Divinely Intended Tension

I am currently reading, Caring Enough to Confront, a book given to me recently by the author, Dr. Denis Shackel who is a friend.  In the book, the author tackles the challenges which are encountered in difficult conversations.  Denis Shackel analyses what makes some conversations challenging, why we should engage in them, and gives the reader strategies for engaging in those conversations.

As someone who, by nature, tries to avoid conflict and has at times not handled them well, I appreciate a book that engages this issue.  Denis explores these types of conversations and the situations that lead to them from an analytical approach which examines why they occur and the psychology involved as well as exploring the benefits of engaging these conversations in a positive manner.  Unfortunately, as the author documents, most are not handled in a successful way; 49% of challenging conversations are avoided, 48% are unsuccessful, and a mere 3% are engaged successfully. 

In considering the issues of challenging conversations, if we look at them from a spiritual perspective, they are, what has been named, Divinely Intended Tension.  This is a term, which I came across many years ago.  It was first, to my knowledge, coined by Friedrich von Hügel, (5 May 1852 – 27 January 1925) who was a Catholic layman, religious writer, and Christian apologist.  He was also a spiritual director with notable directees such as Evelyn Underhill.  When I encountered the phrase, I was immediately engaged with it, as I believe it is a perfect description of God’s intention for us in engaging the challenges that we inevitably encounter in life – particularly in our relations with others. 

In effect, Divinely intended tension" comprises situations where pressures, paradoxes, and opposing truths in life are purposefully used by God to foster spiritual growth, resilience, and dependence on divine grace.

Later, studying the psychology of Carl Jung, I came to see that Jung’s concept of the theory of opposites was a complementary concept which encompassed a way of balancing the opposing forces of the psyche as the path toward integration of the conscious and unconscious aspects of the human psyche. 

Both Divinely Intended Tension and the theory of opposites propose that if we are able to hold these tensions which occur in life, and do not avoid them or negate them, something which God intends for us will come forth in our lives.  In will become to a greater extent, the people God intends us to be.  However, as the statistics from Caring Enough to Confront, noted above shows, people overwhelmingly do not engage willingly with the tension we encounter in life.  I do believe that it is God’s intention for us to engage in those difficult times with others.  To do so is to follow Jesus’ commandment that we love one another – as difficult as that is.   

I will close with a quote which arrived in the inbox today which is apropos to this subject:

Ponder this universal teaching: If we stay present to our discomfort, we will also feel something else arising—something more real, capable, sensitive, and exquisitely aware of ourselves and of our surroundings. (The Wisdom of the Enneagram, 37)

 

Faith, Belief, and Spirituality

The Gospel reading from last Sunday recounted the story in the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus feeds a multitude with just seven loaves and a few small fish. Interpreting this event invites us to reflect on the concepts of faith and belief.  We also should allow spirituality to sneak into the discussion through the back door as well. 

In his work, The Future of Faith, theologian Harvey Cox outlines three major epochs in Christian history. The first, which he calls the Age of Faith, began with Jesus and the early disciples. Cox describes this as a time when a vibrant and uplifting faith energized the Christian movement from its earliest moments.

Cox then identifies the second epoch as the Age of Belief. This period started when the first generation of Christians no longer had direct contact with Jesus or his disciples. During this time, beliefs concerning Jesus began to be defined and solidified, shaping Christian doctrine for the next fifteen hundred years.

The Third epoch is the Age of the Spirit.  This Age is more amorphous and harder to pin down being identified in many different aspects.  The Age, which is identified with the Third Person in the Trinity, is appropriately like trying to catch a breeze in your hands. 

Cox holds that faith begins with awe which is in response to an encounter with mystery such as a miracle recorded in the bible or the wonders of the natural world.  Cox states that, “awe becomes faith only as it ascribes some meaning to that mystery.”  In this way faith is very much an outcome of experience.

The Age of Belief has resulted in an agreed set of statements or Creeds which Christians are to adhere to.  As the organized structure of the Christian Church emerged, the hierarchy of the church, “distilled the various teaching manuals into lists of beliefs.”  These have been adapted and replaced in some instances due to schisms and disagreements, while in other cases such as the Creeds have basically remained unchanged. 

The differences in the approach between faith and belief was well summed up by Carl Jung in his famous statement in response to being asked if he believed in God.  He stated emphatically, "I don't need to believe in God, I know."  Jung’s response seems to me to be based on his experience of exploring the human psyche in all its complexity and depth.  In effect, his faith gave him the assurance of the existence of God.

