[The following was delivered at an Interfaith Civility Service we held on April 15.]
When I was a kid many years ago, I think in the basement of my childhood church, we learned the Hokey Pokey. Maybe you learned it as a kid too. You put your (I can never remember if you go right or left): “You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.” It’s too bad all of life isn’t as simple as the Hokey Pokey, isn’t it? My friend Fred Wooden from Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids has a t-shirt that says: What if the Hokey Pokey is what it’s all about? Unfortunately, we know it’s not.
Lately it seems like incivility – and worse - is what it’s all about. A Congressperson is spat upon. African American Congress people are called the N-word. A gay Congressperson is called the F-word. Those victims were all Democrats. But incivility, or worse, is not restricted to one political party. A Republican Congressperson has a bullet shot through a window of his office building. Threats upon the life of President Obama increased 300 percent compared to the number of threats made against President Bush. Barack Obama is a Democrat, of course. But again, that kind of thing is not restricted to one political party. We remember that an assassination attempt was made many years ago on the life of President Reagan, a Republican. Incivility – and worse – covers the political spectrum. Just as terrorism covers the religious spectrum.
9-11, which happened nearly 9 years ago, involved Muslim terrorists. The Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, which happened 15 years ago next week, involved a Christian terrorist, Timothy McVeigh. So incivility and terrorism span the political and spiritual spectrum. Are incivility and terrorism what it’s all about?
Not according to many religious leaders down through the ages. 2,000 years ago Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” More recently, the Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, said, “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” Every religion that I know of – Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and more – everyone of them says, follow the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Incivility isn’t what it’s all about. Terrorism certainly isn’t what it’s all about. Love is what it’s all about. Love is the Hokey Pokey of life. Whether you go to your right or to your left, politically or spiritually. Love is the Hokey Pokey of life. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what it’s all about.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
What's The Essence Of Your Faith?
We’ve had some great weather lately. It’s funny how weather can often times determine our mood.
I remember walking to school one day when I was a kid. It was about this time of year. Winter was in the not-too-distant past, Spring was in the air and Summer was just around the corner. I was excited about all that, because as a kid I loved baseball. I would dream, think and talk about baseball all the time. I would play it whenever I could. (Not well, but I still had fun.) If you would have asked me back then what my religion was, what I worshiped, what the essence of my faith was, I’m sure I would have said, “Jesus.” But I didn’t dream, think and talk about Jesus all the time. Baseball was my religion, it’s what I worshiped, it was the essence of my faith, the way basketball is to some people.
Did you see the NCAA championship game between Duke and Butler? Some of us who didn’t have a dog in that fight were rooting for the underdog, Butler, to beat Duke. You probably know that Duke won, by 2 points. But Butler won the hearts of many Americans. It was probably fitting that the Final Four of March Madness (which now extends into April – it’s really mad!), was played in Indianapolis, because basketball is such a big deal in Indiana. If you asked many people in Indiana what’s their religion, what do they worship, what’s the essence of their faith, I’m sure they’d say, “Jesus,” even though many other people would suspect that basketball is the state religion in Indiana. Just like football seems to be the state religion in Texas.
To some people, sports is like a religion; they seemingly worship it; in many ways it’s the essence of their faith. They probably wouldn’t admit to that. They’d insist that Jesus was their Lord and Savior, or the Buddha or whoever but you’d sure get the impression that the World Series is their doctrine, the NBA finals is their dogma and the Super Bowl is their creed. Now don’t get me wrong. Sports can be a pleasant pastime, it’s just that some people seem to obsess about it. Of course, it could be worse.
Some people give the definite impression that their religion is money; they seemingly worship it; in many ways it’s the essence of their faith. Again, don’t get me wrong; we all need money to survive. But I’ve often gotten the impression that some people don’t even pretend that Jesus is their Lord and Savior or that they’re working on the Buddha within. Stocks are their doctrine, bonds are their dogma and greed is their creed.
What do you worship? What is your religion? What’s the essence of your faith?
My professional life has centered around politicians, who I used to cover; talk show hosts, since I used to be one; and religion, which hopefully I’m all about now. And I think I see a connection with all three of them. Maybe you see it too.
Some politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders seem to specialize in fear. Fear is their stock in trade, or their shock in trade, if you will. Their message can basically be boiled down to: Be afraid! Be very afraid! Be scared half to death!
