Polar Opposites: A Cultural Observation

Ever heard the saying, "Opposites attract"? Opposites are not a bad thing.  Opposites are what keep us in balance, as a culture and as a community.  In a way, they are the counter-weight that keeps us from being trapped in a boring, monotonous society.  Without opposite opinions, everyone would be saying the same thing. Without opposite writing styles, everyone would be writing the same way (Gah!!!).  Without opposite hair color, eye color, body shape and shoe style, we would lose all of that which makes us, humanity, diverse and beautiful.  Opposites are a meaningful context in our world.

I want to clarify this understanding of the positive of opposites first, in preparation for stating that I believe there is a state where opposites become oppositional, divisive and ineffective, counter-productive to the balanced measure of opposites mentioned above. The "opposites" that I refer to tend to surround the way in which people perceive/engage/interact with culture/opinion/commentaries, both political and social, etc. The word polar means "opposite in character or action", and in today's language, I would add that there is a conceptualization of an extreme associated with the term "polar" (i.e. "my husband is the polar opposite of me!").  Thus it seems to illustrate that when two opposites become polar in function there is a gap, or the lack of connection, between the two.

Side note: Obviously, objective observations like "light" and "dark" are not what I am referring to, though it could be perceived that even between those two objective observed realities there is no real gap, as there is a state observed  called "semi-dark" or "semi-light"?  Language and our articulation of the perceptions/observations of the world, and the things around us, are intrinsically complex in form and function, not to mention when additionally impacted by language, ethnicity, culture, worldview and geographic location! 

As a perpetual student, I have had the privilege of studying under some wonderful professors who over the past several years have shared  their knowledge, wisdom and experience, opening up a vast, ever-growing awareness of language, culture and worldview, specifically, though not exclusively, within the context of God and theology.  I might suggest that God and theology have been compartmentalized into the word, religion, and though I personally have come to appreciate the term, there are many who do not.  The term religion is often viewed or understood negatively, mostly due to its association with the institution of the church.  Therefore, another term, spirituality, has been used as a  handy replacement, and carries a distinctly generic sense with regard to God and our human interaction, or lack thereof, with God.  In this, I have observed that spirituality is often conceptualized as the polar opposite of religion.  With this conceptual opposition of religion, the association of church  falls into those opposing parameters, as well.  

This oppositional thinking is not only in theological contexts, but also in the context of morals, society and worldview.  In 1900, there was an understanding that moral formation was the responsibility of the educational system, as the culture, overall, seemed to believe that metaphysical and science could be compatible.  The systematization and ultimate autonomy of Modernity instead divided this worldview into two distinct polar opposites: metaphysical (God, higher powers, ethics/morals, truth, abstract theories, etc) and science (empirical data, facts, physical/concreteness).  Surprisingly, the very academic institutions, considered responsible for the moral formation of the individual and/or community, set the pursuit of moral formation (the well-roundedness of the individual within society) for the pursuit of a more systematized, linear science academia (engineers, scientists, accountants, doctors, teachers, etc). Today, in 2011, much of what we think about truth is rooted in this oppositional tension between metaphysical (subjective) and science (objective).  

Here's the rub: We don't like to think that really, do we?  We like to believe that we make our decisions alone, without outside influence.  The reality is that we are deeply affected by our culture, which shapes our worldview, therein affecting our decisions, opinions and ultimately the way in which we live our lives. From what brand of toothpaste we use to the car we drive, we are told what is good, usually in opposition to what is bad (the other brand of toothpaste or the other manufacturer of the car). So, we may have this way of understanding that if the one thing is "good" then the other thing, opposite of it, is "bad".

My point is this--I think today we live in a world of polar opposites.  We are told by the History Channel and the Science Channel and the News that the only truth is objective (science, archaeology, "proof-positive" truth, witnesses, etc).  

We live by that and often die by it as well.  

On the other hand, we are also deeply and profoundly spiritual beings, and we know it.  I asked a class of high school students this question, "What one thing do we really know everything about? I mean everything! We know how to be this one thing--it is really all we know!"  They didn't say anything at first, then one student piped up, "A person?" Ding, ding, ding!!! Yes,  a human being.  Our perceptions of the world are, of course, human perceptions, and ever since our feet hit the "ground" running, we have been seeking after that which we cannot define or understand, that which is beyond us.  We were wired for something more, and we know it! Adam and Eve knew it, and that is where the temptation lay in secret, waiting for them to take a bite off of the tree of knowledge. We humans love knowledge. We want to know everything.  And I think this is part of our DNA, our insatiable curiousity, that has wrought us wonderful scientific discoveries, and I pray many more to come.  However, there are some things that we simply will not be able to quantify, count or analyze--these are the things that are metaphysical.  Love, truth, wisdom, justice, hope, belief, family values, etc. are things that we do not fully understand in a concrete way, yet they exist.  They are a significant part of our human experience, and we all know that they are very, very true. 