It seems to me that it comes down to how we respond to our experience of mystery.  In this way faith and spirituality have much in common - both are based on experience.  How do we understand mysteries today?  Do we try to demythologize them and turn to belief in science and rationality for answers?  Do we awaken the awe that may be buried under the mountains of scientific facts and theories that permeate our culture?  Then there is the convoluted thinking that muddles the distinction between faith and belief.  I believe we would be in a much better place if we just ‘let the mystery be’ – to quote one of my favourite songs. 

I hope that you will be open to mystery in all its forms on your journey.  

 

Borders and Liminal Space

Borders have been in the news to a great extent recently.  Donald Trump does not seem to have much respect for the borders of other countries – particularly Canada, proclaiming that Canada is not a real country and should become the 51^st State.  He declared that the Canadian U.S. border is just the result of someone drawing an artificial line.  Putting aside the part of the border that follows the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River basin, it is true that it was drawn by people along the 49^th parallel by mutual agreement after much mutual disagreement; 54-40 or fight and all that entails in our history for example.  However, this is true of many, if not most, of the borders that exist now and have existed throughout human history. 

Then there is the supreme disrespect shown by Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the borders of Ukraine.  These are, of course, just two current examples of the challenges and serious consequences brought about by the drawing and redrawing of borders between countries by leaders throughout history.  The lack of respect for borders leads to serious consequences to put it mildly. 

 Reflecting on borders brought to mind the wonderful song on this subject, Borderline, by Joni Mitchell.  The first verse lays it out beautifully:

Everybody looks so ill at ease
So distrustful, so displeased
Running down the table
I see a borderline
Like a barbed wire fence
Strung tight, strung tense
Prickling with pretense
A borderline

This song addresses much more that the borders between countries and summarizes the damage and destruction that that human tendency to draw borders between – well just about everything.  Again, the lyrics state it so well:

Every bristling shaft of pride
Church or nation
Team or tribe
Every notion we subscribe to
Is just a borderline
Good or bad, we think we know
As if thinking makes things so
All convictions grow along a borderline

Is this tendency to draw boundaries and borders that separate us so effectively, actually inevitable?  It certainly seems to be as the evidence is all around us.  We naturally identify people and things as ‘the other’ – not like me or us – as the song says, “all convictions grow along a borderline.”  Psychologist Carl Jung identified the tension of opposites that exists between things – positive and negative psychic energy in tension.  The desire – conscious or unconscious – is to try and eliminate that tension.  This tension, rather than being something to eliminate, is seen as the source of growth, transformation, and the development of consciousness.  Friedrick Von Hugel named this ‘divinely intended tension’ which puts it into the realm of God’s plan for creation.  Richard Rohr addressed this, “Growth is the boundary between the darkness of unknowing and the light of new wisdom, new insight, new vision of who and what we ourselves have become.” Richard Rohr July 15, 2025 

Holding that tension and allowing the liminal space between the opposites will allow something new to be born.  This is not the normal response to things we see as the Other.  However, it seems to be the way in which, as people of God, we can work towards bringing about this world to be how God intends it to be.   

Joni Mitchell’s Borderline can be seen on-line here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqOzVh4eLqc

I invite you to listen to the song and take in the lyrics that express so well the danger and temptations of borders and reflect on how you might hold the tension between the borders in your life and see what might be born.

 

Your Shadow’s Invited to the Banquet

 Last Sunday, the Gospel reading was Jesus’ parable of the rich man who invites his neighbours to a great feast.  None of the invited accept the invitation so he invites all those who wouldn’t usually be invited to a rich man’s celebration – the poor, the halt, the lame, the blind.  This is well summarized by the Medical Mission Sisters in their song, I Cannot Come to the Banquet, which we sang at the worship service. Here is the chorus:

I cannot come.
I cannot come to the banquet,
Don't trouble me now.
I have married a wife.
I have bought me a cow.
I have fields and commitments
That cost a pretty sum.
Pray, hold me excused,
I cannot come.

The meaning of this parable seems clear to us.  It is easier to understand than some of Jesus’ parables.  God offers a banquet to us.  As Christians we are people who will be invited to God’s banquet that is prepared for us in God’s kingdom.  However, many of us who are invited to God’s feast with all the wonderful food and drink that will feed our souls, will decide we have better things to do than attend the Great Feast.   

That is the usual understanding of the parable.  I believe that it is perfectly valid and true.  However, I want to look at another way of understanding the lesson that Jesus is giving us.  What if we look at this from an inner perspective?  What is God offering to us about ourselves—about who we are created by God to be?  We have those parts of ourselves which are good and upright and live a life that is acceptable to us and to society. 

What then of the guests that the master invites when we don’t partake—the poor street people, the halt, the lame, the outcasts and people we wouldn’t dream of inviting to our banquets?  What about the parts of ourselves that are the aspects of ourselves that we don’t find acceptable —the street people within us?  We can look at those people invited instead of us as aspect of ourselves that we don’t find acceptable—those parts of ourselves that we don’t like and don’t even want to acknowledge.  These unacceptable parts can raise their ugly heads when we aren’t looking. 

