Sisters and Brothers in Christ

In his book, Answer to Job, Carl Jung poses this question, "What is the use of a religion without a mythos, since religion means, if anything at all, precisely that function which links us back to the eternal myth?" In my spiritual journey I have come to discover that the usefulness of a religion that lacks a compelling myth is virtually nil. The scientific method is an exceptional learning tool. Rather than deriving information about a given subject in a metaphorical way we look to empirical data. That step in human evolution went a long way towards demythologizing our natural world. No longer was God the One behind the tremendous thunder claps. No longer did God show displeasure by holding back the rain or by sending too much rain. These are known to be naturally occurring events.

What happens when we turn the microscope of scientific method on religion? This method of study has the potential to devastate the Christian message. For instance the Gospels are revealed to disagree with each other and present several different personalities all wrapped up in one Jesus. Approaching Jesus from the perspective of James, his brother, produces a very different person than the one that is put forward by Paul and the Gospel accounts. And these examples just barely scratch the surface. So who is telling the truth? What should you and I believe? I believe that the scientific method is incompatible when it comes to religion. Knowledge of the natural world is one thing and knowledge of the spiritual world is another. This is best summed up by this story--

The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lao-tzu's dictum:

Those who know do not say; those who say do not know.

When the Master entered, they asked him what the words meant.

Said the Master, "Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?"

All of them knew.

Then he said, "Put it into words."

All of them were silent.

...that function which links us back to the eternal myth... is the heart of religion. Regardless of what happened in human chronological history, that function is active when we gather in the promise of God called sacrament. Can you put that moment into words?

Joel t