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The Mystery within... |
It was refreshing for me to hear Patty
Griffin tell how her patriarchal prejudices as a former Catholic were
challenged with her singing of old gospel songs in her music video, “The Making of a Downtown Church.” Her honesty
brought my disquiet, my prejudice, with religious language out in the
open. I am grateful for its exposure. Now I can ask the uncomfortable questions in
how to ameliorate my prejudice.
In “God Never Hurries” I wrote:
"My fourth unit
of Clinical Pastoral Experience helped make leaving a natural, easy step. What I learned so well in that unit was to respect where other
people are in their relationship to God and their belief system. I knew then I
could leave and respect those who chose to stay. That made it
easier. Years of deep-seated resentments evaporated when I walked away—a welcome blessing. I knew work in pastoral care would go nowhere unless I adopted a religious affiliation, which I have chosen not to do. I
told my fellow students that I would only work as a chaplain if I could claim
an ecumenical affiliation. It was suggested I create one."
So much of the
language of today’s Christianity is exclusionary that I find myself not even
using the name of Jesus who was the total opposite of exclusionary. So much goodness is overlooked within prejudice.
What if we all
questioned our prejudices?
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