Give Up Everything You Have

This comic by David "Naked Pastor" Hayward, "graffiti artist on the walls of religion," explores the idea that we may need to be willing to relinquish more than our physical means in order to be at peace with God.


"Trash Your Theology"

Of course, Hayward and some of his readers discovered a rather meta loop, unable to avoid theologizing about the possibility of relinquishing one's theology. But the significant point remains: that if we go so far as to ascertain that our own understandings each somehow fall short of Ultimate Truth, it seems inevitable that there will need to be some sort of adjustment involved before either we embrace Truth or Truth embraces us... whatever the case may be.

The most common interpretations of Jesus' command for someone to give up everything and follow him are to leave behind one's former work or personal life (the first disciples, for instance) or to sell one's possessions (the wealthy man who received exactly that word of guidance).

Certainly, material and monetary accumulation and major shifts in one's path are all worthwhile topics for discussion and self-reflection. These matters are more profound than self-denial or suffering. Loss of this nature opens up the possibility for an incredible gain. Consumer culture tends to teach us that the only good "loss" is weight loss. What little else are we readily willing to give up?

But simply put, as Lois A. Lindbloom writes, when we say "no" to one thing, we simultaneously say "yes" to something else, and vice versa (Cultivating Discernment As a Way of Life). I would extend that: when we say "no more" to one option - in habit or lifestyle, relationship or career, location or mindset - we simultaneously embrace something new, even if we aren't quite sure yet what it is.

So I find the idea of dying to self as an ideological liberation to be inspiring and perhaps less thoroughly explored terrain. The first time I noticed the concept articulated well was in the book Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living.

Author Rueben P. Job writes: "Are we ready to give up our most cherished possession - the certainty that we are right and others wrong?"


Questions for Discussion and Reflection:

What do you think you may need to shed before you can move on? Consider the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual facets of your life.

Today, what might God be calling you to let go? ...to embrace?

Meditate or journal on your views about loss.

What do you think it would look like to attain a balance of trusting in what you believe to be true and giving up the certainty that you are right?

This is How You Deal with Prejudice

Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men, to which I last alluded in a post called 12 Angry Seminarians: On Diversity, is among my favorite works tackling prejudice. Brilliant play and film.

Just check out this short scene, which packs a lot of punch on its own merit:



Ed Begley, portraying the incredible (and yes, quite angry) Juror #10 in the above clip (1957) acts commendably here. His character's actions, on the other hand, are nothing short of detestable.

But I think it's worth discussing how easy it is to pin blame on certain people, to label some as bigots and assume that everyone else loves and supports diversity and says and does nothing to perpetuate stereotypes, intolerance, and double-standards. And this is by no means meant to condemn everyone or those who condemn bigotry, but rather to illuminate the complexity of the issue.

When we villify someone on the basis of that person's prejudice, is our judgment ever justified? If so, when, and if not, why not?

If you had been among the jurors in this scene, would you have responded to #10 in the same way? What would you have done or said differently?

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If you haven't seen/read 12 Angry Men, click here to see the full film online or here to find the book on Amazon.

(Dis)agreeing with Friends and Partners

What quality is more important to you in a friend or partner: the conclusions that they make or how they have arrived at their conclusions? That is, would you rather that someone agree with you on a subject or issue even if you disagree with the way they formed their views, or would you prefer to disagree with them but somehow appreciate the methods by which they formed their views?



I intend this question not as a matter of judging a person as a person but of evaluating one as your own companion. Imagine yourself spending a great deal of time with this person. Which quality would bother you more? Would the nature of the subject upon which you are agreeing or disagreeing greatly affect your response? What scenarios, real or hypothetical, does this bring to mind for you?



Feel free to respond to any of these questions below, and for those with blogs who wish to address this topic that way, link here to your post.

Revelation

Inspired by part of a class assignment, here is another reflection prompt for you. Simply meditate on it, write it down, or discuss it with a friend or a group:

Reflect on a time that someone else saw something in you that you did not see. Did this revelation surprise you, and why? How did it affect your perception of yourself, of others, or of life? How did you respond?

Ask Yourself

One of my close friends passed this on a while back, and I'd like to share it. Meditate on the following questions. You need not write or discuss them with anyone unless you so choose. Their sole purpose is personal reflection and growth.

What do I like about myself?

What do I dislike about myself?

What do others like about me?

What do others dislike about me?

What do I need to do to make myself a better person?

What do I need to stop doing to make myself a better person?