There’s an almost poetic quality to the image of a stone cast out upon the water setting into motion a series of ripples from the point of impact. The size of the stone and manner of impact determines the rhythm and shape of the rippling. Though they fade as they journey outward, the ripples are felt nonetheless along whatever route they take. Even should they encounter something that alters their pattern or course, they continue on into time nevertheless.
Every thought and every act likewise sends forth ripples out into the universe. We cannot therefore take the consequences of our actions lightly for they potentially color, alter or shape the course of history. Tremendous responsibility is placed on us when we consider the scope of influence of our thoughts and actions.
9/11 was a defining moment in history and has forever changed the way we view life and interact with the world. Our collective innocense and naivete was replaced by anger and fear. The ripples set into motion when the towers fell will continue to gently pass over us and color our experience forever.
We likewise cannot underestimate the effect the ripples of our nation’s policy will have both upon us and our world. In a climate where the electorate has indicated a concern for moral values, it has been sad to watch our president’s seriocomic attempts to redefine and place a noble spin on our involvement in Iraq. The real tragedy is the rippling effect of our presence there is stirring up so much more cynicism, ill regard and outright hatred for our country and its intentions than any good that could possibly come from it. We cannot beat the world over the head with our might in an attempt to pound it into submission to our will and at the same time hold on to any hope that the world will come to respect us.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Saturday, August 27, 2005
"Saved"
I haven't posted in a couple of days because GOD has been hard at work in my life. As a result, I find myself more excited and anticipative about what lies ahead than I have been in a long, long time. This morning I was saved.
I recall a comment recently blanket posted by a rather zealous Christian across xangas associated with a spiritual themed blogring. In it tyler_is_not_important used the usual fundamentalistic lexicon about the need to be saved and the necessity of inviting Jesus into my heart as my personal savior in order to share in the redemptive/salvific benefits of the cross. There are committed christians everywhere who can time, date and circumstance stamp the moment each was "saved."
I believe whole-heartedly that Jesus was more than a mere historical figure and that his life and teachings draw us closer into the experience of GOD than was available to man before him. That in Jesus GOD took on our humanity, walked in our shoes and embraced the totality of our human experience, including the warts, flaws and cracks - even suffering and death - is what the incarnation is all about. I believe there is redemptive value to the life of Jesus and that the more intimately one enters into a relationship with him the richer the level of meaning and purpose his or her life can acquire. I believe that any salvific value to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, i.e "the cross," is a matter of grace and therefore subject to GOD's rules rather than man's. Given the countless ways and ceaseless efforts of the Creator throughout history to reach out to the created in search of a relationship and the myriad ways the created have found to turn away is a testament to the immensity and generosity of GOD's grace.
I guess this all boils down to my feeling "saved" by GOD many times - today included - and I can only hope there are many more! I woke up this morning keenly aware that GOD had a special task in mind and had chosen me to carry it out - to write a book GOD wants written! Thinking I was just going to sleep in on a lazy Saturday morning, when I awoke my mind was too busy with the flood of inspiration and ideas that danced within it. I have long felt that writing was to be a part of who or what I am all about and this morning GOD put his stamp of approval on it. Oh how good it is to feel that you have a special purpose, that what you have been chosen to do is vitally important and that GOD is at your side to give you whatever it takes to bring it all to fruition! Today I feel... "saved!"
And may all of you too be "saved," finding yourselves called to a special purpose only you can fulfill!
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
I recall a comment recently blanket posted by a rather zealous Christian across xangas associated with a spiritual themed blogring. In it tyler_is_not_important used the usual fundamentalistic lexicon about the need to be saved and the necessity of inviting Jesus into my heart as my personal savior in order to share in the redemptive/salvific benefits of the cross. There are committed christians everywhere who can time, date and circumstance stamp the moment each was "saved."
I believe whole-heartedly that Jesus was more than a mere historical figure and that his life and teachings draw us closer into the experience of GOD than was available to man before him. That in Jesus GOD took on our humanity, walked in our shoes and embraced the totality of our human experience, including the warts, flaws and cracks - even suffering and death - is what the incarnation is all about. I believe there is redemptive value to the life of Jesus and that the more intimately one enters into a relationship with him the richer the level of meaning and purpose his or her life can acquire. I believe that any salvific value to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, i.e "the cross," is a matter of grace and therefore subject to GOD's rules rather than man's. Given the countless ways and ceaseless efforts of the Creator throughout history to reach out to the created in search of a relationship and the myriad ways the created have found to turn away is a testament to the immensity and generosity of GOD's grace.
I guess this all boils down to my feeling "saved" by GOD many times - today included - and I can only hope there are many more! I woke up this morning keenly aware that GOD had a special task in mind and had chosen me to carry it out - to write a book GOD wants written! Thinking I was just going to sleep in on a lazy Saturday morning, when I awoke my mind was too busy with the flood of inspiration and ideas that danced within it. I have long felt that writing was to be a part of who or what I am all about and this morning GOD put his stamp of approval on it. Oh how good it is to feel that you have a special purpose, that what you have been chosen to do is vitally important and that GOD is at your side to give you whatever it takes to bring it all to fruition! Today I feel... "saved!"
And may all of you too be "saved," finding yourselves called to a special purpose only you can fulfill!
