MOST SUCCESSFUL RELIGION OF ALL TIME

            

 

There is a wonderful piece of wisdom that states that “the last person that would ever discover water would be a fish!”  Water is a taken-for-granted reality in the daily life of a fish. The only person who would discover the water would be a land animal, an insect or a bird. They know how much they need water just to survive. It is always there for the fish!

 

Now religion gives purpose and meaning to human life. It is the tool by which we evaluate our place on the face of this earth, what our life is actually worth and the direction our life needs to take. Religion is a meaning maker. We see it function most powerfully when poor and oppressed peoples can still find great meaning in their life because they are firmly convinced that they have been created in the image and likeness of God. To use an excellent example from our Bible history: the Hebrew slaves were oppressed and suffered greatly at the hands of the Egyptian masters. But they knew their lives counted for much because their God (Yahweh) would deliver then to freedom.

 

As a society we are living through decades of unbelievable consumption of the material goods of this earth. We are building bigger houses, buying more clothing and driving bigger vehicles because we are rich enough to do so.  We feel more and more worthwhile as a human being because we own more. We define ourselves by what we own. 

 

Are we not using our consumption of material goods as the measurement of our worth? Do we not consider the people who live in the bigger houses as being better than others? Have we not brought our level of consumption to be a religion?

 

People who are honest about what is happening today recognize that this level of consumption is leading to the collapse of the world’s systems. We need to struggle with some very tough questions if we are to survive as the human species.

 

The next time you are shopping for tooth paste or hair shampoo, stand for several moments before the fifty choices that you have of tooth paste (regular, paste or gel and what flavour would you like?) and ask yourself: And how has all these choices made my human life better? Is the unbelievable number of choices actually make my life better? Or is this just a large shelf full of “stuff?”

 

When you return home open your clothes closet. Count the number of shirts and tops that  are have hanging there? How many? But you can only wear one shirt today? Is the purpose of a shirt to hang in the closet or spend many days in your laundry hamper? How has life improved because you have thirty-five shirts  hanging in your closet? 

 

We can go on with the number of tools we have in the garage, fish hooks if we fish for a hobby, the number of shoes and runners, or kitchen ggets. Have our houses become store-houses for all our “stuff” that we seldom use or perhaps no longer use. 

 

Do we find strong comfort and security when we sit amidst all our stuff? Does the newest computer make us feel more successful in our lives? 

 

The question we all must grapple with: How well does all our material possessions give our lives meaning and purpose. Does consumerism actually function as a religion in our culture?

 

 

 

 

 

SEASON OF CREATION: A WELCOME GIFT

           

 

During this month of September we are sharing in the wonderful ecumenical gift of “The Season of Creation.” The focus is to help all Christian communities claim the richness of their own Christian tradition in order to grow in our awareness of our responsibility to preserving the earth for all living creatures. All Churches and spiritual groups can enter into this prayer and celebration on an equal footing. Each Christian community has so many gifts toward preserving the earth and all living creatures.

 

This is not limited just to active believing Christian people. People who have no connection to any church or faith tradition are invited to share in this wonderful season to celebrate all aspects of creation, from the largest trees to the smallest bacteria.

 

We were given the symbol of Abraham’s tent as a sign that all living things must find their place in our common home, the earth. The tent is such a wonderful sign that as Abraham and Sarah invited the three men (who were actually agents from God) to lodge with them, so may all living creatures find lodging on this earth. May everyone, from the human to the smallest fish in the ocean find that the earth is their home. May they all be welcomed. May they all thrive on this earth.

 

In our Christian practice we have come out of four centuries where creation has been seen as a commodity to be exploited (not loved). We have overfished the oceans, warmed the atmosphere, cut down the forests and polluted the waters. Now, nature is giving us powerful signs that we are reaching the edge of collapse.

 

Christians need not fear that their religious faith will be weakened. This is a season of new discovery of what we have lost with regard to the power of God in creation. Go back into our Christian tradition to discover what God has done with the creation of all the planets and stars, all the fish, birds and mammals that were on this earth millions of years before the creation of the first human being. What was God doing with all those creatures? What did they mean to God?