And yet, other politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders specialize in the opposite of fear, which isn’t courage, but compassion. Their message can basically be boiled down to: Fear not! Be not afraid! The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!
Why the difference? Why do some politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders preach fear, while others preach compassion? I think it has to do with theology. I think the politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders who emphasize fear attract people who are afraid, people whose theology is based on fear, people who believe in a vengeful, hateful, hurtful God, a God to be feared, rather than loved.
I think the politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders who emphasize compassion attract people who are concerned about compassion, people whose theology is based on compassion, people who believe in a compassionate, forgiving, understanding God, a God to be loved, rather than feared.
I don’t understand why people would choose politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders who emphasize fear, rather than compassion. Although Jesus probably understood it very well; he must’ve understood that it’s a lot easier to get people to fear thy neighbor than to get them to love thy neighbor. It just seems to me that if you were looking for a meaningful point of view, the basis for your religion, the essence of your faith, love thy neighbor would be a better choice than fear thy neighbor. What’s the essence of your faith?
It’s often difficult to discern the essence of someone’s faith.
I went to a church once where they sang contemporary Christian songs for the first 20 minutes or so. Once the singing was over about a tenth of the crowd – about a hundred people - left before the preaching started. What was the essence of their faith? Maybe it was music; perhaps music lifted their spirits. And once the music was over, they left. (Or maybe they just wanted to avoid the sermon.)
What is the essence of people’s faith? I think there are at least 6 reasons people go to a house of worship (not counting: because their parents make them go). It seems to me that one or more of these would be the essence of someone’s faith. Spiritual. Communal. Ritual. Intellectual. Philosophical. Theological. Let me give you some examples.
To some people the essence of their faith is spiritual. They do go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to meditate or to feel moved by the spirit.
To some people the essence of their faith is communal. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to be with others, to see their friends.
To some people the essence of their faith is ritual. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to receive communion or to dip their hands in holy water or to light a candle.
To some people the essence of their faith is intellectual. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to hear a poem read or an idea explored.
To some people the essence of their faith is philosophical. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to be reminded of a universal principle, like the Golden Rule, found in many faith traditions and Greek philosophy.
To some people the essence of their faith is theological. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to be reminded of the tenets of their religion, to hear the sacred scripture read or to recite a creed.
Some people may find the essence of their faith in some or all of these qualities. What’s the essence of your faith?
One of the enjoyable things about being an interfaith chaplain is trying to determine what is the essence of other people’s faith. What are their beliefs and practices? Maybe you enjoy learning things like that, too.
We watched a documentary on the Buddha on PBS the other night. As you may know, the Buddha is said to have lived 25-hundred years ago. After that much time, it’s not always possible to separate fact from fiction, to determine what is truth and myth. The Buddha was born into a wealthy ruling family. He gave all that up to search for enlightenment. The Buddha became enlightened when he discovered that all people suffer and that the way to alleviate suffering is to let go of possessions, desires, ego, which is not always easy; that’s why so few people do it. That seems to be the essence of the Buddha’s faith.
What is the essence of other people’s faith? Do they worship God as fervently as they welcome the stranger, and vice versa?
What is the essence of other people’s faith? Do they believe in a God who forgives sins and do they therefore forgive the sins of others? Do they themselves also forgive their own sins?
What is the essence of other people’s faith? Do they ponder the present as much as they do the past?
I find it fascinating, seeing and knowing what others believe and whether and how they put it into practice. It’s like that great philosopher, Yogi Berra, once said, “You can observe a lot by watching.” What do you observe is the essence of other people’s faith? What is the essence of your own faith?
My thinking on this topic has evolved since I first started seriously pondering it. Not so long ago I would have dismissed what many people consider the essence of their faith. I’m not proud of that. I don’t do that anymore.
I remember one time in seminary; a group of students led one of our daily chapel services. Now our chapel services were pretty laid back, especially the student-led ones. Students wore jeans and sweatshirts, sneakers. But on this particular day, the students entered the chapel in fancy robes and hats, they carried candles and the Bible above their heads. It was quite elaborate. I said some smart-aleck remark to one of the professors after chapel. I said, “I’m not sure I was worthy enough to be at this service.” He said, “Yeah, pretty highfalutin wasn’t it?” Now, I look back on that worship service with fresh eyes and a reverential attitude. That kind of service was part of the essence of my classmates’ faith. Now, I understand and respect that.
