December 30-C, 2022

**Lake Haigler 36 Oil Paint Rendeed 11/17/2016 — Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill, South Carolina**

There is no uniformity,
no consistency,
no homogeneity,
no regimentation,
no orthodoxy,
no systematic theology,
no systematization, 
no orchestration,
no choreography,
no imposed, inorganic, ordering
of life upon the living.

Only death is static, unchanging, unmoving,
rigid, frozen, the same forever.

Jesus was inconsistent.
So was the Buddha.
And don't even think about
their disciples!

Taoism
Zen
and Ch'an
are different
in ways that do not make a difference.

Buddhism and Christianity
are different from them, 
and from each other
in ways that make a difference,
if inconsistencies and discordances matter.

Why would inconsistencies and discordances matter?

Sitting zazen is Buddhism, not Zen--
but does it matter?

Why the push for consistency, accord, agreement?

Why not strive for congeniality, 
concurrence and forbearance?

Within and without?

People who are focused on seeing/doing
the right thing,
at the right time,
in the right way,
in the right place
can call themselves anything they wish--
and be cheered on by the rest of us--
is my take,
and I reserve the same right
in my own case as well.

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Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters and five granddaughters within about twenty minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything. View more posts