 

You will not preserve and protect what you do not love. If you do not love the creatures of the earth you will not make any adaption in your lifestyle to preserve their existence. 

 

We are being challenged to learn to love creation. Look to see the very image of God in the tree leaf, the gulls flying overhead and the soil in which our crops grow. What did God create and love in each of these pieces of creation? How do they image God?

 

This ‘Season of Creation’ is opening a new vista for all Christians. We have much to learn for the first time and integrate into our spiritual lives. Making creation a vital part of our spiritual lives is a very good journey to be on. 

 

 

EUCHARIST; YOUR LIFE IS PART OF THE SACRIFICE

 

 

A deficit is something that is missing. We use the word often to identify the shortage of funds in our monthly budget. But we also use the word to describe the shortcomings of a person: “He has a deficit of common sense.”

 

One of the deficits of our Sunday Eucharist is the weakness of our people bringing their own lives to this Eucharist and offering their lives as a living sacrifice, with and through the sacrifice of Jesus. We need to teach all people to bring their own lives as a living offering with and through Jesus.

 

The moment we are walking into the Sunday Eucharist we bring our entire lives with us. We never pray as disjointed spirits, but we always pray with all our experiences, our limitations and our successes. We always bring with us all our friendships and the people who support us and we support them. We bring with us all our history, the blest days and the days of suffering and confusion. We pray as a whole person.

 

We want to stress how important it is that we join our service and compassion for others to the very sacrifice of Jesus. This past week we may have driven our elderly neighbor to see the cancer doctor and accompanied her in the consultation with the doctor and the tests that entailed a further trip. This act of friendship took up the whole day. Bring the goodness you were to this elderly friend to the Lord. 

 

But bring to the Lord the pain in your heart that your two brothers do not talk to each other. It was all over money. Bring to the Lord the times that you have sat in your chair in the evening and tears came to your eyes if your Mother (God rest her soul) ever knew that her family would be so divided. Bring all your pain and your tears to the sacrifice of Jesus.

 

Bring to the Lord your concern over your two nephews working out in Alberta. They are making big bucks but you know that they do recreational drugs on the weekends. In today’s drug market it is so dangerous. There have been too many men over the age of twenty-nine who have overdosed. They are dead! Be honest with the Lord. Bring your fear and your great concern for these dangerous-living young men. The pain in your heart of so real. Make your love and concern a part of the sacrifice of this Sunday Eucharist.

 

Bring the joy that your neighbors two little girls bring you. They come over for a visit and you sit them down to have tea and cookies. These two little girls enjoy so much playing at adult roles and you enjoy their non-stop conversation. After their hour is finished, they politely know when they should excuse themselves and return home. After every visit you look back at how much you enjoy these two little ones. They just brighten up your day. Join this joy to the sacrifice of Christ.

 

We were never meant to be passive during the Sunday Eucharist. We all have some much to bring to the sacrifice of Jesus. We have so much work to make the sacrifice of Jesus also our own sacrifice.

 

THE DARK SIDE OF OUR CULTURE

       

 

In every group of human beings throughout the world there is a “light” side and a “dark” side to their culture. No people are immune from their own weaknesses and selfishness. We may try to deny the black side of our culture but it is very active no matter how much denial people may engage in. 

 

In North America we live in a very individualistic society. What receives first attention and the most attention is our “self.” The individual sets the standard for what is important and necessary for the good life. Less and less is there any connection to the larger community. Life is all about what I want, what I need for success and what I set as the standard for truth. More and more, it all centers around the individual.

 

The black side of this rugged individualism is the complete absence of any discussion about responsibility for one another. The more I am centered on myself and my own wants the less and less I actually care for the other; the other human being whom I may not know personally but I share this earth with them.  We are meant to be responsible for our common humanity.

 

When we were in ethics  class we were given this simple little ditty: I have the right to swing my arm whenever I want to, but I have a responsibility never to swing my arm where your nose begins. 