Those parts of ourselves that we don’t want to acknowledge are part of who we are.  Carl Jung named those parts of ourselves that are unacknowledged and denied the Shadow.  They are also invited to the Great Feast as the parable tells us.  If we are going to attend the Great Feast those parts are going to attend as well.  We have to acknowledge them to God if we are to attend.  Otherwise, we will not be included in the Great Feast that God offers us. 

Take a few moments to think an aspect of yourself that you would not want to invite to a party.   What would it be like to welcome that part of yourself to a party that Jesus is throwing?  What if Jesus welcomed that part and made them the guest of honour.  How would you feel about that?  That is the part of you that Jesus truly wants at the party.  If we will acknowledge them and offer them to God we will be invited to partake in the Great Feast that Jesus offers us—acceptable parts and unacceptable parts. 

Your Shadow is accompanying you on your journey.  Why not get to know you Shadow and see what it offers you.  That will be a true blessing. 

 

More Synchronicity and You: Exploring Your Experience

 

 

 Dreamwork Canada presents

 an opportunity via Zoom to explore

our dreams as a means of deepening                  

and expanding our spirituality.

 

 More Synchronicity and You: Exploring Your Experience 

 led by Greg Little

Join us:
     Tuesday, March 11, 2025 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. EST  (two hours) 
     On Zoom
     Cost: $40, or pay what you can

 In his essay, On Synchronicity, Carl Jung declares, “I have therefore directed my attention to certain observations and experiences which, I can fairly say, have forced themselves upon me during the course of my long medical practice. They have to do with spontaneous, meaningful coincidences of so high a degree of improbability as to appear flatly unbelievable.” Jung named these “meaningful coincidences” synchronicity. 

In our last workshop in January, Jung’s concept of synchronicity was introduced and explored using examples that were offered by Jung and by the workshop leader.  In this follow up workshop we will delve more deeply into how to identify synchronicity from mere coincidence and provide opportunity for participants to explore the concept more fully and explore personal experiences of synchronicity.  In small groups, participants will have an opportunity to discuss their experiences of synchronicity and explore the impact on their lives. 

Since Dreamwork Canada believes that exploring our dreams is essential to our psychological health, participants will also have an opportunity to examine dreams in a group experience. We invite participants to bring one of their dreams to share in the small group. 

Led by Greg Little, an Anglican Priest and Honourary assistant at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Strathroy, Ontario. He is a Certified Dream Group Leader and spiritual director from the Haden Institute.

Registration deadline: March 10, 2025 

To register: 
Step 1  Send your name and e-mail address to dreamworkcanada104@gmail.com so we can forward the Zoom link to you.
Step 2  Send your payment by e-transfer to dreamworkcanada104@gmail.com or request an alternative method of payment.  E-transfers are automatically deposited, no passcode required.
 
Questions?  Contact the registrar at dreamworkcanada104@gmail.com

More Synchronicity: More Than Mere Coincidence

 Last time, I introduced the concept of synchronicity.  Psychologist Carl Jung introduced the concept of synchronicity to describe meaningful coincidences that cannot be explained by conventional notions of cause and effect. This time, I want to give some guidelines on how synchronicity can be distinguished from mere coincidence.

As I noted last time, In his essay, On Synchronicity, Carl Jung declares, “I have therefore directed my attention to certain observations and experiences which, I can fairly say, have forced themselves upon me during the course of my long medical practice. They have to do with spontaneous, meaningful coincidences of so high a degree of improbability as to appear flatly unbelievable.” Jung named these “meaningful coincidences” synchronicity. 

Distinguishing between synchronicity and mere coincidence can be challenging, as both involve events occurring without a clear causal relationship. However, there are some key factors to consider when trying to determine whether an event is synchronicity or simply a coincidence:

1.            Meaningfulness: Synchronicity often involves events that have a deep, personal, or symbolic meaning to an individual. These events resonate with the person on a profound level, and they may feel a sense of significance or connection to their own life journey. Coincidences, on the other hand, may lack this meaningful or symbolic quality and are often perceived as random or trivial.

2.            Frequency: The frequency of occurrence can be a factor to consider. If similar meaningful coincidences happen repeatedly in your life, it may suggest a pattern of synchronicity rather than isolated coincidences. However, a single meaningful event can still be considered synchronicity if it has a profound impact.

3.            Timing: Synchronicity is often associated with events that occur at a particularly timely moment when an individual is facing a decision, dilemma, or emotional state. The event seems to offer guidance or insight just when it is needed most. Coincidences, on the other hand, may not have this element of timing.

