hebrew word translated as “signs” in Genesis 1:14 is “owth”. This is mainly used as an indicator or marker of something. For example, the same word is used to point to God’s promise in the rainbow as well as the confirmation of his covenant by circumcision. “Owth” is usually a signal of some wonder.

The Hebrew word translated as “seasons” in the same verse is “mow’ed” or “mo’ed”, which means congregation, festive gathering or appointment. It does not mean Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. The lights placed in the sky were, therefore, to tell man when he had appointments to meet with God. According to the Bible, those appointed times are every seventh day, his weekly Sabbath, Passover, and the annual Sabbaths of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths, or Sukkot in Hebrew.

More important than the booths is the message in the practice. After the trumpets’ signal on the 1st day of the month; the repentance and atonement on the 10th day of the month; comes the Ingathering on the 15th day of the month. This final feast is a time of rejoicing, for it represents the celebration of the presence of God among his people. Emmanuel. Observant believers think that in these three appointments lie the final plan of redemption.

This appointment is not widely observed outside of Judaism and the Hebrew Israelite community, although many claim to accept the Bible as an authentic book. When all is said and done, one suspects that it all comes down to the way we live. Live well.