Wow! Talk about writers block. I’m not even a writer and the past couple of weeks I’ve been blocked. I’ve been on the road part of that time and am stepping into what may be the next focus of my life experience. I still have not been “invited” to a specific place with the Peace Corps. Wondering if it is the way to go or if a more meaningful path may be here, stateside, closer to family and friends. The needy are here as well and some of them, especially the young are way more likely to be an instrument of change in this ol world than I directly. Maybe I could somehow mentor some of them in that direction? As I’ve stated before the writings of Richard Rohr have deeply effected me in the past year or so. I lately have been reading one of his newest books titled “The Naked Now”. Seems like somewhat of a provocative title for a Catholic priest. The focus of this piece is on revisiting the all encompassing existence of God with us. Without the trappings of our societal and ego based attachments, naked so to speak, as the Mystics viewed God. Before we institutionalized Him/Her in our image rather than the other way around. Learning to see as the mystics see. I’ve mentioned to others who are reading his books that it seems easier to highlight the insignificant parts of his books as there is so much meat in what he has to say. I’ve kind of come to the practice of putting stars on the Most impactful statements so I can return to them to summarize the thoughts. In this latest book he deals with the “contemplative life”, “Who are we and who is God”, “Non-dualistic approach to the way of seeing all”, “letting go as a path to getting it”, and the “Paradox which is God and us”. These quotes are for emphasis not to be quoting Richard. I believe that the last part of this post could be best served by inserting some of these “stared” passages of his in the hope that they will be impact full by themselves, for you. So from here out the quotes are Richards with a few (comments) by me. Enjoy! RV
“Our DNA is divine. The divine indwelling is never earned by any behavior whatsoever or any ritual, but only recognized and realized (Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:8-10) and fallen in love with.” … “God becomes more a verb than a noun, more a process than a conclusion, more an experience than a dogma, more a personal relationship than an idea. There is Someone dancing with you, and you are not afraid of making mistakes….We do not pray to Christ; we pray through Christ.” (Beautiful). “..first..eye of the flesh(thought or sight), .second..eye of reason(meditation or reflection), and the third ..eye of true understanding(contemplation). I cannot emphasize strongly enough that the separation and loss of these three necessary eyes is at the basis of much of the short-sight-edness and religious crises of the Western world. Lacking such wisdom, it is very difficult for churches, governments, and leaders to move beyond ego, the desire for control, and public posturing. Everything divides into oppositions such as liberal vs. conservative, with vested interests pulling against one another. Truth is no longer possible at this level of conversation. Even theology becomes more a quest for power than a search for God and Mystery. One wonders how far spiritual and political leaders can genuinely lead us without some degree of mystical seeing and action, It is hardly an exaggeration to say that “us-and-them” seeing, and the dualistic thinking that results, is the foundation of almost all discontent and violence in the world.”
“A large percentage of religious people become and remain quite rigid thinkers because their religion taught them that to be faithful, obedient, and stalwart in the ways of God, they had to create order. They too are not bad people; they simply never learned much about wisdom, paradox, or mystery as the very nature of faith.” “Words and thoughts are invariably dualistic, but pure experience is always non dualistic. Think about that! Fundamentalism suffers from the same false seeing. It is basically a love affair with words and ideas about God instead of God himself or herself.” (fundamentalism here I don’t believe is limited to Christian fundamentalism).
“St Thomas Aquinas said in the thirteenth century: If it is true, then it is from the Holy Spirit. In the thirteenth century, when Christians demonized Muslims even more than they do today, St Francis told us friars that if we found a page of the Koran, we should kiss it and place it on the alter. His Christian truth was not fear-based. He could honor God and holiness anywhere it was found, and not just inside of his own symbol system.”... “Although we all use the phrase “peace of mind”, there is really no such thing. When you are in your mind, you are never truly at peace, and when you are truly at peace, you are never in your mind. staDon’t believe or disbelieve that statement either, just honestly observe yourself. Then you will know --but it will be an altogether new kind of knowing.”... “All great spirituality is somehow about letting go…two paths that break down our dualistic thinking and our inability to let go: the path of great love and the path of great suffering.” “No one comes to God just by loving or suffering, yet only those who have loved and suffered seem to come to God more deeply.”
“We were not able to balance humanity and divinity in Jesus, which probably reflects why we were unable to put it together in ourselves…Theism believes there is a God. Christianity believes that God and humanity can coexist in the same place!… most Christians are very good theists who just happen to have named their god Jesus. …Jesus came to model the full integration for us (1Corinthians 15:47-49).”
