Changing Devotions and Perspectives II
Tony Dillon-Hansen
May 2014
As life progresses, we encounter ideas and perspectives that shape
our current being. The question of what
is God calling me to do today is a mystery in a couple ways. There is a question
about the existence of God or the premise of the deity’s personal interest in
my path. If there is such, what does
that “calling” request of me? Finding Des Moines’ Plymouth Congregational
Church on that path may yield clues to that request.
Through martial arts, study of Asian philosophies, and experience
of Catholic teachings, I grew in strength with a sense of compassion for all
people. Yet, the experience of being bullied, understanding religious hypocrisy
and losing a child has wounded my once naïve compassionate sense of the world
into a deeply questioning position of worth and purpose. There was little place
for justifying the worth of religion. There is a question of the existence of a
being that is directing the efforts and pathways in this world on any sort of
macro or micro level. I will not pretend to witness God other than life exists
with no explanation given, and I would hope that being has much more important
things to attend than my lonely, trivial requests.
Perhaps, the entity has no interest in lording over people’s
behavior (that would explain the ugly historical atrocities committed in the
name of God or even without invoking such), and nature exists just simply as a
manifestation of events. Parents and teachers of all stripes can easily attest
to this where the point of lessons is to learn how to be autonomous. That we
are here, today, in this environment, and one’s “ego in this bag of skin and
bones” is a realization of something, and that people display that idea with
virtual autonomy over own actions. Nature has many opportunities to learn about
action and consequence, and proponents of chaos theory might suggest that
“nature” is always ready to teach new lessons. That much is clear.
For all that has been boasted about God and religion, right,
wrong, proper or foolish action ultimately requires one to do something, even
if that something is nothing. The existence of God is very real to some people
and to consider the absence of such, or of Lording qualities, would negate
personal existence. So I would not know if God is calling me to do anything,
but the position of where I am and where I have been has set me on a path that
will yet change. The question is what was learned in the time and what can be
imparted to others if anything.
There is a reason that I had to endure some things because as the
Tao and the Buddha might suggest, one cannot possibly know good without knowing
bad (and thus begins the 4 Noble Truths.) I can only hope that my path brings
me towards better things and better places.
Experiences have helped to identify a proper course, and of course, chaos
is always waiting to challenge that idea. With respect to chaos, a good fighter
will tell you that strategy, flexibility and skillfulness are more useful than
brute force attacks.
With these ideas and if there is a calling, I became an ordained
minister because a part of me still believes in compassion and honesty within
human nature. If there is a calling in
the path, that is still a mystery to me. Yet, I found a great convergence of good
teachings at Plymouth Congregational Church.
I met with cynicism the first time that I heard the words, “No
matter who you are; No matter where you are on life’s journey; you are welcome
here.” As I heard subsequent sermons and discussions within and around the
Church, there are people with critical thinking skills and people duly
interested in expressing the compassion of humanity rather than hypocritical dogma
and corrupt rhetoric. I can have reverence for the works and traditions of
Church once again. That brought me home.
With Plymouth Church, I realized, for myself, that the purpose of
church is to be a part of something that is larger than oneself, and I found
more ways here to serve the community since many other organizations also meet
at Plymouth. This place welcomes diversity and the purpose is clearly conveyed
in order “to grow in love of God and neighbor.”
Church can be a place where people go to understand more about life and
to do good work for your neighbors and community. Thus, partially due to the tradition established
in my youth, I actively serve in this Church because this Church expands its
work into areas of the community that are in need of compassion (e.g. prisons,
homeless, GLBT, and more), and they do not ask for a test when you walk in the
door. This is close to what were my youthful ideas of the Church and the teachings
of Jesus.
I still question the integrity of organized religion and God. I
cannot un-live my experiences that caused questions and non-acceptance of my
own senses, but maybe, I am not supposed to un-live them. My faith in people
has been somewhat renewed by those involved with Interfaith Alliance and
Plymouth Church. The mind has become quieter, acceptance of oneself is better,
and possibilities are more positive. There is still more for me to do, and in
what capacity that will be is what I have to find. That is the universal truth
for everyone. If there is a calling, it will take me somewhere better
than I was and to go there with good people. If there is a calling, it has
brought me here to this moment for a reason, and that is only a start of the
next journey.
