Metaphor Country

A Quick Note from the Road

I'll miss the debate tonight -- will instead be hanging out on Amtrak Train 175, on the way back from this week's gig on the Alzheimer's World Tour.

Just as well.  I'll let somebody else worry about the Big Issues.  Will instead stay occupied running the Alzheimer's support system that I cobbled together myself because, you know, we don't want institutions taking care of those things.  "We must trust the American people," as I think Bush said the other night...

Whatever.  Things are what they are.  And in the near term at least, the ambulance is not coming.  Once you realize that... well, you don't get self-reliant all at once.  But you do start to relax.

Last Saturday when I was hanging out with the Zen guys at the Zendo, and we were doing some Zazen (I was looking forward to writing that)... last Saturday... right after one of the more experienced guys had been going on about koans and enlightenment (they're Rinzai, so they do that), I was sitting there and toward the end of the sitting this thought came to me: your entire life is a fucking koan.

And I started to relax.

Side note: Zen is not primarily about relaxation, as they'll tell you over and over.  But it doesn't hurt.  And since at the moment I'm dealing with this, among other things, I figure I'll look for help in multiple quarters, Zen being one of them.  Nothing like focusing on unmediated reality to get you straightened out...

Side note II: am also thinking about Job as the most Zen (Zennest?) thing in the Bible.  Might say more about that at some future point.

In that spirit and in that general mood, I came across this.

After you've read it, check out the comments here.  They're a hoot.

Actually I should be more respectful.  I understand the objections, and might even be inclined to agree with some of them.  But in spite of that, the piece struck a chord.

For the moment, let that be my character note.

Roundup

Meanwhile, elsewhere on Metaphor Country...

A quick take on the Sopranos.

A thought or two about scholarship, intellect and jihad.

And finally, with apologies to Jon Stewart, a moment of Zen.

Enjoy.

Cartoon Mayhem: Restraint, Perhaps

To be filed under "Thank heaven for small things..."  A correction from today's New York Times:

A Critic's Notebook article on Wednesday about the Danish cartoons that satirize the Prophet Muhammad referred incorrectly to the reaction in Auckland, New Zealand. While there were protests after the cartoons were published, imams there have not demanded executions or amputations for the cartoonists and their publishers. (Go to Article)

I don't know about you, but I'll certainly breathe easier.

Metaphor on the Hajj

In case you're wondering what I mean by metaphor -- and why I think it matters -- try this. 

Thomas Merton covers some of the same ground in an essay, "From Pilgrimage to Crusade," published here.

Let's give a high sign to symbolic acts.

UPDATE, JANUARY 12: Sometimes.  And then there's this.  Merton might disagree, but for a host of reasons my feeling is that we're much better off right now focusing on the inner journey, not the physical one.  "Both are necessary," says Merton, but the latter seems to carry with it the chance of stampedes, suicide bombings, wars over holy ground, and such.  More contemplative life, please.

WWJHOHiP?

I've never before had the occasion (or for that matter the opportunity) to reprint a whole press release. But since I link occasionally to Beliefnet (an excellent site, by the way), I seem to be on their media list -- which is why they just sent me this. It deserves an audience:

Media Advisory

Press Contact: Jocelyn Weiss The Morris + King Company

WHAT WOULD JESUS HAVE ON HIS IPOD?

In a New Beliefnet.Com Online Poll, 55% Vote That Jesus Wouldn't Even Own an iPod

New York, NY - January 9, 2006 - Beliefnet, Inc., the leading multi-faith spirituality media company and online community, today announced the results of their online survey on "What Would Jesus Have on his iPod?" More than 55% of those polled voted that Jesus wouldn't even own an iPod-- proving that even the "Digital Messiah," Steve Jobs still has room for further converts.

The following is the complete poll results:

What would Jesus have on his iPod?

* Classic Rock - 11%

* Traditional Gospel - 7%

* Christian Rock - 13%

* Hip-Hop/ Rap - 3%

* Soul/ Funk - 4%

* Songs of King David - 11%

* Jesus would never have an iPod! - 55%

About Beliefnet

Beliefnet is the largest religion and spirituality website, according to Media Metrix, attracting 2.5 million unique visitors per month. More than 5.5 million people subscribe to Beliefnet's daily email newsletters, accounting for more than 11 million subscriptions. Beliefnet also runs Soulmatch, a faith-oriented online dating service and has just published a series of "Beliefnet Guides" with Doubleday press. Additionally, Beliefnet regularly partners with ABCNews World News Tonight on its religion and spirituality coverage. Beliefnet is independent and not affiliated with a particular religion or spiritual movement. Beliefnet, Inc. is a privately held company funded by employees, individual investors, Softbank Capital and Blue Chip Venture Company.

Further proof that you can't invent anything anymore.

