meirwen_1988: (Thoughtful)
[personal profile] meirwen_1988
I don't have an answer to this question. That said, I think sometimes what matters is coming up with the question.


So, the season of Lent commemorates the 40 days that Rabbi Yeshua ben Yosef spent in the desert of Palestine. He removed himself from the comforts of civilization, such as they were in the 1st century in Roman-occupied-Palestine amongst the working classes, and went into the desert to pray, find his way, talk to God. Yes, he fasted. That's a common way for hermits, shamans, priests, the devout of almost any faith to achieve a state which promotes visions--of totems, of burning wheels, of whatever imagery, message, or other wisdom the divine choses to open the door to. Yes, he endured privation--because it is a common practice in a retreat to separate oneself from the distractions of things in order to focus. But he didn't go into the desert to fast. He didn't go into the desert to feel deprived. He went into the desert in search of wisdom, in search of insight, in search of God.

So why is it that when Lent comes around it's all about the fast, about the solemn colors, about the privation, and not about the search? Not about seeking a gift? Not about opening the mind?

On Ash Wednesday, St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City opened her doors at 5:30 AM. Until after 8 that night, without pause, the priests, deacons, and communal ministers distributed ashes to the faithful. We Catholics are very good at counting heads. By the end of the day, more than 60,000 went through the line of that one, single church. And historically, more Catholics go across a church threshold on Ash Wednesday than any other day. A day when the injunction is "Remember thou art dust, and to dust thou wilt return."

Why is it about the pain? Even when the priests and ministers enjoin us to embrace the search, to give to others, to open the heart and mind to insight and divine wisdom, why do so many of us reach for the lash, the hair shirt, the merciless pain of the desert of trial? God is also in the finely crafted meal, the perfume in the hair, an oil massage of the feet, good conversation, and a full night's rest in a a soft bed. Isn't it about the search?

Why the pain

Date: 2009-03-05 01:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] theboomboom.livejournal.com
I am reminded of a scene in one of the first four episodes of the second season of The Tudors. You know the story so this shouldn't be a spoiler. Thomas Moore has gone to visit Katherine after Henry has dismissed her from court.

She talks about having known great joy and great sorrow and that she will chose great sorrow because in our joy we forget God but in our sorrow he is always with us.

Why are there no atheists in fox holes?

Why does the parent and child analogy work so well in religions?

When we are afraid we are more likely to seek or welcome support. When we are joyful we are more likely to credit ourselves and be able to stand on our own.

Why? I think its hardwired. I think its part of what makes us human. Needing/wanting comfort and/or company - human or divine - is part of who we are.

Hmmm...comfort = company...when two or more are gathered....

I don't see Lent as about the pain - I see it about stripping off the layers. Getting back to basics. I am Love. I am Dust. You are dust. When two or more of you are there, I am there. Love is there.

"Go into your room and close the door" isn't about privation. Its about shedding distraction. Gilded idols and sugar and crowds are distracting. Our focus can blur onto the gilt or the crowd. But in our room with the door closed, its just us. And our pains or joys. Where we can look at them, think about them.

Perhaps, within the Christian context, Rabbi Joshua and his followers gave us the first part - shed the distractions - and hoped that we would find our own ways to do so. As Yosh says above, the Church is good about repeating his words, not as publicly obvious about thinking about them. So much so the focus falls on the parts right there on the page we can emotionally connect with - and in Lent - that is the pain.

The Moravian church historian who preached for us on Sunday talked about how much Jesus goes through in only seven sentences in Mark's telling of the 40 days. From baptism to recognition to being driven into the desert to temptation to proclamation. In only seven sentences. That leaves a lot to us to envision and what we take away is "devil" and "temptation" or...pain. Why the pain? Perhaps because of the writings we've inherited that's the part easiest to hear or focus upon.

Ashes are also visible. Which is another reason for the 60,000 last Wed. But that's another train of thought, I'm sure. :)

*hugs*

Re: Why the pain

Date: 2009-03-05 01:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] retiredmaj.livejournal.com
Alas, there *are* some atheists in foxholes; though I note with dark amusement that they cling to their "faith" as strongly as we do ours...:) (And make no mistake the first principle of atheism is predicated solely upon faith, NOT knowledge.)

Re: Why the pain

Date: 2009-03-05 05:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] meirwen.livejournal.com
My father, raised Catholic, altar boy, parochial school, always said he lost his faith in a foxhole in Belgium.

Never quite an atheist, he became agnostic.

Re: Why the pain

Date: 2009-03-05 08:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] meirwen.livejournal.com
"Ashes are also visible. Which is another reason for the 60,000 last Wed. But that's another train of thought, I'm sure."

And, in fact, was half of the conversation I had with Duchezz Sunday after I came home from Mass, having gotten the statistics during the Homily. But that is a different issue, yes. And I have some theories about it, but not something I want to focus on now. ;-)

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