Listening
If I had to use a single word to define what Quakerism (as I currently understand it) is all about, that word would be listening. The Quaker way is the way of listening. We spend time alone each day listening to God, and we gather in meetings to listen together.
The result of this emphasis on listening to God and being taught/shaped/discipled directly by Him is that we are gradually changed from the inside. These changes work their way from inside of us out to our external life; manifesting in peacefulness, truthfulness, humility and practical concern for others--things which Quakers are known for.
Listening means hearing deeply, internalizing and then taking action.
I'm coming to the realization that listening to God--and the resulting transformation which it brings--are the central theme of the Bible and at the heart of Christian theology. What is the root of sin but the failure to listen to God? What is discipleship and sanctification but the ongoing act of listening to God?
Take the story of Adam & Eve in Genesis 2 & 3: Their sin wasn't eating the fruit--that was just a manifestation of their sin. No, their real sin was listening to voices other than God. In the tale of the Garden, Adam & Eve had direct communion with God. God "walked in the garden in the cool of the day." God interacted with Adam & Eve and instructed them, including setting certain boundaries ("You can eat from all of these trees except that one."). Eve gets into trouble by listening to the serpent and Adam gets into trouble by listening to Eve. Both Adam & Eve make the same mistake: they follow the advice of another who is telling them to do what is contrary to what God has taught them.
To sin means to fall short. The Greek word translated as sin is hamartia which means "to miss the target." I don't believe in Original Sin (an Augustinian concept) but I do believe in Chronic Sin. The tale of the Garden provides a timeless metaphor of the error we all make. Though God is near, we instead choose to listen to other voices and, as a result, are led astray. The consequence we suffer is not Hell, but a self-imposed alienation from God. God responds to our failure and alienation with compassion.
This is why Jesus came. Jesus came to show what God is like. He said, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." He came to break down the alienation from God which we experience due to the plethora of "other voices" which we follow throughout our lives. We are literally "born into" sin because of the the entrenched power of the "other voices" and the build-up over countless generations of the effects of Chronic Sin.
But Jesus tells us ""Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29). When Jesus tells us to eat his body and drink his blood, He is not speaking of an external religious ritual but of imbibing Him--taking Him in--internalizing Him--being nourished and sustained by Him. We can do this through the intentional act of deep listening to Him.
The result of this emphasis on listening to God and being taught/shaped/discipled directly by Him is that we are gradually changed from the inside. These changes work their way from inside of us out to our external life; manifesting in peacefulness, truthfulness, humility and practical concern for others--things which Quakers are known for.
Listening means hearing deeply, internalizing and then taking action.
I'm coming to the realization that listening to God--and the resulting transformation which it brings--are the central theme of the Bible and at the heart of Christian theology. What is the root of sin but the failure to listen to God? What is discipleship and sanctification but the ongoing act of listening to God?
Take the story of Adam & Eve in Genesis 2 & 3: Their sin wasn't eating the fruit--that was just a manifestation of their sin. No, their real sin was listening to voices other than God. In the tale of the Garden, Adam & Eve had direct communion with God. God "walked in the garden in the cool of the day." God interacted with Adam & Eve and instructed them, including setting certain boundaries ("You can eat from all of these trees except that one."). Eve gets into trouble by listening to the serpent and Adam gets into trouble by listening to Eve. Both Adam & Eve make the same mistake: they follow the advice of another who is telling them to do what is contrary to what God has taught them.
To sin means to fall short. The Greek word translated as sin is hamartia which means "to miss the target." I don't believe in Original Sin (an Augustinian concept) but I do believe in Chronic Sin. The tale of the Garden provides a timeless metaphor of the error we all make. Though God is near, we instead choose to listen to other voices and, as a result, are led astray. The consequence we suffer is not Hell, but a self-imposed alienation from God. God responds to our failure and alienation with compassion.
This is why Jesus came. Jesus came to show what God is like. He said, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." He came to break down the alienation from God which we experience due to the plethora of "other voices" which we follow throughout our lives. We are literally "born into" sin because of the the entrenched power of the "other voices" and the build-up over countless generations of the effects of Chronic Sin.
But Jesus tells us ""Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29). When Jesus tells us to eat his body and drink his blood, He is not speaking of an external religious ritual but of imbibing Him--taking Him in--internalizing Him--being nourished and sustained by Him. We can do this through the intentional act of deep listening to Him.
"And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This is my beloved Son; listen to him.' And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only." (Mark 9:7-8)
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