Recently I had the opportunity to attend a Taizé service held monthly to remember the hundreds of children in Chicago killed through violence. To help heal the community from this on-going violence, a friend of mine is involved with the Hyde Park Union Church. Together they have created the Urban Dolorosa, an ecumenical movement in Chicago.
“Urban Dolorosa is a ministry of Hyde Park Union Church and a growing network of churches, faith congregations, community groups, artists, and concerned citizens. We are a multicultural, ecumenical, and interfaith witness – calling the city to notice this crisis of violence and to respond by supporting peace-making efforts in our neighborhoods. Here’s some of the story of how we began and what we hope to accomplish through our memorial events.
Urban Dolorosa is a diverse multicultural movement. We are committed to stand alongside the neighborhoods in our city that have been devastated by violence. Anyone is welcome to join with us in this movement, to remember the lost and living children of our city, to stand and pray alongside the communities devastated by this violence, and to support our campaign to awaken a more committed and compassionate response in our city.”
Just one more example that we as individuals, with just our very presence, can profoundly change our own communities and even our society. We are the 99%.
The media makes sure that we are aware of the differences of each tradition. Christianity claims Jesus is God who brings salvation or healing. Islam claims the Q’uran is God speaking. Judaism claims the Law will save us. Yoga claims the eight-fold path (Ashtanga) will bring divine union or equanimity. Buddhism claims Buddha was a human being who achieved enlightenment.
In spite of their real and significant differences, have you ever noted the interesting similarities between Buddhism, Yoga, Judaism, Christianity and Islam?
We do need to acknowledge that there are vast differences in beliefs between the world’s major philosophical traditions of Buddhism and Yoga, along with the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each of these traditions promises a different goal or end. Salvation, divine union or enlightenment, for example, are not the same thing. We need to trust that each tradition knows enough about its own spiritual path to know where they are taking their followers. We could say that there are many worthwhile destinations in the land of God or ultimate reality, if you like.
Then again, it can be noted that there are vast differences within each of these traditions themselves. In many ways, Reform and Orthodox Judaism are miles apart for example. The same is true of evangelicals and Catholics in the Christian tradition.
Still, as a group, these traditions do highlight surprisingly similar aspects of the experience of living a human life. Today I thought I would detail a few of them quickly. The similarities highlighted here are what I am familiar with from my own personal study in each tradition – but don’t cover every tradition. Nevertheless, I find these similarities curious and in a way, appealing, even comforting.
Each tradition tells us something about the human story or path. Each tradition offers a way for embarking on the spiritual journey. That journey often requires losing or leaving everything behind (“Leave everything and follow me.”) There is great suffering associated with this. Buddha can barely stand to leave his wife and son.
However, the resulting journey is worth this huge cost. The journey requires that we navigate a path that was unanticipated. This path is partially illuminated before us – just like the picture above – it lures us in. But what lies ahead is hidden. We must trust. In many cases it is through a deep suffering or loss that our path is revealed. In any case, we have an opportunity to discover the true nature of reality – which is this: our bliss or joy comes by being truly, deeply present to each moment, as it really is (“Now begins the practice of Yoga.” Sutra 1.1.) This love, joy, divine nature, is in fact the underpinning of reality – “the pearl of great price,” freedom from suffering, liberation from slavery, union with the divine.
We are initimately connected to this reality. More than this, we are actually a part of it. “The Kingdom is within you” Jesus tells us. It is our own minds and undisciplined ego that bring about suffering. “What defiles comes from within not from without.” It is our enslavement to culture, ego and desire – symbolized in the dominant cultures of Egypt or Rome for example – that brings pain to us and others.
We don’t need a monastery, deprivation, or rigidity. This is merely another form of enslavement. Moderation is enough. We only need to be present to the teacher within ourselves which is manifested through each and every moment we live.
Being present to each moment is difficult because it requires letting go of our ego and cultural way of viewing things – a softening of our programmed lenses, if you will or replacing our stoney hearts with hearts of flesh as the Jewish scriptures declare. But if we can use the disciplines of moderation, the Five Pillars, asana poses, other-centeredness and meditation or contemplative prayer, (time in the desert) we can learn to become truly present to reality as it really is.