 

Slowly, we as a society are recognizing that all human beings have rights. Gradually  we are recognizing that all marginal peoples have the same equal rights as those who hold power in society. This is gradually being accepted in groups of marginal peoples: the handicapped, aboriginal peoples, women and refugees. There are many basic rights that belong to every single human being born on this planet.

 

But the black side of our culture comes in all the demands that “I have rights!” This is true but very limited. You have rights to protection, safety, clean water and an education. But you also have equal responsibilities to work to support and protect the rights of others. This is where the discussion turns black and very selfish. So much of the demands that I have a right is not balanced by a clear statement: But I have responsibilities towards all other human beings. 

 

Too often, the demands that we heard from people demanding their rights are clear statements of selfishness. You must respect my basic human rights but I do not have a responsibility to contribute to the common good. The demands that we hear shouted in the media are too often an undisguised demand of selfishness.

 

The entire culture needs to pay attention to so many of our new Canadians who are working hard at two or three jobs, and sending money back to their parents and family in their country of origin. Look what sense of responsibility these people are exercising towards their own relatives who are living in poverty. These hard working new comers are working toward the common good of others. Our individualistic culture has much to learn from the responsible values of these new Canadians. 

 

I want to work to promote the rights of all my fellow citizens, especially the marginalized and those without social power. But, I want to be a responsible human being and work toward promoting the common good. I want to  work to be a responsible human being who cares deeply about the welfare of my fellow human being. 

 

LIFE CAN FALL APART

                                  

When I go for my early morning walk down in the park there is a maroon car nestled in the trees. Often on these cooler mornings the motor is running. Obviously to try to keep some warmth in the vehicle. Who is the person that must sleep in their car?

 

Everyone has a very difficult time trying to discuss the reality of homelessness. This is very threatening to our well-being. We also feel very helpless in trying to remedy the painful situation. 

 

In front of every life there is the possibility that everything could fall apart. Life could literally become unglued.

 

When I worked on an article about the ministry of the Good Shepherd Shelter in Toronto, I was given the story of a volunteer (a very steady income) who was confronted by a homeless man. The homeless man just looked at the secure person and reminded him: “The only difference between me and you is two paycheques.”

 

There is no guarantee that the way that parents raise children to become self- reliant will guarantee that these same children will be able to work through every difficulty of life. There always is the possibility that their adult children could make some wrong choices. If we compare our lives to walking along a steep mountain path in the Rocky Mountains, you could always slip and fall off the secure path.

 

Life could collapse for a great number of reasons. Often, the tragedies that produce the collapse come together in one season. There may be long unemployment, marriage breakup, mental illness and family rejection. Often these storms come together. To try to cope people will self-medicate; the person uses alcohol, illegal drugs or pain killers to try to cope and ease the pain. Alcohol abuse just compounds the problems. 

 

It is easy to throw stones and criticize such situations. “I could pull myself up by the bootstraps, why can’t you?” is a very heartless comment. 

 

We must first take ownership of our own limitations. Maybe there is nothing I can do to lead you out of your drug addiction, but I can always try to respect you and value you as a human being. We can support one another. I can always try to recognize the image of God in your life.  Acknowledging our limitations is not weakness. It is a widow that will allow the possibility that I can help somewhere in the future.

 

Secondly, we must not allow ourselves (or family) to be sucked into the quicksand of addictions and craziness. Parents often feel guilty when they refuse to give any money to an addicted son. Parents must take ownership that they must live a healthy life to be of any help to an addicted son. 

 

It takes a lot of courage to recognize how fragile life actually is. It could always collapse.  There is no room for arrogance in this regard. Who was it that wisely reminded us: ‘There but for the grace of God go I’?

 

I have no idea who the person is that sleeps in the maroon car is but I want to respect them as a fellow human being and hopefully am willing to listen to their story (which is probably sad and tragic). But may my support (or your support for others) be a time of hope and courage for a better tomorrow.