A Case for God

by Stanley Fish. You can read it here in its original context, or right here, for those of you who refuse to pay for other people's opinions:

June 24, 2007, 7:17 pm
Is Religion Man-Made?

Sure it is. Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens think that this fact about religion is enough to invalidate its claims.

“[R]eligion and the churches,” declares Hitchens “are manufactured, and this salient fact is too obvious to ignore.” True to his faith, Dawkins finds that the manufacturing and growth of religion is best described in evolutionary terms: “[R]eligions, like languages, evolve with sufficient randomness, from beginnings that are sufficiently arbitrary, to generate the bewildering – and sometimes dangerous – richness of diversity.” Harris finds a historical origin for religion and religious traditions, and it is not flattering: “The Bible, it seems certain, was the work of sand-strewn men and women who thought the earth was flat and for whom a wheelbarrow would have been a breathtaking example of emerging technology.”

And, they continue, it wasn’t even the work of sand-strewn men who labored in the same place at the same time. Rather, it was pieced together from fragments and contradictory sources and then had claimed for it a spurious unity: “Ever since the nineteenth century, scholarly theologians have made an overwhelming case that the gospels are not reliable accounts of what happened in the history of the real world” (Dawkins).

Hitchens adds that “the sciences of textual criticism, archaeology, physics, and molecular biology have shown religious myths to be false and man-made.” And yet, wonders Harris, “nearly 230 million Americans believe that a book showing neither unity of style nor internal consistency was authored by an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent deity.”

So there’s the triple-pronged case. Religions are humanly constructed traditions and at their center are corrupted texts that were cobbled together by provincial, ignorant men who knew less about the world than any high-school teenager alive today. Sounds devastating, but when you get right down to it, all it amounts to is the assertion that God didn’t write the books or establish the terms of worship, men did, and that the results are (to put it charitably) less than perfect.

But that is exactly what you would expect. It is God (if there is one) who is perfect and infinite; men are finite and confined within historical perspectives. And any effort to apprehend him – including the efforts of the compilers of the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Koran – will necessarily fall short of a transparency that will be achieved (if it is achieved) only at a future moment of beatific vision. Now – any now, whether it be 2007 or 6,000 years ago – we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians, 13:12); one day, it is hoped, we shall see face to face.

In short, it is the unfathomable and unbridgeable distance between deity and creature that assures the failure of the latter to comprehend or prove (in the sense of validating) the former.

O.L. (in a comment on June 11), identifies the “religion is man-made claim” as the “strongest foundation of atheism” because “it undermines the divinity of god.” No, it undermines the divinity of man, which is, after all, the entire point of religion: man is not divine, but mortal (capable of death), and he is dependent upon a creator who by definition cannot be contained within human categories of perception and description. “How unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor” (Romans, 11:33-34). It is no wonder, then, that the attempts to contain him – in scriptures, in ceremonies, in prayer – are flawed, incomplete and forever inadequate. Rather than telling against divinity, the radical imperfection, even corruption, of religious texts and traditions can be read as a proof of divinity, or at least of the extent to which divinity exceeds human measure.

If divinity, by definition, exceeds human measure, the demand that the existence of God be proven makes no sense because the machinery of proof, whatever it was, could not extend itself far enough to apprehend him.

Proving the existence of God would be possible only if God were an item in his own field; that is, if he were the kind of object that could be brought into view by a very large telescope or an incredibly powerful microscope. God, however – again if there is a God – is not in the world; the world is in him; and therefore there is no perspective, however technologically sophisticated, from which he could be spied. As that which encompasses everything, he cannot be discerned by anything or anyone because there is no possibility of achieving the requisite distance from his presence that discerning him would require.

The criticism made by atheists that the existence of God cannot be demonstrated is no criticism at all; for a God whose existence could be demonstrated wouldn’t be a God; he would just be another object in the field of human vision.
This does not mean that my arguments constitute a proof of the truth of religion; for if I were to claim that I would be making the atheists’ mistake from the other direction. Nor are they arguments in which I have a personal investment. Their purpose and function is simply to show how the atheists’ arguments miss their mark and, indeed, could not possibly hit it.

