Rite of Passage

Throughout our lives there are special, significant events that constitute what are called milestones. Often a milestone indicates a transition from one phase of life to another. Some of these include our first day at school, graduating from one level of education to another, marriage and retirement. Most of these milestones didn’t merely happen. They had to be earned. Usually achieving a given milestone takes both time and effort. Often their attainment involves sacrifices of one kind or another, some small and some great. It is because of the effort, the struggle, the perseverance and the sacrifices that our success at attaining the milestone is celebrated with such great joy.

Virtually every society, culture, institution and organization has celebratory rituals culminating the attainment of a milestone. Often these rituals follow some type of activity, trial or test by which the person seeking to achieve the milestone proves they are worthy of the new status. Those seeking membership in a fraternity or sorority pass through a period of trial as pledges. In various religious communities attaining spiritual adulthood is preceded by intense periods of study. Being accepted as an adult in some cultures involves proving your mettle through demonstrating a high level of knowledge and skill by surviving a period of hardship and deprivation on your own in the wild. All of these activities and tests are termed rites of passage. The American political arena, particularly during the primary season is a rite of passage from a would be nominee to the status of a political candidate for a particular office such as president. Successfully completing these trials entitles the person to enter the next phase of life or to adopt his or her new status. But there is one rite of passage that is far more arduous, far more important and far greater in its rewards than all the others, individually or combined. This rite of passage is life. By it we prove just how worthy we are to be admitted into the eternal court of the King of kings and Lord of lords as members of the most exclusive of clubs, the family of God. Membership in this gathering is granted only to those who have demonstrated their love and their loyalty to God by steadfast faithfulness, loving obedience and ultimate perseverance in the face of the most adverse conditions, the most arduous of trials and strongest of foes.

As I write this, the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing have recently concluded. Being part of a nation’s Olympic team is a great milestone and all the athletes who participated should be justifiably proud. They have succeeded in demonstrating they are worthy to be among the top athletes in the world and, as such, even if a medal wasn’t won, are champions. St. Paul likens life to a race (see 1 Cor. 9:24, 2 Tim/ 4:7 and Hebrews 12:1) similar to those of the Olympics, but with the prize far more precious than gold medals or diamond tiaras. And so it is. For some the length of this race is shorter than it is for others. It isn’t the length of the race or the speed by which the course is completed that matters. This rite of passage is not based on physical prowess or speed. Its only similarity to other races is that of endurance. The race of life is one of quality. The standards against which the quality of one’s performance is measured are love, justice, compassion, mercy and obedience. In short, it is a measure of holiness.

Those who successfully achieve this milestone receive their prize with their garments torn and in tatters and their bodies, hearts and souls racked with pain from countless bleeding wounds. And in so doing they are images of Christ and rightly called His true disciples. But in receiving the prize, all of these things are healed and restored and more besides, for Christ has promised as much and His word is Truth.

Univeersal Mission

There comes a time in the life of each person when he or she wonders why they were born. They ask why am I here? What is my reason for being? What am I supposed to accomplish? These and similar questions often occur more than once. It seems they most frequently occur when we experience hardship, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, defeat, failure and depression. Yet, we may also ask these questions when our experiences are positive but we are bored, confused or are searching for a sense of direction and an overriding goal onto which we can hold. Many psychologists believe humans are the only species that are self-aware and, thus, capable of asking these questions. It would seem, therefore, that asking these questions are unique to the human family. The questioning of our reason for being appears to be hardwired; some would say instinctual. Yet, due to our sense of self and the intangible nature of the questions, this desire goes beyond mere instinct, which is usually tied more directly to the urges prompted by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Our desire to know or find our purpose in life arises from an intuitive, almost subliminal sense of destiny. Integral to finding our purpose or mission is the desire to do something important, something great. Regrettably, many of us appear to envision this greatness in purely worldly terms such as fame, power and wealth. We set our sights on temporary, fleeting things when in reality our desire and our destiny are for far greater things, things that are timeless.