Before, if people had told me that part of the essence of their faith was the stained glass windows in their church, I probably would have wondered: How could that be part of the essence of their faith? Now, I understand and respect that.
Before, if people had told me that part of the essence of their faith was coming to their house of worship just so they could hang out with friends, I probably would have wondered: How could that be part of the essence of their faith? Now, I understand and respect that.
Before, if people had told me that part of the essence of their faith was reciting a creed that was hundreds of years old and was now called by many scholars theologically out-of-date, I probably would have wondered: How could that be part of the essence of their faith? Now, I understand and respect that.
As a chaplain, especially as an interfaith chaplain, I understand that my role is not to decide for other people what is the essence of their faith or to pass judgment on what they have decided is the essence of their faith. My role is to help other people decide for themselves what is the essence of their faith. So, what’s the essence of your faith?
I remember walking to school one day when I was a kid. It was about this time of year. Winter was in the not-too-distant past, Spring was in the air and Summer was just around the corner. I was excited about all that, because as a kid I loved baseball. I would dream, think and talk about baseball all the time. I would play it whenever I could. (Not well, but I still had fun.) If you would have asked me back then what my religion was, what I worshiped, what the essence of my faith was, I’m sure I would have said, “Jesus.” But I didn’t dream, think and talk about Jesus all the time. Baseball was my religion, it’s what I worshiped, it was the essence of my faith, the way basketball is to some people.
Did you see the NCAA championship game between Duke and Butler? Some of us who didn’t have a dog in that fight were rooting for the underdog, Butler, to beat Duke. You probably know that Duke won, by 2 points. But Butler won the hearts of many Americans. It was probably fitting that the Final Four of March Madness (which now extends into April – it’s really mad!), was played in Indianapolis, because basketball is such a big deal in Indiana. If you asked many people in Indiana what’s their religion, what do they worship, what’s the essence of their faith, I’m sure they’d say, “Jesus,” even though many other people would suspect that basketball is the state religion in Indiana. Just like football seems to be the state religion in Texas.
To some people, sports is like a religion; they seemingly worship it; in many ways it’s the essence of their faith. They probably wouldn’t admit to that. They’d insist that Jesus was their Lord and Savior, or the Buddha or whoever but you’d sure get the impression that the World Series is their doctrine, the NBA finals is their dogma and the Super Bowl is their creed. Now don’t get me wrong. Sports can be a pleasant pastime, it’s just that some people seem to obsess about it. Of course, it could be worse.
Some people give the definite impression that their religion is money; they seemingly worship it; in many ways it’s the essence of their faith. Again, don’t get me wrong; we all need money to survive. But I’ve often gotten the impression that some people don’t even pretend that Jesus is their Lord and Savior or that they’re working on the Buddha within. Stocks are their doctrine, bonds are their dogma and greed is their creed.
What do you worship? What is your religion? What’s the essence of your faith?
My professional life has centered around politicians, who I used to cover; talk show hosts, since I used to be one; and religion, which hopefully I’m all about now. And I think I see a connection with all three of them. Maybe you see it too.
Some politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders seem to specialize in fear. Fear is their stock in trade, or their shock in trade, if you will. Their message can basically be boiled down to: Be afraid! Be very afraid! Be scared half to death!
And yet, other politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders specialize in the opposite of fear, which isn’t courage, but compassion. Their message can basically be boiled down to: Fear not! Be not afraid! The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!
Why the difference? Why do some politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders preach fear, while others preach compassion? I think it has to do with theology. I think the politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders who emphasize fear attract people who are afraid, people whose theology is based on fear, people who believe in a vengeful, hateful, hurtful God, a God to be feared, rather than loved.
I think the politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders who emphasize compassion attract people who are concerned about compassion, people whose theology is based on compassion, people who believe in a compassionate, forgiving, understanding God, a God to be loved, rather than feared.
I don’t understand why people would choose politicians, talk show hosts and religious leaders who emphasize fear, rather than compassion. Although Jesus probably understood it very well; he must’ve understood that it’s a lot easier to get people to fear thy neighbor than to get them to love thy neighbor. It just seems to me that if you were looking for a meaningful point of view, the basis for your religion, the essence of your faith, love thy neighbor would be a better choice than fear thy neighbor. What’s the essence of your faith?
It’s often difficult to discern the essence of someone’s faith.
