Power as a Test of Character

If you have been reading my blogs, you will know that I am grieved with the Supreme Court’s recent decisions about gun control and abortion. I am also grieved that the Senate would not permit a hearing for a potential member of the Supreme Court nominated by President Obama. As a result, we now have three members of the Court appointed by a President who did not have the popular votes in his election. I am grieved, not only by the Court’s decision but, also, by the manipulation of the government’s process by powerful individuals who appear to value political party and power over the will of the people. National surveys, by reputable survey agencies, have indicated that a majority of the American people did not want to see Roe vs. Wade overturned and they favored significant control over the availability of guns, especially assault rifles. I keep thinking about Machiavellian principles in which those with power will do anything they can to keep their power. The news is reporting the discrepancy of two Justices who said one thing during their confirmation hearings and another when faced with the Roe vs. Wade decision. I am saddened and concerned. Google took me to the following quote from Abraham Lincoln, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

Too Much of a Good Thing

We have a daisy plant. It was beautiful and healthy. The instructions said the dirt needed to be kept damp. I over-watered the plant so that it sat in water for several days. Its leaves began to droop and looked pitiful. I have now repotted the plant and placed it in a pot that has a hole in the bottom so any excess water can drain away. Will it recover? I do not know. It still looks pitiful and weak. I suppose the moral is that even a good thing can be overdone. Too much of a good thing may not be healthy.

Be Ye Perfect

Jesus said that we were to be perfect as our heavenly Father (Matthew 5:48). Perfection is a high standard, especially if we thank of perfection as a list of what to do and what not to do. Such a list is often called sins of commission and sins of omission. I do not think that is what Jesus meant. Jesus’ early followers thought of perfection in terms of Jesus’ great commandment. First, we are love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind and the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39). Sin is falling short of this commandment. We can fall short in so many ways by our attitude and/or behaviors. Greed and gluttony keep us from sharing the bountiful gifts God has given us. Acedia and sloth keep us from following through with our good intentions. Vainglory and pride keep us focused on ourselves rather than our neighbors. Lust causes us to use people rather than respectfully love them. We can become so focused on our differences such as: economics, education, race, sexual orientation, religious denominations, etc. that we diminish or cease loving God and our neighbors. We see others as we have been conditioned to see them, rather than see others as God sees them. I think God’s goal for us is to see and treat God, all neighbors and ourselves with love. With this ‘love standard’ as perfection, it seems we have a long way to go in loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

When Does Life Begin or Cease?

Abortion is certainly on our legislator’s agenda in many states and our national leaders. The question about abortion seems to be when does life begin. I believe the Bible teaches that life begins, as well as ceases, when the child or individual begins to breathe or stops breathing. (Ecclesiastes 12:7 and Job 12:10; 34:14) In the creation story, God breathed into the human creation and the human became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). I do not believe abortion is to be a birth control option. I do, however, believe that a woman, her family, physician, and religious beliefs should aid her/them in that decision, not state or national government. When an abortion is chosen it needs to be done in a hospital under careful medical attention. If a woman and her family choose to birth and keep a child who is developmentally and/or physically disabled, I think the state and national resources need to be available to her and her family as they raise that child because it is going to be a demanding situation, i.e., financially, emotionally, socially, etc., throughout the child’s life.

Same Sex Attraction

In the late 1970’s and 80’s, I was ambivalent about same-sex attraction. I did not know what I thought and believed. Since that time, I have had the opportunity and privilege of sitting in the counseling room with people who were struggling with their sexual orientation. Many of these folks I have come to appreciate, respect, and admire for their honesty. They have evolved my thinking and beliefs. I have officiated at the wedding of two men whom I respect. I felt good about their relationship as well as their sense of God’s leading and was honored to officiate their wedding and celebrate their marriage. I wish I could go back and retrieve comments I made in the past about same-sex attraction. I would say things much differently today. I thank God for guiding me in my evolving thoughts and beliefs. I sometimes wonder if those who have negative thoughts and beliefs about same-sex attraction, have ever really gotten to know someone who has struggled with his/her sexuality. I fear that it is too easy to be judgmental about what or whom we do not know.

Lord, Where Is Your Sanctuary?

It is “Church-time” on a cool, blue-skyed, early summer Sunday morning. My neighbor is mowing her grass, except the grass is not hers any more than my grass is mine. When my neighbor and I are gone, the grass will still be here. Another neighbor has just returned from a run and is now doing her yogi stretches as we make small talk about the beauty of the morning. I sit on the porch swing and read Mary Oliver’s UPSTREAM. I hear the birds chirping or perhaps they are making small talk as my neighbor and me. A bright red cardinal sits and sings from the dogwood tree—bright red among the green leaves—and both so very much alive. The porch is the place of pots full of geraniums, daisies, petunias, begonias, spider plants, and peace lilies. All of this is alive as the Cardinal who has now been joined by the chirping and singing of sparrows. Lord, where is Your sanctuary?