At various points Harris, Dawkins and Hitchens all testify to their admiration for Shakespeare, who, they seem to think, is more godly than God. They would do well to remember one of the bard’s most famous lines, uttered by Hamlet: “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

It's a musical day...

A challenging song to us as Christians, to stop allowing Christ and God to be misused in the name of our country and a war we don't agree with. Greg Graffin is an atheist, but I think this song is an insightful view of how religion can be oversimplified and abused in the name of any number of things.

I don't need to be a global citizen
Because I'm blessed by nationality
I'm member of a growing populace
We enforce our popularity
There are things that
Seem to pull us under
And there are things
That drag us down
But there's a power
And a vital presence
That's lurking all around
We've got the American Jesus
See him on the interstate
We've got the American Jesus
He helped build the
President's estate
I feel sorry
For the earth's population
cuz so few
Live in the u.s.a.
At least the foreigners
Can copy our morality
They can visit but they cannot stay
Only precious few
Can garner the prosperity
It makes us walk
With renewed confidence
We've got a place to go when we die
And the architect resides right here
We've got the American Jesus
Overwhelming millions every day
(exercising his authority)
He's the farmer's barren fields
The force the army wields
The expession in the faces
Of the starving children
The power of the man
He's the fuel that drives the clan
He's the motive and conscience
Of the murderer
He's the preacher on t.v.
The false sincerity
The form letter that's written
By the big computers
He's the nuclear bombs
And the kids with no moms
And I'm fearful that
He's inside me

This song is from Bad Religion's 1993 album "Recipe for Hate". I think it's remarkable how much it still rings true.

across the great divide

Frank Beckwith has resigned as president from the Evangelical Theological Society, and has chosen instead to join the Catholic Church. The Baptist Blogger has taken on the task of looking at the ways current Southern Baptist Convention leadership is similar in structure (and in what he sees as pre-Vatican II as well as Reformation-era abuses of power). Here is the project, as the Baptist Blogger put it:

A rich and rewarding ecumenism is available for Baptists wishing to escape the provincialism that has polluted our denominational stream. We may embrace the dialogue and profit thereby, that is, if certain men are powerless to restrict our freedom with fear of ostracism or even excommunication. It is possible to retain our Baptist identity without acquiescing to the oxymoronic fundamentalist intelligentsia or impeding the confessional potency of our distinct heritage.

Quite simply, there is a way to be Baptist that requires neither a lobotomy nor a vasectomy.

I want to examine ten ways that the current Southern Baptist Convention is dangerously reminiscent of the earlier Roman Catholic Church so as to necessitate an urgent reforming alliance among us monks doing theology in the hinterlands of denominational life. These striking similarities differ in the strength of their comparison, though all of them, I believe, are worthy of consideration. Some of these comparisons will anger, and some will provoke. Others will resonate and convince. Some Southern Baptist leaders will object to any comparison. Still others will think I’ve not gone far enough.

Whatever your predisposition, I ask you to keep an open and fair mind, reflecting on these ideas and interacting as you see fit. My thesis is not fully formed or exhaustively argued. These are rather the mere ruminations of a traveling Baptist, offered for you to masticate and/or expectorate as needed.

Thanks, Texas In Africa. I'd like to point out an excellent comment by Coleman Fanning to TexasInAfrica's post concerning all of this. If you go to her entry, there are also links to Frank Beckwith's explanation for his decision, as well as a Christian Century article about 6 evangelicals who have converted. Both are worth reading, as is the Roman Catholic doctrine of justification, just FYI.

There are several comments under the Beckwith blog, ranging from anti-Protestant to anti-Catholic, and covering just about every position in between. Two things annoyed me: 1) being referred to as "separated brethren," and 2) the condescending notion that because I do not believe in transsubstantiation it is therefore not possible for me to experience the presence of Christ in communion. For those of us in the Baptist tradition who believe that the eucharist is a symbol of Christ's sacrifice for our sins, taking communion is a powerful experience of His presence both with us and in us. The words spoken over the bread are, "This is my body, broken for you". And we remember, and we commune with Christ in Spirit.

The Church of Our Lady, Upper Parish, Bamberg, Germany.

