Month: November 2016

Thanksgiving, that time of the year when family comes together as a form of giving thanks for one another. The highways are packed, the airports overcrowded and stores an impossible nightmare of shopping frenzy. And there is really very little thanks being given, truth be told. The question quickly becomes, “what is the point of all of this”?

Sometimes, it can seem so hard to find the point. For Christian folk, this is the end of the year and the first Sunday after Thanksgiving is the New Year. At least it is according to the Church calendar. This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. We start over again, looking for that spark of light to enter the world again, to reassure us all that the Light never goes out, that at the darkest hour, there is still Hope.

Thanksgiving has been corrupted by our materialistic need to have more stuff. It leads us to the frenzy of Black Friday sales, emotionless buying, and needless spending. And, yet, it is the beginning of the time of hope. The time of seeing how hopeless we all really are when left to our own devices. This is a time of great contradiction, for we demonstrate by our materialism that we don’t need anyone else, don’t need a higher Power, that we can do this all by ourselves and yet……and yet…….we know we need to give thanks, to be with family, to reflect on all that we have been giving.

Perhaps this is necessary, painful though it can be. Perhaps we need this last frenzy to remind us how difficult it is when we try to do it all by ourselves. Perhaps it even helps to push us toward an emptiness, a certain darkness if you will, that forces us to admit we are spent, done, worn out, and ready for a new spark of light.

This Thanksgiving, I will finally admit that I am thankful for not having to be my own light in the world. I am truly thankful for family, for friends, for great students, for life itself. Life with all of its twists and turns, joys and pains, for this I will be thankful because it is life. I have been gifted with another year and I am thankful. But, I am most thankful that a new year begins, with that one tiny spark of Light that will erupt into new Life, for all.

TMM

I grew up with my older brother listening to the Beach Boys. One of their songs, Good Vibrations, was a hit and just had a good vibration about it, excuse the pun. I think the unusual use of a theremin, an rather strange musical instrument that dates from 1928, was the reason for the connection people felt. I doubt seriously it was the lyrics. The instrument is not touched but the hands move over it causing changes in the electric/sound waves. If you hear it, you instantly recognize it. And that is about all I know about how the thing works. What I do know is that there is just something haunting and strange about it.

We all resonate, did you know that? The human body vibrates, due to all of the electrical pulses that the body generates every moment. In veddic chants, the om sound resonates in our very soul and becomes meditative. In a more manipulative form, I learned that all of the bells and sounds in a casino are tuned to one note so that the whole room vibrates at the same speed as the human body. Now how is that for pure manipulation?

The vibrations can also be used for  great good. In biofeedback, I help people heal, control pain, and even some body functions. Again, all that electricity. And I firmly believe that when we say, “that person just gives off a good (or bad) vibe that it is true. I believe that is what drew people to Jesus. His words were great, but words were not enough, I believe it just “felt good” to be in his presence. The French would call it a certain je ne se qua, which literally means I don’t know what.

And we each vibrate in the world. The question we need to consider is are they good vibrations? If we are called to a love affair with the Eternal, it should resonate within us. I have a friend who is a pagan. I know, not Christian, but before my friend is completely dismissed, I have to say they are right in that they find the Eternal, the Sacred, in everything. Trees, birds, dogs, cats, cows, the very air we breathe. Does that sound far fetched? It shouldn’t, Richard Rohr, in a current devotional series points out that if we do not see our faith as nature based we miss the whole meaning of God in all of creation. The  Christian scripture begins at, well the beginning, when God put all things into motion by the very presence of the Eternal God. I will go one step  further and reference Colossians 1:17 that tells us that Christ is in all and holds all things together.

So, today, why not get some good vibes from your dog, cat, spouse, kids, parents, or even the next person you meet? I mean it, learn to become sensitive to the Eternal presence in all things. Of course, that means that you start by finding that Eternal vibration within yourself. It is there, it always has been. God is not something we have to acquire to be in our lives, it is something that we simply must become aware of, that Vibration of life. Once you find it in yourself, it will begin to reveal itself in others, in the world around you. And, if it helps, listen to the Beach Boys once, for my brother Jon.

