In the Exodus story (picking up in chapter 15), there is a celebration after the Israelites watch Pharaoh's forces get swept away by the waters of the Red Sea. The Jews sing a song crediting God with their escape from Egypt with the plunder they stole from the Egyptians and their safe passage into the wilderness. Until they have trouble finding potable water, that is. Then, there are complaints until Moses works some magic with a water-purifying stick, and God is once more praised for watching out for the Israelites. Until they have trouble finding enough food to fill their bellies, that is. Then they tell Moses that he should have left them all in Egypt instead of taking them out into the desert to die. So, Moses instructs them on how to gather food from the harsh environment so that the community has plenty, and everyone praises God for providing.
This trend continues: The Israelites have trouble finding water again. They gripe at Moses for taking them into the wilderness to die. Moses uses a magic stick. God is praised. The Israelites face hostile nomads. Moses determines the outcome of the battle by raising or lowering his magic stick. God is praised. Then, Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, pays a visit. He tells Moses that it isn't wise to be the only person to whom the entire Israelite community comes for advice and leadership. Jethro suggests bureaucracy, a formula of delegation that will spread authority out a bit among the people. Moses likes the idea and puts it into practice.
It's interesting that God isn't credited with the idea of bureaucracy, but Jethro's suggestion to "teach them the decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave" is essentially an admonition to encourage spiritual maturity in a people whose faith is threatened by every troublesome circumstance. Not a bad suggestion. Build up the faith of a people and they will be a little more able to take care of themselves. It's a far cry from the practice of some twenty-first century spiritual leaders who think it's best to tell people what to think and feel with an overbearing volume and repetition that prevents people from thinking for themselves.
If a people believe that a higher power is watching out for their well-being, expressions of gratitude seem appropriate. It is perhaps dubious for modern-day Christians to look back at the Song of Miriam and formulate a philosophy of international relations based on the assumption that God will smash their enemies, unleash his blazing fury, and consume them like straw. Being grateful for the good things that happen in life is healthy, though, especially when you consider just having enough food and water to be a blessing. Those with a more mature faith might even be able to express gratitude when survival is in question or when they experience some degree of unpleasantness in life. That seems to be where Jethro's idea could ultimately lead, even if his goal at the time was just to spread out Moses' leadership and authority a bit.
The problem with Moses' identity among the wandering Israelites is that he has become the only man with the answers. He is the only one who is entitled to say what God wants from the people. He is the only one who can provide sustenance for them. Moses is essentially their god, even though they aren't recorded as praising him directly. He has set himself up with unassailable authority because he communicates with God and the people do not. They need him in order to receive God's blessings. They need him to survive. Or so it would seem, at least. Jethro saw clearly that nothing good can come of one person wielding that level of power over a community.
As the story continues, we'll see that there is still a great deal of "I know what God wants and you don't." When the governing rules of the community are delivered, they still come with the threat of "do what God wants or die." It would seem that spiritual maturity is a scary prospect for both sides. It isn't as easy for a leader to compel people to do what he wants once those people start thinking for themselves a little more. But there's also a great deal of vulnerability in developing personal responsibility for one's own beliefs. In a way, the whole of the Bible (and perhaps every religious text) is about that struggle to accept the responsibility of spiritual maturity in order to reap the tremendous rewards.
Historically, there may never have been an Israelite exodus from Egypt. Still, if there was, I believe that the Israelites would have been able to survive without Moses. It may not have been pleasant, and they may have lost many of their number in the process, but perhaps they would have become a more tightly woven community as well. People are capable of a great many things, whether it's purifying water to drink, surviving off the food that the land provides, or defending themselves against actual aggressors. To give all the credit for such things to a single individual in a community is lazy and immature. Consistently waiting for Moses or God or someone else to act on your behalf reflects not only a sense that you are too weak to take care of yourself, but also that you deserve to have your every need provided for you by someone else. People are capable of more than that. Be sincerely grateful and earnestly praise God if that makes sense for you. But also recognize your own responsibility for your thoughts and actions. Personal responsibility is at the very heart of spiritual maturity.
