Palpable Stories of China's Disabled Children
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The last blog post gave background to the situation around disabled and abandoned children in China. This one cuts to the heart of the matter by presenting palpable individual stories and a surreal day in the park with the kiddos from the orphanage.
The first “story” is about Bi Bi. I placed the word story in quotations because we know very little solid information regarding the actual situation around most of the children. Bi Bi is one of the bright and happy little girls with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy now under the loving care of ICC. She cannot walk and is cognitively impaired, but she has the love of thousands within her and can give you a “don’t mess with me” scowl as convincing as any five year-old I have ever encountered.
There were stories told that Bi Bi’s courageous father had come to see her. It is believed now that she is a twin. As a parent, I can only conclude that Bi Bi’s father loves her, he thinks of her, and he simply cannot personally care for her within the current system. When I think of the bond between twins, I wonder if Bi Bi's sister or brother can feel her spirit as well.
Next is the tale of Sheng Sheng. This truly is a tale because we have absolutely no information about this little boy except that he was abandoned and brought to the welfare center just a month ago. We can tell by Sheng Sheng’s teeth he must be about six years old. He loves to be outside. If he could speak, Sheng Sheng could tell us his own story. It might go something like this.
I was born into a loving lower class family. I was fine and we all went home together. My mommy and daddy both had to work hard to put rice on the table, but my Granny took very good care of me. She was always there. I did not walk or talk as early as the other kids. We had no money for doctors or therapy, but Granny did the best she could. She loved me. Eventually I started walking and talking a little with Granny’s help, but then one day she was gone. Do you know what happened to my Granny?
Mom and dad tried to put me into school, but the school would not accept me. I did not understand. No one seemed to understand. I sat at home a lot in front of the TV. I cannot walk by myself, and I don’t have anyone to talk to. I was very lonely and now I am here.
Do you know where I am?
I had the opportunity to work with Sheng Sheng quite a bit while in China. He is a profoundly developmentally delayed little boy, but it becomes obvious when you handle and play with him that his physical and cognitive levels were higher in the past. He needs one to one therapy and a lot of love and affection to reach his potential. ICC is now currently at capacity in Hengyang, and they are unable to bring Sheng Sheng under their direct care. Alison, ICC’s one physical therapist from the UK, promises to try and include Sheng Sheng in some group activities with the other ICC boys his age.
A boy like Sheng Sheng would probably not be in line to receive the Chinese tech’s attention within the welfare center because his likelihood of being adopted is so low. Before I left though, Alison and I completed a therapy evaluation with these young, caring, and smart ladies. They were engaged and hungry for knowledge as we went through an assessment, goals, and an appropriate treatment plan for Sheng Sheng. Alison translated what we were seeing and saying as I watched in awe of the artistic beauty of hand written Chinese across a P.T. evaluation. I learned later from Alison what we had done with the therapy techs in the welfare center was a first.
Where there is hope… There is possibility.
We spent every day within the welfare center and ICC facilities during our two weeks in China except one. I never dreamed the depth of the problem would be revealed during a walk in the park. We piled our team, some of the Chinese caregivers, and lots and lots of strollers for the non-ambulatory kiddos into the ICC bus. We arrived and unloaded. By this time our group of tall and lanky Westerners was quite used to being stared at, but today was different.
The looks we received from others in the park were ones of shock, dismay, and disgust. The confusion and discontent of seeing a group of disabled children out at the park was palpable. For the first time, I felt in my gut what was being described to me as the societal stigma and prejudice against the disabled. I thought of how Jesus must have felt when he was asked, “Why do you spend your time with the worthless and unlovable of our society?”
The message of Christ was played out in some small way that day in the park. Captured in the life of Christ was his movement not just his words. He did not just say there is a spiritual law that governs the consciousness of your society by loving the least of these…
...He loved them.
We had the divine opportunity to increase awareness and soften hearts that day in the park. He does show up when we follow him. I have never felt closer to God than on that day, and again I received much more than I had given.
Here is a poem that illustrates a portion of what I have been given.
My soul aches for what you do not have
While your spirit soars free, joyful, and glad.
Are you simply unaware? Not knowing what you lack.
Or is it me, as I play judge of a life that’s intact.
Who is rich here, and who is poor?
My child you have redefined what it is to have more.
You live off a strength I fear never to understand
As you bless me again...
...With the tender touch of your hand.
Michele Zink Harris
Hengyang, China 2010
Your thoughts always keep me going...
There were stories told that Bi Bi’s courageous father had come to see her. It is believed now that she is a twin. As a parent, I can only conclude that Bi Bi’s father loves her, he thinks of her, and he simply cannot personally care for her within the current system. When I think of the bond between twins, I wonder if Bi Bi's sister or brother can feel her spirit as well.
Next is the tale of Sheng Sheng. This truly is a tale because we have absolutely no information about this little boy except that he was abandoned and brought to the welfare center just a month ago. We can tell by Sheng Sheng’s teeth he must be about six years old. He loves to be outside. If he could speak, Sheng Sheng could tell us his own story. It might go something like this.
I was born into a loving lower class family. I was fine and we all went home together. My mommy and daddy both had to work hard to put rice on the table, but my Granny took very good care of me. She was always there. I did not walk or talk as early as the other kids. We had no money for doctors or therapy, but Granny did the best she could. She loved me. Eventually I started walking and talking a little with Granny’s help, but then one day she was gone. Do you know what happened to my Granny?