For these as well, we live by and die by, as well, will we not?  So, why do you think we set up one, against another? 

Metaphysical, in today's world, cannot determine factual truth. Yet, we are a world that is deeply concerned with social justice.  We are a world that denies the existence of God in the revelation of Jesus Christ, the son of God, yet sees no issue of using all types of magical means (tarot cards, psychics, witchcraft, voodoo, etc) to help us figure out our future or to keep us safe. 

Do you see a problem here?  What do you say to someone who says  "I can't believe in God, but I am totally on board with asking Oprah to help me find "transcendence"? Really?  I do not want to seem critical, and I am sure I have already crossed that line, but we have got to figure out a way to get balance restored here. The polar opposites are so polar that they simply do not even make sense anymore.  

If a person says that they believe that truth is science, but that person is going to a psychic for truth, then what does that one really believe?

I believe in God and science.  I believe that they are more compatible than we are "told" they are, particularly by the media.  I believe in Jesus Christ, who was God incarnate in the flesh, died on the cross for the sins of the world, and then was resurrected.  I believe in the Church, even with the tumultuous history and her struggles, because there is nothing more profoundly formative then the body of believers gathering together, in prayer and in love, in Christ's name to honor and worship Him.  There are many who think opposite of me, and that is OK.  Opposites are good. Opposites provoke dialogue and debate, all healthy and productive experiences. I don't mind opposites at all. 

So you tell me, what do you think?

Wilderness Wanderings: Is it Good for the Soul?

Have you ever been lost? Really lost? Like in "the middle of a wilderness" lost? It is not a pleasant place to be.  God's people should know something about "wilderness wanderings"; we, God's People (Israel--literally meaning "people of God") have a history of wilderness wandering (See Deuteronomy 8).  Once the realization of being off-track has surfaced, the question of "how did I get here?" inevitably surfaces as well.  The question seems irrelevant at that point, right? "Clearly, I'm lost! I need a plan! I need to get out of here!" Tack on a well-utilized plea, "I want to go home!", and you know exactly what I'm referring to!

If you have spent some time in Deuteronomy, once you get to Deuteronomy 8, it feels like Moses has been preaching for eight chapters about following God's ordinances and commandments, after a brief reminder of the 40 year "wilderness wandering", which took 39.5 more years than the trip required.  You're right, he has! Deuteronomy is really a series of Moses' sermons and exhortations to the people of Israel.   And at this point in Deuteronomy, obeying and honoring God's commandments (or the Decalogue--otherwise known as the 10 Commandments  Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20) is wonderful means to receiving the blessings of God. God is providing an unmerited gift--a homeland.

⁶ “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. ⁷ For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills.⁸ It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. ⁹ It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. ¹⁰ When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. ¹¹ “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.

See that "so" in the first sentence there?  That is a conjunction, usually with a conditional feel. Pay attention then to the verses that come before.  The land is going to amazing. There will be plenty. There will be beauty. There will be more than enough for everyone. But, don't forget about the wilderness experience.

² Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. ³ Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴ For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. ⁵ Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.

Wilderness experiences are not fun. They are humbling. They are gut-wrenching. All of us can recall a time when we were lost--physically lost.  Remember how that felt? Now imagine how it feels to be the other person who knows you are lost, and is frantically looking for you, hoping you find the way home. Have you been there?

One day, shopping in a grocery store with my family, my son asked me if he could go with my husband, who was going to the other side of the store.  I had our daughter in the grocery cart, so I said yes, assuming my husband had heard me. He had not. So, my son took off after my husband, who at that point did not realize our son was following him.  And like any six year old, I can only assume that he stopped to look at something, and when he looked up, he was alone. A minute later, my husband finds me in the store, but our son was not with him.

I panicked.
He panicked.

And in that moment, we realized that the best thing to do was to head to the front of the store and have him paged.  All I knew, and felt, was I wanted my son with me, NOW! I probably would have run all over the store, if my husband had not steadied me, explaining that our son might be doing the same thing--we could potentially never find each other.  Seconds seemed like minutes, when our son flew around one of the front aisles, his expression desperate for a familiar face.  He saw us. We saw him. And in that moment, I don't think I have ever been more joyful! He had found his way to us. Now, this whole story probably occurred in a span of 3-4 minutes but it felt like an eternity. 