“We morphed into “Churchianity” more than any genuine, transformational Christianity. While the two need not be in opposition, we were schooled in systematic theology, running schools to create more Catholics, and the administration of sacraments more than the Gospel lifestyle itself. And it is primarily a lifestyle!”... “If it is of any consolation, “the whole batch of dough will get it, if a small handful of dough gets it,” ..a truth we now indicate popularly with the hundredth monkey or the tipping point. …What we are enjoying now, and the hope I wish to offer in this book, is a renaissance of the contemplative mind, the one truly unique alternative that religion has to offer the world. Without this new mind, most doctrines, moralities, dogmas, and church structures will almost certainly be misunderstood, misused, and mishandled. Small people make everything small.”
“Eckhart Tolle..The Power of Now…The Sacrament of the Present Moment..The Psalmist said it well in Psalm 34:8; not “think and see” but “Taste and see”…faith and reason are not opposites….the proof that an apparently higher state of awareness is genuinely higher, is that it always includes and honors all the previous stages.” (This last sentence is most impact to me and reflects also to the Mclaren work “Generous Orthodoxy”). “You can tell adult and authentic faith by peoples ability to deal with darkness, failure, and non validation of the ego ---and by their quiet but confident joy! Infantile religion insists on certitudes or “light” every step of the way and thus is not very happy.”
“St. Bonaventure ..God is the One whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”..”Words are mere guideposts now, and you recognize that most people have made them into hitching posts(I love this metaphor)…paradoxes are easily accepted, and former mental contradictions seem to dissolve…mystics can forgive and let go and show mercy and love enemies….They are only in love, with life, and life for all. They may look dangerous and even heretical to those who have not shared a similar experience, and that is a burden they must forever carry. They have no time for being against; there is now so much to be for!” (This ends the selected quotes from Richard. I hope they entice you as they did myself. Some of his material was referenced and some were not in these excerpts. I urge you to pick up a copy of his works and glean all he has to offer.) Again Peace and Paradox to you all! RV
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
My Best Motivation!
It has occured to me that I've been posting lots of comments in this space since the first of the year but have left out a very important part of my motivation. My concern over our egotistical propensity to not get along as intergal parts of God's creation has been with me most of my adult life. I believe if you've read these posts that much should be clear. But why now do I want to get out there and do something about the condition? The answer is in my motivation. A little less than a year and a half ago my Sherita passed on from this life. This left a major void in my life and prompted much sorrow and reflection over "The meaning of it all". Much of the result is reflected in these posts. However the visceral reason for these questions did result from the loss and I feel the desire to address that a little more. Much of the questions we all ponder on occasion are grounded not only on theoretical abstracts of morals, politics, right and wrong, Gods plan for us, and gathering of knowledge. They are founded on the very real question of Why do we Think and Conceptualize about these issues? In my somewhat simple way of seeing these substantial things, that conceptualization ability, or curse, is that part of us which was made in the "image of God". That is what does set us apart from the rest of creation. At any rate a few months after her passing I wrote a letter to myself and the kids about "What Now" and I want to include that here today. Peace! RV
Letter to my Loved Ones ~ What Now My Love?
Sheritas memorial is over. It’s even a new year. Her memory lives on in so many ways. The question rises in my mind as to the future. It’s not A question, but so many. I received an e-mail from a couple of friends referring to the purpose of relationship in our lives. When you’ve been around the old world for a half century or so there have been a few of them. Some good, some not so good. I pray you will all have the joy in your life of sharing love with your best friend, soul mate, spouse. Such a blessing makes all of life’s trials worth the experiencing.
Suppose writing is a very cathartic activity for me now, and in the future. I don’t plan to write a whole lot of novel stuff but I do believe there is an area of philosophy, religion, politics, communication and respect that interests me. I would hope my thoughts can help others to relate to our world in a fulfilling and positive manner. So, where do I go from here. First I would like to reduce the use of I so much. That may be difficult since much of what is said revolves about my perception of events, people, direction. It should be obvious that you learn far more by listening than by talking. However, you don’t really communicate without speaking or writing and communication is very important. Suffice it to be said here that I desire open (or closed) minded discourse from most anyone in an effort toward understanding. It’s all connected. We are all unique in being created in the image of God. Unique as a species and then unique as a series of subtypes. We are blessed in being so unique and yet we are charged with a responsibility to do something with our uniqueness, talents. To be better than we start out in this life. Not hard to improve upon infancy, but to be all you can be? It is sobering to realize just how many of our human brothers are not far from that infancy state most of their lives, and how we all slip back there too often. Sometimes being stuck in an infancy state is not tied to cultural, i.e. nurture, aspects of ones life. Suppose that can only be postulated with the caveat or exception for those who are unfortunately born with an inability to learn, communicate, relate, and respect others. And that disability, of course, then becomes an avenue for those of us to learn from and to love the perennially childlike.
