It has been an interesting week. Not in the normal way one would use the term interesting in a smart ass way, but rather, a week filled with great conversation. This is different than what Lent held for me and my family up to this point. It has been a bumpy ride, many misunderstandings and hail of attacks from those we believed could be trusted due to struggles with change and the need for human scapegoating.
But our Creator is a loving force that permeates all, and this week that love was evident with the conversations that opened up and reaffirmed some beliefs of mine, and allowed new beliefs to be explored. So here are some simple pragmatics that surfaced for me this week:
1) Where does disease come from? Many religions have always been centred on attempting to explain disease and death. Essentially in one conversation this week, what came out for me was “biology sucks” that is the true cause for disease that I believe in. Not tests or punishments from God, just a natural phenomenon, a bad luck roll of the dice.
2) This led to another reflection in many conversations, as many of my family members have chronic illnesses, the questions always arise on what makes a quality of life. The emphasis needs to be on quality, not quantity. What does this mean in pragmatic practice? Simple, there is no deeper meaning for suffering or disease, than simply discovering the little joys in life. Discovering at the core of our being what causes resonnance and meaning, for those of a spiritual inclination it would be decribed as what brings us deeply into the union with the Holy Mystery.
3) I am pro-choice and yes I can feel the hate mail coming from some members of my faith community. Yet, being pro-choice is more than just accepting abortion. I believe being pro-choice is actually choosing quality of life over quantity. It is about acceptance, non-judgementalism, walking alongside, showing care and understanding for one another.
The love and understanding is on the abortion dialogue as I believe it is up to us as children of God, to build a world where every conceived baby is wanted.
It is about an individual’s right to choose their course of treatment with what ails them, and I do believe if they are of a sound mind when making the decision choosing when their life shall end and when they are not of a sound mind, as individuals living in community, our responsibility to bring them through the darkness of contemplating suicide.
It is choosing a life well lived out of love and understanding.
4) Symbology- for every goodness we can see in a symbol, we need to be aware of the pain that is also inherent within the symbols. We truly need to understand that the way we understand our beliefs is not about proving ourselves right, but rather celebrating and coming together in untiy within our diversity.
It has been an interesting Lenten journey, surrendering self, surrendering perception, and pragmatically coming to re-experience the Holy Mystery that has created all, exists in all, and everything exists in.
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Paul Vargis
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A Monk's Musings 