Proof and Faith

One of my summer activities has been to listen to a wonderful series of lectures by Canadian icon Northrop Frye, literary critic who delved so deeply in the bible with his seminal work The Great Code.  The lectures entitled The Bible and Literature at the University of Toronto are available on-line at https://heritage.utoronto.ca/content/video/bible-and-english-literature-northrop-frye-full-lecture-1.

One of the statements by Frye in lecture 9, which caught my attention and made me sit up and take special note, was his assertion that “the more trustworthy the evidence, the more misleading it is.”  Frye was asserting this in relation to proof and the desire that people – at least some people - have, to find hard evidence of the events and accounts which are contained in the bible.  One example is the craze some years ago following supposed discover of the remains of Noah’s Arc on Mt. Ararat.  Then there was the case of the ossuary (vessel) that was purported to hold the bones of James, the brother of Jesus.  Especially notable is the Shroud of Turin which is held to be the burial cloth which was used to wrap Jesus’ body after the crucifix.   People seem to want and even need physical proof to affirm their beliefs that are the foundation of their faith.

I must confess that I have had this desire at times for proof and I was particularly taken with the Shroud of Turin years ago when it was first in the popular press.  It is, perhaps, human nature to desire proof of what is presented to us as reality, especially these days when there is so much in the news and on social media that needs to be questioned.  So, when Frye made the statement that the more trustworthy the evidence the more misleading it was, it didn’t make logical sense to me.

However. I was very pleased and relieved that he clarified this statement later in the lecture.  Here is the clarification from the transcript:

The point that I want to return to when we come to the Book of Job is that no serious religion ever tries to answer anybody's questions, because in any serious or existential matter the progress in understanding is a progress through a sequence of formulating better questions. An authoritative answer blocks off progress; it blocks off all advance. The answer consolidates the assumptions in the question, and brings the process to a dead stop. That is what I mean when I say that the more trustworthy the evidence, the more misleading it is. Trustworthy evidence means a kind of authority that stops you from asking any more questions.

This is the sign of a good teacher who does not want to close off the human desire to explore possibilities and enable the student to discover what is revealed which will lead to further discoveries.  This was the message in the account of the disciple Thomas who demanded proof that Jesus had been raised from the dead.   Jesus answered him and us, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  This is essential when it comes to ultimate truths life and the world.  If we look at the belief in God from what is called the God of the gaps in which our faith is based on what science can’t explain – at least at this point.  As the result of scientific discoveries, we have to adjust our belief in God and what God is doing in the world based on what science can now explain.  However, the discoveries of science do not close off our exploration of how God has created and continues to create life and how God is calling us to be the people God created us to be.  Those questions just lead to more questions and I do not believe that science will ever provide the definitive answer or answers in the realm in which God is working.  It is love through which God created and continues to create.  Love will never be weighed or measured or put under the most powerful electron microscope.

May you be blessed to continue to formulate questions le seek better answers that will lead to yet more questions on your journey.  

  

In Sure and Certain Hope part 2

Today, I will attempt to summarize the document In Sure and Certain Hope issued by the Anglican Church in 2016.  It is an update of the 1998 Statement on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, Care in Dying.  The 2016 paper is intended as a, “Resources to Assist Pastoral and Theological Approaches to Physician Assisted Dying.”   These two documents provide, I believe, a good perspective on this very complex and challenging issue for Christians. 

The document begins with the affirmation that all people are created in the image of God and as such have inalienable dignity and should be treated in ways that reflect this:

Theologically we continue to assert that human persons, being in the image of God, are the bearers of an inalienable dignity that calls us to treat each person not merely with respect, but with love, care, and compassion. This calling, being a reflection of God’s free grace, is in no way qualified by the circumstances that an individual may face, no matter how tragic.

