Jesus said, “Let
the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of
heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14, NIV
It
crept up on me, the effect of what was happening. Tears were wetting my cheeks before I
understood why I was so moved. I was
watching the South African singing ensemble, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. For thirty minutes or more they’d been singing
a series of simple, looping melodies, layered with the buttery harmonies and
rhythms of their blended voices alone.
No other instruments, no fancy costumes.
Just nine men, standing side-by-side and singing….and occasionally,
dancing – a simple swaying movement, a little jump, perhaps, and then,
giggling. Yes, giggling! Nudging and joking
with one another playfully. The throng
of these men, standing and singing with passion and joy, was unquestionably
masculine and strong. They exuded
presence and confident leadership. Their
voices, solo and united, were commanding.
And their playful interaction with one another was refreshingly
innocent, free from competition or any “poking fun at,” for the sake of a cheap
win.
That’s
when I got it – the powerful image of male energy, strong AND tender…. and how,
in the Western world, it’s not modeled much.
It’s not limited to males, I suppose.
Afterall, as a female, I use a lot of my masculine energy to “push”
through the world. But it isn’t the only
way, is it?
Years
ago, when I was in India, I visited a shop where the shop-keeper had two
posters on the wall behind him. On the left was Mahatma Gandhi, bare-chested
and at his most frail. On the right was
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
also bare-chested and wrapped in ammunition.
“Tell me about this,” I invited, gesturing to the posters. The shop owner smiled and with an Indian nod
explained, “Both strong men. Different reasons.”
Indeed!
It
is the second week of Lent, a period of spiritual discipline and determination.
It strikes me that the 40 days before
Easter are an invitation to watch for and live with strength and
tenderness. A few examples….
The
daffodils bravely pushing their way through the not-quite melted snow
The
life of man who over-turned tables in a temple, and welcomed children to his
side
A
message that there is a love that is stronger even than death; a love that
offers miraculous, sustaining hope to us all.
During
Lent we are encouraged to give up or take on certain practices so that we might
better appreciate the dimensions of Jesus’ willing sacrifice. Certainly, if this is undertaken with a sense
of martyrdom, we’ve missed the point.
The fine balance in our Lenten routines might then be to find strength
in our resolve and joy (tenderness) in our effort. What does this look like for you? How, in your life, with your family, at your
work, do you experience your strength and
your tenderness?
About Lauren: Lauren lives in Berkeley, CA. She serves as Dean at The Chaplaincy
Institute (ChI), an interfaith seminary and tends her private practice as a
spiritual director. You can read
Lauren’s blog at: http://www.laurenvanham.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment