Category: Religion


Redemption is a Bitch

Filed under: Life Lessons, Religion
February 4, 2013

post_50fed2c0518a05.08625298Author Joss Whedon once quoted, “Redemption is something you have to fight for in a very personal, down-dirty way.”

I thought of Mr. Whedon’s quote as I watched Ray Lewis’ Super Bowl press conference. As Bernie Miklasz, Post-DIspatch Sports Columnist phrased, “Ray Lewis is the best of football and the worst of football.”

“He was involved in a double murder and I’m not so sure he gave us all the answers we were looking for,” Esiason said. “He knows what went on there. He can obviously just come out and say it. He doesn’t want to say it. He paid off the families – I get all that, that’s fine. But that doesn’t take away from who he is as a football player. I appreciate you going down there and asking him that direct question. I’m not so sure I buy the answer.”

If one believes Ray Lewis is the God fearing man, who’s dutifully trying to amend for the past, then Mr. Lewis is a beautiful example of grace.

“The one thing I said that, because my name was used the wrong way, money is the last thing I’m worried about, but if money will help those kids out – and not just those kids but any kid I can help, any family I can support, I’ll support,” Lewis said to Sharpe. “So don’t just take that family and say I gave money to that family, because I’ve given money to thousands of families time and time again, just to find a different way to help somebody through a rough time.“

For those who feel Mr. Lewis bought his way out of a conviction all those years ago, Lewis is your man.

Still, if one really reviews the dust of our own cupboard, aren’t we all a little like Mr. Lewis? Doesn’t each of us have some inner demon, some destitute part of the soul that suffers from a lack of redemption?

In truth I have been seeking to alleviate my own desperate physical and spiritual poverty.  When I look back there were certain choices that, that chosen differently, could have eased a hell of a lot of pain. There’s a difference between a great leader and a great man. I know only too well. I am neither a great man nor great leader.

Still, with Lewis’ constant reference to God, one would think Christ appeared to him, just as He di to Paul in Damascus. Still, trust me on one fact, murder does change a man. My hate and anger of so many years ago, replays in my mind. It’s the horror movie that never ends. No amount of works equals redemption. No amount of money will completely ease the pain, the loss, the soul wretched heart-ache. Nothing. Nothing will.

Still, being “religious” isn’t essential to being a kind, considerate person, of course. But Ray Lewis emphasizes his Christian value. As Christians, we have been created for great things. Theoretically, as a Christian, Christ should shine through so that all can see Him. Thus far to me, all Mr. Lewis has shown is that he’s a great football player.  That certainly is not the definition of a great man.

None us need to be more important than we think we are.

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Presidential Gifts

Filed under: Life Lessons, Religion
November 16, 2012

According to Mitt Romney, “The president’s campaign, if you will, focused on giving targeted groups a big gift,” Romney said, citing immigration proposals aimed at Hispanics and free contraception coverage that appealed to young women. “He made a big effort on small things.”

Romney said that the president bought young people by reduced student loan interest, paying off young women by giving them free birth control. Hispanics benefited by amnesty to the children of illegal “aliens.” Blacks were bought off by food stamps and extended unemployment compensation. Additionally, Hispanics also cashed in on Obamacare, with each Hispanic getting a $10,000 gift from Obamacare.

As Republicans bemoan their loss and try to find their compass, I can only affirm that while Republicans may never get my vote, they may actually be America’s soulmate.

As Dr. Wayne Dyer phrased it, “Your soulmate is the person you cannot stand.” He claimed, contrary to popular belief, nobody needs more of what they already are; that type of relationship IS short-lived. Dr. Dyer claims people who inflict the most challenges on us (i.e. personal lessons we must learn), the ones we cannot avoid but must learn, are our true soulmate.

So do I believe Republicans are Christians? My presumption is yes. Do I believe that all Christians are Christ-like? No!

But this leads me to a broader question: who in your life exhibits the most Christ-like qualities? Has it been someone who stayed with you? The stranger who helped you? Someone who took care of you when you’re sick? Full of compassion and generous with their own life?  As Father Braun of Washington University CSC phrased it, “…the most Christ-like are those people who told you the truth so clearly you wanted to kill him/her for because of it. “

If there’s one thing my former true love Ms. K taught, it’s this: true compassion can only be seen from forgiveness. All the pain others cause is real, but if you take the time to get to know the person, see what they are about, you can see the pain in others, that there’s always another side.

