Crossing Over and Coming Back

by Joseph Stoutzenberger

I spent sixteen years going to Catholic-affiliated schools, so when I graduated from college, I decided to learn about other religions on my own. I recall sitting on the beach at the Jersey shore reading the Qur’an when everyone around me seemed to be reading fluff mystery novels. I moved on to reading What the Buddha Taught and then some of the Bhagavad Gita and Heschel and Buber on Judaism. I attempted to read the bible all the way through but got bogged down in the law codes of Leviticus and Numbers.

As it turns out, I taught a world religions course for much of my academic career. I don’t believe I ever had a student decide to change religions because of studying about them. Something else happened instead. Notre Dame theologian John S. Dunne describes a process he calls “crossing over and coming back.” He recommends immersing oneself in another religion, seeking to understand and appreciate it as someone who is a member of that religion would. After an experience of immersion, return to one’s own religion, and you will find that you look upon your own in a new light. It’s somewhat like saying that one of the best ways to appreciate what it means to be an American is to travel to another country and seek to understand and appreciate its customs and culture. In that way, you can understand and appreciate American culture better and differently. (We don’t take siestas in the afternoon. Why not? What does that say about us?)

One book that can help people engage in this process of crossing over and coming back is Living Buddha, Living Christ, by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn. He had many occasions to spend time with Christians and learn from them about their religion. He often found parallels between Buddhism and Christianity. When he heard about the Holy Spirit as the divine presence within people, he realized that it sounded very much like what Buddhists call mindfulness. The historical Jesus who comes to be viewed as Christ is similar to Siddhartha, who comes to be recognized as the Buddha, the awakened one.

Look up reviews of the book, and you will discover that many Christians feel as though his correlations between Buddhist concepts and Christian ones are belittling Christianity. Jesus is one with God, not simply “awake.” The vast majority of my Christian students who read the book find that Buddhist perspectives on reality help them better appreciate the meaning of their own beliefs.

A few years ago, I had an unplanned experience of crossing over and coming back at a Muslim festival in Philadelphia. I stopped at a booth that had pamphlets on interesting topics: Islam and Women, Islam and War. I picked up a few and stuck them in my back pocket. As I started to walk away, a woman behind the table beckoned to me: “Excuse me, sir, but you put those pamphlets in your back pocket. You might forget they are there and inadvertently sit on them. They contain the holy name of God.” I said, “Thank you very much. I would not want to sit on the name of God.” I was struck by the reverence shown to even the written name of God. We Christians tend to be nonchalant about and even disrespectful at times of writing or speaking God’s name. I had crossed over to a different appreciation for reverence toward the holy in scripture and discourse. It was a lesson I could apply to my own Christian attitude.

Eboo Patel had a different trajectory when it came to learning from and appreciating another religion and his own. He was raised in a Muslim family in Chicago but rebelled against it and stopped practicing. As a young man, he volunteered at a Catholic Worker House on the southside of Chicago and was impressed with the good work these Catholics were doing. A Franciscan brother there told him he should look into his own religion for wisdom and guidance. Patel discovered that care for those who are poor is a central teaching of Islam; it is one of its five pillars, zakat. He found in the Qur’an far more references to caring for people in need than about issues such as women’s dress that people associated with Islam. Patel was guided by the Franciscan brother to pass over from Catholicism to his own tradition and came back to it. Patel has established a leading organization to promote interreligious dialogue and young people from various backgrounds to work together for good.

America is increasingly a melting pot of many cultures and religions. Even my small hometown now has a Buddhist temple thanks to Cambodian refugees and a Confucian study center. If we apply John Dunne’s approach to these different traditions, we might come to a greater appreciation of our own. Try it.

Does Being Catholic Make a Difference?

by Joseph Stoutzenberger

I grew up in a small town where Catholics were scarce. One day, another Catholic boy and I were with some other boys. During the chatter among us, my Catholic friend began to curse and use foul language when describing someone he didn’t like. One of the non-Catholic boys said, “What a way to talk! And you’re Catholic!” Apparently, in his mind, Catholics were held to a higher standard of morality than other people.

