Oneness

America's Liberal Soul

2012-01-02T16:31:00.002-05:00

The word “liberal” is a nasty word for many people, especially in the south. That’s unfortunate because no other word expresses the soul of America as well as the word “liberal”, which basically means free and generous.

When Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, he was driven by liberal ideas such as liberty, freedom and equality…elevating basic human rights above the rights of kings, dictators and wealth.

Our United States Constitution established structures to guarantee these rights, along with a mechanism to make progressive amendments… another very liberal ideal. Without these life-giving amendments, our constitution would become a dead document to be exploited by the rich and powerful …threatening America’s liberal soul.

Moving forward almost 100 years, Abraham Lincoln dared to challenge wealthy, conservative plantation owners by ending slavery. He was followed by other liberals who challenged unjust systems which oppressed women, the working poor and minorities.

As you walk through history, it becomes clear that most human progress depends on liberal ideas and liberal people.

As a classic liberal, Jesus challenged systems that allowed the powerful and wealthy to oppress and exploit the poor, the foreigner, and others who were not part of the conservative system. And as is often the case, the system labeled him an enemy and killed him.

Other famous liberals like Gandhi, Kennedy and King would meet similar fates.

Monopolies, plutonomies and oligarchies always demand liberal challenges. The Old Testament prophets were extremely liberal in their speaking out against the “powers that be”. And as expected, conservative powers always accuse liberal prophets of being dangerous and unpatriotic.

Liberal governments promote peace, justice and diplomacy while conservative governments promote fear, distrust and aggressive first strikes. Liberals give hope to the poor and weak, while conservatives tend to protect their more affluent peers with large police forces and strong militaries.

Liberal eyes tend to see the bigger picture and think globally, while conservative eyes tend to focus on a smaller world comprised of people like them. Liberals value diversity and are open to learning new things. Conservatives prefer uniformity and traditional thinking.

Liberal ideology stands up for human rights, builds hospitals, supports labor laws, creates social safety nets like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Conservative ideology often wants to dismantle these hard earned liberal victories and return to a more primitive and painful past.

Liberals support free market capitalism – it was originally a liberal concept. But liberals would never promote capitalism as the answer to everything. Conservatives might.

Finally, God is the greatest liberal of all. God is creative, generous, liberating and forgiving. God always stands up for the poor and the weak, against the wealthy and powerful. As Mary proclaimed, “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” God welcomes diversity and is full of grace, “causing his sun to rise and his rain to fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous”. God has a bleeding heart.

I pray America remains true to her heart in 2012.

Common Ground

2011-12-05T15:34:00.006-05:00

I’m not an atheist, but I certainly respect their worldview and have learned much from it. I have many atheist friends whom I admire, and I often discover I have more in common with them than many of my theist peers.

It seems that every group, whether it’s atheist, theist or agnostic, has both traditional and progressive adherents …conservative and liberal voices. I consider myself a more progressive theist, but I deeply appreciate the more progressive atheists I have known.

At the risk of over-simplifying and (hopefully not) offending my atheist friends, here are some “beliefs” I think both “liberal” atheists and “liberal” theists might share.

· A healthy dose of agnosticism is crucial for any dialogue with other worldviews. Even as human knowledge keeps growing exponentially, we know almost nothing in the grand scheme of things. Even our most renowned scientists and philosophers are like microbes trying to understand quantum mechanics.

Not knowing challenges our need to be in control. Being confused and lost is uncomfortable, especially for those of us who are not used to it. While most conservatives adamantly resist it, a willingness to embrace this “dark night of the soul” is necessary for growth.

Any search for truth that does not grow increasingly more open and humble along the way is destined to fail.

· We must not hold on too tightly to what has sustained us in the past. How much of what we resist is subconsciously driven by fear of death or fear of irrelevance? As humans we need to survive and we need to matter. The possibility of failing either quest is emotionally painful to say the least. Avoidance of either fate drives most of our politics, leading to war and injustice.