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Jennifer - Part One
When I set up my xanga, I envisioned it as an opportunity to recall the experiences that have defined me and to share the spiritual insights these privileged moments revealed to me. I departed in my last post with a highly academic discourse. With this post I return to the style of writing I prefer - conversation from the heart.
In the summer of 1984, just twenty-one months into my priesthood and less than two weeks following my reassignment as associate pastor of a large lakeside community church, a car accident took the life of Jennifer. Just days before what would have been the start of her senior year at the local Catholic High School, Jennifer had been crowned blossom queen. Acknowledged by her peers as the person most likely to succeed in her class, her life held so much promise. A missed curve and an appointment with a tree altered not only her destiny, but the lives of her classmates, the community and this young, unseasoned priest.
News of the tragedy spread quickly and a stunned senior class began to assemble the following morning in the school cafeteria to cry, to question and to grieve. Long before tragedies like Columbine and 9/11 led to the formation of disaster response counseling teams, I entered the school alone to help them begin to cope with their loss, and I felt so inadequate.
Some just shook their heads in disbelief, some recounted their last moments spent with her, some recalled the lyrics of a song that said what they felt inside but could not put into words and all shed a stream of tears of love and loss. I prayed; we prayed together. Mostly I listened. Anything I gave that day came from the heart, spirit and soul.
As the gathering of students continued to grow, it was increasingly difficult for me to make myself available to the numbers. In what was nothing less than a moment of inspiration, I backed my van up to the cafeteria, unloaded the sound equipment I used to deejay dances and set it up. One at a time Jennifer’s friends and classmates came to the microphone to share with the gathering what she had meant to them and how they felt. They played the songs that spoke for their broken hearts (Chicago’s "Hard Habit To Break" was a favorite). And we prayed - for Jennifer, for her family and for ourselves.
It is popularly held that Church is not the building, but is the people who gather within its walls. We were all Church that day and together we were healed.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
In the summer of 1984, just twenty-one months into my priesthood and less than two weeks following my reassignment as associate pastor of a large lakeside community church, a car accident took the life of Jennifer. Just days before what would have been the start of her senior year at the local Catholic High School, Jennifer had been crowned blossom queen. Acknowledged by her peers as the person most likely to succeed in her class, her life held so much promise. A missed curve and an appointment with a tree altered not only her destiny, but the lives of her classmates, the community and this young, unseasoned priest.
News of the tragedy spread quickly and a stunned senior class began to assemble the following morning in the school cafeteria to cry, to question and to grieve. Long before tragedies like Columbine and 9/11 led to the formation of disaster response counseling teams, I entered the school alone to help them begin to cope with their loss, and I felt so inadequate.
Some just shook their heads in disbelief, some recounted their last moments spent with her, some recalled the lyrics of a song that said what they felt inside but could not put into words and all shed a stream of tears of love and loss. I prayed; we prayed together. Mostly I listened. Anything I gave that day came from the heart, spirit and soul.
As the gathering of students continued to grow, it was increasingly difficult for me to make myself available to the numbers. In what was nothing less than a moment of inspiration, I backed my van up to the cafeteria, unloaded the sound equipment I used to deejay dances and set it up. One at a time Jennifer’s friends and classmates came to the microphone to share with the gathering what she had meant to them and how they felt. They played the songs that spoke for their broken hearts (Chicago’s "Hard Habit To Break" was a favorite). And we prayed - for Jennifer, for her family and for ourselves.
It is popularly held that Church is not the building, but is the people who gather within its walls. We were all Church that day and together we were healed.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Sacred Texts, Community & Contemporary Concerns
In the previous post, I shared my own view that to fully unlock the timeless truths contained in sacred texts (including, but not restricted to the Bible) requires an appreciation that these texts are stamped by a specific time and place (reflecting a culture and history), that they give voice (sometimes multiple voices) to crises, questions or concerns relevant within that temporal and cultural context, and that the answers or understanding sought or given reflect an intimate relationship between GOD and a people or person. In some instances this resulted in the canonization of an accepted norm and in others advanced a view contrary to contemporary norms. This position does not hinder in any way the belief that a sacred text is divinely inspired nor does it attempt to minimize the defining role a sacred text has on the community from which a tradition is born or its descendants who continue to adhere to it.
To identify with a community is to also identify with the sacred texts and tradition which define it. To disassociate oneself from these sacred texts and tradition, for whatever reason (often disagreement over an associated tenet or teaching), runs the risk of self-alienation from the community or excommunication. Indeed it has become fashionable today, irregardless of the religious tradition to which one belongs, to choose from a cafeteria menu those items found to be palatable and disregard the rest. The pope recently criticized those who embrace their faith in such a piecemeal fashion.
On the other hand there is the example of Jesus, who identified himself both with a community and its sacred texts and tradition, rising to challenge the accepted norms of his contemporaries as failing to reach the higher standard (spirit of the law) to which he challenged those who aspired to follow him. The Pharisees figured to have the right formula for ensuring favor with GOD, busying themselves with determining which of the 613 prescriptions of Jewish law were the biggies, the ones that "really" counted, the ones to be observed and obeyed above all others. They were careful to perform public acts of piety, one cannot be sure whether to amaze others with their holiness or to solidify their own authority. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees was blistering.
