Some things that interest me (What does it all mean?)

Among other things, I consider myself to be an autodidact- a self-taught individual with many interests whose education is driven more by my own curiosity than by any particular curriculum- and realizing this has taught me volumes about who I am and how I think. But having so many interests can also be paralyzing for me when I am considering which career pursuit can best focus my attention, abilities, interests and energies. Perhaps there is a way to find a common concern at the root of my various interests.

I remember going to a thrift store that sold used books with my mother when I was a teenager. Since both of us were creative people and avid readers always in search of inspirational material and useful guidance, our eyes were drawn to a $3.00 copy of author Julia Cameron’s self-help manual The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart. The book was written as a follow-up piece to Cameron’s 1992 best-seller The Artist’s Way (which my mother had already read) and, to this day, it continues to influence my ever-developing views about personality and creative expression.

In The Vein of Gold, Cameron draws upon a variety of cultures and philosophies and offers a variety of exercises for readers to try in order to help them find their “vein of gold”- that underlying concern at the root of one’s interests and pursuits. I remember one exercise encouraged the reader to think of a list of their favorite movies and consider any common themes within the films on that list which might reveal something about one's personal interests.

It was a very revealing exercise for me and one that I continue to apply to my life. I came to believe along with Cameron that many of the subjects that interest us are in some way related to our sense of purpose and personal fulfillment. For example, could there be a deeper reason as to why I am drawn to films like The Village (2004), The Island (2005) and The Matrix (1999)? These films all serve as parables describing how individuals- discontent with the prevailing beliefs of their societies which are imposed by those in power to preserve a sense of order, control and stability- manage to find strange hints that suggest that "another world" exists beyond the physical and psychological boundaries of their familiar territory and struggle to fight their way out of those confines. What does it say about me since I am drawn to films such as these?

Today, I have decided to write new list of my personal interests. Although I don’t have a more formal name for this category, these are those people, topics, themes and subjects that give me a profound sense of fulfillment and exhilaration when I study or pursue them. My goal is to add more as they come to mind and attempt to decipher what meaning there is to be drawn from this growing list.

Some things that interest me:
Radical teaching
Critical thinking
Challenging assumptions
Liberating minds
Critiquing orthodoxies
Dismantling oppressive systems
Finding hints of “another world” that exists beyond the limited confines of familiar territory
Going beyond boundaries
Writing down my thoughts
Non-violent resistance
Mark Twain
Henry David Thoreau
Life-long learning
Human potential
Truth
Interviews
Q & A's
Questions
Interconnectedness
Placebos
Biblical criticism
Ethics
Stories that humanize human beings
Paulo Friere
Matthew Fox (the exiled priest)
Hearing from neglected, suppressed, exiled and over-looked perspectives
Providing opportunities for the silenced to share their voice
Spending time with my family
Meeting new people in authentic encounters (not merely “networking”)
Meeting people of different cultures
The Wire (TV series)
V for Vendetta (film)
The Matrix (film)
The Village (film)
The Island (film)
The Color Purple (book, play and film)
Anthropology
Psychology
Carl Sagan
Equality
Fairness
Hospitality
Parables
Comparative religions
Comparative mythology
Joseph Campbell
Gil Scott Heron
Performance poetry
Ethnic cuisine
Podcasts
Fictional stories that serve as prophetic critiques of society
Martin Luther King Jr.
Alice Walker
Bono
Ralph Nader
Psychology of religious belief and practice
The implications of modern scientific discoveries on human thought and behavior
The scientific method
Myth-busting
Historical Jesus research
Skepticism
Combating dehumanization in all of its forms, images and expressions
Political art
Voltaire
Anti-imperialism
Opinion columns
Movie previews
Photo essays
Agnosticism
Understanding others and advocating for the misunderstood
Empowering others
Compassion
Creativity
Resourcefulness
Humanism
Myth (properly understood in relation to and in contrast with historical fact)
Poetry
Music
The creative process

Struggling with the assumptions of theology

I continue to struggle with 1) the whole idea that humans could possibly know the “mind”, “heart” or “will” of “God” and 2) that this supernatural “God” would intervene and reveal special messages to human beings (especially through one particular culture’s set of scriptures). As I understand it, most- if not all- forms of theology seem to be rooted in these two assumptions.

While I like the idea of using term “God” as being synonymous with “our ultimate concern” or symbolic of “that force within us that seeks truth or liberation,” my “red flags go up” when we start to personalize and give a human face to “God.”