These disciplines are defined in the Eight-Fold Path (Yoga), the Five Pillars (Islam), the Law (Judaism), the path of moderation and meditation (Buddhism), following Jesus and his teaching to be other-centered or Christ-centered (Christianity). Seeing reality clearly, then, allows us to move along the path of our chosen tradition.
What is not often articulated in these traditions is that “seeing reality as it really is” requires seeing the systemic discrimination we collectively inflict on others (through laws, discrimination and customs) because of greed, anger, ignorance (self-centeredness). The antidotes are generosity, compassion, knowledge and most importantly, working for systemic change to relieve the suffering of others caused by a lack of care embedded in our social laws, customs and structures.
Last year I picked one word to focus on for the year. My word was “romantic” and focusing on it allowed romance to enter my life in a more conscious and continuous way.
This year another word has emerged. It fits my on-going task of going deeper; going deeper into my life, into life around me, into the life of women, into the lives of those struggling with poverty and into our education, economic, religious and political systems. The word is authentic.
Dictionary.com defines “authentic” as “one who acts independently.” The word “authentic” comes from the Latin word “authenticus” meaning “coming from the author.” This, in turn, is from the Greek word “authentikos,” from “auto” plus “hent” – a doer.
To be authentic includes acting, writing and speaking from an original or unique point of view. Going deeper into life allows us to do this because we allow life to more fully develop who we are – our personhood.
We are not meant to be passive. We are not called to be doers on automatic pilot. We are called to be autonomous doers; acting and thinking independently, authentically and for ourselves, not blindly following others.
We are not victims of the powers that be or the systems in the world around us — unless we choose to be. To choose this is to choose a distortion of what it means to live a truly human life. To be “nice and quiet” neighbors, citizens, or individuals is to live life on the default setting. On the other hand we can choose to be autonomous, to observe and create new, different and better choices.
Each of us is given just one life. We can author this life in any way we choose. But it is our life to author – to live and to create.
I’ll return to the word “authentic” as the year unfolds. It will be interesting to observe what authenticity brings to the year ahead.
A happy and healthy New Year to all of you – my InnerPacific readers!
We vote with our dollars everytime we buy something. Use your hard earned money to do more. Buy strategically by looking for fair trade and sustainable items. Use cash when you can.
“Paying cash to the small merchants in your community helps them in many ways. It avoids the skimming off of percentages from the credit card companies, it avoids the imposition of debit card swipe fees on merchants or you, and it gives them an alternate to begging for credit to make payroll.
If you are scared of carrying much cash, write checks.
. . . Plastic is for proliferate pushover pansies pretending that convenience trumps all.”
I think she or he makes a good point. From now on, I will use cash when I can – like at the grocery store or a local restaurant.
Perhaps you received this VERY offensive and divisive email going around this holiday season? It began:
“Let’s put the Christ back in Christmas” with a nostalgic 1950’s snow scene (though what was so wonderful about the 1950’s I’m not exactly sure).
This was followed by – “maybe we can prevent one more American tradition from being lost in the sea of ‘Political Correctness.'”
The response to this is to reply to the sender that you found it offensive and then DELETE. DELETE. DELETE.
Why? It’s definitely NOT Christ-like to insist on wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas,” even though they may be Jewish and celebrating Hanukkah, for example. What about those celebrating Kwanzaa?
Jesus welcomed everyone – as they were, for who they were – no exceptions. He didn’t require that they become Jewish in order to be included. So why then, would Christians insist to others that the only mid-winter holiday being celebrated is Christmas? This is pretty thoughtless and exclusionary at best.
We are NOT a Christian country and have never been. The millions of Native Americans already living here were certainly not Christian and the founding fathers were self-identified deists – so not Christian. We need to speak about our history truthfully, as it really was.
To be Christ-like is to be inclusionary and to treat others the way they wish to be treated. This is the reason we seek to be politically correct – if you are uncertain of some one’s religious orientation – be mindful and thoughtful – wish them “Happy Holidays” and welcome them in!
Today the United States is a beautifully, diverse community of many faiths, cultures and ethnicities. Our Trinitarian God of diversity tells Christians that everyone is valued and all are welcome.
