Trinitarian thinking…
Recently I read “The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking” and while I am still processing the book there is something that keeps coming to my mind – a need for trinitarian thinking.
In the book, Martin argues the need for integrative thinking (that is the ability to hold diametrically opposite ideas in one’s mind at the same time) and this is very valuable. In religious terms I would say it is important for people (and very difficult for us) to be able to think in paradoxes. Jesus says the first will be last and the last will be first. Faith as a mustard seed can move mountains. Loose your life to gain it, gain your life by loosing your life. Paradox.
However valuable integrative/paradox thinking is, it seems to be only one leg of the tripod of thinking needed for Christians.
The other two legs being, Creative and Critical.
My wife is a very good critical thinker. She can look at a project and break it up into chunks in order to examine it very critically. She asks wonderful questions which make others see the project in a new light and she is able to tweak things in the project which many have missed. She has a very critical eye in the arts, child raising, and theology. The problem is, she is not that great at creating projects.
I find myself able to create projects. I love to try to design and create a large picture or vision which others can buy into and get excited about. I find myself shy of the details and not very interested in the minutia which would bring the project to life. I am not able to ask questions to the project in a way that critically examines the purpose of the project. I am not able to critically express my thoughts and when I hit a wall of critical thinkers, I tend to revert to shouting them out of the conversation. I can create ideas, but I am not that great at executing the details.
This is why I love to talk with Estee. She teaches me critical thinking skills all the time. She gives me books to read and angles to address in what I am thinking that I never thought of before. At the same time, I never loose my creative thinking skills in a conversation with her. I think when she talks with me, we are integrating our two thought processes together in ways which we could not do on our own because (in our own minds) they are diametrically opposite ways of thinking.
It is my prayer that we all continue to strive for trinitarian thinking. Creative, Critical, and Integrative.
When we get stuck on just one thought process we are not really embracing paradox. And if we cannot embrace paradox, we will never be able to understand Jesus.
By Parker Palmer
If the incarnation means anything, it means that the mind of Christ is a mind that mortals can take on. For the scandal of the Christian profession is that God took on mortality in order that mortals could take on God’s life. In every aspect of our lives, we are invited to become members of the body of Christ. Insofar as we do, we have the mind of Christ, for the mind directs the body. And in that mind, education is transformed from training in technique to a power of transformation for our knowledge, for our persons, and for our world.
Inward/Outward
I wanted to post this as a way of giving further language to the idea that Christianity is a religion built on paradox. God takes the mortal life so that mortals can take on God’s life. If that does not make your head spin you might be a Bottisatva
Reflection on a Mother Theresa prayer
Mother Theresa of Calcutta:
Make us worthy, Lord, to serve your children throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them, through your hands, this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy. Amen.
The opening words, “Make us worthy to serve” stick out to me.
It seems to that in order to be worthy to serve the poor I need to have a relationship with the poor. I think the voice of loved ones is more “worthy” than the voice of a stranger because I have a relationship with them. I understand that in order to be worthy to serve someone I must be in relationship with them.
But how do I get in relationship with someone? I spend time with them.
I spend time with them to become worthy and in becoming worthy I am able to serve others. And the more I serve the more time I send with others and the more time I spend with others the more the relationship becomes worthy.
It is a paradox.
I think it is a chicken and egg paradox, what comes first the relationship or worthiness?
Just because we have we think we have an obligation to serve others. This does not mean that we are worthy of service. Otherwise the prayer would say something like, “Allow us to serve your children” and not “Make us worthy”.
In America when you graduate you are not given a job as you walk across the stage.
A job is something you have to earn. You build a resume, gain experience, and solicit references all in an attempt to prove you are worth to gain employment.
Just because you and I have fish on our bumpers, crosses around our necks and give an hour of worship on Sunday doesn’t mean we are worthy to serve the poor.
Christianity is built on paradox. God said to Moses, I am what I am or I will be what I will be. Jesus said faith as a mustard seed can move mountains. Jesus also said, gain your life and loose it, loose you life and gain it. Paradox runs throughout our faith and it is dominate in this prayer.
How do you and I become worthy of serving the poor? The next line says it – we go and work with the poor.
Only in working with the poor do we become worthy enough to work with the poor.
It is a paradox. What comes first?
We do not sit and wait for a divine moment which confers on us the privilege to work with the poor. We are worthy only in serving, and we serve to gain worthiness.
Paradox.
The question that has stayed with me is, “Are we worthy to serve the poor?”
