FB19 – Musings on Oneness (The Cottage)
Earlier this week, in the wake of the latest Texas school shootings, I extracted a prayer from The Cottage blog. It included a litany of 64 mass shootings from recent US history. Reactions came from my FB posting, including one from a recent Chinese immigrant who helpfully suggested, “We need actions to screen and ban dangerous gun holders more than just condolences.” Diana Butler Bass was attempting to make the same point in that first blog. But another FB friend, seemingly better informed of the traditions and beliefs celebrated in the The Cottage blog, nevertheless found reasons to defend the placement of AR-15s in the hands of teenagers. It seems incredible.
Prayers have been offered universally in most every part of the world and culture as far back as we have knowledge. Something primeval exists in the heart of humankind that attempts to reach out to a Transcendent Power. We want to know we are not alone in our miseries, and we appeal to the Creator and Knower of all things to provide us with help and hope.
Today, in her blog, Bass followed up with another prayer. This time of Jesus seeking unity among his followers. The prayer speaks of love and oneness, in the best of traditions of family and community. Today, such havens of peace when found to exist are increasingly fragile. A spirit of divisiveness and animosity creates fragmentation and alienation. Echoed in today’s prayer is the message, “As God has loved you, so ought you to love one another.”
Our world is increasingly defined by rationality and materialism, yet an immaterial Love persists, and persists at times in highly irrational ways. It helps preserve health and it promotes healing like few other things in life. Over the centuries, western culture has drawn deeply from its beliefs in Transcendence. To cut itself off from this well-spring of love and community, should we be surprised if our culture is increasingly suffering from violence and despair?
Diana Butler Bass analyses the prayer of Jesus concerning his followers in her Musings today. It’s worth some pause and reflection.
https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/sunday-musings-152/
First published on Facebook Page (My Reads and Views):
https://www.facebook.com/RonInRegina/posts/502746944927528
First published here: 2022/06/01