Mom and dad tried to put me into school, but the school would not accept me. I did not understand. No one seemed to understand. I sat at home a lot in front of the TV. I cannot walk by myself, and I don’t have anyone to talk to. I was very lonely and now I am here.
Do you know where I am?
A boy like Sheng Sheng would probably not be in line to receive the Chinese tech’s attention within the welfare center because his likelihood of being adopted is so low. Before I left though, Alison and I completed a therapy evaluation with these young, caring, and smart ladies. They were engaged and hungry for knowledge as we went through an assessment, goals, and an appropriate treatment plan for Sheng Sheng. Alison translated what we were seeing and saying as I watched in awe of the artistic beauty of hand written Chinese across a P.T. evaluation. I learned later from Alison what we had done with the therapy techs in the welfare center was a first.
Where there is hope… There is possibility.
We spent every day within the welfare center and ICC facilities during our two weeks in China except one. I never dreamed the depth of the problem would be revealed during a walk in the park. We piled our team, some of the Chinese caregivers, and lots and lots of strollers for the non-ambulatory kiddos into the ICC bus. We arrived and unloaded. By this time our group of tall and lanky Westerners was quite used to being stared at, but today was different.
The message of Christ was played out in some small way that day in the park. Captured in the life of Christ was his movement not just his words. He did not just say there is a spiritual law that governs the consciousness of your society by loving the least of these…
...He loved them.
We had the divine opportunity to increase awareness and soften hearts that day in the park. He does show up when we follow him. I have never felt closer to God than on that day, and again I received much more than I had given.
Here is a poem that illustrates a portion of what I have been given.
My heart is swollen tight to the point of breaking
While yours is empty and open, ready for taking.
My eyes fill with confused and stinging tears
While your eyes show no sign of earthly fears.
The enormous lump in my throat makes it hard to speak
While your laughter fills the room with giggles and squeaks.
My mind is overwhelmed with your grinding need
While yours is calm, uncluttered with desires to succeed.
My ears recoil from the chaos and shrill
While yours withdraw to a place of silence and still.
While your spirit soars free, joyful, and glad.
Are you simply unaware? Not knowing what you lack.
Or is it me, as I play judge of a life that’s intact.
Who is rich here, and who is poor?
My child you have redefined what it is to have more.
You live off a strength I fear never to understand
As you bless me again...
...With the tender touch of your hand.
Michele Zink Harris
Hengyang, China 2010
Your thoughts always keep me going...
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China's Disabled and Abandoned Children
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Hengyang is a large city in deep mainland China. The people live on very little, but not unlike hundreds of millions throughout rural and urban centers. As you
Further compounding these issues is a deeply ingrained societal stigma around disability in general. The value of an individual is closely tied to the physical and mental capacity to provide for the material needs of the society. A child with a disability is rarely seen as valuable or deserving of care. The one-child policy places crushing pressure on an individual family unit to have a child that will be capable of providing for his or her parents as they age. All this taken together paints the grim picture of up to an 85% mortality rate seen
Let me end this exploration of why decisions seem to be made the way they are with an actual and almost unfathomable situation. While we were on lunch break one afternoon from the orphanage, a premature baby boy was wrapped in a blanket and left in a box outside the gate of the welfare center. He looked about 28 weeks gestation with very weak respirations and a lot of bruising on his skull.
Why not just go in and hand him over to the welfare staff?
Because abandoning your child is actually illegal in China even though there seems to be no way out for these families. So a child must be left for someone else to find them and then taken in by an uninvolved party to the welfare center. The same superstition, bad luck, and bad karma around having a child with a disability seem to exist around death as well. The family is given no hope by the doctors, and they are told to leave the hospital. The thought that fear, superstition, and social stigma keeps a parent from even holding their baby until he dies is difficult to wrap one’s head around. The abandoned premature baby boy with no name had returned home to his creator by the time we returned to the orphanage the next morning.
I believe the answer to this question is that ICC practices the true meaning of evangelism; to gently love and serve without a personal agenda, and when we have the opportunity to declare “why” we do it…
We tell them clearly, “Yahweh.”
I always appreciate your thoughts, and I look forward to sharing more of this amazing journey in future blogs. Michele
For further information on the healthcare system in China.
http://takingnote.tcf.org/2008/04/chinas-health-c.html
Do you see a Rectangle or a Circle?... "Yep."
Thursday, May 06, 2010
In other words, "Everything is Spiritual," is a layman's discussion of general relativity, quantum mechanics, and where the two meet in a spiritual unified theory. Most of these perceived oddities of course are secondary to our painfully limited ability to perceive our universe while trapped in three dimensional space and linear time.
Rob Bell borrows, just as did the creators of "What the Bleep," from the 1884 satirical novella, "Flatland," by Edwin A. Abbott to demonstrate his point of our limited perception. In two dimensional Flatland, something as simple as a marker can look very different. Take a marker and hold it between your fingers (a glue stick works well too) so you are looking at the length straight on. It is a rectangle. If you live in two dimensional Flatland the marker is certainly a rectangle. Unless of course the marker faces you top on in your version of Flatland, rendering the marker an indisputable circle. As humans, living in our "superior" three dimensional world we answer the question of whether the marker is a rectangle or a square with a matter of fact, "Yep."
