Discerning Spiritual Truths Infographic

 

Discerning the Truth

 

            The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines discernment as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.” Certainly in this age of constant media streams on phones, computers, and televisions, it can be hard to discern what is objectively true, from what is subjectively perceived to be true, from what is completely fabricated by those with nefarious intentions. For a thinking follower of the Way of Christ, the task of discerning the truth can seem insurmountable. However, those who desire to live in the Light of Love can look to five lenses through which to filter information for the truth.

            The first lens is Scripture. What does the Bible say about the topic we seek to understand better? Who wrote about it? To whom were they writing? When did they write about it? And in what language? These historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts in which the letters and essays that came to be canonized as the Bible—and here I refer to the Protestant Christian Bible; there are other canonizations held dear by other followers of the Way of Christ—these contexts are vital to an accurate interpretation of what those words meant to the people who read them in the time they were written, and what—if anything—they mean to us today. To hold that the Bible, or one’s particular favorite version of it, is the inerrant word of God and to be interpreted literally is a dangerous hermeneutic, deconstructing the texts to simple words on a page—words translated into English by a very human scholar, by the way—and removes the rich symbolic and transcendent meanings that the three contexts provide. One cannot discern the truth when one does not have all the information provided between the lines by historical, cultural, and linguistic context.

            The second lens is Reason. Throughout the history of Christianity, unscrupulous church leaders intentionally kept their congregants ignorant, using Latin as the lingua franca of the church and upholding secret and mysterious ceremonies of which only a privileged few were allowed knowledge. Women and lower-class men were subjugated to blindly follow these leaders like simple-minded sheep. They were deceived into supporting campaigns and wars that were nothing more than grabs for power of the wealthy and powerful, and never were they encouraged to think for themselves. Those who did were sometimes punished by death. But God gave us brains and intellect; and even Jesus discussed things with the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, and with Nicodemus on a rooftop by night. Jesus spoke in parables and stories which required people to think about what He was saying and not just take His words at face value. So why wouldn’t God expect us 21^st-century followers of the Way of Christ to use our gift of intellect to discern what is true? Gaining knowledge and education is always a good thing. Those who are afraid of the enlightenment that comes with education are afraid of the Light because it might show their flaws to others, and then they would be challenged to change. And change is scary and uncomfortable. Think of the first Christian men who encouraged their wives and daughters to learn to read. No doubt it was a risky endeavor: What if my wife decides she doesn’t need me and leaves? What if my daughter becomes rebellious? What if they both become smarter than I am? What if the other men laugh at me or call me weak? OK, but what if your wife and daughter become stronger, more independent, and work to make the world a better place? What if other men see the value in allowing women to think for themselves and thereby enrich their marriages and their family lives? Reason requires intellect, and intellect is a gift from God. If we do not use our gifts, God promises to take them away from us and give them to others who will use them. Your brain is where the essence of who you are resides. Make it a nice place to live and fill it with the Light of Truth.

            Tradition is the third lens. This pairs well with Reason because understanding tradition requires understanding history, which requires good critical thinking. Knowing how those who’ve come before us discerned truth in other, similar contexts enlightens our own efforts to discover the truth. Of all the lenses, this probably requires the most effort on the part of the individual. One has to dig through church history, discuss with church elders and authorities, perhaps make and compare notes, and then arrive at a conclusion. It’s hard work, but growth does not occur without effort. Lazy followers of the Way may give up at this point, but I encourage them to keep seeking the truth as it is revealed in the history of the church. I also encourage open-minded followers to look to other traditions for truths, for if something is true here and now, it is and was true there and then, as well. God has been revealing God’s self to all of humanity throughout time and in all places. The Bible indicates this is true, even claiming that creation itself is enough to make humanity aware of God’s goodness and grace (Romans 1:20).

            The fourth lens is the one I personally believe to be the most valuable for me, and it is Intuition. What does that still, small voice have to say to you? I believe that mystics from all traditions, in all places and times, who sincerely seek to know the truth of God arrive at the same or very similar conclusions by simply turning inward and listening for God’s voice within. They package it with language and symbols from their own culture, traditions, and languages, but it is essentially the same thing. We artistic and creative types understand this well. The more concrete thinkers among us seem to struggle with this approach. But the desert Mothers and Fathers, those early spiritual seekers who removed themselves from civilization to more clearly discern God’s presence, understood the value of listening to the inner voice. Buddhist monks get it. Sufis get it. That truck driver from Wyoming who spends more weeks in the year alone in her truck than with other people, who arrives at her own conclusions about who God is and what God wants for her, gets it. And this isn’t just a trait of introverts, artists, and those who spend lots of time alone. Many world leaders understood this. Lots of professional athletes and celebrities understand it. That man next door who’s always ready to lend a helping hand gets it. These are the people who hear or read something that doesn’t seem right for some reason, and while they may not be able to articulate their reasons for feeling so, they know in their hearts that God is telling them that what they’re reading or hearing either isn’t entirely true or is a flat-out lie. These are the people that cannot be easily misled by a charismatic leader, or a riled-up peer group, or a flashy news channel that profits on spreading anything but the truth.

