Study Guide to John Shelby Spong A New Christianity for a New World.   ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Session 2

Comment: I believe that the following poem connects well with Spong's third definition of a non-theistic God, ie "Being". On pages 72-73, Spong states: "God is Being -- the reality underlying everything that is. To worship this God you must be willing to risk all, abandoning your defences and your self-imposed or culturally constructed security systems." (Jan Snook, Toowooma, Australia)

To Take a Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.

You may avoid suffering and sorrow, but you simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.

Chained by your certitudes, you are a slave; You have forfeited freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

 

Author Unknown