The marker trick is great for kids when they are struggling to understand the point of view of another.
Being literally half way around the planet, I cannot think of a more important time to keep the "marker trick" firmly in the front of my mind. I will be immersed in ancient cultures, languages, and ideologies much different from my own. In a place so foreign to my comfortable rectangular perception, I pray I can turn my mind inside out, appreciate the full circle of humanity, and answer His call with a simple, "Yep."
As a physical therapist with a specialty in both seating and movement disorder, I hope I can impact the enormous physical need in some small way. As a mother, I hope I can provide a loving touch and a smile that will transcend cultural and language barriers. As a woman, I hope I can empower a young woman to reach for her dreams. As a Christ follower, I hope to be constantly humbled with the knowledge that nothing can be done without aligning with the dreams of God, the love of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
I ask for your prayers as we prepare our hands and minds to be strong while our hearts break for what breaks His.
A special thank you to my husband, Dave, and all the friends who will be helping make the time while I'm gone a little less stressful for the boys.
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Religion, Relationships, and Relativity
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Our fourth grader, AJ, bounced out of worship last weekend with this proclamation,
“Did you know Christianity is not a religion? It is a relationship.” These very words came up again in a conversation with good friends over sushi last night. I guess this is why many times I feel it is personally more engaging to identify myself as a Christ-follower than with any specific faith. Words so box us in… Don’t they?
These conversations reminded me of a courageous book written by a dear friend and past colleague, Chuck Meyer. Chuck was a member of the Episcopal clergy, a gifted lecturer, author of several books, and served as both Chief Operations Officer and head of the Ethics Committee at St. David’s Medical Center during the same years David and I were practicing there. Chuck, slender and quick, could be seen darting from building to building only to immediately slow down to a speed appropriate to lovingly counsel a patient or family through the impending transition we call death. He was also responsible for changing the verbiage we use at the end of one’s life from DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) to AND (Allow Natural Death). Chuck Meyer was brilliant.
“Rather than being reformed the Dying Church must be allowed to die in order to see what resurrected form will emerge. Like a bug on a windshield, after 2000 years, the Church just went splat against the onrushing movement of the Spirit. And thank God.”
Wow. This was a thought provoking read.
Further along in the book Chuck writes of Jesus not coming to earth to start a religion but to form a way to a relationship. But what is in a word but the meaning? What about the word “religion?” Religion is from the Latin “re ligio” which interestingly means “to bind again.” Well, maybe he did come to start a re-ligio. Unfortunately the true meaning of words become tainted and skewed under the failings of human history. Another word that tends to have an unwarranted negative visceral response is the word “repent.” This word, also from Latin roots, “re pense” simply means to rethink. This is never a bad idea.
All relationships require that two things be relative to one another. What is a relationship but the experience of relativity? And what is experience but the movement of oneself in relationship to other things? God’s two great spiritual laws of love outline these relationships so clearly. We have the first and most important based on the relationship between ourselves and our Creator, and the second, which is like it, between ourselves and one another.
Religion, relationships, and relativity… What is in a word but the meaning?
Thank you Chuck for your legacy of exponential potential and for never boxing God in.
Always love to hear your thoughts. Have a wonderful week. Michele
Happy Easter - Make Something New
Thursday, April 01, 2010
I have never been particularly fond of New Year’s resolutions. By the time Halloween, Thanksgiving, two of our son’s birthdays, Christmas, and New Years have come and gone,
I don't feel resolved to do much of anything except hibernate for the rest of winter. As lovely and exciting as the gift of the season always turns out to be, I’m simply exhausted.
Wrapped in the profound mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection is the fact that everything must die in order to be made new again.
I have always been hesitant to cast away things I am comfortable with, even if they truly do not serve me any longer. Those dung balls we feel we must hold on to and manage day in and day out can be pretty sticky and persistent. Yet, I believe we are called to let go of anything standing in the way of fulfilling our true purpose. Perfectionism paralyzes the process and serves no one. For me personally, I need to let the self-doubt and fear of failure die so I can resurrect a positive movement forward toward the dream of becoming a published author. There, I said it. Actually, I wrote it, bigger yet. Now that I have climbed that ladder to the next level of commitment, I need to kick it away so I am unable to descend it again. We must believe the only direction is up when we do not allow ourselves the option of climbing back down.
Easter brings the hope of living a life aligned with the Creator of the universe. Rethink. Reconnect. Replenish. Rebuild. Renew. Recreate. Redeem. Are these not beautiful words filled with infinite possibility?
The springtime egg and the tomb are empty. This Easter, challenge yourself with the humble courage of the way, truth, and life and go make something new.
Happy Easter everyone. Michele
Ever feel like a dung beetle?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Let's leave behind the burning questions of mankind and lighten it up a bit.
I began to research dung beetles about a week ago for a children's story that has been banging around in my head. I never imagined I would experience such a kindred spirit with the super strength bug, but I most certainly have.
I am curious if you will feel the same.
Then it hit me. "Oh good grief, I'm a dung beetle."
