Faithful Philly Forum

Penn researcers just announced they have found out with just 30minutes a day of regular meditation people can improve their attention span and concentration levels. It seems that the discipline of mindfulness actually changes the brain chemistry in some ways not fully known yet. And, those being studied “demonstrated improvements in a matter of weeks.” For me, this jis more evidence for humanity’s spiritual nature and reminds us that we neglect our inner life to our own detriment. (even if not to our everlasting peril!) Meditation is, for me, the simple (and difficult!) act of listening for the “still, small voice of God” in our lives. Christians would do well to do more listening for God and less talking to God, seems to me. 

Well, Jerry Falwell has gone to his great reward. What a figure in our recent history–such a product of his time and place. I remember as a kid going to Lynchburg for shoes (there was a shoe factory there with an outlet). Little did I know then that salvation was just around the corner. I’m inspired by the response of Soulforce, a non-violent movment among GLBT Christians born literally across the street from Jerry Falwell’s church. They both recognize the loss experienced by Fallwell’s family and church, while also lamenting his own loss of never recognizing the enormity of God’s fully embracing love. Thank God for Soulforce.

I wonder what folks are reading along the lines of spirituality. What’s helping or pushing or frustrating you in reading contained between actual book covers (though the daily check on a couple blogs, including this one, also help). What do you read that motivates action? My recent selections have been more introspective. I’ve just started Thomas Moore Care of the Soul, and I’m not into that enough to have anything to say other than he writes beautifully. The last thing I finished was Interior Castle, the classic of St. Teresa of Avila. A quirky thing to say the least–but very rooted in the wisdom of every day spritual searching. Its interesting to see many contemplative themes coming with a 16th century voice–and what a voice!

It was reported today that the Sunni residents in Azamiyah are resisting US efforts to build a 12 foot concrete wall around them to keep them safe from Shiite militants. (They are calling it “a big prison.”) Such a “defense” strategy echos the Bush regime’s plan for 400 miles of fence along the US/Mexico border to prevent “contamination” by job-seeking immigrants. And of course, it reflects the current concrete wall built through the heart of Jerusalem by Israel to “protect” the Jews from Palestinian terrorists. 

After the massacre last week in Blacksburg VA or in South Philly over the weekend(11 deaths this week), I suppose it is tempting to think about building walls to provide personal safety. In fact, I remember several years ago there was a suggestion to put a wall around UPenn to keep out the “bad elements” in West Philadelphia. Does anyone remember the Berlin Wall and how elated we were when it fell? Is there ever a success story in building walls? Where are the bridgebuilders when we need them?

Lets not forget, in the wake of the events in Blacksburg, pray for the shooter. Work through the God in you to see the God in him. A lesson we might learn could be in that act. After all the Nancy Grace and Paula Zahn and Wolf BLitzer (yes, I looked too)–Pray for Cho and his family.

I just discovered that both Newsweek and Time have put out different cover stories (that are lighter and more frivolous) for the US reading public than for everybody else in the entire world. While others are reading about the the jihadists in Afghanistan we are reading about Annie Leibovitz (Newsweek). And while the rest of the world reads about Talibanistan we in the US are treated to a cover story of thepros and cons of teaching the Bible in the classroom (Time). What’s wrong with this picture? Is it that we as citizens are naturally not globally interested or resist such difficult and unpleasant information? Or, is that there is a need to keep us unaware of what the rest of the world can easily observe about our foreign policies? As people of faith, how can we be as wise as serpents in staying aware of and critiquing the ways of the world if there is a concerted effort to keep us, not only harmless as doves, but as blind as bats!

One of the bright lights of social science in the past half century is also one of the most criticized. Phil Zimbardo conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment, where mentally and physically healthy college student were randomized to be guards or prisoners. Its common material in the ‘research ethics’ unit for Psych 101 or masters level research methods courses. I think he is a bright light because he has learned from his most notorious work what the rest of us need to learn–that we are inextricably shaped by our surroundings, and that while we are accountable for our individual behavior, that leaders are also to be held accountable for the environment in which individuals make behavior choices. Continue Reading »

I was in my car yesterday afternoon, heading home after running some errands. NPR was playing and I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to it until this story came on. It’s about a challenging issue that the Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, CA is struggling with these days. Back in January, a twice-convicted sex offender came to their congregation, openly admitted to his past offensives and then asked to be allowed to join them. The church is split and in the story they say that several families have already left over this issue.

I find this interesting because at my own church we talk about radical acceptance and making space for anyone who wants to be there. But we haven’t been challenged with something on this level, and it makes me wonder how we’d react. I’d like to think that we’d be able to allow him in, but I wonder what this would do to the energy and openness of a church community.

Any thoughts?