As with the Pharisees, the institutionalization of a community can result in a disconnect between the spirit of the founding spiritual master, the kerygma and the rules of the institution. To those who sense inherent fault or contradiction in a tenet of faith addressing contemporary concerns (either not considered or not considered fully by the founder or kerygma), the institution’s leaders may appear more interested in safeguarding the institution and its authority than it is uncovering the spirit or will of its founder. I am most keenly aware of this tension as the Roman Catholic Church addresses the issue of manditory celibacy for its priests or the contribution and service of women within the ecclesial community. There are other emotionally charged issues that have become divisive and tempt an institution to take the moral low ground, concerning itself more with its own authority than with allowing the mind and spirit of the community’s founder to weigh in on the issue or concern.
It is precisely for this reason that we not cease unlocking the timeless truths found in our sacred texts. I disagree with those who quote from sacred texts in support of their own closed-minded opinions (interpolation). We are obliged instead to consider the sacred text in its entirety to extrapolate the mind and spirit behind the voice(s). Revisiting our sacred texts to uncover the timeless truths that speak to the issues that concern us serves a vital prophetic role in the evolution of the community and ensures a connectedness between the spirit of the founding master, the kerygma and the rules of the institution.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
To identify with a community is to also identify with the sacred texts and tradition which define it. To disassociate oneself from these sacred texts and tradition, for whatever reason (often disagreement over an associated tenet or teaching), runs the risk of self-alienation from the community or excommunication. Indeed it has become fashionable today, irregardless of the religious tradition to which one belongs, to choose from a cafeteria menu those items found to be palatable and disregard the rest. The pope recently criticized those who embrace their faith in such a piecemeal fashion.
On the other hand there is the example of Jesus, who identified himself both with a community and its sacred texts and tradition, rising to challenge the accepted norms of his contemporaries as failing to reach the higher standard (spirit of the law) to which he challenged those who aspired to follow him. The Pharisees figured to have the right formula for ensuring favor with GOD, busying themselves with determining which of the 613 prescriptions of Jewish law were the biggies, the ones that "really" counted, the ones to be observed and obeyed above all others. They were careful to perform public acts of piety, one cannot be sure whether to amaze others with their holiness or to solidify their own authority. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees was blistering.
As with the Pharisees, the institutionalization of a community can result in a disconnect between the spirit of the founding spiritual master, the kerygma and the rules of the institution. To those who sense inherent fault or contradiction in a tenet of faith addressing contemporary concerns (either not considered or not considered fully by the founder or kerygma), the institution’s leaders may appear more interested in safeguarding the institution and its authority than it is uncovering the spirit or will of its founder. I am most keenly aware of this tension as the Roman Catholic Church addresses the issue of manditory celibacy for its priests or the contribution and service of women within the ecclesial community. There are other emotionally charged issues that have become divisive and tempt an institution to take the moral low ground, concerning itself more with its own authority than with allowing the mind and spirit of the community’s founder to weigh in on the issue or concern.
It is precisely for this reason that we not cease unlocking the timeless truths found in our sacred texts. I disagree with those who quote from sacred texts in support of their own closed-minded opinions (interpolation). We are obliged instead to consider the sacred text in its entirety to extrapolate the mind and spirit behind the voice(s). Revisiting our sacred texts to uncover the timeless truths that speak to the issues that concern us serves a vital prophetic role in the evolution of the community and ensures a connectedness between the spirit of the founding master, the kerygma and the rules of the institution.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Perspective
This weblog gives me the chance to write, not as the ordained minister of an organized religion or church, but as a brother traveler along the spiritual path called life, speaking from my heart of the things I have discovered as well as the things I still seek. I have had the privilege of being invited to enter into people's lives in their most intimate moments. I have encouraged and consoled along the path with the lost, the weak, the questioning, the hurt and broken, the sick and dying. I have also celebrated along the path with the joyful, the hopeful and the dreaming. Although there is much I do not understand, I have come to believe that there truly is a time and purpose for everything under the heavens.
A friend who frequently visits my journal wrote that when I give advice "all I can do is point and hope you look." I have observed before that it is misdirected to approach the Creator without keeping in mind free will. GOD gives to us in so many wonderful ways from the gift of life itself to surrounding us with a breath taking world to bringing into our life people of such extraordinary love and example to enabling us to find our way through and find meaning in the darkest moments of our existence. At no point does GOD impose herself - She remains always a gift and we are given the choice of embracing or turning away from her.
My experience has shown me that GOD reveals herself in a unique way to each person, having called each by name before he was born and having counted the very hairs on her head. It is for this reason that I hold that religion and spirituality cannot ever be considered in a "one size fits all" manner. I do not therefore judge whatever helps another along his spiritual path, unless it imposes constraints that prohibit others from finding their own path.
Allow me to end today's reflection with a word about scripture. In my life and experience I have discovered many truths that stand alone on the weight of their own authority. One need not cite a passage from a sacred text to urge another to embrace such truths. I think sacred texts can be abused this way.