Unfortunately, these fears also make it difficult for us to navigate the major intellectual paradigm shifts necessary for learning. It’s hard to let go of what gives us individual security and group identity. But let go we must if we are “to explore strange new worlds (and) boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Buddhists talk about leaving the ship behind once we arrive at our new shore. Some early explorers actually burned the ships to avoid turning back. Jesus talked about dying to self in order to save oneself and the futility of putting new wine in old wineskins. Would we have ever heard of Einstein had he not dared to question the fundamental concepts of Newtonian physics?

There is a level of belief conservation that warns us against letting go too quickly, but both atheists and theists should wear our beliefs like a loose jacket rather than a life jacket.

· Institutionalism is both good and bad. Whether it is governmental, religious, educational, scientific or economic, we are both served and threatened by institutions. Formal structures ultimately become outdated at best and corrupted at worst.

For years I have wrestled with institutional religion; yet it was those very institutions that gave me the knowledge to question and discern the good from the bad. Institutions are the vehicles through which we pass knowledge forward. They easily become bloated and self-serving; but if we limit ourselves to sharing oral traditions around the campfire, is that sufficient?

Is the conservative politician’s demand for dangerously low levels of government similar to the conservative atheist’s demand for no religion at all or the conservative theist’s demand for an inerrant Bible? I do imagine John Lennon’s world, but institutions are necessary as we journey that way.

· Human beings need hope. Someone said we all need “something to do, someone to love and something to hope for.” A line from the musical South Pacific reads, “You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?” Hope is like a dream. Can you imagine where we would be today if not for women and men who had big dreams and high hopes?

Is the hope provided by the healthier religions at least as valuable as the skepticism that keeps them honest? Is there value in hoping for a transcendent state of being in which all the world’s suffering will not only stop, but also be found meaningful and even necessary? Obviously our selfish egos desire that, but does that alone disprove it?

Is it too childish to at least be open to the possibility that the universe knows and loves us? That we may be here by design rather than mere chance? Bobby Kennedy said, “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”

I used a lot of question marks in these last 3 paragraphs, but that’s the essence of hope – valuing question marks as much as periods, especially in regard to possibilities we may be skeptical about.

If the adage is true: we are usually right in what we affirm and wrong in what we deny, the solutions to many of our nation’s problems will require finding common ground amidst our various polemics. I offer the above as a starting point.

Are Your Really Pro Life?

2011-10-30T11:34:00.002-04:00

Cheers to all those who recently participated in the nationwide "chain of life" event held recently along the streets of downtown Gainesville, Georgia

To me, abortion is a tragic mistake and a national scandal. Unfortunately, however, I find a deep inconsistency in most people's thinking about "pro life" and "pro choice" issues. Here's why.

Abortion is clearly a "life ending" event. So is any type of birth control, which simply moves the "life ending" event further back in time. In the same way, moving forward in time, any failure to provide adequate food, shelter, education or healthcare to children simply moves the "life ending" event further into the future. All of these events obviously reflect a culture of death and selfishness rather than a culture of life.

To be truly "pro life" is to be pro all the things required for children to be born and then raised in a healthy environment.

I find it strangely inconsistent to be "pro life" when it comes to abortion, but "pro choice" when it comes to healthcare and other social safety nets, especially those needed by children.

I find it equally inconsistent to be "pro choice" regarding abortion, but "pro life" regarding healthcare and other social safety nets.

And to further confuse the issue, how can "pro-life" be pro death penalty? ...pro war? ...pro deportation of immigrant children? ...pro survival of the fittest?

And both sides seem to want government involved in some issues but not others.

For example, many Christians will argue they are for social safety nets; they just don’t want government to provide them. Yet, they do want government to stop abortion, allow formal prayer in school, fund wars, carry out executions and protect their own private healthcare.

Most politicians are no better. They’re just reading the latest polls and supporting whatever the majority want at the moment so they can get re-elected. Don’t expect consistency there…or real leadership.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems to me we are mostly just pro "my life" and pro "my choice", with a few exceptions to make us feel better.

Again, I stand with those who stand against abortion. I just pray "pro-life” will one day expand beyond the womb. Quickly aborting a life in the womb or slowly aborting a slightly older life on the poor side of town or in another country is equally tragic.

