Darkness, despair vs hope, opportunity
The July 26, 2018 podcast of On Being is a conversation between Senator Cory Booker and the host of On Being, Krista Tippett. The title of the conversation is “Civic Spiritual Evolution” Senator Booker is a man I have long admired. Obviously, admiring someone does not mean that we always agree on an approach to a problem or which issues on which to focus. It does mean that we both see the challenges which are facing the United States and all its citizens as spiritual challenges. Although his spiritual understanding can and may often be expressed in terms of the Christian tradition, his vision is much wider than one which can be contained in any religious tradition. The fact that he describes the approach he believes we need to take towards healing as a “Civic, Spiritual Evolution” speaks volumes.
During his conversation with Mrs. Tippett he recounts a conversation with Ms. Jones about how to view sections of the city of Newark, New Jersey. Ms. Jones asked him to describe the neighborhood. He replied: “. the drug dealing, the projects, the abandoned buildings.” Then Ms. Jones said to him: “Boy, you need to understand that the world you see outside of your is a reflection of what you have inside of you, and if you’re one of those people who only sees darkness, despair, that’s all there’s ever gonna be. But if you see hope, opportunity, if you’re stubborn enough to, every time you open your eyes, see love and the face of God, then you can be a change agent here. Then you can make a difference.”
The first person I talked to this morning was a woman who is faced with the fait accompli regarding the ruling that her grandson is being adopted by foster parents and that she and her husband have no legal rights to even visit him. Needless to say, she and her husband are very sad and frustrated. The reason she lost custody of her grandson was her addiction to alcohol and a very old domestic violence charge also related to her addiction to alcohol. She has completed an intensive treatment program and remains very active in a 12-step recovery program. I thought the decision to allow the foster parents to adopt the grandson was made without considering her recovery. Yet, if she holds on to anger and resentment she will feel terrible and she will be doing the same thing which has been done to her. The challenge is to see herself in the foster parent and the staff of the Child Protective Services. If hate, judgment, and lack of faith in the recovery process led to the decision and she sees only judgment and hate in return then the cycle will go on and on and on. The revolution is a spiritual one no matter upon what stage it is acted. The clear challenge is to quit duplicating hate, fear, and other negative behavior.
For most of us it seems natural to respond to negative mistreatment with negative mistreatment. Yet, if we continue to see only the surface protective shields in each other the cycle of verbal, physical and emotional mistreatment of each other will continue.
This was the challenge which Ms. Jones presented to Senator Booker. As a sitting United States Senator who serves on committees such as the Foreign Relations Committee, among others, his challenge to be that often-rare voice which is not responding to hate and violence with more hate and violence. Whether dealing with the rhetoric of the leaders of Iran, Israel or some terrorist group the challenge is to see hope, opportunity, love and the face of God. I am not suggesting that we delude ourselves into thinking that the drunk or the person high on some other drugs can engage in a logical conversation. Neither am I suggesting that the leaders of our nation practice speed dating with leaders of countries with a history of violence. I am not going to invite the active drug addict who is desperate for money to pay for his/her next fix into my home and immediately give them access to my bank account. I am suggesting that I know that it is possible for that leader to have a spiritual epiphany; for that drug addict to find their way to recovery and self-love. I am suggesting that if I want a more loving community I first have to take the risk of loving the person underneath the costume of hate and fear. I am not suggesting that loving that person as one who is more than their unhealthy behavior; who is more than the person who is spreading lies about my professional conduct will necessarily result in an immediate spiritual transformation. A change in my behavior opens the possibility of a window or even a door to hope and a more just and loving community/world.
Near the end of the conversation between Ms. Tippett and Senator Booker he quotes Mother Theresa when she responded to a journalist who asked how she measures success. “And she says,
I wasn’t called to be successful. I was called to be faithful.” I must ask myself what it might mean to be faithful to the challenge Ms. Jones presented to Senator Booker.
