Syncretism
I’ve got a dictionary, a huge, old, and heavy dictionary. You know the ones, the old ones from the library, that huge one that weighs at least 10 pounds truthfully. Look it up and you will find something like this. Ours says something like this...
" the reconciliation or the union of conflicting beliefs esp. religious or a movement or effort intending such. The union or fusion into one of two or more originally different ideas."
Today, Jedi ism is created by what is already existent. We walk through the doors or halls of our on-line Temple and one of the first things we read when we log in are the” Jedi believe" page, our home page.
Jedi believe in the Force and in the inherent worth of all within in. This old idea of syncretism can be a bread and butter type of idea when a modern day Jeddist is concerned. AS a human being we come to this place with already created beliefs and experiences and paths and ways. This is the inherent worth we speak of often. The whole thing. The whole meat and potatoes as we call it here in my house. What we bring and how we bring it here is one of the JOYS of what we do here. EVEN MORE is the ability to create or find the "unions" or connections we all seek here together and in real life. Some ideas can be practiced after they are understood. The "idea" that we can create a harmony, an active beneficial functional path for ourselves isn’t unique to just Jeddist alike. It’s a human thing. In the real world we are all humans. When we logged on, we all came equally to this place. We all come with our own faiths and practices already fully functional and everything. Pastor Carlos isn’t special by any means, anyone can read and learn the thing I have. Anyone can have the same faith and measure or even more. It’s the "how" that’s different. It’s the HOW that makes us turn on a TV show or grab a book and make us love or associate with our characters... how will it happen this time? What choices will they make and what will they remember as they do it? That journey of every hero can be one of the greatest story’s know to all. So many times, in my ministry I hear a few things, one of them is our doctrine is very contradictory. Now, knowing all this and it’s to us, to take and make the connections or not, when we find contradictions its usually the "HOW" that’s in conflict. think about it. Some of us come here with questions. Welcome! some of us come with none. Welcome. Some come to this Temple and don’t need anything. Welcome. My old Teaching Master used to tell me" remember Carlos, not everyone in the Temple needs help." got me thinking till this day. Do you understand that vast amount of "in between space" that can be represented by a place like this that practices this very idea -it can blow your mind? Syncretism allows us to create our own balances of things in life and in our own faith. I hear a lot of things from the community and one of them is...there is no peace or there isn’t this or that. Knowing all this.... why can’t you find peace if it’s up to you? Why can’t you find the things you need if you can provide them? We can create sometimes what we need, I’ve even heard someone say we can be the change we need. Think about that. So many possibilities and so many choices to make it can be overwhelming when we begin and even during. Syncretism can be a help in ways to create new things. Every Modern day Jeddist has their "shade" or hue or color or even style of Jedi ism. (there more than one way to swing a saber) Each of us CAN’T be the same. We weren’t born in the same street. We weren’t born on the same place or to the same people or the same area. We didn’t have the same books. We didn’t have the same time. We didn’t. how can we be the same if we have so many differences that weren’t in our control are present? Yet, here we are. Jest as equal as the other today. Syncretism helps us personalize and really bring ideas home and into actual use. When you begin to see things, my hope is that the colors you see, and differences amaze you more than upset. Syncretism is an idea that isn’t all Jedi but can be used to create your very own ideas and mixes of reel actual faiths. I encourage others to use their freedoms more than discuss them but that’s just my way of saying " be present and right now, do it. ACT." For me it was difficult to understand but as I practiced and walked about it, it can grow and create things I could not. Syncretism can be the Golden ticket to your Modern-day Jedi ism. Take some time to figure it out for yourself. How, is up to you.
May the Force we seek serve and share find ya as you seek it.
Pastor Carlos
