No authentic spirituality comes from being "against something"
"Criticism and polemic ism are mortal enemies of the spiritual life." - Valentin Tomberg
In "Meditations on the Tarot", Tomberg, in the role of the anonymous friend, expounds on the meanings of the stories(arcana) within the fascinating icons called the Tarot cards, the ancient mystical divining rods of hermits and soothsayers. Within this book are myriad nuggets of truth, waiting for those who would but mine them.
"A complete change of of the inspiring and motivating source of will takes place when a person or spiritual movement becomes engaged in the way of rivalry--and with it the criticism and polemic ism that it comprises."
"There is no authentic spirituality which owes its origin and existence to opposition or rivalry."
As I ponder on these issues, I realize that it has effect on my own spiritual life and development.
I grew up in East Texas in the fifties and sixties, when "Southern Baptist church ways of working and worshipping" were at their apex. The Cooperative Program was "the way" for evangelical mission and unity between autonomous and congregational churches across the country--mainly in the South. After the time of unity(approximately 80 years), when the denomination grew strong with gigantic funding, publishing houses, seminaries, and other institutions like Ridgecrest and Glorieta- beautiful mountain conference centers, a strategy was launched by some conniving and shrewd men, to cast aspersions on the beliefs, motivations and teaching methods of many academics and some of the pastoral leadership of the denomination, seeking divisiveness amongst people and churches, and eventually, takeover. Enough has been said and written about this conspiratorial occurrence. It is now a fact of recent history. I write this post, not to focus on the attitudes and the behaviors that spawned that phenomenon, but to consider its spiritual implications.
I am now not at all desirous of dwelling on the pains and losses suffered by the well meaning, open folks who were slandered, mistreated and scandalized by this conspiracy. The pain and the unfairness of those times remains, and I do not minimize their effect.
What I want to guard against is building a movement or a theological posture of "being against" any other group of Christians, or churches.
What Tomberg is saying is so verifiable and true. Whenever I become critical, and focus my thoughts and actions in criticism of the behaviors of others, I squelch the power and strength of the Holy Spirit in my own heart and soul. John the Apostle said that "God is Love". When I act in ways other than love, I am quenching the fire of the Spirit in my soul, and that does not lead to spititual growth, but spiritual death.
Therefore, while I mourn the loss of the unity between people and churches that had been a great strength of the Southern Baptist way of evangelism, I cannot allow the in-fighting that took place to have any effect on my faith, or spiritual vitality, or relationships with other Christians. That indeed would be a tragedy.
In "Meditations on the Tarot", Tomberg, in the role of the anonymous friend, expounds on the meanings of the stories(arcana) within the fascinating icons called the Tarot cards, the ancient mystical divining rods of hermits and soothsayers. Within this book are myriad nuggets of truth, waiting for those who would but mine them.
"A complete change of of the inspiring and motivating source of will takes place when a person or spiritual movement becomes engaged in the way of rivalry--and with it the criticism and polemic ism that it comprises."
"There is no authentic spirituality which owes its origin and existence to opposition or rivalry."
As I ponder on these issues, I realize that it has effect on my own spiritual life and development.
I grew up in East Texas in the fifties and sixties, when "Southern Baptist church ways of working and worshipping" were at their apex. The Cooperative Program was "the way" for evangelical mission and unity between autonomous and congregational churches across the country--mainly in the South. After the time of unity(approximately 80 years), when the denomination grew strong with gigantic funding, publishing houses, seminaries, and other institutions like Ridgecrest and Glorieta- beautiful mountain conference centers, a strategy was launched by some conniving and shrewd men, to cast aspersions on the beliefs, motivations and teaching methods of many academics and some of the pastoral leadership of the denomination, seeking divisiveness amongst people and churches, and eventually, takeover. Enough has been said and written about this conspiratorial occurrence. It is now a fact of recent history. I write this post, not to focus on the attitudes and the behaviors that spawned that phenomenon, but to consider its spiritual implications.
I am now not at all desirous of dwelling on the pains and losses suffered by the well meaning, open folks who were slandered, mistreated and scandalized by this conspiracy. The pain and the unfairness of those times remains, and I do not minimize their effect.
What I want to guard against is building a movement or a theological posture of "being against" any other group of Christians, or churches.
What Tomberg is saying is so verifiable and true. Whenever I become critical, and focus my thoughts and actions in criticism of the behaviors of others, I squelch the power and strength of the Holy Spirit in my own heart and soul. John the Apostle said that "God is Love". When I act in ways other than love, I am quenching the fire of the Spirit in my soul, and that does not lead to spititual growth, but spiritual death.
Therefore, while I mourn the loss of the unity between people and churches that had been a great strength of the Southern Baptist way of evangelism, I cannot allow the in-fighting that took place to have any effect on my faith, or spiritual vitality, or relationships with other Christians. That indeed would be a tragedy.
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