Why am I sitting down and putting these thoughts and questions and experiences on paper? Do I not believe by faith the rest and peace and unconditional Love now experienced by Sherita?? Am I so shaky as to be dubious of my, and our, faith??? As stated in Sherita’s memorial service I have had many questions and doubts during the latter half of 2008. I am in the process of redefining my goals in life and the direction of my faith journey. This is not in anyway to detract from the truth and blessings of my past but maybe my perspective is morphing a bit. I have never quite experienced such a loss as this one in my life. I have lost friends and relatives but this circumstance was uniquely impactful. Not to diminish other losses but many different factors came to bear earlier in life. Maybe what I was “taught” was sufficient at the time. Not to doubt faith but this time I’m seeking “supplementary” answers.
Most of my Christian faith family are at peace with our heritage. It is a good heritage. But how about our loved ones who do not have such a support. The ones who just don’t know. Sometimes in the recent past that person has been me. The fact that we love them requires that we go the extra mile to reason this out.
While faith is a bulwark to support us I do believe that my God is also the God of logic and science. If one doesn’t need to solely rely on “Faith”, or “Science”, or “Logic” then I believe that there are links between the disciplines. During my investigations these past months I came up with several interesting points, specifically tied to the afterlife. In the past 40 years or so medical science has progressed to ,on occasion, bringing people back from clinical death. Several studies have undertaken to compile stories of “near death experiences”. The best one that I found was written by a Russian Orthodox priest, Father Alexander. His study referred to several others including a pediatrician in Seattle, Dr Melvin Morris; a medical doctor on the east coast, Dr Raymond Moody; and a Psychiatrist, Dr Kenneth Ring. One interesting thing here is that even as these researchers try to be objective it is difficult since not only do they themselves have subjective backgrounds which may influence their evaluations, but so also do their subjects. Hence even though Fr Alexander does a good job presenting the data, oft times from opposing viewpoints, he just has to evaluate portions based on his theological position, as do some evangelical preachers. It turns out that some of the doctors also report as fairly as possible but do so from a non faith perspective. It is my contention that one can sort through and find a solid thread of evidence from which ones own faith system takes over. It is just important and only fair to recognize where some differences will come about. For instance, the vast number of NDE subjects experience a new spiritual body and are met by a person of light. The description of their body can vary substantially as does the description of the person of light. The being of light is described all the way from Jesus Christ to one of His angels or even the Devil himself. The importance is that there is the manifestation and the subsequent evaluation of that manifestation as to good or bad is almost irrelevant. Irrelevant only in the sense that it is a subjective experience. My contention is that the good or evil of the “being” or the subjects “spiritual body” can be evaluated by the fruits or the results of the experience. For the most part the researchers have done a good fair job of so reporting. The vast majority of positive encounters have resulted in a positive transformation of the patient beyond the near death experience. They led a more positive, “good” life in the future. If the experiences were the “work of the devil”, why would they result in a better life?
The actual experience of the subject may or may not be 100% accurate due to the subjective nature of the event. However, does the event prove life after death? No, because it is transitory by definition, they don’t stay dead. And even thought there are consistent similarities in the various experiences it doesn’t preclude the possibility that these are all the manifestations of a troubled and distressed brain. The studies of Dr Moody seem to demonstrate pretty clearly that most of these experiences do not appear to be of a supernatural(demonic), pharmacological(drug induced), oxygen deprivation resultant, neurological defect, or a psychological(sensory deprivation resultant) nature. The events seem to be actual but of what can we derive from them in the form of “proof” or corroboration? Visions are one thing but there seems to be some verifiable evidence of conscious knowledge related back to the doctors or researchers. In the limited study so far I have read of (1) The corroborative data presented by the blind undergoing a NDE. And (2) Data related from remote locations to the investigators. It is my belief that the findings in these two areas show evidence of objective facts which seem to be separate from the “possible” subjective delusion of a mind on the scene of the trauma. The work compiled give several examples of descriptions I would consider “evidentiary”.
