Chapter 9: The Need for Initiation
Male initiation exists in every culture until the Modern era. It fulfills a deep human and social need. It is the oldest form of spiritual instruction. It turns narcissism into self-confidence and bravery. It was a journey into powerlessness. Jesus did this with the Apostles—they resisted. He makes the journey himself and says: “Follow me.” But we have perverted that command into “worship me.” Imposition from above brings violence from below. We need the voluntary simple joy of St. Francis.
Jesus was initiating his 12 as elders, not ordaining them as priests. When the clerical state became a way of advancement, it continued a patriarchal patter and became the way to go to heaven later, not change the world now. The clergy agree NOT to tell their parishioners what would make them uncomfortable if they agree to continue to pay their salaries. A life of service is what parishes need to be.
Right and Left came from the Estates General in France (97). On the Left were ordinary people: on the right were the nobility and the clergy. You need the right as the place to stand. But it is from their perspective that history is written. “Authority and continuity—Kings and Prophets symbolize these opposing sides. The right considers itself the product of rationality, experience, and civilization. The left has people’s movements, high-minded ideologies, reactions to injustice. MLK was a Prophet, leading a new Exodus. Political and church history was controlled and written by people on the right because they were the educated ones..
But the Bible is a subversive text, legitimating the people on the bottom! “Except for the Bible, it took until the second half of the 20th century for the left to begin to have a public and legitimate voice” (99). Institutional theology legitimizes what we NEED to be true in order to maintain the institution. For example, it posited seven sacraments when for centuries there were only two. The Bible affirms authority but also affirms change, reform and the voiceless. The Bible is biased; it takes the side of the rejected and poor.
We have to care also for the poor and stand in the position of the outsider for our own conversion. Spirituality is for people who have gone through hell. Jesus is at the side of the suffering and goes where the pain is. He takes away boundaries and we fall into the arms of God.
We cannot claim Jesus for our side (101). He never demands us to belong to his religion or sexual orientation. The way to Jesus’ touch is to desire it, and the only ones who desire it are the ones who have been emptied out. “The Eucharist is not a reward for good behavior, but medicine and food for sinners, and for those who do not know they are the very Body of Christ” (103).
Chapter 10: Hope that Is not Fantasy
The ego needs success and the soul needs meaning. Hope ‘is the fruit of a learned capacity to suffer wisely and generously.’ (104). Contemplative life is practicing for heaven now. God holds our contradictions together now and in eternity. Meditation will change you and change your society. The situation in the world can look bleak. Theology threatens to turn into fundamentalism which resolves everything by appeal to authority (Scripture) and distrusts the inner life promised by Jeremiah and Jesus. We do not have a compassionate economic system and we abandon the poor. There is fear and anger.
The progressive development of consciousness and love seems weak, but many (including Ken Wilber) see signs that the Holy Spirit is working, even outside of formal religion. Non-violence, justice and healing are relatively new words. Nothing can stop this reformation. The only future is ecumenical and shared. We differ to one another out of love. Each one of us has a jewel.
Our biggest lever is our place to stand. “Our free fall into Pure Be-ing becomes our very best do-ing” (108).
No comments:
Post a Comment