When asked what he had observed as the greatest deficiency among American Christians, Helmut Thielicke replied, “ They have an inadequate view of suffering.” Seems hard to argue, as further recorded by Philip Yancey, “One-third of the world went hungry last night.”  Additionally, the ‪ranks of America’s poor edged up last year to a high of 49.7 million.

Thus, in light of all I have written, I simply tell both Republicans and Democrats that if you want to reach inside the soul of America and ‘connect,’ you must be willing to see their pain.

Take Alabama. The 2007 census indicated Alabama had the 10th highest poverty rate, putting it ahead of Mississippi and included the District of Columbia, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas.

  • In 2010, 9,586 children were victims of abuse or neglect in Alabama, a rate of 8.5 per 1,000 children, representing a 15.6% increase from 2009. Of these children, 37.6% were neglected, 50.0% were physically abused, and 22.5% were sexually abused.
  • In 2010, 13 children in Alabama died as a result of abuse or neglect.
  • In 2010, 5,350 children in Alabama lived apart from their families in out-of-home care, compared with 6,894 children in 2009.
  • In 2010, 1,892 of the children living apart from their families were age 5 or younger, and 951 were 16 or older.
  • The total number of individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Alabama increased from 43,326 in 2009 to 51,205 in 2010, an increase of 18.2%.

For all those politicians searching for answers, there’s no buying the poor. There’s not enough ‘food stamps,’ condoms, healthcare, reduced student loans that compensate for abuse or poverty. People do not want to live in poverty. To think such is plain ignorant.

Rather, I simply challenge Republican and Democrat alike to tell me how your policies will positively impact the average everyday worker. How will your policies positively impact the poor and make all American’s life better? If you do that, you will truly be the soulmate never seen in our lifetime.

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Mark 12:17 Give unto Tebow What is Tebow

Filed under: Faith & Doubt, Life Lessons, Religion
October 21, 2012

In a recent article Tim Tebow trademarks ‘Tebowing’, Doug Ferrar commented:

“… the first time we’re aware that a player in any sport has looked to slap a trademark on an on-field celebration. New York Jets quarterback/running back/marquee punt protector Tim Tebow might insist that his bow-down gesture, commonly known as “Tebowing,” is more meaningful (and profitable) than a spike or sack dance, and he’s set some legal effect behind that notion.”

Tebowing is a neologism for the act of kneeling on one knee in prayer with one’s head resting on one’s fist. It is derived from Tebow’s propensity for kneeling and praying. In short, he patented that puppy.

All of us need to give Tebow his due. He wrote a national bestselling book, has own Tim Tebow page on Amazon and his foundation is building a hospital in the Philippines. In lieu of that, all this acknowledgement comes from a quarterback whose last year in Denver accumulated a whopping 29.91% ‘Quarterback Rating’ – meaning he sucked. And this year’s numbers remain unspectacular as well, thrown only three (3) passes thus far this year, with one sack.

So, I admit, I’ve never read his book or much less cared about his foundation. But when I think of all this, I find it messy. Nowhere in the Bible have I ever read “… due to current trademarks, if you want to nail yourself to a cross, walk the passion, heal the sick, turn wine into water, you must pay a cherma or dēnarius.”  Yet Tebow seems to almost unknowingly quote Mark 12:17, silently inferring:

“I want you to love Christ, pray to Christ and be alive in Christ. But dang nabbit, if you pray my way, you’re gonna pay.  Whether it be 10₵, 25₵, or 75₵, you’re going t pay.”

Writer Julia Goralka phrased the problem well:

“If Tebow can trademark the pose of praying with his fist on his forehead, can the Catholic church trademark the “praying hands” pose? If Muslims trademark the traditional poses that coincide with their daily prayer obligations, the yoga instructor at your local gym may be in trouble. Is the term “Buddha belly” indicative of religious affiliation or beer consumption? Or in our case, just a chubby baby?”

