What Might This Journey of Abraham Mean?, or, alternatively, ruminitions on the nature of literature, theology, and questions
Today in class, Chris showed us a model by a Benedictine (do I have the right Order?) Theologian of The Male Spiritual Journey, where the ideal male moves, spiritually, from, to overly-simplify:
a. the 'heroic journey' of idealism, power, and possibilities, to
b. 'self-identity', in which one creates a sense of the self and the self's boundaries, to
c. the 'crisis of limitation,' in which, usually at mid-life, one loses meaning and must confront one's limits, in which one develops humility and honesty, moving from self-control to God-control, to
d. the 'wisdom journey,' "the Abrahamic Journey from what you have to what you don't have," in which old rules no longer work, in which one becomes insecure, and one embraces the shadow and rejected part of the self, to
e. the 'holy fool,' who is finally controlled by God, who can hold together paradoxes, who is wise instead of reasonable and in control, who is finally human instead of self-imaged.
And Chris asked us, "What might this journey of Abraham mean?", ending class with the note that all literature is theological.
Today I finished reading a new children's book by Lois Lowry (author of Number the Stars and The Giver), Gossamer, and as I read, I was struck by the questions asked: What are we? Am I within? Who am I now?, the last asked after a transformation of the main character... These seemed to echo the questions that the character God ask the humans in Genesis: Where are you? Why are you hiding? What have you done? Why have you done this?
Abraham's journey seems to be one of moving from the secure (landed, gentried in Mesopotamia) to the insecure (wilderness, drought, uncertainty, unfulfilled promises in Palestine).
Today in class we looked at Chapter 22, in which Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son, "your only one, whom you love, Isaac," as a test to ensure that Abraham fears God. What is the journey here? From the secure (I have a son! I have an heir! At last, the promise is fulfilled!) to the insecure (What God are you? Will you provide for me? Where am I to go?)?
To quote from the handout on The Male Spiritual Journey: "Needs spiritual guidance because rules no longer work in their old form. Letting go, trust, patience, surrender, holy abandonment, compassion, the dark night of faith..."
In a previous post, Casey notes that he sees Abraham as himself: who has gone through a lot of crap in his life and who God has decided to bless without regard for how much he is a screw up and/or inconsiderate man. He disagrees with Armstrong on page 64 (I think that Abraham is too much of a "yes sir" and not compassionate enough, but I don't have my book with me).
Casey asks, Would Abraham have killed Isaac if God hadn't intervened?
We don't know for certain, of course. I'd like to think, no, his faith to God was not fanatical, murderous. That he would worship life as if it were god. Letting go is great if God asks us to let go of the material, but Isaac's life is not just material... But perhaps I am putting in here what I want Abraham to do, to break down weeping at the moment just before cutting with the Cleaver...
Perhaps we could ask why God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac... The text tells us it is to test Abraham's faith... This certainly works with the rest of Genesis that shows that God is not omniscient — otherwise, it would seem that he would know that Abraham would be faithful. Chris mentioned the interpretation that God is an abusive person, following the cycle of abuse. This seems to work here: Why would someone test someone else, why not just trust him? If I were asking you to have faith in me, to trust me, wouldn't you also want me to have faith in you? A test seems a sign of deep insecurity...
I don't know. Why does Abraham look up? Is he searching? Is he lost? Is he exploring his mind? Is he pleading toward God for some guidance?
If all literature is theology, rational inquiry into religious questions, is too music? television? blogs?
I'm listening to "Life" by Our Lady Peace (remember the 1990s?):
I think these are the same questions Abraham asks himself when he is about to sacrifice Isaac: How many times must I be pushed around? Is anybody there? Does anyone care? If God asks me to do this, is anyone safe?
a. the 'heroic journey' of idealism, power, and possibilities, to
b. 'self-identity', in which one creates a sense of the self and the self's boundaries, to
c. the 'crisis of limitation,' in which, usually at mid-life, one loses meaning and must confront one's limits, in which one develops humility and honesty, moving from self-control to God-control, to
d. the 'wisdom journey,' "the Abrahamic Journey from what you have to what you don't have," in which old rules no longer work, in which one becomes insecure, and one embraces the shadow and rejected part of the self, to
e. the 'holy fool,' who is finally controlled by God, who can hold together paradoxes, who is wise instead of reasonable and in control, who is finally human instead of self-imaged.
And Chris asked us, "What might this journey of Abraham mean?", ending class with the note that all literature is theological.
Today I finished reading a new children's book by Lois Lowry (author of Number the Stars and The Giver), Gossamer, and as I read, I was struck by the questions asked: What are we? Am I within? Who am I now?, the last asked after a transformation of the main character... These seemed to echo the questions that the character God ask the humans in Genesis: Where are you? Why are you hiding? What have you done? Why have you done this?
Abraham's journey seems to be one of moving from the secure (landed, gentried in Mesopotamia) to the insecure (wilderness, drought, uncertainty, unfulfilled promises in Palestine).
Today in class we looked at Chapter 22, in which Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son, "your only one, whom you love, Isaac," as a test to ensure that Abraham fears God. What is the journey here? From the secure (I have a son! I have an heir! At last, the promise is fulfilled!) to the insecure (What God are you? Will you provide for me? Where am I to go?)?
To quote from the handout on The Male Spiritual Journey: "Needs spiritual guidance because rules no longer work in their old form. Letting go, trust, patience, surrender, holy abandonment, compassion, the dark night of faith..."
In a previous post, Casey notes that he sees Abraham as himself: who has gone through a lot of crap in his life and who God has decided to bless without regard for how much he is a screw up and/or inconsiderate man. He disagrees with Armstrong on page 64 (I think that Abraham is too much of a "yes sir" and not compassionate enough, but I don't have my book with me).
Casey asks, Would Abraham have killed Isaac if God hadn't intervened?
We don't know for certain, of course. I'd like to think, no, his faith to God was not fanatical, murderous. That he would worship life as if it were god. Letting go is great if God asks us to let go of the material, but Isaac's life is not just material... But perhaps I am putting in here what I want Abraham to do, to break down weeping at the moment just before cutting with the Cleaver...
Perhaps we could ask why God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac... The text tells us it is to test Abraham's faith... This certainly works with the rest of Genesis that shows that God is not omniscient — otherwise, it would seem that he would know that Abraham would be faithful. Chris mentioned the interpretation that God is an abusive person, following the cycle of abuse. This seems to work here: Why would someone test someone else, why not just trust him? If I were asking you to have faith in me, to trust me, wouldn't you also want me to have faith in you? A test seems a sign of deep insecurity...
I don't know. Why does Abraham look up? Is he searching? Is he lost? Is he exploring his mind? Is he pleading toward God for some guidance?
If all literature is theology, rational inquiry into religious questions, is too music? television? blogs?
I'm listening to "Life" by Our Lady Peace (remember the 1990s?):
How many times have you been pushed around
was anybody there
does anybody care
...
well is anybody safe
oh life is waiting for you
I think these are the same questions Abraham asks himself when he is about to sacrifice Isaac: How many times must I be pushed around? Is anybody there? Does anyone care? If God asks me to do this, is anyone safe?
posted by Michael Faris @ 3:01 PM
1 Comments:
At 9:52 AM,
Deacon Chris said…
I like the phrase "I don't know."
And of course: no one is safe.
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