Path
of Learning
“Study
is the first rung on the ladder—the base from which everything
ascends. The essential idea of this foundational practice is to
re-frame our priorities. In this context, study means that we
dedicate a certain amount of time in our lives to the pursuit of
spiritual wisdom.”
Rabbi
David A. Cooper (God is a Verb)
Recently,
the man who supervised the re-roofing of my house told me about
falling off a ladder the year before. He broke multiple bones and was
out of commission for five long months while he recovered. His
comment was, “I got to know my Bible a whole lot better.”
Sometimes, close brushes with death hone our sensitivities toward
religious study—part of the bargaining we do with God when we're
grateful to be alive. Most of us tuck into the safety of the religion
we already adhere to, which is a good place to start. I hear a lot of
“Bible quoting” around here of scripture that can be found nowhere in the Good Book.
Spiritual intelligence, however, comes from a combination of expanding our knowledge
of what is actually written in the scriptures, and in other books of wisdom, and taking time to
contemplate what it means for us. It requires study, and thought, and
mostly it requires that we live what we learn in the real world.
There's
a cartoon circulating on the internet in which Jesus is teaching his
followers. I won't quote this exactly, but the essence is, Jesus
says, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you...” (Matt.
5:44) Someone from the crowd shouts, “But, what if they're Muslims?”
and Jesus says, “Okay, let me back up and try this again; see if
you can get it—Love your enemies...” We could change the words,
of course, to reflect almost anyone who is not the object of our
affection—what if they're gay, what if they're addicts, or criminals, or illegal aliens, and the answer would be the same. It is our
misunderstanding that is problematic, and sometimes, our ignorance.
The
upside of study is both educational and inspirational, especially if
we include books from and about religions and traditions other than
our own. Reading about other beliefs and practices expands us; opens
our eyes to new understanding. Inspirational books open our heart,
and show us that there are good people of all stripes, and we are
more alike than different. Over time, we develop a new, more
inclusive way of looking at life and of living it.
This
is a good day to start a new practice, or deepen an old one of
learning something new each day. There are so many wonderful paths of
study, so many good books to read. I hope you spend some time with
one today.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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