4.            Intuition and Gut Feeling: Many people report a sense of intuition or inner knowing when they encounter synchronicity. They may feel that the event is significant, even before fully understanding why. Trusting your gut feeling about an event can be an indicator that it's more than just a coincidence.

5.            Personal Significance: Synchronicity often involves events that are personally significant or relevant to an individual's life circumstances or questions. These events may provide answers to questions, offer guidance, or reinforce a sense of purpose. Coincidences, on the other hand, may not have such personal relevance.

6.            Emotional Impact: Synchronicity events can evoke strong emotions, such as awe, wonder, or a sense of being guided or protected. Pay attention to your emotional response to an event, as it can provide insights into its significance.

7.            Pattern Recognition: Synchronicity often involves the recognition of patterns or connections between seemingly unrelated events. If you notice recurring themes or symbols in your life that seem to be associated with meaningful coincidences, it may indicate synchronicity.

8.            Reflective Inquiry: Take time to reflect on the event and its significance in your life. Ask yourself whether it has provided guidance, triggered personal growth, or helped you gain a new perspective. This reflective process can help you discern whether it's synchronicity or coincidence.

It's important to note that the distinction between synchronicity and coincidence can be highly subjective and depends on individual interpretation and perception. What one person views as synchronicity, another may see as mere chance. Ultimately, whether an event is considered synchronicity or coincidence, the key is to derive personal meaning and growth from it and use it as a source of inspiration or guidance in your life.

Synchronicity can open the door to mystery in our lives and that, for me, is a good thing.  May you be blessed to have mystery in your life.

 

 

 

Synchronicity: More Than Mere Coincidence

Last week, I presented a Dreamwork Canada workshop on synchronicity which is a concept developed by psychologist Carl Jung.  Carl Jung introduced the concept of synchronicity to describe meaningful coincidences that cannot be explained by conventional notions of cause and effect. In synchronicity, events or experiences seem to be connected not through a direct causal relationship but through their meaningful and often symbolic significance.

Key aspects of Jung's concept of synchronicity include:

Meaningful Coincidence: Synchronicity involves events or experiences that occur simultaneously or in close proximity and carry a deep, meaningful connection that transcends mere chance.

Acausal Connection: Jung proposed that synchronicity reveals an acausal connection i.e. no apparent cause between inner psychological states and external events. Unlike the deterministic cause-and-effect relationships of classical science, synchronicity implies a more subtle interplay between the inner and outer worlds.

Jung’s scarab beetle example:

Carl Jung’s scarab beetle example is one of his most famous illustrations of synchronicity, a concept he described as meaningful coincidences that are not causally related but hold significance for the individual. In this case, Jung was working with a woman who was resistant to therapy, largely due to her strictly rational worldview. During one session, she recounted a vivid dream in which she was given a golden scarab—a symbol of transformation and rebirth in Egyptian mythology.

While she was describing this dream, Jung heard a tapping at the window behind him. When he opened it, a beetle flew in—a rose chafer beetle, which is similar in appearance to a scarab. Jung handed it to her, saying, “Here is your scarab.” This unexpected moment created a powerful breakthrough, as it profoundly challenged the woman’s rational view of reality, opening her to exploring deeper psychological work.

For Jung, this incident exemplified synchronicity, showing how meaningful events can align beyond cause and effect. The appearance of the beetle served as a bridge between her inner experience and the external world, highlighting the possibility of interconnectedness and mystery within the psyche and the universe.

  

                   Rose Chafer Beetle                      Golden Scarab

I have had a number of experiences with synchronicity in my life.  As with the case of Jung’s client in the scarab example, they have opened me to the reality that there truly are “more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”  Before these encounters with synchronicity, I had difficulty in imagining that I could be a participant in things which were beyond my experience directly or indirectly and which provide insight into my life.  This opened me to the mystery which is such a vital part of the reality of life.

Next time, I will provide some guidelines to help distinguish between synchronicity and mere coincidence.  May you be blessed to have mystery in your life.

 

 

 

We Think With our Hearts

On Friday night, I Zoomed in to a lecture given by the Jung Foundation of Ontario, We Think with Our Hearts, Reading Jung through Native Eyes, presented by visiting Indigenous Jungian Analyst Jeanne Lacourt.  I found the lecture to be an engaging exploration of the challenges of using a Jungian approach to indigenous cultures.

In retrospect, what came to mind were the lyrics by Van Morrison in his song, I Forgot that Love Existed:

If my heart could do my thinking
And my head begin to feel
I would look upon the world anew
And know what's truly real.

