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Surviving Life's Tragedy; Seeking Greater Meaning Approachi Different P THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019 B5 Grand Rapids Press - 10/17/2019 Copy Reduced to 90% from original to fit letter page Page : B05 INTERFAITH INSIGHT ETHICS & RELIGION TALK Surviving life’s tragedy; Approaching people with seeking greater meaning diff erent perspectives Douglas Kindschi Director, Kaufman Interfaith Institute, GVSU Rabbi David Krishef [email protected] “Why religion, of all things? If you go Jason N. asks, “How can I “Reformed and Presbyterian Christians Why not something that has talk to others about climate cherish the approach taught by our great an impact in the real world?” What: Elaine Pagels, Interfaith Consortium change, money in politics, spiritual forebear, Augustine of Hippo: This was the question that religion grad- Conference women’s health, etc., from a faith perspec- Fides quaerens intellectum, ‘a faith that uate student at Harvard University Elaine tive to people with faith, but a diff erent polit- seeks understanding.’ Your aim should be Pagels was asked by her future husband, a Date: Oct. 30 ical perspective?” to understand different perspectives, not quantum physicist faculty member at New to debate or refute them, and certainly not York’s Rockefeller University. She in turn Time: 2 p.m. What do “secret gospels” The Rev. Colleen Squires, minister at to off end others. A good rule is found in the questioned him about why he loved the suggest about Jesus and his teaching?; All Souls Community Church of West Epistle of James: ‘My beloved brethren, let “study of virtually invisible elementary par- and 7 p.m. Why Religion? A Personal Story Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, ticles: hadrons, boson, and quarks.” They Congregation, responds: slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh came to realize, as she put it, that “each of us Where: Eberhard Center, GVSU, 301 W. Fulton “Personally I think the best way to go not the righteousness of God’ (James 1:19, was hoping to understand something fun- St., Grand Rapids about these conversations is to start by 20). damental.” articulating your faith’s perspective simply “Discussion of ‘hot button issues’ can In August I wrote about Elaine Pagels and Information and free registration at: Inter- and clearly. From a Unitarian Universalist only be profitable when there is mutual her latest book, “Why Religion? A Personal faithUnderstanding.org perspective I am called to affi rm the inher- understanding, and the rules of God’s word Story,” leading up to the book discussion ent worth and dignity of every person and are observed. But we live in superheated group that was exploring this book in prepa- to have respect for the interdependent web times, when such discussion is made almost ration for her visit to Grand Rapids. We are it couldn’t sustain his life. … I also sensed of all existence of which we are a part. impossible by the degree to which feelings now looking forward to her coming here for that he’d felt a burst of joy and relief to leave “My faith calls me to be a good shepherd are roused, minds made up, and sides taken two presentations on Oct. 30. his exhausted body. Before that moment, to our planet therefore I must care deeply in a culture war. Partisanship is a blinding, In that earlier Insight I summarized the I’d taken for granted what I’d learned, that and urgently about climate change. At the deafening, anger-stirring power. ‘In the mul- first chapter that tells of her being raised death was the end, any thought of surviv- core of most religions there are similar titude of words there wanteth not sin: but he by secular parents, her conversion at a Billy ing death only fantasy. Although that may teachings. I would keep the conversation that restraineth his lips is wise’ (Proverbs Graham rally, her struggles with the death of be true, what I experienced that day chal- within the faith framework and avoid the 10:19).” her high school friend who was Jewish, and lenged that assumption. I was astonished, politics of the topic. her continued interest in religion leading to seeming to sense that Mark was all right, “We have been blessed with one beau- Ty Silzer, a former pastor in the Pres- her doctoral study at Harvard. wherever he was, and that he was some- tiful and magnificent planet and yet as byterian Church in America, responds: Her “Personal Story” continues in the next where. But that didn’t change what we felt: humans we are the greatest cause of its “First off , I must stress relationships over chapters as she writes of her marriage to that utter desolation.” destruction. The creation of the universe beliefs. Paul repeatedly talks about the con- questioning physicist, Heinz Pagels, and Such a terrible loss would strain many and our Earth are precious gifts it is up to cept of the weaker brother (and sisters) within their son Mark, born with a heart defect. Her couples’ relationships, often leading to us to honor and care for them and it is from his letters. What do we do with the weaker sib- graduate work at Harvard included work on separation, but Pagels reports that she that perspective I believe you will find ling? Convince them they’re wrong? No. We the recently discovered hidden documents and Heinz grew even closer to each other agreement.” respect their current position. from early Christian history, sometimes and to the daughter they had adopted. “Next, I would change your preposition called the “secret gospels” since they had As she processed Mark’s death she was Fred Stella, the pracharak (outreach from ‘talk to’ to ‘talk with.’ Who likes being been rejected for inclusion in the New Tes- moved by reading about another bereaved minister) for the West Michigan Hindu ‘talked at’? In a social media-driven society tament canon and banned and burned by mother, Maria of Paris, a Russian Ortho- Temple, responds: where everyone has an opinion and a soap- the established church. These more than 50 dox who wrote after her 6-year-old daugh- “This is a challenge, as most often we box, listening is more critical than ever. texts, known as the Nag Hammadi Library, ter died that she felt her “whole natu- tend to use religion to confirm our own This, too, puts the other person fi rst. From were found in Egypt after hundreds of years ral life … shaken … disintegrated; desires biases. It is quite easy to go through sacred James (1:19), ‘My dear brothers and sisters, of being hidden and forgotten. Pagels was have gone … meaning has lost its mean- writ and fi nd exactly what we want to bol- take note of this: Everyone should be quick part of the team translating and studying ing.” But Pagels writes that Maria did not ster our opinions. Take climate change, for to listen, slow to speak ...’ these texts, leading to many scholarly arti- sink into passivity, rather, “she risked her example. If I am convinced beyond doubt “One secret to listening, is combining ask- cles and her popular book, “The Gnostic Gos- life to save the lives of other people’s chil- that the world is ending soon, why wouldn’t ing lots of good questions with shutting-up. pels,” a New York Times best seller. dren during the Nazi occupation.” Pagels I be excited about throwing as much carbon Jesus was the master of asking questions — She writes with great tenderness about and Heinz decided to seek another child to into the air as quickly and cheaply as I can? in fact, He often answered questions with her son and the complications of his heart whom their love could be directed, leading While Hinduism as a religion is quite lib- questions. This leads to my next point: com- defect. He had imagination and insight to the adoption of a younger brother, David, eral, in that it doesn’t require unquestion- monality. Jesus would seek out what He had unusual for a child so young. His death at for their daughter, Sarah. ing loyalty to a specifi c system of beliefs, it in common with others — ‘What do you say?’ age 6 occurred in the hospital where he was Only a year later when the family allows devotees to form opinions from one How did they arrive at their point of view? to undergo tests and while Pagels stood by returned to their favorite spot in Colorado, end of the political spectrum to the other. What do they know that you don’t? Discover- his side. She reports saying, “It’s not over Pagels describes in great detail, in the chap- “What is important to remember in our ing what we have in common builds bridges until it’s over — let’s ask him to come back ter titled “Unimaginable,” the event of the tradition is that our points of view are not and provides conversation launchpads. and go to California with us.” She then writes terrible death of her husband in a climb- us, which so many subconsciously take to “James 1:19 ends with ‘slow to become that at that moment she felt his presence to ing accident. To face this second death in be the case. Undue attachment to an opin- angry’ — which illustrates my next point: the point of speaking to him. Shortly there- so short a period was devastating to Pagels ion blinds us to developing deeper under- non-reactivity. Because the other party has after his cardiologist reported that his heart and to her faith.
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