Seeking a Different Ending to the Same Old Story

What has been is what will be,
   and what has been done is what will be done;
   there is nothing new under the sun. (Eccl. 1:9)

Anyone who may have read my long list of commentaries over the years, may have concluded long ago that I may have sought many different ways to say the same old thing, over and over again. Well, in my own defense, nearly three millennia ago King Solomon is credited with having written the Book of Ecclesiastes; wherein he observed there was “nothing new under the sun.” But here’s the thing:

Sometimes a good story is worth re-telling. And an important thought or “teaching moment” is worth repeating; until – in some cases –the repetition of it becomes something to be regarded as near-sacred law, or even scripture. Then the task is to not only retell the story as authentically as possible; but live out what has become of such enduring truths that one becomes part of such great living, mythic tales. 

Sun Block, or Sun Stroke?

As I began to draft this commentary, our particular place on this endangered planet was under a hot weather alert; while simultaneously in the midst of some national political turmoil and international conflicts that are only getting hotter by the day.  Except for our increasingly warming planet, it’s nothing new, of course. Human history seems irrevocably entrapped in a repetitive cycle; familiar to anyone who’s lived long enough to have previously observed and experienced the same old thing.

Along with this reality that seems as clear as the light of day are the two ways with which we have historically attempted to break this historical cycle; and establish a sense of order in the midst of our disorder; namely with our political (‘polis’) and religious (‘religio’) structures. Two brief examples:

Recently, Israeli prime minister Bibi Netanyahu criticized the International Criminal Court’s condemnation of his government’s genocidal atrocities in Gaza; asserting the Court didn’t know Palestine was Israeli territory. Because he likes to quote the Hebrew scriptures, when convenient, it did make me wonder about the ancient tale when his “God” freed and delivered “His” people into alien territory by claiming it was their “promised land” … Another recent historical example:

When a would-be assassin’s bullet narrowly missed its target recently, the former U.S. president tweeted the very next day that “God alone” had spared him. Many of his political supporters who are also devout believers of a certain religious persuasion praised their “God” for His divine intervention; while bestowing on their political hero near-martyr status.

But within a week, Donald was giving himself credit for sparing his own life; when he asserted that he – not his savior -- had just happened to turn his head at the right moment.

While some may find the mix of such claims both baffling and contradictory, it is nothing new, of course. A little over six years ago, I wrote a commentary about the synonymy of politics and religion, with the observation: “Because politics and religion both attempt to address the same needs, dreams and desires, values and principles – they are essentially synonymous terms.”

But, in addition, it would seem that all attempts by our human faculties and imaginative spirits have nonetheless failed to concoct any religious or political structure to break the cycle.

And yet, while there may be nothing new under the sun, I still cling to a certain belief and hope that a certain faith perspective might be re-told and shared with a wisdom tale or teaching to help avert something akin to what one might call “existential sun stroke.” 

I still cling to a certain belief and hope that a certain faith perspective might be re-told and shared with a wisdom tale or teaching to help avert something akin to what one might call “existential sun stroke.” 

Cyclical Futility, or a Circular Practice of Another Sort

There is the rather staid term used to describe a form of worship in the Christian faith tradition, known as ‘liturgy.’ It comes from two Greek words, translated as the “work” of the “people.” For decades I used to remind a flock of worshippers that an hour spent on a Sunday morning was only a rehearsal for what they were called to practice and live out the rest of the week.  I would remind them of this again and again; while also collectively reciting a certain creedal statement over, and over again. After a while, it might have seemed like we were just going around in a redundant circle.

But the circle, of course, has always been a symbolic representation of something eternal. As such, I’ve provided two examples of human conflict that seem to have kept us spinning round and round, in perpetuity. But perpetuity and the imaginative notion of what is eternal are not necessarily the same thing. The question has always been how to ever break that seemingly perpetual cycle I’ve described that has only gotten us no-where. Consider:

The circle is also a symbol of unity; where everyone can discover and instill in their own lives a way to live out a different world order together.

While this essential message may be expressed at the heart of different religious traditions, in one expression of the Christian faith tradition it is liturgically practiced regularly in Pathways gatherings. We intentionally repeat it, over and over again; as representative of the life and teachings of the one I endlessly refer to as the “Galilean peasant sage.”

I believe in love as the measure of all things.
In life and in death Jesus showed the power
of love to raise and restore.

I believe in
love over hatred
good over evil
peace over war
truth over falsehood
faith over fear
generosity over selfishness
mercy over judgment
humility over arrogance
 reconciliation over division
an open mind and an open heart.

I believe in risking, daring and never yielding
in the struggle for peace and justice,
until love becomes all in all.

May that circle be unbroken. jb

© 2024 by John William Bennison, Rel.D.  All rights reserved.
This article should only be used or reproduced with proper credit.

Read more commentaries by John Bennison from the perspective of a Christian progressive HERE.