Maybe we just need to change Mark 12:17 now and save us the trouble:

“Give unto Tebow what is Tebow and to God what is God’s. And they were amazed at him.”

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Open Letter: This American Life & Foxconn

Filed under: Religion
September 24, 2012

Dear Ira:

As a loyal listener of This American Life, I found episodes 454 and 460 quite intriguing.

Still, as Apple sold its 5 millionth iPhone during the past weekend, I was stunned to read the NY Times article indicating Foxconn Technology, a major supplier to some of the world’s electronics giants, including Apple, closed one of its plants Monday after the police were required to break up a fight among factory employees.

The NY Times reported unconfirmed photographs and video, purporting to be from the factory, showing smashed windows, riot police officers and large groups of workers milling around. Chinese state-run news media said 5,000 police officers had been called in to quell the riot.

Think about that: 5,000 police officers were needed to quell the riot. An entire U.S. Military ‘Brigade’ equals approximately 3,000 to 5,000 troops. The Chinese needed an equivalent of a U.S. Brigade to put down the unrest.

So in light of the fact that episodes 454 and 460 dealt with some fabrications and in light of the recent news coming from Foxconn, I have one question: “Are you sure we didn’t miss something significant?”

Sincerely,

S. G.

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Footprints In The Sand

Filed under: About Love, Faith & Doubt, Life Lessons, Religion — 1 Comment

In a “Fighting for Life” article, a recent blogger penned:

“Whether you’ve been “fighting for life” for 4 days or nearly 40 years, you’re never alone!  You never have been and you never will be. God’s got your back. Period. Protecting and defending life is like running a long marathon, not a short sprint.  Along the journey, the evil one will use weapons of fear, abandonment, disappointment and exhaustion to discourage you and distract you from the finish line. The secret to not feeling abandoned during the “race for life” is to finally realize, once-and-for-all, it’s not about you or me or any of us. It’s all about God and fulfilling His plan according to His will in His time.”

None of the language, such as the ‘evil one,’ etc., really grabbed my attention. What struck me was the blogger’s use of the picture “Footprints in the Sand.” The meaning of which has been extracted accordingly, “When you see two sets of footprints you and Christ are walking side by side. When you only see one set, Christ is carrying.”

I regularly walk the beach at night. It’s quiet and somewhat comforting. But on most days, what do I see? I see sand so hot one cannot possibly walk it. By night, it dampens cold chills through to the bone.

I see annoying. Damn, the very sand which produced the footprints stings during  heavy winds. It’s dry; has little taste; no water. It’s drab, ordinary and dull. Furthermore, you can’t build anything of value, for it’s hard to shape and non-cohesive. It refuses connection. It’s quiet and one can barely hear anything but an ocean wave or distant bird.

Shying away from all the “enemy and God carries you” theme, I found sand to be a wonderful teacher. If you will, like the portrait of Christ walking with us, sand is a lot like life: cold one moment, hot the next.

Life and love can become significantly dry. Similarly, we can provide complete dispossession to all who look upon us. We become ordinary, drab and dull. In spite of our best efforts, so many things come against us that love sifts through our soul. In the end, while Christ walks with us, we are dust. Our impact is limited beyond our very days. And regardless of who walks with us, at the end of day our footprints wash away. New covers old … and the old dissolves.

The real lesson taught is of love. The beach itself has nothing we can cling to. There is no staying power beyond you, me, heaven or earth other than love. Love is the unifying knot. We must recognize that real footprints of lasting change, the real opportunities for building kingdoms are created by the power of grace and forgiveness.  In love’s footprints you’ll find God, Buddha and Christ. And within the steps of mutual recognition and admiration, we hope God will find and walk with us.  Like Christ, love is the only miracle we can give.

I walk the beach hoping to renew love. Usually, all I find is famine, loss, grief and the sifting tide of constant change. But in the moment, I find footprints of love and love’s truth. The truth is on the other side of anguish: it’s called grace.

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How Deep is Your Love?

Filed under: About Love, Faith & Doubt, Life Lessons, Religion
September 23, 2012

Driving through town, I heard the Bee Gee’s song, “How deep is your love?” Listening to the rhythm and reflecting, I blurted, “Show me your scars and I will show you the depth of your love.”