In our search for purpose, we seem to focus increasingly on the limited things of the world. However, each of us, whether we acknowledge it or not, have been given a mission. The successful completion of that mission will bring us the total, perfect fulfillment and happiness for which we hunger. It is a mission that is integral to who we are as human persons and has been given to us out of love by our Creator. That mission is a mission of agape love. It is a mission that is to culminate in a life of eternal union with God, to experience endless joy by sharing in His love as His adopted children.

The specific means of fulfilling this ultimate, universal common mission during this life differs for each person. The state of life we choose, the career path we follow, the activities in which we engage all contribute toward the fulfillment of this overriding mission, even when we have one or more specific missions in the world. Thus, the person who chooses a mission to heal the sick and becomes a physician to do so, contributes to his or her fulfillment of the universal mission to achieve union with God by using his or her education, talent and skills with love and compassion in accordance with the unchanging moral law established by God. Likewise, the person who chooses marriage assumes the goal of a lifelong commitment of responsible love for his or her spouse and the children that are born to them. Faithfully fulfilling this commitment and the promises of the marriage contract contributes to his or her eventual eternal union with God. All that we do in our daily lives has a bearing on whether or not we successfully complete the universal mission we have been given. The more our thoughts, words and actions are in obedience to the law of love and morality, the more successful we will be in completing the general mission all of us have been given. It is by love and goodness not by hatred and evil that we achieve the end for which we have been created. That love and goodness is most perfectly pursued by each of us emulating Jesus as His disciples.

The Perpetual Quest

Although it is further up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and is not considered by psychologists to be one of the most basic, there is one need that seems to always be present and, indeed, to be more prevalent than any other. This need is so strong that, regardless of whether or not other needs are met, we long for its satisfaction. This is the need for love. Not only do we long to be loved but to love. But what is love? The American Heritage Dictionary defines love as

A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. 2. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance. 3.a. Sexual passion. b. Sexual intercourse. c. A love affair. 4. An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object. 5. A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment. 6. An expression of one's affection. 7.a. A strong predilection or enthusiasm. b. The object of such an enthusiasm.

As we can see, the word appears to have a variety of meanings and we use it in many different ways, often erroneously. We say, for example, we love music or chocolate or sports. The use of the word love for these objects and activities is actually incorrect and only by colloquial usage has it come to be accepted. However, the appropriate use of the term is limited to what is given to and received from other persons rather than activities, events, and inanimate objects. Many of the definitions cited above are both incomplete and incorrect.

The above dictionary definitions of love have developed with rise of popular fiction in the form of love stories, whether told through music, literature or film. These stories have caused us to view love as based on physical attraction, sexuality, appealing attributes such as wittiness, and a positive emotional response to another person. Such characteristics are subject to change and are often transitory. This is especially true of emotional feelings, which may change rapidly depending our mood or state of mind. Furthermore, those attributes of a person that we first found attractive often become sources of irritation as time passes. The intense emotional feelings we have at the beginning of a relationship frequently fade as the newness wanes. And characteristics that don’t correspond to our own, such as tidiness, which were overlooked or ignored at the beginning of a relationship may cause relationship problems later on.

While love may include affection, attraction and attachment, on one hand love is not limited to these qualities and, on the other, may not include them at all. Whether or not these qualities are an integral part of love depends on the type or level of love to which we are referring.

At the lowest level is eros or erotic love. It includes the attributes of attraction, affection and attachment. The orientation of eros is toward propagation of the species, i.e. toward sexual intercourse. It is the least stable form of love and, in its initial form, is primarily rooted in infatuation or being in love.

Filial love is the love shared or exchanged by family members and between close friends. The qualities of attachment and affection are usually present in some degree. However, attraction, at least on the physical level, is often minimal, if present at all. Although expressions of familial love may include physical contact such as a kiss or hug, it is not physical in its orientation. Bonds of unity, loyalty and camaraderie, among others, characterize it.

