Ellyn sent me a link to this Sojourners article this morning. It is an interesting piece on prayer in modern times. However, the interviewee said something that made me think.
SOJOURNERS: Do you see the recovery of that type of prayer as particularly essential in the United States?
KEATING: I’m in favor of it in every country, actually. Every culture is deeply distorted by the human condition, and self-interest, and what the Bible calls the “old man,” in Paul’s words. Which in psychological terms might also be called the false self—which is the only self we know, but it’s the self that embodies all of the consequences of the Fall and hence is a program for unhappiness, for human misery.
“Every culture is deeply distorted by the human condition.” This is key, not just for Christianity, but for anyone to understand. The way in which humans are broken by self-interest distorts every aspect of ideological thought, especially in politics. We strive to complete good work, but good work is a rhetorical falsehood. There is no such thing as true good, as self-interest poisons everything that we do. Don’t get me wrong, we can do good things and work to make the world better, but we will never be able to see the pure realization of our ideological pursuits.
Now, as for the false-self. This assumes that there is a true-self, some sort of animalistic purity, untouched by the evils of the world. This might be the case. One communication theory identifies the two selves. The “me,” the generalized other we create, a personality which we act out, one that is an amalgam of all the societal pressures placed upon us. And, the “I,” a pure form of personality that is hidden behind what living in a society makes us. This, perhaps, is a pure form, it is free of the restraints society gives to us, the laws of religion that form our moral systems. And thus, these understandings are not innate to us, we can exist free from imposed laws, if only inside our own minds. Living as just the “me” or just the “I” cannot be successful. It is a mix we need.
So, if this “me” is what embodies everything of the Fall, everything that is wrong and broken about humanity, we cannot escape it. It is built into us because society placed it there. So, it makes sense we need to shut as much of society out if we choose to communicate with God. We must access the “I.” This makes sense for any religion, not just Christianity. This is what eastern meditation is, right?
So, perhaps this article is on to something. One way to bandage our political process is to activate a deeper connection with ourselves, a connection to God, if you will. This will allow us to put aside all of the socially created problems — racism, hate, judgment, false understanding — and focus on the pure ideology behind our policies and political decisions.
Mmm-hmmm. I knew you would pick up on the bit about the “false self.” This article and your comments made me think about what is the difference between prayer and mediation, or is there one. I think it might be focusing on something else/something outside of us vs. focusing deeply into ourselves. Actually, I’m not sure about that. This is an incomplete thought…
That is one seriously scary photo of the dude meditating… enough to scare you away from anything! -_-
- Mental Dribble.