The last blog was stimulated by Michael Crichton's book State of Fear, as well as recent events highlighting the deeper suspicions many of us have on government and social institutions. In it, I discovered what I believe to be true (writing often clarifies myself to myself) - that every human view has an agenda. This is nothing new - feminism and post-structuralism and neo-Marxism all share this perspective; but they then go on to explore society at large with THEIR agendas. I suppose - no, know - that I have an agenda, too. It is not purposefully hidden in the many pages of this blog; it is, simply, that we, all human societies and their members, are saddled with a tightly-governed view of reality, and my purpose is to expose this, and attempt to find ways to enlarge this perspective.
Often enough, almost inevitably, this brings me around to the religious sages, who, from my perspective, have been the leading minds of the world. They, I find, get reality more than anyone else. It is perhaps a prejudice, but I try not to deceive. It is what I really believe, and what I generally come to write about.
And so Sunday's blog brought me to consider, once again, what Jesus (the sage I know most about) meant to convey. Following the logic of the former blog, I surprised myself by finding that Jesus, although often called a revolutionary, was even more of a revolutionary than I had thought.
For years, I have believed that the revolutionary aspect of Jesus came in forgiving others absolutely and unconditionally, and in casting off materialism for the benefit of others - a sort of holy communism that, in my mind, seemed nice but impossible to achieve. But let's consider now that every society has its agenda - and now, that agenda often includes the common views of Jesus mentioned above, one that prods us to distribute the wealth and become pacifists. That this ideal has been abused by those with an agenda is obvious, and a failing of the Jesus message. But Sunday's discussion of the criminals in upstate New York showed me the greater and absolutely incorruptible message that I believe Jesus had.
It is found both in how he favored the criminal class, society's outcasts, and despised the elite, the wealthy and the honored scribes and Pharisees. While all of Jesus's parables carry multiple meanings, what struck me was this: the ways of most of the wealthy and of the religious elite were better than those of the criminals, many of whom were thieves and murderers and adulterers and prostitutes (it has been argued that many prostitutes had no other choice, but let's leave that aside here). In the New Testament, the criminals did not even deny their criminality. How, then, could they be more favored?
I have long thought that it is because the criminals were more humble and approachable than the wealthy and the honored, who were either stingy or conceited with their knowledge and position. This is true. But it is much more than that, if we recall that all societies have agendas. The successful, then, are those who best fulfill the agenda; the criminals, those who society has cast out for NOT fulfilling the agenda. The kernel to my new perspective is this: that not only do all societies have an agenda, but that, in this human world, none of these agendas is fully engaged with what Jesus called "the Kingdom of Heaven."
With the perspective that we live in a fallen world separated by "sin" from God, who are the sinners? We might say that they are those who are most successful in the ways of their societies. It is these who are most invested, and these who are least likely to change their ways. It is these, the best and the brightest, who are most likely to remain closed to the greater reality, God's reality, which has very little to do with humanity's preoccupations. Thus, in the greater view, both the criminals and the priests, are on the same footing. The difference is that the elevated, the successful in the society will fight like hell to keep what they have. The cast-offs, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. If the hate or bitterness or "demonic possession" (the old term for psychopathology) that drove them to their crimes can be stilled, they would be the most open to the kingdom of heaven. With a single spiritual leap, they could open themselves to another reality; while the rich and favored would find a hundred or more reasons not to give up their comfortable positions.
Thus, ultimately, the revolution of Jesus is not about being kind, or giving away your stuff; rather, it is about discarding the concerns of human society for the realm of God. It could not be more revolutionary, making Marx's brave new world appear as only a pale cut-out. And so, as Jesus said, the meek inherit the earth, the despised are the most beloved, and the first are last the last are first.
It is not a new revelation, I am sure, but it has hit me directly. It makes the wisdom of Jesus breathtaking in its scope. Just as it makes his wisdom the enemy of ANY humanly - composed society. That the Jesus movement came to dominate much of the world is a miracle, but it is not a miracle that his movement was quickly co-opted, for no society would promulgate its own demise.
