The Journey “From the day we set out on our journey there has been no place to seek….Student and master have never been separate, never. And yet we must journey to reunite them.” – Daijaku Judith Kinst
Author: Andy
Who is God?
Have you ever heard – or experienced – the saying, “The only thing that’s really permanent is Change”? That’s emblematic of this thing called Process Theology. I won’t try to explain it, as it’s mind-bending and maddening stuff (though, show me anything someone has written about G-d that isn’t). Suffice it to say that the… Continue reading Who is God?
The Gift
“Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come.” Jelaluddin Rumi Yes, the world hurts, but there is power in those hands of yours. Yes, the world hurts,… Continue reading The Gift
Religion – does it separate or unite?
Interesting fact: By what name do 2 million Christians refer to God? “Allah” It’s Arabic for “the god” – or more correctly, “The God” or “THE God”. It’s also Aramaic – the language of Jesus (“Allah”, “Elaha”, “Elaw”). Is it not interesting how we conflate religious meaning with political & cultural meaning? Is it even… Continue reading Religion – does it separate or unite?
A brief update from seminary…
I have long thought that all the people and religions of the world have laughably little that separates them. Of course you could rightfully say there is nothing laughable about the shitty behavior we perpetrate in the name of our religions, but early in my theological studies at seminary, I am heartened by the similarities I find in all of the major faith traditions.
In preparing for an upcoming intensive on Hinduism I am reading the Bhagavad Gita. “Song of God” is what Bhagavad Gita means. How beautiful, no?
Here is a quote from the forward that Aldous Huxley wrote in 1944 (During World War Two) for the version I’m reading. Huxley was an English writer and pre-eminent intellectual of the early 20th century.
He says:
“There will never be enduring peace unless and until human beings come to accept a philosophy of life more adequate to the cosmic and psychological facts than the insane idolatries of nationalism and the advertising man’s apocalyptic faith in Progress towards a mechanized New Jerusalem….”
“….happily there is the Highest Common Factor of all religions, the Perennial Philosophy which has always and everywhere been the metaphysical system of the prophets, saints, and sages. It is perfectly possible for people to remain good Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, or Moslems [sic] and yet to be united in full agreement on the basic doctrines of the Perennial Philosophy.”
Huxley published a book titled The Perennial Philosophy as a comparative study of the mysticism from Eastern and Western religions about this same time. I presume he found them to all be speaking of the same thing. Hmm… I think that’s where I started this post?
Guess that’s one more book for the reading list.
Later, my friend.
Be well.
Sunset musings
I’m here in Berkeley, California to get my Master of Divinity degree. A sweet irony for me is that I don’t have to be enrolled in any school to find divinity. It’s on stark display daily in this beautiful place. Tonight as I walked west from campus toward home, I was watching this spectacular sunset… Continue reading Sunset musings
I’m in seminary.
This is from the “Andy’s Hangups” file:
I had to look up the word Minister today after someone called me one.
I almost said, “well F you too!” but noticed she didn’t seem to think it was an insult.
Turns out, minister can be a verb that means “to give service or aid to someone.”
In other contexts, it can be a political representative or government functionary, i.e. “Minister of Education, or Minister of Magic.”
Disclaimer *This is my blog, and as such, is a repository for my take. My thoughts and opinions are just that - my own. I come in peace, and am doing my best to make sense of it all just like you are*
I thought it meant sweaty, hypocritical asshole.
Oy vey.
I promise I’m trying here. When will I be discovered as a fraud?
I just want to make the world a little better place and understand why we’re here.
Why I thought learning religion might help, I have no idea. That certainly wasn’t my experience with it growing up.
Until next time… Gotta go learn about how to preach.
-Andy
p.s. I don’t actually think this about all ministers. I took a little license to illustrate a point. I have serious hangups around language. I feel like some words have been taken from me – from all of us, really. I’m in the midst of a journey to try to reclaim them. Am I alone in this?
Should I quit my job?
This post is from my latest newsletter. As I’m working on my book (round 2), I have begun to focus my efforts and my writing over at Prolificate.com. I still plan to post here now and then, but this site is reserved for whimsy, random musings, and other inanity. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll head on… Continue reading Should I quit my job?
Photography: Walk with me through a labyrinth
These photos are from a recent trip I took to an amazing conference. Rethinking Everything is equal parts Burning Man, SXSW, and TED – with the central theme being children (specifically, most attendees are Unschooling families). Weird enough for you? It was freaking AWESOME. Click on the photos to enjoy them full size. Anyway, enjoy…… Continue reading Photography: Walk with me through a labyrinth
The perishing green of May,
That knows not
Its due price for time spent
sun-languishing–
And all because it lives so
passionately green–
Can learn no lesson from
human telling
Which might seek to warn the
Autumn end.