Pope Francis: The Ultimate Zen Christian

 

 

In The Zen Christ, a book I’m writing that merges the teachings of Christ with the practice of Zen, there is a clear delineation of the two concepts; one of religion and one of philosophy. The book explores the type of Christianity practiced by Christ and his followers as a type of muscular Christianity that embodies mindfulness as well as active participation.

 

Zen Christianity is a Thinking Man’s Christianity when it is used to apply the teachings of Christ in everyday life. The goal is not to become one with Christ, who is the acknowledged Son of God for all Christians, but to live a life that follows his teachings and constantly strives to acknowledge our sins and to learn to love one another.

 

Zen Christianity works to define and to dilute Christ’s work to the essence and the spirit of the man who was Jesus Christ. In Pope Francis, the living example of one who strives to define and to exude the spirit of Christ is on full display.

 In Francis’s doctrinal universe, we learn to dilute the message to the bare bones:

 ·         1) Practice the Golden Rule: Follow the Commandments of the Lord, your God, and go forth and love your neighbor as you would yourself.

 

·         2) The Meek shall inherit the Earth: The Earth is a sacred sphere. And in this sacred space, we must nurture all those who inhabit the earth. No one is above us or beneath us. One only has to witness Francis’ ritual washing of the prisoners’ feet.

 

·         3) Build your house on a rock. Have a strong, solid foundation of faith in your life. If you are busy in the world of commerce and trade, remember that God’s house is waiting for you and you must never lose sight of the value of love in your life.
 

In my own Presbyterian Church, there is a beautiful stained glass window depicting Christ holding a lantern. It’s centered in the front of the sanctuary where we worship. Below is the simple inscription, “Behold, I stand at your door and knock.” The essence of Christianity is its simplicity. In Francis, we find this complete return to basics of a religion stripped of ideology and complex philosophical design.

 

In essence, Pope Francis is the messenger that we have needed for some time. His message is a simple one of love and faithfulness in a world of pain and disillusionment. Francis is the pure essence of Christ on earth, and he is the Zen Christian on a pilgrimage. All we need to do is open our hearts and minds to Christ’s messenger on Earth.

The Cosmos and Christianity: A simple and complex vision

Luke 21: 29-33

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

In the new Cosmos series, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson speaks of the Big Bang, the creation of the universe, the formation of the planets, the evolution of man and the eventual destruction of the stars and all that exists. That is the nature of the universe. It shouldn’t be news to Christians. Jesus is telling us this also.

We believe in the second coming of Christ. It is prophesied in the Bible and Christians live a daily existence mindful of his presence and his words to his followers. He tells us that the Kingdom of God is at hand. We do not have billions of years of existence to learn how to be the best we can be. In Cosmos, Dr. Tyson tells us we humans are in existence in only the last seconds of the last minute of the entire existence of Creation. We are all God’s creatures, and we must be mindful of our place in the scheme of things. God is still the Creator of all. We have always known we are small and insignificant in many ways in accordance with the Grand Plan. Yet Jesus taught us how to be the best we can possibly be. That is to learn to love one another, and to use our time on this earth to take care of ourselves and others.

The reasoning is simple in the Grand Scheme of Things. That is the beauty of His message to us. You must love one another with all your heart and rather than covet worldly possessions, you should work to help those in need and to live with the end in mind. That is what Christ was telling us-not that we are all small and insignificant creatures. We already know that we are but a cog in the wheel of the universe.

Yet he tells us that we can become great and unique individuals, and that we are capable of doing great things. That is the message that we hear. This is a great and a glorious message. It is a positive one. That is what I take-away: Christianity is a joyous and positive religion with a message of Redemption and Forgiveness. Sadly, not everyone feels the way I do about Christianity.

 Once I read a quote from a famous actress who was distressed that Christianity was not a “cheery”religion. That has always baffled me, as we see Jesus as a man of great strength of character. Cheery is not a good way to describe Jesus. Yet he was so much more than that.

Jesus was a man of great character, capable of great kindness. But he was also a leader of men who inspired deep and abiding devotion and love within his band of disciples and loyal followers. There is a hard road for many in this life, yet Jesus saw a way to help those around him in need. He also pointed out the way to Heaven. He told us not to build up treasures on Earth, but to walk out into the world and explore it. He wanted us to use our gifts and to share our knowledge and bounty with others. His world vision presented a full and balanced life. Fun and laughter were also a part of that vision, with pain and suffering seen as a part of the circle of life. That is the way and the truth for Christians.