How much of my day is spent blindly pushing and packing, rolling and stacking laundry, dishes, kids toys, groceries, paperwork, bills, lunches, homework, patient schedules, and virtually any household inhabitant's stuff?
The dung gets so deep you can no longer see the beetle.
"You cannot serve both God and (Dung)" Luke 16:13 (slightly modified)
Anything and everything that separates me from my focus on the Ideal is dung. Whether these are desires which stroke my ego, or stuff that fills my day, any and all dung balls must be managed. This pushing and packing, rolling and stacking can annihilate precious time, energy, and focus away from hearing the still, small voice inside that points me toward my purpose.
As I finished my research for the story, I came across yet another fascinating bit of history about our beloved little beetle. The scarab beetle enjoyed a sacred status among the ancient Egyptians. Beautifully carved stone scarabs were placed in tombs with the dead because the beetle represented transformation or a changing of form. The dung beetle was linked to the concept of "coming into being."
As Easter approaches, my hope is to allow the death of a dung ball or two so my clear purpose can be resurrected and "come into being."
I'll never be able to look at a dung beetle and not see a little piece of myself.
Please share if this resonates with you and have a beautiful weekend. Michele
Time, a roll of toilet paper, a paint brush stroke
Thursday, March 04, 2010
I want to thank everyone who weighed in on the last blog. If you have not checked out the somewhat polarizing topic and the insightful comments that followed, please do.
Time. What a loaded term to ponder. Everything we do is marked by time. Time rules our lives, yet our concept of time is painfully limited. The universe was born some 14 billion years ago. Our solar system and planet Earth formed an estimated 4.6 billion years ago. The first dinosaurs appeared on Earth around 230 million years ago and reigned until about 65 million years ago, dominating the planet for 165 million years. The first human beings… Well, let’s use a prop taken from a Standard Deviants video our sons play over and over to illustrate this one. The toilet paper roll.
Roll one of those large toilet paper rolls completely out on the floor. You may need to do this outside to get the full effect. The last square and a half or two of that roll is the life and times of the dinosaurs. To mark our time in this enormous unfurled space you must tear off a tiny, almost unobservable, piece at the very end.
The idea of evolution is obviously rooted in change over time. It is important to remember this is virtually an unobservable amount of time when we appreciate the big toilet paper picture. I am not an archeologist, geologist, paleontologist, or cosmologist although I am fascinated with them all. I certainly do not want to argue about the specifics of a million years here or even a billion years there. What I think is interesting is the discussion of evolution which polarizes so many is really fueled by our limited concept of time. Scientists and theologians over the centuries have scraped and clawed and burned people at the stake over the “truth” of our place as human beings in space and time. As we re-discover more and more about our universe we are challenged with the concept of the relativity of space and time. We are now forced to face how meaningless this argument may be. Appreciation of these mind-blowing concepts should ground us in a feeling of overwhelming unity. I believe God would be in favor of this.
Time can only be marked by the relationship of two things in space. This relationship produces what we perceive as an event. Our universe, brought forth out of nothing, created time and is continuing to expand through space. The transcendent Artist of this masterpiece continues His brush stroke across the canvas. Time as we conceive it becomes meaningless in the wake of this unimaginable and transcendent creative movement. A movement we are free to dance within because of our opportunity for conscious connection with the Creator. Evolution is simply a human concept grasping for stability as we ride this unimaginable wave of creative movement. The use of this term makes it no less Divine.
As we humbly crawl for about 50-70 years upon this spinning rock that orbits our sun, which is one of the estimated 300 billion stars making up our Milky Way galaxy, which is one of the estimated 300 billion galaxies constituting the universe, we must accept our blessed lives are but a firefly’s flicker. I glance down at my iPhone one more time so that I am on time for an ALS patient facing the end of his time, and I realize my life is no more than a heartbeat of God. All I can hope for during my flicker of a lifetime is that I made Him giggle.
Thank you for entertaining my fascination for this topic. I love to hear your thoughts. Michele
Time. What a loaded term to ponder. Everything we do is marked by time. Time rules our lives, yet our concept of time is painfully limited. The universe was born some 14 billion years ago. Our solar system and planet Earth formed an estimated 4.6 billion years ago. The first dinosaurs appeared on Earth around 230 million years ago and reigned until about 65 million years ago, dominating the planet for 165 million years. The first human beings… Well, let’s use a prop taken from a Standard Deviants video our sons play over and over to illustrate this one. The toilet paper roll.
The idea of evolution is obviously rooted in change over time. It is important to remember this is virtually an unobservable amount of time when we appreciate the big toilet paper picture. I am not an archeologist, geologist, paleontologist, or cosmologist although I am fascinated with them all. I certainly do not want to argue about the specifics of a million years here or even a billion years there. What I think is interesting is the discussion of evolution which polarizes so many is really fueled by our limited concept of time. Scientists and theologians over the centuries have scraped and clawed and burned people at the stake over the “truth” of our place as human beings in space and time. As we re-discover more and more about our universe we are challenged with the concept of the relativity of space and time. We are now forced to face how meaningless this argument may be. Appreciation of these mind-blowing concepts should ground us in a feeling of overwhelming unity. I believe God would be in favor of this.
Thank you for entertaining my fascination for this topic. I love to hear your thoughts. Michele
We have the fossils... We Win.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
When a sticker keeps bumping into your day sooner or later you have to write a blog about it. I have two questions I need help answering.