            The fifth and final lens in my approach to discerning truth is what God and Jesus are all about, and that is Love. In any situation, when discerning what is true and good and the best course of action to take or belief to hold, for me as a follower of the Way of Christ, I look to what is ultimately the most loving course. This is the greatest quality a follower of the Way can possess, and it is the one clear indication that an individual lives in God and God in them, for God is Love. It is also the most difficult lens to apply. Interpreting Scripture is fairly easy, what with volume upon volume of sources to draw from. Reason, too, is fairly easy to apply; anybody with a brain can utilize that tool. Tradition is accessible to those, like me, who have a long history of church affiliation. And Intuition is constantly present, sometimes loudly and uncomfortably so. But applying the lens of love requires me to forget myself, to put aside my pride and my ambition and my fear, and to look at what Love Itself would do or think in my place. For as a follower of the Way of Christ, am I not called to embody the Way, which is love? It is easy to talk about and write about, but it is extremely difficult to practice because of my selfishness and self-centeredness, which in my belief system is “sin.” Love calls us to live in peaceful and harmonious community with everyone, for we are all connected by Love. Discerning that truth is the beginning to actualizing the Kingdom of God among us which Jesus spoke of.

            These five lenses—Scripture, Reason, Tradition, Intuition, and Love—are my filters for discerning truth as a follower of the Way of Christ. The opinions of mentors, teachers, role models, elders, and significant others are valuable, too; but in the end, I decide for myself what is true for me with God’s guidance and help. And overarching all of those is Love. May Love shed light on the truth for us all. Amen.

A Tribute to my Mother

This is a picture of my mother, taken shortly before she passed away of a heart attack in March 1998. She would have been 95 today. To this day, almost 22 years after her death, I can see her face and hear her voice in my memory. Occasionally I see her in a dream.

Her name was Alice Lorraine, named for Alsace-Lorraine in France, where her father had been a U.S. soldier in World War I, years before she was born. Going by her middle name, Lorraine—we called her Mama, her siblings and their children called her Sis—was a very kind-hearted person. She cared deeply about other people; so deeply, in fact, that her empathy often led to worry, which kept her up at night. She was not an angry or aggressive person—she hated guns, war, and meanness in any form—but she wouldn’t have hesitated to kick the ass of someone who was trying to hurt one of her kids or grandkids. I don’t remember her ever saying anything racist, although we are all products of our places and our times, so having grown up in rural poverty in central Texas, she probably inherited attitudes that she no doubt tried to work past in her own way. When I studied Spanish in school, she encouraged me to practice it whenever I could with Latinx friends and classmates. And when I brought my college roommate, a Mexican-American, home to visit, she showed him her best hospitality. She showed that same hospitality to a Japanese exchange student whom I befriended (in Spanish class, no less) despite having lived through World War II. She taught me not to be afraid of intellectually challenged or disabled people and to show concern for the elderly; she always showed compassion to the weak and vulnerable. Her faith was more about how to treat others in a way that God would like than about having the right set of beliefs and doctrine. She wasn’t a feminist, but she questioned sexist standards that had no justification (like women not wearing pants in church). She loved her family and her friends, but she extended that love to strangers who she sensed needed it. She appreciated kindness from others, no matter who offered it. And despite having dropped out of high school, she used her head to distinguish fact from fiction, truth from bullshit. She loved her country but didn’t wrap herself in the U.S. flag. She expressed her patriotism by voting for the candidates whom she believed would best help the poor and the oppressed. And she loved animals, even though my father was reluctant to have any on their property.

Mama could have turned out to be a much different person because of the suffering she experienced in her childhood, but she didn’t let that early experience define her. She could have taken on what we now call middle child syndrome—she had two older brothers and two younger sisters—but instead she became the unifier that seemed to hold the siblings together through time. Only one of the five is left now. A childhood of deprivation didn’t lead her to be a greedy adult, but instead instilled in her a generous and self-sufficient attitude. By God’s grace and her own determination, she did the best with what she had and left a positive legacy, remembered lovingly by all who knew her.

