Skip to main content

Seeing Differently


Two years ago, I was anticipating my first symposium as a student in The Living School, a two-year program of Richard Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation. I had read Father Richard's work for more than a decade and was excited for this opportunity to grow in my practice of nondualism as a contemplative activist.

My life experiences had introduced me to the concept of nondualism long before I knew the term. I had previously thought of it as thinking out of the box or moving beyond common perspectives. The most significant lesson in my earliest life was probably the mystery of God as three persons in one. Another lesson was presented when my family entered the Catholic church in my racially segregated hometown's only parish. Segregation is a clear and extreme operationalization of dualism. It discourages intellectual curiosity by maintaining clear and distinct options that are in essence no option. 

Prayers offered during the Triduum introduced me to a way of praying for people of other and no faith traditions in a way that recognized humanity's universal search for truth without praying for everyone to convert to Catholicism. This was definitely thinking out of the box in a society where the only overly simplified measure of faith was the answer to one question of faith "Are you saved?" 

The truth has the capacity to transcend our beliefs because we are incapable of fully comprehending or expressing it with human language. In seeking the truth we experience nuance as it frees us to move into an unforeseen space where we can experience a deeper level of understanding. It also enhances our ability to move beyond the practice of quick judgments and exclusionary practices. We begin to see differently and come to recognize that theology and science are not adversaries.

One conversation remembered from my childhood was between my father and one of my mother's aunts who was known for speaking with authority. On this occasion, she stated that the theory of evolution contradicted the Bible's story of creation. Disagreeing, my father replied that evolution does not deny our belief that God is the Creator. As a child, I was simply amazed by the nondual assumption offered by my dad. It was not a matter of "either or", but one of "both and."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Site

  To read the latest on Leslye's Labyrinth, visit http://bit.ly/leslyeslabyrinth

Rising Above the Cacophony

In my research on Thomas Merton, I have come across a number of references to jazz music. While I appreciate the genre, I am quite far from being an aficionado. A longtime fan of Mary Lou Williams, I was pleased to learn that Merton also shared an appreciation of her musical genius. Then, there was a reference to John Coltrane's Ascension. The Catholic me was quite intrigued by both the title and Merton's fascination with the piece. I promptly went online and ordered the CD. The first time, I listened for less than five minutes as the cacophony of musical instruments reminded me of being in a club in my younger years. Remember when the music was so loud that it was like noise making it difficult to have a conversation? With my second attempt, I was pulled into the experience of hearing the sounds of individual instruments ascend amidst the perceived chaos. It was quite fascinating. As I type, I am listening to this work of Coltrane for the third time. It is having a diffe...

American Vias Dolorosa

The liturgical calendar of my Catholic tradition accompanies us through our lives in the ordinary times as well as in periods and on days of significance. During the solemn and holy days of Lent and the Triduum, respectively, we reenact the via dolorosa in the Stations of the Cross. Regardless of its size, the sanctuary of each Catholic parish will include a representation of the fourteen Stations. The prayerful process reflects on the sorrow and suffering of Jesus from his condemnation to death his death by capital punishment and burial in a tomb. His subsequent resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday.  While the Church's calendar reflects the highs and lows of ordinary life, our lived experience is not confined to this timeline. Experiences of suffering, death, and resurrection occur for each of us at varying times. The calendar may say that it is ordinary time, but as we accompany a loved one through the challenges of a terminal illness it is a period of sorrow.  With ...