Hopi Prophecy: "We're the Ones We've Been Waiting For."

Today I will be giving the closing benediction at the "Not in God's Name" Conference.  I wasn't sure what to say or do until the Spirit knocked on my door twice this week. First, a friend from my men's group sent me a prophecy attributed to a Hopi elder, and on Friday, an Episcopal monk read the same prophecy at the Community of Divine Love community service. It struck me that we didn't have a Native American voice at the Conference, and that if we were going to talk about violence and religion, we needed to acknowledge the horrendous violence that Christians have perpetrated on native people and the earth through the so-called "Doctrine of Discovery." The Hopi prophecy is a good reminder that we can't put our faith in leaders, we need to put our faith the the divine wisdom that the Great Spirit has implanted in our hearts. I especially like the Hopi proverb: "Wisdom comes only when we stop looking for wisdom and start doing what the Creator intended for us." My hope and prayer for this Conference is that it inspires us to redouble our efforts to be interfaith peacemakers.

Friends, as we conclude our time together, let us remember to honor the original stewards of this land, the Tongva people. Let’s hold in our prayers the protectors of our mother, the earth, who are trying to stop an oil pipeline from desecrating the traditional lands of the Lakota. By the so-called “Doctrine of Discovery,” Christians have claimed that they own the land that has been under the care of the Native People of this planet since time immemorial, but traditional wisdom and the Bible teach us that the earth and all its fullness belong to the Creator. Much blood has been shed over land in order to extract resources and this violence needs to end. Let’s conclude our conference by recalling a prophecy that has been attributed to Hopi elders. 

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.  And there are things to be considered . . .

Where are you living?
What are you doing?
 What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader."

This could be a good time!"

    "There is a river flowing now very fast.  It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.  They will try to hold on to the shore.   They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly. 

    "Know the river has its destination.  The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water.   And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.  At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, Least of all ourselves.  For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. 

    "The time for the lone wolf is over.  Gather yourselves!  Banish the word struggle from you attitude and your vocabulary.  All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. 

    "We are the ones we've been waiting for."

Let’s reflect on these words in sacred silence and listen for the wisdom from within. Another proverb of the Hopi tell us: Wisdom comes only when we stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for us. As we reflect in silence, let your inner wisdom tell you what you need to do and if you feel led by Spirit, briefly share what you intend to do as a result of this conference to foster peace and harmony among people of different faiths.  

The story of Lazarus and the rich guy: what's in a name?

The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:14-31)

14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.....19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ 

Our society adores celebrities, who are people famous for being famous. A rich person's name is considered a valuable asset. Trump is probably only exaggerating a little more than usual when he says his name is worth three billion dollars.  The rich in Jesus' times also considered their names to be valuable. Having a name like Caesar or Herod meant you were important. You belonged to a family that counted for something, that was part of the aristocracy, which literally means "the rule of the best people." The poor, on the other hand, were nameless and powerless. They were considered nobodies, losers.

How different it is in God's kingdom! When the Pharisees, who love money, mock Jesus for siding with the poor, he tells them the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus doesn't name the rich man, but he gives the poor name a name, Lazarus, which means "God is my helper,"

The rich man's name "Dives" is the Latin word meaning simply "the rich guy." Jesus tells us this man wears purple linen and lives in a gated palace and is probably royalty, perhaps even the Emperor himself. Emperors and kings wore Tyrian purple as a sign of their wealth and status. In God's kingdom the rich have no name, just wealth.

The poor man has a name in God's kingdom but is disregarded by the rich. He lives outdoors, on the street, and is so sick that dogs lick his sores. He is much like some of the chronically homeless people who live on our streets and seen as eyesores. We often treat them as if they are nameless and  refer to them simply as "the homeless." During a panel discussion an advocate for homeless people in Utah said, "Please don't use the term 'the homeless' as if all homeless people are alike. Each one has a story and a name."

One of the great blessings of my life has been getting to know homeless people by name. Getting to know the stories, and the struggles, of my homeless brothers and sisters has helped me to get in touch with my own humanity. I feel more fully human and alive because the friendships I have formed with homeless and formerly homeless people. A formerly homeless man named Mark lives in our home and not only is an indispensable helper and handyman, he constantly surprises me with his insights. The other day he informed me that the expression "low man on the totem pole" would not make sense to an Indian. To an Indian, everyone on the totem pole is equally important, especially the one on the bottom, who holds up everyone else. It is our corporate, hierarchical society that misunderstands what native people see clearly; the intrinsic worth of each person.

