The Appeal of Holy Books
Written by: luminoUS, Editor at Large
“Share our situations, temptations, education, relaxations…
Elevations, maybe we can talk about Surah 31:18…
Share our situations, temptations, education, relaxations…
Elevations, maybe we can talk about Revelation 3:17”
–Jill Scott, “Long Walk”
I’ve always been a Jill Scott fan and I’ve always been a rather inquisitive person. So, when I heard Jill Scott’s “Long Walk” and I heard her refer to both a scripture from The Holy Bible and The Qur’an I wanted to know more. I didn’t, however, start actively searching until years later. My family, who is Baptist, raised me in the Christian faith. Every Sunday, it was Bible study and church. During the week, usher board meetings and choir rehearsal. I thought that it was this way in everyone’s household until I got older and began to meet people of different religious backings. I ran into people who actively meditated or prayed facing the East five times a day, and even people who rang bells and chanted. I started to realize that many assured that their path or particular faith was the “one and only way” to God, but isn’t there several roads by which to gain access to your final destination? And with that, I began reading.
“And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, not go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely
Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster”
-Surah 31:18
I wanted to know more. My logic leads me to the reasoning that I couldn’t actively discount anyone’s philosophies until I knew upon which foundations that they stood and I couldn’t rightfully stand soundly without studying for self as opposed to taking what was being handed in my direction blindly without a second thought. So, I made it a point to know more, and I began to read. Trinity or Triad. God or Goddess. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. I began to find a lot of similarities across religious beliefs and, although there are slight differences, the similarities were reassuring. Reassurance that they all lead back to God, Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah… The ultimate Supreme Being who holds an array of names depending on which road you decide to travel.
“You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are
wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
-Revelation 3:17 (NIV)
I suppose it is for this reason that I have quite a few “Holy” books in my library and, although I have not completed reading them all in their entirety, they lay at my fingertips with ample information when needed. I’ve been referred to as a “spiritual melting pot”, a hodge-podge of sorts when it comes to religion and, honestly, I’m fine with that assessment because knowledge is everlasting. During my freshman year of high school, my world history teacher encouraged us all to read the Bible, and not as a religious source, but rather as a historical text for it surely contains places, dates, times and events. There are many Christians who have never read their Bible. There are Muslims who have never read The Qur’an. There are many Hindus who have never read The Bahgavad Ghita and I’m sure this goes for many other religions. It is worth a lot to be well informed and I’m not saying that it is mandatory for all to cross study across religions, but I would encourage you to study actively in the religion that you practice. By doing so, you may not only strengthen your faith, but also understand a little more about the beliefs of other religions.
Much peace, love and light.
