|
Brian Wilcox 'Blue Columbine'
We can have moments of unity with everyone, a global sense. Yet, to sustain this unity, we grow into it, we become it.
* * *
The grace of unity-in-diversity appeared in my office one day, when I served as a religion professor in the 1990s. It was my final year at the conservative Baptist college. I had resigned due to pressures enacted against me due to my so-called "liberal" beliefs ~ as defined by the ultra-conservatives who were in a "corporate takeover" of the religious sect.
I had invited two men to my office to encourage goodwill. Larry was a fellow-professor, a fundamentalist, and a member of an ultra-conservative pentecostal church. He practiced healing, speaking in tongues, and other charismatic gifts, as well as believing in the inerrancy of the Christian Bible. Larry had strong religious convictions, but he was kind and tolerant toward those differing with him.
Stacy was a fundamentalist ministry student. He was a large, young man with rosy cheeks, black mustache, and blue overalls. He grew up in the Tennessee mountains and spoke with an accent common to his upbringing. Stacy was a trail-of-blood Baptist, believing the only true church is the Baptist one. He was proud to argue Baptists have John the Baptist, the cousin and forerunner of Jesus, as their founder - of course, this having no historical support. If the blood of Jesus was mentioned, he would become enthused and show it by a hearty "Amen!" He claimed the King James Version of the Holy Bible is the only perfect Word of God. He, too, spoke in unknown tongues.
And there I was, too, seen to be liberal by many at this school in the Bible Belt. I questioned much about the Scripture, no longer seeing it as perfect or inspired directly from a God-in-heaven. I had been schooled in biblical criticism that arose out of the rise of rationalism. The greatest influence on my studies had been through copious exposure to German biblical criticism in the mid-20th Century: names like Noth, Von Rad, and Eichrodt. To those representing my childhood faith, such names represented enemies of the "true faith." Even in my Ph.D. studies, years prior, I had been seen as the student willing to go beyond others in considering teaching opposed to those most other students would consider, as well as most in the sect. Other students would read such academically, I would welcome such as potentially true.
I had come to embrace, if God is the source of truth, why fear truth, regardless of what form it takes, regardless of popular or unpopular, traditional or nontraditional - including, regardless of whether it would lead to potentially losing my professorship or service in the sect - both which did occur.
While others in the sect, including my own religion department, took sides in the fight between the "fundamentalists" and the "moderates," I decided not to take a side. For me, Jesus had become a sign of reconciliation, of unity, not warring over the Bible. Simply, Christlikeness was about Love, not political in-fighting over religious differences.
So, sitting with Larry and Stacy, this was an embodiment of an ideal I had not fully realized, but the Heart confirmed to be true, as well as my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus. One thing that attracted me to Jesus was seeing in him a radical openness to welcome everyone, and a willingness to get in big trouble for doing so.
I shared in common some matters with Stacy and Larry. I still believed in the validity of the Christian message, with its inherent differences among its adherents. I, like them, loved Jesus. Like them, I had great respect for the Christian Scripture, which now was exemplified in seeing the Bible more as sacred story, transcending fiction or nonfiction, having seen some of the shortcomings of the more rationalistic treatment of Scripture. What I shared with Larry was welcome to those who differed with me. What I did not share with Stacy was the more radical, reactive nature of much religion. Stacy, at one time, proudly announced, and in public view, of me, "You're going to hell!" I smiled, with subtle laughter, not offended someone would think such of me, or say such.
Again, I was a proud seeker and announcer of truth, as best I could discern it. My motives were, surely, not all pure, nor always thoughtful in regard to how I presented myself and my teaching; in fact, I could be insensitive to those who had not had the advantages I had of being exposed to a wide array of ways to approach faith.
Hence, an odd concoction in this little office - a Baptist esteemed-liberal, a tongues-speaking Assemblies of God fundamentalist, and a fundamentalist, King James Version-only, tongues-speaking, Baptist-only mountain preacher.
The grace of what was happening is best indicated by what we did after our dialogue. We decided to pray. I led with a soft and quiet prayer. Stacy prayed second and poured out his heart in loud pleading. He could have probably been heard all over the complex. Larry prayed last and was not quiet but not near as loudly animated as Stacy. Our prayers reflected beautifully and faithfully our different personalities and beliefs. We said goodbye and never met together again, though I did meet with each one on different occasions.
After our prayer, it dawned upon me what a miracle had happened. I will never forget that holy experience. Recalling the prayer together brings warmth to my heart. There, in that small office, was a microcosm of the cosmic harmony Life wills for us.
* * *
The story of the meeting in my office mirrors how far we have yet to go before receiving the Unity we deeply will to be. Larry and I continued as friends and spiritual partners. Stacy refused to tolerate me, due to my beliefs. He never allowed himself to see past what I believed to my heart. My pleading with him regarding the priority of Christlikeness over belief did not persuade him. I gave up trying to live in unity with him, for unity requires chosen participation. He even heard a rumor of my converting to another Christian denomination and responded by affirming his certainty hell would be my destination. This was at least the second time he had assigned me to the fiery flames, as though I should fear a hell I no longer believed in anyway.
* * *
A beauty of the earliest Christian communions was the ideal of equality that contrasted with the inequalities of the cultures in which they lived, including religious ones. Many persons do not begin to understand the threat to the established religious and political orders of that day which the emerging church posed. To say the following was a radical political statement, for example -
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
*Galatians 3.28 (LEB)
That the churches did not fulfill this ideal nearly as well as possible cannot diminish the grandness of the experiment, the inspiration of the vision. The vision remains and must find fulfillment, not as a final destination but an ongoing journey, both inside and outside the religions.
* * *
A popular maxim is, "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family." True, and we are all and each family.
* * *
Prayer to Wisdom: Wisdom, Beautiful Lady, you who have included us in One, enable us to act kindly toward all others. Save us from the curse of our unnatural intolerance. May we each day do a deed and think a thought which brings this world closer to full harmony. Show us the inward thoughts and prejudices that bar us from those whom we share Earth with. May peace come as we become persons of goodwill and kindness. Amen.
* * *
*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2020
|