That's also the point of Jesus' story. If we separate ourselves from the poor, if we live apart from them in gated communities, or in neighhorhoods that exclude the poor through zoning policies, then we who are privileged are the losers. We lose a vital connection with those who can help us to become fully human and to see God's beloved community as it is intended to be. And we suffer the consequences of living in a hell world of power and privilege without compassion and justice.

Loving God, help us to see our brothers and sisters on the street are people with names and stories, and  hopes and dreams just like us. Help us to see that we are all interconnected, we are all part of God's family, and if those on the street are suffering, we need to reach out to them, not hide behind walls or "safe neighborhoods". Help us to learn their names and listen to them and do what all the prophets tell us we must do. Be just, be compassionate, and create a society where there "there is no poverty among us" (Acts 4).  

Religious Communities Must Stop Blessing Gun Violence!

[This is a reflection given at Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, icujp.org, on Friday, September 23.]

This week our conference “Not in God’s Name” will focus on religion and violence. It seems fitting though a bit  inconvenient that All Saints Church in Pasadena will be hosting an event focusing on gun violence at the same time. When people think of religious violence, they often think of terrorism and Islam, but far more dangerous is America’s cult of guns.

There is ample evidence showing how guns have turned into a deadly religion in America. A bumper sticker sums up this pernicious and delusional belief system: Guns, God and guts have made America great.

 I commend James Atwood of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship for condemning the cult of guns in our country in a brilliant article written in 2008. In this piece entitled “When Guns Become Idols,” Atwood writes:

I’d like to expand on my contention that guns in America have become idols. I define America’s idolatry with guns as an aggressive belief system dedicated to the expansion of gun ownership which encourages people to take their guns to the workplace, college campuses, public schools, libraries, national parks, churches and bars. This belief system is enhanced by an attitude which overtly and subtly proclaims that safety and security come through guns. My friend, Rev. Rachel Smith calls this phenomenon “Gundamentalism” Although claiming the highest of social values, the belief system itself requires continuous deception and the distortion of the truth in order to minimize or ignore the 30,000 people who are killed by guns every year.

First, I believe guns have become idols in America because many people give them sacred status. Warren Cassidy, former NRA executive said, “You would get a far better understanding of the NRA if you approached us as if you were approaching one of the great religions of the world.”

In 1998, when Charlton Heston, President of the NRA, was given an antique musket, he mused, “Sacred stuff resides in that wooden stock and blue steel when ordinary hands can possess such an extraordinary instrument.” 

http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/content/when-guns-become-idols#.V-Fjg_krK00

 I hope that ICUJP will play its part in unmasking the idolatry of guns and proclaim that there is nothing sacred in these instruments of death. Religious communities must stop blessing guns and encouraging gun ownership.

I am pleased that Sojourners magazine devoted its May issue to the question “Should Christians Own Guns/” and includes an article by a conservative pastor decrying the “idolatry of the gun culture.” Rob Schenk begins his article with this chilling story about the relationship between racism and the cult of guns among white Evangelicals.:

SITTING AT A DINING-ROOM TABLE full of fellow evangelical pastors, I asked how many were “carrying” (a euphemism for being armed with a concealed handgun). They all raised their hands. Then I asked, “What determines when you draw your gun and prepare to shoot another human being?” There was awkward body language and mumbling. After a few seconds passed, one older man said, “I’ll tell you what determines whether I draw the gun or not. It’s the man’s skin color.”I was left speechless by the pastor’s jarring, blatant racism. Still, as respectfully as possible, I asked him to please clarify what he meant.“Well, we got a big city nearby, and, you know, the black people there are always killin’ people. Now, if a colored man comes into this county, I know he means trouble because he knows he doesn’t belong here. That makes him more dangerous than a white man. That’s why I’d pull my gun.”The man who was speaking, and the others nodding their heads in agreement, are my colleagues. I am one of them when it comes to a statement of faith—but not when it comes to race and guns.

This article makes it clear why people of faith who oppose gun violence need to work together to unmask the false religion of guns. As you may know, Jill and I organized a gun buyback in Pasadena as part of the Palm Sunday Peace Parade. Over 200 people took part, and we had a Peace-source Fair as well as a guy buyback. We raised nearly $30,000, bought back 130 guns, and provided grants for groups like Women Against Gun Violence. We also provided a biblical perspective on why Jesus would not have agreed with the Evangelical pastors who were “carrying.”  Jesus made it clear that he didn’t want his followers to use weapons even when he himself was under attack. In the garden of Gesthemane, when Jesus was about to be arrested by Roman soldiers, one of his followers cut off  the soldier’s ear with a sword. Jesus rebuked his disciple, healed the wounded soldier, and said, “Those that live by the sword perish by the sword.”

