Rooted in Jesus, Open to Widsom

Faith, Curiosity & Learning to Let Go

An Aussie Ramble about faith, compassion, and learning to let go

I’ve been thinking about something lately.

Can I believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, yet still find beauty in the words of Buddha?

Can I love Jesus with all my heart and still read something from another spiritual tradition that makes me stop, think, and say, “There’s wisdom in that”?

I believe I can.

And perhaps that’s where this ramble begins.

I’ve never been someone who thinks we should stop asking questions. God gave us minds to think, hearts to feel, and the ability to wonder about this extraordinary, sometimes confusing world we live in.

Why wouldn’t we use them?

I believe in Jesus. That hasn’t changed.

But I also find myself drawn to teachings about peace, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, living in the present, and letting go of the things we simply cannot control.

And some of those teachings come from Buddha.

Does that make me less of a Christian?

I don’t believe it does.

Maybe Wisdom Isn’t Something We Have to Fear

Jesus taught us to love our enemies.

Buddha taught that hatred is not overcome by more hatred.

Jesus taught us not to worry about tomorrow.

Buddhist teachings encourage us to be present in the moment.

Jesus taught forgiveness.

Buddhist teachings speak about releasing anger and resentment.

Now, I’m not suggesting Christianity and Buddhism are the same. They aren’t. Their beliefs about God, salvation, suffering, and the purpose of life are different.

And those differences matter.

But when I read words that encourage me to be kinder, more compassionate, more patient, or more peaceful, I don’t feel the need to reject them simply because they came from somewhere different.

I can appreciate wisdom without adopting every belief behind it.

Surely we can listen without having to agree with everything.

Learning to Let Go

This one speaks to me.

Letting go.

Two little words that sound so simple.

Yet sometimes they feel like the hardest thing in the world.

Letting go of what someone said.

Letting go of how someone treated us.

Letting go of the need to explain ourselves.

Letting go of wanting everything to turn out exactly as we imagined.

And perhaps one of the hardest things of all, letting go of the belief that we must fix everything.

I wonder how much peace we lose trying to control things that were never ours to control in the first place.

Jesus tells us to bring our burdens to Him.

Buddhist teachings invite us to examine the attachments that contribute to our suffering.

Different approaches, yes.

But both make me stop and look at the things I’m carrying.

And perhaps ask myself a question.

Do I really need to carry this anymore?

Compassion Without Conditions

Here’s another thing I’ve been thinking about.

Why do we sometimes make kindness so complicated?

Why must we agree with someone before we can respect them?

Why must someone share our beliefs, our background, our opinions, or our way of living before we can show them compassion?

I don’t believe Jesus asked us to love only those who think like us.

In fact, He challenged us to love those who don’t.

And when I read Buddhist teachings about compassion, I see another invitation to consider how we treat one another.

Not because every belief is the same.

But because every person deserves to be treated with dignity.

I don’t need to understand every part of someone’s journey to be kind to them.

I don’t need to agree with every decision they’ve made to listen.

And I certainly don’t need to have all the answers.

God knows, I don’t.

Being Still in a Very Noisy World

Sometimes I think we’ve forgotten how to simply be.

We’re always doing something.

Planning something.

Fixing something.

Worrying about something.

Or replaying a conversation from three days ago, imagining all the things we should have said.

Anyone else?

And then there are those moments when everything goes quiet.

Maybe you’re sitting beside the water.

Maybe you’re listening to music.

Maybe you’re praying.

Or perhaps you’re just sitting with a cup of tea, watching the world go by.

No expectations.

No performance.

Nothing to prove.

Just being.

The Bible says:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

Buddhist mindfulness also encourages us to pay attention to the present moment.

For me, stillness can become a place of prayer, reflection, and gratitude.

A moment to remember that I don’t have to have everything figured out today.

And maybe that’s enough.

Faith Doesn’t Have to Mean Closing Our Minds

I sometimes wonder why we’re so frightened of questions.

Why curiosity can make people uncomfortable.

Why exploring another perspective is sometimes mistaken for abandoning our own.

I don’t want a faith built on fear of hearing something different.

I want a faith that encourages me to seek understanding, to think deeply, to question honestly, and to keep growing.

That doesn’t mean accepting every teaching I encounter.

It means taking time to consider it.

To ask whether it is true.

Whether it is good.

Whether it helps me become more loving, compassionate, and thoughtful.

And whether it aligns with the faith I hold.

I can remain rooted in Jesus while learning about the world around me.

I don’t see curiosity as the enemy of faith.

Sometimes I think curiosity is what encourages us to look a little deeper.

Still Learning, Still Becoming

Perhaps that’s what this is really about.

Not choosing between Jesus and Buddha.

Not trying to blend two religions into one.

But recognizing that we can learn from people whose beliefs are different from our own.

I believe Jesus is the way.

I also believe I have much to learn about patience, compassion, forgiveness, peace, and letting go.

And I don’t imagine I’ll ever reach a point where I have it all worked out.

I’m human.

I get frustrated.

I worry.

I hold on to things longer than I should.

Sometimes I want to fix everything and everyone, when perhaps the only person I need to work on is myself.

And even then, maybe I don’t need fixing quite as much as I need growing.

So I’ll keep reading.

I’ll keep asking questions.

I’ll keep praying.

I’ll keep listening.

And I’ll keep discovering what it means to live with a little more love and a little less fear.

Because I don’t believe having faith means we stop learning.

I believe we’re meant to keep becoming.

Rooted in faith. Open to wisdom. Always becoming.

And perhaps, just perhaps, we could all use a little more curiosity and a little less judgment.

With love,

Tans ❤️

Aussie Rambles | Seen. Heard. Becoming.

Come as you are. No performance required.