Friday, June 17, 2011

Surrender

The fundamentalists and extremists of whatever tradition often seem to be saying, “I’m right, and anyone who disagrees with me is wrong.” These folks point to a particular passage(s) in their particular scripture(s) as evidence or justification for their perspective. Moreover, those folks accept that printed (or recited) word as authority to act.


These same folks might also point to another group’s scripture to show how “wrong” that group is. For example, some who call themselves Christian may point to a passage in the Holy Qur’an which (they say) calls for war. See, for example, Sura 8:40: “Make war on them [unbelievers] until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme." (Dawood, N.J., translator, THE KORAN. London 1956, Penguin Books. P 129.) And the “faithful” Christians will use that passage to justify hating Islam, and to claim that Islam is not a religion of peace.


Psalm 137:8-9 also seems to support violent action: “Babylon [or name your favorite enemy here], you are doomed! I pray the Lord’s blessings on anyone who punishes you for what you did to us. May the Lord bless everyone who beats your children against the rocks!” (HOLY BIBLE, Contemporary English Version. New York: 1995, American Bible Society. P. 639) And the faithful may start a war to do the punishing on the Lord’s behalf.


Scriptures can be confusing or ambiguous. Perhaps their most frustrating characteristic is that they can be contradictory. Look again at Psalms, only this time, consider Psalm 46. Verse 9: “[The Lord] makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.” (THE NEW STUDENT BIBLE, New International Version. Grand Rapids, 1986, Zondervan Publishing, P. 517) Here we have a text which reports what God does, not what God wants us to do. In this passage, God actually stops violent behaviors! In this passage, we are not urged to go out and take revenge, nor to begin a war.


In fact, in the very next verse, we’re told to relax, chill out. “Be still, and know that I am God.” The words “be still” come from the Hebrew word rapha which can be translated as “be weak” or “surrender.” (See http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Be_Still/be_still.html. Also see http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1245-be-still-and-know-that-i-am-god) I take this to mean that God is instructing us to do exactly the meaning of the Arabic word Islam: Surrender, or submit. We are to know that God is God, and we’re to remember that we’re not God!


You might think that we can’t always be passive, and just let things happen. Many of us raised in the Abrahamic traditions have been taught that we must act, to do God’s will and bring justice. Still, I think it’s good for us to acknowledge that there’s an alternative behavior: It’s always acceptable to act from the Golden Rule, doing unto others what we’d want them to do unto us. And usually that’s NOT starting a war, or doing the vengeful punishing. When we’ve surrendered and let God be God, it’s just easier to treat others well.


(first published May 2011)


It’s May, the month of flowers which result from April Showers. It’s also the month in which Mother’s Day occurs in the US. I’m sitting in my mother’s home, thinking about how lucky I’ve been to have her for my mother. Now, I’m sure that about 99% of all my friends, and of those people I don’t know, feel the same about their mothers. Maybe more than 99%.


Mothers have been recognized by special celebrations since ancient times. Beginning with the ancient Greeks and Romans festivals were kept for Cybele, a mother of Greek gods; and for Juno on the Roman holiday Matronalia.


One of the early calls to celebrate Mother's Day in the United States was the "Mother's Day Proclamation" by Julia Ward Howe. Written in 1870, it was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. The Proclamation was tied to Howe's feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.” (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Mother’s_Day)


Anna Marie Jarvis (May 1, 1864, Webster, West Virginia — November 24, 1948, West Chester, Pennsylvania) is the founder of the Mother's Day holiday in the United States. Mother’s Day became a national holiday in the United States in 1914, just a few years after being first celebrated officially in West Virginia, thanks to Jarvis’ efforts. As the US holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honoring motherhood, like Mothering Sunday in the UK, or the Orthodox celebration of Jesus in the temple in Greece. In some countries it was changed to dates that were significant to the majority religion, like the Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries, or the birthday of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic countries.


How important is Mother in your life? From Islam comes this teaching: (http://www.articlesbase.com/ezines-and-newsletters-articles/muhammad-paradise-lies-at-the-feet-of-mothers-2836850.html)

A man came to the Prophet Muhammad and asked him, "Who amongst my near ones has the greatest right over me?" Muhammad replied, "Your mother".

The man then asked, "Who after that?" The Prophet replied again, "Your mother".

The man then asked, who is next, and the Prophet again replied, "Your mother".

The man then asked, who after that, and then the Prophet said, "Your father".


According to the website, this Hadith (teaching) illustrates that a mother deserves service, love, submission, obedience and gratitude from the children...a mother generally makes more sacrifices and endures greater hardships than a father while bringing up the children. She feeds them and takes care of them by sacrificing her comforts in the day and her sleep in the night without any greed or compulsion but only out of sheer love and affection...she renders three important services to her children which cannot be done by the father. The mother bears the burden of the child during pregnancy, stands the pains of delivery, and then feeds the child from her breasts. (http://www.articlesbase.com/ezines-and-newsletters-articles/muhammad-paradise-lies-at-the-feet-of-mothers-2836850.html)


May you celebrate your mother every day, not just on Mother’s Day, and be thankful for her.