Sacred texts throughout antiquity are loaded with truths that can help us along our spiritual path. To unlock the full power and meaning of these texts requires that we appreciate first and foremost that, despite divine inspiration, they are of human origin and reflect a people in a given time and place in history profoundly aware and in awe of the relationship GOD held with them. The truths of these sacred texts, though timeless, are best revealed when they are considered within that specific historical context and divine-human relationship.
I also believe that GOD is a living GOD and that GOD's Spirit continues to breathe divine inspiration through an artist's canvas, a songwriter's lyric and an author's pen (computer). These works also reveal truths equally timeless and capable of redeeming or healing a broken world.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
A friend who frequently visits my journal wrote that when I give advice "all I can do is point and hope you look." I have observed before that it is misdirected to approach the Creator without keeping in mind free will. GOD gives to us in so many wonderful ways from the gift of life itself to surrounding us with a breath taking world to bringing into our life people of such extraordinary love and example to enabling us to find our way through and find meaning in the darkest moments of our existence. At no point does GOD impose herself - She remains always a gift and we are given the choice of embracing or turning away from her.
My experience has shown me that GOD reveals herself in a unique way to each person, having called each by name before he was born and having counted the very hairs on her head. It is for this reason that I hold that religion and spirituality cannot ever be considered in a "one size fits all" manner. I do not therefore judge whatever helps another along his spiritual path, unless it imposes constraints that prohibit others from finding their own path.
Allow me to end today's reflection with a word about scripture. In my life and experience I have discovered many truths that stand alone on the weight of their own authority. One need not cite a passage from a sacred text to urge another to embrace such truths. I think sacred texts can be abused this way.
Sacred texts throughout antiquity are loaded with truths that can help us along our spiritual path. To unlock the full power and meaning of these texts requires that we appreciate first and foremost that, despite divine inspiration, they are of human origin and reflect a people in a given time and place in history profoundly aware and in awe of the relationship GOD held with them. The truths of these sacred texts, though timeless, are best revealed when they are considered within that specific historical context and divine-human relationship.
I also believe that GOD is a living GOD and that GOD's Spirit continues to breathe divine inspiration through an artist's canvas, a songwriter's lyric and an author's pen (computer). These works also reveal truths equally timeless and capable of redeeming or healing a broken world.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Spiritual Identity and Healing
Today's post is born out of frustration over a family member’s six year bout with depression. Frustration hasn’t been a stranger to her either. "When am I going to start to feel better?" she asks, her voice revealing that hope has long been lost. "I sure wish there was a pill I could take to make this all go away." Crippled by a lack of motivation, she lives out her days hiding in bed whenever she can. Three psychiatrists and five psychotherapists later, she lists through life like the sinking Titanic.
Her family figures her husband is to blame. After all, she seemed strong and in control of her life before they met. As her sister tells it, "He has manipulated you to bring you down because he can’t handle you being strong and standing up to him." Her family hasn't a clue. All they see is their daughter, granddaughter, sister and mother who is no longer the strong person she used to be and it tears them apart.
Distancing myself from the impassioned assessments of family, an impartial look reveals a woman in the midst of a mid-life transition that has knocked her off her square. Married just out of high school, life with her first husband took her to Germany for two years. With homesickness ripping her heart apart, she couldn’t handle her husband’s unwillingness to consider returning home. "There just aren’t opportunities for me back home," he would tell her. With all hope dashed that a pregnancy could save her marriage she returned home, alone with child. For 20 years she lived the life of a single parent working full time 3rd shift to purchase a house and very adequately provide for her son, an only child. She was a strong woman, even heroic for all she had accomplished.
At the time her current husband entered her life, she found herself imprisoned by an empty nest, her now twenty something son taking flight to find his own life. Without her son to provide for anymore, there was no longer an inherent purpose to her getting up to work 3rd shift. Disability and medical retirement soon followed.
She would tell you she would freeze her relationship with her son as well as with her parents and siblings in time if she could. Today when she looks at her son, his wife and their newborn, emotionally she still pictures the grade school child dependent on his mother’s love and care. Until she has gone through the grief work associated with her loss, her investment will never be where it belongs - with her husband, their life together and pursuing their dreams.
Contrary to her family's belief, it’s not the poor husband's fault. He has stood valiantly and patiently beside her. In one respect, he too is a victim of her depression and her inability to invest herself in their life together. Even though six years have come and gone without relief, a solution is not as distant as it may seem. I hunch healing has been so elusive because a psychological solution was sought to what was and is a spiritual problem.
Even though the ego tries to get me to identify myself by what I have or what I do, I’ve come to appreciate that life simply cannot be defined in terms of possessions or circumstances because neither are permanent. In order to find a solid foundation for life I must look deep within, to my very heart and soul, to discover who I really am. Although I can elicit the help of a spiritual guide, I am the only one who can see that deep inside me. Only there will I find an identity that cannot be compromised by a loss of possessions or changes in circumstance. This heart, spirit and soul identity gives me a real strength to counter the influence of the ego enabling me to live life with freedom, fulfillment and happiness.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Her family figures her husband is to blame. After all, she seemed strong and in control of her life before they met. As her sister tells it, "He has manipulated you to bring you down because he can’t handle you being strong and standing up to him." Her family hasn't a clue. All they see is their daughter, granddaughter, sister and mother who is no longer the strong person she used to be and it tears them apart.
