Hello! I went to see the latest X Men film called X Men First Class a few days ago. I'm not normally into Sci Fi movies but I really enjoyed this one and thought that, as well as being full of action and a good story, it was a very clever portrayal of the struggles encountered when coming to terms with being perceived as different - the 'other' i.e. not conforming to the 'norms' of the day, and how this situation can be one of opportunity and hope or threat and fear. The phrase which has stayed with me is the X Men's slogan "Mutant and proud!"
Two TV dramas which I think also explore this theme about being 'an other' well are Lost and True Blood, and I must confess I enjoy both!
Along my own spiritual journey I have been fascinated by the compulsion of people I meet to try to categorise me. In encountering church communities as a newcomer or visitor, the first question I was often asked was "Are you believer?" followed quickly by "Oh, you are, good, which church do you go to?" It is as if the most important thing is to find out whether I am 'in or out'. If you were 'in' then there was a big sigh of relief but if you were 'out' then wariness ensued followed by a lightbulb moment as the interrogator realised that this presented an opportunity and you are ripe for change and a conversion to conformity in order to belong.
I wonder whether this compulsion is a hangover from the Age of Enlightenment when scientists of the day rationalised, identified, classified and compartmentalized everything in to the great filing cabinet of life or perhaps it speaks of a much deeper and more ancient human instinct.
Since my early 20s I've tried to follow "The Way" of Jesus and his disciples and their teachings but in doing so I haven't really alligned myself to any particular denomination so I couldn't honestly answer that second question of 'which church do you go to?". Doing the humanitarian work I do means I have the privilege of travelling all over the world and meeting many people from all sorts of cultural and faith traditions. So wherever I have ended up I've hooked up with fellow followers of "The Way" or a similar way and questions about which church quickly became irrelevant. I've always thought of church as a global and diverse body of followers on the move not as separate entities framed by denominational doctrine and confined within stone walls. It's funny but I attended a learning circle with other followers a few years ago in 2002 I was trying to explain this and someone in the circle piped up and said 'oh so you are a post-denominationalist?' And I think I responded by saying something like "I haven't thought of myself in this way, I am just me and I thought this was normal."
Last week I went to a reiki share circle and the meeting opened with a Cree traditional song which pays homage to the uniqueness of every individual. I found the song uplifting, inspiring and because it had been passed down through the ages by the oral tradition there was something beautifully timeless about it that spoke of the connectedness of all human beings whilst celebrating uniqueness. Uniqueness infers being outside of the box and not confined by the cardboard constraints of society's perceptions of conformity.
Reflecting on this I am happy to continue my life being outside the box and therefore can rejoice in the notion of being "Mutant and proud!"
Two TV dramas which I think also explore this theme about being 'an other' well are Lost and True Blood, and I must confess I enjoy both!
Along my own spiritual journey I have been fascinated by the compulsion of people I meet to try to categorise me. In encountering church communities as a newcomer or visitor, the first question I was often asked was "Are you believer?" followed quickly by "Oh, you are, good, which church do you go to?" It is as if the most important thing is to find out whether I am 'in or out'. If you were 'in' then there was a big sigh of relief but if you were 'out' then wariness ensued followed by a lightbulb moment as the interrogator realised that this presented an opportunity and you are ripe for change and a conversion to conformity in order to belong.
I wonder whether this compulsion is a hangover from the Age of Enlightenment when scientists of the day rationalised, identified, classified and compartmentalized everything in to the great filing cabinet of life or perhaps it speaks of a much deeper and more ancient human instinct.
Since my early 20s I've tried to follow "The Way" of Jesus and his disciples and their teachings but in doing so I haven't really alligned myself to any particular denomination so I couldn't honestly answer that second question of 'which church do you go to?". Doing the humanitarian work I do means I have the privilege of travelling all over the world and meeting many people from all sorts of cultural and faith traditions. So wherever I have ended up I've hooked up with fellow followers of "The Way" or a similar way and questions about which church quickly became irrelevant. I've always thought of church as a global and diverse body of followers on the move not as separate entities framed by denominational doctrine and confined within stone walls. It's funny but I attended a learning circle with other followers a few years ago in 2002 I was trying to explain this and someone in the circle piped up and said 'oh so you are a post-denominationalist?' And I think I responded by saying something like "I haven't thought of myself in this way, I am just me and I thought this was normal."
Last week I went to a reiki share circle and the meeting opened with a Cree traditional song which pays homage to the uniqueness of every individual. I found the song uplifting, inspiring and because it had been passed down through the ages by the oral tradition there was something beautifully timeless about it that spoke of the connectedness of all human beings whilst celebrating uniqueness. Uniqueness infers being outside of the box and not confined by the cardboard constraints of society's perceptions of conformity.
Reflecting on this I am happy to continue my life being outside the box and therefore can rejoice in the notion of being "Mutant and proud!"
Very thought-provoking for a Sunday morning. Thank you x
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