Rescue Remedy

I had a really bad weekend. Well, it wasn't all bad, but for someone who is generally spreading sunshine everywhere I go, and always seeing the bright side of everything, the silver lining in every cloud, etc...well, "Into every life a little rain must fall," I guess.

The good news is that someone else took their turn to spread the sunshine into my life, and I was most grateful to get it. I was feeling pretty alone, but I checked my Facebook news feed; and there was Thich Nhat Hanh with his hand held out and ready to give me a lift. He had shared a prayer from his blog "Touching the Earth // Guided meditations from the Thich Nhat Hanh book 'Touching The Earth.' ". When I clicked the "Play" button on the sound file, a tone sounded, and then he began the guided meditation. It was generally about how the Earth has the capacity to absorb everything back into itself, to rescue human beings from bad "places" or states. At the sound of the tone I immediately felt myself focus and begin to calm. Then I was able to listen to the words. I was more relaxed, calm and at peace than at any other time during this "bad" weekend. I was (and am) extremely grateful to Thich Nhat Hanh for being there (if only in cyberspace) at precisely the moment I needed to be "rescued" from my bad mood.

Who is Thich Nhat Hanh? He is a Thien Buddhist of the Lâm Tế Dhyana (Linji Chanzong) of Buddhism, and founder of the Order of Interbeing. I learned of him through his wonderful book, "Living Buddha, Living Christ," in which he helps us to understand how Buddhists and Christians are essentially after the same things. (It's a good read. I highly recommend it.)

Some (perhaps many) Christians would start praying for my salvation at this point, since I'm taking prayers and advice from a Buddhist. But they would be misguided. In the 9th book of Mark, verses 38-40, John is all upset because he's seen someone casting demons out of people in Jesus' name, "but I told him not to, because he doesn't follow us." Jesus tells John not to forbid anyone to do good in his name, whether he follows Jesus or not, because doing good for others is a worthy pursuit, and it does the cause of Jesus and his followers no harm.

This is exactly the sort of connection Thich Nhat Hanh makes in his book, "Living Buddha, Living Christ"; and it's exactly the sort of kindness that Thich Nhat Hanh did for me this evening. There were no Christians around when I needed to have my "demons" cast out, but Thich Nhat Hanh was available, and he got the job done. Now I am back in the center of the narrow way, calm and peaceful, able to focus on what's important, thanks to a Buddhist monk. I prayed along with the meditation and felt the peace that passes all understanding. I am certain that Jesus doesn't mind a bit that it wasn't someone from Church who performed this service for me.

Today I was reminded by a Buddhist to thank God for rescuing me; and that there is always help, sometimes from places we least expect to find it. I am grateful for Thich Nhat Hanh, and I am grateful for the words of Jesus in Mark that remind us that we are all connected. Life is good, and I am grateful.

Easter Unveils A Mysterious Universe

"What if we were to understand the resurrection and ascension not as the bodily translation of some individuals to another world--a mythology no longer credible to us--but as the promise of God to be permanently present, 'bodily' present to us, in all places and times in our world? In what ways would we think of the relationship between God and the world were we to experiment with the metaphor of the universe as God's 'body,' God's palpable presence in all space and time?" --Sally McFague, The Body of God: An Ecological Theology

It is pleasant to remember today that I am an Easter person; that we who trust in the teachings of Jesus are Easter people; children of the resurrection.

But what does that mean exactly?

According to the book of John:

19 Later on, in the evening of the same day, which was the first day of the week, the disciples met behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. Jesus went and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be unto you."

20 As he said this, he showed them his hands and his side, and the disciples were glad when they saw him.

21 Then Jesus said to them again, "Peace be unto you. As the Father has sent me, I send you."

22 As he said this he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

23 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you don't forgive their sins, it's on you."

24 But Thomas, who was one of the original twelve followers of Jesus, and who was also called Didymus (which means Twin) was not there when Jesus first showed up and spoke to them.

25 So when he got there the others said to him, "We've seen the Lord." But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands and put my hand through the gashes in his side, I won't believe a word of it."

