Practical Christian Mysticism

The things you own end up owning you. It’s only after you lose everything that you’re free to do anything. ~Fight Club

Bill Talen (aka “Reverend Billy”) has gained much of my esteem. He stars in a new documentary/comedy called “What Would Jesus Buy?”. The movie is not only funny, but really hits home. Seldom does anyone stop to question consumerism, yet it runs (ruins?) our lives. Consumerism isn’t about buying things, it is about buying things we don’t need. We have created an entire culture were we work, labor, and struggle all in the hopes of buying our next… something. Continue Reading »

Next Wednesday, September 5th is the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa. My local Catholic newsletter asked readers to submit a letter of explaining what Mother Teresa meant to them. Below is what I submitted:

Mother Teresa was one the major influences which lead me to join the Catholic church. When looking for role models or heroes in this world it is pretty hard to find anyone else who better manifests the commands and virtues of Christ. However, so many people have raised her to a super-human level, like a myth or a legend, because it is so hard to believe that we could be held to the same standard. Her recently discovered writings, while they have been used by some who wish to discredit her, have made her more real and more human to me.

For someone who has done so much good in this world, Mother Teresa has a lot of critics. Especially in the evangelical world I grew up in, people were always trying to attribute her actions to anything other than charity. I have heard everything from “She is nieve and confused” to “She is just insane.” to “She is a devil in disguise trying to promote evil Catholic doctrine.” Those criticisms actually lead me to respect Mother Teresa more and more as I looked into her history and personal writings.

I think some people will do anything to discredit Mother Teresa because people like her set the bar too high for the rest of us. When Christ said that we are to be like Him, we don’t really believe it, but Mother Teresa did. Mother Teresa shows us how far we ourselves can go, and how much good those who truly believe and obey the teachings of Jesus Christ can accomplish.

When I first heard saw the reports of her writings about her inner struggle of faith and pain caused by the darkness around her, I cried. Not because I was disappointed, but because it hit me just how human she really was, and how genuine was her work. I myself am tempted to think of Mother Teresa as an exception to the human condition, but that report reminded me that she was a human just like me. She was an imperfect person who faced the full brunt of the darkness of this world and overcame it. If that doesn’t define a saint, I don’t know what does.

My wife and I have been fans of the work of Hayao Miyazaki since the translation and import of Princess Mononoke to the American market back in 1999. Shortly after this, Disney took it upon themselves to translate and import most of his more family-friendly films and bring them to America. A couple films you may have heard of are Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Hayao Miyazaki’s films are all done with great imagination and creativity, but he also portrays the human condition more accurately than other movie director/writer I have ever seen.

The other great wisdom shown in Hayao’s Miyazaki’s films is how evil is overcome. “Overcome” is the key word here, evil is not “conquered” but rather overcome through perseverance and maturity. In Spirited Away, the main character starts out as whiny and selfish, and likewise most of the characters around her are shallow and greedy. Throughout the film, the main character is actually struggling against herself as she overcomes her own weakness, as she grows those around her are challenged to grow as well. In a couple movies like Howl’s Moving Castle, the films end with no villains left at all, everyone has reconciled. Continue Reading »