The Way of Non-Violence

Love this picture that was on an article on the internet. The article was about the precariousness of life for some animals around the world because of climate change. I kind of feel like the elephant these days with balancing between prayer and meditation for peace, and trying to understand the intricacies of diplomacy.

These past few days and weeks have been fraught with international tension. Behind the scenes, I am sure that many late-night meetings took place in the United Nations, in the halls of justice of different countries throughout Europe and here in Washington, DC. Syria, a country that has been at the center of tensions for millennia, once again has taken center stage. The proverbial sabers have been rattling, Russian and China, old allies of Syria, have lined up behind the country they consider a buffer between the US and the Middle East.

In the midst of all the turmoil, Pope Francis prayed for peace to prevail in Syria and asked all Christians around the world to do the same. Now as we awake this morning, there is news that Syria has promised to hand over to international authorities, all of its chemical weapons. What happened overnight that Syria has considered drawing down the stand-off? Did the prayers of faithful Christians prevail?  The bigger question for me: From where does conflict come and why do we, humans, feed it so freely?

For some years, I have read about human conflict and studied it from the French author, Rene Girard. He is a literary critique who began teaching French Literature many years ago because he needed money and the job promised a steady flow of it. Through his studies, he found that all of the classic literary pieces of the world exhibited a basic theory that I am only coming to fully understand.

As I understand it, Girard surmises that all violence comes from within the individual and flows out to others through "mimetism" (the need to mimic others). He purports that "I" desire because "I" see what "you" have and covet it. Rolled up in Girard's theory is "scapegoating" - once I cannot get what I want, I seek out an individual in the community who can serve as the reason for all of "my" problems. Once I consider how to get the community behind me, the blocks fall into place and the scapegoat is killed. Society goes back to "normal", the desirous parties get what they wanted, and the cycle starts again.So, why mention Girard's theory now?

Perhaps, as Girard proposes, there is a different way for Christians to look at the world that helps to diffuse such violent, tumultuous situations as our current one in Syria. The people who are called "Christians" could consider how we use the power that we have in the world for good ends. We are already in the midst of the turmoil simply because of its public nature. The question remains: How, then, shall we act?

Keep your eye on the prize

I watched a movie a while back, In Time, I believe was the title. The movie focused on the "haves" and the "haves not" but with a twist: those who were the richest dealt in the commodity of "time". In the end, the whole house of cards fell because the ability to build a sturdy, sustainable system always involves a firm foundation. Time ended up being too easy a commodity to wrench away from the few and give to the many.

In the movie, everyone has implanted in his/her arm a clock that registers the amount of time left in one's life. During fights, people can grab the arm of another and siphon away time. In order to win the fight, one had to remain focused on the fight. At one point, when the protagonist is in the midst of one such battle, he diverts his attention for a few seconds and literally hours tick away from his personal clock - leaving him drained physically. He then remembered that in order to remain focused, one cannot watch the clock.

There's a life lesson in the staying focused on the task at hand rather than the possibility of losing something precious. How often do I gather together wonderful things that make life great only to worry about how I can keep it forever? We live in a community where many people leave houses open all day. I wonder how important knowing the neighbor and caring for the neighbor is when determining the safety of one's own neighborhood? How important is it for me to make my neighborhood a hospitable place in order to keep what I need?

It seems to me that focusing on what matters most becomes the more important endeavor in all of life. As a friend of mine so often reminds me, "We get in the most trouble when we get off in the weeds" - I think he likes to golf, but finds himself in the weeds too much...but that's another story.

How many of the problems of life could be solved merely by focusing on the importance of life itself instead of all of the trivialities and novelties of everyday life? Of course, I enjoy my CDs but would life be less without them? Of course, books make my life more enjoyable, but would I be lessened any if I had to walk into a library more often and borrow them, instead of having my own?

Keep your eye on the prize, Tim, keep your eye on the prize.

Peace.

More "Emerging" Ideas

Much has happened since my last post in April. I took some time away from the "blogosphere" for two reasons: (1) I don't want to depend on it everyday; so, I have decided to try blogging on a periodic basis instead of daily - perhaps once a week will be enough. (2) I wanted to see if anyone was listening out there. I have had a few conversations face to face about blog posts, but not a lot online. It is my intent that we would converse online so that everyone would have the benefit of getting in on the conversation. To that end, I have a few things to add to my last post about "Emerging".

