Karma and Christianity

Do you think that theologically speaking, the two ideas can co-exist? I'm not sure if I can really reconcile the two ideologies, but I do find myself believing in both. I've recently re-established my belief system as being Christian, but of course no where in Christian literature is the word "Karma" used. There's the universal "Do unto others as you would have done yourself" and "An eye for an eye" as well as "What would Jesus do" for determining what decision is the most moral or the best for a given situation. But what about "what goes around comes around?" As far as I know, it's not a very Christian sentiment, but that's essentially what Karma is. I think that part of the energy that our souls and spirit emit is tied to the energy in the universe, effecting what happens to us, which is my understanding of Karma.

Maybe it's because we're taught, at least in the New Testament, that God does not punish people for their deeds in this life, but that He waits for the Afterlife. A mother that loses her child is not being punished by God. A child who loses their parents tragically isn't being punished by God. Yet when something good happens in our lives, it's viewed as a reward for having done something good or because we prayed for it.

Hmmm, maybe that's the trouble with believing in Karma. Karma is supposed to be equal: good for good, bad for bad.

Anyway, I try to live as well and morally as possible. That includes little things like calling 911 on my cell phone if I see a car in trouble on the highway, just in case the person doesn't have a cell phone themselves. If someone in public seems to be having some problems, I ask if they need help. I try to be polite to telemarketers. I try to be honest, yet polite, even when offering a negative opinion to someone. I even let cars pass me and come out of side streets. You get the idea. I try to do good so that when I'm in need of genuine help, whatever cosmic force is driving people will drive them to offer help to WHOMEVER they come across that is in need, not just myself.

I don't expect or even hope that I'll be put in a position of needing someone else's help, though. Not when I'm doing something for someone else because it feels good. I'm doing something good for someone else not only because it would be the right thing to do, but because I hope that it actually helped make that person feel better and appreciated and that someone, anyone, thought of them.

Some Christmas Prayers

I found these Christmas Prayers and thought they were really nice, and wanted to share.


A Christmas Prayer
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.
Amen.


A reflective Christmas prayer :
Father God,
When your precious Son
became a tiny baby in a stable
in Bethlehem in poverty and simplicity,
you changed our world.
As we imagine those surroundings,
we join with the shepherds and the wise men in wonder and praise.
We thank you for our material lives,
praise you for our spiritual lives,
and trust in you for our eternal life.
Amen.


At present opening time :
Lord Jesus,
Wise men travelled for miles to bring you the first Christmas presents.
So may we, too, remember with thankful hearts
the love that comes with each present we open.
We also thank you for the amazing love you have for each of us,
and we thank you for the many gifts that you give us.
Amen



At Christmas lunch : (other mealtime prayers)
We thank you, Father God,
for the love that binds us,
for the food that nourishes us,
and for your giving of your Son into our world to save us.
Amen.

Oh yes, and here's a prayer for anyone who has to work on Christmas, which I really could have used all those years I was working in retail and had to work every single Christmas Eve, as well as the day after Christmas Day.

For those who work on Christmas Day :
Lord,
As I spend today going about my work,
help me to put aside any bitterness that
I'm not celebrating at home with loved ones.
I ask you, Loving Father,
to give me a special sense of your presence as I meet people,
that I may shed on them the light of the Bethlehem Star,
the Spirit of Christmas.
Amen.



Some Christmas readings from the Bible:
St Luke 2 : 1-20, - St Luke tells the traditional nativity story.
John 1 : 1-18, - the Prologue to St.John's Gospel reveals how Jesus was destined to be born from the very beginning of time.
1 John 4:7-14 - reminds us of God's love for us in giving His son to be born as a human baby.
Isaiah 9:2,6,7 - the prophet Isaiah foretells the coming of the Prince of Peace.
Bible Verses