Consequently, this places a duty on society to care for people who require help in appropriate ways:

We need to pay attention to how we are to sustain communities of care around patients, respecting the decisions of, and exercising the best possible care first for the patient and then also with care for the immediate supportive community. In this context the church needs neither to surrender its basic principles and insights nor propound them in a way that simply isolates the church from the theologically essential task of empowering individuals caught up in these situations to make sense of their own lives, their hopes and fears, their pain and distress.

The document provides framework for appropriate support which reflects this understanding:

a framework for effective pastoral support for all concerned (patients, family, loved ones, care providers, and wider communities of support), whatever decisions particular patients ultimately believe themselves called to make.

Below are experts from the report which, I hope summarizes key points.  The report is extensive so it is, of necessity longer than usual. 

Suffering

 The report acknowledged that suffering might be meaningful. However, it also noted that suffering might be devoid of redemptive value in and of itself.

Life as Gift

Already in the case of the withdrawal of treatment we recognize that life is not an end in itself, and that the approach of death need not be resisted by all available means.

 

Care and Community

Understandings of care, and how those understandings shape and express community, lay at the heart of the reflections in Care in Dying. Indeed, the trajectory of that document was in many ways set by the way it answered the question of what constitutes care. In seeking to answer the question of whether a decision to participate in the ending of life could be construed as an act of care, the study was in some ways quite tentative.

Vulnerability and Justice

In the area of physician assisted dying there are still reasons to be concerned about the impact of this change on those in our society who are most vulnerable…for the churches it is important that we continue to express concern for those who might be adversely affected. This is not simply a slippery slope argument. It is rather based in the complexity of how constitutional protections work and the experience of other jurisdictions where the initially narrow grounds for physician assisted dying became widened out of legitimate concern that some who might benefit were excluded under the initial definitions.

In our society dignity is most commonly linked to the capacity to be the author of one’s own destiny. However, this is linked with understandings of human individuality and freedom that are difficult to maintain.

Perhaps the key point, however, is that the language of dignity is supposed to remind us that in decisions about the life of a person it is that person’s life, inherent worth (however that is ascribed), values, hopes, aspirations, story, etc. that drive the decision-making process and not the imposition of interpretive frameworks from without, the imposition of what Zizak and Brueggemann would call ideology

To uphold the intrinsic worth of the human person is to protect the very vulnerable members of society—those who have (or appear to have) little if any extrinsic value, because they do not have the capacity for full authorship or autonomy, and are not able to have the same sorts of relationships that more “productive” members of society have. This value challenges the linkage of dignity and worth with autonomy and ability to be in control of all aspects of one’s life.

Conscience

It will surprise some people that the principle that the conscience must always be followed (conscientia semper sequenda) is a key element of Catholic moral theology that has continued if not with greater importance in the churches of the reformation. The role of conscience grants to the individual believer the responsibility to be the author of his or her own decisions.

Hope

As Christians we are called to lives shaped by hope. Hope involves the commitment that, whatever our circumstances, God is at work for our good (Ro 8:28 c.f. Mat7:11). It stands opposed to despair. At the same time hope is not to be confused with a passivity that is unresponsive to our circumstances. Hope requires that we cooperate with God in the purposes that God is working out in our lives.

Providing Alternatives

While it is now clear that the provision of such alternatives cannot function as a bar to patients making decisions to seek assistance to end their lives we remain of the view that this change will not reflect the intended affirmation of the dignity of patients unless there are genuine alternatives amongst which they can discern real and significant choices.

Palliative Care

Although often thought to be synonymous with “terminal” or “compassionate” care, palliative care is not confined solely to situations in which curative therapies are no longer possible or desired. Rather, the focus is on relief of distressing symptoms and maintenance or improvement of the quality of life of the sufferer regardless of the prognosis or projected duration of the illness.

Pastoral Care

What matters is that for many, the premium challenge of end-of-life is to continue to experience meaning, purpose and control over one’s life.

This presents our church, and those who care for the ill, with two fundamental challenges. First: pastoral care-providers must discern honestly through prayer and consultation their personal views and values and how they affect their capacity to support patients in decision-making in relation to end-of-life and assisted dying.

