It was 1994, as I recall, and I was sitting on the sofa watching television and working on some project when the news broke in and gave report of a white bronco on the highways of Los Angeles being chased by police. Inside was OJ Simpson. At the time we weren't really sure what was going on with him. In the weeks and months that would follow we would watch a trial and an often divisive trial play out before our eyes. Whether you believe that he was or is guilty of the crime of which he was accused, I think of that trial and many others and am reminded of the media role in it all.
We depend on the media for everything and often our opinions are swayed by the opinions of those that travel over the airwaves or through our papers such that I have to wondered how often someone's guilt is determined less by the true evidence and more by the "court of public opinion" as they call it. We like to think that people get fair trials but if our culture is driven by guilt itself, then likely, fair trials aren't really available to any of us.
Last week we talked about the lowest level of human consciousness being shame. Just above that level is the level of force known as guilt. We have all known guilt at one time or other. Some times we feel it when we know we've done some thing bad--yelled at a neighbor, taken something that didn't belong to us. Sometimes we get it indirectly through others. Mothers most often get the rap for this with comments to their children like "you are always so busy and I never see you." Somehow the fact that you visited the day before and worked like a maniac around her house for her escapes her memory!
Sometimes people live out of this level and those that do are those who prove themselves as manipulators and power players. They like to turn your words around to make them serve themselves and often you wind up looking like the fool. At its extreme, David Hawkins says that "guilt provokes rage and killing is frequently its expression." He notes how cultures seem to find satisfaction in things like capital punishment and that very fact denotes a guilt driven culture.
When we live out of guilt it leads us to deliver on all sorts of grievances or to harbor them in such a way that a life of peace or even a moment of peace is just never possible for us. What a terrible way to live! Yet, throughout our culture people have arrested in their development at this level.
I hope for you that you don't have people in your life who live with such guilt and that you aren't one either and if you do have such persons in your life, I hope that you will understand that they simply cannot help living out of such a low level of life. I encourage you to pray for them to be transformed. In their transformation comes a societal transformation. Maybe through such transformation, our world can truly work toward peace.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Living in Shame
Last week I was taken aback by the shooting at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. I couldn't help but think of my last visit there. As one walks those halls, you can only imagine the horror that a whole people group experienced. The emotion brought on by the experience of the museum is overwhelming in itself. Then, add to that the chaos of evil being played out in that building. I couldn't imagine being one of the people in the museum the day that James Von Brunn wreaked his havoc there.
This horrible incident has caused me to reflect on the levels of human consciousness and so I thought I would spend the next several weeks reflecting upon them by following Dr. David Hawkins' outline of them in his book, Power vs. Force. He notes that the lowest level of human consciousness exists as shame and I can only think that this is what motivates people like Von Brunn.
Shame is that level of life where people who have been abused, injured, beaten down by life and by other humans internalize their experiences in unhealthy ways. Such ways lead the victim of shame to act out sometimes by suicide, sometimes by murder, sometimes by infliction of pain upon themselves. Those who live life from a level of shame are those who cannot move beyond the negative emotions of life. They become prisoners to anger, sadness, bitterness, revenge, etc.
We cannot know really why Von Brunn did what he did. What was really active in his heart to motivate that? Of course, he is to blame for this horrible act and while we cannot take responsbility for someone else's evil acts, it strikes me, that even we, as a people connected to one another have a culpability in situations like this. Somewhere along the way we have looked down on someone, thought ourselves better than someone, banished someone from our lives. We have played selfish roles with no thought for the effect that our cruel words or actions might have on that person and with no idea for what else may be occurring in their lives. Von Brunn is the only one who has to answer for his crime, but I wonder if evil like this would happen in our world if we exhibited more of a consciousness about how we treated everyone--even the strangers we pass on the street.
This morning, ABC News personality, Diane Sawyer, asked Von Brunn's son if he would ever forgive his father. Erik Von Brunn was clearly so ashamed of what his father had done and said that he believed forgiveness would never be possible for him. I hope that does not prove to be true or else he might likely arrest himself in his own human development.
This week, as we pray for those directly affected by Von Brunn, as we pray that Von Brunn himself might be changed for the better, let us also pray that we will be able to express God's love to everyone and make a difference in another life--for the good!
This horrible incident has caused me to reflect on the levels of human consciousness and so I thought I would spend the next several weeks reflecting upon them by following Dr. David Hawkins' outline of them in his book, Power vs. Force. He notes that the lowest level of human consciousness exists as shame and I can only think that this is what motivates people like Von Brunn.
Shame is that level of life where people who have been abused, injured, beaten down by life and by other humans internalize their experiences in unhealthy ways. Such ways lead the victim of shame to act out sometimes by suicide, sometimes by murder, sometimes by infliction of pain upon themselves. Those who live life from a level of shame are those who cannot move beyond the negative emotions of life. They become prisoners to anger, sadness, bitterness, revenge, etc.
