When Differences Melt Away

I am lucky to have colleagues at work, one Muslim and one Christian, who I am able to discuss matters of faith and spirituality with. Once the differences separating us melt away there are two fundamental beliefs that we all hold in common:

1) G-d alone runs and controls the world.

2) At the end of our life we will have to give an accounting for our actions and how we made use of our time.

I have noticed that one of the main things separating "religious" people from "non-religious" people is how a person deals with control.

A truly "religious" person understands that it is only G-d who controls the world. The "religious" person comes to realize that while he can control himself by restraining his base inclinations, he cannot control factors external to himself. He understands that he can control how he relates to the world but not how the world relates to him.

A "non-religious" person, however, believes that he can, in fact, control things external to himself. And try he does. He tries to control the myriad of things in his life that ultimately lead him to frustration, anxiety, and anger.

Although it is certainly a generalization, one can determine a person's "religiosity" by observing how he deals with control.

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Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah said, whoever accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah, the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly cares will be removed from him. Whoever casts off from himself the yoke of Torah, the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly cares are imposed upon him.

(Pirkei Avos 3:6)