Distancing myself from the impassioned assessments of family, an impartial look reveals a woman in the midst of a mid-life transition that has knocked her off her square. Married just out of high school, life with her first husband took her to Germany for two years. With homesickness ripping her heart apart, she couldn’t handle her husband’s unwillingness to consider returning home. "There just aren’t opportunities for me back home," he would tell her. With all hope dashed that a pregnancy could save her marriage she returned home, alone with child. For 20 years she lived the life of a single parent working full time 3rd shift to purchase a house and very adequately provide for her son, an only child. She was a strong woman, even heroic for all she had accomplished.
At the time her current husband entered her life, she found herself imprisoned by an empty nest, her now twenty something son taking flight to find his own life. Without her son to provide for anymore, there was no longer an inherent purpose to her getting up to work 3rd shift. Disability and medical retirement soon followed.
She would tell you she would freeze her relationship with her son as well as with her parents and siblings in time if she could. Today when she looks at her son, his wife and their newborn, emotionally she still pictures the grade school child dependent on his mother’s love and care. Until she has gone through the grief work associated with her loss, her investment will never be where it belongs - with her husband, their life together and pursuing their dreams.
Contrary to her family's belief, it’s not the poor husband's fault. He has stood valiantly and patiently beside her. In one respect, he too is a victim of her depression and her inability to invest herself in their life together. Even though six years have come and gone without relief, a solution is not as distant as it may seem. I hunch healing has been so elusive because a psychological solution was sought to what was and is a spiritual problem.
Even though the ego tries to get me to identify myself by what I have or what I do, I’ve come to appreciate that life simply cannot be defined in terms of possessions or circumstances because neither are permanent. In order to find a solid foundation for life I must look deep within, to my very heart and soul, to discover who I really am. Although I can elicit the help of a spiritual guide, I am the only one who can see that deep inside me. Only there will I find an identity that cannot be compromised by a loss of possessions or changes in circumstance. This heart, spirit and soul identity gives me a real strength to counter the influence of the ego enabling me to live life with freedom, fulfillment and happiness.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Just a Couple Thoughts on LOVE...
I have enjoyed and tried to genuinely listen to the rather rich and eloquent reflections shared on xanga about love... about God's love vs the ego's love. As I have said before, I think the more who enter into a conversation or discussion, the closer we come to the truth. My own reflection kept coming back to a single thought - that we are immersed in what will always be to us a mystery. GOD is GOD and I/we are not. A spiritual director back in my seminary days once told me spiritual maturity comes when I can truly be at peace with the questions I may never answer.
In its purest, most genuine form, I think love ceases to be a noun and becomes a verb. Love is not an entity we possess for it simply does not exist until it is given. I think we start to get it all wrong when we reflect upon love as a "thing" and begin to do what the ego does best - quantify it. Do I have it? Am I loved? How do I best love? By the time ego takes over, I may start to feel sorry for myself because I don't have enough of it or may wonder where I might find it or how I can get more of it. Perhaps I might pity that some don't have as much of it as I think they should. By this point we have lost touch with it altogether.
That we say GOD is love and speak of GOD's love as gift is recognition of love for what it really is... GOD giving GOD, self giving in its totality. It is GOD's infinite and eternal self expression. Thus love does not come into being until I, like GOD, have given it away... completely and continuously. You cannot capture it in a picture, prose or a lyric and say, "Here it is... See it?" Make no mistake about it - even though I cannot "see" love doesn't mean it is intangible.
Now if I accept that everything reflects GOD's self-gift, i.e. "love", then I must also recognize the fundamental oneness that unites my existence with GOD and with all creation. Thus when any one person hurts or suffers, all hurt and suffer. Because I am most authentically who I am when I give myself away, I am spiritually obligated to be mindful of opportunities I may have to address or alleviate the hurt and suffering in the world. I am also spiritually obligated not to take from the world beyond my need (hence the name of my xanga and my personal spiritual goal to leave a "gentle footprint"). I am not talking here about ego needs, which define the drive for power, prestige and possessions. You see, I believe strongly that there is plenty in this world to adequately sustain us all as well as all who will follow after us... if we do not take beyond our spiritual need.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
In its purest, most genuine form, I think love ceases to be a noun and becomes a verb. Love is not an entity we possess for it simply does not exist until it is given. I think we start to get it all wrong when we reflect upon love as a "thing" and begin to do what the ego does best - quantify it. Do I have it? Am I loved? How do I best love? By the time ego takes over, I may start to feel sorry for myself because I don't have enough of it or may wonder where I might find it or how I can get more of it. Perhaps I might pity that some don't have as much of it as I think they should. By this point we have lost touch with it altogether.
That we say GOD is love and speak of GOD's love as gift is recognition of love for what it really is... GOD giving GOD, self giving in its totality. It is GOD's infinite and eternal self expression. Thus love does not come into being until I, like GOD, have given it away... completely and continuously. You cannot capture it in a picture, prose or a lyric and say, "Here it is... See it?" Make no mistake about it - even though I cannot "see" love doesn't mean it is intangible.
