Winter Solstice 2008 - A new beginning.
Winter Solstice 2008 -
A new beginning.
The winter solstice is once again upon us and soon it will be Christmas. The days have grown short and (at least in this corner of the world) very cold. But on December 21st the tide will turn and the warming light of the days will once again strengthen against the long nights of winter. Soon the birds, silenced by the darkness and preoccupied with the task of survival, will once again feel hope and start to sing.
2008 is a special year to celebrate this holiday season. There are other signs of renewal as the darkness of fear gives way to the light of compassion and reason. The United States has charted a new course by electing a progressive American of mixed race as president. In his by now familiar style, Barack Obama has not shrunk from controversy. In addition to forging a bipartisan cabinet he is bringing together opposing viewpoints by selecting two men of faith that represent remarkably different perspectives to participate in the Inauguration on January 20th.
What role should religion play in the working of government? Some would suggest
that we need to subdue religion and remove its influence from the political
arena. History however has shown that some sort of spiritual framework has held
societies together since before the dawn of civilization 10,000 years ago. A
common belief, a common quest to understand the reason for our fragile existence
on the planet, has served to stitch groups of people together in their
communities. First as tribes then as cities and finally as nations it has been
instrumental in creating a bond of trust among "believers".
This trust has been extensively exploited by those in power for thousands of years to pit one tribe against another. To this day wars are fought with the confidence that "God is on our side", usually the battle cry of both warring factions. And yet the basic tenet of almost all religions is this famous Christian decree: "By this shall people know that you are my disciples, that you love one another."
There is no doubt that the doctors of the day had the same noble
intentions that doctors do today but none amongst us would wish to be treated in
hospitals that practice medicine as it was practiced two thousand years ago. Nor
would we wish to live in houses the way they were built two thousand years ago,
nor transport our goods the way we did then. We would not wish our children to
be educated the way they were two thousand years ago, nor do we wish them to
toil in the fields or face hunger as children of old. Human existence has
changed dramatically and as our understanding of the world has grown, suffering
has been reduced and life has been enriched for most of us.
And yet our religions and our books of faith have not reflected that change. The bible for example was not written by God but by people who tried to express their God experience in the context of their time. The story of Jesus is a story of the Christ experience as it touched the authors that penned it almost 2000 years ago. As our satellites orbit the earth to bring the six o'clock news into our living room we know that heaven is not above the clouds. As we drill for oil to depths of 40,000 feet we know that hell is not below our feet. None of us want to sell our daughters into slavery or stone anyone for working on the Sabbath. Few of us still believe that illness is a punishment from God as the church prescribed during the middle ages. The context of the 21st century looks quite different but God still inspires us and the Christ experience can still guide us.
Instead of debating if Adam and Eve had navels, we have split the atom and
unleashed the power of "Energy equals Mass times The Speed of Light
squared" as postulated by Einstein. This relatively new found knowledge has
utterly destroyed two cities and may well be lighting or heating your home at
this moment. We all depend on the fruits of scientific exploration in our daily
lives. Metallurgy, combustion, geology, chemistry, astronomy, trigonometry, and
physics. Every quantum physicist is in awe of the universe and its laws. If God
is the energy that brought it all about, then the leading edge of science where
we can reach out to touch the hand of God.
Through inquiry, reason and experimentation we have discovered the four fundamental forces of the universe. The strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, electromagnetism and gravity. Together they maintain the complete structure of all that is. We have also measured the speed of light and have found it to be constant at 186,000 miles per second. These basic principles are the building blocks of the cosmos. They can be viewed as the "Laws of God" as their creation was a prerequisite to genesis. And by the power of these laws, through a long process of interaction and evolution, life materialized on earth.
The God of the 21st century is therefore no less inspiring than the God of
the bible. And as our awareness grows there are those among us who have devoted
their lives to bridging the chasm between reason and religion, between faith and
fact. Jesus was very much a human figure. He had his doubts and faced his
challenges but his central premise, like that of St Francis and Mother Theresa,
was one of compassion. Jesus personified the Christ Experience of a human being
anointed with the power of love. He demonstrated that this Christ Experience is
within all of us.
When we face a crisis its nice to know that we are not alone. So we connect with those that have embodied the love of Christ. We call on them for help, we admire them and hopefully we do our best to emulate them. In that context the birth of Jesus is a grand celebration as it serves to focus our attention on that love. It takes us aside and stops the clock so that we may see our friends and our enemies through the lens of compassion and forgiveness. It brings us together in ritual and tradition to share our love for one another. When I am in Oma's Shambhala I have a palpable connection to Oma's spirit and there is no doubt in my mind that many have that same palpable connection with the spirit of Christ.
Even as we call upon his spirit for guidance and support it may be
imperative to the future of humanity that we learn to draw the distinction
between the God energy of creation and this messiah. Our faith needs to reach
into a new maturity. God is the force of life, the power of love, the ground of
being. God is over, under, around and through everything there is. We are deeply
connected with God through the matrix of life. Yet trying to define God is like
a horse trying to define a human. Invariably the horse will describe us in terms
of our "horsiness". God is so powerfully real that anyone who thinks
that he can define this God has never truly contemplated the vastness of the
universe.
There is a transcendent experience but it needs to be translated for every age. "I have come that you might have life and that you have it abundantly" has been attributed to the Christ in Jesus. In today's world the essence of this quotation can be interpreted as a profound respect for everything that lives. If we take that as our guiding principle then anything that diminishes or scars or hurts or kills another creature can not be done in the name of Christ.
In the heart of every human being there is a spiritual dimension that we
hunger to have filled. Some people worry about the rise of what is called the
religious right but what is rising even faster is what can be called the
"Church Alumni Association". It calls us to confront the tribal
elements that are always part of our religious tradition. It calls us to face
the terrible texts and bring them into our consciousness. It calls upon us to
develop a willingness to look at the bible in a new way. It calls on us to stop
justifying evil in the name of God.
These are people who no longer want to find their meaning in outdated religious traditions. A religious text that diminishes any human life can not possibly be part of the God of life. Scripture is not God, it is a human creation, written by people that were seeking God but their humanity almost always got in the way. Every religion in the world is based on a tribal mentality. It starts with a chosen people but it doesn't have to end there.
In our modern times a new relationship with God must be forged. A relationship that goes beyond the tribal mentalities of the past and reaches across the divisions of old. Humanity still needs the courage that comes from faith, the guidance that comes from history, to unity that comes from fellowship but we need it in the context of a shrinking world and a planet in peril. While many are engaged in this new quest, there is one man at the forefront of this spiritual revolution. I have quoted him extensively in this paper and I encourage you to have a listen to his words. This is a man who has read the bible every day of his life and has an intimate relationship with Christ. A biblical scholar that is not afraid to challenge blind dogma. A man who has dedicated his life to bring credibility back to the Christ consciousness. Reflect on his message and see if any of it rings true to you.
His web site is http://www.johnshelbyspong.com. If, like I, you find his message encouraging, why not pass it on to those in your life that might be open to it? Aggression has its roots in fear and fear has its roots in ignorance. Bishop Spong encourages us to look beyond the relative ignorance of the past, to seek the Christ experience and embrace God with all our hearts as we walk into the future together.
Merry Christmas Everyone
