Hungry
I attended a men’s brotherhood breakfast at a mega church this morning. The breakfast was at 6:40 a.m. and included everyone gathered in a large auditorium. Some men or organizations sponsor a table of 7. Normally those 7 men sit together at a table and get to visit and explore with each other. This morning all sat in large sanctuary so we could listen to a speaker and socially distance.
The preacher who delivered the messages was well received because of or in spite of his very limited view of God’s unconditional love/acceptance which excludes GLBT individuals and those who do not think all abortions are wrong. He also perceives personality differences in political candidates or officials where I perceive mistreatment of others.
The God of my understanding is a much different God than that understood by this minister and apparently by many of those attending. Yet, I was pleased to be asked to attend this gathering by my nephew. I love spending time this young man and it is important for me to be reminded that we humans are hungry spiritually; in this case that we males are hungry to have a world in which we and our opinions feel valued; a world which makes some sense to us and which is not messy.
We live at a historical time when emotional, spiritual, religious, physical and cultural boundaries are very vague. We live in a time when more and more individuals seem to be listening to the messages of Jesus, the Buddha and other spiritual; teachers; teachers whose message challenges the clear lines which keep us separated from each other and which seem less clear about what the God of one’s understanding expects from us. There is, for many, a deep longing for a world where it seems clear:
1. There are good and bad people.
2. There is a clear definition of family.
3. Gender identities are clear and remains the same.
4. Moral/behavior/rules are very fixed and are not situational or grey.
5. There is only one true god who demands allegiance.
6. If one worships the right god and follows the rules one has eternal life.
Most of us can understand and appreciate the attraction of a world which is clear and not messy; where if one strays from the straight and narrow one repents and is forgiven; where one knows who is a friend and who is an enemy, where one can earn one’s A+; a world in which the assignments are clear and one in which one is rewarded for completing one’s assignments,
The message of Jesus, the Buddha and others challenges one to love one’s enemy; to drop the dualities of right/wrong, good/bad, pretty/ugly; to be present without conditions or expectations; to believe that all are equally deserving of health care, good housing, nutritious food, and unconditional love and acceptance regardless of race, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or other perceived differences; to accept that many factors affect how our brains functions and thus the choices one makes. In other words, the challenge is to not only learn from science but accept that free will may not be as free as we want to think it is; to consider the possibility that we grow to be our best when we are loved until we are able to accept and love ourselves.
This is indeed a very messy way to live. Before judging another we have to remove the beam out of our own eye. In this messy approach to life, we have to consider the possibility that behind so called bad or hurtful behavior is pain; that we are called to love the seemingly unlovable - even ourselves; that we are called to not judge but to embrace even those at the breakfast this morning who think I am at best misguided and at worse, a hopeless sinner.
I am reminded I can easily identify with the hunger I see in others if not the diet or meal they are offering.
Written December 4, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
I attended a men’s brotherhood breakfast at a mega church this morning. The breakfast was at 6:40 a.m. and included everyone gathered in a large auditorium. Some men or organizations sponsor a table of 7. Normally those 7 men sit together at a table and get to visit and explore with each other. This morning all sat in large sanctuary so we could listen to a speaker and socially distance.
The preacher who delivered the messages was well received because of or in spite of his very limited view of God’s unconditional love/acceptance which excludes GLBT individuals and those who do not think all abortions are wrong. He also perceives personality differences in political candidates or officials where I perceive mistreatment of others.
The God of my understanding is a much different God than that understood by this minister and apparently by many of those attending. Yet, I was pleased to be asked to attend this gathering by my nephew. I love spending time this young man and it is important for me to be reminded that we humans are hungry spiritually; in this case that we males are hungry to have a world in which we and our opinions feel valued; a world which makes some sense to us and which is not messy.
We live at a historical time when emotional, spiritual, religious, physical and cultural boundaries are very vague. We live in a time when more and more individuals seem to be listening to the messages of Jesus, the Buddha and other spiritual; teachers; teachers whose message challenges the clear lines which keep us separated from each other and which seem less clear about what the God of one’s understanding expects from us. There is, for many, a deep longing for a world where it seems clear:
1. There are good and bad people.
2. There is a clear definition of family.
3. Gender identities are clear and remains the same.
4. Moral/behavior/rules are very fixed and are not situational or grey.
5. There is only one true god who demands allegiance.
6. If one worships the right god and follows the rules one has eternal life.
Most of us can understand and appreciate the attraction of a world which is clear and not messy; where if one strays from the straight and narrow one repents and is forgiven; where one knows who is a friend and who is an enemy, where one can earn one’s A+; a world in which the assignments are clear and one in which one is rewarded for completing one’s assignments,
The message of Jesus, the Buddha and others challenges one to love one’s enemy; to drop the dualities of right/wrong, good/bad, pretty/ugly; to be present without conditions or expectations; to believe that all are equally deserving of health care, good housing, nutritious food, and unconditional love and acceptance regardless of race, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or other perceived differences; to accept that many factors affect how our brains functions and thus the choices one makes. In other words, the challenge is to not only learn from science but accept that free will may not be as free as we want to think it is; to consider the possibility that we grow to be our best when we are loved until we are able to accept and love ourselves.
This is indeed a very messy way to live. Before judging another we have to remove the beam out of our own eye. In this messy approach to life, we have to consider the possibility that behind so called bad or hurtful behavior is pain; that we are called to love the seemingly unlovable - even ourselves; that we are called to not judge but to embrace even those at the breakfast this morning who think I am at best misguided and at worse, a hopeless sinner.
I am reminded I can easily identify with the hunger I see in others if not the diet or meal they are offering.
Written December 4, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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