 

TMM

I am not a charismatic but I follow a Charism. Actually, you do too whether you realize it or not. For me, it is the Cistercian (Trappist) Charism. Among other things it calls me to simplify my life, observe the Liturgy of Hours, engage in lectio divina, follow the Rule of St. Benedict and to be a part of a spiritual community and serve that community. There is, of course so very much more and if you are interested you can go to monks.org and then click on Lay Cistercians. It is part of  our formation to follow the Charism and it is discussed there.

So, what about you? What charism do you follow? I know, you don’t think you do but that cannot be true. We all order and conduct our lives according to something. More than one minister has preached that if you will show me a person’s check book I can show you their God. Where you spend your money shows your charism. Where you spend your time shows your charism. How you view the world and others shows your charism.

I examine my life daily, I review the Charism I am called to follow. It is voluntary but necessary for me. I surely do not get it right every day. So, how are you doing with your charism? Is it showing in your life? In your actions? In how you see others? Maybe it is time for you to write it down. You should put substance to your charism. Put that charism on paper and then read over it. Is it the blueprint you want for the life you live? Is it how you want your children to see you live? Is it how you want your church to see you live? The life of Jesus was a sample blueprint, how does your blueprint stack up to the sample?

Our charism, our blueprint will not be exactly like Jesus’ was because we are not perfect. We build our own house. That is why I dislike WWJD. I am that embodiment of Jesus, hopefully what I do is what Jesus would do. My Cistercian Charism, I believe, is how I go about building my own house. My house does not look like my Lay Cistercian brothers’ and sisters’ homes. You should put your blueprint on paper. It is never  too late to build a new “wing on the house” or reinforce the foundation, or add a pool. We all build for life. How sad it is to see well meaning and good people with half finished houses.

 

TMM

I am a social worker by training and of course, inclusive of everyone. I teach social work and on occasion, have discussions with students that are not necessarily social work in focus. This happened just yesterday, when speaking of new students from Africa and the religions of their country. One of those religions happens to be Voudun. You would know it in this country as Voodoo. Needless to say, this led us far afield in a religious discussion.

Now, let’s do a bit of homework. Voudun is one of the oldest religions on Earth. It is a nature based religion much like Native American spirituality. It is pagan in that it sees multiple gods as representing the Great Spirit or Creator God. It is not demonic or Satanic in nature and everything you may have been led to believe about it comes straight from TV and Europeans trying to demonize it because it was from Africa at a time when slaves were being taken from West Africa and stripped of their religion and culture. In fact, the Voudon belief system was so powerful in Haiti, it led finally to independence for all.

So, one of my students was very concerned about our discussion that all people have some spiritual belief and a belief in some Higher Power. He sent an email to let me know he had looked it up and Islam does not believe in the same God. I am proud of him for doing research. I am sad for him that he has missed my lessons on being inclusive.

You see, I follow the most inclusive person our world has ever known. Jesus is the embodiment of the Eternal on this Earth. Colossians 1:17 says he is in all of creation and he holds it all together. ALL truly means all, it is not limited to Christians any more than Jesus’ sacrifice was limited to that exclusive club. And, I immediately know some will find that offensive. I am truly sorry for that, but Jesus loved sinners, Jews, gentiles (what we now call pagans), Samaritans, and Romans (again pagans) and whores and thieves (hanging on the cross with him), traitors (Judas, and me on any given day), ALL!

Namaste is Hindu and means “I recognize the Eternal in you”. You hear it at yoga classes all the time. Namaskarum is the word used in Kerala, India where I traveled. I believe that our world would be so very different if we greeted each other every day by saying, “I see the living God in you” and lived it out that way. Racism, sexism, all forms of hatred and prejudice would be gone. Jesus was that very person, teaching us to include all people everywhere. Even if they don’t believe like we do. When will we figure out that he stretched his arms wide on that cross and embraced us ALL.

TMM