Truth and Beauty

A lovely meditation. One of the most beautiful love poems ever written -- in English, at least. By Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). By the time she met Robert Browning and fell in love with him, she didn't think there was a chance she'd ever marry. It just goes to show. Shakespeare's great, and all that, but I think this poem captures her depth of feeling beautifully. And the imagery is stunning.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

The pictures were taken by Robyn Debenedet, a bright, fun, engaging German student, and great artist. The candles pictured are from a church in Frankfurt -- they represent the prayers sent up for loved ones, and are the expression of every day's most quiet need for someone out there.

The peace of the LORD be with you today...

It's the little things....

The Bible Blogger has reached the book of Ecclesiastes, and included the following quote I've never really noticed before. So I'll include it here for all of you. As he notes, Chapter 4 is a remarkable discussion of love and family.

I'm quoting from the Holy Bible: New Analytical Edition -- it's the one that belonged to my grandmother. The cover is well-worn, cracked, and threatening to come off, and some of the pages are in there precariously, but it's beautiful. There's a sticker inside the front cover that lists "Soul-winning Bible verses", and the first few pages are covered with her notes from various sermons. The Bulletin from Sunday, June 5, 1966 marks Psalm 6 -- along with the bulletin from her brother's funeral, on June 9, 1966, when he was just 52. My grandmother kept these items for almost 30 years, until her death in 1992. And it's filled with marginal notes, and underlinings in many different colors. My grandmother was a complicated woman -- she'd had a hard life, she wasn't always fair or kind, but she believed strongly in the power of God's word, and the need for us always to reach out to those in need around us. Even when she had little, she gave of what she had and opened her home to those who needed a place to sleep. And she told me, when I was 9, to read my Bible every day (not that I've followed this teaching well, always, but I think of her when I do remember. And of Mom, who always said, even if I don't read anything else, to at least read the chapter of Proverbs for whatever day it was. And who has led by quiet example every single day that I've known her.)

So here is Ecclesiastes 4:8-12.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a three-fold cord is not quickly broken.

Anyway, I usually get hung up in the "For every thing there is a season" section of Ecclesiastes (or Koheleth), but this text is a lovely expression of our human need for one another. Not just in the context of marriage (as the B.B. discusses it), but also in our friendships.

The Bible Blogger also mentioned an article on marriage, written in 1997 by a man who had just lost his wife.

And finally, I was talking to a friend who mentioned Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" -- I think I probably cut the conversation a little short by going off on a tangent, but have found an interesting online resource.

Blessings and peace....

Addendum: I found a poem my grandmother had cut out of the newspaper and kept in the Bible. Who knows how long it's been there. Here it is:

I shall not pass this way again,
But far beyond earth's where and when
May I look back along the road
Where on both sides good seed I sowed.

I shall not pass this way again,
My wisdom guide my tongue and pen,
And love me mine that so I may
Plant roses all along the way.

I shall not pass this way again,
May I be courteous to men.
Faithful to friends, true to my God,
A fragrance to the path I trod.
---- Clarence Urmy

The things that make me think....

I love it when I come in contact with things that challenge my faith and challenge my belief, and make me think about where it is my fundamental beliefs come from. Why do I accept the truths that guide my decisions every day, and what exactly are those truths?

Here are a few I've been thinking about today:

* Slate.com has published excerpts from Christopher Hitchens' new book God is not Great: Religion Poisons Everything. The arguments are well-written, challenging and thought-provoking.

* I've recently read Go in Peace. It's a discussion of the sacrament of confession intended for Catholics. But it's been a fun and intriguing read for me, because it necessarily addresses a number of tenets of the Catholic faith I've wondered about. I read it cover-to-cover in one sitting, and found myself unable to put it down. There were many things that conform very closely to what I believe, but also many things to which I had a strong, visceral reaction; not really that much about which I felt neutral. Food for thought.

* Last night I saw "The Ninth Day", a Volker Schlöndorff production. It was incredibly well done, and explores the life a priest who is released from Dachau for nine days. The movie asks us to consider what beliefs we hold so dear, we would be willing to die, even if escape were offered to us. If you watch it, check out the interview with Schlöndorff on the DVD. The main character is portrayed by the same actor, Ulrich Matthes, who so disturbingly and convincingly portrayed Joseph Goebbels in the 2004 film about Hitler's last days, "Downfall".