I went to a church once where they sang contemporary Christian songs for the first 20 minutes or so. Once the singing was over about a tenth of the crowd – about a hundred people - left before the preaching started. What was the essence of their faith? Maybe it was music; perhaps music lifted their spirits. And once the music was over, they left. (Or maybe they just wanted to avoid the sermon.)
What is the essence of people’s faith? I think there are at least 6 reasons people go to a house of worship (not counting: because their parents make them go). It seems to me that one or more of these would be the essence of someone’s faith. Spiritual. Communal. Ritual. Intellectual. Philosophical. Theological. Let me give you some examples.
To some people the essence of their faith is spiritual. They do go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to meditate or to feel moved by the spirit.
To some people the essence of their faith is communal. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to be with others, to see their friends.
To some people the essence of their faith is ritual. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to receive communion or to dip their hands in holy water or to light a candle.
To some people the essence of their faith is intellectual. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to hear a poem read or an idea explored.
To some people the essence of their faith is philosophical. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to be reminded of a universal principle, like the Golden Rule, found in many faith traditions and Greek philosophy.
To some people the essence of their faith is theological. They go to church or temple or synagogue or mosque to be reminded of the tenets of their religion, to hear the sacred scripture read or to recite a creed.
Some people may find the essence of their faith in some or all of these qualities. What’s the essence of your faith?
One of the enjoyable things about being an interfaith chaplain is trying to determine what is the essence of other people’s faith. What are their beliefs and practices? Maybe you enjoy learning things like that, too.
We watched a documentary on the Buddha on PBS the other night. As you may know, the Buddha is said to have lived 25-hundred years ago. After that much time, it’s not always possible to separate fact from fiction, to determine what is truth and myth. The Buddha was born into a wealthy ruling family. He gave all that up to search for enlightenment. The Buddha became enlightened when he discovered that all people suffer and that the way to alleviate suffering is to let go of possessions, desires, ego, which is not always easy; that’s why so few people do it. That seems to be the essence of the Buddha’s faith.
What is the essence of other people’s faith? Do they worship God as fervently as they welcome the stranger, and vice versa?
What is the essence of other people’s faith? Do they believe in a God who forgives sins and do they therefore forgive the sins of others? Do they themselves also forgive their own sins?
What is the essence of other people’s faith? Do they ponder the present as much as they do the past?
I find it fascinating, seeing and knowing what others believe and whether and how they put it into practice. It’s like that great philosopher, Yogi Berra, once said, “You can observe a lot by watching.” What do you observe is the essence of other people’s faith? What is the essence of your own faith?
My thinking on this topic has evolved since I first started seriously pondering it. Not so long ago I would have dismissed what many people consider the essence of their faith. I’m not proud of that. I don’t do that anymore.
I remember one time in seminary; a group of students led one of our daily chapel services. Now our chapel services were pretty laid back, especially the student-led ones. Students wore jeans and sweatshirts, sneakers. But on this particular day, the students entered the chapel in fancy robes and hats, they carried candles and the Bible above their heads. It was quite elaborate. I said some smart-aleck remark to one of the professors after chapel. I said, “I’m not sure I was worthy enough to be at this service.” He said, “Yeah, pretty highfalutin wasn’t it?” Now, I look back on that worship service with fresh eyes and a reverential attitude. That kind of service was part of the essence of my classmates’ faith. Now, I understand and respect that.
Before, if people had told me that part of the essence of their faith was the stained glass windows in their church, I probably would have wondered: How could that be part of the essence of their faith? Now, I understand and respect that.
Before, if people had told me that part of the essence of their faith was coming to their house of worship just so they could hang out with friends, I probably would have wondered: How could that be part of the essence of their faith? Now, I understand and respect that.
Before, if people had told me that part of the essence of their faith was reciting a creed that was hundreds of years old and was now called by many scholars theologically out-of-date, I probably would have wondered: How could that be part of the essence of their faith? Now, I understand and respect that.
As a chaplain, especially as an interfaith chaplain, I understand that my role is not to decide for other people what is the essence of their faith or to pass judgment on what they have decided is the essence of their faith. My role is to help other people decide for themselves what is the essence of their faith. So, what’s the essence of your faith?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
You Are Resurrected Everyday
Daniel Roebuck is a character actor. You’d recognize him if you saw him. He was in movies like “The Fugitive” and “U.S. Marshals” (which was really the same movie). He’s been on “Matlock” dozens of times as Andy Griffith’s assistant. I heard him on the radio the other day. He says he idolizes Andy Griffith. He says a hundred years from now people will still be watching the old Andy Griffith show, because of its timeless wisdom and values.