There are a lot of studies out in print and on the internet about the "decline" of the church in the US. As many reasons as studies are out there! Every study has a new take or tries to explain the decline in lots of different ways. The Pew Forum for Religion (pewforum.org, a trusted group that does studies on the church) has put out a lengthy report on "The Rise of the Nones". "Nones" is the name given to the group of people since the 1960s who self-identify with "no affiliation" when asked about religious preference. After reading that report, I started researching the decline phenomenon and gathered some interesting insights:

1.  There are changes in the modern family demographics: late marriage means few or no children. Among the people who fit into this group, there is not the draw for faith formation for the children like in the past. For many reasons, the smaller families have not opted to train their children in the faith communities that have nurtured them.

2.  Sunday is filled with many activities other than worship. This then begs a question: Should the church consider worshiping on Saturday night and honoring families by encouraging more family activities on Sunday?

3.  There is an increasing search for meaning that the Church does not provide. This was a shocker for me. The Church should be a place that confronts all of the challenges of life and gives meaning to all that we do. On further research, especially through reading Peter Rollins and Brian McLaren, I have realized that often the Church does not confront the realities of doubt and disbelief. The Church is in the business of faith and does not allow for either doubt or disbelief, even though everyone experiences them - even pastors!

4.  There is no or little connection with the community for the Nones. Even though the Nones experience a need for more community involvement, most people today live in communities where neighbors don't know one another! Community connections have been lost.

5.  There is little of no focus on what God has called the religious community "to do" in the community. For Christians, there is much biblical basis for faith and works together; the lack of working one's faith shows a lack of understanding of Jesus' mission and life.

In September, I will be starting a study to tackle some, or maybe all of these challenges - and maybe a few others. The participants will study two books by two different women theologians: Phyllis Tickle's, The Great Emergence and Diana Butler Bass', Christianity for the Rest of Us. Each of these wonderful theologians tackles the challenges of the modern church in a different way. In addition, if you are interested in historical background and more theological stuff, you could read ahead of time Karen Armstrong's The Great Transformation (It fits in well with Tickle's book and fills in the gaps of her research.)

All three of these women theologians have written and taught extensively and anything they write I would commend to you. Karen Armstrong is my "go-to" historical theologian, Phyllis Tickle is my "go to" challenge theologian and Diana Butler Bass makes things so easy to understand that she has become a "go to explicator" for me (if that's a word!)

Well, that's enough assignment and thought-provoking stuff for now. Until next week.

God's peace,
Tim

"Emerging"

Every time I see or use the word "emerging," I see in my mind's eye an image of a mosquito larva coming out of the water as a newly formed flying insect that makes a nuisance of itself in the summer. The first time I saw a photo of one of those transformed larvae emerging from the pond water, I was amazed. I ran to the pond at my grandfather's farm and lay on the ground waiting to see one of those elusive insects. I got a lot of mosquito bites that day, but I never got to see an actual, real-life mosquito emerging from its watery environment. Oh, I saw many mosquito larvae in the pond, but none of them willing, or ready, to move to its changed, blood-sucking form.

"Emerging Ministry" is the name of the book about which I've been blogging these past weeks. It seems to me there are some analogies that we can make with the mosquito larva. It may take some observation on our part, but the lowly mosquito may have something to teach us about ourselves.

In order for the mosquito larva to grow in the water, a mosquito egg must be deposited in the water. It's interesting to watch the dancing mosquito deposit her eggs one after another into the still water. She ever so lightly touches the surface of the water, so as not to be pulled down by a waiting fish, just breaking a small ripple. One has to be quick in observation; once you see the mosquito at the water's surface, the egg has already been deposited. Hours and days produce a tiny wiggly larva. Up and down like tiny submarines the tiny larvae move in the water. As shadows of predators or clouds creep over the water's surface, the larvae quickly wriggle to the bottom, to escape certain, or not so certain, death. Up and down, up and down they go, day after day until finally one day when they have eaten enough and the metamorphosis has taken place.
At that moment, they seem to attach to the surface of the water and the mysterious happens. Out of the snake-like larva emerges the humble, flying insect - a mosquito. The adult mosquito, then, goes on to live a few more days; mating, reproducing and starting again the cycle of depositing eggs that will continue the chain of life.

The emerging is not just from water, however; there is emerging of eggs from the adult mosquito. The tiny larvae emerge from their watery depths to the surface to feed and get oxygen to breathe. The adult mosquitoes hide in grass or crevices during the day, to emerge at night and buzz human ears. Then, there is, of course, the emerging of human blood as the mosquito removes its long proboscis from your arm, leg or neck. The humble, pesky mosquito is all about emerging!

The church, too, seems all about emerging. The followers of Jesus emerged long ago from the Jewish tradition. Originally a Jewish sect, Jesus' followers found themselves increasingly uncomfortable in synagogues and the Temple. The emerged as a new religion.

