Politics, Siblings, and the Kingdom of Love

I'm interrupting my series of posts for helping restructure the brain as part of the renewing of the mind, because I want to share some thoughts as we head into the 2012 election. I'm writing this without time to edit and polish or qualify, so I trust the reader to be generous-hearted and discern the spirit of what I'm writing even though it's poorly articulated. The topic of politics has many layers and dimensions to it; I'm addressing only one issue concerning it.

In American politics we have a two-party (mainly) system which over time has deteriorated into extreme polarization. What used to be relatively "conservative" and "liberal" thinking (each with its strengths and weaknesses) has become "right" and "wrong" in the minds of those strongly attached to one or the other party. If you lean Republican, the Republicans are "right" and the Democrats are "wrong"; if you lean Democrat, the Democrats are "right" and the Republicans are "wrong."

My point in this post is not to figure out how to extricate ourselves from this political quagmire, but to express the prayer and desire in my heart for myself and my American "siblings" (Jesus followers).

Fallen humans are hopelessly bent towards seeing everything through the lens of "right" and "wrong". We who are in Christ have been given an entirely different set of eyeglasses through which to look at and understand life. The former way of seeing is to operate out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as our source; the latter way of seeing is to operate out of the tree of life as our source. To live and operate from the tree of life is to live in the transcendent place of love where life isn't measured according to right and wrong but according to the life of Christ Jesus where all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (Col. 2:3).

I have three wonderful biological siblings for whom I am increasingly grateful with each passing year. Each one has proven him/herself to be a faithful and loyal follower of Jesus. And yet we don't all see American politics through the same lens for a variety of reasons. However, because we recognize that we are citizens of another country (God's kingdom) where self-giving love is the law of life, we relate primarily as such citizens, rather than as citizens of the US. In this way, love wins, and relationships stay strong.

In the same way, all of us who follow Jesus must learn to relate as "spiritual siblings", brothers and sisters of another nation, the kingdom of God. If a brother leans in a different way politically in this "foreign nation" where we live now, it's imperative that I remember where my true citizenship lies and love and respect my spiritual sibling as one who is just as desirous of the best as I am when it comes to worldly political positions. Or if he chooses not to engage in the political process at all, to accept that he is doing so with best intentions for society's well-being. As we approach this election, if we make the effort to actively embrace our spiritual siblings, no matter what their political convictions, and if we remember that our spiritual brothers and sisters all over the world (who don't think the same as we do politically) are more a part of us than those who may agree with our political persuasions in the US, then we will transcend the pettiness that draws us in when a particular political stance becomes too important to us; therein the world will know we are Jesus' disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35).

Self-giving love is the law of God's kingdom, and Jesus' call to His followers is to live now according to that law. So when political differences arise, even if I could win an argument, it doesn't mean that I should. Operating out of the life of Jesus means that self-giving love rules, not being "right". Or, if it's appropriate to make my point, it must be done in the way of love, which means that I don't respond in a way that crushes or belittles my brother or sister nor with a desire to prove that I'm "right." In the kingdom where God (who is Love) rules, preferring others is of more value than being "right." This is costly for us fallen ones who have eaten of the forbidden fruit of knowing right and wrong apart from Jesus and who consequently want desperately to be "right", but it is the life-giving way of the tree of life, the cross of Jesus. After all, this short journey in a foreign country is where we learn the way of the kingdom of love and become like the King.

Following are some practical things that may help us keep perspective as we enter this final week before the election:

1. Motivated by love, make the effort to not couch your position in spiritual-sounding language that implies that God is on one particular side so if your brother or sister is voting differently than you, they are "wrong" and against God. (There really are legitimate reasons why good and faithful followers of the Lamb are on both sides of the political divide and why some don't engage in it at all.)
2. Motivated by love, ask the Lord to help you remember to invest time and heart in praying for the candidates that you are not for, speaking and praying blessing over them (amazing how that begins to soften the heart towards the perceived "enemy").
3. Motivated by love, if you believe you should vote, pray as you vote, consciously acknowledging that your citizenship is in the kingdom of God and that your hope is in His rulership even in this upcoming election. In this way, your heart is guarded and protected from anger (if your candidates lose) or false hope (if your candidates win).