Simple and complex is the vision Christ gives us. That is life as we see presented in the world of the Cosmos TV series. It is also the world of science. It is the natural world and it is the real world. That also happens to be the vision that Christ has for us. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Father: We know we are but a small part of the glory of your vision of Creation. You chose to give us life, to bring us a message of love and peace given to us by your Son, Jesus Christ. We are grateful in this season of Lent for the sacrifices and the suffering, the joys and the sorrows, the laughter and the pain that we know as Life. That is part of our lives, and we can live each day with strength and grace because of Christ, who died for our sins. Thank you and help us to be mindful every day of who we are in the Grand Scheme of Life. Thank you for providing the vision and showing us the way. You are the daily guide we need to show us how to live and of the great and positive differences we can make in our lives and the lives of others. In Christ’s name-Amen.

November -The Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount-November

 

The Attitude of Jesus Toward the Law:  Jesus was teaching “to the test”. My great-grandmother used to use this wonderful phrase about getting ready for “the finals”. In life, Jesus taught that we live with a dichotomy within ourselves. There is the self that lives by the rule of laws that are man-made. These are “Caesar’s laws”.  Then there are the Ten Commandments:

1) Thou shall have no other Gods but me; 2) Thou shall not have any idols before you, nor make or bow down to any idols; 3) Thou shall not use the name of the Lord in vain; 4)  Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy; 5) Honor thy Father and thy Mother; 6) Thou Shalt Not Kill; 7) Thou shall not commit adultery; 8) Thou Shalt Not Steal; 9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; 10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor or thy neighbor’s wife, nor anything that belongs to thy neighbor.

 

These were the laws that Moses brought down from the mountain and were taught to Jesus and by Him to others. He simply said to follow God’s law.

 

The Law on Murder: Jesus says, “Don’t be a ‘Rebel without a cause!” Don’t let passions rule your life. If you use reason and temperance, cooler heads shall prevail.

 

Reconciliation with Friends: (and Enemies): You can’t go through life carrying anger and harboring resentments if you want to practice Christian Living. Learn to forgive and heal yourself.

 

Law on Adultery: Pretty simple, Jesus said, “Just say No!”

 

The Law on Divorce: Jesus sets Marriage up as a commitment for Life.  In today’s society where one out of two marriages now end in divorce, this is a serious matter to contemplate when thinking about getting married!

 

Law on Oaths: In today’s society, this may be the most difficult of all! I suggest the old idea where you put a nickel (a quarter or a dollar with inflation!) into a jar for each time you swear. This may get to be a healthy savings account or a nice trip before you decide to stop, but it just may stop you!

 

Law on Revenge: Practice this with people you really don’t like! If you have been sued or in a heated argument or disagreement, (or a divorce!)...or have worked with people you don’t want to see outside of work, practice this-Don’t give short shrift to anyone who asks for help. Remember the old adage: “Walk a mile in their shoes”. Try to put yourself in their position and give to him that asks.

 

Love for One’s Enemies-Sure, it’s easy to love your friends and families. And people who like you! How about those “other” people? Do you know your true capacity for love? Go the extra mile. This may be the hardest thing for a human to do, but it is the essential part of Christian Living.

 

Pious works: Don’t show off. Period. The antidote for braggadocio is to take a big daily dose of humble pie!

 

Almsgiving: Hypocrisy and hypocrites! I believe they may be the worst thing in Jesus’ estimation. You should learn how to give of yourself and to others, but not to make a big, huge deal about it!

 

 

 

Introduction to The Zen Christ website: Monthly Goals from "The Guide Book for Christian Living"

*Note: Originally published online in 2007 by Mary L. Johnson, the "Guide Book for Christian Living" is reprinted here on a monthly basis as part of The Zen Christ website.

 

 

*Introduction

 The purpose of this book was based on my long-time interest in self-esteem. After working as an educator, I had attended a workshop on self-esteem that left everyone feeling great about themselves. That translated to an interest in developing and working on programs about raising self-esteem. The Goals Book evolved as a result of this. Goals are, in my humble opinion, something that everyone needs in order to achieve anything in life and have a true sense of self-worth.

