Stop Projecting Your Shadow And Go Trick-or-Treating Instead!

The great Psychologist Carl Jung said, “the most ethical thing one can do is to own his or her own shadow - in order to no longer project it out onto another.” Jesus said, “you should not worry about the splinter in your brothers or sisters eye - deal with the log in your own eye.” In other words, quit projecting your shadow out on to someone else - instead - face and deal with your own shadow. Ancient Taoism, gives us the well known Yin-Yang symbol. This tradition tells us that life is to be an integration of light and shadow. That even in the shadow you can find a little light. That even in the light you can find a little shadow. Taoism encourages us not to suppress our shadow, not to ignore our shadows, surely not to project our shadows out onto others, but instead to own our shadows - to integrate ourselves - to live into wholeness.

After 9/11, tasting ashes on our own soil, our nation had a real opportunity to reflect and to own some of our own issues. In stead, we focused our efforts on chasing evil in and out of caves in Afghanistan. After 9/11, we as a country could have looked at our own stuff - how the rest of the world viewed us, why they viewed us that way, our sins of racism and sexism, the disparity between the rich and poor, the rape of the natural environment, the abuse and power of the huge corporations, the Military Industrial Complex, and so on. We had the opportunity to look deeply at ourselves - we did not - we found it easier to project all evil onto Osama Bin Laden. What a shame. What a missed opportunity for us to evolve as a people and species.

Most older and indigenous cultures held festivals or rituals to help them embrace the shadow side. Rituals to help them own their own shadows and not project them. Modern Western culture (a product of the Enlightenment) does not provide us the opportunity to romance our shadows. We live in and with light all the time. The bright lights at Walmart shine 24/7. The screens of our computers and TVs constantly flash light at us. Our shadows are ignored and get pushed deep down into the subconscious. Once there, we are driven by our shadows, and we are blind to that which drives us. Believe me, the shadow is there whether you acknowledge it or not. This could be a reason why we love horror films and why violent films do so well at the box office The shadow is trying to relate to something.

Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain - a celebration of entering the dark half of the year. The Celts would honor the darkness - celebrate it. This is totally foreign to modern culture. The Christian Church connected Samhain to All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve. A celebration that reminded the Christians that they were close to the departed, close to death, close to darkness, close to shadow. This Halloween, as you dress up as some zombie or monster, stop and acknowledge the zombie and the monster in yourself. Acknowledge your own shadow. Look at the log in your own eye. The world would be a better place if we celebrated our own darkness rather than projecting it. Jung would say, “It is the most ethical thing you can do”.

I Confess, I'm A Democrat

I confess, I'm a registered Democrat.  And, so are my parents and my grandmother. I am so agitated that being a person of faith has become synonymous with being a Republican.  I refuse to allow the religious-right to define my faith and my politics.

Wanna Go Outside With Me?

I must confess that I am a little envious of one aspect of smoking culture. Smokers give themselves permission to take little mini respites throughout the day. They excuse themselves, go outside, breathe deeply, look up at the sky, and have meaningless chit chat with other smokers - often with total strangers. Somehow the need to smoke gives them permission to have these little mini vacations, little holidays, little retreats with no agenda and nothing to be accomplished. They will just stop, go outside, breathe deep, look up a the sky, and share a meaningless conversation. Our culture is so driven by goals, deadlines, and to-do list. The only things of value, according to our culture, are the things that can be counted or measured or accomplished. It's this Priest's opinion that the things of greatest value can't be counted or measured or evaluated - they just are - they are about being, not doing. So, like our wonderful smoker friends, may the rest of us give ourselves permission to take little breaks - breaks with no agenda. Just go outside, breathe deep, look up at the sky, and maybe have meaningless chit chat with someone. Wanna go outside with me? We don't have to light up!

You Can Touch This

The religion of my childhood and early adult years was extremely legalistic. Prohibition was a major theme - you can't do that, you can't go there, you can't touch, you can' t taste, you can't hang with "those" people. We acted as if anyone did do, go, touch, taste, and hang - they would certainly "catch" something. I did my very best to keep all the prohibitions and I still "caught" something. What I "caught" was a fear of the world, a fear of church, and fear to be myself, and a fear of God. The result of these fears is a restricted heart. Around age 35 (out of desperation) I decided to break free of the old expectations and live. Since, I've danced with Sufis, smoked the peace pipe with the Lakota, meditated with Buddhist, poured milk over statues with Hindus, held hands with Wiccans, drank with my gay friends, laughed with lesbians, backpacked with atheists - and guess what - I did "catch" something. My heart expanded, I found joy and creativity, I discovered a greater capacity to live and to love. I now live with a bigger self and a bigger God. The church and MC Hammer may have the same rap, "U can't touch this" - however this Priest says, "hell yes you can"!

I Believe In Dinosaurs And Love

I do consider myself a Christian - however, I must confess - I believe the universe is 13.5 billion years old. I believe the earth is 4.5 billion years old. I believe in dinosaurs. I believe the human species has evolved (and in my opinion, still has some evolving to do). I use the bible daily - but, I also believe in and honor science. And, along with the band Gallery (1972), I also believe in music and I believe in love.

Love Would Not Damn Anyone To Hell

If God is Love - then I refuse to proclaim that Love would damn anyone to Hell. That includes my atheist friends, my gay friends, my friends of other religious and faith traditions, and my friends that are a part of the religious-right. You are all my brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters.