Spirituality required
The recent comments by Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein on the Anglican Church of South Africa for its resolution to support Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) actions against Israel requires thought.
Rumi the poet said, “raise your words not your voice, it is rain that grows flowers and not thunder”.
Many Church leaders sustained Apartheid and today, continue to deny biblical “restorative justice”.
Also, during the latter election of Pres. Zuma, many Muslim religious and business leaders openly supported Zuma even after the corruption and other charges against Zuma was well documented.
Time and again, both the evil and angelic spirits present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice, a spiritual person innately knows the difference between good and evil.
Since evil is obvious, those who measure themselves “spiritual leaders” must uphold their loyalty to the Torah, Bible and Quran and not towards transient or corrupt politics in the hope of profiting?
When the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus the Messiah, was their motivation for authority or for faith?
The elite of Mecca feared that the tribes would reroute trade from Mecca due to the monotheistic message of Muhammed. So, they decided that killing Muhammed was arguably better for business.
“Religious leaders” must grip spirituality and not ally themselves with expedient political interests.
“Religious leaders” who desire wealth must join politics or business and stop playing spiritual. A genuine spiritual person cannot defend racism, tribalism or any form of injustice, no matter what.
Since nobody is perfect and we all error, genuine spiritual leaders must focus attention on issues of universal ethics and justice that is linked to the divine message in the Torah, Bible and Quran.
A spiritual person knows that, what you seek, seeks you. So, when life pushes you to your knees, you are in the perfect position to pray. When you are hurt, the wound becomes the place through which divine light may shine. When the conduct of others seeks to break you, Rumi the Sufi advises, that you allow the breaking of your heart/soul, until your heart/soul opens to the divine light inside itself.
Metaphorically, the spiritual heart/soul is the size of the ocean and we must find ourselves inside its hidden depths. Everything we need to know is inside us and those “religious leaders” who support oppression must know that only love can build bridges between people and that hate has no value.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress