Contemplation and action...

Yesterday, my small group of Christians (the United Church of Christ) within the larger family of faith we know as the Church, shared a note on various social medial asking us to explore our consciences and then act for peace. In particular the invitation was to learn more about Syria, go inward for spiritual reflection and then respond outwardly by urging President Obama to avoid any military response now. Urge the U.S. to use all diplomatic and humanitarian means at our disposal for a resolution to this crisis. (for more information please go to @  https://secure3.convio.net /ucc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1181)

The invitation shared both background links re: humanitarian aid to Syria as well as theological reflections on the use of military action in both this context and history.  I was grateful that at the conclusion, there was a tool to generate a direct email letter to my Senators and Representatives. I used it to them urging a greater commitment to peace knowing full well that there are no good options in this devolving tragedy. 

In my tradition this is known as living into the inward/outward journey of

faith.  Fr. Richard Rohr celebrates much the same thing at his Center for Contemplation and Action.  In both disciplines, there is a three part commitment involved that helps people break out of the patterns of their habits and live into their deepest values rather than simply react. Let me share what these integrated commitments mean to me: 

+ Study and reflection: More often than not, I don't understand much of what is going on in the world. I am busy, I am a pastor and artist as well as a husband, father and friend. Most of my time is given to being present to those closest to me in love. So when calls to action are shared at times of crisis, it is essential for me to take the time to get up to speed whether that involves Syria, gun control or food stamps.  I know from past experience that when I react without reflection, I say stupid things and hurt those I love the most. There is always unnecessary collateral damage when I shoot from the hip. Thanks be to God that there are others in the world - and Body of Christ - whose gifts include study, reflection and writing on the complicated issues of the day.  My own denomination has a department dedicated to the witness of justice (check it out @ http://www.ucc.org/ justice/advocate-for-justice.html)  Without this step, both my prayers and actions will be misinformed.  

+ Contemplative prayer: When I was engaged in the study of spiritual direction, contemplation was defined as "taking a long, loving look at what is real." And each part of that definition is important:  we take a long look in order to avoid missing the hidden truths - we take a loving look so that we choose faith rather than fear or habit - and we look at what is real so that our actions might be useful rather than ideological or abstract.  Professor Ray Brown, the great Johannine scholar at Union Seminary, used to say that when he was preaching, he would take a week to walk around with a text, a week given to listening and reacting to the fullness of the Word.  In my inward journey I get centered so that I am at peace with myself and the Lord. Then I read a Psalm or text and listen for what bubbles up.  At the close, I express my needs and hopes to God about the wounds and brokenness all around me. I also offer prayers of thanksgiving for the joys, too.

+ Disciplined action:  Most times after steps one and two a disciplined action becomes clear - but not always. And when a path isn't clear, I try (and not always with success) to wait upon the Lord. One activist from the 60s got it right when she said, "Sometimes what we have to do is 'hurry up and wait' so that we don't go off half-cocked.  When a path is clear, however, it needs to be acted upon whether that involves public policy, a physical presence or some other form of advocacy.  There will always be a need for this type of discernment - and action - given human nature. What these three steps try to accomplish include a challenge to the "heresy" of quietism as well as any mindless or fear-based reactions.

Too often in contemporary popular culture contemplation and/or prayer are

confused with inactivity. This represents a simplistic notion of prayer that the witness of Gandhi or MLK and Fannie Lou Hammer contradict.  What's more, it speaks only to the visible and measurable - a failing of the modern era - and misses the deeper realm of awe, spirit and truth. Dualistic thinking has a tough time with authentic contemplation.

I like what Fr. Rohr wrote recently about moving beyond dualistic thinking and religion:

Once you overcome the other three splits, the first and primary split—overcoming the separation of self from nonself—becomes much easier, although the autonomous self is usually the last to die. When Jesus commands us to love our enemy and to love our neighbor, he’s training us to overcome this split. What you do to another, you do to yourself, and you do to God, Jesus says. He speaks as if there is a real moral equivalence between the self, the other, the Christ, and the God-self. Really quite amazing, you must admit. In various ways, he says “what you do to one, you do to the other.” This is totally clear in Jesus’ teaching, but only the non-dual mind is able to see this—or live this.

The point of Christianity is to be able to experience this radical unity with our self, with creation, with neighbor, with the enemy, and always with God. It is done step by step. Little by little you have to overcome each of these splits. And then you are ready to die! The final splitting called death is almost the natural next step.

There is another type of activism, however, that I find more and more valuable for me - and it involves changing culture.  It is, of course, not a style that works for everyone but then prayer and action never have a one-size fits all approach, yes? As I wrote recently about the work of Jean Vanier, this type of activism is humble and quiet. It seeks to touch a few lives deeply in the trust that like a small stone on a pond, each ripple will touch others in a perpetual flow of gentle compassion.

credits:
1) www.eventfinder.co.nz
2) www.bravista.com
3) lcwr.org