3 Odd Connections

Last updated on: June 22, 2010 at 2:32 pm by David Hayward

3 Odd Connections 2010-06-22T14:32:43-04:00 David Hayward

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In a TIME interview, the Dalai Lama was asked, “How do you stay so optimistic and faithful when there is so much hate in the world?” He responded:

I always look at any event from a wider angle. There’s always some problem, some killing, some murder or terrorist act or scandal everywhere, every day. But if you think the whole world is like that, you’re wrong. Out of 6 billion humans, the trouble-makers are just a handful.

I would suppose that the Dalai Lama would base this conclusion of his on his observations. He can say this, even after having suffered persecution and exile. But I would also suggest that he reaches this conclusion because it is one of his basic tenants that people aren’t essentially evil but good.

This reminded me of my recent trip to Haiti. I became friends with Doug Pagitt. We were talking one day about the film The Book of Eli. After being exposed to such devastation and squalor, I said to Doug, “You know in The Book of Eli, like a lot of these post-apocalyptic films, where there is no order and everyone is raping and stealing and no one can be trusted… just complete anarchy and cruelty and fear? I don’t see that here. In a situation where there could be the post-apocalyptic scenario depicted in all these films, it isn’t occurring. All the people we see and meet and speak with are kind, gentle and open.” There were only one or two places where I didn’t feel safe. Doug agreed. This isn’t to say there aren’t rapes and theft and fear. Indeed these things are occurring on an increased scale and more security is needed. But it is not happening at the level unleashed fear-mongering would like to depict. It might lead me to suspect that people aren’t essentially evil but good.

I have been heavily influenced, and gladly, by Reformed Theology. Karl Barth is definitely one of my heroes. Throughout his theological career he emphasized the sinfulness of man and the sovereignty of God. No to man and Yes to God. But even Barth, near the end of his life, wished he’d emphasized more of the Yes to man. He eventually saw, embedded in his own theology, that Jesus’ Amen to God and God’s Yes to Jesus was man’s Amen to God and God’s Yes to man. Barth, days before he died, wrote to his theological nemesis Emil Brunner and said,

If he is still alive and it is possible, tell him again, ‘Commended to our God,’ even by me. And tell him, Yes, that the time when I thought that I had to say ‘No” to him is now long past, since we all live only by virtue of the fact that a great and merciful God says his gracious Yes to all of us.’

These were the last words Brunner heard in his life.

Remember the reflections I wrote on The Lucifer Effect? Dr. Zimbardo writes:

Ordinary people, even good ones, can be seduced, recruited, initiated into behaving in evil ways under the sway of powerful systemic and situational forces.

This might lend itself to the support of some who see human beings as essentially evil. I might’ve agreed. Not anymore. These three scenarios:

the Dalai Lama‘s and the Tibetan people’s plight;
Karl Barth‘s stubborn ‘No!’ to man throughout almost all of his theological career;
Zimbardo‘s famous Stanford Experiment labelled The Lucifer Effect…

In each of these scenarios they challenge the abuse of position, privilege and power. I will quote Zimbardo again:

I vowed to use whatever power that I had for good and against evil, to promote what is best in people, to work to free people from their self-imposed prisons, and to work against systems that pervert the promise of human happiness and justice.

Would not Barth, the Dalai Lama, and even God say the same?

Please join my newsletter by clicking HERE. Thank you!

Previous Post

June 22, 2010

New Miniature Landscape

Next Post

June 23, 2010 cartoon: Love Pool

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category art cartoons cartoons 2 freebie music one minute message podcast Sophia teaching technology thought

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 March 2006 February 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus feed the 5,000 with?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Manna and honey Loaves and fish Bread and wine Figs and water