Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: ddtisvr!daly@uunet.uu.net (Kathy Daly) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: I am looking for a little help on my road Message-ID: Date: 22 Jun 91 05:39:53 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: DuPont Design Technologies Group Lines: 39 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu I haven't posted for a while, but this one intrigues me. In article mroz@ug.cs.dal.ca (Elliott Siteman using the account of Martin Mroz) writes: > >The source of my inquiry is in the form of a story that I cannot find an >answer to. >The story is: > . . . >The question about this story is: > Would you believe this man? How would you know if it was or was not >Jesus Christ standing in front of you? A story-question without an answer becomes a koan, one of those sayings used in Zen meditation. Look beyond the facts of the case. The question of whether or not that man is the returning King is a distraction, much like arguing kosher law or sabbath-keeping. Ask yourself what matters: Would you treat a man differently because of his identity? Are we not to see the face of God in the least of his creatures? If Jesus lives in the heart of one who has been born again, am I not in the presence of God by interacting with such a person? Even these questions should be taken beyond the plane of "true/false" facts and into the realm of the metaphysical. This isn't mere symbolism; a tramp is not a stand-in for Christ, a leper is not representing Christ. We should not treat these people as if they were not there and Jesus were in their place. We should treat them as *part* of us, part of Christ. Humanity becomes more than a creation of God, but the way God is manifested in our world. And so, if I see a bum on the street, I can assume he is Jesus even before he says so. Although, I admit, I am usually distracted by the outer coating God uses as a disguise most of the time. -- Kathy E.F.Daly ----- "A bad .signature is better than no .signature at all" (technically) Camex,Inc. pays me, but I work for DuPont Design Technologies . . and neither is liable nor responsible for anything I say or do here. ## daly%ddtisvr@uunet.uu.net ## daly@ddtisvr.ddtg.com ## (408)970-4263 ##