26 Eight days later, the disciples met again behind closed doors, and Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared as if by magic in the room with them, not having come through the door, which had been closed, and he said, "Peace be with you."

27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Hold out your finger and put it here in the holes in my hands; and hold out your hand and put it into the gash in my side. Don't doubt what your eyes are telling you is true. Believe."

28 Thomas answered, " My Lord! My God!"

29 Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you've seen with your own eyes that I am risen from the dead. Even more blessed are those who believe without having seen." (John 20:19-29, BHTL version)

There are several important messages here. The first is that these guys are scared--their leader, who they thought was going to defy the church leaders, the governor, and the Roman Empire, is dead. Well, they thought he was; they saw him killed, after all. And then, "poof," like magic he shows up in the middle of a room with a locked door. The first thing he says to them when he shows up is "Peace." In other gospel accounts he says, "Don't be afraid." The message is the same regardless of the specific greeting: "Yes, this is freaky, but don't be afraid. I'm here with you right now--you are not alone."

The second important message is about the Holy Spirit, or the Breath of God. In Genesis it says that as God created all of the living things of the Earth, including man, he breathed into them the breath of life. Jesus does it again in this book--what happened to it in between? Did all of creation stop breathing? Of course not. But there is this mysterious thing that all living things have that animates us that no one understands: what is it that leaves the body when we die, that mysterious something that is us? Medical doctors and scientists are as yet unable to definitively answer this question. Though we can't say what it is, we know when it isn't here anymore.

They saw "it" leave Jesus' body when he died, saw him dead, but here he is, walking and talking, and breathing on them. I don't know what "it" is anymore than anyone else does, but I can guess: it is what connects us in spirit to our Creator; the implication being that while we live in these fragile, temporary bodies, our breath is on loan to us from God.

The disciples are afraid, only meeting behind locked doors. Jesus breathes their faith right back into them; gives them spiritual mouth-to-mouth; reconnects them to the Creator.

The third thing that's going on here concerns doubt. How do I know this little scene behind closed doors ever happened? I don't. There are four different accounts of it in the New Testament, and they all have different takes on these events (though the stories generally agree). How do I know someone hasn't tampered with this story? (I'm pretty sure it's been tampered with and manipulated a lot over the millennia, and not for the purpose of clarifying, either.) And even if I do believe that all of this happened, on the word of a few folks who didn't even write the story down for around 30 years at best, how can I explain all this supernatural stuff?

I can't. And I don't have to. That's not the point of the story. Thomas is the only real scientist in the group. Though he's been ridiculed for doubting for over 2000 years, I think he showed real bravery. He was the only one in the group willing to apply the scientific method to the situation, and because of that I'm most apt to buy his story over the others'. My great-grandmother used to say, "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see." Apparently Thomas subscribed to this philosophy also. He wanted proof. Evidence.

And Jesus condemned him for this. NO! That's not what happened. Jesus was patient and encouraged him to investigate. Jesus did not ask him to go back outside and check his brain at the door. What we can learn from this is that there is no penalty for skepticism. We are all encouraged as Thomas was to investigate further; to question. In the end Thomas believes, based on the evidence.

The Universe is enormous and mysterious. For every question scientists answer through discovery, another dozen questions (at least) emerge. More mysteries and wonders invite further investigation. What this tells me is that the Universe is friendly. God is friendly and encourages investigation, and rewards our curiosity with beautiful wonders.

And what about the resurrection itself; that troublesome supernatural event that some Christians say you have to believe happened in order to be saved. Did Jesus really rise up from the dead? I don't know. I wasn't there. What I do know is that it doesn't really matter--the power of Jesus' resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven is in the story and what we can learn from it, and how those of us who choose to follow Jesus behave as a result of the work it does in us.

In his book "Thank God for Evolution," Michael Dowd says:

"I can resurrect virtually any troubled relationship via the same path Jesus incarnated: humble myself and take on the experience of the other, die to my own perspective as "the truth," take responsibility for doing the reconciling, be generous and compassionate in my communication, act with a grateful and faithful heart, and harbor no attachment that my effort should yield any particular outcome."