Not sure what it means, but Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" came on while I was writing this entry, so I will include the lyrics here for you:

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage,
You may be a business man or some high degree thief,
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network,
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk,
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk,
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread,
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy,
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray,
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Copyright © 1979 Special Rider Music

So, I was wrong

I've been operating under the somewhat naive assumption that what would help curb violence in the United States would be better gun control laws. Or gun control laws that were enforced more efficiently. But this morning I've found that even in Germany, which has tighter gun control laws than we do (and is the other country I know lots about), there have been school shootings.

Deutsche-Welle published a brief article about two recent shootings, but I've started a quest to find out how many more have happened worldwide. I can think of at least one incident in Scotland several years ago.

It's a horrible issue. In yesterday's edition of the "Samford Crimson" there was an angry letter from a parent, who ranted about the fact that the reason gunmen choose schools as their targets is because they are guaranteed an unarmed populace upon which to vent their anger, and that the best answer to the problem would be for every single person at the school to have a weapon of their own.

I don't know the answer. Maybe the real exception has been that we (the fortunate, privileged, few of us) have been isolated and protected from violence for so long, that it comes as a shock to have it manifest in our midst. The world is certainly a violent place, and probably the majority of the world grows up confronted by daily threats to their lives and their existence, even many growing up here in the U.S.

As many of you know, I go to Baptist Church of the Covenant, which has a fairly diverse congregation. During the children's sermon on Sunday, the leader asked the children why Jesus had died and a little boy who lives in the nearby housing project, about 4 years old, said, "because he got shot". It struck me that that was his immediate response to why someone would die.

So, again, I don't know the answer, I just have the strong feeling that I need to figure out how to be part of it.

Blessings, peace, and prayer for those who are weary and suffering...

Addendum: the children's sermon leader responded, "No. He died for our sins." Not sure how helpful that was to a concrete-thinking, reality-based 4 year old mind.

Hope for a better world

In church today, the story was about Peter, when he and the disciples were out fishing and not catching anything, and Jesus called out to them over the water and told them to throw the nets on the other side. After they had come back ashore and Jesus was fixing breakfast, he asked Peter: Do you love me? Three times. We all know the story. Our pastor, Sarah Shelton, pointed out that Jesus did not point the finger, did not try to make Peter feel guilty about his previous betrayals. He just offered him the opportunity for redemption, the chance to make it right by avowing his love for Christ 3 times.

These three avowals of love were followed by the command to "Feed My Sheep" -- don't just say you love me, put it into action. Thanks to all of you who take that command to heart, and demonstrate God's love in the world you inhabit; even on the days (especially on the days?) when you don't realize that that's what you're doing.

This afternoon, at 2:30, there will be a CROP walk to help eradicate hunger here in Birmingham, Alabama. The Birmingham chapter of ONE.org will be participating, as well as several friends of mine. If you're in this neck of the woods, come check it out. If not, keep the walkers in your prayers, and the people for whom they are raising money.

The image above is of the cross in Rick Dill's church in Weimar, Germany. The church had about 7 or 12 members when he arrived, and it's now grown to over 150. The cross, made by a local artist, consists entirely of discarded and found materials, because Christ takes that which is old and discarded, and seems to be of no use, and brings it together to create new life and new purpose.

Blessings and Peace...

And to TexasInAfrica --- thanks for the reminder of the blessings brought by luminous friends, who are sometimes with us an all-too-short time. And thanks for being one of the people who brings light and joy and tears and LIFE to my life and to all those around you. You make such a difference and I cherish your friendship.

Go in Peace

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glint of snow,

I am the sunshine on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

----Mary Frye

The tomb of Jesus?

