The Community of More

~ Bill Ashlock is a seasoned business executive, writer, and want to be wood turner with a passion and calling to tend God’s trees.  Bill works out from Singapore, lives in California, and is often found in New York. His tools include innovation, excellence, and compassion with an unending view of community.

It was in India, the land of my birth, that I first found the desire to be in relationship with the Divine. I cannot recall a particular moment or event, when I came to accept the “truths” that influenced me in my early years. Looking back, one of these truths became particularly important to me: spirituality was not singular. My God-connection was more than my personal relationship with the Divine, for God always exists in community. My being is to be found in belonging to both God and humanity. 

I watched men publicly demonstrate their devotion to God. I saw some whip themselves as they walked to a temple, their lashed induced blood dripping with each stride. Others embraced extended periods of silence and withdrew from the world. Leaders of different religions, including the Christian religion of my upbringing, highlighted acts of dedication, fasting, and penitence, reminding their followers that they should do likewise. As I matured I found myself looking for something more.

Mysteriously I began to understand the “more.” I learned from the lives of great Christian teachers that it meant belonging to the Beloved and being engaged in the world. Each teacher gave what he/she had. For example, the members of my Christian family loved me unconditionally. They created an intimate community where I knew I could be myself and be accepted. Yet, the church communities in which I grew up seemed blind to those that were in some way “different.” From Salisbury Park to Spicer College, from Sacramento to Vincent Hill School and Far Eastern Academy, each lived high values while being isolated and aloof.

Each community had a heart that loved truth. Sadly, some seemed to think this cognitive reality was enough. I observed too little honesty about the realities of human weakness.  There seemed to be no room for doubt and dialogue. Humility was rarely embraced while discussing the matters of God. I make this indictment tearfully. It gives me no pleasure that I could not find the truth I sought within the church of my first love.

As long as I can remember, I grasped that I needed to know that I was and am God’s Beloved. And not just me; all humanity. The longing within drew me to something bigger, more wonderful, more hopeful than the religious world I knew as a youth. God opened me up to an ongoing and unending series of opportunities to learn from Divinity’s angels. From Gave, a Parsee, I learned about living one’s beliefs. From Sai, a Hindu, I learned always to seek learning in all its forms. From Gerry, a man after God’s own heart, I learned to walk blissfully with God. From followers of Buddha, I first understood what it meant to listen to God without my own agenda. From Phil, a practitioner of QiDao, I came to a fresh understanding of my physical body and the way healing comes from inside out. From Richard, a Christian, I discovered the beauty and wonder of walking beside a fellow traveler. From Brian, a musician in God’s band, I first heard the deeper melodies of God’s love. The list of teachers continues to grow. New ones continuously emerge. Each has, in his or her way, given me a richer view of the God I have come to love with every fiber of my being. Ironically, this was the stated purpose but not the reality in my church. I realized that for me, true religion teaches and mentors rather than commands.

Today my life floats between California (my home of homes), Singapore (my home of work), and New York City (my home of hope). In Singapore, I am energized by the confluence of cultures, spirituality, and people. It is a wonderful mix. Individuals, religious thoughts, and institutions respected and held in honor. Yet, people still wander alone. In California, I know I belong. My wife and two daughters continue to bless me with extended models of patience, understanding, and compassion.  They nurture my journey in a way nobody else can and in the way they will never fully understand.

In New York, I have Faith House, a wonderful place where my family life and my work in Singapore are infused with hope. We are all members of God’s household, all earth; this is what Faith House at its best represents. We walk and journey together both in and away from Faith House. We dialogue with the intent to learn. And what joy there is in listening to God through the Other! We experiment as we discover what it means to be a diverse human community, with our varying views of God, sojourning instead of competing. 

I need to know that people in this world can get along! At Faith House we are making this life together a reality in a corner of the world, and we want to share our learning experience with others on a similar journey. As a commuting member of the Launch Team of Faith House, I look forward to my travels to New York City, knowing that there is a community that lives for “more” and thus feeds my spirit with truth, purpose, and hope.

Comments

[Marty]

Good to spot you here among your travels.

[Vesna Selmanovic]

Bill, it is reassuring to hear how you found a way to reconcile your past with the present hope that people in this world can get along. Thank you for sharing your gift of writing with us.