And everyone else is too. Tao is the ground of life and living. We all exhibit the truth of Tao in all that we say and do without knowing what we are saying and doing. We ARE Taoists whether we mean to be or not.

For instance, there is that place in the Gospels where Jesus is attending a wedding celebration and they run out of wine, and Jesus’ mother asks him if he can do something to help the hosts, and Jesus turns water into wine, the very thing to do in time of trouble. Doing the right thing in the right way at the right time and in the right place. Nothing could be more Taoist than this simple expression of rising to the occasion.

The same thing happens with “The feeding of the 5,000,” though that title might be a bit over the top, Jesus does the right thing, here, now again.

Jesus is always saying, “Love, love, love.” “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And we think, “We get it!” and then he tells the story of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids, with “You go get your own oil!” as the kicker at the end, and he tells a story about an unjust landowner who pays his workers the same wages for working all day and for working just the last hour of the day, with “Shall not he do what he wants to do with what belongs to him?” And we are left wondering, “But what about love your neighbor as yourself and do unto others as you would have them do unto you?”

Here, Jesus is being wholly Tao in action. Never mind what you just said or did, what matters is being in tune with what needs to happen here, now and doing that above all other concerns! Inconsistency is a very Tao-like thing!

Tao is not a rule for life. Tao is the WAY of life. Always doing what needs to be done/said when, where and how it needs to be done/said, and then doing the opposite thing in the next situation because what is called for there is not called for in exactly the same way or at the same time as in the previous situation. What is asked of us here, now, may never be asked of us ever again. Consistency is not a very Tao-like thing.

Which Jesus underscores with his Lament, “I was hungry and thirsty and you did not invite me to dinner.” “I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me or ask if you could help me.” “I was without a home and had no where to sleep and you did not invite me into your home.” And when the people walked into his trap by protesting, “When, Lord did we fail you in any of these ways?” Jesus brought the Tao out into the light with: “In as much as you did it or did not do it to the very least of my brothers and sisters, you did it, or did it not to ME!” Leaving is with having to see Jesus in everyone and treating everyone as though they are Jesus, because, in this, Jesus is Tao in action and we have to be alert to what Tao is asking of us in each situation as it arises so that we might always be doing Tao, being Tao in all times and places. Everywhere. Always. No matter what. Amen!