The Perils of Living Your Faith "Out Loud"

Last week, I was accosted by an angry evangelical Christian,
Whom upon my gentle rejection of his message of salvation
Informed me that he was just living his faith out loud.

When people live their faith out loud, at the
Very least, they’re living like the
Little fish in the film Finding Nemo
Who proclaimed that he was
OBNOXIOUS



Those who state they live their faith out loud
Are like the Pharisees of old
Whom Jesus chastised
Because they were praying in public
Not to proclaim their love for God
But to make themselves look good.




When people tell me they are living their faith
Out loud
they are actually saying that they’re too afraid
of their god to live any other way.



Who would want to worship a god like that?
Who would want to pray to a god like that?
Who would want to listen to that god’s disciples?
What poor ambassadors for Christ they make!

When you know that faith is nothing more
Than the flipside of fear
Faith vanishes like an early morning mist.

When you come to realize that belief is
Nothing more than the construct of the mind
And let it go,
The only thing that remains is serene awareness.

And when you observe the results of your practice
And know that what works you keep
And what doesn’t work you discard
There is no need for belief.
You simply know.



Regardless of whatever religion you practice,
There are two paths:

The path of Darth Vader



And the path of Saint Francis of Assisi.



I know the secret, the great mystery
The the Buddha of Compassion knows,
that Saint Francis knew...

And sadly, our friend the evangelical does not.
He is afraid.
Whereas
I am not.

I don’t force others to think as I do
I do not get false satisfaction out
Of contrived "witnessing."
I do not live my faith out loud.



I simply live,
And recall the ancient prayer
From Saint Francis
“Lord {Buddha} Let me be an
Instrument for your peace….

OM MANI PADME HUM

Become Buddha