Who are we? And what exactly did you win?
I am assuming the “we” on this bumper sticker is referring to those who believe in evolution. If this is the case, that would include me, so what did I win? Seriously, if this cute little animal trapped inside of the Jesus fish is intended to infer that because evolution is true then God is not, please pull over so we can have a discussion.
The theory of evolution has been widely accepted by well-informed Christians throughout the decades. Pope John Paul II in his 1996 message delivered to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences specifically spoke to and expanded upon his predecessor’s position on evolution elevating it from a hypothesis to a well accepted theory. What is a theory? A theory is a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena. Evolution? Evolution is a process that results in heritable changes in a population spread over many generations. In other words, the Pope put evolution into the same “yep, that appears so” boat together with relativity and gravity. I believe it is unsatisfying for our scientific next generation to throw up our hands saying, "Evolution is just a theory." In the same way, I believe it is unsatisfying to the Creator and Sustainer of our amazing brains to not keep using them to search for the unification of truth.
This brings us to the overarching discussion, science and theology. What is theology? Theology is the rational discourse about God. Science? Science is the systematic accumulation of knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation. OK, enough of that, but definitions are really important. Why? Definitions are critical because we talk and think in words. As humans, we are constantly interpreting through experience an understanding of revealed truth. There will always be a struggle between the attempt to define in words what science has currently discovered as workable fact and the ultimate and unchanging truth of the universe. Truth will always transcend facts.
Science and theology have been intertwined since the dawn of humanity and will be forever. You can separate church and state, but you cannot separate science and theology if you desire to successfully move forward with either. Saint Augustine of Hippo during the 4th century put forth the doctrine of the unity of truth. Saint Augustine argued there is not one truth for theology and another for natural or scientific knowledge stating they are the, "two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth." A solid majority of the deepest thinkers of all times have believed in a transcendent Creator.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, another icon of synthesis, states,
“Both the light of reason and the light of faith come from God, he argued; hence there can be no contradiction between them. Faith therefore has no fear of reason; but seeks it out and trusts it.”
Unfortunately the history of man tells a story mired in distrust and fear of emerging scientific discovery. Feeling a version of truth threatened, humanity has frequently engaged in oppressive, unjust, and bloody conflicts between science and theology. This missing of the mark, fueled by position, politics, and power, reveals it is the ego of man which continues to stand in the way of our evolution both natural and spiritual.
Danger lies in the strict and literal interpretation of words written in a different time and to a specific people. Theologians have long ago assured us the Bible is inspired truth not dictated words. Saint Augustine's belief that the Bible's ultimate divine authorship is partly obscured behind the human words expressed by human writers became fundamental to Christian theology. Jesus himself taught in parables. I often wonder if we should think more about why He chose to do this. His message was the renewal and rebirth of humanity through the humility of accepting His gift of love and the mystery of the Two Great Commandments… Dare I say our evolution toward the truth?
The link between the meaning of those words and their unchanging truth must always be our selfless goal. Wisdom must move us beyond ego whether it be for our belief in the religion of the One God or the religion of atheistic humanism. Both are religions and both require leaps of faith. One religion requires the leap of faith to random spontaneous origin, and the other requires the leap to a transcendent Creator.
Wisdom knows all and understands all. Wisdom 9:11
Life is movement. Experience, relationship, and perception are movement. Creation is movement. In my opinion, evolution is the most obvious proof of the Divine creative movement of all things seen and unseen. Our human evolution brings us ever closer in form, mental capacity, and spiritual consciousness to the ability of the creature to know the Creator. The ability to accept His gift and reflect His image through our lives.
Humanity culminates in the creative infusion of an eternal soul and the consciousness of a being who can ponder the meaning of life, the afterlife, and the Creator of life.
How cool is that… We win!
One opinion, one blog, complex topics beckon for your comments.
Michele
Who are we? And what exactly did you win?
I am assuming the “we” on this bumper sticker is referring to those who believe in evolution. If this is the case, that would include me, so what did I win? Seriously, if this cute little animal trapped inside of the Jesus fish is intended to infer that because evolution is true then God is not, please pull over so we can have a discussion.
The theory of evolution has been widely accepted by well-informed Christians throughout the decades. Pope John Paul II in his 1996 message delivered to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences specifically spoke to and expanded upon his predecessor’s position on evolution elevating it from a hypothesis to a well accepted theory. What is a theory? A theory is a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena. Evolution? Evolution is a process that results in heritable changes in a population spread over many generations. In other words, the Pope put evolution into the same “yep, that appears so” boat together with relativity and gravity. I believe it is unsatisfying for our scientific next generation to throw up our hands saying, "Evolution is just a theory." In the same way, I believe it is unsatisfying to the Creator and Sustainer of our amazing brains to not keep using them to search for the unification of truth.
Science and theology have been intertwined since the dawn of humanity and will be forever. You can separate church and state, but you cannot separate science and theology if you desire to successfully move forward with either. Saint Augustine of Hippo during the 4th century put forth the doctrine of the unity of truth. Saint Augustine argued there is not one truth for theology and another for natural or scientific knowledge stating they are the, "two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth." A solid majority of the deepest thinkers of all times have believed in a transcendent Creator.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, another icon of synthesis, states,
“Both the light of reason and the light of faith come from God, he argued; hence there can be no contradiction between them. Faith therefore has no fear of reason; but seeks it out and trusts it.”