We cannot know really why Von Brunn did what he did. What was really active in his heart to motivate that? Of course, he is to blame for this horrible act and while we cannot take responsbility for someone else's evil acts, it strikes me, that even we, as a people connected to one another have a culpability in situations like this. Somewhere along the way we have looked down on someone, thought ourselves better than someone, banished someone from our lives. We have played selfish roles with no thought for the effect that our cruel words or actions might have on that person and with no idea for what else may be occurring in their lives. Von Brunn is the only one who has to answer for his crime, but I wonder if evil like this would happen in our world if we exhibited more of a consciousness about how we treated everyone--even the strangers we pass on the street.
This morning, ABC News personality, Diane Sawyer, asked Von Brunn's son if he would ever forgive his father. Erik Von Brunn was clearly so ashamed of what his father had done and said that he believed forgiveness would never be possible for him. I hope that does not prove to be true or else he might likely arrest himself in his own human development.
This week, as we pray for those directly affected by Von Brunn, as we pray that Von Brunn himself might be changed for the better, let us also pray that we will be able to express God's love to everyone and make a difference in another life--for the good!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Blythe Taylor Coaching
Virginia Woolf once wrote, "Arrange whatever pieces come your way." So today, I begin the process of doing just that. What has come my way is an new opportunity to try a ministry outside the walls of church hallways and traditional worship services. So, after 12 years of operating through life as a full-time Baptist minister, today I begin writing from this blog as the owner of Blythe Taylor Coaching. You can learn more about coaching by going to my website, www.blythetaylorcoaching.com.
The mission of Blythe Taylor Coaching or BTC, as I like to call it, is to help individuals and organizations (of all types) reach their greatest potential. The vehicles used for this are varied but center around three types: coaching (obviously), consulting and speaking.
Coaching happens either in a group session where 10 or fewer people come together for an hour to invite members to discuss a topic of concern and have a trained professional ask strategic and powerful questions to help move participants toward their next steps. Individual coachees can contract with their coach for 30 minutes or one hour long time slots for more focused attention. (While the BTC prices on the website are static, I am more than happy to negotiate--especially in this economy!) Coaching can be offered to organizations (corporate or otherwise) to help workers succeed within the structure of the institution.
Consulting is offered to churches who are seeking to find new direction. This process can help churches clarify their identity, discover the strengths of members and how to use members in ways that are mutually beneficial, as well as redefine leadership inside the church structure, discuss ways of relating to outside entities and chart a course for the future. This is not expert consulting where the leader comes in, evaluates and tells you what to do. Rather this is experiential where we work together to clarify the desired outcomes and work toward their manifestation.
Speaking occurs through two means beneficial to individuals and organizations alike:
Retreats are offered for churches and (with my ministerial background) can be on any spiritual topic that is requested. Topics have ranged from prayer, to spiritual gifts to spiritual formation to ways for walking the spiritual journey. You name it, we can design something to meet your particular need.
Seminars are offered in partnership with companies and churches that include topics like helping job seekers find direction, helping retirees figure out what is next for them, helping students (teens, 'tweens and college students) identify their strengths and work toward them.
Blythe Taylor Coaching has a strong conviction that any person who is will can watch his or her life come together and I would be most honored to help you, "arrange whatever pieces come your way!"
Contact us: blythe@blythetaylorcoaching.com
The mission of Blythe Taylor Coaching or BTC, as I like to call it, is to help individuals and organizations (of all types) reach their greatest potential. The vehicles used for this are varied but center around three types: coaching (obviously), consulting and speaking.
Coaching happens either in a group session where 10 or fewer people come together for an hour to invite members to discuss a topic of concern and have a trained professional ask strategic and powerful questions to help move participants toward their next steps. Individual coachees can contract with their coach for 30 minutes or one hour long time slots for more focused attention. (While the BTC prices on the website are static, I am more than happy to negotiate--especially in this economy!) Coaching can be offered to organizations (corporate or otherwise) to help workers succeed within the structure of the institution.
Consulting is offered to churches who are seeking to find new direction. This process can help churches clarify their identity, discover the strengths of members and how to use members in ways that are mutually beneficial, as well as redefine leadership inside the church structure, discuss ways of relating to outside entities and chart a course for the future. This is not expert consulting where the leader comes in, evaluates and tells you what to do. Rather this is experiential where we work together to clarify the desired outcomes and work toward their manifestation.
Speaking occurs through two means beneficial to individuals and organizations alike:
Retreats are offered for churches and (with my ministerial background) can be on any spiritual topic that is requested. Topics have ranged from prayer, to spiritual gifts to spiritual formation to ways for walking the spiritual journey. You name it, we can design something to meet your particular need.
Seminars are offered in partnership with companies and churches that include topics like helping job seekers find direction, helping retirees figure out what is next for them, helping students (teens, 'tweens and college students) identify their strengths and work toward them.
Blythe Taylor Coaching has a strong conviction that any person who is will can watch his or her life come together and I would be most honored to help you, "arrange whatever pieces come your way!"
Contact us: blythe@blythetaylorcoaching.com
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