This is what Christianity stood for before it was hijacked by the Roman empire and later by the American empire. I am glad that All Saints is leading an effort to end gun violence. I have invited Julian Serrano of All Saints to speak to us about her church’s gun violence prevention work.

Meanwhile, let us have a moment of silence to pray for those who have been killed by guns. The statistics are sobering. Here in this land where the NRA encourages parents to keep loaded weapons in their homes,  a toddler with a gun accidentally kills himself or someone else with a gun each week.  Each day 82 Americans perish by gun violence.

World-wide, guns are used to kill as many as 1,000 people each day. Millions more are wounded, or their lives upended when  to development aid, markets, health, education and human rights is disrupted by people with guns.

Let us pray for the victims of this devastating plague. Let us hold in our loving thoughts the families of those who have perished due to gun violence.  [Time of silence.]

Friends, let us dedicate ourselves to ending this terrible disease of the human spirit. Those who agree, please say AMEN!

Religious Communities Must Stop Blessing Gun Violence!

[This is a reflection given at Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, icujp.org, on Friday, September 23.]

This week our conference “Not in God’s Name” will focus on religion and violence. It seems fitting though a bit  inconvenient that All Saints Church in Pasadena will be hosting an event focusing on gun violence at the same time. When people think of religious violence, they often think of terrorism and Islam, but far more dangerous is America’s cult of guns.

There is ample evidence showing how guns have turned into a deadly religion in America. A bumper sticker sums up this pernicious and delusional belief system: Guns, God and guts have made America great.

 I commend James Atwood of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship for condemning the cult of guns in our country in a brilliant article written in 2008. In this piece entitled “When Guns Become Idols,” Atwood writes:

I’d like to expand on my contention that guns in America have become idols. I define America’s idolatry with guns as an aggressive belief system dedicated to the expansion of gun ownership which encourages people to take their guns to the workplace, college campuses, public schools, libraries, national parks, churches and bars. This belief system is enhanced by an attitude which overtly and subtly proclaims that safety and security come through guns. My friend, Rev. Rachel Smith calls this phenomenon “Gundamentalism” Although claiming the highest of social values, the belief system itself requires continuous deception and the distortion of the truth in order to minimize or ignore the 30,000 people who are killed by guns every year.

First, I believe guns have become idols in America because many people give them sacred status. Warren Cassidy, former NRA executive said, “You would get a far better understanding of the NRA if you approached us as if you were approaching one of the great religions of the world.”

In 1998, when Charlton Heston, President of the NRA, was given an antique musket, he mused, “Sacred stuff resides in that wooden stock and blue steel when ordinary hands can possess such an extraordinary instrument.” 

http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/content/when-guns-become-idols#.V-Fjg_krK00

 I hope that ICUJP will play its part in unmasking the idolatry of guns and proclaim that there is nothing sacred in these instruments of death. Religious communities must stop blessing guns and encouraging gun ownership.

I am pleased that Sojourners magazine devoted its May issue to the question “Should Christians Own Guns/” and includes an article by a conservative pastor decrying the “idolatry of the gun culture.” Rob Schenk begins his article with this chilling story about the relationship between racism and the cult of guns among white Evangelicals.:

SITTING AT A DINING-ROOM TABLE full of fellow evangelical pastors, I asked how many were “carrying” (a euphemism for being armed with a concealed handgun). They all raised their hands. Then I asked, “What determines when you draw your gun and prepare to shoot another human being?” There was awkward body language and mumbling. After a few seconds passed, one older man said, “I’ll tell you what determines whether I draw the gun or not. It’s the man’s skin color.”I was left speechless by the pastor’s jarring, blatant racism. Still, as respectfully as possible, I asked him to please clarify what he meant.“Well, we got a big city nearby, and, you know, the black people there are always killin’ people. Now, if a colored man comes into this county, I know he means trouble because he knows he doesn’t belong here. That makes him more dangerous than a white man. That’s why I’d pull my gun.”The man who was speaking, and the others nodding their heads in agreement, are my colleagues. I am one of them when it comes to a statement of faith—but not when it comes to race and guns.