Consider the implications of this story in relation to our "wilderness wanderings" and God.  Indeed, God finds us, asking us to follow him out of the wilderness, but he won't pick us up and move us.  He provides for us (like the manna and the birds in the wilderness).  But he wants us to FIND HIM to find our way to out of the wilderness. Why? Because He has plans for us.  Just like He did for the Israelites.  There was  land waiting for them.

Earlier, I wrote that when we get lost, we want a plan to get out! God has one already! His amazing love is illustrated in the person of Jesus Christ--God took on flesh to meet us where we are. We were so lost, so He came to us!

Take a moment to reflect if you recall feeling spiritually lost or just out of touch with the spiritual side of yourself?  We attend to our physical bodies when they cry out for attention--hunger, pain, exhaustion or illness.  Do we attend to our spiritual self in the same manner? Are you in the wilderness? Are you feeling far from God, far from community, or lonely?  We all experience "wilderness wanderings", but God does not want us to stay there.  He knows what it's like--Jesus himself experienced the wilderness for 40 days!

Be encouraged today. The Wilderness can be good for the soul.  It is where we lean on God more, as we grow more dependent on Him meeting our needs. We are vulnerable when we are spiritually lost and physically lost. We feel exposed and weary. God is with you today through His Holy Spirit, ready to give you the strength to step out of the wilderness.  Wilderness can be good for the soul, but we should not remain there.

I read this today, and found great comfort.  Peace.

O troubled soul, beneath the rod, 
Thy Father speaks, be still, be still; 
Learn to be silent unto God, 
And let Him mould thee to His will.

"O praying soul, be still, be still, 
He cannot break His plighted Word; 
Sink down into His blessed will, 
And wait in patience on the Lord. 

"O waiting soul, be still, be strong, 
And though He tarry, trust and wait; 
Doubt not, He will not wait too long, 
Fear not, He will not come too late."

Hello 2011. What's New? Part 3

Click to see Part 1 or Part 2.

If there is one word that people, in my small circle of influence, could use to describe me, I think it would be passionate.  I am deeply, vocally and transparently passionate.  I like to do stuff.  Ι am always doing something. I am a runner. I am a creator. I am an inventor.  I  really like to be doing something.  When I am not doing something, I get antsy and irritable.  Like any extrovert, my energy tank gets filled when I am working with people, engaging in a task or project (particularly if it's inventive, new, or edgy), and like any good ENFP (Myers Briggs label) once the task or project is born and functioning, I get bored.

So what does "PJ time" have to do with the resuscitation of my soul? After a very intense semester of seminary, along with a bevy of other familial and personal obligations, I found myself completely exhausted, and I completely disengaged.

I don't know about you, but I have to be intentional about finding balance, even after several good years of counseling for my own issues and dysfunctions (yes, we all have them to some degree).  Either I am too engaged in a project, or not enough.  Where is the balance? Is it necessary to spend five hours in the GNT, when I know I have another project that needs my attention more? What am I trying to prove to myself, or whoever else might be watching? Bottom line: I like to win. I like the spotlight. I am competitive. I like acclaim. I want to be the best. Now, in the context of American culture today, these characteristics may be considered good.  Someone might be overheard, saying, "Wow, she's got confidence! She's assured of herself! She's gonna make it!" After all, the world out there is sometimes eat or be eaten, right? But I am called to another standard--God's standard of living.  And my ego has no place in that framework.  The gospel is the anti-thesis to human conceptualizations of ego, power and wisdom. The gospel says the last will be first, and the first last.  The gospel tells the story of twelve disciples who really wanted Jesus to be someone He was not, simply because of their ego issues. Read about it in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus was always trying to teach them the way of Discipleship through His actions. 

So, over the holiday break, I practically lived in my PJ's.  Our kids did too.  It was truly wonderful.  What PJ time did for my soul was to remind me about the point of living.  And it has nothing to do with what I do or what people expect me to be, rather my life should be centered upon who I am in Christ.  I had a wise friend remind me of Acts 17:28: ^"for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'"  I am God's kid, and He desires me to look to Him for everything.  For approval. For affirmation. For discipline. For wisdom. For help.  Anything in the human experience! I have the bad habit of trying to do these things for myself, and when I do, it isn't long before I royally mess everything up. Trust me--don't try it. It ends bad, every time.