Show me how tired you are, when put your children to sleep and then remained awake to study. Show me your exhaustion; the backaches, fatigue and mental stress of work and then show me how you still served the poor. Or, maybe you’re bone wearied tired and you still see the church, the broken places, the church scandals, the priests, the shame.

Tell us about the wounded love. You know the one that lasted for several years and didn’t work. Tell me what it’s to ask someone to forgive you, to say you’re sorry, to ask for forgiveness. Tell me what it’s to bury a loved one, to let go, to struggle against personal demons, to tame them temporarily and fight them all your life.

Tell me what it’s like sleep yet long for the one you love. They’re not there, they’re gone. You search your heart and think of that person, hoping in some magical way they think of you. Tell me what it’s like to lose early dawn hours, not to sleep, but awaiting a distant phone call from family, hoping the disaster, the crime, the fire, the crime, the accident, the disease, the devastation did not destroy them.

Tell me what it’s like to disappoint people; that no matter how hard life is, how hard you try, you failed and had to explain some personal weakness. You wish they could understand, but they don’t. Maybe they can’t, and maybe they never will. Tell me what it’s like, when you’re awake at night, you’re dying, and all you see are those you’ve hurt.

Show me those scars and I say I will show you the depth of your love.

Shortly after the death of Christ, St. Thomas probably had given up on love. The responsibility of church leadership was weighing him down. He fought hard for the people he loved, but in the end, the people he tried to help got angry and killed. Like many of us, he put so much hope into something only to be hurt again. Maybe he hurt from disappointment. Maybe he was afraid to give ‘love’ his heart again, especially after giving so many times, again and again.

I have been hurt many times. I myself have hurt many times. In process, scarring so many others. For a while, I put love into a vase, glued it to shelf,  left it for admiration and enjoying only its sight but little of the benefit. It was simply too hard to love.

Love is messy. It’s always messy. They change, we change. They all change. Our needs are up, their needs are up. We keep trying to cross chasms only to fall into the gorge below.  We become vulnerable. We tell someone how crazy we are about them; how much we like them, how much we want to spend more time with them. But they’re not interested. How long does each of continue to do that, before we become like Thomas and throw it up on the shelf?

Christ, Buddha, Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King and all great religious leaders would easily quote, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.”  God knows the level of your scars. God knows the honesty, the touch, the pain and agony you feel. He sees you by the very nature and depth of them.

Of all of the relationships we have in this interdependent experience of ours, the most direct, most emotional, and most apt to bring great joy and suffering is a close, intimate relationship with another human being. We give it great, special prominence in our mind, but it helps to remember that it is the same as the apple. It’s about interconnection, interdependence. You cannot experience great love without the possibility immense pain.

What we don’t see is that the scars each person has is part of a greater, more glorious love. When Thomas saw Christ, he saw the scars. That’s how he recognized Christ. Ideally, it’s how we recognize those who love us … and those we love as well. We are all scarred and scabbed. We’ve been beaten, but we’ve been molded.

It may come to pass in the next life that I will not know you by your accomplishments, by your success. I will know you by your scars. In heaven, I will recognize you by what you have suffered for love’s sake. In the beginning, the Apostles asked the master to show them scars. In the end, Christ may do the same.

So here today, Buddhist and Christian alike, we should only ask one question, “Show me your scars?”  If you do, I will then show you the greatness of your love.

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The Butterfly Effect

Filed under: About Love, Do No Harm, Life Lessons, Religion — 4 Comments
September 13, 2012

The Butterfly Effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the theoretical example of a hurricane’s formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings. In theory, the butterfly effect occurs when a small change at one place has a significant impact on another condition.  In it’s rough form, the Muslim denigration titled, ‘Innocence of Muslims,’ serves as a primary example of Mr. Lorenz’s theory.