This article makes it clear why people of faith who oppose gun violence need to work together to unmask the false religion of guns. As you may know, Jill and I organized a gun buyback in Pasadena as part of the Palm Sunday Peace Parade. Over 200 people took part, and we had a Peace-source Fair as well as a guy buyback. We raised nearly $30,000, bought back 130 guns, and provided grants for groups like Women Against Gun Violence. We also provided a biblical perspective on why Jesus would not have agreed with the Evangelical pastors who were “carrying.”  Jesus made it clear that he didn’t want his followers to use weapons even when he himself was under attack. In the garden of Gesthemane, when Jesus was about to be arrested by Roman soldiers, one of his followers cut off  the soldier’s ear with a sword. Jesus rebuked his disciple, healed the wounded soldier, and said, “Those that live by the sword perish by the sword.”

This is what Christianity stood for before it was hijacked by the Roman empire and later by the American empire. I am glad that All Saints is leading an effort to end gun violence. I have invited Julian Serrano of All Saints to speak to us about her church’s gun violence prevention work.

Meanwhile, let us have a moment of silence to pray for those who have been killed by guns. The statistics are sobering. Here in this land where the NRA encourages parents to keep loaded weapons in their homes,  a toddler with a gun accidentally kills himself or someone else with a gun each week.  Each day 82 Americans perish by gun violence.

World-wide, guns are used to kill as many as 1,000 people each day. Millions more are wounded, or their lives upended when  to development aid, markets, health, education and human rights is disrupted by people with guns.

Let us pray for the victims of this devastating plague. Let us hold in our loving thoughts the families of those who have perished due to gun violence.  [Time of silence.]

Friends, let us dedicate ourselves to ending this terrible disease of the human spirit. Those who agree, please say AMEN!

What is a Quaker? What is Quakerism?

For a World Quaker Day project friend Deanna Woirhaye of Whittier Friends Church is collecting answers to two simple but profound questions: "What is a Quaker" and "What is Quakerism?" Here are my responses. I'm curious to know your responses, which I'd be happy to publish here.

A Quaker is someone who seeks a direct experience of Reality, God, or Christ through the Holy Spirit, aka the Inward Light. A Quaker looks for “that of God”—a Divine spark or goodness--in every person, no matter what their race, ethnicity, social status or belief system. For this reason, Quakers reject war and violence and seek to live by the transforming power of love and compassion. Some Quakers are evangelical Christians, some Universalists, some non-theists, and some have another spiritual practice, such as Buddhism or Judaism, but most Friends are united by a commitment to testimonies such as simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and sustainability.

Quakerism is a religious movement that arose in the 17th century during a time of religious wars fueled by different interpretations of the Bible and different understandings of how Christianity should be practiced and organized. Quakerism rejected violence, elitism, and all forms of coercion and oppression. Quakerism is grounded not on dogma or the Bible but on experience—the experience of the Inward Light of Christ as the ultimate guide to wisdom and right living. Quakerism rejects all outward forms of religion and piety and encourages us to worship in simplicity and sincerity. Quakerism is deeply Christian and at the same time Universalist, believing that the Light of Christ is in every person, every creature, and also in every religion, to some measure, whether or not people use Christian terminology or believe in Christian dogmas (see Matthew 25). Quakerism defies definition because it is a creedless, evolving faith, grounded in “continuing revelation.”

See the youtube video: What is a Quaker?

Ambassador for Quakerism

Ever since becoming a Quaker 30 years ago, I have played the role of a Public Friend--that is, I have felt called to travel in the ministry and represent Quakers to those outside the Quaker community. I don't know why I have been called to this role. I know I have a deep love for Quakerism, and it has transformed my life in ways for which I am deeply grateful. The calling to share my Quaker faith with others has been both a great joy, and also a challenge. That's why I need divine guidance (and grace), and the support of Friends, to be faithful and effective in this ministry.

During the final years of the Cold War(1984-89, when President Reagan was calling the Soviet Union an "evil empire," I was led to reach out to the Russians and create "spiritual linkages" through what came to be known as "citizen diplomacy." I was part of the Quaker US/USSR Committee whose mission was to help start a Quaker meeting in Moscow and also to edit a join Soviet-American book project that would dispel stereotypes that were poisoning the relationships between Russians and Americans. When I went to the Soviet Union, I was seen as a representative of Quakers and was well received. Russians were eager to work with us and learn about us because they remembered that Quakers had always been friendly to them when others were hostile. After WWI Quakers engaged in relief work in the Soviet Union at a time when European nations were doing their utmost to crush the struggling Communist government. During the McCarthy era, Quakers defied America's anti-Communist mania by going to the Soviet Union to form friendships with the Soviets. Some saw this outreach as treasonous or hopelessly naive. But for most Quakers this kind of outreach was simply a way of putting into practice Jesus' difficult, but not impossible command to "love your enemy." 