Dr Rings work with blind patients was really interesting since the description of equipment (invented after the patient became blind) and even the colors and descriptions of clothing, items in the room were right on. And upon resuscitation the patients were once again blind. In other cases travel and verifiable observations from beyond the scene were reported. One person described meeting a relative in an other part of the hospital(who had just died) which the attending doctor verified after the resuscitation. Another patient upon returning described an article(shoe) sitting on the ledge outside the hospital on a different floor.
These elements may seem superfluous or silly as evidence. I suggest you look further into these authors for yourself, realizing that we all have a subjective agenda. However most of the researchers have tried to be honest and fair in reporting the facts. Beyond the limited facts in our possession we then are left to supplement them with our individual faith core. Or maybe the order of supplementation should be reversed. The following sentence, from Moody’s “Life after Life”, demonstrates the continuity of this belief since the dawn of human society.
“ By whatever name it is called the notion that one passes into another realm of existence upon physical death is among the most venerable of human beliefs”.
And from Fr. Alexander’s writing: ”The main value in the contemporary exploration of the life after death question is that it confirms in an unbiased and scientific way the truth of the soul's existence in the world beyond. In addition, they can help a believer to better understand and prepare for that which he will encounter immediately after his death.”
In the final analysis as I see it there is a correlation between logic, science, history and faith. I know there is a dimensional difference between the afterlife and this one. Sometimes this is referred to as the ineffability of describing a Near Death Experience, or an inability to put the experience into mere human words. I believe the preponderant testimonies of NDE patients bear out the evidence of this event.
If…… there is an afterlife then there is absolutely no one who would be in His presence any more than Sherita. I call her “my pearl” but a more appropriate description(in my mere human dimension) would be “my angel”. And she was, and probably is, an angel to many others as well.
Another reference shared with me during this time of adjustment was a short book written by C.S.Lewis called “A Grief Observed”. Essentially this one had nothing to do with near death experiences but was a journal written by him after he also lost his wife to cancer. Also a lot of questions as to the purposes of God. This was very supportive to me since this author has written so much from such a scholarly perspective in the Christian world, and even he had doubts and questions. I will share two excerpts from his journal which were especially meaningful. One deals with the arrogance it would be to even ask for the love of my life to be restored to this mortal world we dimensionally share with other humans. The other suggests a logical reason for her moving on to a new dimension.
“Grief is like a bomber circling round and dropping its bombs each time the circle brings it overhead; physical pain is like a steady barrage on a trench in World War One, hours of it with no let-up for a moment. Thought is never static; pain often is.
What sort of lover am I to think so much about my affliction and so much less about hers? Even the insane call, ’Come back’, is all for my own sake. I never even raised the question whether such a return, if it were possible, would be good for her. I want her back as a ingredient in the restoration of my past. Could I have wished her anything worse? Having got once through death, to come back and then, at some later date, have all her dying to do over again? They call Stephen the first martyr. Hadn’t Lazarus the rawer deal?” …. And then…
“’It was too perfect to last,’ so I am tempted to say of our marriage. But it can be meant in two ways. I may be grimly pessimistic---as if God no sooner saw two of His creatures happy than he stopped it (‘None of that here!’). As if He were like the hostess at the sherry-party who separates two guests the moment they show signs of having got into a real conversation. But it could also mean ‘This had reached its proper perfection. This had become what it had in it to be. Therefore of course it would not be prolonged.’As if God said,’Good; you have mastered that exercise. I am very pleased with it. And now you are ready to go on to the next.’ When you have learned to do quadratics and enjoy doing them you will not be set them much longer. The teacher moves you on.” (It may be obvious that Lewis is a very British writer; I would have used a “port-party” instead of sherry).
She is removed from this dimension ,and moved on to the next. I am blessed to have known, and loved her. I love her with all my heart, and always will. That is a beauty of Love; it is inexhaustible. Just like our love for our children and Gods love for us. I will continue to learn and love in this realm until the Lord sees fit to pass me on to the next exercise. Amy Grant sang a song a few years ago titled “We’re Just Here to Learn to Love Him”. I don’t believe Sherita ever sang the song but she certainly learned the lesson. Thank you for reading this. Go in Peace and Love to Serve the Lord, and His Creation. Love you guys! Bob
Source materials and suggested reading:
A Grief Observed ~ C.S. Lewis
http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/life_after_death.htm
Life after Life ~ Raymond A. Moody, MD
Closer to the Light ~ Melvin Morse, MD
Life at Death ~ Kenneth Ring, PhD
The Secret Message of Jesus ~ Brian D. McLaren (not part of this letter, just a great resource)
Letter to my Loved Ones ~ What Now My Love?