You would think that I would remember these things, but then again the Israelites were constantly building themselves piles of rocks in order to remember things--like the crossing of the Red Sea! You think that was a significant experience for them!? Yet they still had to build a pile of rocks.  We humans are forgetful, ego-maniacs.  Yet, we are each made in the image of God.  And He genuinely cares and loves us--even when we're forgetful and ego-maniacs. And it is in Him that I find my identity; not in the grades I get, or the papers I write, or the projects I participate in.  All of these are good things, but apart from God, they are nothing.

It's important to find time to disengage from the world, just for a little while. I know some people who choose to disengage from email, cell phones or Facebook, just for a little while. Jesus would disengage from the task at hand to go and be with his Father, just for a little while.  Why?  Just like an extrovert needs people to get their tank filled up; humans need to be in the presence of God to be filled with Him.  For it is "in him that we live and breathe". 

Peace.

Hello 2011. What's New? Part 2

To see Part One of this three-part blog update, click here.

Yesterday, I wrote a rather lengthy update regarding what I label my resuscitation of the soul through three areas: Greek (see yesterday's post), Writing, and PJ Time.  The last one, I am certain, you are most curious about because what could PJ's have to do with resuscitation of the soul? More than you know, but that subject will have to wait until Part Three.

Today, I write about "writing".  I have been a writer since I can remember learning to write.  There is something cathartic about writing for me.  Ever heard of "Chicken Soup for the Soul", well, that is what writing does for me.   I am not an avid journaler, however, which often surprises other writers. Writers typically like to "write" anything--whether it be a review of a good book or personal reflections in a journal.  I however do not journal, only because I do not like hand-writing (literally writing with my hand! LOL!)  I much prefer typing, so perhaps, in a way, this blog could be perceived as a journal of sorts. :)

In early November, a curious thing occurred. I had a very unexpected, new idea. Writing a blog. I don't usually follow blogs, except those blogs that I happen to come across by chance.  Not that I dislike blogs; it just wasn't a consideration. When the idea came to me, seemingly from out of nowhere, I mentally set it aside, labeling it "random", while a series of dialogues coursed through my mind:  "I don't have time to be writing all my thoughts on a blog."  "Who wants to read what I have to say anyway?"  "What would I write about?"  "Why would I write about them?"  "Who really cares what I think?" "What would I say that matters to anyone else?"  Then, one day, in one of my classes, a conversation began on the subject of the American Church and faith, particularly a concept called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.  It was an intriguing idea, and one that I wanted to share with others, more importantly one that I wanted to engage in dialogue over.  I really wanted to know if anyone else, besides my fellow seminarians and professors, knew about this rather insidious infection in the Church.  And like a random, but gentle, raindrop from the heavens, a quiet whisper came--"why not write about it? on a blog?"  I thought, a little cynically, "Oh not that blog idea again!"

There moments in one's faith walk with God when you know you are supposed to do something.  I am not talking Determinism here, but rather there is a profound sense that God wants you to do something--and He really means it!  Like, when I was a child, my parents would often ask me to do things--chores, tasks, whatever--and sometimes they really meant it.  Like not touching a hot stove, or not running into the street without looking--get my gist, here? So, if I chose (I emphasize CHOSE) to obey, then all would be well; but if I chose not to, the outcome could be quite painful (for me!).  The instructions from my parents were not restrictive but rather provisional in concern and care. Make sense?  So, when I awoke the next morning, I knew that God was sending me a very clear message; it was up to me to respond. Begrudgingly, I googled "blogs" and surprisingly, about ten minutes later, I was the owner of my very own blog site.

Fast forward about seven blogs updates later, I find I am enjoying this whole blog thing.  I think it's the writing. I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing.  And from what I understand from others, I am fairly good at it. Well, look at that?  Who knew? Writing is cathartic to my soul.  It is like "chicken soup" for my soul.  And my soul was in need of restoration. And who knew that writing was yet another element to my resuscitation?  Really, need I say Who?!

Just like God knew that Greek would be an effective way for me to engage a truly wonderful gift, given by Him to me, the same was for my writing.  I think He is helping me to see me better, and in that process, I am letting go of all of the other stuff that I have "tacked" onto myself, which seems to stick out like some bad costume jewelry. Things, tasks, jobs, roles, etc. that I "tack" onto myself, based on man's expectations or desires, just don't seem to fit.  They are ugly and heavy and awkward. But things, tasks, jobs, roles that are of the Spirit of God, ahh, this is where wisdom comes from, right?  This is the really good stuff of God.  We can only access it through His power and wisdom. Sounds scriptural to me! Take a look for yourself in 1 Corinthians 2.

Peace.

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