Interfaith Dialogue

Not long ago I read The Book of Joy. I recommend it. Desmond Tutu an Archbishop in the Episcopal Church traveled to India to help celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday. The book describes their days and conversations around the topic of creating lasting happiness in a changing world. A Christian and a Buddhist, good and respectful friends in search of joy. Too often we think of Interfaith dialogue in terms of convincing the other to join us in our beliefs and practices. There was no hint of conversion between these two strong men of faith. This competitive attitude of “us” against “them” is often about who is right and who is wrong. One of the primary reasons that I am a Christian is that I was born into and raised in a Christian culture. Who might I have become if I had been born elsewhere? I believe there are truths of God in all our religions as well as falsehood of humanity in all religions. Perhaps, God’s plan is for us to respect each other sufficiently so that we can learn from one another without diminishing our beliefs but, also, learning about other’s beliefs and experiences with God. I suspect God is bigger than any of our “religions.”

Awful Silence

Thomas Merton, when writing about war, nuclear arms, and violence in the 1960’s, was disturbed by the “awful silence and apathy on the part of Catholics, clergy, hierarchy, and lay people.” (Merton, Man of Dialogue. Hillis. Pg. 166). I am disturbed by the awful silence and apathy on the part of Christians, clergy, hierarchy, and lay people regarding the serious issues affecting our world. I refer to issues such as violence; gun control; environmental destruction; abortion, the disparity between the wealthy and poor, individuals as well as nations; lack of adequate and affordable access to health care; treatment of women; treatment of same sex individuals and couples and the list of issues continues as evidenced by the news headlines. We are in a dysfunctional system. The system is working well for many, but not so well for others. The one’s for whom it is working have the authority, power, and ability to stay separated and unconcerned to keep it working for them. This is Machiavellian politics, which is get power and then, do anything to stay in power. I do not think this is good politics; it is certainly not Christian. Christian means being a follower of Jesus. The question is an old question that we seem to have ceased asking, “What would Jesus do?” Jesus’ Kingdom of God is not a dysfunctional system. It functions for all, especially the least of those among us (Matthew 25). We talk about being Christians and having a Christian nation, but as I tell my therapy clients, “Read the behavior and you will learn the truth.”

Walk Beside as Equals and Not Behind

Recently I observed a couple walking together except the wife (I assumed she was the wife) was walking behind. I thought that is a “picture” of Southern Baptists. Women are to walk behind the men. There is a significant lack of equality, and the Bible is used to teach and support such an idea, thought or theology. Often the scriptures that are used are from Paul’s letters. Paul’s letters were written to specific congregations, most of whom had unique or specific issues with which they were dealing. I am not convinced that we are to make Paul’s letters to be universal applications for all congregations. I would rather take Jesus’ teachings as my universal teachings. Jesus said to treat others as you want to be treated. God gave the message of Jesus’ resurrection to three women and told them to go tell the men. God also gave them instructions to tell the men where they would find Jesus. God’s trusting those women with the significant message of the resurrection settles the issue for me. Women are not to be treated as second class Christians. If God calls a woman to a leadership position, even an Ordained position in the Church, then let us not get in God’s way.

I Am Their Leader, Which Way Did They Go?

Quietism is the name given to a set of beliefs that rose in popularity in France, Italy, and Spain during the late 1670s and 1680s, particularly associated with the writings of the Spanish mystic Miguel de Molinos, Madame Guyon, and which were condemned as heresy in 1687. It is the belief and practice that there is not a lot that I need to do to help bring God’s Kingdom to earth except to pray. Quietism does not ask much of me. I hear Quietism often in the counseling room and in Churches, although I am sure they have never heard of Quietism. The clients and Churches say that they are praying and waiting on God to act. I have nothing against praying and waiting on God because I fear too often, we run ahead of God. I do, however, recall that in many of Jesus’ miracles, he asked the recipients or friends to do something first. He asked the servants to fill the water pots at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. He put mud in the blind man’s eyes and told him to wash. Elisha told Naaman to dunk himself in the Jordan River if he would be clean of his leprosy. I believe God usually asks us to do something in addition to praying and waiting. I think the scriptures teach us that we are in a mutual relationship with God. I agree with those who say that God’s hands and feet are our hands and feet. I do my part and God does God’s part. I believe that the Churches and political leaders must do their parts. The political leaders must be talking and acting toward legislation that deals with the contemporary issue. The Churches must be talking about the issues of today. Surely the Bible has something to say about how we deal with each other and our issues. I fear that many Churches and Pulpits have lost their voices; they are quiet. I suspect they may have lost their voice because they are fearful of upsetting some members. I have a friend who had a baseball cap with two bills facing different directions and the writing on the ballcap said, "I am their leader; which way did they go?" I think many of our Political and Church leaders are wearing that ballcap.