I remember watching “The Andy Griffith Show” when I was a kid. I think I watched it because Barney Fife, Don Knotts, was so funny. And it did have timeless wisdom and values. It treated people with dignity and respect. How many times did Andy go out of his way to avoid embarrassing Barney or to make Barney feel good about himself? When you watch old shows like that, you just might find yourself yearning for what seemed like a better time in America.
If you wanted to, you could pretend that the last 50 years or so never happened. You can go on Amazon.com and buy the first season of “The Andy Griffith Show,” from 1960, for about 16 dollars. You can go online and for about 20,000 dollars, you can buy a 1964 Mustang, the first year they were built. And for only about 25 dollars, you can buy a Nehru jacket from the ‘60s. Then you could make-believe that you’re living a half-century ago or so.
Some people want things to never change. They hate change. They want the world to always stay the same, the way it was back in “the good old days.” They themselves want to stay the same and never change, too. Usually they’re pretty successful at it. They believe the same things they did 50 years ago. They have the same friends (and the same enemies). They’re like the guy who goes to his 25th high school reunion and is proud of the fact that he acts the same now as he did then. “A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life,” says Muhammad Ali, a Muslim.
I wonder if the nine Christian militia members in Michigan (all white), who were arrested the other day for allegedly plotting terrorism, just really hate change. I wonder if they yearn for “the good old days,” when Presidents of the United States of America were white and Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives were men and immigrants weren’t illegal because they weren’t people of color.
I wonder if the Tea Party protesters feel pretty much the same way. (Is it a coincidence that they’re all white, too?) They say they hate the deficit, but they can’t really hate the deficit, because they were silent when it was ballooning during the Bush years. They say they hate socialized medicine, but they can’t really hate socialized medicine, because many of them seem to be old enough to be on Medicare – socialized medicine. Or do they just hate socialized medicine for everybody else? Or do they just hate change? (Especially change from a Republican president to a Democratic one.)
Today, Christians celebrate what they consider to be the biggest change ever. Christians believe that 2,000 years ago Jesus went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, from death to life, from burial to resurrection. It’s a miracle. Christians believe it had never happened before and it hasn’t happened again since. Nobody else has ever gone from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. Nobody else has ever died and come back to life. Nobody else has ever been buried and then been resurrected. I’m not here to confirm or deny the claim that Jesus was resurrected. I’m just here to wonder if people aren’t resurrected all the time, at least metaphorically.
Saul was a Jew who hated the teachings of Jesus, even though Jesus was a fellow Jew. Saul didn’t like the emerging Christian movement, even before it was called the emerging Christian movement. We don’t know whether Saul was one of the people at Jesus’ inquisition yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” I think you could make a logical case that he would have been there. We do know that Saul stood by and watched one of Jesus’ followers, Stephen, get stoned to death. So he was at least an accomplice in Stephen’s murder and martyrdom. The early Christians, people of the Way, saw Saul as an evil man, at least before he traveled on the road to Damascus.
You probably know this story. Saul is walking along, on his way to persecute more followers of Jesus, when all of a sudden he is blinded by a light! Then he hears a voice! It’s Jesus! “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Eventually Saul regains his sight and changes his ways and his name. He becomes a follower of Jesus known as the Apostle Paul. Some say he was the most significant Christian ever, planting many churches and converting many to Christianity.
What happened to Paul on the road to Damascus? I would like to suggest that he went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; that he died and came back to life; that he was buried and then was resurrected. Could that kind of thing happen to you and me? Could we go from Good Friday to Easter Sunday? Could we die and come back to life? Could we be buried and then be resurrected?
Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid leader in South Africa. Although he was an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, who was all about peaceful civil disobedience, Nelson Mandela fought against the white supremacist government of South Africa, sometimes with violence. The U.S. government called him a terrorist. He was arrested, tried and convicted of sabotage and treason. He spent 27 years in prison. He got out in 1990.
