These days, I find that much of my deepest theological reflection is inspired by two sources: people’s stories and the work of artists—whether musical, literary, or visual. Theology school never really prepared me for this—in fact, most of the conventional education I received moved in the opposite direction. It was an extended exercise in definition and precision, developing expertise and certainty. But the older I get, the more I value grayscale and ambiguity, the ways in which God appeals to our imaginations and invites our lived response, frequently challenging that certainty we held along the way.
When was the last time you were deeply moved by an encounter with someone’s story and found your capacity for compassion increased because of it? Have you ever encountered a work of art and felt it carve out a new space inside of you, one you might not even have words for yet?
I was particularly moved recently by the Carnegie Museum of Art’s International Exhibition, titled, "Is it morning for you yet?" Instead of wishing "good morning," Mayan culture asked if it was indeed morning—a new beginning—for the person being greeted. Perhaps they were mourning, or in transition, or at the end of their day. Perhaps the light was dimming for them rather than growing. It’s a beautiful, sensitive greeting, one that takes into account the experiential truth of the other rather than assuming things. And as the exhibition demonstrated, sometimes those truths are challenging to encounter.
Our upcoming events all attend to the importance of stories and other expressions of experience. Sometimes it’s the stories of others that demand our compassionate attention; sometimes it’s our own. Karen Scheib’s lecture will invite us to imagine how re-storying our lives can restore them, especially in the wake of loss. Our Kelso lecturer, Starsky Wilson, will help us be better neighbors as we work on issues of anti-racism. And our Wise Women sessions on Feb. 16 and Feb. 23 address self-care and pilgrimage, the twin journeys inward and outward that renew and sustain.
I think of all those remarkable times when Jesus paid close attention, particularly to those voices from the margins of his context—the Canaanite woman, the Samaritan woman at the well, those with illness and infirmity at the city gates. The Gospels tell us that these encounters moved him to compassion and, sometimes, changed his mind; even he needed his imagination expanded! Us, too.
Peace,
Helen Blier
Director, Continuing Education
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