The lecture explored Jung’s assessment on indigenous cultures in North America and his assessment of the “Primitive” as he called the native people.  His assessment of Indigenous cultures was not positive in a number of ways.  He decided that Indigenous people were less conscious and lacked free will and were in a prelogical state.  My understanding of the thesis by the presenter, Jeanne Lacourt, critiqued Jung’s assessment as being flawed due to Jung’s cultural biases and his lack of engagement with the North American indigenous culture. 

The lecture explored the understanding of the Participation Mystique – a theory developed by anthropologist Lucien Lévy-Bruhl and adopted by Jung.  One source described this:

Jung’s central notion of participation mystique – namely that in participation mystique experiences there is a blurring of psychological boundaries between individuals, between individuals and their environment, and in some instances between individuals and objects.

This approach, in my understanding, was criticized by Jeanne Lacourt in that the object in the Participation Mystique was passive and played no active role in the encounter between subject and object.  In the indigenous culture, there is a spiritual connection between subject and object.  The spiritual dimension is opened.  For example, in Jungian psychology, if we encounter an animal such as a bear in our dreams, the bear is not a symbol.  It is the spirit of the bear which the dreamer is connected to.

I realize that I am getting into the weeds of this to a greater extent than usual in my reflections.  However, I wanted to give this background in response to the lecture and the idea of Participation Mystique.  The participants were asked to share experiences they might have had with the phenomenon of Participation Mystique.  I shared my experience of encountering a piece of art - a mask by an indigenous artist of a wolf-man. 

 

I encountered this in 2002 when Lorna and I were on a trip out west.  While in Vancouver, we visited an art gallery.  I was completely engaged with the mask when I saw it, but it was quite expensive, and I hesitated to buy it even though I certainly considered it.   I had the opportunity to return to the gallery, I believe, two more times and the force of my engagement, if anything, increased.  I succumbed to the apparent inevitable and purchased it and it sits on the wall in my office where I see it most days.

The Participation Mystique of this for me is the wolf.  I haven’t had a direct encounter with wolves; however, I have encountered on a traditional aboriginal teaching which has resonated with me.  

A wise elder is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old man simply replied, “The one you feed.”

That mask spoke to me in a way that is beyond language.  I believe it was the spirit of the mask speaking to my spirit.  I hope you are blessed with the Participation Mystique on your journey.

 

Of Beams and Other Projectiles

 The Gospel Reading from Sunday speaks of a parable of Jesus concerning people with beams in their eye.  They should not worry about the mote or speck in the eyes of other people.  This is from the Gospel according to Luke chapter 6.  There are a couple of things that I want to note about this passage. 

First, this is not a parable as we usually think of parables.  I think of a parable as being a story which has a lesson for the listener.  When I think of a parable, I think of examples such as the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son, or the wise and foolish virgins or even the parable of the lost coin.  I looked up a definition of a parable.  The first two definition I found are as follows:

A general definition of "parable" is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.

Merriam-Webster gives the following definition for parable: "a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle."

This seems to fit with what I think of as a parable – a story with a moral or spiritual lesson.  It is nice to have your beliefs of understanding confirmed.  However, lets put that aside and see what lesson it may contain for us.    What we have is a series of punch lines – we don’t have the story, but we do have the moral or spiritual lessons, as there are a number of lessons which Jesus gives us in quick succession.  We have the blind leading the blind not leading to good results; the disciple is not above his (or her) master; and finally, the lesson about not worrying about the mote the other person’s eye and ignore the beam in your own eye.  All wise saying which we should all pay attention to. 

I want to explore the last spiritual lesson – the one about the mote and the beam.  First let’s clarify the language.  What is a mote?  It is an old-fashioned word for something tiny – some versions of the bible translate the Greek word as speck.  So, we have a small thing - a speck of dust in your eye.  Well, what about a beam?  We have different types of beams.  We have beams in a house which support it and hold up the structure – when I looked up types of beams on-line a found one list of 14 different types if beams used in construction.  There is also a beam of light like a moon beam.  I found some illustrations of this passage on-line.  They generally had a beam made of wood or other material such as concrete.  In the illustration this was in the eye of the person pictured – not a comfortable image to say the least.

It is hard to imagine that anyone could not be aware of such an immense thing as a beam stuck in their eye.  Of course, if we think of this literally it could be impossible.  So, we need to think of it metaphorically or symbolically.   Doing this the basic message is clear.  Pay attention to the large thing in your eye getting in the way of seeing things clearly and don’t worry about the little speck in your neighbour’s eye.