As for me, for relatively well-thought-out reasons and motivated by love (as best I can know my heart), I won't be voting; but many of my siblings in Christ will vote and will vote for opposing parties; I honor and love and thank God for you! Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus!

Restructuring the Brain - Integration Exercise #3

Continuing the series on simple exercises to help restructure the brain, this is another suggested integration exercise (see explanation in the first of the series: http://nitasbookclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/restructuring-brain.html). As is the case with the other two exercises, this one comes from Dr. Curt Thompson's book, The Anatomy of the Soul.

Unlike the other two, this exercise requires the participation of others:

Autobiographical Narratives
"Consider gathering with a group of two or three trusted friends. Encourage each other to write your individual autobiographies, and then share them with each other. For this to be successful, you may need to meet together for sixty to ninety minutes weekly or biweekly over several weeks or months. There is no perfect formula. What is important is that you are in a group of committed folks who are willing to share their stories as they are. As you proceed, invite God to reveal to each of you not only more about your story, but more about his story - his feelings, thoughts, and images of his mind - as well.

"Pay attention to the nonverbal as well as verbal aspects of the stories that are being read. Participants also need to pay attention to what they feel - the emotions that are evoked within them as they hear each other's stories - and to honor those feelings, being careful never to ignore them but rather permitting these feelings to generate questions they might ask the storyteller.

"Use the five forms of interrogatories...: who, what, where, when, and how. Each question seeks information the listener does not know; more important, expressing them adds to a storyteller's experience of being known.

"When listening to another's story, asking these questions opens the door for the storyteller to reflect on particular facts without becoming emotionally activated by the more charged query of why. Both the storyteller and his or her listeners are able to create deeper bonds of intimacy in a predictable, trustworthy, and safe fashion."

Restructuring the Brain - Integration Exercise #2

We're continuing to look at some simple integration exercises to help restructure the brain. (See the first post in this short series: http://nitasbookclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/restructuring-brain.html) In this post I'm sharing a second suggested exercise taken from Dr. Curt Thompson's book:

Centering exercise

"One simple exercise that doubles as a helpful meditation practice is to choose one of the nouns listed as the outgrowth of a Spirit-filled life in Galatians 5:22 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Focus your attention on that word daily, throughout the day. Feel free to create images in your mind that represent that word.

"Dedicate seven consecutive days to focus on each word, continuing to cycle through all nine on an ongoing basis. Whenever you encounter another person or sense an emotional shift that tempts to take you down the low road, allow yourself to be immersed in your awareness of your word for the day. Be mindful how that word is calling you to reflect and manifest it in that moment - especially when your mind is screaming for you to do just the opposite. Ask yourself how you can be a conduit of joy, peace, patience, or gentleness in this moment. This exercise will not only facilitate the integration of your own prefrontal cortex, you will be doing the same for those around you..."

Restructuring the Brain - Integration Exercises #1

As I mentioned in my previous post (http://nitasbookclub.blogspot.com/), the restructuring of the brain is critical in the renewal of the mind. I am following up with a few posts to give some simple and practical exercises that help integrate and focus the brain in different ways. These exercises are taken from Curt Thompson's book, The Anatomy of the Soul, which I quoted from last week.

This suggested practice in this post is an "attention exercise" designed to train the brain to concentrate and focus:

"While sitting comfortably in a chair, take a deep breath and then allow the focus of your attention to find the center of the room (not the center of the floor or ceiling, but the center of the entire room's volume). Maintain this for about 30 seconds. Then, without interruption, allow the focus of your attention to shift to an area on the wall opposite where you are sitting; allow your attention to remain there for approximately 30 seconds. Next, again without interruption, allow the focus of your attention to return to the center of the room, holding it for 30 seconds. Then, without using your hands as a visual guide, allow the focus of your attention to shift to the space in front of you, the distance from you at which you would hold a book to read it, holding this space in your attentional frame for 30 seconds. Finally, allow the focus of your attention to return to the center of the room, holding it for 30 seconds."

