In Matthew 23:45-46, Jesus says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Of course, this parable has meaning on many different levels. First, it makes clear that once we come into a personal knowledge of God, our relationship with Him becomes an unalterable, indestructible priority. Hopefully. But let’s extrapolate it further.
My life has been characterized by a series of intellectual and spiritual steps. When I was 18, I was smart but not confident. I knew things, but didn’t expect much from myself. When I was 21, after 4 years of intense study in college, I was smarter and deeper, but somewhat immature. In college, I spent countless hours with black history books that caused me to reject anything “white,” including “white Jesus.” In my mid-20s, I was exposed to new understandings of life that can only come with experience: leadership, love, death and depression.
Now, at 30, after in-depth exposure to Buddhism, Hinduism, Jesus and yoga, the world appears to me a completely different place. In some ways, the more I learn about the world, the more lonely I feel. Some of the things I have learned actually scare me. But a wise man once said, “The more you know, the better off you are.” Coming into knowledge sets you apart from the masses, and lays at your feet a responsibility to act in accord with what you know. For some people, this is very difficult to do because insecurity and doubt can set in. Our desire to be part of the “in group” is strong and not easily overcome. To run from this responsibility, however, is cowardice–even death. That’s what Tupac did. We, as individuals and as a people, cannot be afraid to demonstrate who we are and what we know. “The more we know, the better off we are.”
Filed under: Religion
