Abram believes a deity has given him “land as a possession.” Paul believes his deity does not desire “minds occupied with earthly things,” rather, our “citizenship is in heaven.” After witnessing Jesus’ glowing Transfiguration, Peter desires possession of both, land on earth for shrines to heaven, “let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter’s thinking is clouded, “he did not know what he was saying.”
Institutional christianity likewise can have clouded thinking about possession. It mixes the beliefs of Abram, Paul, and Peter. Abram’s desire for possession leads him and us into the cloud of war. As Abram desires to violently possess Canaan, so other warlords desire to violently possess Rome, Mecca and Medina, the Holy Land, the Sudetenland, Iraq, Ukraine, and so forth. War Lords are addicted to possession with little regard for its impact. Part of the impact of their addiction is that we hold War Lords in regard. We also hold in regard the people of one land invaded over the people of another land invaded, for example, Ukrainian over Iraqi. Usually associated with drugs, the word addicted originates from a judge awarding one person to be addicted to a master who possesses them. The addict is possessed as a slave working land the master possesses, or, as a soldier getting more land for the master to possess. Paul seems clear about the problems of such possession. Paul’s desire to possess heaven though leads him and us into the cloud of escapism. As Paul desires to possess heaven so other escapists do too; Armageddon, Atonement Theology, End Times, Second Coming, and so forth. We end up having diminished regard or consideration for the earth and not engaging, as Jesus did, with War Lords and their addiction to possession. Instead, we become addicted to such things as Bible translations and are possessed by interpretation minutia clouding our minds with the meaning of a single word or phrase. In Peter’s confusion he desires earth and heaven. As Peter desires to possess both earth and heaven, so other people whose thinking is clouded do too; Prosperity Gospel types and Preppers. The madness of possessing money addicts people to equally addicted pastors who preach a heavenly father’s favor while the pastor prospers from the people’s money. Preppers possess all manner of earthy stuff in order to not die in an earthly disaster and not go to heaven, the place they claim is their home. We become addicted to magical thinking and its schemes for salvation. Each perspective desires to possess something or use something and therefore cannot hold what he desires in regard. Under all this influence of desire but not regard we too are likely confused and ‘do not know what we are saying.’ A spirituality of regard frees us from being addicted – to War Lords, to theologians, and to magicians. A spirituality of regard has us hold earth and heaven as mystery, embodying all that is miraculous. We live transfigured lives, in touch with all creation, ourselves, and other people.
“The question that is vital, (is) namely, whether or not the people – no matter how much or how little they possess – regard (the possessions)… The right way is to regard (possessions) as something entrusted to us to use for the benefit of ourselves and others. The wrong way is to look on it as something we own and can use as we desire. (Peter Maurin)
Prayer: Spirit, guide me to hold all things in regard.
Question: If there is someone or something I use, how can I develop a spirituality of regard for them?
March 13, 2022 Gospel Luke 9:28b-36 Second Sunday of Lent