Let’s consider what is happening here as a case of projection.  Psychologist Carl Jung speaks of projections this way, “Projections change the world into the replica of one’s own unknown face.”  One source notes that projections “occurs when we attribute an element of our personality residing in our unconscious to another individual or group. While it is possible to project both positive and negative characteristics, there is generally a greater tendency to project the latter.” https://www.jungian-confrerie.com/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/8209?opendocument&part=15

In the case of the parable, the person with the beam in their eye, i.e. a large impediment to seeing the world as it is, is projecting that state on someone in their field of vision and seeing them as having that issue or characteristic.  In effect we are seeing the “other” not as they truly are but in a way that reflects something about ourselves.  The writer of the Gospel, Luke wouldn’t have thought in these modern terms, but the lesson is the same.   Be aware that the way you are seeing the other person can say more about yourself than about the other person.

One sign that this is happening is that you have an illogically strong reaction to someone – it might be their behaviour or even their appearance.  Perhaps they have a crazy hairstyle like dreadlocks or perhaps they dress inappropriately for an occasion.  Perhaps it is someone who is loud or bossy or just plain annoying.  Whatever it is just makes you see red and never want to have anything to do with them.

May we all be blessed to know ourselves more fully and to see others as they truly are on our journey.

 

An All-Embracing Perfection (2)

The idea and desire of perfection has been on my mind a lot recently.  This is what I wrote a few years ago about the plague of perfectionism.  This seems, on the surface, to be a noble goal but can lead to many wrong turns and dead ends in life.  It is a candidate for something to give up in Lent. 

Yesterday afternoon I found a copy of a few pages from a book.  I don’t remember making the copies and it doesn’t identify who the author is or the title of the book, so it is a bit of a mystery at this point.  The title of the chapter the pages are taken from is, Jung on the Life of Christ. 

 The author draws on Carl Jung from his work, Psychology and Religion.  The subject of the chapter is addressing our need for perfection.  He addresses the inevitability and value of error:

 

We all must do what Christ did.  We must make our experiment.  We must make mistakes.  We must live our lives out of our own vision of life.  And there will be error. If you avoid error, you do not live; in a sense even, it may be said that every life is a mistake, for no one has found the truth.  When we live this, we know Christ as a brother, and God indeed becomes man. This sounds like a terrible blasphemy, but not so.  For then we can understand Christ as he would want to be understood, as a fellow man; then only does God become man in ourselves. 

 The theological issue of whether Jesus was perfect man in the sense of being without sin, is one which some part ways with Carl Jung.  I believe there may have been times in the Gospel records that indicate that he was close to being in that state.  Perhaps the best example is the record of his despair on the cross.  However, I don’t want to get into that debate today.  The issue that caught my interest is the need that we have for perfection.  As Jung notes, the only way to avoid error is to not live life i.e. live life in a cocoon.  That itself is an error so we cannot win that game either way.

 We inevitably fall into error.  As we state in our baptismal covenant that we will sin; it is part of the human condition.  It is what we do when that happens is the journey that Jesus calls us to travel.  If we are to acknowledge to others and especially ourselves, that we are in error, we can know Christ as a brother as Jung states.  Indeed, we will know that Christ does know this about us as he is fully human as well as fully divine.  To acknowledge that we are not perfect is difficult to accept as it is a defeat for our egos; our egos do not like to admit that.

One of the challenges for Christians is to deal with imperfection.  The teaching of the church has been that we should be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect.  A few years ago, I found a small book in a bookstore, or I should say, it found me. It is entitled A Prayer for the Cosmos by Neil Douglas-Klotz.  This little gem is a translation from Aramaic sources of The Lord’s Prayer and other sayings of Jesus. One of the passages that the book addresses is from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 5 verse 48, that is traditionally translated, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” However, the translation by this author reads, “Be all-embracing, as your heavenly Father is all-embracing.” I felt my discovery of this book and this passage to be a physical gift from the Divine.

To be honest I do not like to acknowledge that I am wrong.  It is easier to acknowledge my mistakes about things that don’t truly matter to me.  However, for these things which are near and dear to my heart―the things I believe define me―I find it a true challenge to face that part of myself. 

However, I believe that is what we are called to do as Christians.  To be as honest with ourselves is the most important part of carrying our cross.  It has been and continues to be a struggle.  When I am honest, I know that I am not perfect in the important things or even the unimportant ones.  However, I know that I can strive to be all-embracing.  Of course, I won’t be perfect in that either. 

 Blessings on your journey and remember it’s okay to run into obstacles and wrong turns along the way.

Advent 3 Loving Yourself; Respecting Yourself

The qualities of love proposed by Erich Fromm in The Art of Loving, are giving, care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge.  I am exploring these themes during Advent to see what they mean when applied to loving ourselves.  I believe that we need to love ourselves before we can truly love others.   In Advent 1, I explored caring for yourself.  In Advent 2, I explored knowing yourself.  Today I want to explore respecting yourself.