We're All Very Predictable

2011-09-07T08:54:00.000-04:00

The age old debate over free will and determinism is as relevant today as ever.

If we have significant amounts of free will, then people deserve what they get, now and forever. Punishment and retribution are justified. We may offer forgiveness and second chances, but it will be limited and temporary.

On the other hand, if most of our free will is an illusion and most people's fate is determined by nature, nurture and who they know (as growing evidence suggests), then we have two options. We will either ignore the less fortunate in our society and try to minimize their cost; or we will excercise compassion toward them by establishing economic safety nets, rehabilitation programs or some type of protective custody when rehabilitation fails.

Most of our current political debates, locally and nationally, can be understood using these 3 modalities.

Proponents of free will tend to oppose tax increases that benefit the masses and favor tough enforcement of laws that punish "bad people". The individual is more important than the group and government exists primarily to protect individual rights and individual possessions. War, long prison sentences and capital punishment are acceptable. The powerful (financial, religious and political), will ultimatelty become very skillful in defending this position, and even exploiting it for economic, religious and political gain. A common mantra is "anyone can be successful or 'good' if they choose to be."

Proponents of determinism, on the other hand, are of two types. They may hold the same positions described above, not because they believe people are free to choose, but because they simply don't care or they don't believe there's a solution. Their rule of thumb is "survival of the fittest" and "let nature take her course".

Other proponents of determinism, however, will exercise compassion and mercy. They will support tax increases that benefit the masses and will oppose a criminal justice system that is focused on retribution more than restoration. This third group believes we're all connected and talks a lot about social justuce, human rights, solidarity and mercy. They may or may not be religious.

Here's an illustration of how the powerful exploit the first two groups of people. A rich man, a middle class man and a poor man sat down at a table with a pile of cookies. The rich guy immediately grabs all but one. Then he says to the middle class guy, while pointing to the poor man, "Are you going to let him steal your cookie?"

As a radical old man who identifies more with the 3rd group, I actually believe families would be healthier and happier living on one income at or near the poverty level. I believe "the poor are blessed" and "the love of money is the root of all evil." I believe it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved, but I still believe all will be. I guess I'm a liberal calvinistic universalist catholic with a healthy dose of agnosticism.

Finally, I believe an economic system dependent on ever expanding revenues is unsustainable and will ultimately collapse. Be prepared.

Compassion

2011-09-07T08:53:00.000-04:00

As fiscal conservatives begin to exert more and more influence over the future of our state and nation, I pray they will remember to show compassion to the working poor, to children, the elderly, the disabled and the handicapped... all those who will never achieve the American dream; not because they're unwilling to work hard, but because they simply cannot compete in our modern economy.

For various reasons beyond their control, some will always be at a disadvantage. We all know who they are. They are in our families, our churches and our communities. Often we refuse to acknowledge the reality of their plight, but the weak hand they were dealt is real, nevertheless.

Wealth is relative and we cannot all be rich. "The poor will always be among you" - not because of what they do or don’t do - but because of how societies function. This is not to say that children can't overcome their circumstances - many do. But many more cannot, and their quality of life depends almost entirely on the compassion of others.

We can quote statistics, but the bottom line is this: half the world is worried about what they will eat tomorrow - they are poor. Half the world is NOT worried about what they will eat tomorrow - they are rich. And yes, you may never see them, but there are many in Gainesville who worry about what they or their children will eat tomorrow.

Poverty is not just the result of laziness or bad choices. It is just as often the result of bad timing, bad luck, bad genes, bad parents and bad systems. We can all identify people who deserve their poverty, but for everyone like that, there are just as many who are poor due to no fault of her own. As imperfect as they are, we must not dismantle the economic safety nets that took decades to put in place.

The wealthy who have the ability to create jobs and grow our economy must understand this and be committed to the common good of all people. If not, they can just as easily create jobs in other countries where regulations and the cost of doing business is much lower. Or they can take advantage of high unemployment and refuse to pay fair wages and provide fair benefits... thereby continuing to shrink the middle class. By doing so, they only enhance their own quality of life, not anyone else’s.

