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Faith: Like a jigsaw puzzle, the world’s religions fit together

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By Jim Rigby
 |  Special to the American-Statesman

In my life I have loved world religions like some people love jigsaw puzzles.  

When I look at the history of religion, I see people trying to make meaningful maps for living out of the broken shards of earlier world views. I love overhearing those conversations through history. When Darwin shattered the creationist narrative, I love overhearing how people tried to regain a meaningful sense of purpose to their lives. When Copernicus shattered the absolutist narrative of an earth-centered solar system, I love overhearing how people sought to return to a meaningful sense of being at home in the universe. 

The world is bigger than any one religion, nation or culture, so it behooves all of us to remember we only perceive reality through one facet of a shared diamond that requires many differing vantage points to experience even a hint of its fullness.  

If I had only studied my own Christian roots, I would never have heard Judaism’s prophetic call to a justice that is bigger than any nation or religion.  

If I had not studied Hinduism, I would not realize the “I Am” sayings of Jesus were not calls to sectarian loyalty, but to cosmic wholeness.  

If I had never tripped across Sufi Islam, I might never have realized the importance of humor in maintaining one’s humility on spiritual matters.  

If I have never listened to humanity’s great Atheists, I would never have found the courage to follow truth wherever it leads even when that honesty discredits what I want to believe. 

If I had never been introduced to Taoism, I might not have realized the symbol “God” can be thought of a natural process as well as a supernatural person. 

If I had never studied the Goddess religions, I might never have realized the vast wisdom lost when only masculine images of the sacred are honored. 

If I had not learned from Buddhism, I might never have learned the peace of mind that is only possible when we can stop our constant talking and listen from the core of our being. 

I like to think of world religions as the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle. We each try to harmonize our partial world views together for the sake of us all. If there is one truth, it is beyond any of us. If there is one love, it must include us all.

The discussion of world religions is a call for each of us to leave the earlier shells of our sectarian beginnings and to put together the shattered shards of earlier world views to make something that will be beautiful, honest and just for us all. 

Jim Rigby is pastor at Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin. Doing Good Together is compiled by Interfaith Action of Central Texas, interfaithtexas.org.

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