It is a constant occurrence in the gospels that Jesus comes in conflict with the religious authorities of his time, on food and fasting, on washing hands and pots, on Sabbath and prayer, and even on the idea of god. In Luke 6: 1-5 too the same happens on food and working on a Sabbath.
It has been a troubling urge and itch of humanity, and also of the church, to decide clear-cut boundaries for God, boundaries for doing good; thus make their existence acceptable and comfortable. All systems exclude, expel, punish, and protect to find identity for their members in ideological perfection or some kind of “purity.” Richard Rohr in Everything Belongs argues, it seems that we Christians have been worshiping Jesus’ journey instead of doing his journey. If your prayer is not enticing you outside your comfort zones, if your Christ is not an occasional “threat,” you probably need to do some growing up and learning to love. And he goes on to say; “God is always bigger than the boxes we build for God, so we should not waste too much time protecting the boxes.” God perhaps is already outside the box. Being spiritual is a never-ending process of walking out of the box repeatedly.
One of the Muslim mystics, from the 14th century, Shams-ud-din Mohammed Hafiz, or simply called as Hafiz, says about broadening one’s spirituality; one must pull out the chair on which one sits comfortably and holding on to; and watch falling upon God.
Philosophy thinks of god and understands the simplicity / complexity of God. True spirituality lives the simplicity / complexity of God. One, because he knows god like a philosopher need not live a spiritual life, and one who is spiritual need not necessarily know god. Both categories can be mutually exclusive; and have it’s own dangers. Jesus knew his God and lived a spiritual life.
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