Thompson encourages this to be practiced daily as often as one can do it. More frequent, shorter sessions during the week will do more for the prefrontal cortex interconnectedness than longer, less frequent sessions in a week.

"This demonstrates to my patients that they actually can control their attention, while illustrating how difficult it can be to create something and then focus on that same something in your mind. The 'center' of the room is an example of this and can be challenging at first. This exercise is a good beginning meditation practice..."

Restructuring the Brain (or the Renewing of the Mind)

In the book, The Anatomy of the Soul, Dr. Curt Thompson writes about the "surprising connections between neuroscience and spiritual practices that can transform your life and relationship."  (http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Soul-Connections-Neuroscience-Relationships/dp/141433415X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349964671&sr=8-1&keywords=anatomy+of+the+soul)
The studies of the human brain are bearing out the value of prayer and the spiritual disciplines that God's people have practiced for centuries.

In this post I will quote a portion of this book, then in the next few weeks I plan to share simple practices that he suggests to help restructure the brain, which is necessary for genuine transformation in our lives. It's what the scripture calls the "renewing of the mind."

In Chapter 9 ("The Prefrontal Cortex and the Mind of Christ") Thompson says the following, which is the conclusion of his look at Psalm 86:11 "Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.":

"Last, the psalmist reveals his understanding of the natural direction in which his petition leads: 'that I may fear your name.' In this context, the word fear does not refer to our brain stem's predominant reactivity to a threat, or our mindless fearful implicit memory. Instead, this refers to being overwhelmed with awe in the presence of God's power and beauty. This beauty is so deep that it would be painful were it not tempered by reliance 'on your faithfulness' to create eyes to see with 'an undivided heart.'

"The contemplative tradition suggests that to be so acutely aware of God's beauty in anything leads to awareness of God's beauty in everything, save that which is evil. Thus, we see God's beauty and presence in those people whom we consider to be our enemies, as well as in the brokenness and chaos of this world. And we are compelled to become agents of mercy and justice where they are so desperately needed. It is not difficult to see how a differentiated, undivided heart leads to differentiated, undivided communities.

"The creation of an undivided heart, an integrated prefrontal cortext, leads to justice, mercy and humility...Journeying on the high road...is not an exercise limited to what happens in our individual minds. It affects us as groups of people.

"The great myth of modernity as it applies to neuroscience is that we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We can attain ultimate mindful peacefulness and, by extension, cultural utopia without an Ultimate Other to save us from ourselves. The ongoing terrorism, global warming, mounting third world debt, along with our own proclivity for insatiable consumption, should quickly wake us from that daydream..."

Ground of Confidence in Prayer

C.S. Lewis said something to the effect that it is a much safer practice to meditate on the love of God for us than to meditate on our love for God. This is true, of course, because our love for Him flounders and is weak, but His love for us is strong and unrelenting and unending.

The Scriptures are full of different ways of encouraging God's people to depend and trust in His unfailing love for us. Ultimately this is the only place of peace and rest for the human soul. When all looks hopeless and impossible in the natural, we find rest in knowing that God is love and that He will not relent nor quit in His pursuit of us and in His pursuit of those that we pray for.

He is an all-consuming Fire of desire for weak humans, and He is filled with divine energy to tirelessly seek and chase us down! This is where I find my confidence in prayer for myself and for others - not in my zeal nor my intercession nor my efforts nor my love, but in His unrelenting zeal, His unceasing intercession, His divinely initiated works, and His selfless love. The cross of Jesus is the highest expression of this reality in God, and this is the solid ground on which I plant my feet when my zeal falters and I'm surrounded with impossible situations. If my focus and trust is in my love for God, I will be discouraged; if I meditate and trust in His love for me and for those I pray for, my heart will be strengthened to believe and to remain steady even while trembling.

All praise to God, the Father and Son and Holy Spirit! May His name be known and loved by more men and women and children because we, His own, trust in His steadfast love to accomplish it...He is worthy!