The same greed that makes capitalism an effective economic approach can also make it immoral if that greed is not controlled and if those in power have no compassion for the rest of society… and no willingness to share their good fortune. Wealth only “trickles down” if the wealthy want it to.

A beloved Pope once said, "A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members." May we always treat our weakest members with mercy and compassion.

Religion, Politics & Wealth

2011-09-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

The American middle class is no match for wealthy politicians and wealthy preachers. When it comes to money, they will outsmart and out maneuver the middle class every time.

We're in the midst of the largest upward transfer of wealth in American history. Not only will our middle class children remain saddled with future debt, the middle class will pay more and more of the current interest on it.

Maybe not through income taxes, which are the lowest in 50 years, but through a myriad of other taxes that keep going up (sales, property, utilities, gasoline, fines, fees, licenses, payroll, etc.). The last thing we need is tax reform that further reduces the income tax and increases all other taxes.

Remember, the only tax requiring the wealthy to pay more than the rest of us is the income tax. Of course they want to lower it! Yes, the top 50% of income earners pay most of the income taxes, but…they earn most of the income…so what’s the problem?

And what about wealthy preachers? The wealthy don't need social security, Medicare and Medicaid. Therefore, they don't want to help pay for them. They suggest letting churches take care of the poor.

The problem is, churches won't and they know it. Most religious contributions go to salaries, housing, car allowances, marketing, religious entertainment, trips to Israel, Bible cruises, conferences, family life centers, banquets, bills, etc. There are exceptions, but the percentage of their income most churches give to the poor is shocking. Like most the wealthy, they prefer to keep what’s theirs.

Actually, I would be open to taxing church income if I knew all the money would go toward social safety nets. Why not? That would force churches to spend at least 25% of their income on the poor.

But affluent preachers have already joined with affluent politicians and will quote scripture “proving” the money should stay within their affluent congregations. After all, without affluent buildings, bodies and budgets, the gospel couldn't be preached (and they wouldn't have jobs).

Why should churches care for the poor anyway, especially foreigners? Why waste money on educating, feeding and healing “them”? Their parents broke the law. Let them stay in Mexico and eat cake.

Besides, Obama wants to take away our guns. That’s the real issue. How else will we “Christians” defend our possessions?

Seriously, it's all about who gets the largest slice of the American pie. The middle class scored some points during the 40’s, 50's and 60's, but from an historical standpoint, we never really had a chance.

Now, the politicians (you have to be wealthy to be one) and the preachers (definitely upwardly mobile) have joined forces. Sort of reminds me of something I read in the Book of Revelation.

And if we challenge them, we’re either unpatriotic or going to hell. Plus, they might pass new laws to put us in new private prisons.

By the way, did you know the Biblical numerical value of FOX is 666? Seriously!

Why Are We Here?

2009-11-12T21:54:00.000-05:00

“Why are we here?” the young man asked.
The old man bowed his head.
“Love”…then silence. “Love”…more silence.
That’s all the old man said.

“I’m not sure that explains it all”,
The young man said with a smile.
Finally, the old man spoke again,
“Can you sit here for a while?”

“Sure”, replied the young man,
“Tell me of this love.”
The old man raised his head
And pointed up above.

“Do you believe in God, my son,
Or was it simply chance,
That filled the world with music
And made the atoms dance?

Why is there something rather than nothing?
Nothing is all there should be
Were it not for Love’s desire
To create all that could be.

God is love and love must share:
Resulting in creation.
Chance is cold and lifeless,
Devoid of true formation.

Chance is cruel and selfish,
But love must always give
Even give itself
And go where others live.

That’s why you are here, my son
To be loved and to love.
To be apart and selfish
Is at odds with God above.

And does God let us choose
To be at odds with Him,
To doubt this song of love
And risk a future dark and grim?

That might explain the emptiness,
The anger, guilt and fear
That haunt so many lives
when finally death draws near.

My son, our hearts are restless
Until they rest in Him;
Until they see through His eyes,
Our eyes just grow more dim.

To be loved and to love,
As we struggle with life’s pain;
Makes us one with God
And allows us to obtain

For ourselves and those around us,
A world with fewer tears,
And find, in that, who we are
And the reason we are here.