Jodi Magness does an excellent job refuting claims made in the recent James Cameron documentary about the discovery of the tomb of Jesus. I recommend reading the whole article, but just in case you don't have the time, here's her conclusion:

To conclude, the identification of the Talpiyot tomb as the tomb of Jesus and his family contradicts the canonical Gospel accounts of the death and burial of Jesus and the earliest Christian traditions about Jesus. This
claim is also inconsistent with all of the available information — historical and archaeological — about how Jews in the time of Jesus buried their dead, and specifically the evidence we have about poor, non-Judean families like that of Jesus. It is a sensationalistic claim without any scientific basis or support.

Church

So, this morning I didn't quite make it over to Baptist Church of the Covenant, where I'm a member. Church starts at 9:00 and the choir has to be there by 8:30, and I had only just finished making my coffee at that point.... not the best excuse, but there you have it. Then I thought I might walk over to Dawson Memorial -- it's five minutes from my place. But they are more fancy shmancy than Covenant, and I didn't feel like walking over there in heels. Besides, it's cold today - 32 degrees. Again, not great excuses. So instead I'm taking in the Duke Chapel service online.

The preacher this morning is Archbishop Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian who lives in Northern Israel. According to the introduction, he's been called the "Desmond Tutu" of the Middle East.

Attending via webcast is not the same as being in church, communing with other believers, but it can be a worshipful experience nonetheless, and the preaching at Duke is always of high calibre. The choir this morning is an incredible experience as well.

In case you're wondering, yes, I'm blogging while listening to the service. They are singing the first hymn right now, and processing in. The sound is great, but the picture is a bit jumpy, because I don't have the best connection.

From the Prayers of the People:

"Holy Spirit, for the times we have known what your gospel requires of us, but have been too tired or too lazy or too distracted to do it, Lord have Mercy."

From the Old Testament: "None but your own issue shall be your heir" [God to Abram, from Genesis] - but Hagar's son WAS Abram's issue. He just wasn't Sarah's issue. Interesting.

From the New Testament reading: "Their end is destruction, their God is the belly..." [The belly, as in our physical and wordly appetites? I've never heard this Philippians passage quite this way.]

Now they are singing "Dona Nobis Pacem" -- always beautiful. More processing with the cross and candles and what-not. Ooh, and the Bible. I really like liturgical churches. The girl reading the Gospel message is standing in the middle of the church with the Bible, Cross and the candles. Today's gospel lesson is a reading of the Beatitudes.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Children of God" -- "You are the light of the world" [this passage makes me think of the Marianne Williams quote about "Our greatest fear" - about letting God's light shine through us, rather than hiding it...]

From the sermon:
"Today we are here with millions of other Christians to celebrate the breaking news that has changed our lives, our vision, our hope and our relations with each other. Not long ago a man from back home, a countryman of mine, was crucified, died and buried. And on the third day he was risen. This is the breaking news I am called to remind you of: why you are here, and why do you invite a Palestinian a Christian from Israel to remind you of this fact."

"The sermon on the mount is not a statement to sit quiet and happy and wait for God to act .. but a calling to us to get up to move to get out and do something"

"Really and truly, we are calling for justice. Do not contemplate the beauty of Peace. Peace needs no contemplator. Peace needs people to get up and storm the world."

"I am your forgotten and ignored brother. I am a Palestinian. I have no bombs. The only power I have in my hand is this man Jesus Christ. I was not born a Christian, I was converted to Christianity."

"For us Palestinians, 1000 years is like one day before the Lord. So 2000 years is like the day before yesterday ... when he was using the lives of my ancestors to bring the good news ... some of them were Jewish, some of them were Greek, some of them were Romans, some of them were Arabs ... there were no Americans."

"There should no privilege between Jew and Palestinian; both are children of God."

"Whatever we do should bring us to be plugged into God, and to be able to adopt this prayer of the Lord: Father in heaven, you are blessed...."

"Cross over from our Galilee to your own Galilee here ... where someone is waiting for you to listen, someone is waiting for you to hear, someone is waiting for you to share the story of good news."

"It is impossible that any one of us over there survive alone. Either we go hand-in-hand, or God forbid we shall be hanging next to each other."

"Your solidarity is vital. You can make a difference, a big difference."

"I encourage you ... continue supporting your friends the Jews. They need your friendship now more than ever. But please don't equate your friendship with the Jews with an enmity of the Palestinians."