Showing posts with label spiritual leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual leadership. Show all posts
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Exodus 4-13: The Exodus Model of Spiritual Leadership and the Dangers of Blind Obedience
The tale of the ten plagues visited upon Egypt is famous. When the Israelites were under the heavy burden of Egyptian slavery, Moses compelled the Egyptian pharaoh to release them by proclaiming a series of increasingly costly events, enacted by God upon the Egyptians. The Israelites were spared the direct cost of the plagues, and eventually left with stolen goods from Egyptian households with Egyptian soldiers in pursuit. The story of the plagues culminates in the ritual of Passover, a significant piece of Jewish culture that reminds participants of God’s favoritism toward his chosen people and his promise of redemption.
There is considerable doubt in the archaeological community that the Israelites were ever slaves in Egypt, much less that they proclaimed and were spared from an epic series of plagues upon the Egyptian people. Some suggest that the assumed timeline of Egyptian history is incorrect, and at least one researcher has offered that significant volcanic activity could account for almost all of the plagues. However, to take the story as pure documentation of historical events misses its point. The three essential messages of the story are (1) Our god is better than your god, (2) God chooses spiritual leaders whom the multitudes must follow, and (3) Ritual has meaning.
While it seems silly to put the first message in terms of a grade-school taunt, there are plenty of people in the world today for whom that simple statement is the summation of their faith. “My god is better than your god, and therefore you are less worthy as a human being.” Less worthy of respect, less worthy of societal rights, even less worthy of life in some cases. It’s a central problem to the concept of an external deity, especially when certain people believe that they can understand that deity’s character and intentions better than anyone else. It must be incredibly frustrating for believers to hear such a cacophony of voices all proclaiming to know what God wants and rarely agreeing on anything. Responsible believers would do well to research their own scriptures and decide for themselves what spiritual truths lie therein, but the message “people need leaders to guide them into spiritual understanding” often stands in the way.
When we started looking at Exodus, I mentioned that we would do best to identify with Moses rather than the masses of Israelite “victims” in the tale. That isn’t implicit in the text, though. The story clearly suggests that there is a vast gulf between the chosen spiritual leaders and the masses they lead. The role of the masses is to be obedient to the leader, because the leader is proclaiming the will of God. To be obedient to the spiritual leader is to be obedient to God. And if you aren’t obedient, you will suffer – perhaps even the death of a child. Blind obedience is a fine way to maintain cultural integrity. Not so much for developing personal spirituality.
The problem, of course, is that people eventually abuse that spiritual authority. It would almost be a respectable system if those leaders cared first and foremost about the spiritual well-being of their flocks, but when a spiritual leader develops a personal agenda, it becomes a personal crusade. People with the authority of a pulpit or a microphone speak for God and proclaim who should be persecuted, who should be defended, who people should fall in love with, what people should legally be allowed to do with their bodies, who should be elected to office, what country the United States should bomb, what movies to watch or avoid… They strive to influence all manner of beliefs, behaviors, and decisions. And within the context of a religious culture teaching people that obedience to spiritual leaders is equivalent to obedience to God, people sometimes fail to use their own personal discernment in the face of messages from these authorities.
Then there is the matter of backlash in the face of disillusionment. Some people, upon recognizing that a spiritual leader has in some way failed them or led them astray, decide to take charge themselves. Religious institutions are filled with people on a quest for personal power, sometimes with a sense of righteous purpose, but almost always fueled by a measure of vindictiveness toward a person or group that didn’t quite fill out the role of spiritual leader satisfactorily. In many cases, these selfish campaigns for personal power ignore the impact on the broader spiritual community, and the negative ripples may spread further than the crusader even realizes.
It’s probably fortunate for some people that there is not an intelligent divine being looking on to the chaos caused by those who claim to be his mouthpieces. It’s dangerous to believe that you have a corner on the market of understanding what a god wants from his followers. Prophets and their devotees spend more time and energy arguing with one another than they spend on actually living spiritually meaningful lives. Unless, of course, arguing incessantly has some spiritual merit in a person’s belief system. I suppose that’s possible. I believe that there is a more satisfying way to live.