Danger lies in the strict and literal interpretation of words written in a different time and to a specific people. Theologians have long ago assured us the Bible is inspired truth not dictated words. Saint Augustine's belief that the Bible's ultimate divine authorship is partly obscured behind the human words expressed by human writers became fundamental to Christian theology. Jesus himself taught in parables. I often wonder if we should think more about why He chose to do this. His message was the renewal and rebirth of humanity through the humility of accepting His gift of love and the mystery of the Two Great Commandments… Dare I say our evolution toward the truth?
The link between the meaning of those words and their unchanging truth must always be our selfless goal. Wisdom must move us beyond ego whether it be for our belief in the religion of the One God or the religion of atheistic humanism. Both are religions and both require leaps of faith. One religion requires the leap of faith to random spontaneous origin, and the other requires the leap to a transcendent Creator.
Wisdom knows all and understands all. Wisdom 9:11
Humanity culminates in the creative infusion of an eternal soul and the consciousness of a being who can ponder the meaning of life, the afterlife, and the Creator of life.
How cool is that… We win!
One opinion, one blog, complex topics beckon for your comments.
Michele
Face It... Perception is Reality
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Once again I want to thank everyone for their comments on the blog, “Mom, I do not believe there is only one God.” Many of you weighed in, and as usual the comments brought the post to life. There was one comment that facilitated a follow-up discussion with AJ I did not have planned. I did not think it was necessary. This is what we think of many of the most critical conversations in life… Isn't it?
I asked AJ simply, “Did you feel I shot down your views, opinions, and thoughts the other night when we were talking about God?” I barely got the question out, and it was obvious he did not need to think about his response for even an instant. His answer was in the front of his mind as he snapped, “Yes.”
“Wow, I really didn’t think I did that. I really did not want to do that AJ.”
He assured me I did. As I opened my mouth to apologize, AJ said, “I really don’t want to talk about this right now.”
I respectfully turned for the kitchen slightly wounded and enormously sorry. I had successfully accomplished the polar opposite of what I had intended. When someone feels shot down they will do one of two things; shoot back or shut down. Poopie.
This whole thing reminded me of an excellent book I read a couple years ago titled “Unchristian.” This book compiles current and groundbreaking research commissioned by Fermi Project and conducted by the Barna Group. The focus of the research answers the question, “What does a new generation really think about Christianity and Christians?” The book was published in 2007, and I believe it should be required reading for anyone who calls themselves a Christ follower.
Without boring you with too many statistics, they found 70-90% of Americans between the ages of 16-29 perceive Christians as judgmental, too involved in politics, anti-homosexual, out of touch with reality, insensitive, and hypocritical. Ouch. It would appear we are successfully accomplishing the polar opposite of what we intend. Now you can see why my experience with AJ brought this book, its research, and its message crashing back in on my consciousness.
AJ’s perception of the conversation was different from mine. This fact makes his perception no less a part of my reality. The research shows the perception of Christians is different from what we intend. This fact makes their perception no less a part of our reality.
Our purpose is to reflect Christ’s image in our lives and to the world, and it would appear Christianity continues to have an image problem.
I am constantly humbled by my children as they teach me how to treat others. God blessed me with their unique and tender ways of opening my eyes and my heart to the fact that what goes on in my head and what I perceive as reality may not be their reality at all.
We all must face it… Perception is reality.
I perceive you have a comment.
I asked AJ simply, “Did you feel I shot down your views, opinions, and thoughts the other night when we were talking about God?” I barely got the question out, and it was obvious he did not need to think about his response for even an instant. His answer was in the front of his mind as he snapped, “Yes.”
“Wow, I really didn’t think I did that. I really did not want to do that AJ.”
He assured me I did. As I opened my mouth to apologize, AJ said, “I really don’t want to talk about this right now.”
I respectfully turned for the kitchen slightly wounded and enormously sorry. I had successfully accomplished the polar opposite of what I had intended. When someone feels shot down they will do one of two things; shoot back or shut down. Poopie.
Without boring you with too many statistics, they found 70-90% of Americans between the ages of 16-29 perceive Christians as judgmental, too involved in politics, anti-homosexual, out of touch with reality, insensitive, and hypocritical. Ouch. It would appear we are successfully accomplishing the polar opposite of what we intend. Now you can see why my experience with AJ brought this book, its research, and its message crashing back in on my consciousness.
AJ’s perception of the conversation was different from mine. This fact makes his perception no less a part of my reality. The research shows the perception of Christians is different from what we intend. This fact makes their perception no less a part of our reality.
Our purpose is to reflect Christ’s image in our lives and to the world, and it would appear Christianity continues to have an image problem.
I am constantly humbled by my children as they teach me how to treat others. God blessed me with their unique and tender ways of opening my eyes and my heart to the fact that what goes on in my head and what I perceive as reality may not be their reality at all.
We all must face it… Perception is reality.
I perceive you have a comment.
Thank you!