Sheritas memorial is over. It’s even a new year. Her memory lives on in so many ways. The question rises in my mind as to the future. It’s not A question, but so many. I received an e-mail from a couple of friends referring to the purpose of relationship in our lives. When you’ve been around the old world for a half century or so there have been a few of them. Some good, some not so good. I pray you will all have the joy in your life of sharing love with your best friend, soul mate, spouse. Such a blessing makes all of life’s trials worth the experiencing.
Suppose writing is a very cathartic activity for me now, and in the future. I don’t plan to write a whole lot of novel stuff but I do believe there is an area of philosophy, religion, politics, communication and respect that interests me. I would hope my thoughts can help others to relate to our world in a fulfilling and positive manner. So, where do I go from here. First I would like to reduce the use of I so much. That may be difficult since much of what is said revolves about my perception of events, people, direction. It should be obvious that you learn far more by listening than by talking. However, you don’t really communicate without speaking or writing and communication is very important. Suffice it to be said here that I desire open (or closed) minded discourse from most anyone in an effort toward understanding. It’s all connected. We are all unique in being created in the image of God. Unique as a species and then unique as a series of subtypes. We are blessed in being so unique and yet we are charged with a responsibility to do something with our uniqueness, talents. To be better than we start out in this life. Not hard to improve upon infancy, but to be all you can be? It is sobering to realize just how many of our human brothers are not far from that infancy state most of their lives, and how we all slip back there too often. Sometimes being stuck in an infancy state is not tied to cultural, i.e. nurture, aspects of ones life. Suppose that can only be postulated with the caveat or exception for those who are unfortunately born with an inability to learn, communicate, relate, and respect others. And that disability, of course, then becomes an avenue for those of us to learn from and to love the perennially childlike.
Why am I sitting down and putting these thoughts and questions and experiences on paper? Do I not believe by faith the rest and peace and unconditional Love now experienced by Sherita?? Am I so shaky as to be dubious of my, and our, faith??? As stated in Sherita’s memorial service I have had many questions and doubts during the latter half of 2008. I am in the process of redefining my goals in life and the direction of my faith journey. This is not in anyway to detract from the truth and blessings of my past but maybe my perspective is morphing a bit. I have never quite experienced such a loss as this one in my life. I have lost friends and relatives but this circumstance was uniquely impactful. Not to diminish other losses but many different factors came to bear earlier in life. Maybe what I was “taught” was sufficient at the time. Not to doubt faith but this time I’m seeking “supplementary” answers.
Most of my Christian faith family are at peace with our heritage. It is a good heritage. But how about our loved ones who do not have such a support. The ones who just don’t know. Sometimes in the recent past that person has been me. The fact that we love them requires that we go the extra mile to reason this out.
While faith is a bulwark to support us I do believe that my God is also the God of logic and science. If one doesn’t need to solely rely on “Faith”, or “Science”, or “Logic” then I believe that there are links between the disciplines. During my investigations these past months I came up with several interesting points, specifically tied to the afterlife. In the past 40 years or so medical science has progressed to ,on occasion, bringing people back from clinical death. Several studies have undertaken to compile stories of “near death experiences”. The best one that I found was written by a Russian Orthodox priest, Father Alexander. His study referred to several others including a pediatrician in Seattle, Dr Melvin Morris; a medical doctor on the east coast, Dr Raymond Moody; and a Psychiatrist, Dr Kenneth Ring. One interesting thing here is that even as these researchers try to be objective it is difficult since not only do they themselves have subjective backgrounds which may influence their evaluations, but so also do their subjects. Hence even though Fr Alexander does a good job presenting the data, oft times from opposing viewpoints, he just has to evaluate portions based on his theological position, as do some evangelical preachers. It turns out that some of the doctors also report as fairly as possible but do so from a non faith perspective. It is my contention that one can sort through and find a solid thread of evidence from which ones own faith system takes over. It is just important and only fair to recognize where some differences will come about. For instance, the vast number of NDE subjects experience a new spiritual body and are met by a person of light. The description of their body can vary substantially as does the description of the person of light. The being of light is described all the way from Jesus Christ to one of His angels or even the Devil himself. The importance is that there is the manifestation and the subsequent evaluation of that manifestation as to good or bad is almost irrelevant. Irrelevant only in the sense that it is a subjective experience. My contention is that the good or evil of the “being” or the subjects “spiritual body” can be evaluated by the fruits or the results of the experience. For the most part the researchers have done a good fair job of so reporting. The vast majority of positive encounters have resulted in a positive transformation of the patient beyond the near death experience. They led a more positive, “good” life in the future. If the experiences were the “work of the devil”, why would they result in a better life?