Leaders are important. I don’t mean to suggest otherwise. Innovators, visionaries, and mobilizers are necessary to propel a system forward, whether it’s an organization or a nation or a world. The key is for people to realize that these human beings are just that. Leaders are not granted divine immunity from fault or criticism. There are a lot of people who speak for particular beliefs or causes, but there is no one who speaks for God. Anyone in leadership benefits from people who are willing to think for themselves and evaluate the direction in which they are being led.
Which is where the third point of the Exodus story comes into play. Ritual is powerful. The Passover probably began as a bit of witchcraft, smearing lamb’s blood on a doorframe to keep evil spirits away. It evolved into a colorful story about a people’s relationship with their god and a practice that preserved a culture. The ritual embodies what is held to be spiritual truth, and it is a powerful symbol that touches the deepest parts of the human psyche. The Passover ritual also becomes translated into Christian communion, the church having converted the ritual into a new spiritual context, as organized religion so often does. Without the ritual, people may understand a set of beliefs intellectually, but the ritual reaches into places that the intellect doesn’t tread.
People have created rituals for a very long time. Rituals were initially ways to connect people with the natural world around them. Some of our contemporary celebrations (religious and otherwise) have been adapted from rituals honoring the natural occurrences of solstice and equinox. The key is to recognize what beliefs a ritual is establishing for you. Don’t take part in rituals that are not in alignment with what you truly believe. If you want to become more deeply in touch with the divine, be a part of or create your own rituals that speak to that truth. That goes for any belief system. If the rituals you participate in have become habitual and empty, find a way to revitalize the practice. When you are more deeply aware of who you are, you are more apt to see that value in others. This goes for people who believe that they are forgiven children of God as well as people who believe that the divine is something they embody within themselves.
When we are honest about the deep and undeniable truth, beauty, and creativity within us, we are able to inspire that awareness in others and we are able to guide progress in a direction that truly honors our connection to ourselves, the rest of humanity, and the natural world. In those moments of clarity when we set aside fears and personal agendas in order to consider the truths that run deeper than doctrines, then we stand a chance of speaking for the divine. And in those moments of clarity, it doesn’t matter who we convince. Truth does not need a bullhorn. Truth does not need to attack anything. Truth does not need defending. Truth does not need anyone to agree with it. Truth is simply and undeniably true.
There is considerable doubt in the archaeological community that the Israelites were ever slaves in Egypt, much less that they proclaimed and were spared from an epic series of plagues upon the Egyptian people. Some suggest that the assumed timeline of Egyptian history is incorrect, and at least one researcher has offered that significant volcanic activity could account for almost all of the plagues. However, to take the story as pure documentation of historical events misses its point. The three essential messages of the story are (1) Our god is better than your god, (2) God chooses spiritual leaders whom the multitudes must follow, and (3) Ritual has meaning.
While it seems silly to put the first message in terms of a grade-school taunt, there are plenty of people in the world today for whom that simple statement is the summation of their faith. “My god is better than your god, and therefore you are less worthy as a human being.” Less worthy of respect, less worthy of societal rights, even less worthy of life in some cases. It’s a central problem to the concept of an external deity, especially when certain people believe that they can understand that deity’s character and intentions better than anyone else. It must be incredibly frustrating for believers to hear such a cacophony of voices all proclaiming to know what God wants and rarely agreeing on anything. Responsible believers would do well to research their own scriptures and decide for themselves what spiritual truths lie therein, but the message “people need leaders to guide them into spiritual understanding” often stands in the way.
When we started looking at Exodus, I mentioned that we would do best to identify with Moses rather than the masses of Israelite “victims” in the tale. That isn’t implicit in the text, though. The story clearly suggests that there is a vast gulf between the chosen spiritual leaders and the masses they lead. The role of the masses is to be obedient to the leader, because the leader is proclaiming the will of God. To be obedient to the spiritual leader is to be obedient to God. And if you aren’t obedient, you will suffer – perhaps even the death of a child. Blind obedience is a fine way to maintain cultural integrity. Not so much for developing personal spirituality.