When he got out of prison, Nelson Mandela did not go back to violence. He led South Africa through a peaceful transition, from white rule to multiracial democracy, from violence to reconciliation. He became the first president of South Africa to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. He served from 1994 to 1999. In 1993 he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
What happened to Nelson Mandela over the years? I would like to suggest that he went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; that he died and came back to life; that he was buried and then was resurrected. Could that kind of thing happen to you and me? Could we go from Good Friday to Easter Sunday? Could we die and come back to life? Could we be buried and then be resurrected?
“Amish Grace” is a movie that aired on the Lifetime channel this past week. It was excellent. It was about the mass murders-suicide that happened at an Amish school in Pennsylvania a few years ago. The world took notice of that tragedy, because immediately afterwards, the Amish parents of the children killed went to the widow of the murderer and offered forgiveness and support. The world was flabbergasted that a group of religious people actually practiced what they preached, or heard preached. The story focused on Ida, played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, the mother of one of the victims. In the story, she was unwilling to forgive, at least for a while.
Then one of the survivors of the shootings told Ida that her daughter said to the gunman that she would pray for him, which she did, just before he killed her. Ida broke down. She then offered forgiveness and support to the murderer’s widow, figuring she had to follow her late daughter’s lead.
What happened to Ida over the course of the movie? I would like to suggest that she went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; that she died and came back to life; that she was buried and then was resurrected. Could that kind of thing happen to you and me? Could we go from Good Friday to Easter Sunday? Could we die and come back to life? Could we be buried and then be resurrected?
They say you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Perhaps in a similar way you can lead a human being to truth, but you can’t make him think. I think of religious people who say they believe that the universe is only 10,000 years old; even though scientists tell us it’s billions of years old. The religious people don’t want to go against the timetable they see in the Bible. I used to be concerned about those religious people, but I’m not concerned about them anymore. It dawned on me that hundreds of years ago religious people believed that the sun revolved around the earth. They saw that in the Bible. Then Copernicus came along and said that the earth revolves around the sun. Religious people back then said that idea went against the Bible, so they rejected it, at least for a while. (I like to imagine that on the behinds of their horses those religious people had “rumper” stickers that proclaimed, “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.”) But I don’t know of any religious people today who still believe the sun revolves around the earth. So eventually the truth was accepted by everybody, just as I think it will be – eventually – with religious people who believe in a “young earth.”
A human being can change. A human being can be renewed. A human being can be reborn. A human being can be resurrected. Sometimes it’s altering your perspective. Sometimes it’s altering your attitude. Sometimes it’s altering your actions. If you believe you’re ignorant about something, you could go to sleep tonight determined to change and wake up tomorrow filled with a quest for truth. And after you’ve discovered truth, you could try to share it with others. If others don’t share your quest for truth, that’s okay. There’s nothing you can do about them. You can’t change them. You can only change you. And you have. You’ve changed. You’ve been renewed. You’ve been reborn. You’ve been resurrected. You’ve been resurrected from the dead; the dead state of ignorance, to a new life of truth.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But you can teach an old human being new tricks. And a human being can change. A human being can be renewed. A human being can be reborn. A human being can be resurrected. Sometimes it’s altering your perspective. Sometimes it’s altering your attitude. Sometimes it’s altering your actions. If you hate someone, you could go to sleep tonight determined to change and wake up tomorrow filled with love for that person. The next time you see that person, you could simply say to yourself, “I love that person.” Even if that person hates you; that’s okay. There’s nothing you can do about them. You can’t change them. You can only change you. And you have. You’ve changed. You’ve been renewed. You’ve been reborn. You’ve been resurrected. You’ve been resurrected from the dead; from the dead state of hate, to a new life of love.
They say a leopard can’t change its spots. But a human being can change. A human being can be renewed. A human being can be reborn. A human being can be resurrected. Sometimes it’s altering your perspective. Sometimes it’s altering your attitude. Sometimes it’s altering your actions. If you seek revenge against someone, you could go to sleep tonight determined to change and wake up tomorrow filled with forgiveness for that person. The next time you see that person, you could simply say, “Hello.” Perhaps that person will be taken aback. Perhaps that person will say, “Hello” back. Perhaps that person will ignore you completely. Or worse. There’s nothing you can do about them. You can’t change them. You can only change you. And you have. You’ve changed. You’ve been renewed. You’ve been reborn. You’ve been resurrected. You’ve been resurrected from the dead; from the dead state of revenge, to a new life of forgiveness.
