Looking for Connections

As an integral explorer, I’m on the lookout for connections. I was first introduced to the concept of integral, as integral, in the writings of Ken Wilber. Later I was introduced to an application of integral in the community of postmodern Christianity by the writings of Brian McLaren. Brian McLaren in reading Ken Wilber says that what Ken calls integral, he calls ‘emergent’. I don’t know if Ken is aware of Brian’s work, but he should be.

Ken approaches integral from his particular perspective, that of a long time student of mystical traditions, particularly Eastern traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism. Brian approaches emergence from mystical Christianity, in what he calls post-protestant, post-evangelical. What both of them do in their presentations and practice is demonstrate an honoring of all traditions, looking for what is good and worthwhile in each. They do not overlook the shortcomings of any one perspective, but will emphasize the qualities that disclose our common humanity, and lead us toward deeper realization of the ‘mysterium tremendum,’ in however we perceive God. Ken speaks the language of Eastern philosophy, and Brian speaks the language of Biblical Christianity, but they are both speaking of integral exploration.

If you are so inclined to online research, the following links might be helpful:

http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/recommendations.html

http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/books/kosmos/excerptA/intro.cfm

http://true14.youthsite.org/index.cfm?PAGE_ID=51

http://www.integralnaked.org/whatsnew.aspx

http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/books/kosmos/excerptG/part1.cfm

http://agenerousorthodoxy.blogspot.com/

Hindsight

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do a little time travelling. I met with an old friend, someone I’ve known since the 7^th grade and who has shared many of life’s major pathways and transitions. We awakened sleeping memories, laughing, crying, and pondering how we have shifted our perspectives through 35 years.

My friend and I experienced a religious conversion, an awakening to the message of Jesus while both in the 9^th grade. My friend came from a Protestant background, from the Church of the Nazarene, and I came from the Roman Catholic Church. Culturally the atmosphere was sparkling with spirituality, the Jesus Movement was in full swing, George Harrison’s song “My Sweet Lord” was constantly playing on the radio waves, along with songs from Jesus Christ Superstar, and Godspell. The war in Vietnam, the political clash between the hawks and doves, and the cultural clash between mainstream and the counter culture was ripe, adding to the anxious apocalyptic expectation that all was soon to come crashing down, and the end of the world was at hand.

When we first opened our spiritual eyes to the message of Jesus, we were thoroughly excited, our mission was inclusive maybe even dangerously naïve. We were empowered by the message of love, and peace, and how these themes were good news seemingly resonating with the whole culture of young people. Looking back we recounted how by the 11^th grade we had been co-opted by established institutional evangelicalism, and our age of innocence was over. What started in mystique, ended in politique, and we began a dark descent into the valley of rigid fundamentalism. It was a slow gradual boil, not a quick descent, such that one could hardly recognize what was happening until it was too late. Fundamentalism made wormwood of our minds, with twisted doctrines, deception, and hypocrisy. When we began questioning and doubting what we were being fed, we did not have any ledge to hold us up, we were not aware of any orthodox source that gave support to our reservations, and by the time we were in college we eventually spit out the whole mess.

What tied my friend and I together spiritually was interest in an alternative tradition. I know what I’m about to say sounds strange, but it is exactly what happened … Buddhism saved my Christian Faith. By the word ‘faith’ here I’m not just referring to belief in doctrines, or propositional statements, but I’m referring to a way of being, and to quote James Fowler, “faith is an active ‘mode-of-being-in-relation to another or others in which we invest commitment, belief, love, risk and hope’ (Fowler & Keen, 1985:17).” Buddhism preserved the mystical passion that was about to go out with the bath water upon my disillusionment with evangelical Christianity. And it is the passion for the mystical that is calling me back to my spiritual roots, and finding new life there.

Looking back from where you've come, gives a different perspective to where you are, and to where you are headed.

Story of the egalitarian experiment:

I have been providing vocational/educational services for many years. After working for several agencies in various capacities dealing with vocational services, I got a wild hair to go out on my own and start a business providing these services. At first I structured the business as a sole proprietorship and worked out of my home. This went well for some time, but as the business began to grow, alone I couldn’t handle all the work that was coming in. So I decided to take on a partner. The business then formed a partnership. I did not want to become an employer, because in my egalitarian frame of mind, that kind of power structure was alien. My partner however convinced me that we needed clerical help, because the partnership was also growing. As the business grew, I convinced my partner that rather than hire more help, we should take on more partners. She conceded, as I can be fairly persuasive on occasion. We took on three more partners, and at the highlight had five partners and one clerical person in all. Of course the office was no longer in my home, we had moved to a downtown office early in the original partnership.

I was very suspicious of power structures, and wanted to make sure everyone was on equal footing as far as how the business was run. With five people we tried to run the company on a consensus basis. It was work, and not always fruitful either. Sometimes when we could not come to a consensus, the other partners would look to me for a final decision, which I loathed. I had already conceded that functionally I would take the title of president after we reformed into an S-Corp, but I looked at myself as merely a figurehead, not having real power. At least not wanting to exercise real power. But in the absence of leadership, a vacuum will be filled, and my cohorts gravitated toward me. So I intentionally pushed the agenda of consensus, and was even willing to go down with the ship if the consensus decision was against my better judgment and posed great risk. I would express my concern as a participating member, but would not exercise my position to control. The company has had its ups and downs. But I don’t think it’s any worse off for the position I took. However I believe that it takes a certain kind of person to function well in that environment of shared power structure. Almost all of my partners eventually left the company, and mostly because they couldn’t handle taking on the responsibility of their decisions. While they wanted the shared power, they also wanted someone else to be in control, especially when things were not going well.

Today there are only two partners, my wife and I, and we have several employees. I have had to modify my ethic of egalitarianism, because running a company requires that someone be in charge, and a consensus run company of more that five would grow increasingly impossible. Our current power structure resembles a family, a real “mom and pop” operation. We have practiced a multiple bottom line philosophy, where our highest profit is the welfare of the people we serve, and the people we hire to assist us in serving them. The financial bottom line merely serves as the lifeblood of the organization to maintain existence to perpetuate the goodwill we strive for. So far we have not become blood thirsty, nor do I think we are likely to. We have felt various pressures to grow bigger, but are resistant because we believe that to best maintain the priorities that we have chosen we need to keep small.

Introductions

Today I was browsing the Integral Naked website where featured this week is a conversation between Ken Wilber and Chantal Westerman. The most memorable quote came from a convict in prison where Chantal was doing drug/alcohol rehab work. A man intervened, between Chantal and a heckler, by offering a distinction between religion and spirituality by saying,

"Religion, that's for people who are afraid of going to hell. And spirituality, that's for those of us who've already been there...."

My search for a comprehensive, balanced, and inclusive way of being (integral), has been a spiritual journey, and not necessarliy a religious one. However it has taken on trappings of various religious labels. I am a late middle aged sojourner, who has made more mistakes along the way than I would have wanted to, but at this late date, want to share those things that I have found along the way that make sense or have been in some way enlightening, a blessing, or just simply helpful.

So if you like that kind of stuff, join me along the journey as from time to time I will post those kind of things. And feel free to comment and/or email me.

Good Journey