Did you Read the Label First?

Funny how we are inclined to labeling.

Have you ever watched the show “The Killing” on Netflix? Like most moody and dark shows, it seemed to balance out my upbeat and joyful nature.

The character Stephen Holder, played by Joel Kinnaman is often labeled by his fellows. They think he is Buddhist because he is a vegetarian and quotes many philosophies. Yet when he does show up to a place of worship, it is a Catholic Church. When his daughter is born, he names her after a Hindu goddess.

I can relate. I remember my brother once posted on my Facebook page “Is it a Buddhist holiday? Because you haven’t been on Facebook all week”…I’m not Buddhist. Though I do quote many philosophies and religions. I do Yoga and meditation daily, occasionally participating in Kundalini Yoga classes taught by a devout Catholic Yogi.

I love chanting. This does not make me a Hindu.  For it is Christ who I reached for at my lowest point and who I believe with all my heart, brought me from my darkness into His light.  This would make me a Christian…If a label is necessary.  Is it necessary?

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Throughout my early Christian life, I belonged to a church fellowship that labeled everything…”A Sin”. “Depression” was a sin, the mentally ill were “demon possessed”. “Working Mothers” were “Feminazis”.

Our children’s games and cartoons were an all out assault from the devil who was luring their souls to hell…And Yoga, no way. Those people are the most demon-possessed. “You cannot practice Yoga safely without allowing some bad spirits into your very soul” I was told. Even selling Mary Kay was some kind of new age abomination.  It was so hard to keep up with all these unwritten labels.

They say we only hate what we don’t know.  Fear is the root cause of hate. Frustrated by all this narrow-minded teaching, I finally stopped going to church.

I was angry and resentful…at first. Also suffering from anxiety, overweight, and a smoker. So I decided to give Yoga a try.  I allowed myself an open mind. My life has changed a great deal since then.

Attending church now, without judging or labeling others, I recognize that I cannot control others who might choose to label me.  I will just let the “Labelers” label….See how easy it is to fall into this without even trying? Thank God His mercies are new every morning!

Christ loved the sinners, the thieves, and the liars when no one else would love them. He gave all of them a few new labels; Forgiven, Born Again, Loved. Perfect and Sinful were not included in those labels. We did not earn these labels but were gifted them regardless of our pasts!

A label we can be happy to be free from “Fearful”.  Ah yes, we can try new things with confidence in our salvation and not worry about spending eternity in the lake of fire.

As for now, it is time to get ready for a spiritual gathering – in Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s right “Sin City”.  Going to meet up with a bunch of liars, cheats, thieves, and addicts, who for just today choose to no longer live according to their labels.

How do you feel about labels?  What would you label yourself today if you had to?

As for me, label me Blissful! Speaking of which, stay Blissful my friends – E