Throughout the years of American history, many have chosen to blame others for our own words and deeds, as if our own perpetuity can be so easily absolved.  Still, the very name of ‘religion’ itself has been scourged and skewered by Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Monks and many others alike. The following summary is a brief reflection on intolerance and killing performed in the name of religion:

    1.  Buddhist Murders in Burma
    2.  Thuggee Murders
    3.  Mountain Meadows Massacre
    4.  The Inquisitions
    5.  Salem Witch Hunts
    6.  Roman Persecutions
    7.  Aztec Human Sacrifice
    8.  Islamic Jihads
    9.  The Crusades

In looking at our own human history, it is clear each of us can either be a fulcrum for good or a fulcrum for evil; that each of us, can at times, be not only the master of our destiny, but the master of another as well. Individually, each of us holds a key of love and a key of hate.

U.S. law enforcement claimed a Mr. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is behind the anti-Muslim film being blamed for mob attacks in Egypt, Libya and Yemen. While the pathetic and ill-conceived movie ‘Innocence of Muslims’ was filmed during August of 2011, I am pretty positive that neither Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the film’s actors nor Ambassador Christopher Stevens and embassy staff knew just how tradgically impactful the film would become. I find it ironic that Mr. Stevens’ who’s spent much of his adult life fighting bigotry, would ultimately be propelled toward death by a bigot in his own country. In the end, those who stormed American Embassies and killed Ambassador Stevens probably never saw the film.

As a Buddhist, we must continue to remember “Ahimsa,” meaning do no harm. Live in love and generosity. Do not respond to bigotry by hate. Rather reach deep into your hearts, find the refreshing waters of love and find another way.  We as a nation cannot control the actions of every bigot who must for some unknown reason find it necessary to spew forth their filth unto the world. But it is important to note that such actions, even how our own personal actions, can have such far-reaching consequences.

By Muslim standards, in some irrational way, Mohammed may have been redeemed. From a personal perspective, a producer will probably be sued or returned to prison, the actors vilified and the families of all embassy staff will mourn. Still it is our humanity that cries from the depth of pain.  It is we, “… the poor in spirit” who will suffer.” It’s us, who once again have to force Christ to say, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

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Why the LCWR is Important

Filed under: Do No Harm, Faith & Doubt, Religion
August 12, 2012
In my job, ‘Drive Time’ can be exhaustive.  Usually, traveling from one area of the country to another can take as many as ten to twelve hours. Today’s drive was no stranger to that. Up at 4:30 AM, performed morning prayers and out the door by 6:00 AM for the morning flight. Spent ninety minutes connecting at O’Hare International Airport and finally flew into Baltimore at 2:25 PM.  From Baltimore, grabbed a rental car, headed south, crossed over Chesapeake Bay on highway 50 and some three hours later got to the ‘Middle of Nowhere, MD.’Traveling such distances allows one to see a lot. As I recently said to one LCWR sister, I believe there is a significant variance between Catholic tradition and the current world. I love tradition. I honor and respect tradition! Yet I recognize the world today is wholly different from that of Christ’s.  The faith of our past will not address the needs of the many today.The real threat to America is our policies. The issues that most threaten this country – underperforming schools, unavailable, inadequate and expensive healthcare, urban environmental challenges, high unemployment among our youth and a struggling economy- are endemic in these communities. For example, according to 2011 Census statistics, 43.6 million U.S. citizens live in poverty. Another sobering statistic: 17 million children nationwide living without proper food and one in four children have no healthcare.  A quarter of farmers live below the poverty level.

From a business perspective, if Senator Paul Ryan’s budget is implemented, current Medicare and Medicaid funding standards will be significantly overhauled. Truthfully, many rural hospitals will cease to operate.  Since the existence of the hospital supports other medically related businesses activities, such as physician services, pharmacies, home health services, and independent allied health professionals, the closure negatively impacts the community, associated businesses and services. In such a scenario, a significant jobs loss will result and the community suffers from reduced care options.

As I said previously, I honor the precept to do no harm.  But if one is for life, then one has to be for quality of life as well. As Christopher Nardi of the National Post wrote:

“I pray the perseverance displayed by the nuns in contesting the bishops’ report gives hope that significant changes are to come within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.“

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It Takes at Least a Village

Filed under: Faith & Doubt, Religion
August 9, 2012

I received a brief note from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR).  In that note, she wrote:

“…you are spot on…you are thinking like a global, universal Catholic…the type of mature Catholicity we need for the future.”