The actual experience of the subject may or may not be 100% accurate due to the subjective nature of the event. However, does the event prove life after death? No, because it is transitory by definition, they don’t stay dead. And even thought there are consistent similarities in the various experiences it doesn’t preclude the possibility that these are all the manifestations of a troubled and distressed brain. The studies of Dr Moody seem to demonstrate pretty clearly that most of these experiences do not appear to be of a supernatural(demonic), pharmacological(drug induced), oxygen deprivation resultant, neurological defect, or a psychological(sensory deprivation resultant) nature. The events seem to be actual but of what can we derive from them in the form of “proof” or corroboration? Visions are one thing but there seems to be some verifiable evidence of conscious knowledge related back to the doctors or researchers. In the limited study so far I have read of (1) The corroborative data presented by the blind undergoing a NDE. And (2) Data related from remote locations to the investigators. It is my belief that the findings in these two areas show evidence of objective facts which seem to be separate from the “possible” subjective delusion of a mind on the scene of the trauma. The work compiled give several examples of descriptions I would consider “evidentiary”.
Dr Rings work with blind patients was really interesting since the description of equipment (invented after the patient became blind) and even the colors and descriptions of clothing, items in the room were right on. And upon resuscitation the patients were once again blind. In other cases travel and verifiable observations from beyond the scene were reported. One person described meeting a relative in an other part of the hospital(who had just died) which the attending doctor verified after the resuscitation. Another patient upon returning described an article(shoe) sitting on the ledge outside the hospital on a different floor.
These elements may seem superfluous or silly as evidence. I suggest you look further into these authors for yourself, realizing that we all have a subjective agenda. However most of the researchers have tried to be honest and fair in reporting the facts. Beyond the limited facts in our possession we then are left to supplement them with our individual faith core. Or maybe the order of supplementation should be reversed. The following sentence, from Moody’s “Life after Life”, demonstrates the continuity of this belief since the dawn of human society.
“ By whatever name it is called the notion that one passes into another realm of existence upon physical death is among the most venerable of human beliefs”.
And from Fr. Alexander’s writing: ”The main value in the contemporary exploration of the life after death question is that it confirms in an unbiased and scientific way the truth of the soul's existence in the world beyond. In addition, they can help a believer to better understand and prepare for that which he will encounter immediately after his death.”
In the final analysis as I see it there is a correlation between logic, science, history and faith. I know there is a dimensional difference between the afterlife and this one. Sometimes this is referred to as the ineffability of describing a Near Death Experience, or an inability to put the experience into mere human words. I believe the preponderant testimonies of NDE patients bear out the evidence of this event.
If…… there is an afterlife then there is absolutely no one who would be in His presence any more than Sherita. I call her “my pearl” but a more appropriate description(in my mere human dimension) would be “my angel”. And she was, and probably is, an angel to many others as well.
Another reference shared with me during this time of adjustment was a short book written by C.S.Lewis called “A Grief Observed”. Essentially this one had nothing to do with near death experiences but was a journal written by him after he also lost his wife to cancer. Also a lot of questions as to the purposes of God. This was very supportive to me since this author has written so much from such a scholarly perspective in the Christian world, and even he had doubts and questions. I will share two excerpts from his journal which were especially meaningful. One deals with the arrogance it would be to even ask for the love of my life to be restored to this mortal world we dimensionally share with other humans. The other suggests a logical reason for her moving on to a new dimension.
“Grief is like a bomber circling round and dropping its bombs each time the circle brings it overhead; physical pain is like a steady barrage on a trench in World War One, hours of it with no let-up for a moment. Thought is never static; pain often is.