Monday, February 01, 2010
I want to thank everyone for the amazing comments to the last blog. If you have not visited the last entry please do and please do not miss the comments... They definitely bring it to life. After re-reading what I had written and the comments others shared, I feel the need to qualify something I wrote.
My history growing up in the church felt very static to me. I do not remember being taught from the Bible or about the Bible much at all. Sunday morning consisted of services with my parents, and although there were readings from the Bible and sermons around the gospel, I do not remember ever cracking it open. I could very well be selective in my memory, but I do not recall such things as children's ministries, teen engagement efforts, recovery programs, global outreach opportunities, or Bible study. So, my comment about, "Because the Bible tells me so," not giving me a firm place to stand when faced with scientific questions was due to this static interpretation I unfortunately had of the book. I take full responsibility for this.
I have been blessed beyond belief by my new faith home Hill Country Bible Church. I have realized within the last decade the Bible is not at all static. It is alive. The content is open to human interpretation which can be extremely fallible at times, but the Word is dynamic within every heart.
I love science of all disciples. There seems to be nothing more dynamic than science. You name the discipline... It is moving.
I believe with every bone in my body that science is the art of rediscovering the heart of our Creator. The two can never be separated.
I have been blessed beyond belief by my new faith home Hill Country Bible Church. I have realized within the last decade the Bible is not at all static. It is alive. The content is open to human interpretation which can be extremely fallible at times, but the Word is dynamic within every heart.
I love science of all disciples. There seems to be nothing more dynamic than science. You name the discipline... It is moving.
I believe with every bone in my body that science is the art of rediscovering the heart of our Creator. The two can never be separated.
"Mom, I don't believe there is only one God"
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Then, bouncing into the car after karate last Thursday he throws out, "Mommy, I don't believe there is only one God." How is that for a conversation starter by your 10 year old? I don't know for certain, but I bet there are at least a few of you who would have joined me for a glass of Cabernet before fielding that one. This is not the first time AJ has positioned himself in a way that made me spiritually squirm. Matter of fact, one Saturday morning about 3 years ago he rolled over and told me, "God is just a myth." "How in the world do you expect me to believe in something I cannot see?" That is when I began to study quantum physics and ponder how I was going to be ready with sound spiritual answers for our scientific sons.
There was a time when I asked questions I felt were inadequately answered. The "because the Bible tells me so" answer I received as a child did not help keep me from falling away from my faith as a young adult. During college there seemed to be this invisible wedge between my search for truth in science, and my search for truth in God. I had no firm place for my faith to reason from as I sat in awe of human anthropology, evolutionary biology, and comparative anatomy. Since then, my personal path has experienced the enormity of consciousness through my human relationships, the height of spirit through my patient's lives and deaths, and the overwhelming love through my children. I have no doubt the universe and our One God is big enough to hold it all.
AJ, on the other hand, was really angry with me. "Why do you think the universe can't have lots of gods? Why are you so sure there is only one?"
I thought to myself, I am not going to dodge the question. I am not going to stick my head into a pile of dogma. What am I going to say?
"Scientists have found the best evidence yet supporting the theory that about 13.7 billion years ago, the universe suddenly expanded from the size of a marble to the size of the cosmos in less than a trillionth of a second." Washington Post, 2006
How, could you not be impressed with that? I could tell AJ was not impressed. He was mad. I left him alone for a while. Then I asked, "Are you angry with me because I don't agree with you?" He nodded his head, "Yes."
I reassured AJ that I was not angry with him because he didn't agree with me. "I have had a lot of time to think about this, and you will have a lot of time too." That was it for Thursday night. That was enough. I had a glass of wine.
As I packed AJ's lunch Friday morning, I slipped in a note, "Your Creator designed your mind for discovery. Don't ever stop thinking and searching. Love, Mom."
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
Dave leaned over and asked, "How many do you think are skeptics and how many are seekers?"
I thought about this for a moment and came to a peaceful conclusion, "If you bothered walking in the door, you are a seeker of something."
I feel this is my primary job as a parent... To keep them seeking.
Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.
- Albert Einstein
Curious to know how you would have approached this one.
Michele
Enormous Display of Right Mindedness
Monday, January 18, 2010
I am amazed by the creativity of the medical personnel who have actually been able to make their way into the city, and humbled by the courage of rescue and recovery teams from around the globe. I join the world in prayers of thanksgiving for the out pouring of resources and love for our neighbors. Haiti will need our touch long after the images fade from the media. God bless all efforts.
"There is within human nature an amazing potential for goodness."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Right Mind or Left Field
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
If I give it any thought at all, I cannot help but be consumed in awe by the workings of the human mind. This has been a long-term fascination of mine through my physical therapy practice and my personal search for rhyme and reason to my own, sometimes bizarre, thoughts and behavior. I was blessed with the opportunity over the Christmas break to rekindle this flame.
Jill Bolte Taylor is a PhD in the area of neuroanatomy – she is a brain scientist. Jill has written a life-changing scientific memoir highlighting a sudden brain hemorrhage at age 37, and her eight year recovery titled, “My Stroke of Insight.” At the core of the story is her personal experience and discovery of the differences between the circuitry, processes, and perceptive purposes housed within the two hemispheres of our brain. When you finish her book you will have a new appreciation of when you are in your “right mind” and when you are out in “left field.”
