Just having finished a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, and having had a little time to reflect on it, I would raise a question. Does what each of us “think” matter? CPE has a tendency to focus on feelings and what is in the depths of us. That’s what one would expect from a tradition that is rooted in psychology, and to a large degree spirituality. For those of you who have taken time to reflect on this theme, I would ask: “Is the concept of “heresy” still valid?” The word “heresy” comes from the Greek word haeresis, which means “incorrect thinking.” Many of us know that wars have started, slaughters, pogroms, genocide, and “shunning” have all taken place in the name of “doctrine,” or correct thinking, if you will.
During the unit of C.P.E. which our group did at Clarian North, I read a piece of the Sermon on the Mount, a quotation from Jesus of Nazareth, related to where our “treasure” really is as part of our morning prayer at the hospital. This was the quote:
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NRSV
A minority of persons, notably from one religious tradition other than Christianity, were “set back” by the use of Jesus’ words. After all, our hospital was and is a “community hospital,” meaning, it serves all faith groups, and those who do not consider themselves as part of any faith group. Others, from an evangelical Christian viewpoint, thought that the use of this scripture and the prayer used that day were fine.
We struggled as a group with what “kinds” of prayers were appropriate, and which weren’t, not only with patients, but over the early morning devotions. I wonder if the environment in which all of us on chaplaincy carried out ministry at Clarian North, was not a microcosm of our culture? We are multicultural. There is no question about that. But, in another sense, I wonder, as Chris Madison, believer in Jesus as Savior and Lord, God the Son, Second Person of the Trinity, and as a United Methodist clergy person, are we now in danger in saying that no one can express a faith tradition? Are we, as a multicultural group of people, at the point where we must either discard faith traditions in order to make everyone “happy,” or is it still possible to express one’s faith, without starting wars, pogroms, genocide, inquisitions, etc.? In other words, “Is it possible to believe as we do, in all of our traditions, or no tradition, and yet allow others to express themselves as they see fit, as long as no harm is done?” Then one must ask, “What constitutes “harm?” War has started over others thinking differently from others. Is thought, in and of itself so controversial, that we cannot express ourselves at all without stirring up some kind of hornet’s nest?
Doctrine is important because it guides us, in belief and practice. What we think does matter. Our journeys may be different. But, perhaps it would be good if we could simply say, “I stand within this tradition.” “You may see or understand things differently. Can we talk about it, and listen to each other?”
Underneath thought are deep matters of the heart. And these deep matters are inherently “spiritual.” So, can we respect one another, even though our deepest understandings of God, or whatever one considers “God” to be, or even if there is no God in one’s belief system, or must we fall back on millennia of persecution, group murder and intolerance?
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