Now if I accept that everything reflects GOD's self-gift, i.e. "love", then I must also recognize the fundamental oneness that unites my existence with GOD and with all creation. Thus when any one person hurts or suffers, all hurt and suffer. Because I am most authentically who I am when I give myself away, I am spiritually obligated to be mindful of opportunities I may have to address or alleviate the hurt and suffering in the world. I am also spiritually obligated not to take from the world beyond my need (hence the name of my xanga and my personal spiritual goal to leave a "gentle footprint"). I am not talking here about ego needs, which define the drive for power, prestige and possessions. You see, I believe strongly that there is plenty in this world to adequately sustain us all as well as all who will follow after us... if we do not take beyond our spiritual need.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Traversing the Spiritual Path
There are two kinds of people... those who by going through the right motions give the appearance of possessing a certain quality or characteristic and those who by the example of the life they lead demonstrate they possess that quality or characteristic. I've been debating with family which constitutes the characteristic of strength. It simply does not follow for me that because a person can stand up to people, speak their mind or finagle getting what they want that that person is strong. For me strength is something that is found deep within a person, a quality that constitutes and shapes who a person is, what she or he holds as foundational and what a person dreams or seeks to become. Even though it seems from time to time religion might actually endorse going through the motions when it calls for observing certain rites or public or private acts of piety, appearance doesn't advance a person down the spiritual path. To think that GOD can be conjurred up, captured and ordered to
meeting our need or purpose is simply fooling ourselves. Perhaps that is why I personally espouse spirituality to be a greater or higher virtue than religiosity.
Traversing the spiritual path requires that we be willing to meet GOD on GOD's terms, not our own. It requires a deep, fundamental openness to discovering or encountering GOD in unfamiliar or unexpected ways (perhaps this is why Jesus used the image of approaching GOD as a child). Sadly, there are some (even who are well-intentioned, deliberate and persistent) who walk past GOD failing to recognize the divine because the encounter does not take on the image or experience they preconceived. The demands life places on our time and resources in this day and age further distract or hamper our progress along the spiritual path. Finally,
there are a myriad of voices out there vying for our attention, but
which among them is the voice of truth that will lead to spiritual
enlightenment and communion with GOD?
Jesus chose to live out his own spiritual path in community, in the company of a small group he sought out. Community is an essential dimension to progressing along the spiritual path. Unfortuantely, however, the communities we belong to are defined by the neighborhoods we grew up or work in or the Church we attend. As a result all too often we contend with our broken lives or lives void of meaning and purpose utterly alone. I would love to assemble and live in community with others who share the same spirtual hunger, who seek after the same values and purpose. Until then, I am grateful I can journey along my spiritual path with the xanga community at my side.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
meeting our need or purpose is simply fooling ourselves. Perhaps that is why I personally espouse spirituality to be a greater or higher virtue than religiosity.
Traversing the spiritual path requires that we be willing to meet GOD on GOD's terms, not our own. It requires a deep, fundamental openness to discovering or encountering GOD in unfamiliar or unexpected ways (perhaps this is why Jesus used the image of approaching GOD as a child). Sadly, there are some (even who are well-intentioned, deliberate and persistent) who walk past GOD failing to recognize the divine because the encounter does not take on the image or experience they preconceived. The demands life places on our time and resources in this day and age further distract or hamper our progress along the spiritual path. Finally,
there are a myriad of voices out there vying for our attention, but
which among them is the voice of truth that will lead to spiritual
enlightenment and communion with GOD?
Jesus chose to live out his own spiritual path in community, in the company of a small group he sought out. Community is an essential dimension to progressing along the spiritual path. Unfortuantely, however, the communities we belong to are defined by the neighborhoods we grew up or work in or the Church we attend. As a result all too often we contend with our broken lives or lives void of meaning and purpose utterly alone. I would love to assemble and live in community with others who share the same spirtual hunger, who seek after the same values and purpose. Until then, I am grateful I can journey along my spiritual path with the xanga community at my side.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Jesus Schmalzified
What has Christianity done to Jesus? I know today's thoughts are sure to ruffle a few feathers, but then so did Jesus when, upon arriving in Jerusalem, he entered the Temple and rid it of the moneychangers and marketeers thus fronting the Jewish hierarchy.
Please hear me out before discounting this reflection as blasphemous. Jesus, a man faith proclaims to be one with GOD or GOD's equal, manifests unbounded power that could have been directed toward his own personal gain or greatness. It is noteworthy however that in every instance Jesus never sought that for himself. When Jesus intervened, it was not to win kudos for himself but to direct the beneficiary toward his loving heavenly Father. When Jesus taught, he raised the bar by challenging his listeners not to find contentment in a minimalist approach to the commandments but to fulfill the very heart and spirit of the law. Jesus was not about the business of condemning or judging persons. He challenged those who would follow him to rise to the spirit of the law and prophets and be prepared to be judged on the merit of one's actions. Jesus' life on earth wasn't lived as a king. He was a selfless servant, giving totally out of love all the way to the cross!
Christians would do well to revisit its founder and his message and reconnect with the spiritual basis of Jesus' life and teachings. In their prayer, Christians appear to call on Jesus to claim entitlements that Jesus never claimed for himself. In the last election followers of Jesus, who judged not and challenged not to cast the first stone unless free of sin, urged voters to ignore his example and embrace their political agenda. The truth is neither political party's platform espouses the highest principles Jesus challenges his followers to embrace. Finally, would Jesus, who consistently made the Father the focus of his teachings and works, be comfortable with discarding his example here as well?