Second: pastoral caregivers must assess the strengths and limitations of available resources that can, or cannot, support the parishioner who seeks assistance with dying

Pastoral Care and the ministry of presence

Being present to another requires the sacred ability to listen, to speak and to touch. It is within the sacred conversation of being present that one can sometimes discern most clearly the needs, questions and desires of the other.

 

I acknowledge that we are on Turtle Island, the original homelands of the many Indigenous Nations who have lived since time immemorial in Canada or as many First and other Indigenous Nations
All of the lands in Canada are the subject of up to one hundred Treaties signed by the Crown in the right of Canada with these Nations.  I will only mention a few of the Nations: the Cree, Ojibway, Blackfoot, Blood, Dakota, Mig M'ag, Huron, Inuit and these lands are also home to the Metis people.

 

In Sure and Certain Hope

Recently, I received an email which brought to the recipients' attention that a veteran had been offered the option of medically assistance in dying when he reached out to Veterans Affairs Canada for assistance.  The email expressed shock and condemnation that such action would be offered in place of “LIFE-affirming care that everyone deserves.”  The email implied that this was government policy which promoted this option rather than other options.  After reading the CBC report that raised the issue, apparently this was a one-time circumstance that was a result of lack of training on the part of the person responding to the request.  However, there is also a concern regarding insufficient mental health care being provided to families of veterans.

I certainly share the concern expressed in the email that veterans and their families should receive the Life-affirming care that they especially deserve given their service and sacrifice to the country.  And I sincerely hope that this was indeed a one-time occurrence based on insufficient training which can happen in the best run organizations and not an unofficial policy to address limited resources which does happen in government departments at times.  This raised the issue for me of what the position was of the Anglican Church of Canada on medically assistance in dying.  Well, as it happened, the September edition of the Anglican Journal had an article on the issue and linked to a paper issued by the Anglican Church in 2016, In Sure and Certain Hope which is intended as a, “Resources to Assist Pastoral and Theological Approaches to Physician Assisted Dying.”  This report is a review of a report, Care in Dying, which was commissioned by the Anglican Church in 1998.  Sorry for the somewhat convoluted introduction but as they say, “The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”   

Next week, I will attempt to summarize the document In Sure and Certain Hope which provides, I believe, a good perspective on this very complex and vexing issue for Christians.

Blessings this day on your journey. 

 

I acknowledge that we are on Turtle Island, the original homelands of the many Indigenous Nations who have lived since time immemorial in Canada or as many First and other Indigenous Nations
All of the lands in Canada are the subject of up to one hundred Treaties signed by the Crown in the right of Canada with these Nations.  I will only mention a few of the Nations: the Cree, Ojibway, Blackfoot, Blood, Dakota, Mig M'ag, Huron, Inuit and these lands are also home to the Metis people.

 

 

 

Being in the Weeds

This morning, I tackled the weeds in the Labyrinth at our cottage.  The weeds seem to be taking over this year and every time I turn my back there are more of them.  You have to wonder why Mother Nature makes weeds such hardy plants that seem to thrive in even the harshest conditions?  In any case, I rather enjoy whacking them with my whipper snipper – it is satisfying work. 

That experience brought to mind a parable of the wheat and the weeds in the Gospel of Matthew which can be found here if you want to refresh your memory, https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=527923442.

In the parable, Jesus tells of a field which has been sown with good seeds – wheat.  In the night, these things seem to often happen at night, the enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat.  The owner of the field – the master – decides to not have the weeds pulled up by his ‘slaves’.  I wonder how many gardeners would like to have someone to do the weeds pulling?  In any case, he declines the suggestion of the slave to pull the weeds because the wheat might also be pulled up in the process.  Now, I can certainly relate to that because Lorna does not trust me to weed her garden because I would most likely pull up some of the good plants as well.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss or at least a good excuse to avoid things.