The left hemisphere of our brain holds the logical analysis of the details of our experiences, and forms our linear perceptions through language and comparison. It is our material, time and space mind. As Jill was experiencing a massive bleed within this left hemisphere, she reports a loss of linear and temporal thought, a loss of external language and internal "brain chatter," and a loss of personal boundaries and judgment. In other words, as Jill lost the separate ego identity field of her left brain she entered into the peaceful pasture of her right mind. Now, with her right hemisphere dominant, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm, silence, and oneness with everything around her. Heaven. One of the most interesting aspects of her account was the loss of temporal thought. While in her right mind, Jill did not experience thoughts of the past or the future. In her right mind was only the present and therefore she no longer experienced thoughts of comparison, judgment, fear, or loss.
You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You. Isaiah 26:3
In our right mind is only the present moment which is timeless and eternal. Our right mind is spontaneous, uninhibited, nonjudgmental, joyful, and free. It is not bogged down with details, timelines, entitlement, or comparisons, but sees the big picture, wide view, and seeing out of both eyes wisdom resides here. The great human moments of intuition, insight, and inspiration all occur as products of our right mind. The Two Great Commandments can only be incorporated into human existence when we are present with our right mind… The Gift of unity with our Creator, and the ability to love others “as” ourselves can only occur if we truly believe we are one with them.
To live in this world we need both sides of our brain, but the human race as it stands today has become heavily weighted and focused in our logical and material left hemispheres. We are bags-of-water beings of high-productivity and high-technology, trillions of over-scheduled and over-stressed cell parts. When time is always of the essence, there is very little room for the likes of our right mind.
Do you think this is what Jesus meant when He said to be “in” this world but not “of” this world? Being in our right mind means being connected to our heart’s consciousness instead of out in left field attached to our ego’s consciousness.
Armed with this scientist’s unique journey and insight we can identify more quickly when we are out in left field rather than in our right mind. We can remind ourselves that our left brain’s job is to calculate, categorize, explain, and divide the material world into digestible parts, and we can applaud our right mind when it holds the hand of the Divine and sees the majesty, magnificence, and unity of all creation.
Rumi reminds us, “Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment."
Your thoughts always make the blog. All my respect of your right mind. Michele
Dr. Taylor's book, TED talk, and story can be found at:
http://www.mystrokeofinsight.com/
I highly recommend her 18 minute TED talk. It may change your life.
The left hemisphere of our brain holds the logical analysis of the details of our experiences, and forms our linear perceptions through language and comparison. It is our material, time and space mind. As Jill was experiencing a massive bleed within this left hemisphere, she reports a loss of linear and temporal thought, a loss of external language and internal "brain chatter," and a loss of personal boundaries and judgment. In other words, as Jill lost the separate ego identity field of her left brain she entered into the peaceful pasture of her right mind. Now, with her right hemisphere dominant, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm, silence, and oneness with everything around her. Heaven. One of the most interesting aspects of her account was the loss of temporal thought. While in her right mind, Jill did not experience thoughts of the past or the future. In her right mind was only the present and therefore she no longer experienced thoughts of comparison, judgment, fear, or loss.
You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You. Isaiah 26:3
To live in this world we need both sides of our brain, but the human race as it stands today has become heavily weighted and focused in our logical and material left hemispheres. We are bags-of-water beings of high-productivity and high-technology, trillions of over-scheduled and over-stressed cell parts. When time is always of the essence, there is very little room for the likes of our right mind.
Do you think this is what Jesus meant when He said to be “in” this world but not “of” this world? Being in our right mind means being connected to our heart’s consciousness instead of out in left field attached to our ego’s consciousness.
Armed with this scientist’s unique journey and insight we can identify more quickly when we are out in left field rather than in our right mind. We can remind ourselves that our left brain’s job is to calculate, categorize, explain, and divide the material world into digestible parts, and we can applaud our right mind when it holds the hand of the Divine and sees the majesty, magnificence, and unity of all creation.
Rumi reminds us, “Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment."
Your thoughts always make the blog. All my respect of your right mind. Michele
Dr. Taylor's book, TED talk, and story can be found at:
http://www.mystrokeofinsight.com/
I highly recommend her 18 minute TED talk. It may change your life.
The Snowflake Perspective – Happy New Year!
Friday, January 01, 2010
They say no two snowflakes are exactly alike. As I stared more closely at the unique and complex structures against the black paper background, the question “why” came to
Only moments after relishing in the snowflake’s individuality and diversity do I witness it melt into an indistinguishable tiny puddle. The snowflake’s identity is simply two hydrogen atoms and
“Th
Our beauty, like the snowflake, lies within our delicate diversity. We must remember our diversity is unimaginably delicate. The human genome is 99.99% the same. At the level of our genetics, all of the diversity we see in the human race lies in the expression of 0.01% of our genes. We are 99.99% exactly the same.
My hope for 2010 is a planet which reaches out for the humility and eternal perspective of the snowflake. Out of the dreary dark skies of violence, oppression, and fear, we can experience a world of hearts that actively celebrate the beauty of their diversity and consciously embrace their overwhelming unity. As we peer over the horizon of a new decade, I believe if we are not feeding this hope... We are starving our children’s future.
May God Bless your New Year. Michele
“Only humility will lead us to unity, and unity to peace.” Mother Teresa