It's time to stop making milk toast of Jesus. Schmaltzifying him does not pay proper homage to this extraordinary man whose life ran against the grain of the culture and society of his day. Wrapping our lives in pursuit of the very things Jesus shunned - popularity, prestige, power and pride - is not worthy of the name given his followers.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Please hear me out before discounting this reflection as blasphemous. Jesus, a man faith proclaims to be one with GOD or GOD's equal, manifests unbounded power that could have been directed toward his own personal gain or greatness. It is noteworthy however that in every instance Jesus never sought that for himself. When Jesus intervened, it was not to win kudos for himself but to direct the beneficiary toward his loving heavenly Father. When Jesus taught, he raised the bar by challenging his listeners not to find contentment in a minimalist approach to the commandments but to fulfill the very heart and spirit of the law. Jesus was not about the business of condemning or judging persons. He challenged those who would follow him to rise to the spirit of the law and prophets and be prepared to be judged on the merit of one's actions. Jesus' life on earth wasn't lived as a king. He was a selfless servant, giving totally out of love all the way to the cross!
Christians would do well to revisit its founder and his message and reconnect with the spiritual basis of Jesus' life and teachings. In their prayer, Christians appear to call on Jesus to claim entitlements that Jesus never claimed for himself. In the last election followers of Jesus, who judged not and challenged not to cast the first stone unless free of sin, urged voters to ignore his example and embrace their political agenda. The truth is neither political party's platform espouses the highest principles Jesus challenges his followers to embrace. Finally, would Jesus, who consistently made the Father the focus of his teachings and works, be comfortable with discarding his example here as well?
It's time to stop making milk toast of Jesus. Schmaltzifying him does not pay proper homage to this extraordinary man whose life ran against the grain of the culture and society of his day. Wrapping our lives in pursuit of the very things Jesus shunned - popularity, prestige, power and pride - is not worthy of the name given his followers.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
The Best We Can Hope For
Each day I spend two hours on the road commuting to and from work. In order to make the most of this otherwise lost time I became a premium listener at Audible.com and started downloading audiobooks to playback during the drive. I prefer a good, suspense-filled mystery, the kind of book where just about the time you think you have things figured out there's an unexpected twist. Recently, however, I took a break from the genre to give a couple of self-help titles a try.
As I listened to some of the acclaimed gurus of motivation and pop psychology, my listening habits began to change. I discovered the pause button and became a more interactive listener, taking whatever time I wished to let what I'm hearing filter through my own thoughts and experience.
Among the several worthy pearls of wisdom I've embraced is a personal favorite, Wayne Dyer's charge to not die with your music still in you from which I derived my own personal mantra, "the soul is an endless song; life is but its dance." There is, however, a common theme running through these works that I'm not sure I buy into. Each seems in its own way to present the world or universe as an endless font of wealth and abundance from which, if I maintain the right attitude or play my cards right, I can tap into or draw from whenever I sense the need. Further, following the law of karma, I can virtually be assured that "only goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
I'll admit that in a world of broken, disconnected and empty people, such a message will be extremely appealing and, quite frankly, will sell books and fill lecture halls. But I see an inherent flaw in that the world or universe is not merely a "thing" from which I can take or expect that that which I desire will fall in my lap as I would have it. The world or universe is also 'being," a life being lived in time even if the time frame far surpasses my own. If I hold that the universe is merely a wellspring of energy from which I can rape or rob to acquire what I want or need, then I am embracing a principle that would equally apply to me or any other living being. Is my purpose, or that of anyone else for that matter, merely to hang out so that folks can take from me whatever they please?
If indeed I am a spiritual being having a human experience, then I must tread gently along this sojourn called life. The universe doesn't revolve around me or exist to supply my needs. It is itself being, like me a traveler in search of it's self and purpose. I must dwell at peace and in harmony with her. Misuse, disrespect and natural disaster bring want, loss and brokenness to her just as they would to me.
This universe therefore is not my endless source of abundance. I stand to gain the most when I befriend her and peacefully coexist with her. Perhaps nowhere is this truth more cherished than in native american spirituality.
To illustrate, imagine a swimmer in trouble. For most, panic will set in motion the frantic kicking of the arms and legs in an attempt to stay afloat. For me this symbolizes our attempt to grab what we need from the world about us. Yet it is precisely this desperation that leads to the very fate instinct is trying to avoid, for the swimmer will surely fatigue. Energy spent, the swimmer will eventually surrender to the sea. Had the swimmer instead chosen to be at peace and in harmony with the water, he could have remained afloat quite effortlessly and tirelessly; perhaps even quite naturally given that life begins in the water of a mother's womb.
So sorry gurus of self-help. You have it all wrong here! There is no formula or magic that can guarantee a life without want, loss or brokenness. But we can find comfort, safety and survival in simply living at peace and in harmony with the universe.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
As I listened to some of the acclaimed gurus of motivation and pop psychology, my listening habits began to change. I discovered the pause button and became a more interactive listener, taking whatever time I wished to let what I'm hearing filter through my own thoughts and experience.