The problem, of course, is that people eventually abuse that spiritual authority. It would almost be a respectable system if those leaders cared first and foremost about the spiritual well-being of their flocks, but when a spiritual leader develops a personal agenda, it becomes a personal crusade. People with the authority of a pulpit or a microphone speak for God and proclaim who should be persecuted, who should be defended, who people should fall in love with, what people should legally be allowed to do with their bodies, who should be elected to office, what country the United States should bomb, what movies to watch or avoid… They strive to influence all manner of beliefs, behaviors, and decisions. And within the context of a religious culture teaching people that obedience to spiritual leaders is equivalent to obedience to God, people sometimes fail to use their own personal discernment in the face of messages from these authorities.
Then there is the matter of backlash in the face of disillusionment. Some people, upon recognizing that a spiritual leader has in some way failed them or led them astray, decide to take charge themselves. Religious institutions are filled with people on a quest for personal power, sometimes with a sense of righteous purpose, but almost always fueled by a measure of vindictiveness toward a person or group that didn’t quite fill out the role of spiritual leader satisfactorily. In many cases, these selfish campaigns for personal power ignore the impact on the broader spiritual community, and the negative ripples may spread further than the crusader even realizes.
It’s probably fortunate for some people that there is not an intelligent divine being looking on to the chaos caused by those who claim to be his mouthpieces. It’s dangerous to believe that you have a corner on the market of understanding what a god wants from his followers. Prophets and their devotees spend more time and energy arguing with one another than they spend on actually living spiritually meaningful lives. Unless, of course, arguing incessantly has some spiritual merit in a person’s belief system. I suppose that’s possible. I believe that there is a more satisfying way to live.
Leaders are important. I don’t mean to suggest otherwise. Innovators, visionaries, and mobilizers are necessary to propel a system forward, whether it’s an organization or a nation or a world. The key is for people to realize that these human beings are just that. Leaders are not granted divine immunity from fault or criticism. There are a lot of people who speak for particular beliefs or causes, but there is no one who speaks for God. Anyone in leadership benefits from people who are willing to think for themselves and evaluate the direction in which they are being led.
Which is where the third point of the Exodus story comes into play. Ritual is powerful. The Passover probably began as a bit of witchcraft, smearing lamb’s blood on a doorframe to keep evil spirits away. It evolved into a colorful story about a people’s relationship with their god and a practice that preserved a culture. The ritual embodies what is held to be spiritual truth, and it is a powerful symbol that touches the deepest parts of the human psyche. The Passover ritual also becomes translated into Christian communion, the church having converted the ritual into a new spiritual context, as organized religion so often does. Without the ritual, people may understand a set of beliefs intellectually, but the ritual reaches into places that the intellect doesn’t tread.
People have created rituals for a very long time. Rituals were initially ways to connect people with the natural world around them. Some of our contemporary celebrations (religious and otherwise) have been adapted from rituals honoring the natural occurrences of solstice and equinox. The key is to recognize what beliefs a ritual is establishing for you. Don’t take part in rituals that are not in alignment with what you truly believe. If you want to become more deeply in touch with the divine, be a part of or create your own rituals that speak to that truth. That goes for any belief system. If the rituals you participate in have become habitual and empty, find a way to revitalize the practice. When you are more deeply aware of who you are, you are more apt to see that value in others. This goes for people who believe that they are forgiven children of God as well as people who believe that the divine is something they embody within themselves.
When we are honest about the deep and undeniable truth, beauty, and creativity within us, we are able to inspire that awareness in others and we are able to guide progress in a direction that truly honors our connection to ourselves, the rest of humanity, and the natural world. In those moments of clarity when we set aside fears and personal agendas in order to consider the truths that run deeper than doctrines, then we stand a chance of speaking for the divine. And in those moments of clarity, it doesn’t matter who we convince. Truth does not need a bullhorn. Truth does not need to attack anything. Truth does not need defending. Truth does not need anyone to agree with it. Truth is simply and undeniably true.
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