Interviewing the Messiah

Yes, it is true. I have had one personal interview with a person who announced himself to be The Messiah.

For two decades I served as a on-call chaplain in the Emergency Room of a Level One Trauma Hospital in a major urban center.

Early in my service, just after coming on duty the people in charge of ER asked me to tend to this tall and rather gaunt man. We went to a quasi private place and he began to tell me about the revelation that he was here to transform, not just one, but two metropolitan centers located near each other.

 Of course, as a faithful chaplain I was interested in this offer since all kinds of evangelists, clergy and atheists have promised basically the same thing for many years. He explained the cause to which he had dedicated his life. It was not a long story. Then we walked back toward the ER and he left the hospital via the ER Entry door before I could refer him professional attention. . 

It seemed like a good way to start a shift that would go on most of the night. At least the savior would be hard to top. 

This begins to sound like an argument for the absurdity of all religion - that it is an aberration afflicting about 98% of the world's population - even more if atheism is included as a religion.

The messiah complex has been observed in international leaders and in thought systems led by such well known names as Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin being the most widely known. Include as well Socialism, Capitalism, Oligarchies and a number of other isms. It seems to be built into the human experiment by some malware planted before records were kept of such things.

 

I am blessed to have been exposed to a person whose mental equipment was mastered by a "bug" of evil. I respect his humanness but regret his captivity. At the least I did give him the time of day and a listening ear. 

A Devastating Religious Experiment

This morning, July 15, 2014 between 9 and 10:15  I was caught off guard by a contact between mystery and personal group interaction.

Some background. Last evening I read words by Teilhard de Chardin in "The Making of a Mind" dated 29 March 1917. a On page 190 "...for the rest of my life, my task is to develop in myself...humbly, faithfully, doggedly...the mysticism that seeks passionately for God in the heart of every substance and every action..."

At the morning meeting of 10 mature males late in the conversation I decided to say words to this effect:  "I have decided to develop in myself a passionate effort to look for God, the Creator, the Mystery in every substance, action and person of my experience"  The conversation went on and then Roger said "I was waiting for you to speak up on a philosophy or subject that would challenge us to think."  Others had been attentive and were listening with ears and eyes.

Some call this spiritual witness. I think of it as being utterly candid about a personal matter of highest and grandest importance - my own basis for a sense of meaning and purpose in my 86 year of life.

The effect on me was a form of devastation.  It was as if all the energy of my psyche was poured out to others to use as they wished.  I became so tired that I had return home to enter a time of solitude.  There continues to be fall out in me. Little wonder that primitive humans handled matters of mystery with great caution. Now for me the challenge is to just let it be and enter the here and now continuing experiment.  So frightening.  So sacred.  So possible.  

Delton

Reclaim Body Language

 In 2014 it would appear that body language is the challenge for development of a Christian congregation. The last post in 2011 said that language was the problem. That challenge continues but there is a new challenge now.

 

The anxiety of how to approach one another takes over when entering the church door. Friends talk together and strangers or new people are often left standing alone. Sometimes I see them getting out of the building as quickly as possible after the service. What brings on that urge to escape?

I believe that people read the body language of the congregation and leadership the moment they come into the building.  They want to sense welcome in the atmosphere. They want eye contact but not a fierce look.  They want to be greeted with warmth and they do not want a series of questions.  They want to know how things work so that when they enter the sanctuary it is clear as to one gets out. If there is a ritual, like Communion, they do not want to be expected to get in a line, whether they want to or not, and then find their way back to their place - a daunting task for most everyone. It is so humiliating to feel lost and alone in the midst of a crowd of people that seems to know what they are doing. 

 

The fears of going into a new congregation continue for some time. How do we learn to be patient with one another in the befriending process?  I think of how hard it is to befriend myself and then plan some hopeful greeting words to use when entering the welcoming area. I ask myself - what is my body saying to these people. Then comes the time to put it all into practice as best I can.