When you go from ignorance to truth, when you go from hate to love, when you go from revenge to forgiveness, you’ve been renewed; you’ve been reborn; you’ve been resurrected. It’s a miracle. Happy Easter!
I remember watching “The Andy Griffith Show” when I was a kid. I think I watched it because Barney Fife, Don Knotts, was so funny. And it did have timeless wisdom and values. It treated people with dignity and respect. How many times did Andy go out of his way to avoid embarrassing Barney or to make Barney feel good about himself? When you watch old shows like that, you just might find yourself yearning for what seemed like a better time in America.
If you wanted to, you could pretend that the last 50 years or so never happened. You can go on Amazon.com and buy the first season of “The Andy Griffith Show,” from 1960, for about 16 dollars. You can go online and for about 20,000 dollars, you can buy a 1964 Mustang, the first year they were built. And for only about 25 dollars, you can buy a Nehru jacket from the ‘60s. Then you could make-believe that you’re living a half-century ago or so.
Some people want things to never change. They hate change. They want the world to always stay the same, the way it was back in “the good old days.” They themselves want to stay the same and never change, too. Usually they’re pretty successful at it. They believe the same things they did 50 years ago. They have the same friends (and the same enemies). They’re like the guy who goes to his 25th high school reunion and is proud of the fact that he acts the same now as he did then. “A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life,” says Muhammad Ali, a Muslim.
I wonder if the nine Christian militia members in Michigan (all white), who were arrested the other day for allegedly plotting terrorism, just really hate change. I wonder if they yearn for “the good old days,” when Presidents of the United States of America were white and Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives were men and immigrants weren’t illegal because they weren’t people of color.
I wonder if the Tea Party protesters feel pretty much the same way. (Is it a coincidence that they’re all white, too?) They say they hate the deficit, but they can’t really hate the deficit, because they were silent when it was ballooning during the Bush years. They say they hate socialized medicine, but they can’t really hate socialized medicine, because many of them seem to be old enough to be on Medicare – socialized medicine. Or do they just hate socialized medicine for everybody else? Or do they just hate change? (Especially change from a Republican president to a Democratic one.)
Today, Christians celebrate what they consider to be the biggest change ever. Christians believe that 2,000 years ago Jesus went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, from death to life, from burial to resurrection. It’s a miracle. Christians believe it had never happened before and it hasn’t happened again since. Nobody else has ever gone from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. Nobody else has ever died and come back to life. Nobody else has ever been buried and then been resurrected. I’m not here to confirm or deny the claim that Jesus was resurrected. I’m just here to wonder if people aren’t resurrected all the time, at least metaphorically.
Saul was a Jew who hated the teachings of Jesus, even though Jesus was a fellow Jew. Saul didn’t like the emerging Christian movement, even before it was called the emerging Christian movement. We don’t know whether Saul was one of the people at Jesus’ inquisition yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” I think you could make a logical case that he would have been there. We do know that Saul stood by and watched one of Jesus’ followers, Stephen, get stoned to death. So he was at least an accomplice in Stephen’s murder and martyrdom. The early Christians, people of the Way, saw Saul as an evil man, at least before he traveled on the road to Damascus.
You probably know this story. Saul is walking along, on his way to persecute more followers of Jesus, when all of a sudden he is blinded by a light! Then he hears a voice! It’s Jesus! “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Eventually Saul regains his sight and changes his ways and his name. He becomes a follower of Jesus known as the Apostle Paul. Some say he was the most significant Christian ever, planting many churches and converting many to Christianity.
What happened to Paul on the road to Damascus? I would like to suggest that he went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; that he died and came back to life; that he was buried and then was resurrected. Could that kind of thing happen to you and me? Could we go from Good Friday to Easter Sunday? Could we die and come back to life? Could we be buried and then be resurrected?
Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid leader in South Africa. Although he was an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, who was all about peaceful civil disobedience, Nelson Mandela fought against the white supremacist government of South Africa, sometimes with violence. The U.S. government called him a terrorist. He was arrested, tried and convicted of sabotage and treason. He spent 27 years in prison. He got out in 1990.
When he got out of prison, Nelson Mandela did not go back to violence. He led South Africa through a peaceful transition, from white rule to multiracial democracy, from violence to reconciliation. He became the first president of South Africa to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. He served from 1994 to 1999. In 1993 he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
What happened to Nelson Mandela over the years? I would like to suggest that he went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; that he died and came back to life; that he was buried and then was resurrected. Could that kind of thing happen to you and me? Could we go from Good Friday to Easter Sunday? Could we die and come back to life? Could we be buried and then be resurrected?
