Wind of the Spirit Blowing
by Howard Rice
Howard Rice, professor emeritus at San Francisco
Theological Seminary and former Moderator of the General Assembly, offers
occasional columns in Network News, providing insights from his deep
explorations of spirituality combined with his life-long commitment to social
activism. this column appeared in the Spring, 1999 issue.
Spirituality: not a cocoon, but a call to caring
The times in which we live are witnessing the growth of many forms of
spirituality and, at the same time, a decline of interest in justice. Is there a
correlation between the rise of the one and the loss of the other? I think there
is. Much spirituality, even that deeply part of the Christian tradition, is
escapist and other-worldly. Many people seek to become spiritual because they
think it is safe to do so. They see spirituality as a cocoon against the
problems of the world. The problems of our world are difficult to understand and
still more difficult to solve, thus spirituality serves as a convenient avenue
of blessed escape. Do not trouble yourself with global warming, you are
meditating, experiencing yourself with the alone, the inner emptiness of soul.
Do not talk to me about continuing racism, my spiritual life has never been
better.
Much "new age" spirituality is a way of baptizing
this form of escape but within our churches it can serve the same purpose.
Spirituality which does not take incarnation seriously quickly falls into a
world-denying activity, feeding the desire to avoid hard decisions or painful
actions that might cost something.
Christian spirituality is, at its best, grounded in the
incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth, born to a woman, is at its center. To the degree
that our spirituality is rooted in him, we cannot escape. He will not let us.
Jesus has always been the one who ventures into the hard places, welcomes the
unwelcome, lifts up the lowly, challenges the comfortable, and models a very
earthy spirituality. A Christ centered spirituality cannot avoid dealing with
those for whom he spoke up; it cannot seek ease and calm at the expense of the
world's pain.
There is really no division between Christ-centered
spirituality and doing justice in the world. That is just where Christ is to be
found. He is in the center of the wounds of our world, he is with those people
most ignored, stigmatized, or stereotyped. Wherever there is human pain and
need, there the risen Christ is. Matthew captured the essence of a Christ
centered mysticism, "Just as you did it to one of the least of these, you
did it to me."
In order to discover the presence of Christ, we must go where
he already is, serving the poor, visiting those in prison, welcoming the
unwanted, feeding the hungry wherever they may be. A Christ centered
spirituality will lead us into a discovery of our call to serve, our call to do
justice. Christ centered spirituality is no escape from trouble or pain. May we
discover and practice just such a spirituality that goes against the grain of
all the "feel good" spiritualities so popular today.