The question about whether Catholicism is worth saving, addressed in my recent book and in an earlier blog, lingers on. All Catholics should ask themselves that question, and it is a question for members of all religions to ask themselves. Does being Catholic make a difference in how people live their lives? Are they, in fact, held to a higher standard of behavior than others? Should they be? Karl Marx rejected Christianity because he felt it contributed to oppressed people passively putting up with their fate because its message was that their true home and happiness existed only after death. Christianity offered no incentive to be compassionate and involved in trying to make this world a better place. However, history and current examples prove that Marx’s hypothesis is wrong. Catholics often engage in practices to make this world a better place for everyone, especially for people most in need.

Admittedly, the record is mixed. As a Catholic myself, I am always pleased to hear that Catholics are on the front lines in trying to help migrants on our southern border who have endured great hardships seeking a better life. Then I read about Catholic governors who seem to lack compassion, setting up roadblocks for those fleeing inhuman circumstances in their home country and are desperate for a helping hand to get them through their ordeal. Catholics have been at the forefront of protesting against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and what used to be called the School of the Americas, where Latin American soldiers, often in the service of dictators, learned how to quash rebellions with violent means. An impressive array of Catholics also makes up a disproportionate amount of military personnel, including the current Secretary of Defense. Catholics run food pantries and shelters for homeless people, but so do members of other religions. People who identify as Catholic attend weekly services at a lower rate than non-Catholics do now, a stark reversal from what was happening sixty years ago. Catholics are well-represented among far-right political circles but also in progressive movements. In America, Catholics get divorced, practice birth control, and have abortions at about the same rate as non-Catholics do. So, what difference does being Catholic make?

One place to look for an answer is in an exchange between Jesus and “the Twelve,” who are his closest followers. After hearing particularly baffling and challenging words from Jesus, many of the people who had been following him left him and renounced his message. Jesus asks the twelve, “Do you also wish to leave me?” Peter speaks for the group, saying: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68). Jesus does not offer a message that is easy, either easy to understand or easy to practice. Being Catholic means nothing if divorced from faith in Jesus. Being Catholic means seeking to know the will of God and to follow it as revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus. Given the enigmatic nature of Jesus’s message, that quest is ongoing and requires constant reexamination.

That non-Catholic boy was right to say, “You’re not supposed to talk that way. You’re Catholic!” Being Catholic is supposed to make a difference, and for so many Catholics, it does. It is not a one-size-fits-all response to Jesus but a lifelong commitment to seeking truth and living accordingly in one’s particular circumstances. If you find Jesus as compelling as Peter and the Twelve did, then where else would you go for guidance in pursuit of eternal life? People of other religions or of no religion can clearly be as good and compassionate and on-target in their understanding of truth as Catholics. Other voices can inspire and offer guidance. There are many doorways into truth. Would the world really be better off if this particular doorway were closed?

Can Speech Ever be Free?

by Joseph Stoutzenberger

I have been hearing a great deal about free speech these days. It is a bedrock of American democracy, enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution. However, if by free, we mean without consequences, then there is no such thing as free speech.

I knew a fellow teacher who used to make deeply disparaging remarks about co-workers. When the target of his attacks called him on it, he would simply say, “I was only joking,” as if that excused his hateful speech. Can you imagine saying, “Why are you wearing that ugly dress? Did you get it from your grandmother’s closet?” and then dismissing the comment as a joke? The harm is done, and the speaker knows it. I have been hearing politicians making hateful, hurtful, belittling remarks about anyone who disagrees with them. That’s not free speech. That’s a sinful use of language, a violation of the eighth commandment not to bear false witness.

Jesus was attuned to the reality that our words can be as deadly as physically harming another. Here is just one instance when he called out those who would speak ill of another: “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool’, you will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21-22). Pretty strong words, but pretty insightful. Hate speech is fuel for creating hell on earth. Later Jesus says, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles” (Matthew 15:11). Some popular politicians exhibit a sewer-mouth and foment an atmosphere of anger and hatred. All in the name of free speech!

Whatever happened to the simple wisdom we learned as children? “If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything.” The French priest who began the Sisters of St. Joseph proposed the following maxim for those who wished to live a Christian life: “Always speak favorably of others and value highly the good in them, excusing and covering up, in the best way you can, the deficiencies they might have.” That’s a far cry from yelling out real or imagined flaws in others. 