After 9/11, when Muslims were being demonized, I felt led to reach out to my Muslim neighbors. I showed respect for Islam by fasting during Ramadan and reading the Quran. My Muslim neighbors were so impressed they invited me to their homes and friendships developed. Soon I found myself deeply immersed in the interfaith peace movement. I still regard myself as an "interfaith Quaker" (as my email address testifies).

Very early on, I realized that if I was called to represent Friends in the interfaith community, I needed to be sure that I was accountable to my Quaker community. When I traveled to Melbourne, Australia, for the Parliament of the World's Religions, I asked for, and received, a "traveling minute," a letter of support from my monthly and yearly meeting.

As my calling continued, I asked for a support committee from Santa Monica Meeting to make sure that I was accountable to my meeting as I tried my best to be faithful in my calling. I met with my support committee every couple of months and it was very helpful.

I have been meeting with what some Friends call an "anchor" committee at Orange Grove Meeting for the past few months, and it's also been very helpful. I have been able to process my feelings and gain insight into how Spirit is leading me in this challenging work. Best of all, I don't feel like a "lone ranger"; I feel connected to and supported by a circle of Friends who care.

During today's meeting of my anchor committee, I realized that I was playing a role similar to that of an ambassador. That is, I have been called, and authorize, to represent my Meeting in an official capacity. I am the rep to FWCC and to ICUJP.

Because of this role I represent my meeting not only at numerous interfaith gatherings, but also in the Evangelical world, in part because of my connection with FWCC and in part because I am married to an Evangelical Christian. This community is in many ways more foreign to most liberal Friends than the Muslim community. That's why my role as an ambassador is important. 

As we talked about my role as ambassador to the wider world outside the Meetinghouse, many questions arose and we had a very lively dialogue about the challenges of reaching out to those who have a very different theology and perspective.  It also became clear that every Friend is in some sense an ambassador of Quakerism. Just as what we do when we travel abroad reflects on America, what we do when we go about the world as Quakers affects how people think of Quakers.

George Fox called upon ALL Quakers to be ambassadors, or as he put it, "patterns and examples."

"Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone; whereby in them you may be a blessing, and make the witness of God in them to bless you."

Many Friends aren't comfortable with being examples. They prefer not to reveal their Quaker identity. That would be "hiding one's light under a bushel." Quakers have been given a very special legacy and a spiritual practice that could help transform the word. I am convinced Quakerism is "good medicine" and needs to be shared. 

A New England Friend named Bea Collea posted this exercise on the New England Yearly Meeting website:

Becoming A Quaker Ambassador 

Preparing Ourselves to Share our Quaker Faith 

We need to find and practice using a particular part of our Quaker voice—the one that we use with the world beyond our Meetinghouse. How can we succinctly express why we are a Friend? Sound bites and deep inner experience don’t seem to mix! Be gentle with yourself. This is a first expression that you can polish and clarify. It’s important to have a beginning point and commit it to writing so you can look at it and reflect on it. Try this exercise with a group of Quakers and share your elevator speeches. 

How do you explain the Quaker way to the world beyond your meetinghouse?

This is an excellent question, and an exercise that I hope Friends at Orange Grove Meeting (and elsewhere) will practice, perhaps in an adult study session.

If we are going to continue and thrive as a Religious Society, we need to be able to articulate our faith to those outside our community. We need to share our "good news" in ways that people can hear and relate to. We can't rely on a few Public Friends to be our spokespersons. I am hoping that I can persuade my Meeting to provide Friends with opportunities to practice sharing our faith with others. Hopefully, World Quaker Day will provide us such an opportunity to think about how to be Quaker ambassadors. 

closing circle at pendle hill

Sitting here in the stillness of the evening, under the grape arbor with twinkly lights, my small plot of heavenly Greece, I hear background sounds of crickets and frogs, and feel the deep peace that cannot be shaken. I give thanks remembering this poem, written when I was both grieving loss and feeling the stirrings of new life and love.

closing circle at pendle hill

at close of day, just before bedtime,
a circle of Friends sits and reflects
on a bowl of autumn leaves
so vibrantly colored they don't seem real,
and listens to poems we have known for years
read by an aging English couple
slowly, deeply like the echoes in a well
the mournful choir of gnats....the wild swans of Coole....
familiar words, yet able to surprise us still
to charm into stillness with their old magic
but then a deeper magic
surprisingly appears
amidst these gray heads and fallen leaves
i think with gratitude
of You, a flower
unfolding its pale pink petals
against the endless blue
horizon of your eyes
in the warm, throbbing
springtime of my astonished heart