As it relates to Liberation Theology, I’ve been wondering: Do we need a “God” to command us to treat others rightly? Has “God’s” name been utilized to invoke a compassion and justice based out of a fear of wrath or can we invoke compassion and justice through a reverence for our neighbor (which is enlightened by the scientific insight that we are all related in our biology and interconnected in this ecosystem called Earth)? Do we really need “God” to initiate responsive action toward the liberation of captives? Do we really need to be threatened by either earthly or eternal punishment or enticed with material or heavenly rewards in order to for us to be respectful, hospitable and humane towards others? I find it interesting that several other religious traditions manage to invoke compassion and make appeals for liberation without attributing it as being the willed command of a deity.

Instead of being “the revealed word of God,” could the Bible’s commands merely be those human ideas, tribal instincts and behavioral recommendations that gave Jewish and Christian cultures a sense of identity and stability in the midst of those surrounding cultures they considered “ungodly”? Here, I think of the Book of Leviticus and its repetitive commands to, “Be ye not like those people…be like this.” I also recall The Code of Hammurabi, how it was written centuries before the Hebrew Bible, how the Bible shares many of its laws, and how Hammurabi attributed the composition of his code to Marduk, the patron deity of Babylon. It’s enough to make me wonder: Is the Bible a collection of man-made commands that have been imposed by well-meaning people as being “God’s” will?

Maybe my “hermeneutics of suspicion” has been over-developed, but it seems presumptuous to suppose that the alleged creator of our expansive universe would be so wrapped up in earthly affairs that they would communicate their important and timeless message to all of humanity primarily and exclusively through the writings of a special group of Hebrew prophets and scribes who lived thousands of years ago. It’s hard for me to continue to believe that these special individuals were assigned to set forth “God’s” will in their time- for ALL time. As I’ve said before, I think the Bible is a collection of documents written for a variety of reasons by insightful, culture-bound Middle Eastern authors and that its interpretation is based on what some insightful humans throughout history have found in its pages to be meaningful, important and relevant for their own lives.

I’m willing to grant that there may be some transcendent, mystical dimension to life, but my doubts lead me to suspect that most- if not all- alleged mystical experiences could be accounted for with a naturalistic explanation of the brain’s neurobiological activities. While there “may” be some transcendent dimension, I doubt we human beings can be so secure in our certainty that such a dimension exists and that any of us can understand it.

It seems to me that “God” is a symbolic term that we humans often use to describe those aspects of reality which lay beyond our current understanding. If we don’t understand something, we often attribute it to “God.” How and why did I wake up this morning? I don’t know. It must be God. How was my daughter formed in the womb? I don’t know. It must be God. Why was I born into relative ease and privilege? I don’t know. Must be God. Why didn’t that tornado tear through my household as it did so many others? I don’t know. Again, it must be God.

For centuries, the natural sciences have been progressively chipping away at those things we formerly attributed to “God.” Astronomy, biology, physics, neurobiology and meteorology are just a few examples of fields that have made tremendous progress in explaining those things formerly beyond our capacity to comprehend. For thousands of years, cultures believed that “God” controlled the weather and that the weather was a reflection of either “God’s” favor or outrage. Now, I’d dare say, we know better.

At bottom- and at this point in my life- I think we attribute far too much of our perceived reality to the notion of “God.” I get suspicious of any and all who claim to know what this “God” wants- especially if it seems to mirror their own hopes, fears, desires and concerns.

Clinton's pastor issues bold statement about recent issues surrounding Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Earlier this afternoon, our local urban talk radio station read what I found to be a very courageous and appropriate statement by Dean J. Snyder, Senior Minister of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. (the church regularly attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton).

STATEMENT CONCERNING THE REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT:
"The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is an outstanding church leader whom I have heard speak a number of times. He has served for decades as a profound voice for justice and inclusion in our society. He has been a vocal critic of the racism, sexism and homophobia which still tarnish the American dream. To evaluate his dynamic ministry on the basis of two or three sound bites does a grave injustice to Dr. Wright, the members of his congregation, and the African-American church which has been the spiritual refuge of a people that has suffered from discrimination, disadvantage, and violence. Dr. Wright, a member of an integrated denomination, has been an agent of racial reconciliation while proclaiming perceptions and truths uncomfortable for some white people to hear. Those of us who are white Americans would do well to listen carefully to Dr. Wright rather than to use a few of his quotes to polarize. This is a critical time in America's history as we seek to repent of our racism. No matter which candidates prevail, let us use this time to listen again to one another and not to distort one another's truth."

Dean J. Snyder, Senior Minister
Foundry United Methodist Church
March 19, 2008

Reflections on Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright's controversial remarks

The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright is an interesting character. I actually saw him speak earlier this year at a memorial service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. where he brought attention to the fact that- out of all the King memorial services he had ever been invited to- he had never heard anyone bring attention to King's April 4, 1967 speech criticizing the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. I spoke to him after his presentation and he gave me his business card (which I still have in my wallet).