They are about to start Communion, and are saying the Apostles' Creed right now, so it's the thought with which I'll leave you. Have a blessed day.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

Who are you?

Today in church the message was about vocation, and the preacher, Brent MacDougal (Coordinator for the Alabama CBF), said a number of things I thought were really good. First, he said that vocation is about being and doing -- but that our primary focus should be on being the person God created us to be. The "doing" will come out of that. He said this in the context of what we should teach our children -- tell them that God didn't make any mistakes when he created them, that their gifts and their personality and everything that makes them unique were created for a specific reason, and that the most important thing they can do is to fully become the special person they are.

Second, and here he was quoting Rick Warren, your purpose, your vocation, is not about you. It's about playing a part in God's larger plan. He used the image of Christ's baptism. When he came up out of the water, the voice of God "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased". He didn't say "Listen up, people, this is my son, and in the next three years he's going to do x, y, and z. I've given him the to-do list, and you need to pay close attention to everything he says, because your soul hangs in the balance." It was about who Christ was, and about God being satisfied and pleased with him simply for being that person. But it also wasn't about CHRIST, the man, the person, even the deity. It was about the role he played in God's plan to bring freedom and love and comfort and salvation to the world.

There was a woman on NPR this morning who suffered from anorexia and has written a book, "Gaining", about her process of healing. She said, in order to recover, she had to "swallow fear" and allow exuberance and the joy of living take over. Her fear was caused by the imagined external voices she felt were judging her for not being thin enough.

The message from both is to enjoy and live fully who you are, without fear that there might be something deficient or lacking. It is in being fully ourselves that we have the strongest impact on the world.

And this brings me to the final piece. The text this morning came from Luke, which quoted Isaiah, which quoted Leviticus. It was the part where Jesus reads aloud the scriptures about the year of Jubilee. In doing so, he was declaring himself to be the long-awaited Messiah.

But the message of the "Year of Jubilee" or the "Year of God's Favor" has always stuck with me. Here's the text from Luke 14:

'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

The Jubilee year, or year of the Lord's favor, was supposed to be the year following seven "sabbaths" of years, so seven times seven. In the fiftieth year, debt was to be forgiven and slaves were to be set free (only Israelite slaves, not ones bought and sold from neighboring countries. This was completely fine in the context of Leviticus. Yet another argument for those of us who think of the Bible as a document to be read and understood in its historical context, but I digress.) The Catholic church declares "Jubilee years" every 50 years or so, but they don't forgive debt or release prisoners. (You get extra indulgences, though!!) [Wouldn't it be radical if the whole world got together and just forgave debt? -- You know, on July 10, 2007, perhaps (according to the Hebrew calendar, 2007-08 is the next year of Remittance, although 2000 was the last Jubilee year according to the Catholic church, making their next one 2050). Personal debt, national debt, everything. Impractical, yes. Hugely unrealistic, yes. But can you imagine how liberating. Set my people free, indeed.]

But the words in Luke give me pause for a different reason: what am I doing to bring good news to the poor, release the captives, give sight to the blind, and free the oppressed?

If I am perfectly honest, nothing. I've been too wrapped up in the small things of life. And I don't know what I could do, that would make a difference. Sending the small amount of money I can afford to charities doesn't feel like it makes a big impact, and I've been too self-absorbed and "busy" (I hate that word) to go out to those who are in need and DO something.

In another sense, though, we are the poor, we are the oppressed, we are the blind, and we are the captives -- to our own beliefs and self-limiting behaviours, if nothing else. And the message is to us: know that Christ came to bring us comfort, to open our eyes to the beauty (and the need) around us, and to set us free from all of the chains that bind us and hold us down.

Now if there were just a way to work in that whole debt-forgiveness thing...

Ash Wednesday

I know, I keep sending everyone to other blogs, but click on the link above for a beautiful thought-for-the-day today, Ash Wednesday, 2007.

Dust we are, and to dust we shall return.

Blessings and peace...

At church today

my pastor used one of my favorite quotes. It's usually incorrectly attributed to Nelson Mandela, but is actually by Marianne Williamson. Here it is:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

So, get out there, remember who you are, and let your light shine!