The first things that comes to mind when I think about respect, is the great song by the great Aretha Franklin:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB
Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me
Sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect (sock it to me, sock it to me
Sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe (just a little bit)

We all want to be respected by the people in our lives - those we encounter and especially the people that we love and who love us.  I have certainly had the experience of not being respected by people in my life, usually not people who I am close to.  I have also not always shown respect to everyone I have encountered in my life.  That has led to many regrets that are the ghost that visit me at 4:00 in the morning. I am sure that most people, if not everyone, has had that experience. 

That being said, what does it mean to respect yourself?  After all, that is the topic I am exploring this morning.  I believe that the basis for respecting myself and yourself is to know yourself.  Each person has aspects that he or she does not want to acknowledge or doesn’t even know is part of themselves.  Carl Jung called these aspects of ourselves as, the Shadow.  They can be most easily recognized in dreams as a dark, shadowy person who is behaving in ways that are not acceptable or even nice when assessed by our conscious selves.  They can also be recognized when we have an overreaction to someone, we take an instant dislike to.  We see aspects of ourselves in them that we have denied. 

If we are to respect ourselves – all of who we are we must acknowledge the whole package.  We all have our strengths and weaknesses but we are called to become those strengths that we embrace and celebrate do not come without those parts of ourselves that we do not embrace.  To love who you are, who God created you to be is to acknowledge all of who you are.  It does not mean you have to live out those aspects of yourself which you find it difficult to accept but you need to first be aware of them and to accept yourself as you are.  If you do that you may be able to understand yourself and decide how you want to live with all of who you are.  That will enable you to come to know what it means to respect yourself.  As Aretha says, you will be able to show yourself respect - just a little bit; Whoa, babe (just a little bit) and then even more.

May you be blessed to know and respect yourself on your journey this Advent. 

Me and My Shadow part 2

Last time, I began to explore the concept of the shadow in Jungian psychology.  I introduced the concept of the personal shadow which is, in effect, the unacknowledged aspect of a person – often negative but also positive.  This was a brief introduction to the concept and there is much more that can be explored by engaging with Jung’s writings as well as the many Jungians who have written on the subject.

I will turn now to the concept of the collective shadow to again give you just an introduction to the concept and perhaps whet your appetite for a deeper dive.  A deep dive is apropos of the subject as we are entering the concept of the Collective Unconscious developed by Jung.  The Collective Unconscious is the part of the psyche (the whole person) which is universal and common to all people.  It is comprised of archetypes which are intrinsic, universal symbols or images that influence and direct human behaviour and relationships with others.

The shadow archetype, in effect, manifests itself in the othering by groups of people directed to groups and individuals who carry the unacknowledged aspect of the originating group.  An example of this is the persecution of Jews throughout history and particularly by Hitler and Nazi Germany.  Looking at the current situation we see the hatred and anger which is aroused in some groups by tyrants and tin-pot dictators as seen, for example, in the January 6^th attack by supporters of Donald Trump on the U.S. Capitol.  It is also telling to note that the Russian president, Putin, justified his invasion of Ukraine by claiming it was to eliminate the Nazi elements of Ukrainian society.

From this, I hope you have a small taste of what the shadow does in the world and in our individual lives.  Dealing with the personal and collective aspect of the shadow is a challenge on a personal basis and daunting on the collective manifestations.  What we can do is to start or continue to be aware of our personal shadows and how they impact our relations with others.  I invite you to look for those dark figures in your dreams that are active outrageously and also, to recognize in your conscious lives where your reaction to people and events are out of proportion to the situation.  In all this, remember that the shadow is part of you and to deny it is to make it stronger.

May you be blessed to recognize and acknowledge your shadow on your journey.

 

Me and My Shadow

 Are you and your shadow strolling down the avenue as the lyric to the song proclaims?  It seems to me that the shadow or perhaps shadows in the world today is growing to lengths we haven’t seen for many years – perhaps since the rise in Naziism pre–World War 2.  But then again perhaps it is just that the shadow is more visible today because of social media and the instant news (real or not) available on every corner of the internet.

First, let’s be clear about what I am talking about when I speak of the shadow.  I am using the concept developed by Carl Jung.  Jung identified that everyone has parts of themselves which they are not aware of.  These can be aspect or characteristics which are unacceptable to them, that is the dark shadow and also aspects which as positive, but we do not recognize in ourselves, that is the bright shadow.   Here is one succinct description of the shadow which you may find helpful from :

Carl Jung, a renowned Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, called this the “shadow self.” According to Jung, the shadow is the dark, unconscious side of our personality that we often repress or deny. Jung believed that the shadow self is not inherently negative or evil but a natural and necessary part of human nature.  https://medium.com/personal-growth/beware-of-the-shadow-self-carl-jung-659dff8eef18#:~:text=Jung%20believed%20that%20our%20shadow,were%20to%20know%20about%20them.