I have a friend who bears within himself the painful memory of coming home in third grade with C’s on his report card. His strict, insensitive father told him, “Look at those grades! You are stupid and will never amount to anything!” That friend went on to achieve quite a few accomplishments, using his mind. However, whenever he failed at something, he slumped into depression and said, “My father was right. I am stupid. Why do I even try to presume otherwise.” Words can be deadly. A hurtful, inconsiderate remark is like a pebble in a pond, spreading an atmosphere of hate throughout society that can linger a very long time. Hindus call it bad karma, whose effects last over many lifetimes. Perhaps, more importantly than free speech, the bedrock of civil society is kindness, first and foremost, kind words. I have often been struck by the image of Jesus healing a man who, from birth, could not speak. I wondered what the first words would be if someone had never spoken before and had time to think about what they wanted to say after a lifetime of silence. Would it be the nasty words spoken by my fellow teacher, who was always quick to point out another’s weaknesses? Would it be to enter into the discourse I hear on cable news channels or from commentators and politicians who can’t bring themselves to say a kind word about anyone they dislike? I would hope that when given the gift of speech by Jesus, the man born unable to speak would find it in himself to utter words of gratitude to God and comfort and compassion to those around him. All of us able to speak would do well to appreciate that speech is a gift, even if bestowed upon us at an early age. What a shame it is, and how deadly, when we don’t use it to offer comfort, compassion, and understanding of others.

Beauty and Awe

by Joseph Stoutzenberger

Those of us watching the news this August 2023 are seeing images of what was once the beautiful, lush, verdant Maui Island of Hawaii, now devasted by wildfires sparked by unusually dry conditions. We have also been constantly viewing beautiful people and places in Ukraine being destroyed, such as the magnificent Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa or a theatre filled mostly with children. I am also struck by how the United States side of the Rio Grande River is now laid waste. Natural habitat has been replaced by a stretch of land devoid of vegetation and replaced with razor wire and unsightly fences.

The Bible begins by proclaiming that the created world is good, another way of saying that it is beautiful. The Psalms often sing of the beauty of the natural world, and St. Francis of Assisi wrote a song praising the beauties of creation. The bible’s Song of Songs also called the Song of Solomon, is a love poem filled with an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and of the author’s beloved. “You are beautiful as Tirzah, my beloved, comely as Jerusalem…Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me!”

Jesus says nothing about beauty in the gospels. He does speak favorably of creatures of nature—birds of the air and beloved sheep. Jesus does have much to say about goodness, which is clearly an expression of beauty. Perhaps changing a few words would express his understanding of the two concepts. In the Beatitudes, instead of “blessed,” substitute “beauty.” “How beautiful are the peacemakers; theirs is the kingdom of God.” Matthew’s Last Judgment description contrasts that which is beautiful with that which is unsightly: “Whenever you give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and visit the sick, you create beauty.” Especially in the beatitudes, the beauty that Jesus proposes is not so much “doing for” as it is “standing with” the other. Our experience of beauty is always enhanced when we can see through another’s eyes, such as through the eyes of a child.

Grandson Aidan, Cape May, August 2023

Studies have shown that spending time in nature inevitably uplifts our spirit. Even surrounding ourselves when indoors with scenes of sunsets and trees has a positive effect on our mood.  Each season and every environment has its beauty. If we don’t appreciate the beauty of a sunset or a gentle stream flowing through a pristine forest, our lives will be greatly diminished. A barren landscape leads to a barren spirit. No amount of screen time can match the wonder and beauty of the natural world.

The link between beauty and goodness found in the bible has been shown to be scientifically observable. Today it is called “moral beauty.” Dacher Kaltner, the founder of the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley, led a team surveying people’s experiences of awe from many different cultures. They found that: “Around the world, we are most likely to feel awe when moved by moral beauty: exceptional virtue, character, and ability, marked by a purity and goodness of intention and action.” An experience of moral beauty results in a sense of unity and connection with that which is greater, what we would call “awe,” but it also leads to a desire to want to be a better person ourselves. Moral beauty is contagious.

Dorothy Day, echoing her favorite author Dostoevsky, said, “The world will be saved by beauty.” Both Day and her Russian novelist linked beauty with goodness. She found beauty in the run-down Bowery section of New York City, transformed because she was engaged in serving meals to homeless people in the neighborhood. Her Catholic Worker House created an aura of beauty—moral beauty, where many would see only repellant shabbiness. St. Augustine observed that the beauty we see around us, which is finite, is a reflection of beauty itself, which is God. We are likely familiar with equating God with the good. To experience beauty as a way to God is not a separate pathway from the way of goodness. That sunset we see, and the life we live are more beautiful when shared. Spurred on by such feelings of awe, our acts of kindness become beauty passed along. Only beauty will save the world.