Love stood up, making sure its body and place of worship was clean. 

After making its intentions known to perform her prayer, it stood,

raised its hands up and said “Allahu Akbar.” (God is Most Great)  It stood

with its hands Folded over its chest, reciting the first chapter of the

Qur’an.  Again, it raised up its hands, saying “Allahu Akbar.”  It bowed,

reciting three times, “Subhana rabbiyal adheem”  (Glory be to my Lord

Almighty).  It rose to standing while reciting “Sam’I Allahu liman hamidah,

Rabbana wa lakal hamd” (God hears those who call upon him; Our Lord,

praise be to you).    It raised its hands up and said “Allahu Akbar,” then

placed itself prostrate on the ground, reciting three times “Subhana

Rabbiyal A’ala”  (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High).   It  rose to a sitting

position, saying “Allahu Akbar,” then placed itself prostrate again in the

same manner.  It rose to a standing position, saying “Allahu Akbar.”  This

concluded its first “rak’a” (cycle or unit of prayer)  It did a second rak’a,

then remained sitting, reciting the first part of the Tashahhud.  It then

continued on, to complete a third rak’a.  It recited the second part of the

Tashahhud, then turned and said “Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah” (Peace

be upon you and God’s blessings).  It turned to the left and repeated the

greeting.  Itrose, stepped off the carpet, and put both hands facing each

other, but not touching.  It said, softly, أنا أحبّ.  (I Love.) 

I face you in Love.  Islam is Beautiful.

__________________________________________________________ 

Love stood up, and walked to work.  Down the street, to the coffee shop

where it was a waitress.  It was a pretty day, but she didn’t have time to

notice it.  She popped into her work clothes and out with a smile.  Ned, 

her favorite customer, was sitting smiling at the counter.  she loved

this guy.  He had the greatest stories to tell.  And he always put a smile

on her face. He was also a damned smart man.  They’d had a conversation

about God yesterday, and she outright told him that she didn’t believe in

God.  He said he understood, but that he’d always believed in God since

he was a child.  They laughed several times during the conversation, as

he believed that everyone had a right to their opinion and she respected

that.  And she laughed at the end of that conversation, looking him

straight in the face and saying, “I still don’t believe in God, but I sure

believe in you!”  He left later, and they were both smiling.  It was a great

conversation and she really liked him. 

He brightened up her days.  One thing was for certain...they respected

each other.  She looked down as she was pouring the next customer’s coffee. 

“So,” she asked him, “Do you believe in God?”  He grinned and took a sip.  He

looked up at her and answered softly.  “Well, not really.  But I believe in

Love.”  She laughed.  “Now THAT”S an answer I like!”  Love.  Well. That was

the way to go, she thought.  Love was the way to go.

I face you in Love.  Atheism is Beautiful.

__________________________________________________________ 

 TAOSIM

Love stood up, and looked at the many paths.  Knowing its own goals,

it chose one, and knew it was The Way.  And with each step it took, it

saw a different path.  And it chose one, knowing that it was The Way. 

And on its journey saw the ualities...all the dualities that complemented

each other, taking note of them.  Man, woman, black, white, good, bad. 

And once it had looked a while, it took a ew path, having seen black and

white, man and woman, good and bad, knowing that all of them were

beautiful.  And it just thought about them...just thought about them. 

How lovely, it thought, to see them facing each other.  Even lovelier,

to take those patterns and make new patterns.  To see the world, the

universe, spread out like a map, a quilt, of one’s own making.  The

patterns, the complementaries, emerging and merging in its mind, its

own unique mind.  And its point of view made it special.  And it took

those patterns and lifted it outside of all the labels.  Changed it,

tailored it to what was true in itself.  And in doing so, something

emerged.  A synthesis of patterns, a new quilt.  New paths emerged,

yet again.  New goals.  And, as always, The Way.  It smiled, and into

its depths it wandered, further and further, into other patterns,

other paths, every new goal renewed love for what was there, right

there, right now.  It stopped, looked around, and saw itself.  And it

said itself softly, I Love.  And I am The Way.  How lovely.

i FACE YOU IN LOVE...TAOISM IS BEAUTIFUL.

__________________________________________________________ 

LIFE

Love stood up and walked out into the sunshine.  My God, was it a

beautiful day.  It walked down the cement street, feeling the warmth,

watching the grass sway on the side of the road.  Finally it reached

the Peach and Almond Orchards that were so beloved to it and sat

down, thinking.  Wondering.  It really didn’t know, whether or not it

believed in God.  Sometimes it believed that something, something large,

somewhere, existed that loved and cared about it.  And sometimes, it

thought that possibly a God did not exist.  And sometimes, sometimes, it

just did not think about the possibility of either.  And it sighed and

leaned its head back against the trees, knowing how much it just loved

the fact that life, that the Earth, was this beautuful.  One morning,

in this very same orchard it had seen a budding dandelion, tindy beads

of dew clinging to its soft leaves.  they turned into diamonds sparking

in the sun, and it was mesmerized by them...

And I stopped, and I stooped down to look at it, so closely.  And I thought,

this, this diamond, right here is God.  That I noticed that it is beautiful,

is God.  And how lovely, that God, Beauty and Love are in everything

one might ever notice or love.  Life sparkled, looking up at At me, and I 

said, softly, I Love. 

 I face you in Love.   Life is Beautiful.

_____________________________________________________________

CHRISTIANITY

Love stood up, and walked into a classroom.  It looked around

and sat down in one of the chairs to the back of the room.  In

walked a woman, just 37 years old, whose name was Rebecca, and

today she was the substitute teacher.  At the beginning of the

class, she handed out a little cardstock postcard, with a set of

statements on it, and and this is what it said:

TRUTHS.

LOVE.  Love as much as you can.  Yourself, first and foremost, just because you’re beautiful.  Others, next, because

they need your love to know they are also beautiful.  And third, this Earth, because your beauty is held by everything

around.  Be charitable.  Help others who need assistance, as much as possible. (And Love whispered softly, “Love

one another as you love yourself.” )

 HONOR.  Hold yourself to the highest values.  Be the Best within you.  Honor others by always holding them your

Equal, as it honors the Best Within Them.  Do not steal.  Do not lie.  Do not covet others property.  Reject jealousy,

and respect yourself enough to know you have your own talents.  BE HONOR ITSELF. (And Love smiled, thinking

“Do not steal.  Do not lie.  Do not kill.  Do not commit adultery.  Do not covet. No disciple is above his

teacher nor is the servant above his master.”)

 JUSTICE.  Right wrongs.  Don’t stand by and watch crimes occur, take it upon yourself to stand up for what’s

right, in others and all people.  You sacrifice your own Honor when you watch someone hurt another.  (And Love

thought of Jesus overturning tables in the Temple and cast out those who were liars and thieves.) 

One of the children looked at it, and started drawing on the cover of his notebook.  It was calligraphy,

a work of art, and it said “HONOR.”  Love smiled, a tear falling onto the desk, saying softly, “I Love.”

 I Face you in Love.  Christianity is Beautiful.

_________________________________________________________

 BUDDHISM

Love stood up, making sure its body and place of worship was

clean.  It said, softly, I Love. 

I face you in Love.  Buddhism is Beautiful.