Thoughts on Amazing Grace: Contemplation in the dark

As Wilberforce grew in his contemplative desire, so too was he drawn to the dark places.  The mystic who wrote the Cloud of Unknowing calls the place of highest contemplation a dark cloud, where all that we think we see and know about God falls away. As Wilberforce sees the light of God in the beauty of spider webs and dandelions, so too does he see through them to the abyss of God's nature, where no image or thought is lofty enough to express God in who God is.

It is a similar cloud that captures Wilberforce as he gazes into the injustice around him. The film presents his explorations of the slave trade simultaneous to his exploration of God's creation.  The Spirit seems to be drawing him to contemplate human suffering and inhuman action of degradation at the same time.  William Pitt comes to him with abolitionists because he knows Wilberforce has already been touring the East India Docks and been staring at the injustice in the face. Even though he admits that for him "it's like arsenic.
Each new tiny dose doubles the effect," (Amazing Grace, 14:30) still he looks and suffers with God.  His body is wracked in sympathy with the pain of his soul.

It is suggested to Wilberforce that he can do both the work of God and the work politic.  From that time on the film demonstrates Wilberforce finding God through contemplation and action.  His passion for abolition provides him a window on the nature of God and his contemplation of God's nature fuels and refuels his commitment to action.

"At root a professional is one who makes a profession of faith"

This a pregnant word, and we often miss the birthings of our words. I first had an inkling of the strangeness of this word professional when reading Don Quixote. He would speak of his profession of arms. It spoke to me of a calling and indeed a faith in something larger.

Especially for ministers striving to understand the latest leadership model, the idea of professionalism has become the slick business like way of doing things that runs many a corporate mega-church. We are concerned with how the world sees our shabby way of running things, a by product of volunteerism in local congregations. We see the slick ads and gimicks of the world, its programs and attractions and (sometimes rightly) lament that the church seems so far behind.

Parker Palmer criticizes professionalism.

"As professionals, we like to define ourselves in ways that stress competence, high standards, an ethic of service, personal sacrifice, and so on. But in 'Active Life' Chuang Tzu is examining the shadow side of professional activity, and he would probably propose a different deffinition: A professional is a person who has invested long hours and much money to develop and allegedly rare ability that others can be convinced to need and to purchase at a high price. Admittedly partial, such a definition points to the ways that we professionals get caught up in the 'world of objects' that Chuang Tzu describes. in the spinning of those interlocked illusions that too often trap the professional and the society in a vicious circle of nonsense" (41).

Too often I feel the weight of that definition. I see other pastors who are thriving and at the helm of large churches and doubt that I have that stuff in me - I am not professional enough. Profession as a matter of faith is another more noble thing. I know that one whom I profess is able to use even me.

On the other side I do feel it in the pit of my stomach when I hear people suggest that pastors need not be professional. Couldn't we simply be happy amateurs who make a living by another vocation? Couldn't any spiritually mature of the laity do this? As much as I like the idea of the body ministering to each other in an organic way, I find my own calling challenged by such thoughts. For good or ill, my vocation is a profession of ministry just as Quixote's was a profession of arms.

Excellence in all we do is a spiritual thing. It is done as worship. It is the stuff of the faith kind of profession rather than the soulless slickness of professionalism.

Deep Reality

The Active Life: Wisdom of Work, Creativity and Caring by Parker J. Palmer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary
Palmer posits that contemplation is connecting with reality and proper action must flow from and be true to that reality – the reality of who are, how the world is organized and the deeper reality of the Kingdom of God. In this way action and contemplation are inseparable. Each story or poem in turn shows the danger of action in conflict with reality or the beauty of action deeply embedded in reality.

Belief
Palmer believes that this reality is deep stuff. It is more complicated and varied than a cursory inspection may lead us to believe. To touch reality we must be prepared to wrestle and to suffer. With Annie Dillard, we believe we must “ride these monsters deeper down,” and there find the bedrock reality (30). The elements Palmer holds as true come from this bedrock place of depth. We are invited to take truths such as the necessity of suffering, the unknowing and weakness of God, the naturalness of the miracles of the Woodcarver and Jesus, truths that blow our minds – we are invited to take them and wrestle with them. This is important to Palmer because he believes that only by riding these difficult truths down into the darkness can we be lead to the bedrock that will provide foundation for our action.

Doubt
In my doubt I ask not, “Are these ideas true?” but “In what way might they be true?” I have a hard time wrapping my head around a God who doesn’t have it all figured out but hopefully acts. This view of God seems contrary to the declaration of scripture, that God is all-powerful and all-knowing. Tozer would suggest that a God who is not the superlative in all things, cannot by definition be God (Knowledge of the Holy). Palmer’s treatment of the Loaves and Fishes also draws some questions. He says he “does not demand a naturalistic explanation for the ‘miracle’ in this story,” like liberal theologians demythologizing the gospel (130). He is content with the mythos of the story, but his hermeneutic demands a naturalistic explanation (129). Palmer and Mark are slightly cross-purposes. Mark is developing his theme that Jesus demonstrates the breaking in of the Kingdom of God by the miraculous, where as Palmer wishes to show the breaking in of the reality of the Kingdom of God in the ordinary actions of people.

Synthesis
In terms of how we approach reality, the paradox between belief and doubt explored above can remain in tension. It is as we explore other angles of looking at God, scripture, Jesus and life that we see more facets of reality. While it is true that God is sovereign and wholly other, unbound by time and space, it is helpful in understanding the deep truth of his reality to explore God’s action in terms we can understand. In some mysterious way God’s knowledge outside of time and power over space is best understood by our finite minds as unknowing and weakness. In our contemplating the reality of the Kingdom coming to bear on the earth it is equally important to stand in awe of Jesus as wonder worker and recognize the presence of the Kingdom in ordinary action. The deep reality is difficult to explore and requires much stretching of the brain.

Application
Palmer provides a compelling matrix for discerning right action. I find myself more geared to contemplation just as Palmer found himself wired for action. He challenges me to find reality and disillusionment in my contemplation and carry that to action. I feel the conviction that my actions don’t often enough flow from that source. To often I am Chaung Tzu’s professional, working from reaction, creating places to show my stuff. I keep busy to have a sense that I am alive, laziness stalks me, I crave the intentional action flowing from reality.

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