Used as a battle cry for the condemnation of humanity throughout the history of the church, the word repent has often been received by people inside the church, not as a gentle invitation to change behavior, but as a strong-armed, directive to question self-worth and the quality of their relationship with God. Outside the church, people who are subjected to this approach of 'sharing the good news', react appropriately, as if they are experiencing an unjustified attack from illegitimate zealots.
Christians need to take back the word repent from those who believe Jesus came to condemn us, rather than love and forgive humanity. I really like Thomas Keating's definition of the word in his booklet, 'The Human Condition', 'Change the direction that you look for your happiness.' Choosing to engage in destructive behavior or sin, is a bad habit we have learned, but we are no longer forced to continue engaging in. The Creation story tells us that Adam and Eve believed they were going to be 'like gods' by learning a new behavior - the ability to make a choice between the good and evil. Instead, their actions took away humanity's ability to make good choices - we became lovers of cutting corners, tricking and cheating others for our own benefit. Indeed, we were narcissistic to the core of our beings; Christ came to give us back the ability to choose the good. As Paul says, we are to 'throw off the Old Man, or our habit of worldliness - rooted in grandiose, narcissistic behavior.
Although humanity was duped in the beginning, the unforgivable sin was not eating the fruit - it was refusing to take personal responsibility for our actions. 'Where are you?', God asked, 'we are hiding because we are naked' (getting exposed or being seen for who they really are is the most terrifying possibility for a narcissist to imagine - in order to escape, they hide behind a grandiose, manufactured version of the ego), Adam replied. 'Who told you that were naked?", God asked - then the fingers start pointing in every direction - the serpent, the women, not me! Their inability to take personal responsibility placed a wedge in their relationship with God that existed until Jesus forgave us.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
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What a great idea to reform the approach to repentance! The most troubling version of this is the bumper sticker, "TURN OR BURN!"
ReplyDeleteHowever, it seems the Bible has some examples of this sort of "call to repentance" though. John the Baptist and the Prophets come to mind. Are we to evolve beyond their examples? That only seems possible if the masses move beyond concrete operational thinking and become open to a new view of the Bible's place relative to Christianity.
As far as the story goes, the image I get is of this GIANT GOD looking for Adam and Eve saying, "Who dunnit?! Ha! Gotcha!" So they were afraid because they feared punishment. With the NT in the letters of John we hear that perfect love drives away fear and that fear has to do with punishment. In the NT, Christ was supposed to fix that problem by staving off God's wrath with his perfect sacrifice.
An interesting part of the Garden story is that they became "aware" of themselves. So they were really hiding from themselves also...that seems to be where I link in with your idea of the narcissism.
Not surprisingly to those who follow my blog, I think the main problem is using the Bible, or any other holy books, as a narrative for what's going on now. Why not let this moment explain itself? Can the Jews be what they truly are today without Moses or Jacob? Can Muslims be what they are without Ishmael? What are we today, right now, if we aren't the false mind-made self? So this brings us to our true selves and frees us from the narcissism of being/becoming 'this' or 'that.' We enter into simply 'being."
So for the Christian, as you've said before, the answer is "I AM." Not just for God as the great other, but for the believer who is one with God... But then, I'm steering this into "Zen" territory which naturally must not make sense...yet will for some possibly.
I love your reply for many reasons.
ReplyDelete1. I agree that John the Baptist and others of his ilk were a bit harsh in their bid for repentance, but they were talking to a rough group. I do think the sanctification process within humanity, since Jesus provided us an example and the Holy Spirit has brought us to a different place, a place where we may be ready for a more compassionate definition of repentance.
2. I like what you said about self awareness. I tend to believe that stories like the creation account started to be passed around the fire pits around the same time we became self-aware.
3. Side note: I think Narcissism defines Hell
4. I simply love your point about letting holy books just be. My wife and I have really been focused on what is rather than what should be when it comes to scripture. So much of Paul's writings have zero to say about us, but we make them apply. Paul used a lot of absurd examples to make a point, rather than create some new weird command like boasting in the Lord.
5. Zen ideas are welcome here.
I see some value in fear-based self-correction, because I think sympathy for oneself is sometimes the only mechanism left to wake up to the needs of others. When I am refusing to feel compassion for someone else, I can generally still feel compassion for myself. The thought that my actions or attitudes are going against the grain of what is truly moral - and I can't escape the idea of a morality that exists apart from me - causes a low-grade fear that lends urgency to the more practical reasons to, for instance, reconcile after an argument with my wife; or to apologize to my children; or stuff my anxiety and face up to a difficult conversation. In an ideal world, anyone who hurts another through action or inaction should feel at least some kind of fear of the results of their actions.
ReplyDeleteThinking of John the Baptist (or another prophet from the Bible, or Jesus) as an antagonistic kind of guy doesn't bother me. Doesn't the kind of religious hypocrisy he was decrying make most of us mad? Justly so?
I agree that fear can lead to action, however, for me, it is more likely to paralyze, or at least, slow my down.
ReplyDeleteMy pattern, when I am trying to behave my way out of fear - talking with my wife because I am afraid that my relationship with her is suffering, due to my actions - it only motivates me to go far enough to not feel the fear. I tend to stop short.
On the other hand, if I am motivated in a positive way, I am more likely to work longer to improve the relationship.
Religious hypocrisy does not make me mad - we are all hypocrites - we are all sinners. It is more likely to feel frustration, then compassion.