 While I was researching a book on self-esteem goals, I actually had a friend who said to me, “First, you have to let people know what a goal ‘is’.” I was left with a rare loss for words! I couldn’t imagine anyone not knowing what a goal is.  I have always had goals in my life and I live in a family of over-achievers who thrive on setting the bar very high for themselves and  everyone around them.

  But after thinking about it, I realized she was right. Some people may never have encountered the “five-year” rule where you plan your life and envision where you’d like to be “five years from now”. Some people wander through their lives and clash into problems and relationships and make routinely poor decisions over and over again. Others map their lives out like generals planning an invasion, with charts and calendars and memo books. How many people set goals for their lives and actually live their lives following a plan? I wondered a lot about that. And it worried me because I knew a young man who died without realizing his dreams and ambitions because of poor decisions and low self-esteem.

 I thought about other young girls and boys  who have so many problems that seem to stem from a lack of caring and feeling good about themselves.  These types of problems often manifest themselves in drugs and violence and poor lifestyle choices for teens and young adults.

 

After starting to write this book,  I was gathering information from different sources, including the self-help gurus. But the writings that were most prominent and most satisfactory in everyday problem-solving were the writings from scripture. And after looking at the source, the only logical teacher for these and all of life’s problems was and is Jesus Christ.

  Jesus Christ was known as “teacher” to his followers.  He was the “beloved counselor” to so many that it became obvious that we need to invoke his teachings in any guide for everyday living. If the Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom, then the New Testament Gospels can be seen as the “Reader’s Digest” for the common man!

  “The Goals Book” is a monthly guide for everyday living. It can be used by devout Christians and anyone interested in studying and following the teachings of Jesus. The applications of his teachings serve as a contemporary guidepost that is relevant for the here and now.

 

 In my opinion, self-esteem awareness is an important aspect in every person’s make-up and spiritual growth.  And the only human that ever lived with a completely balanced psyche and spiritual make-up was Jesus Christ. Jesus also taught others to live as He did.  Through his parables, one can take away something every day and every hour of every year to obtain a better understanding of Christian values and ideals.

 

 Here is a guide book for Christian Living. Let your goals be set through out the New Year as you strive for a deeper understanding of your life as a Christian. And as the year progresses, we can all strive and learn knowing that as imperfect as we are, we are loved and our journey to share in His love will never end!

 

Excerpt from Goals Book for Christian Living-September

The Lamp-September

 

 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16 (Luke 8:16-18, Mark 4:21)

 

Let your light shine! Is this a contradiction if we are to be humble and at the same time boast about our “good works”?  No, because we don’t boast about our good works, but we must put ourselves out there so men can “see” our good works!

 

If we have a talent, we must use it. “Whole body” Christianity takes effort. We can’t sit in a darkened room and brood if we are to carry on the Lord’s work. Genius, as they say, is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. So if we are to fulfill the Lord’s plan for us and for mankind, we must use our lives and put forth the best effort. We cannot go about the act of living in a half-hearted and faint attempt to shield ourselves from pain and suffering.

We must engage in life as a contact sport.  The “light” is our lives and it is also the light of full disclosure. If we live our lives with dark secrets in our souls, we cannot go about the business of our Lord. Full disclosure means that we must, above all, be true to ourselves and not live a lie. We cannot live our lives trying to please others and trying to become someone we don’t know and don’t even want to know or like!

Truth begins with self. Look at yourself in the mirror and critique your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t fudge or lie about what you alone know about yourself. Then go about using your strengths and even your weaknesses to shine a light on what you know you can do well.

Others will know the truth of your life in your works and your deeds. Jesus was not into “phonies” or weak-willed characters.  Strength of character is not something that comes to one overnight. It is a trait to be developed and molded and emulated. You can begin today to shine your light before others that they may know your good works!

 

Father: Teach me to shine my light upon the world. Show me how I may best serve the Lord through my strengths. Help me to overcome my weaknesses and know my true worth as one of God’s servants.  Help me to be honest with myself and others. Help me to know myself.

Show me the way to nurture the best in myself and one day mentor others. Help me to become a role model for others.  Teach me how to use my whole self and learn how to master “Whole-body” Christianity. Amen.

 

Monthly Goals & Reminders

 

· Make a pledge that you will reveal and display your best attributes and strengths.

· Reminder:  At church and in your community, you should do something that you have

       been putting off or have feared.  Don’t hide your light anymore!  You have Jesus’

       permission not to be afraid.