Many Paths Galesburg
Bruce
Weik & Peter Schwartzman
DEFYING
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM:REMEMBERING
Conventional wisdom has it that you should
never talk about religion or politics in public. But our faith, one of our
strongest personal assets, and today’s many political crises, both need some
public discussion. What we believe, and how we carry it out, as individuals and
a nation, are at this moment in our history, both in need of examination. And
that is just what we did, on Dec. 12, at the Knox County Brewing Company. That
night, Many Paths Galesburg recorded our fourth live podcast, with a panel of five
persons from the community, who were willing to talk about their faith. Defying
the odds, we had a civil, responsible, inclusive, and entertaining discussion
about how our faith intersects, and interacts, with the common good—that sense
of binding solidarity that draws us, all of us, together.
With Christmas just around the corner, and
Galesburg being vast majority Christian, we focused, as anticipated, on
Christianity, although as we learned, many of the prominent religious faiths
are represented in Galesburg as well. We also identified many who consider
themselves spiritual, but not necessarily associate with any particular
religion or church. These people tend to their spiritual needs by connecting
with nature, visiting inspirational places, meditating, doing yoga, or, simply,
gardening.
For many Christians, their past resides
in the fact that the Jewish people fled Egypt, freeing themselves from the
Pharaoh and his system of scarcity (little freedom, little food, little family
time). They fled to the Promised Land, and received rules by which to live together
and be good neighbors. Abundance could be found through devotion to God and
commitment to one another. (Walter Brueggemann, Journey to the Common Good).
As it happened, Christ entered the
picture, whose birthday Christians celebrate on Dec. 25th. He was not born into
privilege, but arrived in a stable, with dirt and animals and filth. It was the
commonness of this birth that is most overwhelming. He was eventually to
challenge the leadership of the Jewish people and the Roman government. His
existence would be conflictual and eventually lead to him being hanged on the
cross for sedition. This horrific act was executed for arguing that we should
be inclusive, emphasizing the common good, being a good neighbor, and preaching
the apocalyptic message of total devotion to God, not man.
In response to Christ’s actions,
Christians are were moved from a place of bondage, scarcity, submission, and
blind obedience, to a place of abundance, hope, freedom, the common good, and
the promise of community and inclusive, caring neighborhoods. This is the
promise of Christmas.
While there are many other faiths present
in Galesburg, too many to give proper attention to in such a short column, it
is important to remember some things when we practice our faith. First, we need
to acknowledge that other faiths exist and can coexist with yours/ours. If we
are going to tackle the challenges humanity faces right now, people of
different faiths are going to have to work together. The panel reminded us how
important it is to seek out people of other faiths intentionally, as a way of
learning from one another and as a way of harmonizing our communities. This
need for the deep respect of others, without judgment, also comes from
different sects of Christianity. Apparently, all too often, a minor difference
in faith leads to significant schisms between peoples. This breeds hostility and
disharmony and must be avoided at all cost. Lastly, traditional organizations
of worship should regularly challenge their own faith by looking at their
actions and ensuring that they are consistent with precepts of their faith. Sometimes
this process leads to new actions. However, sometimes, the precepts of one’s
faith may need to be reinterpreted so that necessary actions (such as feeding
the hungry) remain part of one’s commitment to the larger community as well.
Our
next podcast will be January 23, 6-8pm, at the Knox Brewery. Our topic will be
celebrating Galesburg music, both from a promoter’s point of view, and the
artists’. All are invited.