What sort of lover am I to think so much about my affliction and so much less about hers? Even the insane call, ’Come back’, is all for my own sake. I never even raised the question whether such a return, if it were possible, would be good for her. I want her back as a ingredient in the restoration of my past. Could I have wished her anything worse? Having got once through death, to come back and then, at some later date, have all her dying to do over again? They call Stephen the first martyr. Hadn’t Lazarus the rawer deal?” …. And then…
“’It was too perfect to last,’ so I am tempted to say of our marriage. But it can be meant in two ways. I may be grimly pessimistic---as if God no sooner saw two of His creatures happy than he stopped it (‘None of that here!’). As if He were like the hostess at the sherry-party who separates two guests the moment they show signs of having got into a real conversation. But it could also mean ‘This had reached its proper perfection. This had become what it had in it to be. Therefore of course it would not be prolonged.’As if God said,’Good; you have mastered that exercise. I am very pleased with it. And now you are ready to go on to the next.’ When you have learned to do quadratics and enjoy doing them you will not be set them much longer. The teacher moves you on.” (It may be obvious that Lewis is a very British writer; I would have used a “port-party” instead of sherry).
She is removed from this dimension ,and moved on to the next. I am blessed to have known, and loved her. I love her with all my heart, and always will. That is a beauty of Love; it is inexhaustible. Just like our love for our children and Gods love for us. I will continue to learn and love in this realm until the Lord sees fit to pass me on to the next exercise. Amy Grant sang a song a few years ago titled “We’re Just Here to Learn to Love Him”. I don’t believe Sherita ever sang the song but she certainly learned the lesson. Thank you for reading this. Go in Peace and Love to Serve the Lord, and His Creation. Love you guys! Bob
Source materials and suggested reading:
A Grief Observed ~ C.S. Lewis
http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/life_after_death.htm
Life after Life ~ Raymond A. Moody, MD
Closer to the Light ~ Melvin Morse, MD
Life at Death ~ Kenneth Ring, PhD
The Secret Message of Jesus ~ Brian D. McLaren (not part of this letter, just a great resource)
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34953759/ this is a link refered to later on 3/18/10
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wisdom, Paradox, Mystery!
Wisdom, Peace and Love to You! In my most recent "day job" prior to retirement I worked as the Landscaping contact person at our local hospital. Two of our doctors on staff happen to be a husband and wife team. being on the grounds a majority of my time I notice a lot of vehicles in my day. I always chuckled a bit when I saw their vehicle license plate, "Paradocs"! Paradox seems to me to be a very good description of my life, and perfect for a Libra, and a fine one word description of the human condition we need to be more aware of in our perception of most issues facing us. Today's title comes from one of Richard Rohr's books I am now reading, "The Naked Now". It also applies to what I was alluding to in some of my past posts. The fact that we are complicated and at the same time very simple. We have a tendency to justify our positions by defending and judging the "others", to borrow a term from an overworked T-V show. I don't really want to appear too "religious" in my writings and I am really not trying to be so. However it is clear that most of our life and mechanisms we work with ARE founded upon our values and philosophy of life or moral makeup. Like it or not, we are cerebral carbon units and we might as well "deal with it". Paradox to me is a very good word to describe our nature as humans. I believe it is a fair description of our nature which should allow us to be Less polarized and Less "sure" of our place our position in the world. There just seems to be so many poles to deal with. So many paradoxes to be recognized and immersed within to get some sense of a path to Love. In my opinion that clear but fragile "unconditional love" and "unselfish caring" is a key to a vibrant balance of life. Just a very small list of some of these paradoxes would be Liberal and Conservative, Political and Non Political, Religious and Non Religious, Creationism and Evolution, Peace and Conflict.....! I do hope that it is clear and very important to me that I remember to say A and B with the hope and prayer for C and NOT A OR B! Period. I pray that our current administration will be led and function in a way to balance our country and in turn, the world. I pray there will be a path started in the next year or so which will foster an accord worldwide of minimally necessary force and an international posture to "Do No Harm to Life" except in the strict defense of Life itself. At the end here I'm going to post the paragraph written by Richard and also a blog post I made a few weeks ago following President Obama's announcement regarding troop movements in the Middle-East. I hope they both support what I'm trying to say and also point out how both spiritual and political exercises are sanguine and not separate. "A large percentage of religious people become and remain quite rigid thinkers because their religion taught them that to be faithful, obedient, and stalwart in the ways of God, they had to create order. They too are not bad people; they simply never learned much about wisdom, paradox, or mystery as the very nature of faith."(Richard Rohr, The Naked Now). And in response to a criticism of Obama's statement in the "Gods Politics blog":
"In his defense!