Eros and filial love are both heavily dependent on feelings, emotions and factors such as common interests, sense of humor and so on. Therefore, they are often temporary, weaker and imperfect. Additionally, particularly with eros, it is what is received rather than what is given that is emphasized. These levels of love, thus, have a strong selfish and egocentric aspect. This appears to be strongest at the eros level of love.

Most of us long to be loved for who we are with our idiosyncrasies and imperfections as well as our attractive qualities. We don’t want the love we receive to be based on trivial or surface qualities such as good looks, our humor and our talents. Rather we want to be loved for the total person we are and as we are. We want that love to be affirming, supportive, nurturing and lasting. This desire is for the highest and most perfect level of love, agape. Agape is a level of love that is not dependent on feelings or emotions. The more perfect it is the less it has to do with attraction and attachment. Indeed, agape is not a feeling but a decision of the will. It is not a matter of the heart but of the will. It is totally unconditional and unselfish. A person who receives agape love is loved for who and what they are and their attributes are completely irrelevant. The principle characteristic of agape is the good or welfare of the one loved. One who gives agape love desires what is truly and honestly best for the beloved and will do everything possible to provide that good, including sacrificing him or herself even to the point of giving his or her life. Among other things, agape is unconditional, respectful, helpful, compassionate, tender, just, merciful, nurturing, supportive, defending, loyal and permanent. Because it is a decision of the will rather than prompted by emotion, it is not swayed, altered or diminished by trials, tribulations, situations, circumstances or feelings. Furthermore, because agape is selfless, it seeks to always please the one who is loved. Although eros and/or familial love also may be present, the only real love is agape. Thus, if agape love is not merely included but the dominant type of love, it is not true love and is unlikely to last. As we shall see, it is agape that is at the heart of the Judeo-Christian message. This love is referred to by St. Paul who wrote in his ode to love,

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. : Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 13:1-13)

If eros or filial love does not grow and become transformed into agape it eventually withers and fades. And agape, too, must constantly grow, become ever more pure, ever more perfect, ever more giving, ever more self-donating, seeking first not its good, but the good of the beloved for whom the very best is desired. Agape, therefore, is the only real, the only true love.

Those who experience real love recognize and act upon a strong inner, heartfelt desire. We long to know fully the one we love. We want to be close to that person. We hunger to commune with the beloved and to be in the loved one’s presence as much as possible. And when we’re not there we pine for them as though part of ourselves is missing. Above all, always pleasing the beloved becomes more important to us than life itself and we would rather die than to displease or offend the loved one. It sounds like a fairy tale, but such love does and must exist and can be chosen or decided upon and cultivated. This is agape at its purest level. And, in its highest most supreme form, it existed before anything else. We call this supreme agape “God.” To choose agape love is the only way we can ever hope to being like God. To choose to love God as He has loved us is to be truly God’s image and likeness. In the end, it is only this agape that abides and survives.

Insatiable Hunger

Each of us has many wants or desires; nice clothes, good education, good job, friends, family and so on. Yet, at the root of all these individual desires is one that is far more fundamental. This most basic desire appears to be common among all people regardless of where they live, their age, education, social standing, culture or religion. This is the desire for happiness. We desire other things because we think they will contribute to our happiness or will make us happy. But what is happiness? To make sure we understand what we mean by happiness, let’s use the following American Heritage Dictionary definition:

Enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure, satisfaction, or joy.

When we speak of happiness, we typically are not referring to brief periods or moments of happiness but one that is long term and continuous. Everyone wants to live “happily ever after.” However, in the world in which we live, this idyllic life is rarely, if ever, experienced. Illness, injury, misfortune, poverty, abuse, disrespect, teasing and many other events mar or interrupt our happiness. Consequently, we spend our lives with an insatiable hunger for happiness that will last forever.