Or would it? A discussion for another day, but we leave with this - Jesus proposed a reality above co-option, above an agenda. It is why Christianity, as one wit said, has never been tried, at least not at the greater societal level. In this view, from God's perspective, we are all sinners - that is, fallen from grace - and none of us can point a finger. None of us can be holier-than-thou, not the philanthropist or the murderer. It is casting off the blinders that saves us, and in the open air of the Kingdom, there is no agenda that we can manipulate or even understand, as we are now. FK
Often enough, almost inevitably, this brings me around to the religious sages, who, from my perspective, have been the leading minds of the world. They, I find, get reality more than anyone else. It is perhaps a prejudice, but I try not to deceive. It is what I really believe, and what I generally come to write about.
And so Sunday's blog brought me to consider, once again, what Jesus (the sage I know most about) meant to convey. Following the logic of the former blog, I surprised myself by finding that Jesus, although often called a revolutionary, was even more of a revolutionary than I had thought.
For years, I have believed that the revolutionary aspect of Jesus came in forgiving others absolutely and unconditionally, and in casting off materialism for the benefit of others - a sort of holy communism that, in my mind, seemed nice but impossible to achieve. But let's consider now that every society has its agenda - and now, that agenda often includes the common views of Jesus mentioned above, one that prods us to distribute the wealth and become pacifists. That this ideal has been abused by those with an agenda is obvious, and a failing of the Jesus message. But Sunday's discussion of the criminals in upstate New York showed me the greater and absolutely incorruptible message that I believe Jesus had.
It is found both in how he favored the criminal class, society's outcasts, and despised the elite, the wealthy and the honored scribes and Pharisees. While all of Jesus's parables carry multiple meanings, what struck me was this: the ways of most of the wealthy and of the religious elite were better than those of the criminals, many of whom were thieves and murderers and adulterers and prostitutes (it has been argued that many prostitutes had no other choice, but let's leave that aside here). In the New Testament, the criminals did not even deny their criminality. How, then, could they be more favored?
I have long thought that it is because the criminals were more humble and approachable than the wealthy and the honored, who were either stingy or conceited with their knowledge and position. This is true. But it is much more than that, if we recall that all societies have agendas. The successful, then, are those who best fulfill the agenda; the criminals, those who society has cast out for NOT fulfilling the agenda. The kernel to my new perspective is this: that not only do all societies have an agenda, but that, in this human world, none of these agendas is fully engaged with what Jesus called "the Kingdom of Heaven."
With the perspective that we live in a fallen world separated by "sin" from God, who are the sinners? We might say that they are those who are most successful in the ways of their societies. It is these who are most invested, and these who are least likely to change their ways. It is these, the best and the brightest, who are most likely to remain closed to the greater reality, God's reality, which has very little to do with humanity's preoccupations. Thus, in the greater view, both the criminals and the priests, are on the same footing. The difference is that the elevated, the successful in the society will fight like hell to keep what they have. The cast-offs, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. If the hate or bitterness or "demonic possession" (the old term for psychopathology) that drove them to their crimes can be stilled, they would be the most open to the kingdom of heaven. With a single spiritual leap, they could open themselves to another reality; while the rich and favored would find a hundred or more reasons not to give up their comfortable positions.
Thus, ultimately, the revolution of Jesus is not about being kind, or giving away your stuff; rather, it is about discarding the concerns of human society for the realm of God. It could not be more revolutionary, making Marx's brave new world appear as only a pale cut-out. And so, as Jesus said, the meek inherit the earth, the despised are the most beloved, and the first are last the last are first.
It is not a new revelation, I am sure, but it has hit me directly. It makes the wisdom of Jesus breathtaking in its scope. Just as it makes his wisdom the enemy of ANY humanly - composed society. That the Jesus movement came to dominate much of the world is a miracle, but it is not a miracle that his movement was quickly co-opted, for no society would promulgate its own demise.
Or would it? A discussion for another day, but we leave with this - Jesus proposed a reality above co-option, above an agenda. It is why Christianity, as one wit said, has never been tried, at least not at the greater societal level. In this view, from God's perspective, we are all sinners - that is, fallen from grace - and none of us can point a finger. None of us can be holier-than-thou, not the philanthropist or the murderer. It is casting off the blinders that saves us, and in the open air of the Kingdom, there is no agenda that we can manipulate or even understand, as we are now. FK
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