Uncomfortable Questions

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?