In an attempt to satisfy this hunger we do many things and pursue many activities. What we choose varies not only from person to person but for each person from situation to situation. Some people think power, fame, money or some combination of these and their subsets (such as expensive clothes, jewelry, furnishings and property) will make them happy. For others pleasure and popularity are the means they choose as means to happiness. Still others seek happiness in other things or activities. But rarely, if ever, does the happiness we gain last forever or even for a lifetime.

Often, once we have the “thing” we believe will make us happy, we find that it does not. For example, those who have sought wealth as a means to happiness often appear to be the most unhappy people in the world. The same appears to be true of those who want power in order to be happy. The happiness we achieve from other means often is short-lived. Our fame is frequently fleeting. We grow bored with our possessions as the newness wears off. Our popularity waxes and wanes over time and so on.

Why then do we have this constant drive to be permanently happy if it is so utterly unachievable? And why is this drive so pervasive? In the middle of the twentieth century psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a theory that people’s actions are motivated or prompted by a hierarchy of needs. The most basic of these needs are survival; food, water, shelter and so forth. The next most important needs are those for security and safety followed by belonging needs (love and family for example). The topmost level are what Maslow calls self-actualization needs. These are needs for self-fulfillment or to reach one’s greatest potential. At first glance, Maslow’s hierarchy suggests that each of the needs categories are fairly discreet and that most or all of the needs of a lower category have to be fulfilled before satisfaction of the next higher level of needs is activated. In reality, while the needs of a given category may be emphasized or take priority, satisfying the needs of other, even higher categories may often be pursued. Thus, the categories may be more or less intertwined with another. Maslow’s theory would seem to suggest that the more needs that are met, the happier a person will be. Yet, it appears that even when the needs of all the categories from survival through self-actualization are satisfied and these people seem to be as happy as they can be, many still want more, something greater as if the most important thing is still missing, still beyond reach. I would put this “need” at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy above self-actualization needs. Let’s call this need “completion.”

It is as though Maslow’s list of needs and the necessity for their satisfaction are hardwired in us. Some say this is instinctual and Maslow himself calls them “instinctoids.” Those who hold this view believe the instinctual response to a perceived need has developed over time through evolution. Yet, they’ve not explained how the first single celled creatures acquired the drive to satisfy even the most fundamental needs such as the need for food. Nor have they adequately explained the desire for happiness that goes far beyond the satisfaction of all of our needs. While biology, including genetics, play a part in striving to satisfy our needs, their satisfaction might produce contentment but not the desire we all seem to share for an endless state of happiness that is beyond our wildest dreams. This desire is so strong that, even though no one has ever achieved it during his or her lifetime, each of us continues to pursue the dream.

Our pursuit of happiness takes many forms including fame, fortune, possessions, pleasure, power and even selfish, irresponsible, illicit and immoral activities. Our efforts to achieve happiness have gravitated increasingly toward worldly things rather than seeking that which is the only true source and goal of real, permanent happiness. Although biology, genetics, and environment may have a role in our desire for happiness, it is nevertheless true that the happiness for which we were created is not caused by or rooted in these factors. Rather, they were designed to orient us toward the source of perfect and endless joy. That source is also the end we seek. And there is only one general means of achieving that end.

First Steps

Most physical journeys, that is travel, begin with some initial questions such as: Where do I need or want to go? Am I going to stop along the way and where? What means of transportation will I take? Where will I stay both at my destination and along the way? What should I take with me?

Spiritual or faith journeys also frequently start with some basic questions, among which are: Who am I? Why do I exist? What purpose does my life have? How did all of this (the universe) come about? What is my relationship to the universe? These and other questions encompass the origins, purpose and rationale for being. They seek answers to the most profound of questions -- "why?"

Science would have us believe that such questions are irrelevant. It appears to claim the simple fact the universe exists is reason enough for its existence. But our continuing to ask these questions attests to both their relevance to the meaning of our lives and the inadequacy of the purely scientific perspective.

