Know
whence you have come,
wither you go, and
Whom before you must stand.
Let us try, for a moment, to take the spirit of this admonition to heart – to keep realistic focus on
(a) whence we have come – what hard-won progress seems to have been made,
(b) wither we go – what potential progress seems to remain, and
(c) Whom before we must stand – that we are held accountable.
Yes, the ultimate “whence” and “wither” is “dust” to “dust,” but we are called upon to make a “difference that makes a difference” along the way. That is the problem – and it is not as simple as it might sound.
We will be judged. In advocating for a cause, in formulating a purpose, we, too, must make judgments. We must try, however, to avoid assuming that the ultimate standard by which the world will be judged is known. Some have sought to see “the judgment of G-d.” Talk about an elusive goal. The prophet Jonah, too, had sought to see the judgment of G-d – upon Nineveh – but, as a mere mortal, he was unable to anticipate – or appreciate – the breadth – and depth – of that divine judgment. Seeking theological insight is important. Fostering others’ seeking may be even more important. Knowing with certainty that you or I have found and understand the answers may be something else.
We are called upon to act in the face of uncertainty, knowing that we are inadequate – but probably the best available – knowing that we do not know the end of the story – or even where it lies. All too often religious organizations have marched confidently forward, under-appreciating that mortals might not have all the answers – let alone even know all the questions. The world is complex – especially once we get down to working side-by-side with individual people – and we need gadflies from all sides to remind us, about what we do and do not know.
That, to me, seems to be a recurring, underlying theme of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy plenaries: our need for gadflies– preferably humble ones. Anton Theophilus Boisen, who founded the movement for professional chaplaincy, considered it
ever the task of the church to
disturb the consciences of men [and women] in regard to
the quality of life they are living … .
awakening the careless and indifferent to
the deeper meaning of life … .
in order that they may
turn before it is too late and
be made whole.
But, turn toward what? turn whither? It is easier to fulfill exact commandments– to obsessively tithe of mint, anise, and cumin – the minutiae – to actas ifwe know with certainty what to do. It is harder to fulfill inexact commandments– to faithfully perform mitzvah – gut-level efforts of justice and mercy – to act even while accepting we do not know for sure what to do. We must act – but in a world of “unknown unknowns,” with minimal reassurance that what we do is right.
Perhaps it is but human nature to move on from addressing the most obvious national – and international – crises toward more circumscribed societal crises. Perhaps at times we seem to have fallen into the trap of becoming more focused on abstract populations rather than on individual persons of flesh and blood. Certainly Boisen and his colleague, Helen Flanders Dunbar, tried to avoid that trap. The CPSP held its first plenary meeting twenty-one years ago, having begun organizing – looking for that “something” not to be found elsewhere– two years earlier. Those “spiritual pilgrims” who banded together in the CPSP sought to help each other in a very personal way to work toward a difficult to define “recovery of soul,” so that they could better serve their people, better handle crises big and small. Theirs has been a messy journey– but a real one. While earlier generations of the faithful could feel they were standing on the “solid ground” of their religious traditions, the recent generations were coming face to face with a recognition that religious traditions themselves might be in crisis. Can we not at least try to work with each other and the world as it is within our uncertainty? I don’t have all the answers. Perhaps you need to consider the possibility that you don’t either.
May the CPSP be blessed with a multitude of “productively disturbed believers” – open to exploring crises both within and without – struggling within an awareness of what they do not know!
Endnotes:
During the 2006 plenary of the CPSP, when an earlier version of these thoughts was presented – in the midst of a somewhat heated discussion about a then current event – “the war” – that was impacting most if not all of us – an experienced chaplain raised a hand and commented:
I think what you’re trying to say is that
we need to figure out
how to have strong feelings
without being self-righteous.
That chaplain knew better than I did at the time what I was trying to say. Some of these ideas – especially Boisen’s views – were explored in a much lengthier essay presented the year before: “Religion in Crisis and Custom: Formation and Transformation – Discovery and Recovery – of Spirit and Soul.” http://www.icpcc.net/ [click on “Materials”];
http://www.icpcc.net/ [click on “Materials”];
(translated [2011] by Chaplains Rafael Hiraldo Román & Jesús Rodríguez Sánchez, with the assistance of Chaplain R. Esteban Montilla, as “Religión en Crisis y en Costumbre: Formación y Transformación - Descubrimiento y Recuperación - de Espíritu y Alma”;
The following are the bibliographic details of the cited items:
The opening quotation is from Akavia ben Mehalalel, Pirkei Avot (“Ethics of the Fathers”) 3:1; the passage is included in most Jewish prayer books.
In the 1st paragraph, the allusions are to The Bible, “Genesis” 3:19 and to William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, “Lecture XVIII” (London: Longmans, Green & Co, 1902).
In the 2nd paragraph, the reference is to The Bible, “Jonah” 4:5.
In the 4th paragraph, the patched together quotation is from Anton Theophilus Boisen, “Evangelism in the Light of Psychiatry,” J Relig. Jan 1927;7(1):76-80, p.76; Boisen’s language comes from a well-known 19th century paraphrasing of The Bible, “Romans” 13:11– for example, in the work of evangelist Charles G. Finney [Lectures on the Revivals of Religion, “Lecture X: To Win Souls Requires Wisdom” (NY: The New York Evangelist, 1835)].
In the 5th paragraph, the references are to The Bible, “Matthew” 23:23 and “Micah” 6:8, plus to Donald H. Rumsfeld, US Department of Defense news briefing, 12 Feb 2002.
In the 6th paragraph, the allusions are, of course, to “The Covenant” of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy.
Robert Charles Powell, MD, PhD is the leading historian of the clinical pastoral movement. Many of his published writings are posted on the Pastoral Report. Readers can use the PR's search engine found on the left side-bar to locate his articles. As a practicing psychiatrist, his writings reflect his daily investment in his clinical practice of providing psychotherapy and care to his patients. Contact Dr. Powell by clicking here.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth essay in a series -- and one might want to take a second look at the earlier three published during 2011:
“Tolerance and Encouragement: Among the Roots of the Clinical Pastoral Tradition.”“Tolerance and Encouragement: At the Core of the Modern Clinical Pastoral Tradition.”
“Tolerance and Encouragement: Within a Covenant of Mutual Accountability.”