On my most recent previous post I wrote that the effort to find common ground in our religiously and politically polarized time is a trivial pursuit. I suggested some examples where “common ground” is no longer possible to find because – like the Fountain of Youth or Xanadu – it does not exist. I suggested that the far better (as well as mentally and spiritually more fulfilling) journey on which to embark is to search for higher ground.
Higher ground is that spiritual place and space within each of us where we can pray for God’s grace on those who are enemies; enemies to all we think, or believe. Higher ground is also that spiritual place and space within each of us where we can experience God’s grace on our own lives and come to an acceptance of some of life’s hard realities. I want to name several.
It is a hard reality to discover that often on the most important, basic things, there is no common ground. Another is realizing that for all our best intentions and efforts there are things that we cannot fix, battles we cannot win, and people whose hearts and minds we cannot change.
Oh how I wish it were not true!
I wish it were not true because we all likely have a family member whom we love (or members), a neighbor, or a friend who seems to us to be immersed in a different reality. It is so very difficult to talk about much beyond the weather! This is why seeking higher ground and praying for them is so very important. Seeking higher ground is a spiritual discipline which takes the fire out of our hearts concerning those persons and puts the burning coals of anger in a far less damaging place.
Having written this previously and now however, I NEED TO CONFESS that getting to higher ground is never easy. It is always a very hard climb. Indeed, there are just so many times when the climb to higher ground seems like a climb to the top of Mount Everest with no training, proper equipment, or a trusted Sherpa to guide and assist us. In such times rather than climbing to higher ground, it feels far more satisfying to plant a flag self-righteously announcing, I’M RIGHT! I WIN! In such times it feels far more satisfying to take the “enemy” – whoever the ‘enemy’ is – and just bury that enemy in the ground on which they are standing, pee on it, and walk away. (Do I sound angry about something or someone)?
I would like to share an example. I suspect that you have some, too.
As is being reported in a number of media outlets across the country as I write this, yesterday (February 25) was the debate in the United States House of Representatives on amending, by inclusion, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the debated equality amendment to the Civil Rights Act, if passed by both houses of Congress, would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The amendment passed in the House by a vote of 224 to 206. BUT………
Among those who spoke AGAINST the amendment to ban discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people (LGBTQ) in such places as the workplace, housing and the courts, was Florida Republican, Greg Steube. In his rationale for opposing and voting against the equality act amendment provision he said, “it offends God to take on a sexual identity different from the one biologically assigned by God at birth.” AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
COMMON GROUND IS AN ABSOLUTE MYTH! IT IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY TO SEEK IT WITH PEOPLE WHO HOLD SUCH A COMPLETELY WRONG POINT OF VIEW AND A VIEWPOINT BASED ON SUCH A TRAGIC, UNDERSTANDING OF GOD…AND VERY LIKELY A VERY LITERAL AND WRONG INTERPRETATION OF THE HEBREW BIBLE.
As I write this, I am on the ceiling with internal upset and anger over Congressman Steube’s comment; a comment that betrays an intentionally chosen rejection of all knowledge of human sexuality, psychology, personality development, as well as genetic research and discovery. I am IRATE that there are folks CHOOSING to live in the ‘dark ages’ in regard to research and discovery into our knowledge of gender “assignment,” all the while basing such a ‘dark ages’ choice on “sexual identity …biologically assigned by God at birth!”
There is no common ground between me and Representative Steube and the millions who share his view. I can seek higher ground and pray for him…and others. I do. I must. I will. BUT IT IS SUCH A VERY HARD CLIMB! If I do not do this climbing the effects of being ‘on the ceiling’ in anger and outrage will continue to burn me up.
The meaning and blessing of Genesis 5:2 where gender is described as being created by God has nothing to do with human sexuality and Creator-assigned male and female roles! The Bible knows nothing of what is described today as the enormously complex reality of human sexuality. But what the Bible DOES KNOW AND TEACH is that gender is EQUALLY BLESSED by the Creator. I write it again, EQUALLY blessed.
There is no eternal, biblically revealed message of the unalterable nature of God-given, natal, gender assignment. The message is that gender identity is – in addition to being equally blessed – part of what it means to grow in our understanding of what it means to be HUMAN.
There is no common ground to be found between me and the point of view of the Mr. Steube-types of our time. Not only that, it is quite likely that the Steube-types could care less! After all, they have the church of American Civil Religion in which to pray and a great many like-minded congregants in the pews.
Lacking common ground, I must do the very hard, personal, spiritual work of praying for those who are ‘against’ me. If I do not climb – and keep on climbing – I will allow my heart and soul to continue to be in a state of being burned up until one day I will be burned out. It is painful to be on such fire. Not only that, I need to get off the ceiling and inhabit a far more useful space.