So, what do we make of the parable about not pulling up the weeds because some good plants will be pulled with them?  This could make a radical approach to gardening.  However, I don’t think that was what Jesus had in mind – at least not literally.  A parable by its nature, wants to surprize and encourage the listener or reader to approach a situation in a fresh way.  Let’s consider the wheat and weeds as an aspect of ourselves, after all, Jesus was concerned about the souls of the people he came into contact with.  If the weeds are aspects of ourselves that we don’t like or those things in us that are not acceptable, the natural reaction is to pull them up and get rid of them.  As with weeds, however, every gardener knows they aren’t really gone – they will return and they seem to thrive under every and any condition. 

The human equivalent of trying to pull up the weeds – unwanted aspects of ourselves, will not get rid of them.  Those flaws and faults we know are in us will not be gone if we try and pull them up.  This is actually trying to deny them and push them out of conscious awareness.  So, what is the alternative?  What does it mean to let them grow along with the wheat?  Well, it means that we have to stop striving for perfection.  I have struggled with the idea of trying to be perfect.  Christians have been told implicitly and explicitly that we are to be perfect - it says so in the bible in the Gospel of Matthew (5: 48).  This is traditionally translated as ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’.   However, an alternate translation is ‘Be all-embracing, as your heavenly Father is all-embracing.” 

When we strive for perfection, any imperfection is unacceptable and therefore something that we have to deny in ourselves.  We have to attempt to pull up the weeds and get rid of them.  We have to acknowledge them and realize they are part of us and once we do that, we can realize that God knows us better than we know ourselves and despite this God loves us.  Does that mean that we just accept our faults and whatever they are we say its okay and let it rip?  No, we need to acknowledge our faults and weaknesses and learn to love ourselves and to love our neighbours.  Richard Rohr address just this point:

To accept this teaching doesn’t mean we can say, “It’s okay to be selfish, violent, and evil.” It simply means that we have some realism about ourselves and each other. We have to name the weed as a weed. We can’t just pretend it’s all wheat, all good, because it isn’t. We’re not perfect. Our countries are not perfect. The Church is not perfect. The project of learning how to love—which is our only life project—is quite simply learning to accept this.

Be blessed on your journey to acknowledge the weeds in yourself and others.  

I acknowledge that we are on Turtle Island, the original homelands of the many Indigenous Nations who have lived since time immemorial in Canada or as many First and other Indigenous Nations
All of the lands in Canada are the subject of up to one hundred Treaties signed by the Crown in the right of Canada with these Nations.

I will only mention a few of the Nations: the Cree, Ojibway, Blackfoot, Blood, Dakota, Mig M'ag, Huron, Inuit and these lands are also home to the Metis people.

 

There’s No Fool Like and Old Fool

I have been fascinated by the concept of the fool and the Fool for most of my life.  I was born on April 1, 1949 – April Fool’s Day.  I have this blog, which I use for posting these missives, called, Another Fool for Christ.  This is based on the bible passage from 1 Cor 4:10, “We are fools for the sake of Christ.”  One interesting factoid regarding the day of my birth is that Newfoundland was supposed to enter confederation on that very day.  However, Joey Smallwood, who would be the first premier of the new province and the latest Father of Confederation, decided to change the day to March 31, 1949, to prevent the province from becoming a perpetual April Fool’s joke.  So, as a result the province of Newfoundland is one day older than I, and being the very mature age of 73, I qualify for both aspects of the expression, there’s no fool like an old fool being old and I hope, a Fool.

Now, you might be asking yourself, why am I writing this today rather than on or close to my birthday as it would be a good subject for an April Fool’s News and Views?  Well, perhaps I am doing it today because it is a foolish thing to do and not wait until next April thereby giving credence to my qualification as an old fool.  However, I have decided to delve into this foolishness because I have just finished reading a book given to me by a friend on the subject of the capital F Fool, To Play the Fool, by Laurie R. King.  The book is a murder mystery but it explores the concept of the Fool archetype.  Coincidentally, I have also finished rereading The Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore which also delves a bit into the concept of the Fool.