I am one of the 17000 signatories on the petition sent to Obama regarding Afghan policy. I am in absolute agreement with the petitions goals regarding a new “progressive” strategy consisting of an “Aid Surge” to counter the effects of decades of conflict. This being stated, I also feel the need to express a disagreement regarding your assessment of the speech Tuesday. The first point on my mind is that it took us as a nation almost ten years to get into the mess we are in over there. We cannot expect to completely overturn that track record in one speech. Most commentators seem to be of the opinion that his speech the other night will continue to be fleshed out over the next few weeks, and having come to greatly respect his ability to see the big picture and not to rely on a dualistic approach of problem solving, I would agree and expect much more to come. As people of Peace and Faith we must continue to press for the higher road in the ultimate solving of this truly international problem. A few points need to be made regarding his presentation. In the first place this was presented not so much as a retaliation for 911 but as an international call to neutralize terror harbored in the holes of the middle east. This is focused on terrorists, not a country or a religion. As a matter of fact he addressed Islam as having been corrupted by terrorist misuse of one of the “worlds great religions”. One of the key marketing ploys of Al Quida et all is to claim we are there to 1. Occupy the land and 2. To defeat Islam. By placing a projected pull out date and outwardly respecting the prevalent religion of the land he has taken a first step toward removing those arguments.
Obama divided his speech into three sections, all of which are equally important. It seems as though most people are only focusing on the first one. This of course is the troop surge. The second is the partnering with other world powers and especially the Afghan government itself, toward rebuilding this war ravaged land. I believe that it is naive to expect that two can take place without one in place as well. The aid needs to be secure to be fruitful. However, with an end date in mind and a well focused (that is our job) aid package in the fore front as soon as possible, the international and in country support for such a package has a prayer.
The third section spoke of a partnership with Pakistan to halt the spread of this cancerous terror. The only way that terrorist cancer will be stymied is if it becomes obvious to a vast majority of Muslims in the world that our motives are only those of love and peace. I am reminded of the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War.” That is a sobering movie; I had to admit that at that time in world history I was not aware of all those dynamics. I hope and pray that this time we will not screw up the end game.
I really respect your witness and your literary acumen in the cause of peace and justice. Bob from Ashland, Oregon"
"In his defense!
I am one of the 17000 signatories on the petition sent to Obama regarding Afghan policy. I am in absolute agreement with the petitions goals regarding a new “progressive” strategy consisting of an “Aid Surge” to counter the effects of decades of conflict. This being stated, I also feel the need to express a disagreement regarding your assessment of the speech Tuesday. The first point on my mind is that it took us as a nation almost ten years to get into the mess we are in over there. We cannot expect to completely overturn that track record in one speech. Most commentators seem to be of the opinion that his speech the other night will continue to be fleshed out over the next few weeks, and having come to greatly respect his ability to see the big picture and not to rely on a dualistic approach of problem solving, I would agree and expect much more to come. As people of Peace and Faith we must continue to press for the higher road in the ultimate solving of this truly international problem. A few points need to be made regarding his presentation. In the first place this was presented not so much as a retaliation for 911 but as an international call to neutralize terror harbored in the holes of the middle east. This is focused on terrorists, not a country or a religion. As a matter of fact he addressed Islam as having been corrupted by terrorist misuse of one of the “worlds great religions”. One of the key marketing ploys of Al Quida et all is to claim we are there to 1. Occupy the land and 2. To defeat Islam. By placing a projected pull out date and outwardly respecting the prevalent religion of the land he has taken a first step toward removing those arguments.
Obama divided his speech into three sections, all of which are equally important. It seems as though most people are only focusing on the first one. This of course is the troop surge. The second is the partnering with other world powers and especially the Afghan government itself, toward rebuilding this war ravaged land. I believe that it is naive to expect that two can take place without one in place as well. The aid needs to be secure to be fruitful. However, with an end date in mind and a well focused (that is our job) aid package in the fore front as soon as possible, the international and in country support for such a package has a prayer.
The third section spoke of a partnership with Pakistan to halt the spread of this cancerous terror. The only way that terrorist cancer will be stymied is if it becomes obvious to a vast majority of Muslims in the world that our motives are only those of love and peace. I am reminded of the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War.” That is a sobering movie; I had to admit that at that time in world history I was not aware of all those dynamics. I hope and pray that this time we will not screw up the end game.
I really respect your witness and your literary acumen in the cause of peace and justice. Bob from Ashland, Oregon"
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