Written July 27, 2018
The July 26, 2018 podcast of On Being is a conversation between Senator Cory Booker and the host of On Being, Krista Tippett. The title of the conversation is “Civic Spiritual Evolution” Senator Booker is a man I have long admired. Obviously, admiring someone does not mean that we always agree on an approach to a problem or which issues on which to focus. It does mean that we both see the challenges which are facing the United States and all its citizens as spiritual challenges. Although his spiritual understanding can and may often be expressed in terms of the Christian tradition, his vision is much wider than one which can be contained in any religious tradition. The fact that he describes the approach he believes we need to take towards healing as a “Civic, Spiritual Evolution” speaks volumes.
During his conversation with Mrs. Tippett he recounts a conversation with Ms. Jones about how to view sections of the city of Newark, New Jersey. Ms. Jones asked him to describe the neighborhood. He replied: “. the drug dealing, the projects, the abandoned buildings.” Then Ms. Jones said to him: “Boy, you need to understand that the world you see outside of your is a reflection of what you have inside of you, and if you’re one of those people who only sees darkness, despair, that’s all there’s ever gonna be. But if you see hope, opportunity, if you’re stubborn enough to, every time you open your eyes, see love and the face of God, then you can be a change agent here. Then you can make a difference.”
The first person I talked to this morning was a woman who is faced with the fait accompli regarding the ruling that her grandson is being adopted by foster parents and that she and her husband have no legal rights to even visit him. Needless to say, she and her husband are very sad and frustrated. The reason she lost custody of her grandson was her addiction to alcohol and a very old domestic violence charge also related to her addiction to alcohol. She has completed an intensive treatment program and remains very active in a 12-step recovery program. I thought the decision to allow the foster parents to adopt the grandson was made without considering her recovery. Yet, if she holds on to anger and resentment she will feel terrible and she will be doing the same thing which has been done to her. The challenge is to see herself in the foster parent and the staff of the Child Protective Services. If hate, judgment, and lack of faith in the recovery process led to the decision and she sees only judgment and hate in return then the cycle will go on and on and on. The revolution is a spiritual one no matter upon what stage it is acted. The clear challenge is to quit duplicating hate, fear, and other negative behavior.
For most of us it seems natural to respond to negative mistreatment with negative mistreatment. Yet, if we continue to see only the surface protective shields in each other the cycle of verbal, physical and emotional mistreatment of each other will continue.
This was the challenge which Ms. Jones presented to Senator Booker. As a sitting United States Senator who serves on committees such as the Foreign Relations Committee, among others, his challenge to be that often-rare voice which is not responding to hate and violence with more hate and violence. Whether dealing with the rhetoric of the leaders of Iran, Israel or some terrorist group the challenge is to see hope, opportunity, love and the face of God. I am not suggesting that we delude ourselves into thinking that the drunk or the person high on some other drugs can engage in a logical conversation. Neither am I suggesting that the leaders of our nation practice speed dating with leaders of countries with a history of violence. I am not going to invite the active drug addict who is desperate for money to pay for his/her next fix into my home and immediately give them access to my bank account. I am suggesting that I know that it is possible for that leader to have a spiritual epiphany; for that drug addict to find their way to recovery and self-love. I am suggesting that if I want a more loving community I first have to take the risk of loving the person underneath the costume of hate and fear. I am not suggesting that loving that person as one who is more than their unhealthy behavior; who is more than the person who is spreading lies about my professional conduct will necessarily result in an immediate spiritual transformation. A change in my behavior opens the possibility of a window or even a door to hope and a more just and loving community/world.
Near the end of the conversation between Ms. Tippett and Senator Booker he quotes Mother Theresa when she responded to a journalist who asked how she measures success. “And she says,
I wasn’t called to be successful. I was called to be faithful.” I must ask myself what it might mean to be faithful to the challenge Ms. Jones presented to Senator Booker.
Written July 27, 2018
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