I am Highly Favored...and So Are You.

As a Yogi and an admittedly sometimes reluctant Christian theologian, I must confess that I cringe every time I hear a preacher/minister or "saint" casually say, I am the "favored" of God. As if being favored by God means belonging to an exclusive club with a secret hand shake. It's also assumed that this "membership" keeps you from heartache, catastrophe, and everyday stuff happening.

Good luck with that.

So..Theologically speaking, how do we explain those in the "unfavored" camp? Too often, the three letter word S-I-N is the explanation that is used. And of course that is way too simplistic an excuse, otherwise Harold Kushner wouldn't have needed to write his book, "When Bad Things Happen To Good People." It's complicated and I don't even intend to delve into those complexities here, except to say that on my mat, moving and breathing, I know that I am "favored" by God, but not in an exclusive "them" against "us" dynamic. Instead, I feel expansive and open, just as the favor of God is expansive and open.

There is not a living creature on earth that does not enjoy that favor.

For me, being "highly favored" means that I know and consciously try to experience the favor of God with every breath.