Today I am reminded that I am an Easter person, daily resurrected into the mysterious body of God, not alone in this friendly Universe. Life is good, and I am grateful.

Every thought is a prayer. Every action is a meditation.

Photograph by Jonathan Aspensen.

I used to beat myself up a lot for not praying the way I thought I should. Of course the way I thought I should was the way someone or another had taught was the "right" way to pray. Some teach that you have to do it at a certain time of day; some that you have to say it a certain way; others that you must pray in a language that even you don't understand, and that if you don't then that's evidence you haven't been "anointed by the Holy Spirit," and therefore haven't been "saved."

What I finally figured out was that Jesus already dealt with all of that in his teachings, and made it really, really simple:

5 And when you pray, don't be like the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in churches and on the street corners, so everyone will see them. But I'm telling you, the attention they get while they're putting on such a spectacle is their reward. 6 But when you pray, do it privately and where no one can see you, praying to God who meets you in the solitude of your secret place, and receive your reward accordingly. 7 And don't just say the same old tired prayers over and over again, because it's not a contest to see who can say a memorized prayer the most times. 8 So don't be like them: God knows what you need before you even ask. (Matthew 6:5-8, BHTL version)

A few weeks ago, one of my colleagues gave a Japanese Sumi-e painting demonstration for my Art Club students. He explained to them that Sumi-e painting isn't just a watercolor painting technique, but a meditation; and each step in the process of Sumi-e painting is a meditation in itself. Grinding the pigment. Mixing the paint. Visualizing the finished painting. Loading the brush with paint. Making the brush strokes.

I had put on some traditional Japanese Koto and Shakuhachi music to get us all in the mood, and the students were nothing less than enraptured. When it was their turn to try the painting, it struck me that they all looked like they were praying. They didn't have their eyes closed, but they were very still and focused, pictures of intense concentration.

Photograph by Jonathan Aspensen

This past Thursday my husband and I went to Washington, D.C. to see the Cherry Blossoms on the peak day. This is the third year in a row that we have done this. As we walked around the tidal basin (which takes about an hour and a half), we saw some Buddhist monks who were there enjoying the blossoms as well. On any given day in D.C. you will see many people from many countries taking in the sites. Somehow seeing the monks brought to my mind the reality that enjoying the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms, the sunshine, the mild breeze and pleasant temperature--all of these things were a kind of prayer. The monks were praying. I was praying. Everyone was praying.

In the same way that the grinding of the pigment for Sumi-e painting is a meditation, every step I took around the tidal basin was a meditation. Every breath was a prayer, breathing in (thank you), breathing out (thank you). I was immersed in the beauty of creation, grateful to God and the Japanese Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo who gave us the trees, and grateful to the trees themselves for persevering through the 3 feet of snow that was on the ground just a month and a half ago (many of them had lost low-hanging limbs to the weight of the snow, which had to be cut off, but the trees were as beautiful and hearty as ever).

Even in the public place of the tidal basin, I was able to meet God in the solitude of my secret place, that place inside of me where the "still small voice" resides when I am quiet enough to hear it. Every silent, internal "thank you" was rewarded with yet more beautiful blossoms to enjoy, more soothing breezes, more sunshine, still more beauty. I most definitely received my reward, and it was so worth it.

You may not be able to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms, but there is beauty all around us. A bird on the windowsill in the grayest of concrete cities. A dandelion growing through the crack in a sidewalk. A smile on the face of a friend. The kindness of a stranger. These are all ways that our great Creator whispers "I love you" to us, and when we take notice of the beauty and say "thank you" back from the solitude of our secret place, we are praying. When we breathe in the beauty around us, and exhale our gratitude, we are meditating on the greatness of God.

Life is good. Be grateful, and be happy.

Why "Behold the Lilies"?

