It is almost unbearable. In any major city — and even some small towns — you will inevitably encounter someone on a street corner pitching their version of Christianity. It’s manipulative. It’s angry. And it plays to our fears. It seems that the louder they are, the scarier their version of Christianity is. The loudest have megaphones and great, big signs with scary (even hateful) messages on them. Does it seem to you that Christianity is a religion based on fear?
When we were kids, we were told that prayer is just simply talking to God. Many were taught to talk to God like they were talking to a friend. And of course, this isn’t all bad. But this understanding has harmed prayer practices and kept people from accessing meaningful connection with themselves and with others.
According to the dictionary, a myth is “a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.” This definition goes so nicely with our stories. However, the second definition listed is this: “a widely held but false belief or idea.” When we say that there are myths in the Bible, too many people mistakenly think about this second definition. But myths, according to the first definition carry a wealth of meaning and identity, even if they aren’t necessarily true stories. The creation stories are myths that give the Hebrew people identity, purpose, and roots. As we study these creation myths, we can gain identity, purpose, and roots as well.
American poet Mary Oliver passed away into the Great Unknown. While it is sad and we grieve her death, she leaves behind a plethora of lessons for all of us. Progressive Christians have found in Mary Oliver a teacher, a guide, and a coach. She has gifted us with her words, but also with her spirit of curiosity, her vulnerability, and her steadfast insistence on the goodness of the created world.
Although her poems are vast and each one bears its own gifts to its hearers, we want to highlight a few of her poems and the import they have on our lives and our spirituality.
Whether you identity as male, female, or somewhere in-between, you’ve probably encountered the dreaded mansplainer. He’s often a cis-hetero man who is white and oozing with privilege. He’s used to telling people what he thinks, whether they seek his opinion or not. He likes offering unsolicited advice and thinks that he is God’s gift to the world.