Throughout its history, the Church has emerged from difficult and dark times, to brighter, less challenging ones. The Church seems over and again to emerge from "crucified" moments of great challenge, to the moments of "resurrection". Followers of Jesus inevitably follow after the same life, death and resurrection of the Christ - continually emerging from ourselves and realizing that our task, our mission, is not personal and private, but one for the sake of the world.

Every morning, with the rising from our beds, the Church "emerges" from slumber; each week, as we spill out of worship spaces, the Church emerges as a people with a life-giving message for everyone; every year, with our liturgy, we proclaim that the Church is born anew at Pentecost - emerging from self-centeredness, fear and complacency to spirit-filled life.

There are 10 signs of "emerging church" that Nate Frambach uses:

1.  worship is team oriented: it's designed, planned and led by a team
2.  feedback loops: they provide on-going communication about the communities needs
3.  the arts are back: banners, graphics, sculptures, poetry, drama
4.  language matters: the "real" matters and how we tell about the "real" in our lives makes a difference in how people hear and respond to God
5.  room for spontaneity: worship is ordered by not over-defined; sometimes it's ok to change it up in the middle of worship
6.  music is at the core: when all else fails, sing
7.  worship space and time: time and space are no longer bounded by a building
8.  the function of humor: special attention needed here so that the humor does not detract from the overall message; but, its use can be crucial to touching lives
9.  attention to texts: this means peaking the senses in as many ways as possible - texts can be poetry, biblical, movie, drama; the text conveys the message
10. the understanding of suffering: just keeping it real; suffering happens, we don't worship to escape it, but to look at it, hold it and affirm the hurt within us


So, my questions are many at this point: How does this word "emerge" fit with the Church? Or, does it not fit? Where do you see transformation/transfiguration/metamorphosis in your life or in the life of the Church? How accurate are Nate's 10 signs? Do you see any or all of these in your community? What other observations do you have about "emerging"?

That's enough for now. What do you think?

Peace,
Tim

How to pass on "my" story?

In the last post, I asked how stories show the connected-ness of all humanity. If all humanity is connected, it would seem that there are some shared stories - ones that we can repeat and talk about together. These kinds of stories help us to get closer to one another; they also give meaning to our community.

Today, I think it's important to ask, "How do I pass on a story that's been important to me?" Each community, organization, family, has its own story; how do you gather together to tell those stories and show how they have as much meaning today as when they were first told?

When Annie and I moved to France (in Cameroon and NW Ohio, incidentally, we have experienced the same thing) we were immediately thrust into an unknown culture. Subconsciously, we searched for the "untold" story that would help us navigate the new found world. No one seemed willing to divulge any secrets. To Annie and me, it seemed that our friends and family were right, "The French are rude, stuck up people who don't care about outsiders." As we stayed longer, we realized that first assumption was far from the truth. We could name numerous instances of encounters with French people who did not at all fit that stereotype.

It took Annie and me reflecting, talking and living with the people we encountered to start to piece together the "story". Eventually, we realized that the French people were not rude but felt vulnerable. Throughout history, they had been overrun by Spain, England, Germany, The Holy Roman Empire. I, too, would not want to open up quickly with people. We learned that life in France was very "eucharistic". This revelation changed our whole attitude to the French and to life itself. If you wanted to get to know someone, it now became important to sit down, have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, eat a meal and enjoy one another's company. Slowly, the "story" that gave meaning to our French friends began to materialize - not just in conversation, but in our life together. The experience reminded me of the walk to Emmaus.

Remember in the story how the two followers of Jesus are talking about the resurrection event and suddenly Jesus appears? They don't know who he is until that evening, around the table, as he breaks bread with them. Then the two disciples realize that he had been with them all along. Had they walked away from the encounter and branded him a "weird outsider" who was the "only one in Jerusalem who didn't know what was going on", the world could be different today. Yet, they took the time to listen to this stranger and to invite him in to eat with them.

I am sure that we have the same kind of encounters within our own community. I am certain that I miss opportunities to delve deeper into the story because I don't take the time to do just that - "go deeper". Eucharistic means "thankful"; that's exactly the way life seemed to Annie and me in France - thankful: thankful for the stranger in the midst, thankful for good food and someone to enjoy it with, thankful for life itself. How this world could change if I lived a "eucharistic" attitude to life everyday.

Oh, yeah, there is the theological dimension to this "eucharistic life" as well: in the breaking of bread, even at the simplest of tables, our common story reminds us that the Christ is with us. Where the Christ is, there is God's kingdom; where the kingdom is, God's mercy and justice reign supreme. Imagine an end to hatred, violence, injustice; imagine making swords into plowshares and studying war no more! I guess we do have a common story; do we live it? That seems the primary way of sharing it! In the meanwhile, let's sit down, converse with one another, and enjoy some food!