The Fool appears in many guises throughout history from the Trickster in the Tarot which has the number zero and appears in spaces vacated by the other cards, to the fool in the king’s court who speaks the truth to the king or ruler and reminds them that they are fallible humans.  Here are some quotes from To Play the Fool which give a taste of this complex, counter intuitive character:

The Fool seeks to save his community by appearing to threaten it.  The essential ministry of a Fool is to undermine beliefs, to seek doubts, to shock people into seeing truth.

The Holy Fool speaks a language of symbols and of Divinity… They (children) believe in the possibility of magic, the reality of Saints, and would not be surprised at the existence of miracles.  The Fool is their representative, their mediator, their friend.

Foolishness is a hazardous business, and not only to one’s mind and spirit. After all, one of the Fools main activities is to make a fool out of others, to throw doubt on cherished wisdoms and accept behaviours: in other word, to shock.

Christianity is, by its nature, more akin to folly than it is to the Pope’s massive corporation.  The central dictate of the Christian doctrine is humility, imitation of Christ’s ultimate self-humbling.

As you see from these quotes, the concept of the Fool is not an easy one to grasp and hold onto.  It is like trying to contain water in a sieve or getting a reflection of yourself in a pool of rippling water – it keeps changing.  However, it is one I believe is important to keep in our awareness (consciousness) and reflect on when we react to things which annoy us, or push our buttons.  Let me close with a quote from Care of the Soul:

The path of soul is also the path of the fool, the one without pretense of self-knowledge or individuation or certainly perfection…You will have the spiritual radiance of the holy fool who has dared to live life as it presents itself and to unfold personality with its heavy yet creative dose of imperfection.

May you be blessed to embrace your inner Fool on your journey.

 

I acknowledge that we are on Turtle Island, the original homelands of the many Indigenous Nations who have lived since time immemorial in Canada or as many First and other Indigenous Nations
All of the lands in Canada are the subject of up to one hundred Treaties signed by the Crown in the right of Canada with these Nations.

  

Where’s a Good Church

On Saturday, Lorna and I met with my son Steve and daughter-in-law Deb for a picnic in Sackville NB. This is halfway between our cottage and their home.  It turned out to be a very nice day all around, weather wise as well as company wise.  It was great to get together.  We had the picnic at the Visitor Information Centre in Sackville – a picnic table in the shade.  After lunch Lorna and I went for a walk on the trail in the connected Waterfowl Park and managed to find the covered bridge.  All in all, a very pleasant day. 

While I was in the Visitor Information Centre, I picked up a couple of pamphlets for churches in Sackville.  One was for the Salem Baptist Church and one for Sackville United Church - see below.  

There is quite a contrast between the two pamphlets and, although I have not visited either church, both churches likely have some differences in their worship and activities.  As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression, so here is my first impression of each of the churches based on the pamphlets.  First, let me say that both churches are making an effort to engage people by having the pamphlets available at the Welcome Centre. 

The Baptist Church is apparently all about family.  Worship is only one, possibly minor, part of what this congregation is about.  They let you know in great detail all that they are involved with and all they have to offer every member of the family.  It would appear that family is the traditional two parents (a father and a mother) with two children and an additional member, possibly a grandfather or uncle.  There are programs and activities that every member of the family can participate in.  However, I did find it surprizing that although there is a “Ladies Fellowship” there is no equivalent for the men (Gentlemen).  It is a bit surprizing that worship does not seem to be front and center in what they have to offer.  They do let us know that the preaching will be practical. 

The United Church, on the other hand, has very little information about the church and what it has to offer people.  Rather than programs and information on worship, it provides some adjectives to describe themselves; warm, vibrant, inclusive progressive, affirming, community, faith.  It does let you know that they have something on Sunday morning – which I am sure is worship even though it is not stated. 

