Social Work in the Absence of Faith

"the value of observation over judgment was lost upon her, lost as she thought that her life was really somewhere else, somewhere not in this and every moment."

 Discerning rather than judging is hard; often it's really hard. We are reminded in most all the spiritual traditions east or west, about the practice of openness, of emptiness and the great gifts it brings when we are empty to receive in the here and now. Our life is filled moment to moment with the world and ourselves, filled to the top.
The militancy of  persons engaged in 'social initiatives,' 'community action' or the like is unnecessary in Jesus' world. Often it arises in moments of fearfulness, places where 'voids in faith' prosper.
The Christ's strength came from within himself to be shared with all he came into contact with. His peace became their peace, and his love their own.

Jesus, the Christ, reminds us of this when we read the gospels which tell of his decided indifference to the character and style of an individual life. Tax collectors, despots, harlots and others, he was willing to treat them, to attend to the great commandment of love for one's neighbor.

Who is your neighbor? The gospel of Luke 10:30-37 gives some clues:
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who also stripped him and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead.  And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by. In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by.  
But a certain Samaritan, being on his journey, came near him: and seeing him, was moved with compassion: And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine over his wounds, and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  
And the next day he took out two pence and gave to the host and said: Take care of him; and whatsoever you shall spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay you.  Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to him that fell among the robbers?  He said: He that showed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do in like manner.

 It is not necessary to go far to meet one which you and your gifts may help. Neighbors are everywhere. If we are living in the "now moment," the present moment with its most pressing meaning, before long, we will come to understand our self first and our neighbor more clearly who is very human, like our self.
 It becomes clear that a thinking mind may observe and notice without casting stones or passing judgements. 

Questions, after all, are about listening. And they start conversations that may close gaps, increase confidence and strengthen community. Discernment and compassion in place of quick judgement is a valuable way to understand, and to love.

"If only we could be white as snow." 
-- sung by U2

The Way to Heaven

Stairway to Heaven

by Led Zeppelin

Listen Here

 There's a lady whose sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there, she knows if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there is a songbird who sings:
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.

And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow,
Don't be alarmed now,
Its just a spring clean for the May queen.

Yes, there are two paths you can go by but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
Your head is humming and it won't go,
In case you don't know:
The pipers calling you to join him.

Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know: Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
And as we wind on down the road,
Our shadows taller than our soul,
There walks a lady we all know.

Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard the tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all, yeah, to be a rock and not to roll.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

"And when he said this to them, he breathed onto them and said, 'receive the Holy Spirit." 
John 20:22

There is a stairway to heaven; deep in the story of the Holy Grail, the truth of this lyric becomes apparent; while a bit different in its telling, the group, Led Zeppelin appropriately tells what it is about the road to heaven, the stairway as they call it. "The piper is calling you to join him...your stairway lies on the whispering wind..."

Women, we are told in the Grail myth, are in closer relationship to their feeling, valuing side. They are not forced apart from it as many men experience, so "with a word she knows she can get what she came for." Wind is a symbolic element for the Holy Spirit. Then there is the shadow-energy. The darkness which obscures, a veil come down across the eyes. All these are familiar symbols in biblical language from the earliest times of the catholic, Orthodox Church in Europe.

And there are two ways to go. One may process a lifetime in darkness, in what the Buddha refers to as ignorance, or one may move towards what is light, towards the God or the great intelligence mind, of the world, the one who brings self knowledge and awareness to a soul. 
In this way, the usual way of the West, a man may through a progressing maturity, make contact with what is most important and what is most essential. He may find his true, inner self, a light reflecting outward what is in the Grail story, the contents of the Holy Grail vessel itself. 
This is contentment to the one who finds his way there. As for the Holy Spirit, that is the spirit-energy of love; the energy which animates one and makes one so exquisitely alive.

As for the stairway that LZ conceives of, it's not far off at all from that ancient tale. There are always 'Pipers calling you to join him,' the Spirit, if you will only listen; the spirit cries for leaving; the forests do echo with laughter and the birds sing from the hedge rows, because heaven is here on earth for those who look carefully for it. God is all around us; his creating spirit heralds the day.