Reorientation
by Rev. Dr.
Tom Thresher
Have you ever noticed how different paintings from the
12th
and 13th
centuries are, compared to those from the 18th
century onward, especially paintings from the West? The
earlier paintings are flat and two-dimensional, whereas
those of the 18th
century onward have depth and perspective.
This was not just a
chance occurrence, but reflects a fundamental
reorientation of people’s perspective in the world.
What emerged on a mass scale in the 18th
century is what we call rationality -- the ability to
hold a different point of view and analyze it --
combined with a propensity to divide things into little
pieces.
This was a huge advance
in the history of human consciousness and was the
foundation of what we call the Enlightenment and the
modern world we inhabit today. What we call rationality
existed earlier,
but it was not until the
18th
century that it began to emerge as the dominant mode of
consciousness. As late as the mid 1600s, Galileo was
condemned by the Church for his rational exploration of
the world.
Our physical orientation in the world has
a profound influence on the world we perceive. In a
recent worship service, I asked you to fold your fingers
together and then to refold them with the opposite thumb
on top and see what you noticed. I noticed my knuckles,
which I don’t really notice when I fold my hands in my
habitual manner.
In that same service I changed from my
robe to a sport coat, to a simple shirt and tie for you
to see me differently. In each garb, I expect that you
related to me somewhat differently. Similarly, in a Zen
spiritual practice called Big Mind/Big Heart Revealed,
participants are asked to shift their position in their
chairs as the master invites each sub-personality to
reveal itself.
When we sit in the same place in the
sanctuary during worship we are likely to understand
what is going on in a similar way. And while it may be
comforting to perceive the world in the same way all the
time, it is hardly the entire message of Jesus. In the
gospel of Luke (12:49) he states: “I came to bring fire
to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!”
While we are not setting a fire, we might be surprised
by what we notice when the pews are oriented in a
different direction.
Theologically, how we arrange our
sanctuary reflects -- and influences -- how we
understand God and the role of the church. We can see
ourselves as separate from God, with the church as the
intermediary between us and God (rows oriented toward
the altar). Or we can see ourselves as part of God; see
the face of God in every individual (able to see one
another). What feels right for each of us?
By the time you read this the sanctuary
will have been rearranged. I invite you to pay
attention to how you see things differently. Do you
notice different parts of the sanctuary? Do you
see other people differently? Do you relate to the
service differently? Do you understand yourself
differently? Do you understand God differently?
And remember, soon everything will
change.
Bless you all... Tom