If I did not come with any presuppositions about what a United Church or a Baptist church might be about, what would my reaction be?  Of course, that would not have been the case twenty or even ten years ago, but today more and more people are completely unaware of church and what these two denominations probably entail.  If I had a traditional family with children at home, I would probably try out the Baptist Church and would probably be interested in all the activities and programs.  The worship service might also be lively and uplifting and I would likely be warmly welcomed and not have to become familiar with how to maneuver through the service.   

The United Church would not give me much information to entice me into seeing what the congregation was about.  The adjectives might catch my attention and. If I was curious, I might check it out.  But I think that what the people are looking for today is probably community.  I don’t know from the pamphlet what the United Church would offer as a community that I could join and based on the adjectives; they probably are a welcoming community which I would feel a part of.  However, there is no way to tell from the information provided. 

I invite you to reflect on which of these churches you would be likely to explore and why that would be.  If you are a member of a church congregation now reflect on how your experience of that church matches with what is offered in these pamphlets.

Mephistopheles Today

I recently saw the movie Elvis which is the wonderful depiction of the life of Elvis Presley as envisioned by Baz Luhrmann.  There are many things which are commendable about this movie including the performances by Tom Hanks as Col. Tom Parker and Austin Butler as Elvis (no second name required in the title or the cultural). A few days after seeing the movie it came to me that what is portrayed is the legend of Dr. Faustus.

The story of Dr. Faustus originated in 15^th century Germany, purportedly based on an historical person,  Johann Georg Faust .  The story has been the basis for many versions over the centuries, in art, literature and plays.  In modern times, versions of the story have been told such notables as Goethe, Thomas Mann, and Christopher Marlow.  Intentionally or not, the story influenced the movie, Elvis.

The story of Faust, in outline, tells of the misadventures of a successful German scholar who is dissatisfied with achievements even thought he is distinguished in many areas of academic life including medicine, law and religion.   He determines that he wants to succeed in the practice of the black arts i.e., magic.  Faustus calls upon the Lord of Darkness and in doing so summons up Mephistopheles, one of the Devil’s servants.  He bargains with Mephistopheles and strikes a bargain that if Mephistopheles will serve him, the Devil will claim his soul after a set number of years - twenty-four in some versions.  Faustus has all that he desires for the time allocated, even summoning up the figure of Helen of Troy and generally causing mischief and mayhem.  As the end of the allotted time draws near Faustus believes that he is irreparably lost and his soul is claimed by the Devil.  It is interesting that in Goethe’s version he is forgiven through the intercessions of one of his victims. 

Turning to the movie, Elvis, there are some details that do not fit the legend.  Elvis was not a successful person when the tempter arrives in his life.  However, the story is told through the eyes of Colonel Parker who is portrayed as an evil genius who guarantees Elvis the success and fame that he desires and which he delivers.  Elvis has opportunities to redeem his life (and soul) but Mephistopheles aka Col. Parker manages to ensure that Elvis is successful beyond his dreams at the ultimate cost of his soul.  Col. Parker ensures that the Devil claims his due gaining everything that he seeks i.e., the means to engage in the endless ‘games’ of chance that are the foundation of the Las Vegas enterprise.  Elvis spends his final days, captive in the hell on earth of the venue of the eternal Las Vegas Concerts, being denied his dream of seeing and engaging the larger musical world.   

The legend and the movie present the archetypal story of the person who sells his soul to the Devil for the material things of this world.  This was one of the temptations of Jesus in his time in the wilderness when Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow down and worship him.  What does it profit someone to gain the world but lose his soul?

The world seems to abound in many incarnations of Mephistopheles in many manifestations today.  Perhaps no more than in previous times, but that we are only more aware of it.  Is there a Mephistopheles in your life who is offering you the world only demanding your soul - something that many people do not believe they possess?  As Bob Dylan said, “you gotta serve somebody.  It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

If you face your Mephistopheles on our journey, may you be blessed to choose life.