Red door, blue door...




I can't decide...about the red door or the blue door...or about much of anything else these days. I have heard quite a lot of teaching over the last two years on the subject of dualistic thinking...also known as "black and white" thinking...



In contemplative teaching and thought, dualistic thinking is discouraged, and we are encouraged to recognize that situations are usually more about "both/and" than they are "either/or." Recently, I find myself struggling with the issue, and the idea that everything belongs, and in a sense, that every line of thinking is equally valid. In evangelistic thought, this approach to life and theology would be labeled relativism, and would be seen as a bad thing. As someone coming from an evangelistic background, I find myself ever more confused by what to believe, or not believe...and whether it really matters much, either way. If everything is equally valid, what it the point of any belief system at all? More to the point, what is the point of theology...or Christology? Does it matter? How do our beliefs inform our choices in life? Do they?


A few months ago I spent the day with my sister-in-law. We were touring various assisting living centers, and had lots of time to talk. One of our subjects was church...and religion. She asked the question, "How do you know what to believe?" Behind the question was a struggle about where to go to church, or whether it matters to go to church. There have been many times when I have wondered why people go to church. I think it's possible that people go to church for a myriad of reasons...some for social interaction, others enjoy the music...others go because of their need to be "seen as" good people, or to network for business. I happen to enjoy music at church, but I realize that many people don't care at all for the music, and the singing part of a church service is miserable to those people.


But why do I really go to church...and why do I choose the church that I choose? I can't seem to make up my mind about any of it lately, and this is of great concern to me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Contemplative Politics

Image
I began writing this blog 2 1/2 years ago...what can only be described as several lifetimes ago, from the perspective of the events that have transpired in my life since May of 2010.   I won't take the time to recount those events, but suffice to say, I never imagined that I would use this space to contemplate politics, or the place that our political perspectives may take on the path of our individual spiritual journeys... To rightly share my story, I must go back in time to January of 2008, when I, like many Americans, first heard then-candidate Senator Barack Obama speak after his groundbreaking win in the Iowa caucus.  I remember the experience quite vividly, because I was mesmorized by the ideal he seemed to represent.  As I sat in a theater this afternoon watching the Dinesh D'Souza political documentary "2016", I was struck by the fact that much of our political consciousness is defined by what each of us projects upon the candidate of our choice. You mi
Read more

Strip down, start running...and never quit!

Image
I've made a commitment to participate in a 1/2 marathon on March 27th, 2011. To be precise, the event is the Rock 'n'Roll Dallas 1/2 Marathon, and we are raising money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation. You might have noticed that I've made a commitment to participate , rather than to run , and there is a reason for the distinction. I'm using a training system for first-time 1/2 marathoners, and the process requires that you run 1/2 and walk 1/2 of the race...interestingly, the most challenging part of following this system is that I don't feel like I'm doing enough . Do you ever feel that way? Like you're not doing enough? At work, at home...in school...with your friends, for your family? I think it's a common experience, and it can wear you down, if you let it. As I've mentioned before, running has become an enormously helpful metaphor for how I understand life. I said in another blog this morning that my new life philosophy i
Read more

If it's Saturday, then it's a "TO DO" List...

Image
Last night I sat down for my evening reading and journaling...I had missed Thursday night, and realized how much I missed the rhythm of the daily ritual. It felt good to collect my thoughts, read my daily Proverb(s), and plan my weekend. So when I awoke this morning, I was the proud owner of a 15-item "TO DO" list. A track, if you will, to keep the train of my life on course this weekend. Not just any "TO DO" list, mind you, my list contains exotic items like: do laundry, water the plants, pay the bills, load the dishwasher, take out the trash, and clean the bathrooms. Clearly, I am living the life of the rich and famous! In all seriousness, the presence of a list is both helpful and comforting...helpful because it gives me a tool to know where I need to focus my energy, and comforting because it removes the random nature of what a weekend can sometimes become when we have dozens of things to do, and no plan to do them. I have a direction in my efforts - I am lookin
Read more