Additional question -- what, no classical?

Beyond that, and speaking personally -- I have to say I find this encouraging. I've mentioned before that, as a native and therefore safety-minded New Yorker, I don't use an iPod, because when I'm outdoors, I want to hear everything that might be gaining on me. And wasn't it Jesus who said, "Those who have ears will hear"?

Biblical exegetes, take note.  "As opposed to those who have earbuds" is clearly the missing text.

And now, on with modernity, already in progress.

The Democrats Get/Fumble Religion

All I can say is, yes.

And also that I find it a little strange to agree with a Heritage Foundation fellow.  But I do.

All I'd add is that this isn't just typical Democratic Party ham-fistedness (though it's that, too).  It's also part of the broader corporate impulse toward branding as a substitute for -- rather than the result of -- policies, actions and relationships.  It's seductively easy -- and completely ineffectual -- to use words like "faith" and "worship" in opposing a particular piece of legislation.  It's a little harder -- but not much better -- to draw broad analogies and forge loose connections between social policies and scriptural passages.  It's very hard -- and absolutely necessary -- to go out and meet, get to know, engage in dialogue with people of faith.  Or, better, let's call them "people who use the vocabulary of religion to think about difficult life issues" (because, you know, there might just be some intellect involved).  If you do that, you'll have to spend a fair amount of time listening, rethinking, maybe formulating new polices. But the policies won't necessarily be bad policies. And because the relationships are authentic, you stand a chance of breaking the Republican stranglehold on faith-based communities and values-based messages.

Worth a shot?

Or, as the ads used to say, you can turn the page.

Blaspheming Santa, And Other Religious Matters

Mollie at Get Religion reports on this suggestion by Dell deChant -- that the Christmas wars aren't being fought between secular and sacred.  Rather, the conflict is between rival religions.  Speaking as someone who thinks that a lot of religious energy gets focused on secular matters -- like, for example, socialism or Nazism or buying stuff -- I say, yeah.  Good on you.  And to Santa worshipers everywhere -- best wishes for a prosperous holiday season.

Meanwhile, over at Andrew Sullivan, Ross guest-blogs (scroll down) about the need for highbrow religious dialogue -- and is upset about the lack of it:

What we need, then - and by "we" I mean Christians, though I obviously think there would be benefits to non-Christians as well - is a more highbrow Christianity, and one that doesn't prostrate itself on the altar of political correctness, as token highbrow Catholics like Garry Wills are wont to do. Perhaps "culture war" is the wrong word to use in this context, since we don't necessarily need more Christians making the case against same-sex marriage, or pushing all their chips into the battle over courthouse displays in Alabama. We need more Christians writing good novels and essays and doctoral theses, and television shows and movies and music - all of which might inter alia make the case for a Christian understanding of, say, sexuality, but which would be primarily works of art and intellect and not polemics, creating a cultural space rather than just a political movement.

I'm not sure if things are as dire as he makes out.  Obviously not in a Christian context, and not at a major-culture level, but nevertheless -- we seem to be maintaining our intellectual chops here.  We may not be highly visible, but I don't think we're alone -- in this or other traditions.

When I want to know where I stand relative to the ultimate and the absolute, I reach for YHWH-brand religion...

Sorry -- conflating my stories, there.

Pay it no mind.  Go on about your day.

LATER: And then there's this.

Happy Holidays Et Cetera

To keep in the spirit of the Christmas Wars (which yeah, I know, I promised I wouldn't mention) I've been reading this.

But for a shorter version, go here.

Designing the Center -- Intelligently, Of Course

I've been avoiding this year's religious debates -- in contrast to a year ago, the Christmas Wars seem entirely manufactured by vested interests.  Or maybe they were a year ago, too, and it's just that my vested-interest radar is better than it was.

This piece, however, on yesterday's Intelligent Design decision, is worth a look.

Here as elsewhere, the action is in the center.

Someday, somebody's going to notice that and build something -- say, maybe, a political party? -- that points in our direction.

Or at least, we can hope.

Quick Notes on the Search for Meaning

Looked for meaning over the weekend.  Sometimes found it, sometimes didn't.

Saturday morning, stopped by here for a quick, yet not quick mediation on "How awesome is this place."  Genesis 28:17.  You could look it up.

Saturday night, here, for this.  Netrebko is the real item.  Villanzon might be -- but whatever he is, he's not the next Domingo.  Cut the guy some slack.

Sunday afternoon here, for this.  Jammed to the rafters.  The usual mixed feelings about the democratization of art -- a great thing, but not when you actually want to look at the drawings.  Yes, unfair and contradictory, I know.  Sue me.  By the way, Van Gogh is a painter, not a draftsman.

At the end, tired but in a good way.

Awesome place, dude.