I am now into August in Gretchen Rubin’s, “The Happiness Project.”  Her mission this month is to emulate a spiritual master.  Interestingly, this chapter might be only a quarter of the size of her chapter on money buying happiness. 

Yesterday, I thought I might really enjoy this as her best chapter, but, again, I’m not too thrilled with her pasting what blog readers had to say into her book.  While I appreciate her vulnerability in all the chapters, I felt she lacked focus.  Since I appreciate the vulnerability she displays, I also felt the lack of focus was honest and acceptable.

Of course, because I’m reading a very brief look into spirituality, I encountered a few Bible-thumpers today.  People into evangelical TV, Christian “healers,” do-gooders, and other messages of various churches or Bible lessons.  Being very outnumbered, not merely at the party, but in this town, I tried my best to hold my tongue and, in the least, be diplomatic.  Unfortunately, I tend to raise my voice at the slightest bit of excitement because I’m undeniably passionate.

I blurted at the table, “Anything I’ve ever read in the New Testament points to the fact that Jesus was not impressed with preaching or movements in the name of God.  In my opinion, if you have God in your heart, you don’t go to other countries to give them well water in order to teach them to have God in their hearts, too.  You go and build wells because they need water.  God is God and shouldn’t need the fanfare and neither should these missionaries and preachers.  They should do what’s good and right and true because it is in them, not because they need to be seen doing so in the name of their churches, in the name of God, in Jesus’ name.  If you truly know something, there’s no need to prove it.” 

Then I came home and read the next pages in Rubin’s chapter that invited readers to share who their spiritual leaders were.  Then I pondered for a slight moment that she was seeking to emulate someone.  Essentially, this is what I wanted to say to these people.  Don’t talk about Jesus.  Be Jesus.  That’s what I believe he was asking for. I believe in many prophets with good ideas, but with Jesus, I believe if he was the son of God who was born man, then he was born so because he had to live as a man to know man.

I have always said you can not teach a drunk not to drink if you’ve never tasted alcohol.  Who would listen to Jesus speak of salvation if he didn’t hang out with whores and lepers and wretches?  If you haven’t walked through the fire, who’s going to let you lead them through it?  Certainly not me.

Be your own Buddha.  Be Rumi.  Hell, be Timothy Leary, for all I care.  But let your actions speak for you and ask for no accolades. 

So that brings me to our Happiness teachers.  They say you teach what you most want to know.  This makes me wonder, if these gurus shut up about happiness for a minute and could step into silence, might they discover they’re aching inside?

I haven’t decided whether or not I will explore this idea next or if I will read the New Testament when I’m done with Rubin’s book.  It’s been quite a while, but if I’m going to be talking about my thoughts on Jesus, I guess I’d better study up.