"Holy Envy" at Lent

Being raised in a Christian tradition that did not follow the liturgical calendar (well, we had Christmas and Easter; plus, for the really devout, Good Friday), I’ve always felt like something of an outsider when it comes to the season of Lent. I envy my sisters and brothers from other traditions for whom the ebb and flow of the church calendar is a way of deepening, reflecting on, and putting into tangible practice their devotion to God. In a recent On Being podcast Krista Tippet interviewed a rabbi and a Muslim chaplain about their interfaith work. One of them raised the notion of “holy envy:” being able to appreciate something about another tradition that is absent (or less present) in one’s own. Today I still wrestle with what Lent should mean or could mean for me, and the concept of “holy envy” provides me an interesting way of thinking about it this year. And yet, the practices that Lent invites and inspires are not unique to any one tradition but are essential practices of Christian faith: fasting, prayer, reflection, contemplation. But in this season they take on a new significance as we are invited to participate in them again and anew.

This week Carlow’s Center for Mercy Heritage provided the following suggestions as to how we might both fast and feast during the Lenten season.

Fast from:	Feast On:
judging others, emphasis on differences, the darkness, thoughts of illness, words that pollute us, withholding anger, idle gossip, pessimism, worry, guilt, complaining, stress, hostility, bitterness, selfishness, discouragement, apathy, suspicion, being so busy, talking,	the Christ dwelling in them our oneness the light of Christ the healing power of God words that purify sharing feelings spreading good news optimism trust freedom appreciation self-care letting go forgiveness compassion hope enthusiasm seeing the good quiet silence listening

Many of these are very attractive ideas to which I can easily assent. Who doesn’t want more optimism, hope, and compassion in their lives? But to actually fast from something like “stress” or “being so busy” and to feast on something like “quiet silence” or “self-care” seems a tall order. Even more so to feast on “our oneness” and “the light of Christ.” And yet, as conceptual and ethereal as these ideas are, faith tells us that they are also very real.

The brilliant author of the Fourth Gospel put it this way in the magnificent hymn which opens this work: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). By faith, Christians recognize this to be true today as well.

So in our present world in which there is both light and darkness, Lent seems an opportunity to adjust our gaze away from the darkness and again toward the light of Christ: “the true light which enlightens every person” (John 1:9). So “holy envy” or not, I’ll enter this Lenten season with my brothers and sisters to see how we may be enlightened together.

The Parables of Jesus: Ancient Stories with Enduring Meaning

In July I posted about the significance of contemplation and action here at Carlow University. These two dimensions of Christian spirituality and practice are integral to the heritage of the Sisters of Mercy and are also a key feature of Carlow’s new general education curriculum, the Carlow Compass. In contemplation and action courses second semester students are challenged to reflect on an issue from the perspective of a particular academic discipline, and to choose a small but meaningful act of service which they will practice throughout the semester. We are calling it “a small act of mercy.” Students will reflect on this act in conversation with the course readings, in discussion with their classmates, and in their own times of reflection. In January the first round of contemplation and action courses will be offered, and among them will be my course “The Parables of Jesus: Ancient Stories with Enduring Meaning.”

Here is the course description from the syllabus:

This course examines one of the most noteworthy aspects of the teaching style of Jesus: his use of simple stories to engage his listeners and to challenge them to consider new ways of understanding the world and their place in it. Our exploration of the parables of Jesus will consider what we can learn from them both in terms of what they teach and also in terms of how they communicate. Since justice, mercy, and virtue are prominent themes in the parables, this Contemplation and Action course allows ample opportunity for students to reflect on Carlow University’s Mercy heritage with its commitment to service, social responsibility, and ethical reasoning. In addition to course readings, reflection papers, class discussion, and the composition of their own parables, students will also engage in small act of service throughout the semester. These activities will become part of a reflective framework by which they can begin to hone their personal ethic and perspective on social responsibility in light of the Mercy tradition. 

