Writer, educator and motivational speaker Barry O’Brien penned a poem on Thursday on what he thought being a ‘true believer’ was.

A practising Christian, O’Brien feels “religion is a very private matter” and should be kept that way, especially in these most “crucial and changing times”.

He said: “Unfortunately, over centuries, religion has ended up separating people more than bringing them together. The need of the hour is to live the faith, not shout it from the rooftop”.

This is what he wrote:

If Only...
By Barry O’Brien

If only I was a true Muslim,
I would find the time to thank God five times a day.
Not fool myself to believe that Jihad is a synonym for
violence against people.

If only I was a true
Christian,
I would forgive those who hurt my religion for they know not what they do.
Not bear grudges for
centuries or fight wars In The Name Of The Father.

If only I was a true Sikh,
I would feed people, comfort them, serve them at a
Gurudwara, not desecrate it by stockpiling arms and ammunition beside the Granth Sahib.

If only I was a true
Buddhist,
I would shun idol worship and nurture the Buddha in my heart,
Not hero worship and spend millions on giant statues of gold.

If only I was a true Hindu,
I would be the most tolerant person in the world,
Respecting other people’s
beliefs much more than they
do mine…as I have done for thousands of years,
Not force my way of life on them just because they are fewer in number.

If only I was a True
Believer...
I would build a Mosque, a Church, a Gurdwara, a Monastery and a Temple where it mattered most… where it would be safe from bombs, from ridicule, from harm, from all that is evil.
I would build it in the
only place that matters… the silence, safety and sanctity of my heart.
There it will be pure and private and perfect
Far from the din of
religiosity
Deep in the silence of
spirituality
Me and my religion…
If only...