The man I am today is so much like the mother I remember. I must have inherited my empathy from Mama, because like her, I feel the pain and suffering of others, and it sometimes keeps me awake. My faith and my politics are driven by a desire for justice for the poor, the oppressed, and the suffering. I, too, hate guns and violence and aggression; yet like Mama, I will kick the asses of people who refuse to wake up to their own hurtful attitudes and ways. Like Mama, I vote with my heart. I do my best to express hospitality to strangers (read “those who are different from me”) because she and I both understood that to be what God expects of us. She was pretty good at discerning truth from bullshit, and I think I am, too. And like Mama, I am more concerned with the right way to show God’s love to the world than I am with denominational doctrine, which all too often gets co-opted and corrupted by greedy and selfish leadership.

If Mama were alive today, I believe she’d be proud of who I’ve become. I know she’d love my husband because of his kind, gentle, generous, and strong nature. She’d love our two dogs. She’d be proud of the new home we recently moved into. She’d be proud of the work I do with college students, especially those with personal challenges and who come from poor backgrounds like hers. I know she’d love all the other elderly people in our church. She’d approve of the ballots I cast in elections. She’d be happy to know that I’ve become a better cook and housekeeper, that I eschew a messy house as much as she did but that I don’t obsess over it (although my husband might disagree with that statement). She would love hearing me and my husband sing in the church choir and perform duets. And she’d be happy knowing that my love is not reserved only for my own family and close friends, but also extends to strangers and even people across the globe whom I’ve never met.

God expects us to honor our parents. I believe the best way to do that is to take the best they gave us and make it even better in our own lives. Mama, you truly gave me your best when you were with us. And you are still with us because I know you are with God, and God is with us. I hope you know you are still loved, still missed, and that you continue to make a positive impression on me.
 

Staying on Brand

 NOTE: This is copied and pasted from my personal journal. I'm just allowing you to eavesdrop in the hopes that you might learn something and grow yourself as I have over the past twenty-four hours.

January 8, 2021 (Friday)

I decided that the blog I wrote yesterday was off-brand, so I unpublished it and deleted the links to it that I had placed on Facebook and Instagram. It was cathartic to write it because I said things and used a tone that I would never have used face-to-face, but I should have stopped there. My cousin in Houston, a Trump supporter, privately messaged me after she started reading it and accused me of Trump-bashing. I don’t see calling out bullshit and speaking truth to power as bashing, but if I had gone about it in a more rational and thoughtful way, I’m convinced my words would have been more effective and I wouldn't have come across in such a self-righteous tone.

I need to think more like a Vulcan when I write while in an emotional state, and not like a battle-crazed, blood-seeking Klingon. LOL

This does make me think, though, about my brand and what I want it to be. I have my professional brand as a career counselor and educator, communicated primarily on LinkedIn and in my day-to-day work. But what about in other social media channels and social settings? What do I want my brand to be? How do I want to be known? Here’s a brainstorming list (because I like making bullet point lists):

• A progressive Christian with a universalist theology
• A middle-aged white man who is making sincere efforts to grow beyond his small-town central Texas upbringing when it comes to all issues of social justice
• A creative person who gets “in the zone” when he uses technology to make multimedia products like photos, videos, slide shows, and so on
• A performer who enjoys acting, singing, reading aloud, or any type of audience entertainment
• A citizen who votes with social, environmental, and economic justice always at top priority
• A lifelong learner, always willing to challenge his own assumptions with data-driven evidence paired with authentic stories of other people’s experiences
• A world traveler interested in the real lives of the people in the places he visits
• A citizen of planet Earth who thinks globally but acts locally
• A good husband and doggie-daddy
• A person who thinks before he speaks (or writes), then isn’t afraid to call out bullshit and speak truth to power, even if it means pissing people off whom he cares about very much

None of the items on this list have been fulfilled one hundred percent yet, and I doubt any of them will ever be completely fulfilled because as long as I have life, I will continue to grow and develop. If I am allowed to become an ancient old man, I pray that to my dying day I am learning something new about myself that will help me grow and become a better human being.

Sometimes we have to make mistakes—like posting blogs while in an emotional state—in order to learn. In fact, I think the primary way we learn is by making mistakes and then reflecting on what we did wrong, then trying again. Becoming is a lifelong iterative process, just like in Design Thinking. I’m trying to design myself, so why not apply that process in this context:

1.     Empathize – in this case, I empathize with myself in order to better understand the dissonance I’m feeling that stimulates me to grow and change
2.       Define – I reflect on the thoughts and emotions that came while empathizing with myself and clarify which problem or issue I most need to focus on at the moment
3.       Ideate – I brainstorm ways in which I might grow, develop, and change for the better: a class, a book, counseling, starting a new good habit or stopping a bad one, and so on. No idea is unworthy of consideration, no matter how outlandish it may seem at the time because it could connect to a solution that’s actually achievable and realistic.
4.      Prototype – this is the action stage of the process. Whatever solution I’ve identified in the previous stage is put into practice. I buy a book, I enroll in a class, I schedule a counseling appointment, or—as I am doing at the moment—I write a blog.
5.      Test – this is the evaluative stage. After some time spent prototyping, I reflect on my experience and determine whether I need to empathize and define a new problem to address or return to one of the previous stages and reiterate a different solution to the original problem.