For this course I have selected Amy Jill Levine’s Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi as the primary text. Her analysis of the parables within their first century Jewish context is very illuminating. Those familiar with her work will not be surprised to learn that in this volume she challenges a number of “traditional” readings of the parables, particularly those interpretations that present Judaism in a negative light and Christianity as a refreshing alternative to the stale legalism and hypocrisy of the Pharisees. She shows that in many cases such readings derive from a kind of latent (or blatant) anti-Judaism, and that these readings are not supported by sound exegesis. Instead, she challenges readers to hear the parables as first century Jews would have heard them, and as coming from a first-century Jewish teacher. In this way, we can hear the challenge of each parable anew, and then consider the challenge it may offer contemporary readers. While she does not always succeed in forwarding a new or better reading of every parable, her placing of each in its historical context is commendable and provides excellent background material with which to work. And though this will be my first time teaching this course with this textbook, it seems to me that this volume will be accessible to undergraduate students.

In addition to Levine’s book students will use Louise Schottroff’s volume, The Parables of Jesus, to help them do some further research on some parables of their choosing. In a completely different vein, students will read Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son in which he reflects on his sustained encounter with Rembrandt’s painting of this important scene within the parable. In many ways, his reflections move well beyond the kind of historical and exegetical work we will be doing in class. And I will be interested to see how students engage with his work at the end of the semester.

Contemplation and Action

Having just begun a new position at Carlow University, I find myself in an exciting and energizing phase in which I am daily meeting new colleagues, learning about new programs, and becoming acquainted with the culture and traditions of my new school. Among the many positive things I am discovering, I am really pleased to be learning about the ways in which Carlow University embodies the values and practices of its founding order, the Sisters of Mercy. Founded by Catherine McAuley in 19th century Ireland, the Sisters of Mercy practice a kind of spirituality that is marked by contemplation and action, and is thus an approach to the Christian life that values mercy, hospitality, and service, as well as a sense of wonder at the mysteries of creation and a respect for all that God has created. I am just beginning to learn how these aspects of the tradition are brought to life in the curriculum, on the campus spaces, in extra-curricular activities, and in the way in which Carlow faculty and staff go about their educational work in ways that place a high value on relationships and concern for the whole person.

One dimension of this that is new not only to me but to everyone on campus is a new core curriculum called the Carlow Compass. This undergraduate general education curriculum is being implemented this fall with a first round of new classes. While the curriculum as a whole is quite unique in its design, one especially innovative aspect of the Compass is the way in which this idea of contemplation joined with action is built into a student's experience. Specifically, in a discipline-specific “Contemplation and Action” course, students identify a real problem or challenge that is of concern to them, and then they work with their professors to consider how they can draw on the wisdom of that academic discipline to begin to address it. Regardless of the problem students identify, or the academic discipline they are studying, students learn to practice and value contemplation—deep, reflective, critical thinking—as well as meaningful action informed by that kind of reflection.

This process reflects the Mercy heritage as reflected in the writings and life of Catherine McAuley, who was a person of action and a person of reflection. In reading about her the other day I came across this poem which bears this theme out well:

Sweet Mercy! – soothing, patient, kind –

softens the high and rears the fallen mind;

knows with just rein and even hand to guide

between false fear and arbitrary pride.

Not easily provoked, she soon forgives:

feels love for all, and by a look, relieves.

Soft peace she brings wherever she arrives,

removes our anguish and reforms our lives;

makes the rough paths of peevish nature even,

and opens in each heart a little heaven.

(cited in Helen Marie Burns and Sheila Carney, Praying with Catherine McAuley [Winona, MN: St. Mary’s Press, 1996], p. 36.)

I and my faculty are looking forward to seeing how students respond to this new approach to the core curriculum. I applaud the work of the faculty and administration here who have taken such a thoughtful and purposeful approach to helping students develop the perspectives and skills that Carlow University claims to value.