Gospel text for Sunday 13 September 2015

Mark 8:27-38        Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Reflection        This is one of those times when Malina and Rohrbaugh’s “Social Science Commentary” leaps to mind with its apt explanation of the difference between ancient Middle Eastern and 18-20th century Western civilization’s response to Jesus’ question, “Who do people say that I am?” In his honor/shame society Jesus is asking this question to locate his position of power and status in the collective, which is the source of his identity because his was a group-oriented society. A person knew themselves via their connections, relationships and responsibilities to their socio/cultural/religious group. (eg The Christian Testament speaks of Paul of Tarsus, Mary of Magdela). The value is for the collective good.

The Age of Enlightenment gave birth to  a different perspective, individualism, that understood human persons to have individual God given liberties and rights. This view arose in the late 17th-early 18th through 20th century and underlies the psychological perspective that individual persons live primarily of themselves and for themselves.  Identity is singular, derived from the individual’s particular needs, desires and ambitions.  The value is for independence over against the collective good. 

When Jesus asks, “Who do you or who do the people say that I am?” he is asking “How am I located in the complex web of relationships that constitutes humanity?” Jesus is not testing the disciples and Peter to find out if they recognize his particular psychological constitution. He is asking the people, the source of his identity, to tell him what his position of honor or shame (power) is among the people. How then can we relate to Jesus’ question of identity today?

In his Integral Theory the contemporary philosopher Ken Wilber suggests a four part model for understanding who a person is. It includes the interior subjective world of the individual, the individual’s cultural/collective background, the objective situation exterior to the individual and how the individual fits in the collective.* Wilber offers a way to move beyond a preference for either the collective or the individual and embrace a 21st century nondual perspective that integrates the values of both. The lens through which we 21st century Westerners look back at Mark’s gospel cannot escape projecting our psychological perspective on it. In fact, that is what keeps the Word alive and relevant for us. However, we must also bring forward the context and wisdom of the collective seeking the survival of the group.

I wonder if the current great divide between Republicans and Democrats may in some way be explained by a preference for either Ancient Middle Eastern or Eighteenth Century Enlightenment perspectives? I wonder if it is time for us to set down the pundits’ rusty swords and bridge the gap between the rights of the individual (insulated and unconnected to others) and the priority for group survival (at the expense of personal privilege)?** I wonder if it is time to adopt a perspective that ascribes value to both the individual and the collective and stretches toward the transpersonal to exceed the limits of both?

Copy and paste either citation in your browser to read more.

*Wilber, Ken. "AQAL Glossary," "Introduction to Integral Theory and Practice: IOS Basic and the AQAL Map," Vol. 1, No. 3. Retrieved on September 7, 2015.

**Steve Paulson. "You are the river: An interview with Ken Wilber". salon.com.

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Gospel text of Sunday 1 February 2015

Mark 1:21-28        Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching-- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Reflection     The contemporary philosopher Ken Wilber suggests a way to understand the stages of of I, We and All of Us moral develpopment as  evolving states of body, mind or  spiritual consciousness. In the body centered state of consciousness we identify with our physical needs and desires. Hunger, lust, emotions drive our behavior. We experience other people as objects to satisfy our desires. There is every chance you might hear us saying, “This is mine,” or “I can’t help it. It is just the way I am.”

In the next state of consciousness, the mind,  we begin to develop our cognitive capacity to make connections with others. People are no longer simply objects to satisfy our desires. We are able to step into the other person’s shoes and begin to establish relationships based on shared interests, values, traditions or ideals. At the same time that we acquire the capacity to make meaningful connections and experience “we,” we also develop a shadow side as we decide who is part of we and who is not.  This is the state of consciousness that drives 70% of our world’s behavior today. Hope to grow beyond this state lies in the invitation to become self aware and ask ourselves, “Who are we leaving out? Who are we marginalizing?”

When we begin to ask such questions, the evolution of our consciousness continues to expand into the spiritual “all of us” perspective. Here we affirm the interconnected web of creation. In Wilber’s words, we discover “the commonwealth of all beings…(this is) the move from ethnocentric to worldcentric, and is ‘spiritual’ in the sense of (being concerned with) things common to all sentient beings.”   (http://www.dailyevolver.com/a-primer-on-integral-theory/#sthash.YYxKq3wG.dpuf)  

I believe the ‘new teaching’ in the synagogue two thousand years ago is still new for many of us as we stretch into world centric spiritual consciousness that tolerates ambiguity, holds opposites together, and endures the tension between diversity and unity.

The ‘new teaching’ calls us into an “all of us” state of spiritual consciousness wherein we are compelled by truth, beauty and goodness. You see truth, beauty and goodness are qualities of God. They are also qualities of all sentient beings. Which is to say, in worldcentric all of us state of consciousness we no longer experience ourselves as isolated, independent individuals or groups of individuals. We experience ourselves in union and unity with one another and God and the qualities of truth, beauty and goodness naturally flow through us.

Let this be our hope and our prayer, to grow beyond the loud shouts and convulsions of I or we, body or mind consciousness into the spiritual state wherein all of us are free to be. 

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Gospel Text for Sunday 22 June 2014

Matthew 10:24-39       Jesus said to the twelve disciples,  "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

"Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

"For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's foes will be members of one's own household.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Reflection       

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;

tender to me the promise of his word;

in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!

Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;

his mercy sure, from age to age to same;

his holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!

Powers and dominions lay their glory by.

Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,

the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!

Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord

to children's children and for evermore!**                                                                                    

This great hymn says it all. If only I would be as forthright in my speech when I leave church on Sunday! That is what Jesus is instructing the disciples and us to do, “Have no fear…  What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.” We are to “tell out” our souls, to make known the wisdom and truth revealed to us.  In the words of Ken Wilber, “shine your headlights into the eyes of the complacent.” ***

Jesus knows this will not be easy. Speaking deep truth of the soul stirs the pot, unsettles the peace, even puts us cross-ways with family members. When we speak truth, though we may still experience fear, it is no longer fear that is driving the ship. Fear becomes a mere emotion in the great vessel of freedom. 

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Like Jesus, Nelson Mandela calls us to action, to stand on rooftops or whisper in strategic places and demand the dignity and care of all of humanity. Now, let us find ways to dignify the migrant women and children left at bus stops in Tucson and Phoenix without resource to care for themselves. 

Supplies may be dropped off Catholic Community Services, 140 W. Speedway, Tucson, AZ, north entrance, on Monday-Friday, from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Please do not drop anything off at Casa Mariposa or the Greyhound Station because they do not have the space.

         

instant ramen soup (cup of noodles)

bottled of water and Gatorade

bananas (good potassium)

flavored Pedialyte for dehydration

sweaters or hooded sweatshirts for children and adults

socks for children

children’s blankets

diapers (size 3 and 4)

sanitary supplies (sanitary napkins especially needed)

toothbrushes and toothpaste

clean stuffed animals

Beth Lowry, of Casa Mariposa, has asked those wishing to volunteer to attend a Volunteer Orientation/Training on Saturday, June 21st, from 11 am – 1:30 pm at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church located at 1300 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson, AZ.

** Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith inspired by The Song of Mary (Magnificat) (Luke 1:46-56);

Words © 1962, Renewed. 1990 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. 

*** Ken Wilbur, One Taste: Daily Reflections on Integral Spirituality, p35

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