The Design Thinking process is an endless cycle, or at least it should be, because I will always have something to work on. I’m a complex human. I’m imperfect. Things push my emotional triggers and I react. And since I’m not the type of person to react verbally or physically, I react in writing. But I’m learning the value of hitting pause, reflecting, choosing my words wisely, and forming a response that has a developmental and transformative purpose both for me and for my audience.

Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man [sic] sharpens another.” And as usually happens when iron sharpens iron, sparks fly. The end result, though, is both pieces of iron are better than they were before. Cousin in Houston, if you’re reading this, know that you were that other piece of iron for me. You helped me learn the value of choosing my words and tone more carefully, and I hope I helped you learn something about yourself that helps you become a better you.

Make a 2021 To-do List Instead of New Year's Resolutions

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions whenever January rolls around. Some are good at keeping to them. Others, myself included, are not. That’s why this year, instead of making resolutions that I’m likely not to keep, I’m making a 2021 To-do list.

To-do lists are more action-oriented. They focus on doing rather than being. There’s nothing wrong with being, of course; we should all be more or less of something-or-other all the time: I should be more patient, more kind, less judgmental and less fearful. But how do I measure my progress toward such goals?

It’s hard to measure progress toward being more or less something because goals like “I want to be more kind” or “I want to be less impatient” are not S.M.A.R.T. That’s an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based and is commonly attributed to management consultant Peter Drucker. S.M.A.R.T. goals are action-oriented, and taking action toward realizing a goal gives us a sense of progress. Setting a S.M.A.R.T. goal that’s action-oriented can help us be more or less what we envision ourselves being because being requires becoming, and becoming requires action.

Here’s a rubric of my 2021 To-do list showing how each item meets the S.M.A.R.T. goal criteria:

2021 To-do Item	Specific	Measurable	Achievable	Relevant	Time-based
Read a self-help book	Yes, Dr. Carol Dweck’s The New Psychology of Success, all about growth mindset.	Yes, although before the end of 2021 I may read more than one book.	If I can’t finish one book in a year’s time, I’ve got some time management work to do.	Yes. Learning about growth mindset will help me help my students.	Yes. Everything on this list should be accomplished in 2021.
Improve my videography skills	Yes, although I should clarify I want to improve not only my technical editing skills, but also my artistic skill in composition, lighting, etc.	Yes. I can compare earlier projects with later projects to see improvement.	Yes. I have a new Sony camcorder, an external mic, and editing software installed on my computer.	Yes. I have become the de facto videographer for my church during the pandemic, and it’s a field I have been interested in since my college years.	Yes.
Lose ten pounds	Very.	Yes. I can watch the number on the scale go down little by little.	We’ll see. I think I can do it because ten pounds is less than a pound per month.	Yes. Most of my adult life I have carried about 10-20 pounds more than my ideal weight. Now that I’m approaching 60, it’s more important than ever to keep my weight under control.	Yes.
Learn some Japanese for travel	Yes. Japanese for travel will focus on what I need to know to get around more independently when we visit Japan in the future.	Yes. I can broaden my vocabulary and comprehension over time.	Yes. I already know some Japanese and am a little familiar with its grammatical structure.	Yes. I am Japanese-American by marriage and would like to know more about my husband’s father’s family.	Yes.
Take more photos	Not very. Maybe I should say, “Take more artistic photos, especially using macro settings.”	Yes. My photos folder will expand as the year goes by.	Yes. I have a Sony Alpha 6000 mirrorless camera and some photo editing software on my computer.	Yes. Improving my photography skills can help me with my videography as well as my multimedia projects at work.	Yes.
Write more fiction and poetry	Yes. I get enough nonfiction writing practice with work.	Yes. My Creative Writing folder will expand as the year goes by.	Yes. I have enough time to devote to writing; I just need the discipline to sit down and do it.	Yes. I have a knack for writing that I shouldn’t let languish.	Yes.
Learn more about Celtic history and philosophy	Yes, although the term Celtic can be pretty broad. Maybe I should clarify that I am interested in Scottish and Irish Celtic heritage.	Yes. By the end of the year, I will know more than I do now.	Yes. Anything I want to know I can find on the internet.	Yes. My DNA report indicates I have more than 50% Scots-Irish ancestry.	Yes.

 

If you’d like to make a 2021 To-do list for yourself using S.M.A.R.T. goals criteria, feel free to download my rubric.