Known for his stance of being “unashamedly Black and unapologetically Christian,” Pastor Wright has grown in popularity recently due to his reputation for outspokenness against the U.S. government and his relationship with his most popular church member, presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Dr. Wright has recently been in the news regarding some quotes taken from a sermon he gave over 5 years ago from his pulpit at Trinity United Church of Christ located on the southside of Chicago, Illinois. When I first heard excerpts of Dr. Wright's sermon, I thought he had gone off of the deep end. I wasn't surprised to also hear that Senator Obama had publicly distanced himself from Wright and denounced his remarks as "divisive."

But after some reflection and investigation, I’ve come to believe that despite some abrasive phrasing, Dr. Wright was accurate in his sharp criticism of America’s oppressive policies and actions on both domestic and foreign soil. My only issue with Dr. Wright’s sermon has to do with his occasionally coarse and offensive phrasing of ideas (unlike Dr. Martin Luther King’s more diplomatic yet equally sharp critique of the U.S. in his anti-war sermon from April 4, 1967). But I don't think we should stop at the point of offense. We need to listen closely to hear the concern behind the commentary. In the sermon excerpts that the media has been quoting lately, Dr. Wright is “spot on” when he refers to the U.S. government’s treatment of young black males:

“The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme…We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”

In all fairness, behind what many have deemed as unpatriotic, divisive, inflammatory and insensitive rhetoric, Dr. Wright is telling the truth about America's history. Yes, the idea that we sing “God Bless America” as if God would bless America above all others is arrogant and narcissistic. Yes, the Bible mentions plenty of instances where The God of Israel orders the slaughter of innocent people and our government has also commissioned the killing of innocent people. Yes, throughout history the U.S. government acts as if it has been divinely ordained to conquer and control other cultures, peoples and the resources of the earth. Yes, it is highly likely that recent attacks on the U.S. are merely responses to our often violent and suppressive foreign policies and actions. I think Dr. Wright is right to critique those things and I wholeheartedly agree with him on these matters.

Now, I definitely think Dr. Wright could have presented his ideas in a less abrasive way- without all the “God damns” and “God damn Americas” when he might have been more accurate to specify what he meant by "America"and whether or not he was referring to our country's ideals, the people, or the American government and the decisions of its legislative and executive branches. I also don’t think it helped matters much for him to allude to Malcolm X’s infamous “chickens coming home to roost” quote- which was originally given in response to the news of John F. Kennedy’s assassination- itself a phrase that carries within it the heavy baggage of racial tension, a negative view of Islam, and smacks of unpatriotism during a time of intense anxiety and hostility in regards to race relations. But. in reality- and as Wright alludes to in his sermon- he was quoting Edward L. Peck, who had allegedly spoken out about America's foreign policies in an interview the night before Wright's sermon.

While I think Dr. Wright could have maintained effectiveness by rephrasing his ideas, and went too far with his "God damn America" line, I sometimes think we miss the point and get offended by the way someone presents their words and ideas without really hearing the hurt, rage or concern behind them. I think it would be an injustice to ignore the validity of Dr. Wright’s words due to our being offended by his presentation because I believe he has brought to light some serious truths that our country needs to confront. In a way, I am glad the media keeps replaying the quotes from his sermon because I hope that more people can hear the hurt and concern behind what many have deemed as being unpatriotic, divisive and inflammatory rhetoric and investigate the matter for themselves. Since Wright's remarks became public, many skeptical of media slants have scoured YouTube and internet search engines searching for audio clips and transcripts of Wright's sermon so that they can hear it in context for themselves.

Dr. Wright is retiring soon, but in the future, we may find ourselves remembering him as one of those prophets who never fully understood or appreciated during their lifetime. We'll see.

A prayer for the day

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow."- Mary Jean Irion, poet & author 

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May we take the time to be both mindful and appreciative of the wonders around us (the people, the life-forms, the gifts, and the resources) and the worlds within (our memories, our dreams, our convictions, our concerns, our fears and our hopes). May our souls be receptive to the “still, small voice” inside which continually calls us to bear the fruits of truth, love, wisdom, compassion, courage, growth, peace, integrity, humility, reverence and child-like wonder. May we resist the temptation to worship idols and may we resist the urge to either suppress or deny the good in ourselves and others. May we master ourselves in order to become better servants. With our eyes open to the beautiful and brutal aspects of reality, our ears attentive to the concerns of those with whom we interact, and the courage to face the challenges of the day with a creative, revolutionary and resourceful love.

Amen and may it be so.