Among the several worthy pearls of wisdom I've embraced is a personal favorite, Wayne Dyer's charge to not die with your music still in you from which I derived my own personal mantra, "the soul is an endless song; life is but its dance." There is, however, a common theme running through these works that I'm not sure I buy into. Each seems in its own way to present the world or universe as an endless font of wealth and abundance from which, if I maintain the right attitude or play my cards right, I can tap into or draw from whenever I sense the need. Further, following the law of karma, I can virtually be assured that "only goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
I'll admit that in a world of broken, disconnected and empty people, such a message will be extremely appealing and, quite frankly, will sell books and fill lecture halls. But I see an inherent flaw in that the world or universe is not merely a "thing" from which I can take or expect that that which I desire will fall in my lap as I would have it. The world or universe is also 'being," a life being lived in time even if the time frame far surpasses my own. If I hold that the universe is merely a wellspring of energy from which I can rape or rob to acquire what I want or need, then I am embracing a principle that would equally apply to me or any other living being. Is my purpose, or that of anyone else for that matter, merely to hang out so that folks can take from me whatever they please?
If indeed I am a spiritual being having a human experience, then I must tread gently along this sojourn called life. The universe doesn't revolve around me or exist to supply my needs. It is itself being, like me a traveler in search of it's self and purpose. I must dwell at peace and in harmony with her. Misuse, disrespect and natural disaster bring want, loss and brokenness to her just as they would to me.
This universe therefore is not my endless source of abundance. I stand to gain the most when I befriend her and peacefully coexist with her. Perhaps nowhere is this truth more cherished than in native american spirituality.
To illustrate, imagine a swimmer in trouble. For most, panic will set in motion the frantic kicking of the arms and legs in an attempt to stay afloat. For me this symbolizes our attempt to grab what we need from the world about us. Yet it is precisely this desperation that leads to the very fate instinct is trying to avoid, for the swimmer will surely fatigue. Energy spent, the swimmer will eventually surrender to the sea. Had the swimmer instead chosen to be at peace and in harmony with the water, he could have remained afloat quite effortlessly and tirelessly; perhaps even quite naturally given that life begins in the water of a mother's womb.
So sorry gurus of self-help. You have it all wrong here! There is no formula or magic that can guarantee a life without want, loss or brokenness. But we can find comfort, safety and survival in simply living at peace and in harmony with the universe.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, August 05, 2005
An Introduction
My real name is Don, but I'll be blogging under the name "gentlefootprint," a word that captures for me the spirit of how life ought to be lived.
Above is a picture of a toddler playfully discovering that he can leave his tiny foot's imprint in the sand. The image evokes for me the happy-go-lucky spirit of youthful playfulness, the excitement of new adventures and the sense of awe over new discoveries. Ironically the moment also reveals one of life's cruel lessons, that the object of the boy's fancy - his footprint - will fade and eventually disappear. It is futile to wed ourselves to "things" of any kind for no thing lasts. Try as he might to stomp his feet into the sand with everything he's got, the best he can do is leave a "gentle" footprint. It is just not our destiny to stamp or brand the world around us in our image and likeness.
I was ordained a priest in November of 1982. Over the years I've come to appreciate that, although there have been moments when drama was used to catch our attention, GOD is most often discovered in the ordinary and every day, his voice a mere whisper audible only if we pause to listen. I'll be sharing the life struggles I face and my attempts to find GOD in their midst in the hope my reflections console, bring hope and inspire you, my cherished readers. On occasion I'll also take a look back to recount the stories, treasure the memories, reconnect with the friendships and, finally, to reflect upon the meaning of the experiences I feel so privileged to have enjoyed. I hope in the telling of my story all can benefit from the lessons I have learned and the insights I have gained over the years. I hope this blog finds a home in your heart.
My First Xanga Post
My real name is Don, but I'll be blogging under the name "gentlefootprint," a word that captures for me the spirit of how life ought to be lived.
Above is a picture of a toddler playfully discovering that he can leave his tiny foot's imprint in the sand. The image evokes for me the happy-go-lucky spirit of youthful playfulness, the excitement of new adventures and the sense of awe over new discoveries. Ironically the moment also reveals one of life's cruel lessons, that the object of the boy's fancy - his footprint - will fade and eventually disappear. It is futile to wed ourselves to "things" of any kind for no thing lasts. Try as he might to stomp his feet into the sand with everything he's got, the best he can do is leave a "gentle" footprint. It is just not our destiny to stamp or brand the world around us in our image and likeness.
I was ordained a priest in November of 1982. Over the years I've come to appreciate that, although there have been moments when drama was used to catch our attention, GOD is most often discovered in the ordinary and every day, his voice a mere whisper audible only if we pause to listen. I'll be sharing the life struggles I face and my attempts to find GOD in their midst in the hope my reflections console, bring hope and inspire you, my cherished readers. On occasion I'll also take a look back to recount the stories, treasure the memories, reconnect with the friendships and, finally, to reflect upon the meaning of the experiences I feel so privileged to have enjoyed. I hope in the telling of my story all can benefit from the lessons I have learned and the insights I have gained over the years.
I hope this blog finds a home in your heart.
© Copyright 2005 gentlefootprint. All Rights Reserved.
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