I was raised in the United Methodist Church, though in my twenties I was an apostate Christian resting just shy of being an atheist, and in my thirties I had a "born again" experience and gave the Foursquare and Calvary Chapel churches a go before making a full circle back to the United Methodist Church.

Just before I returned to "the church," a really good friend of mine was lined up to be the lay preacher at the Foursquare church he attended on the following Sunday (this was before I had ever darkened the doorstep). He knew that I had been a "Bible-totin', scripture-quotin' Christian" in my youth, and asked me if I could think of anything he might be able to preach on the following Sunday. The first verses to pop into my head were Matthew 6:25-34:

25 Therefore I say to you, don't be anxious for your life, what you'll eat, or what you'll drink; nor for your body, what you'll put on. Isn't the life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 Behold the birds in the sky, they don't plant seeds, nor do they reap a harvest, nor gather their crop into barns; God feeds them. Aren't you more valuable than they are? 27 And how many people do you know who have added a single moment to their lives by worrying? 28 And why are you worried about what you will wear? Behold the lilies of the field, how they grow without doing any work, and without running around in circles, 29 yet I tell you that even King Solomon in all of his glory was never dressed as beautifully as these flowers.

30 If God clothes the grass of the field, which today is here, and tomorrow goes under the lawnmower blade, doesn't it make sense that he'll clothe you even more beautifully? Where's your faith? 31 So stop worrying, saying, "What will we eat?" or "What will we drink?" or "Where will I get the money to buy new clothes?"

32 Worrying is what people who don't have faith in God do; but God knows what you need, so put your faith in God. 33 If you are grateful for what God has already given you, for what you have now, living abundantly with joy and gratitude, and sharing these gifts with others, then you will receive even more to be grateful for.

34 So stop worrying about things that haven't happened yet, because there's plenty to worry about without creating even more by worrying before it happens. (BHTL Version)

He asked me why I chose that scripture and I had to think about it. The first reason was that it was springtime. In Montana springtime is just the muddy waiting room between winter and summer, and is usually snowy or rainy. My first thought about why that verse came to me so quickly was that I would love to see some sunshine and flowers about now. My second thought was that my experience with Christianity as a child was so oppressive and full of "hellfire and damnation," but that verse always reminded me that God is friendly, and wants me to be happy.

I have no idea what my friend preached on that Sunday because I didn't go to church for another five years or so (more on that later). But to this day, that remains my favorite verse in the entire Bible, for the second reason that I gave my friend: "God is friendly, and wants me to be happy."

What an important thing to remember when we are so frequently reminded (inaccurately, I believe) that God is a vengeful God.

I have read the Bible many times, and have come to believe that we can find whatever version of God that we want to find in the Bible. But mostly I believe that so much of the vengeance that can be found in those pages is the result of human manipulation for political purposes. Look around you, watch the news, read the newspapers, pay attention to advertising--do you need any more confirmation of my theory than this? All kinds of people use God as the reason that we should not do the very things that Jesus taught us that we should do. Why? Because they understand that the average person is more motivated by fear than s/he is by love.

That's the dark side of humanity. It is so easy to believe that we are unworthy, not enough. There are so many people willing to help us believe that we are afraid that we're too [fill in the blank with the problem that the product they want to sell you will solve] .

I do not believe that God intended for us to live in fear. Jesus taught us over and over to allow love and compassion to guide our every move. This message from the Bible is reinforced by the beauty in the world and the universe around us. I believe that God intends for us to live hope-filled lives of joy, and to share that hope and joy with as many people as possible.

This blog is my attempt to do that on a daily basis, focusing on the teachings of Jesus, and supporting those teachings with observations of God's great creation.

My first observation is this: "Behold the lilies of the field, how they grow without doing any work, and without running around in circles, 29 yet I tell you that even King Solomon in all of his glory was never dressed as beautifully as these flowers." At this time of year when we are surrounded by Easter Lilies, how appropriate that we should remember to stop worrying! These beautiful flowers, and all of the budding, blooming creation of spring, are evidence that God is friendly and he wants us to be happy. So be happy.