Sunday Musings – April 17, 2022
Resurrection
Today for Christians it is Easter - a celebration of the resurrection. For Muslims it is a continuation of Ramadan – a time, of introspection, prayer and reading of the Quran. It is also a time of preparation for sharing some the gifts one has been given. For Jews it is the second day of the Passover; a time to remember a deliverance from oppression; from being passed over; a time of fasting and prayers. For many others with or without religious beliefs to contain their hopes, gratitude and awareness it is spring; a time to welcome new life.
For most people, no matter what their religious traditions or beliefs,
it is an opportunity to renew one’s commitment to embrace the new life which is possible. For new life to be possible there must, of course, first be death. In some parts of the world, it is the winter months when much of life embraces death from which will spring new life. In some parts of the world winter is ending. There are signs of new life everywhere. The plants which have been barren and seemingly dead will begin to poke through the soil. The leaves which have not been visible will suddenly begin to emerge. Birds and many other animals will prepare for new children. A few birds, such as the Eagle have already welcomed the new family members.
For we humas to experience a rebirth, we must first kill off false pride and lies we have told ourselves. We must repent of all the ways we have hurt ourselves, others and mother earth. There can be no new life without first embracing our own humanness which, paradoxically, means embracing the humanness of all others – of all of nature. There can be no new life without first accepting that we are one people who are born interdependent. We must thus kill off the false beliefs that we have to be more than, better than, more deserving than; that there is an us and them. We must kill off the desire for revenge. We must let go of the desire to jump from oppressed to oppressor.
For new life to emerge – for resurrection – we must ask the soil what it needs for what we want it to nourish. For new life to emerge in our relationships we must ask those we have labeled our enemy, “What is it you need?” We must listen carefully for the answer beneath the answer. For the one labeled a thief hanging on the cross next to us we must pray, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
It seems as if we, the oppressed, once released, are often tempted to protect our freedom by becoming the oppressor.
Perhaps the most misunderstood challenge for all of us humans is the commandment to love our enemy; to accept that bad behavior always comes from a disease of the brain. This disease could be an imbalance of chemicals, a brain tumor, a history of abuse, other pain, or some other cause. We humans are naturally social creatures. We are meant to function as a unit with each one doing our part to ensure the whole functions or works. Yet, we often get fearful and push away as if more hurt will reduce future danger. Yet, more hurt just perpetuates the cycle.
One cannot imagine a risen Christ who has not died. One cannot imagine a rebirth without a willing to let go of old belief and habits. One cannot imagine an embrace without forgiveness of self and others – a death of the pretense that we are more than.
Resurrection recognizes that we deserve to come home; to get on with the job which Ram Dass expressed as walking each other home. For this to happen we must let go of the attachments to our individual religious containers as being as more than porous containers intended to nourish all they pass.
Written April 17, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Sunday Musings – April 17, 2022
Resurrection
Today for Christians it is Easter - a celebration of the resurrection. For Muslims it is a continuation of Ramadan – a time, of introspection, prayer and reading of the Quran. It is also a time of preparation for sharing some the gifts one has been given. For Jews it is the second day of the Passover; a time to remember a deliverance from oppression; from being passed over; a time of fasting and prayers. For many others with or without religious beliefs to contain their hopes, gratitude and awareness it is spring; a time to welcome new life.
For most people, no matter what their religious traditions or beliefs,
it is an opportunity to renew one’s commitment to embrace the new life which is possible. For new life to be possible there must, of course, first be death. In some parts of the world, it is the winter months when much of life embraces death from which will spring new life. In some parts of the world winter is ending. There are signs of new life everywhere. The plants which have been barren and seemingly dead will begin to poke through the soil. The leaves which have not been visible will suddenly begin to emerge. Birds and many other animals will prepare for new children. A few birds, such as the Eagle have already welcomed the new family members.
For we humas to experience a rebirth, we must first kill off false pride and lies we have told ourselves. We must repent of all the ways we have hurt ourselves, others and mother earth. There can be no new life without first embracing our own humanness which, paradoxically, means embracing the humanness of all others – of all of nature. There can be no new life without first accepting that we are one people who are born interdependent. We must thus kill off the false beliefs that we have to be more than, better than, more deserving than; that there is an us and them. We must kill off the desire for revenge. We must let go of the desire to jump from oppressed to oppressor.
For new life to emerge – for resurrection – we must ask the soil what it needs for what we want it to nourish. For new life to emerge in our relationships we must ask those we have labeled our enemy, “What is it you need?” We must listen carefully for the answer beneath the answer. For the one labeled a thief hanging on the cross next to us we must pray, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
It seems as if we, the oppressed, once released, are often tempted to protect our freedom by becoming the oppressor.
Perhaps the most misunderstood challenge for all of us humans is the commandment to love our enemy; to accept that bad behavior always comes from a disease of the brain. This disease could be an imbalance of chemicals, a brain tumor, a history of abuse, other pain, or some other cause. We humans are naturally social creatures. We are meant to function as a unit with each one doing our part to ensure the whole functions or works. Yet, we often get fearful and push away as if more hurt will reduce future danger. Yet, more hurt just perpetuates the cycle.
One cannot imagine a risen Christ who has not died. One cannot imagine a rebirth without a willing to let go of old belief and habits. One cannot imagine an embrace without forgiveness of self and others – a death of the pretense that we are more than.
Resurrection recognizes that we deserve to come home; to get on with the job which Ram Dass expressed as walking each other home. For this to happen we must let go of the attachments to our individual religious containers as being as more than porous containers intended to nourish all they pass.
Written April 17, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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