A Christian Realism, Assumptions after a life-time of listening.
Assumptions about life and people after 40 thousand hours of listening. Some thoughts by an ancient and wounded therapist, who knows how lucky he is, over 76 plus years and still given opportunities of grace. Noblesse oblige. .
1. Humans are not basically or essentially rational. Rationality is a myth. The most fundamentally irrational are those who believe they are totally rational, such as scientists and fundamentalists of all stripes, and those convinced of the rightness of their own way of life.
We are occasionally rational, hopefully rational at critical times, but seldom objective, rarely objective. When we listen, we listen to what suits us, what we can relate to, what relates to us, our frame, and we listen from our own frame at all times, which is biased and limited, and seldom rational. When is the last time you heard any authentic dialogue between a Democrat and a Republican, or a liberal and a conservative, or a right winger and a progressive?
2. We are more or less close-minded, not open minded. We have hidden lions at the gates of our awareness that actually prevent us from seeing, hearing those aspects of reality we are not ready to see and hear. For example, the racial discrimination prevalent in this country til the Civil Rights movement, and the inequities for women in our society still. We can feel threatened in our most basic identity by values or persons who challenge basic beliefs or values.
3. We do not live a reflective life in our society. No one encourages us to do so. We are never encouraged to discover Who WE are, from inside out. So we live from outside in, reacting to the latest and the most prominent. We also live in such a pace that if we stop we hardly know what to do with ourselves. Consumerism prevails, and we are caught up with things and daily buzz.
4. Because we do not live a reflective life, we are easily influenced by appeals to our baser motives, fear, envy, guilt, greed; and we live in a blame culture, ready to find fault, always out there, in others, never within. We yield to authority, to the expert, to the mass culture, to the trends of today, and seldom find ways to nurture a strong inner sense of self. Our identity is defined and controlled by the expectations of others and our peer group. Seldom are we able to think outside the box. Most are content to go along to get along.
5. We do not know and understand the stories we are living, that is, we are only partially aware of the themes, and how we set up things outside our awareness to succeed or fail. We find meaning in our stories when others listen and when we hear others stories, and sometimes when people ask good questions. We do love stories as we enjoy vicarious participation in others lives.
6. We do not risk ourselves much emotionally. Most of us seek to live in a bubble of comfort and security, safety and predictability. We are seldom open to ideas or reason that would challenge our own Bubble, or deeply held values, or a story we believe in. Most of us also have some areas, some inner closet that we hide from ourselves. We are two faced and do not know it, we do not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. Each of us has a blind side and a dark shadow; even the Saints did.
7. We have hearts that crave love, unconditional loving, and often seek it in all the wrong places: distractions, busy-ness, work, acceptance, things, new things, food, drink, taking small risks (lottery) various preoccupations. Only surrender to the force of Divine Love can fill the human heart.
8. Most churches emphasize membership and money, giving, not discipleship and outreach. Few Christians live a costly grace, seeing the gospel as challenging them to extend themselves to others. I had two friends who went home from Sunday morning Eucharist and shot themselves that night. Most services are not open to the actual pain and loneliness of those actually present.
9. There is a force of Love within the universe, that is also Beauty, Justice, Faith, Caring, Tenderness, Hope, Peace, Playfulness and Truth, that can be found everywhere, a subtle Wisdom or what quantum physicists call "Relational Aliveness" always near, ready to emerge. Love is Lord of heaven and earth, and justice will eventually prevail, but not in the short run.
10. Every single human being has a piece of that Wisdom, a spark of Divine Life, every person is, truth be known, an incredible Divine Amazement. There is Hope and renewal is always possible. It is a matter of heart. Until we surrender to this awareness, to be embraced in faith, hope and love, we shall be haunted, hounded and hunted by this Divine Restlessness.
Namaste to my reader, whoever you are.
Paschal Baute, February 21, 2006.
1. Humans are not basically or essentially rational. Rationality is a myth. The most fundamentally irrational are those who believe they are totally rational, such as scientists and fundamentalists of all stripes, and those convinced of the rightness of their own way of life.
We are occasionally rational, hopefully rational at critical times, but seldom objective, rarely objective. When we listen, we listen to what suits us, what we can relate to, what relates to us, our frame, and we listen from our own frame at all times, which is biased and limited, and seldom rational. When is the last time you heard any authentic dialogue between a Democrat and a Republican, or a liberal and a conservative, or a right winger and a progressive?
2. We are more or less close-minded, not open minded. We have hidden lions at the gates of our awareness that actually prevent us from seeing, hearing those aspects of reality we are not ready to see and hear. For example, the racial discrimination prevalent in this country til the Civil Rights movement, and the inequities for women in our society still. We can feel threatened in our most basic identity by values or persons who challenge basic beliefs or values.
3. We do not live a reflective life in our society. No one encourages us to do so. We are never encouraged to discover Who WE are, from inside out. So we live from outside in, reacting to the latest and the most prominent. We also live in such a pace that if we stop we hardly know what to do with ourselves. Consumerism prevails, and we are caught up with things and daily buzz.
4. Because we do not live a reflective life, we are easily influenced by appeals to our baser motives, fear, envy, guilt, greed; and we live in a blame culture, ready to find fault, always out there, in others, never within. We yield to authority, to the expert, to the mass culture, to the trends of today, and seldom find ways to nurture a strong inner sense of self. Our identity is defined and controlled by the expectations of others and our peer group. Seldom are we able to think outside the box. Most are content to go along to get along.
5. We do not know and understand the stories we are living, that is, we are only partially aware of the themes, and how we set up things outside our awareness to succeed or fail. We find meaning in our stories when others listen and when we hear others stories, and sometimes when people ask good questions. We do love stories as we enjoy vicarious participation in others lives.
6. We do not risk ourselves much emotionally. Most of us seek to live in a bubble of comfort and security, safety and predictability. We are seldom open to ideas or reason that would challenge our own Bubble, or deeply held values, or a story we believe in. Most of us also have some areas, some inner closet that we hide from ourselves. We are two faced and do not know it, we do not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. Each of us has a blind side and a dark shadow; even the Saints did.
7. We have hearts that crave love, unconditional loving, and often seek it in all the wrong places: distractions, busy-ness, work, acceptance, things, new things, food, drink, taking small risks (lottery) various preoccupations. Only surrender to the force of Divine Love can fill the human heart.
8. Most churches emphasize membership and money, giving, not discipleship and outreach. Few Christians live a costly grace, seeing the gospel as challenging them to extend themselves to others. I had two friends who went home from Sunday morning Eucharist and shot themselves that night. Most services are not open to the actual pain and loneliness of those actually present.
9. There is a force of Love within the universe, that is also Beauty, Justice, Faith, Caring, Tenderness, Hope, Peace, Playfulness and Truth, that can be found everywhere, a subtle Wisdom or what quantum physicists call "Relational Aliveness" always near, ready to emerge. Love is Lord of heaven and earth, and justice will eventually prevail, but not in the short run.
10. Every single human being has a piece of that Wisdom, a spark of Divine Life, every person is, truth be known, an incredible Divine Amazement. There is Hope and renewal is always possible. It is a matter of heart. Until we surrender to this awareness, to be embraced in faith, hope and love, we shall be haunted, hounded and hunted by this Divine Restlessness.
Namaste to my reader, whoever you are.
Paschal Baute, February 21, 2006.
posted by Paschal Baute at 1:47 PM
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