A Call to Action

You've been there. We all have. You know what it's like to walk into your place of worship, be greeted by someone you barely know, and have a seat in a pew or chair segregated from the body with your family or loved ones or by yourself. A deacon/elder stands to welcome you to their church. "We're glad you're here," he says. As you think about his statement, you look around the room. There are people yawning, looking down to avoid eye contact, and chatting with their "friends." Of course, there is the occasional good natured soul who interacts with you, but for the most part the place is as welcoming as the fans will be for our beloved Colts this weekend in Baltimore. This type of environment begs the question...What is the difference between these members of the church and the members of our community that are living happy, productive, socially-minded lives without Christ at the center of their worlds?

I began thinking about this question while watching a Barbara Walters special on Heaven (I know this programming for the more seasoned among us, especially with the host, but I gave it a shot anyway.) She was speaking to the 14th Dalai Lama on what he thought about life and the afterlife. I listened intently to what he was saying, but nothing was more telling about his outlook on life than the manner by which he spoke about it. It has been quite sometime since I have seen an individual with that much happiness exuding from them. She was constantly giving him accolades for being so loving, kind, and wise, and he kept laughing at her comments. He said something to the effect that he was nothing special. He is motivated intrinsically to live his life in the best way he sees fit. He does not seem to do it with a great sense of duty.

Shall we digress back to the church setting with the perspective that this man who does not claim his victories for Christ seems to have a much more sincere understanding of happiness than those folks who have successfully completed their duty by being "involved" at their weekly meeting time at our place of worship. Do we not have anything to be happy about? Do we not understand our cause? Is our commitment to worship so unimportant that we are willing to trivialize it by classifying it as a duty?

I feel very blessed to work in the school that I do. I am able to witness individual teachers on a daily basis model for me actions that at their very root are Christ-like actions. When I see a teacher spend extra time or set up extra individualized experiences for that student that everyone knows they don't quite see eye to eye with for the sake of that child's learning, I see Christ. When I see teachers staying after school until 6:30 pm waiting for a student's forgetful parents to pick them up after an activity after school that ended at 4:30, I see Christ. When I see hourly staff members staying and supporting a cause not because they are getting paid but because they believe in it, I see Christ. These actions done by multiple teachers everyday are not done because they want to do them, but they have no choice. I do not mean it is their duty given to them by a boss, but they are not able to think of the alternative. To them, if one student goes unnoticed, it is one student who could start falling through the cracks towards of life of disrepair. Their alternative options do not make them feel good inside. They became teachers to change the World for the better, and to choose the comfortable options in the scenarios I described would be against everything they hold true in their worlds. These actions are not their duty, they are their calling.

The purpose of my post is not to encourage everyone to become Buddhist teachers. Hopefully, you have been able to reflect on your commitments. Traditions are important, but they are not solely important. We all have duties, but they cannot be our only motivation for acting. The need for reform is ever-present. For it to be meaningful and affective, it must be brought with fury and conviction by a people called to action.

Food for thought:

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."

Albert Einstein

"9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them."

Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV)