Saints and sinners
I am always amazed and sad when I am reminded that many continue to divide the world into saints and sinners. Monday, while waiting at the doctor’s office, I read more of Father Greg Boyle’s most recent book, Barking to the Choir: the Power of Radical Kinship. Throughout the book he reminds the reader that through his life and the many years of ministry with former Los Angeles gang members and many others he has yet to meet an evil person. He is quick to point out that one can certainly use the word evil to describe some of the ways that humans treat each other but he has not anyone who he believes is intrinsically evil.
Father Boyle often reminds the reader that he did not choose to be born into the family which was able to show him unconditional love, to provide him with a safe home and options such as a good education. Joining a gang was not one of the options, which was even offered to him. He also reminds the reader that he gets no credit for not having a mental illness, which affects how one experiences life and, thus one’s response to life. He was also not born a refugee who was sent to find a new and better life as a young teenager.
Although there may be those who believe, at another level, that we do indeed choose this particular life journey prior to being conceived and born so that we can learn certain spiritual lessons I am not convinced this use of he concept of choice would apply.
I have no idea why the Sonia Sotomayors and Maya Angelous are able to see opportunity when others in similar circumstances are not able to see them. Nor do I know why some folks enter the Homeboy program, stay and thrive while overs are not able to move past their wounds. One can identify some factors, which support one in their healing journeys. Even the longitudinal studies done in England and the United States show that poverty, a non- supportive family and many other factors affect the odds that a child will grow up to have a life of which they can be proud. Yet, these same studies show that some kids who seem to have all the advantages are not able to craft such a life and some kids who seemingly have none of the advantages are able to craft a good life. (Listen to or read Ted Talks by Helen Pearson and Robert Waldinger.)
Perhaps as we learn more about how the human brain perceives reality and, thus, the choices open to any of us at a particular point in history we will better understand what we can do to help more children thrive. Perhaps we will further reduce world poverty, war and other “dis eases” such as mental illness, which affect how the brain works. We may develop more effective treatments. Still, I do not believe that we are going to create a world in which the terms saints and sinners adequately describe any of us.
We can follow the example of Homeboy Industries staff, the women described in the film Heroin (e), and the Mother Theresa’s who have shown that a more compassionate, scientific approach to problem solving as a community is more effective than labeling some as sinners and some as saints. We are all both and we are neither.
Written November 22, 2017
I am always amazed and sad when I am reminded that many continue to divide the world into saints and sinners. Monday, while waiting at the doctor’s office, I read more of Father Greg Boyle’s most recent book, Barking to the Choir: the Power of Radical Kinship. Throughout the book he reminds the reader that through his life and the many years of ministry with former Los Angeles gang members and many others he has yet to meet an evil person. He is quick to point out that one can certainly use the word evil to describe some of the ways that humans treat each other but he has not anyone who he believes is intrinsically evil.
Father Boyle often reminds the reader that he did not choose to be born into the family which was able to show him unconditional love, to provide him with a safe home and options such as a good education. Joining a gang was not one of the options, which was even offered to him. He also reminds the reader that he gets no credit for not having a mental illness, which affects how one experiences life and, thus one’s response to life. He was also not born a refugee who was sent to find a new and better life as a young teenager.
Although there may be those who believe, at another level, that we do indeed choose this particular life journey prior to being conceived and born so that we can learn certain spiritual lessons I am not convinced this use of he concept of choice would apply.
I have no idea why the Sonia Sotomayors and Maya Angelous are able to see opportunity when others in similar circumstances are not able to see them. Nor do I know why some folks enter the Homeboy program, stay and thrive while overs are not able to move past their wounds. One can identify some factors, which support one in their healing journeys. Even the longitudinal studies done in England and the United States show that poverty, a non- supportive family and many other factors affect the odds that a child will grow up to have a life of which they can be proud. Yet, these same studies show that some kids who seem to have all the advantages are not able to craft such a life and some kids who seemingly have none of the advantages are able to craft a good life. (Listen to or read Ted Talks by Helen Pearson and Robert Waldinger.)
Perhaps as we learn more about how the human brain perceives reality and, thus, the choices open to any of us at a particular point in history we will better understand what we can do to help more children thrive. Perhaps we will further reduce world poverty, war and other “dis eases” such as mental illness, which affect how the brain works. We may develop more effective treatments. Still, I do not believe that we are going to create a world in which the terms saints and sinners adequately describe any of us.
We can follow the example of Homeboy Industries staff, the women described in the film Heroin (e), and the Mother Theresa’s who have shown that a more compassionate, scientific approach to problem solving as a community is more effective than labeling some as sinners and some as saints. We are all both and we are neither.
Written November 22, 2017
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