Peace,
Tim

Whose story: Yours, mine, ours...

"Having" something denotes possession. I have a car = there is a car in my possession; I bought it, I put gas in it, I drive it, I pay for upkeep and insurance. Having a story differs in some ways. When someone says, "I have a story to tell;" or, "That's my story and I'm stickin' to it," that person means, "This story doesn't belong to me like a car or a piece of jewelry. The stories we tell do not "belong" to us in the same way; they are ways for you and me to communicate things that have happened to us.

For example, I once read a story by C.S. Lewis, called Until we have Faces. It's a wonderful story about a young woman who is deformed from birth and has to wear a mask to cover her deformity. One day she finally realizes that her face does not determine who she is; it's what is inside that is more important. At that moment, she takes off her mask and never wears it again.

Now, I can say, and I have many times, that is my story to tell, although I did not imagine it or write it. So powerful is that story that it gives life to my own experiences of life. I tell the story to others because I think it is powerful enough to give life to others as well. Others can claim the story as their own! Yet, the story remains one of C.S. Lewis.

Each person has a story about her or his life to share. Everyone alive deserves my attention as she or he tells that story - and, who knows, I may just learn something about myself, about others, about God from listening.

When Nate Frambach claims that humanity is made of stories, I think he's getting at that very simple point: each human being has a story to tell and each other human being can take the time to listen to it. In the telling and the listening, we re-claim our common humanity. You see, when I take the time to listen to someone else's story, without judgment or criticism, I change. It's hard to judge someone when I see someone as a fellow human being!

I once had a teacher who had a very challenging relationship with a fellow on a board on which she served. Every time my teach would walk into the board room, she would tense up and fill with anxiety. She knew that within a short period of time, that offending individual would upset her. Then one day she consciously decided to say to herself, "This person is a human being like me, and worthy of God's love as well as mine." She started saying that to herself as she drove. When she arrived at the meeting, she was still saying that mantra. In a short period of time, just like clockwork, the colleague said something that offended her. This time, however, she didn't tense up; she changed her whole demeanor toward the man and was able to talk with him during the meeting - something that, in the before-time was practically impossible.

When I hear stories like that, they are moments to pause and reflect on my own life. How could I adopt that same attitude? Do I really need to hate or antagonize others because I disagree or because the other offends me?

I don't know about you, but I am a "storied one". Stories not only remind me who I am, they also remind me that others are part of my story. We all know that when we include others in the story, the whole ending changes, doesn't it?

What do you think?

Peace,
Tim

Human Beings are Storied Creatures

Do you have memories of sitting around a campfire, telling ghost stories? Maybe you told stories about maniacal creatures that roamed the woods at night, making noise and frightening campers? How important were those stories to you?

I remember my Granny telling us grandchildren about the fairies that would come out of the trees in early Spring. We couldn't wait to go to Granny's house in Spring to catch a glimpse of the elusive fairy, emerging from hibernation.

Are those stories wrong to tell children? I don't think so; I still foster belief in fairies with my children. Stories like that are important to my Irish roots; they help me remember who I am and where I came from - maybe they can even tell me where I am going. Someone could ask me, "Do you believe in those stories?" I guess my answer is a resounding, "Yes!"

I do believe in the stories that we tell around the campfire; I do believe in the fairy stories; I do believe it is important to pass on the stories that have nurtured my imagination. The stories need not be "true" in the scientific, factual sense; they are "true" in that they give meaning to my life.

It may sound odd, but the stories of the Bible can give the same life. For a long time, scientifically minded individuals and religiously minded individuals have fought over the significance of the Bible. Is it important to say the everything happened, exactly, word-for-word as it is written in the Bible? Or, is it more important to understand the meaning behind what the author is saying?

For example, there are 2 creation stories in the Bible (Genesis 1.1-2.4a and Genesis 2.4b-25). Which one should a literal interpretation of the Bible choose? They are, after all, two different stories from two different perspectives. Can a believer in God also believe in evolution?

Nathan Frambach reminds us in his 3rd chapter that one's faith is not based on "right belief" but on, what he calls, "God-spotting". I think what he means is the believer's ability to see God at work, even in the mundane things of life. The Bible contains the stories of faithful people who have experienced God at work in daily life. Their stories give examples of the humanness of faith. Sometimes people fail, sometimes people succeed, but the Bible was written in order to show the believers that God does not give up - even in failure, even in the pride-filled moments of success.

So, what is your story? What are your key stories, values and beliefs that others have passed on to you? Are they worth passing on? How will you do it?

Peace,
Tim