The shadow can manifest itself in people’s lives when you have a reaction to someone or something which is instant and highly energized.  A person’s shadow is projected on someone what has the characteristics that we don’t recognize in ourselves.  This is for better and often for ill.  Have you ever taken an instant dislike to someone who pushes your buttons and causes you to react negatively which is out of proportion to their behaviour.  Of course, that can work in the other direction, and you may look up to someone as having all the characteristics you admire.  This is the shadow at work.  Carl Jung explains:

Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness’s of other people. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely. Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

The shadow will appear in our dreams, often, but not always, as a dark figure of the same sex as the dreamer.  By paying attention to our dreams and particularly the shadow figures in them we can be conscious of them and be aware of how the shadow in ourselves is working in our lives. 

The shadow can also operate collectively in groups of people.  This is where the danger to society is greatest.  I will speak more about that next time.

May you be blessed to befriend your shadow on your journey as you stroll down the avenue together.

 

 

It’s Not Just a Coincidence

 Last Saturday, Lorna and I went for breakfast – as is our habit i.e., going out for a traditional breakfast at a restaurant.  The fact that our server had extensive tattoos on her arm caught my attention.  I had made note of that on previous occasions.  However, this time I wondered what was the attraction of tattoos for people and what motivates them to go through the expense or time and money – not to mention the discomfort (so I’m told) of being tattooed? 

Well, I didn’t think much more of it and let the question lie and fall back out of my consciousness.  Then, later that day, I opened the email for the Weekly Roundup from the Pew Research Center which I subscribe to.  The topic for this weekly roundup is ‘Americans and tattoos’.  This, naturally, made me sit up and take note.  The information was interesting e.g., 32% of Americans have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one; For Americans without tattoos, seeing one on someone else gives them a more negative than positive impression of that person.  These are interesting data on the state of tattooing in the United States. 

There was also information that answered my initial question about why people get tattoos.  Sixty nine percent of those with tattoos was it is t honour someone or something; 47% say it is to make a statement; 32% say it is to improve their personal appearance. 

It is rewarding to have my question answered.  However, what really engaged me was whether this was a case of synchronicity.  Synchronicity is a term coined by psychologist Carl Jung for an occurrence that can most easily described as a significant coincidence.  Merriam-Webster dictionary defines synchronicity as:

the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (such as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality —used especially in the psychology of Carl Gustav Jung.”

Jung explained this seemingly inexplicable phenomena by drawing on his concept of the Collective Unconscious in which is the common inheritance of all humans and in which the usual laws of time and space and causality (no apparent cause and effect), do not apply.  This is described by one source, https://iaap.org/jung-analytical-psychology/short-articles-on-analytical-psychology/synchronicity-an-acausal-connecting-principle/:

A key signature concept in Jung’s vision of the world, synchronicity was defined by Jung as an acausal connecting principle, whereby internal, psychological events are linked to external world events by meaningful coincidences rather than causal chains.

 I have had what I consider synchronistic events in my life that have proven significant for me.  The best example is a synchronistic event which was about synchronicity.  Many years ago, I was taking a course in Jungian Psychology at the University of Toronto.  The lecture on the subject of synchronicity was held on April 1^st, which is my birthday.  The lecture used the Portable Jung as the text for this subject.  When we explore the applicable section, it began with an event which occurred on April 1, 1949.  This is my date of birth.  I queried the professor whether he had chosen the subject specifically because the date of the class was April 1^st.  However, he stated that he hadn’t done this.  So, we have a triple coincidence – the date of the class, the subject of the lecture, and my date of birth all coinciding.

When considering the issue of synchronicity, we must always consider the possibility of mere coincidence without significance.  Jung, in his writing, has gone into some depth on the question of mathematical probability and showing that many synchronistic occurrences and mathematically highly improbable.  However, I believe what must be considered is, what makes it significant?  In my experience these events have been an invitation to change course or to confirm a course in my life.  In the case of the example above it was an invitation from my unconscious to continue my exploration and education of Jungian Psychology.  I have done that since that occurrence, and I have pursued that in many ways including paying attention to my dreams and helping others to explore and understand their dreams. 

So, you may ask, was my encounter with tattoos a case of synchronicity or just a coincidence?  Tattoos themselves, are an interesting subject worth exploring and have great symbolic meaning.  However, I don’t believe that is what make it significant for me.  I found that I was at a time in which I need to renew my interest in Jungian concept and have not been exploring much of that lately.  My exergy and interest have been waning.  I believe that my tattoos coincidence was synchronistic because it reenergized my activity in the Jungian approach to understanding myself and the world.  And that, in the end settles it for me.

I invite you to pay attention to the significant coincidents on your journey.