“Amish Grace” is a movie that aired on the Lifetime channel this past week. It was excellent. It was about the mass murders-suicide that happened at an Amish school in Pennsylvania a few years ago. The world took notice of that tragedy, because immediately afterwards, the Amish parents of the children killed went to the widow of the murderer and offered forgiveness and support. The world was flabbergasted that a group of religious people actually practiced what they preached, or heard preached. The story focused on Ida, played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, the mother of one of the victims. In the story, she was unwilling to forgive, at least for a while.
Then one of the survivors of the shootings told Ida that her daughter said to the gunman that she would pray for him, which she did, just before he killed her. Ida broke down. She then offered forgiveness and support to the murderer’s widow, figuring she had to follow her late daughter’s lead.
What happened to Ida over the course of the movie? I would like to suggest that she went from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; that she died and came back to life; that she was buried and then was resurrected. Could that kind of thing happen to you and me? Could we go from Good Friday to Easter Sunday? Could we die and come back to life? Could we be buried and then be resurrected?
They say you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Perhaps in a similar way you can lead a human being to truth, but you can’t make him think. I think of religious people who say they believe that the universe is only 10,000 years old; even though scientists tell us it’s billions of years old. The religious people don’t want to go against the timetable they see in the Bible. I used to be concerned about those religious people, but I’m not concerned about them anymore. It dawned on me that hundreds of years ago religious people believed that the sun revolved around the earth. They saw that in the Bible. Then Copernicus came along and said that the earth revolves around the sun. Religious people back then said that idea went against the Bible, so they rejected it, at least for a while. (I like to imagine that on the behinds of their horses those religious people had “rumper” stickers that proclaimed, “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.”) But I don’t know of any religious people today who still believe the sun revolves around the earth. So eventually the truth was accepted by everybody, just as I think it will be – eventually – with religious people who believe in a “young earth.”
A human being can change. A human being can be renewed. A human being can be reborn. A human being can be resurrected. Sometimes it’s altering your perspective. Sometimes it’s altering your attitude. Sometimes it’s altering your actions. If you believe you’re ignorant about something, you could go to sleep tonight determined to change and wake up tomorrow filled with a quest for truth. And after you’ve discovered truth, you could try to share it with others. If others don’t share your quest for truth, that’s okay. There’s nothing you can do about them. You can’t change them. You can only change you. And you have. You’ve changed. You’ve been renewed. You’ve been reborn. You’ve been resurrected. You’ve been resurrected from the dead; the dead state of ignorance, to a new life of truth.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But you can teach an old human being new tricks. And a human being can change. A human being can be renewed. A human being can be reborn. A human being can be resurrected. Sometimes it’s altering your perspective. Sometimes it’s altering your attitude. Sometimes it’s altering your actions. If you hate someone, you could go to sleep tonight determined to change and wake up tomorrow filled with love for that person. The next time you see that person, you could simply say to yourself, “I love that person.” Even if that person hates you; that’s okay. There’s nothing you can do about them. You can’t change them. You can only change you. And you have. You’ve changed. You’ve been renewed. You’ve been reborn. You’ve been resurrected. You’ve been resurrected from the dead; from the dead state of hate, to a new life of love.
They say a leopard can’t change its spots. But a human being can change. A human being can be renewed. A human being can be reborn. A human being can be resurrected. Sometimes it’s altering your perspective. Sometimes it’s altering your attitude. Sometimes it’s altering your actions. If you seek revenge against someone, you could go to sleep tonight determined to change and wake up tomorrow filled with forgiveness for that person. The next time you see that person, you could simply say, “Hello.” Perhaps that person will be taken aback. Perhaps that person will say, “Hello” back. Perhaps that person will ignore you completely. Or worse. There’s nothing you can do about them. You can’t change them. You can only change you. And you have. You’ve changed. You’ve been renewed. You’ve been reborn. You’ve been resurrected. You’ve been resurrected from the dead; from the dead state of revenge, to a new life of forgiveness.
When you go from ignorance to truth, when you go from hate to love, when you go from revenge to forgiveness, you’ve been renewed; you’ve been reborn; you’ve been resurrected. It’s a miracle. Happy Easter!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
