Being a Christian, Being a Scientist, Being Wholly Human

By Beyond Thought we mean beyond dualistic thinking; beyond those either-or choices we’re so often expected to make in life. Like the great Science: Religion debate, for example.

Thus, when I hear someone ask how they can reconcile being a Christian with being a scientist, I’m puzzled. I’ve always been a Christian (my parents were both active with my local church whilst I was growing up) and always been a scientist (since studying Maths, Physics and Chemistry A-levels) and never had a problem being both together. So how have a managed to do this whilst others seems to suffer agonies over the supposed dichotomy of conflicting world-views?

Well, that’s the first point: since reflecting on such things consciously I’ve been willing to acknowledge dichotomy, embrace a paradox and rise above (apparent) contradictions. Science and Christianity (or any religion) are merely (to me) two perspectives on what we call reality. Neither is right nor wrong, good nor bad, better nor worse: they’re just different! It’s looking being either side of a window: we can be inside looking out or outside looking it. Two very different views through the same window.

Being a scientist, to me, is about exploring my reality, making sense of the world and my place in it through rational enquiry . . . by asking question. By understanding things better I improve my relationships with life  . . . I become more whole, more conscious. As science expands itself to embrace quantum physics and consciousness, this journey become even more fascinating and rewarding!

Being a Christian has two facets for me: being a Christian within a community is about practicing rather than preaching. To love your neighbour  . . . and love your enemy. And being a Christian on a personal journey is about developing my Christ-consciousness: become more whole and complete through improving my relationship with God, with life.

So, to me, both paths are about creatively growing towards greater consciousness.  As I pursue them, with conviction, willingness and openness to deeper understanding and revelation, they meet each other. I’ve found that both paths amount to a common path towards finding ourselves and being a whole, fulfilled, human-being at peace with themselves and the world. That journey might take all of our lives, it may involve embracing paradoxes, but isn’t that why we’re here?

May your reflections be enlightened!

Keith

PS This particular image of a view through a window was taken around Nov 5^th some years ago. Fireworks can be enjoyable and instil a sense of wonder or a very scary experience. It all depends on your perspective . . .

PPS Some readers might be surprised to see this article from me, since I rarely, explicitly, describe myself as Christian, and am just as likely to be writing or speaking about Buddhism or Taoism. But I was confirmed into the Church of England as teenager. And I have no problem relating constructively to any other (constructive!) philosophy, religion or approach to life . . .

Beyond Thought . . . Beyond IT?

My own life has paralleled the rise of IT: I was running training on PCs before most folks had heard of them and using the internet before there was a www. And I try to keep abreast of developments, making use of cloud storage for collaboration and so on. But I do wonder where it's all taking us . . . and whether we might be depending on it a mite too much?

Thus I've written an extended article, expanding on what we mean by 'Beyond Thought' in daily life, on how IT may merely be preparing us for something even more powerful and transformative: Connected Living: Beyond the Cloud

It's based on an article I wrote and put on-line at least 15 years ago:
COMMUNICATION WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY

Responding to the post-truth era

We start 2017, it seems, in a new era. One where certain individuals and groups seem happy to invent their own truth and promote it as the one Reality. This sort of thing has always gone on of course but, through social media, a piece of info, by trending, can become de facto truth . . . If we let it.

We each have a choice now more than ever. We can allow fabricated information to flourish or even support misleading posts . . . or we can counter such creeping untruths by, for example, sharing only news or perspectives that have integrity.

Of course, what constitutes dependable or worthy information is debatable. How can we best ensure we respond to a suspect post in the 'right' way?

By giving ourselves chance to reflect and recognising that this is up to us! We can no longer rely on teachers, politicians or any expert to know what our needs are. Even if they happen to be honest they are still unlikely to be aware of our particular circumstances enough to offer the best advice. Deciding what is right for us really is our own, personal responsibility. Surely, at some level, we know what we need to know?

Well, yes, we probably do: but accessing it, as and when we most need to, is trickier. Somehow we need to be able to sidestep those bits of us that are impatient for instant results . . . and ignore (or rise above) those nagging voices in the head that come from inertia or fear.

What tools and techniques are available to help?

Thankfully, these days there are many practices (and related teachers or mentors) that are enable connection into the deeper reality of a situation. I usually turn to Reiki (go here for a free, short explanatory webinar).

For example I'm writing this on a train journey home from a short weekend break. The carriage is fairly empty but at the other end to us are a group of young woman. I find myself getting irritated by their loud voices and raucous laughter. I tell myself that they're just being themselves and enjoying themselves - something I'm often encouraging others to do. That I have difficulty tuning them out stems from never having developed that ability: because I never needed to. But I do see that it’s my issue. So I go into self-healing mode (although Reiki is often presented as a therapy you have a therapist do to you, it is at its most powerful when learnt for self-healing, relaxation and personal growth). I become aware that it’s a rather ancient train and carriage which make a lot of noise when travelling at speed: something else I might find myself getting annoyed by. I smile at the paradox: one irritation has neutralised another! The old train, by being noisier than newer ones makes the sound of other passengers less of an issue.

This is what ‘being present’ is all about: finding a way of seeing a situation that makes it easier to accept those things we cannot change . . . or provides the motivation or courage to change those things that we can. In the post truth era, when we cannot, perhaps, trust others, we can and need to, develop our own ability to see and respond from our own deeper/higher truth. Just the job for Usui Reiki.

Beyond Peace

I woke up this morning feeling uneasy, which is strange as I went to bed feeling peaceful. I'd had a good day and been able to resolve a couple of issues than had been bugging me. But this morning that good feeling had evaporated . . . as a deeper sense of uncertainty began to surface. In today's world, it seems, there's always something to unsettle us. The thought came:

How can I be at peace with the world when the world is not at peace with itself?

What a question!

The answer came to me as more questions:

• Is a raging river at peace with itself?

• Is a thunderstorm at peace with the world?

The questions, to anyone willing to listen to their innate, inner, wisdom, are absurd.

'Peace' is merely a concept. An idea created by the human mind.

The reality is that even the most peaceful looking mirror lake is teaming with life, with natural creation and destruction.

Even in the most blissful of meditation, our bodily processes are continuing, destroying food to turn it into energy.

Life goes on, death goes on. Many of us may seek an end to disputes between humans but, in this era at least, they are as part of reality as a ladybird eating an aphid from our roses.

The conclusion?

The only way to feel peaceful is to be peaceful. And that means just being . . . beyond labels of peace or otherwise, beyond judgement as to what constitutes peace and what doesn't.

Being Peaceful means Being  . . . Beyond Thought