Sunday Musings - December 11, 2022
“We have met the enemy and he is us.” (Oliver Hazard Perry - 1813)
We humans seem too often demonstrate our fear that we need to prove our worth by disconnecting from our shared sacredness. We convince ourselves that our worth has to be earned by amassing things, power or prestige. To the extent that we internalize these lies we are able to do what is necessary to achieve these short-term goals. When thus disconnected from our own sacredness we can harm and even kill “the enemy” which means anything or anyone who appears to stand between us and our goals. Sometimes we allow a small circle of connection and only harm those who fall outside the small circle. It is also, true, however, if we “feel” betrayed or even threatened by someone within that circle we can move them to the outside circle.
One can be designated “the enemy” as an individual or a group. Group designations are always arbitrary social constructs. Theses constructs can be based on perceived race, religious affiliation, sexual identify, social class, power, territory or any number of other constructs. Once someone is assigned this identification it is often difficult to allow them to rejoin the inner circle of those with whom we are willing to risk connection.
In a recent interview with Terry Gross on the podcast “Fresh Air” the comedian Trevor Noah recounted using his ability to speak several languages to switch from being perceived as a member of an out group to the inner circle. The activist Angela Davis recounted the story of switching from English to French in an expensive shoe store to change from a perceive thief or poor person to a potentially valued customer.
If one visits the headquarters of Amazon in Seattle one will experience a relaxed atmosphere of people working at various stations or tables often while accompanied by their dog. One might be left with the impression of a progressive company who values their employees. Yet if one then visits one of the warehouses where there is intense pressure to produce in a rapid-fire manner with little consideration for the physical or emotional needs of the employees one might form the opinion that Amazon is a very cruel company fixated on the bottom line allowing their CEO and other top people to amass wealth on the backs of human robots.
I am sure the reader of this blog can share any number of other examples of how we assign the “other” category to a company or other grouping of people.
This morning, as is my habit, I read the local news online. I read of those accused of murder, rape, theft and other very hurtful behavior. Almost always the news report is written in a way to make it seem as if the person(s) is nothing more than their hurtful behavior. One may find it easy to place those individuals and many others in the circle of bad people who have nothing in common with us, the reader. Yet, if one knows the parent of one of these individuals one might be able to “see” the baby who the proud parent(s) brought home from the hospital; one who has much in common with us and our children.
For Christians the world over it is the season when the birth of the Christ child is celebrated; the birth of that radical teacher who denied that one could justly place anyone in the “in” or “out” circle; who denied that one could track the score on an individual on an excel spread sheet.
My Buddhist teacher has suggested that a step in spiritual growth can be achieved by dropping the dualities - by dropping the use of such qualifiers as good/bad, right/wrong.
The challenge of this Christmas season is to first remove ourselves from any boxes based on social constructs or dualities; to take seriously the challenge to accept God’s Grace and to love our enemies which, paradoxically means they are not our enemies. It is only when we accept our own human imperfect perfection, we are able to unconditionally love and treat ourselves and others as members of the sacred inner circle while lovingly caring for those who are unable for a variety of reasons, to connect with and live out their own sacredness.
Written December 11, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
“We have met the enemy and he is us.” (Oliver Hazard Perry - 1813)
We humans seem too often demonstrate our fear that we need to prove our worth by disconnecting from our shared sacredness. We convince ourselves that our worth has to be earned by amassing things, power or prestige. To the extent that we internalize these lies we are able to do what is necessary to achieve these short-term goals. When thus disconnected from our own sacredness we can harm and even kill “the enemy” which means anything or anyone who appears to stand between us and our goals. Sometimes we allow a small circle of connection and only harm those who fall outside the small circle. It is also, true, however, if we “feel” betrayed or even threatened by someone within that circle we can move them to the outside circle.
One can be designated “the enemy” as an individual or a group. Group designations are always arbitrary social constructs. Theses constructs can be based on perceived race, religious affiliation, sexual identify, social class, power, territory or any number of other constructs. Once someone is assigned this identification it is often difficult to allow them to rejoin the inner circle of those with whom we are willing to risk connection.
In a recent interview with Terry Gross on the podcast “Fresh Air” the comedian Trevor Noah recounted using his ability to speak several languages to switch from being perceived as a member of an out group to the inner circle. The activist Angela Davis recounted the story of switching from English to French in an expensive shoe store to change from a perceive thief or poor person to a potentially valued customer.
If one visits the headquarters of Amazon in Seattle one will experience a relaxed atmosphere of people working at various stations or tables often while accompanied by their dog. One might be left with the impression of a progressive company who values their employees. Yet if one then visits one of the warehouses where there is intense pressure to produce in a rapid-fire manner with little consideration for the physical or emotional needs of the employees one might form the opinion that Amazon is a very cruel company fixated on the bottom line allowing their CEO and other top people to amass wealth on the backs of human robots.
I am sure the reader of this blog can share any number of other examples of how we assign the “other” category to a company or other grouping of people.
This morning, as is my habit, I read the local news online. I read of those accused of murder, rape, theft and other very hurtful behavior. Almost always the news report is written in a way to make it seem as if the person(s) is nothing more than their hurtful behavior. One may find it easy to place those individuals and many others in the circle of bad people who have nothing in common with us, the reader. Yet, if one knows the parent of one of these individuals one might be able to “see” the baby who the proud parent(s) brought home from the hospital; one who has much in common with us and our children.
For Christians the world over it is the season when the birth of the Christ child is celebrated; the birth of that radical teacher who denied that one could justly place anyone in the “in” or “out” circle; who denied that one could track the score on an individual on an excel spread sheet.
My Buddhist teacher has suggested that a step in spiritual growth can be achieved by dropping the dualities - by dropping the use of such qualifiers as good/bad, right/wrong.
The challenge of this Christmas season is to first remove ourselves from any boxes based on social constructs or dualities; to take seriously the challenge to accept God’s Grace and to love our enemies which, paradoxically means they are not our enemies. It is only when we accept our own human imperfect perfection, we are able to unconditionally love and treat ourselves and others as members of the sacred inner circle while lovingly caring for those who are unable for a variety of reasons, to connect with and live out their own sacredness.
Written December 11, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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