Science deals with physical or natural realities. It answers questions of what, where, when and how. Questions of why are limited to physical cause and effect. Answers to questions bearing on the meaning of life are more properly of the metaphysical realm and at least touch upon the supernatural, the spiritual. The former realities might, at first glance, appear to lie solely within the province of scientific inquiry. The latter fall within the province of philosophy and the related field of theology. The truth, however, is that, in some fashion, philosophy, theology and science are interrelated. In fact, until the rise of secular institutions and attitudes, the function of science was to be of service to theology, that is to faith. The discoveries of science were viewed as providing evidence not only of the existence of God, but of His ultimate superiority, power and intellect. For sincere people of faith, this perspective remains valid and only those without faith would claim that science is devoid of any relation to God or worse that God does not exist.

For the disciple of Christ, a fundamental belief in God is the crucial seed that is planted by answers to the metaphysical questions that can be coalesced into "why?"

Beginning the Journey

Discipleship to Jesus Christ is a journey. It is a journey of the spirit, of the heart and of faith.

It is a journey of the spirit because it is along a road that leads to the eternal salvation of one's immortal soul.

It is a journey of the heart because it is a love affair with God the Father through God the Son and by God the Holy Spirit.

It is a journey of faith because it requires both belief and trust in the Love, Goodness, Benevolence, Compassion, Justice and Mercy of God.

Like all journeys, it is helpful if you are prepared to undertake the journey, have what you need to complete the journey successfully, know how to get to your destination and know what that destination is.

Knowing the destination seems simple enough. It is heaven, that is, eternal union with God. But there is far more than such a simple statement suggests. Therefore, it is necessary to know the terrain, so to speak, of the destination.

Getting to this destination is much more involved and, therefore, necessitates as detailed a roadmap as possible.

Having what you need for the journey is also more complex and consequently a checklist seems desirable.

Yet, the obvious place for all journeys to begin is to prepare for it. And just as naturally that's where we'll begin this most special of all journeys.

The Commitment

In relation to the title for this post, there are two things. First, I want to apologize for the length of time since my last post. It was not intended, but I became distracted by another project. It goes to show that I need to strengthen and re-energize or reinvigorate my commitment to this project, which actually in the larger scheme of things is far more important than any other that I'm involved with. That said, the rest of this post covers the principle purpose of this post and its title.

A person who claims to be a Christian implicitly claims to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The principle definition of being a disciple is

One who embraces and is an adherent to and assists in spreading the teachings of another.

The above definition, however, doesn't encompass the full meaning of what being a disciple of Christ entails. Implicit in the claim of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is the claim to have made a permanent, eternal, irrevocable, total commitment to Jesus and all that He is, teaches, commands, represents and stands for. Furthermore, it is a commitment of love and obedience to Jesus and, therefore, to God since Jesus is God the Son and the three Divine Persons of the Godhead are inseparable.

Implicit in this commitment is the promise to faithfully and steadfastly obey and adhere to the teachings of the Word of God in its entirety. But Jesus is the definitive Word of God. It is He who speaks to mankind in both the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish and Christian Scriptures respectively. But Jesus teaches us by more than what is written in the Bible. He also teaches us by His actions, behavior, the earthly life He led and by the words He spoke that were not included in the Bible. The Bible, having been written down, is Sacred Scripture. That which was not written down, but was passed on to future generations of Christians by the stories told by Jesus' disciples form Sacred Tradition. Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition together form Divine Revelation. This commitment, thus, requires obedience to all of God's teachings and commands, without exception. To knowingly and intentionally ignore, deny or reject any of the Truths of Divine Revelation is to reject and repudiate one's entire commitment to Christ. Doing so is a rejection of Jesus Himself and renders one's claim to be a Christian false and invalid.

I am sure there are those who will reject some or even all of the above. That, however, neither negates nor invalidates the truth of the foregoing assertions. Therefore, for example, those who claim to be Christian but support gay marriage or abortion deny the Truth of Divine Revelation and its condemnation of such practices. Until these individuals give firm and incontrovertible evidence of repentance and the reformation of their lives, their claims to be Christians must be rejected by true disciples of Christ.