Oneness with God and others,
This is Love’s design;
Death to self, then resurrection
Within the bread and wine.

Love creates us, then sets us free,
Then restores us when we fall.
Becoming all we’re meant to be
One with Him and one with all.

Earth and Heaven

2009-09-21T21:15:00.000-04:00

On earth we walk in darkness, not knowing where to turn,
Knowing less and less, as more and more we learn.
“That sounds right to me, but on the other hand…”
Will there ever be a time we finally understand?

On earth our dreams get shattered; things can change so fast.
The world is moving our way, then suddenly a blast
From out of nowhere stops us, we never quite break through;
Is there a place beyond the rainbow where all our dreams come true?

On earth we don’t quite finish all the things we start;
Another incomplete, another missing part.
If we only had more time, we’ve only just begun.
Will there ever be a time when things, unfinished here, get done?

On earth we feel so empty, so dissatisfied;
Pleasure doesn’t make us happy, the television lied.
Money doesn’t fill the void; we yearn for something more.
Where is the missing piece we keep on searching for?

On earth we get hurt badly by people with no feeling,
We search in vain for a place of justice & of healing.
In anger we discover how unfair life can be,
Can nothing make it right? Can nothing set us free?

On earth we make mistakes and struggle with our guilt,
We wonder if a life destroyed can ever be rebuilt.
Our sins cost us more than we ever meant to pay.
Can we ever go back home once we’ve gone astray?

On earth our faith is challenged and helpless mothers cry,
When heartless men and nations let little children die.
Greedy systems murder with no one to indict.
Can all this senseless evil ever be made right?

On earth we hide from death and pray there’s something more.
We hope there is a Heaven, beyond that scary door.
When we lose our loved ones, there is no greater pain,
Are they gone forever? Will they live again?

All once lost will be restored, once bound will be set free.
Every good and perfect gift will ours forever be,
All the pain we knew on earth could never be made right
Will heal and be no more when bathed in heaven’s light

We are meant to be here and hell cannot defeat
The promises of God to make our lives complete;
To bring back all once lost, to make right all once wrong,
To heal our broken hearts, restore our silenced song.

It’s not so far away as many might perceive;
Love will bring it near if only we’ll believe
That we are deeply loved and nothing can compete
With what God has in store for us when like a grain of wheat

We fall to earth and die, but only to be raised
To see a perfect world and ‘ever be amazed.
Love received and given reveals what God will do
To overcome our pain and make our lives all new.

Love received and given reveals what God has done
To heal our selfish nature and make His children one.
As we forgive our debtors and give freely to the poor,
Instead of having less and less, we gather more and more

If only we could die to self and rise with Him in glory,
We'd finally know the truth and tell the old, old story
of victory in Jesus, joy in the midst of pain,
light in the midst of darkness, sunshine in the midst of rain.

There is a place by us not seen, where, by faith, we go.
There is a time by us not measured, where, by grace, we grow.
Living out what we receive within the Bread and Wine:
Dying, rising, loving…one with the Divine.

Balaam's ass

2009-09-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

"God spoke to Balaam through his ass, and He's been speaking through asses ever since. So if God should choose to speak through you, you need not think too highly of yourself. And if on meeting someone, you recognize right away what they are, listen to them anyway, because God spoke to Ballaam through his ass and He's been speaking through asses ever since," Rich Mullins.

Watch one of his final concerts here.

God Came To Us

2009-08-30T22:08:00.000-04:00

God came to us long ago and said let there be light.

Time and space became for all a journey into night.

Beauty was His whisper, conscience heard Him speak,
Now and then He shouted through pain that made us weak.

He came to us again through prophets and the law,
Oh to see again the visions men of old once saw.

He came so close one starry night, and stayed for 30 years.
Our journey changed forever when God shed human tears.

He came afresh when all seemed lost - later it was said:
“Did we not recognize Him in the breaking of the bread?”

Until He comes in glory – the sun no more to shine,
He comes at every Mass in the form of bread and wine.

He also comes a million times, but our eyes fail to see
Behind those hungry faces, our God’s own painful plea.

Father, unrelenting, forever seek your sheep.
Break down our resistance and every promise keep.