Seriously in all honesty to the LCWR, I thank you for kind letter and thoughts ….

The problems I have seen are not unique only to America. Everywhere I travel, I see people basing decisions upon secular political thoughts and choosing between impossible paths: usually extremes from one perspective or another.

Yet, in truth, finding the ‘right, more balanced’ path is hard. Doing so demands a significant amount of time. Cultivating love where there’s none, developing compassion in the specter of hate, finding courage and wisdom in weakness involves immense focus and determination.

And that’s what I believe the Vatican is missing.

The world is not only out there, it’s within us.  Hate and love (ying/yang, etc.) are mirrors. Thus, we are mirrors of each other. And like the LCWR, from my viewpoint, to really address the roots of suffering, all loving Christians (Catholic, Evangelical and otherwise), all loving Buddhists, all loving Jews, all loving Muslims must be prepared to change the economic, social, political structure and ideology.  That’s right, all of us, whether teacher, community leaders, organizers, activists, lawyers or parents has to be able to link spiritual values and infuse agape love into the world’s needs.

The problem is commitment.  Such formative action requires commitment. And many of us can barely even think about committing to think about going to church once a week.

Without transformation, without knowing ourselves we risk losing the very resources of love and compassion the Holy Spirit gave us. We have huge challenges. And even if I am not welcome to the table, I continually make myself available for wherever the Spirit leads.

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Leadership Conference for Women Religious Update

Filed under: Faith & Doubt, Religion
August 7, 2012

As an update to two stories I recently wrote about, I read in the paper 900 Roman Catholic nuns are meeting this week in St. Louis, MO to discuss their future relationship with the Vatican. As they would say in the south:

“Is ya’ll succeeding from thar state (meaning are you separating from the church)?”

According to the St. Louis Post – Dispatch:

“…the Vatican report was released in April, … has resonated with some American Catholics who feel bishops have become too focused on gay marriage and abortion. Many took issue with the Vatican report that denounced the sisters’ group — which represents nuns who work with the poor and sick — for being ‘silent on the right to life from conception to natural death” and for leaving “the Church’s biblical view of family life and human sexuality” off its “agenda.“”

Seriously, I know the nuns would never split from the Church, but personally, I find this so funny.  The Vatican denounced the sister’s group on the right to life from ‘conception to natural death?’

One would think that the ‘conception to natural death’ would be central and include such things as combating poverty, illness, sex trafficking, etc. Ah … not exactly. To find a truer definition, one only needs to look at the St. Louis Respect Life Apostate and their mission statement (or maybe that’s their personal mission perspective):

“… promoting the Catholic Church’s teachings on respect for and legal protection of every human life from conception to natural death by coordinating educational, spiritual, pastoral, and public policy advocacy efforts with particular focus on those issues in the culture that threaten life – abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and unethical advances in scientific technology.”

So that’s it?  Just issues focusing on abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, etc., etc.? Man … that’s whacked. What happened to child welfare, healthcare reform, housing insecurity, increased use of self-medication, lack of education, unsafe sex, ineffective parenting, inability to hold a job, lack of self-care, suicide, spousal abuse, incest, crime, assault, battering, rape, and homicide? Nada!

I also find it interesting that conservative American churchmen in Rome, including disgraced former Boston Cardinal Bernard Law, were key players in pushing the hostile takeover of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Many have long viewed the LCWR with suspicion for emphasizing social justice over loyalty to church hierarchy on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

Still, Law was joined by a former archbishop of St. Louis, Cardinal Raymond Burke, who was named to a top Vatican judicial post in 2008 — a move that was seen as a case of being “kicked upstairs” because Burke’s hard-line views made him so controversial in the U.S. Also reportedly backing the probe was Cardinal James Stafford, a former Denver archbishop.

The fact that Burke and Law, who were given refuge in 2002 after the sexual abuse scandal exploded in Boston, played a key role in the investigation of the LCWR has been like salt in the wound for those who support the nuns.

I believe the LCWR should have grudge match with Bishop Leonard Blair at the villa in Grant Park. I mean think about it … The ‘Thrilla at the Villa.’

If you see any of the LCRW, tell them I said to kick butt.

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