The Search for Meaning and Belonging

today's post comes from a book entitled, "Leading Causes of Life" by Gary Gunderson and Larry Pray. The authors are part of a larger program to re-integrate faith communities into the public health system. It's happening right now in Memphis, TN, and they call it the "Congregational Health Network". Really cool stuff and really out-of-the-box thinking. Possibilities Journey, Inc (www.possjrny.org) hopes to replicate this model of caring in the greater Washington, DC, area.

One of the five leading causes of life is coherence. Coherence is that sense of belonging or the ability to attach meaning to something or to someone (or both). For Christians, this means that two pieces of wood attached perpendicularly mean more than what they actually are. In fact, those two pieces of wood are foundational to a belief system that brings meaning to those who believe in this doctrine. There are similar meaningful symbols and stories from all faith traditions. This is why it is so abhorrent to have one group desecrate the symbology of another group (the recent burning of the Qur'an) and why people react so violently when this happens.

People lack coherence - they lack a shared vision of meaning and belonging. My step-father used to group everyone by ethnicity or religion. He came from a time and place where people in town were organized by groups (e.g., Mick's, Wop's, Catholics) and there was very little cross talk between these groups. Each had their own places to gather and everyone stayed within their group. Unfortunately, this group mentality caused a lot of friction and was counter-productive to accomplishing anything (by and large). We see the same thing today as religions are painted with the same brush (all Muslims are out to kill all non-Muslims or all Western religions are out to subjugate all non-western religions and peoples). There can be no shared meaning when there is a dualistic (us-them, I-it, we-they) mindset.

The best of spiritual thought and teaching breaks down artifical human barriers and dualistic thought, and exhorts followers to get to know one another as people not as ideology. Unless there is coherence, there can only be division and conflict. We are so busy nowdays, however, that this kind of investment in getting to know one another is seen as beyond our grasp. thus, even within our own groups (congregations, etc) we see more division than unity, more strife than coherence.

Health, wellness and wholeness (HW2) can only come from coherence. Coherence starts with each one of us stepping out of our comfort zones and learning from another. Sharing meaningful dialogue from a place of mutual love and respect. Understanding that we have all been given more than enough if we just learn how to look past our own greed to another's need.

So, this week, find coherence with another person or group. Use this time to break down artifical barriers and develop a sense of coherence.

Peace,
Dan