Is it Christian?
Matthew 7: 21-23
A few years ago Barbara and I took a vacation to the island of Kauai in Hawaii. You all know that the standard Hawaiian greeting is “aloha.” What I found fascinating and beautiful was that aloha has a wonderful depth of meaning that is grounded in the foundations of indigenous Hawaiian spirituality.
“Aloha” is a greeting that means so much more than “hello.” The word is actually made up of two words. “Alo” means the “center or heart of the universe,” while “ha” refers to the spirit or breath of the creator. To extend “aloha” to another is to extend the wholeness of life to them in all of its permutations.
Last year, after we’d moved into our house, we were visited by a Native American woman friend, Victoria White Eagle. Victoria said a blessing for our house and as she concluded she used the Navajo word “hozho.” “Hozho” is another of those incredibly complex philosophical, religious, and aesthetic concepts. Roughly translated, it means “beauty.” But again, our English word doesn’t do justice because the notion of beauty being used is that of the most profound beauty of the universe. “Hozho” means that peace and harmony that makes the most of everything it touches. It’s a quality that comes from the inside and makes us the most we can be—which is the depth of beauty.
A third and similar notion that I like comes from the Hindu tradition. It’s that wonderfully simple salute of “namaste’” which means “the god in me salutes the god in you.” Typically the greeting is done with hands folded and a bow of the head. This is a greeting that recognizes the divinity and holiness of not only the one being greeted, but also of one’s self.
I sometimes forget that many folks aren’t as accepting of world spiritualities as I am. There have been a number of times when it has surprised me to learn that a person’s mind has closed as soon as they’ve heard that a word or concept has its origins in some other spirituality. I remember one conversation about the word “namaste” in which the person was claiming that it was inappropriate to use in the church because it was “pagan.” It didn’t seem to matter that Christians from India have adopted the phrase and use it regularly. She claimed that since it wasn’t in the bible, it wasn’t “Christian.
It distresses me that this vitally alive relationship with the holy that Jesus has introduced to us has been reduced to the status of a cultural talisman. If we wear a cross we’re safe—no matter that we’re doing drugs and abusing our kids. If we have “Christian” in the name of our broadcasting network and regularly pray on the air it means that we’re righteous—no matter that we spew hatred, promote war, and call for the assassination of disliked leaders!
An honest man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.
He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ' choose life' license plate holder, the ' what would Jesus do' bumper sticker, the ' follow me to Sunday- School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."
I have often been asked if I do “Christian counseling” and lately the same question has arisen about the coaching that I do. I’m always a little uneasy with the question because there’s no simple “sound-bite” answer. It’s like asking me if I listen to “Christian” music. I have to confess that I listen to very little Christian music. For the most part, I find the lyrics to be insipid and the tunes barely more interesting that “Mary had a little lamb.” The one place the “Christian” tag might be useful in music is with hip-hop or rap. It might signify that you could at least be spared being assaulted by obscenities and violence.
In answering the question about coaching and counseling, I will often start simply. Usually what the person is wondering is if I include an appreciation and understanding of faith in my approach. That’s an easy “yes.” Beyond that, I will distinguish between spiritual direction and coaching or counseling. Spiritual direction is a pastoral role that mutually explores relationship with god.
On the other hand, the counseling and coaching I do are “christian” in the broader sense of being grounded in the bedrock principles of competence, compassion, and understanding. I come to these principles through my faith, but these principles are universals that are addressed by all of the great spiritualities.
These principles, which run through all that Jesus taught, are centered on love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. This radical principle of love then has spin-offs, just as a hurricane spins off cyclones. The spin-off principles have to do with integrity, humility, forgiveness and the like.
Part of what I’m getting at is that integrity speaks against promoting things by calling them “Christian.” In many ways doing so, implies arrogance and an agenda that strikes me as manipulative. It also raises questions. Does Christian apparel shrink less than other? Does Christian jewelry not turn your finger green? Is a Christian attorney more competent in real estate law?
The story is told of a dozen members of a fishing club were chartering a flight into the backwoods of Canada for an outing. Out over the wilderness the pilot began having chest pains and called for the passengers to help. One fellow leapt up and said, “I’ll do it. I’m a Christian and I have faith that God will carry us through!” At which point another of the fishermen said, “Let’s vote, I’m an agnostic but I do have my pilot’s license.”
Jesus said, “let your yes be yes and your no be no.” Either there is competence or there isn’t. Either there is integrity or there isn’t. Attaching the name “Jesus” to the rear bumper of what ever we’re doing doesn’t mean that it’s of God.
Ultimately, it seems that we need humility in the matter. Is my coaching Christian? Well, it’s certainly my hope that what I do is in harmony with, and an expression of the compassion and understanding of Jesus. I certainly strive to bring my highest and best to the endeavor, but I don’t always know. I’m always learning. Ultimately it’s a judgment that can only be made in retrospect, and perhaps by a greater judge than I.
Discernment is sometimes difficult. The mind wants hard and fast definitions. The heart, on the other hand, looks deeper. The mind wants to build walls of separation; the heart wants to draw circles of inclusion. Jesus defined faith as ultimately being an issue of the heart—love of god, love of neighbor, and love of self.
As we go into the world let us look beyond the labels that put us into boxes— fundamentalist/liberal, conservative/radical, Muslim/Christian/Buddhist/Jew. Let us look to the heart and be people of the heart.
Namaste’—the god in me salutes the god in you
Hozho—may the beauty of spirit and the universe bless you.
Aloha—may life from the center of creation move in you.
Salam—god’s wholeness and peace bless you
Shalom—may the wholeness of your life be blessed by God’s peace
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