Hound us with your mercy, never give us rest;
Until your church triumphant lies safe upon your breast.

Alan Shope - Easter 2008

To my Baptist friends

2009-08-29T22:34:00.000-04:00

1. There is a downward pull throughout life against which we all struggle. It manifests itself in addiction, hatred, violence, depression, confusion, selfishness, arrogance, suffering, emptiness and a host of other destructive actions and social systems.
2. We all need help in overcoming that destructive force which is both internal and external . We may or may not be aware of our need. God must open our eyes.
3. God, working through other people, random circumstances, our own prayers and desires, etc., will provide that help.
4. ...If we don't resist...if we freely cooperate. Our cooperation involves faith, repentance, love, denying self, charity, worship, hope, etc.
5. This is a life-long process. Salvation is a process through time rather than a point in time. There will be many key moments along the way, but none of these can be labeled "the" moment of conversion.
6. I believe with all my heart that the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus was absolutely necessary for human salvation, however, understanding it or even knowing about it is not necessary as one begins this process. This explains why people living before Jesus was born and people living today who have never heard of Jesus can still experience God's grace and salvation.
7. Ultimately, salvation is to experience oneness with God. Everything else flows from that union. This is the common element in all religion. In Jesus, God becomes one with us so we can become one with God. In Jesus, God shares our humanity so we can share His divinity. As we die with Christ and start loving God and others through Christ, we experience oneness with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. No longer separated from God, we are reconciled to God and each other and thereby experience the peace and healing associated with that. We enter the Kingdom of God and become part of the body of Christ, the church.
8. As we seek to evangelize and "preach the gospel", our focus should not be on theology and persuading people to "believe" the right things. Our focus should be on helping people experience God's love and grace in overcoming the downward pull of sin in their lives... help people on the road that leads to destruction change direction and find the road that leads to life...help people who are losing the battle, start winning the battle. We spend too much time trying to get people to believe certain things about Jesus and "accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior." We need to meet them where they are and show them that God loves them and desires to help them experience freedom, healing, forgiveness and purpose...just like Jesus did. If they have questions about religion, let them hear about Jesus; but if their lives are broken, which is more often the case, let them see Jesus in us.
9. Someday every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. All the world will see "the Lamb of God which takes the away the sins of the world." But for now, those of us who have been crucified with Christ should do the things he did...take good news to the poor, freedom to the prisoners, release to the captives, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, etc. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men." Our deeds lift up Jesus far more than our words do. People will be drawn to Jesus when they see Jesus in us. To be drawn to Jesus is to be drawn along "the road less traveled". To be drawn to Jesus is to be drawn into a loving oneness with God and God's people.
10. Theology will come later. Deeds are more important than creeds. The world needs our hearts and hands more than our heads. As St. Francis said, "preach the gospel everywhere, and if necessary, use words." I pray God will give us the wisdom to know when to use words and when to love. The Bible tells us "God is love". Jesus said the greatest comandments are to love God and to love others. Salvation is about learning to love and be loved, and thereby experience oneness with God. This oneness with God that Jesus makes possible by the power of the Holy Spirit manifests itself through love. It feels like love. It is attained by love and produces love. "Now abide faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love."

Why?

2009-08-29T02:59:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking of the girl in the news today who was kidnapped at age 11 and held as a slave for 18 years in the kidnappers backyard...bearing him two children. I have 3 daughters and the thought of such a tragic event leaves me asking why a loving, all powerful God allows such horror. I know all the traditional answers, but I also know that if that were my daughter, those answers would probably not satisfy me.

Is there an explanation? No, only a response. Job's wife told Job to "curse God and die", but Job said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him." I trust that somehow God was with her at some level beyond our comprehension, ...and that even though she must have cried out many times in 11 year old language, "Why hast Thou forsaken me?", there was and still will be a "resurrection" for her and her family.

Often, it's the fact that we don't know very much about life and eternity that gives me hope... that the answers to life's most difficult questions lie in that vast realm of unknowing. I simply trust that "the God of all the earth... will do what's right" and someday will "wipe away all tears from our eyes". I pray for her and her family's healing.