Category: Public Media

Imagination and Empathy – By the Rev. Ann Schranz

Posted on by George Yenoki

Is it a plus or a minus to have a vivid imagination? On the plus side, a vivid imagination can turn a cardboard box, a jump rope, and an old sock into a castle, a moat, and a drawbridge. Children with vivid imaginations do not need expensive toys or electronic devices to entertain themselves. Adults with vivid imaginations can feel good about repetitive tasks if they see how their work supports something important. Prisoners with vivid imaginations can inhabit a world much larger than their cells.

Mark Twain spoke of the minus side when he observed, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” A vivid imagination coupled with excessive worry can be counterproductive. In addition, employers do not necessarily want to pay staff members for creativity, though smart employers do just that. In terms of spiritual development, I believe that imagination is a plus. For example, empathy makes use of imagination. Having empathy for another person is a way to care about a stranger or to care about someone who is different from us, stranger or not.

If spiritual development is a path, the path is not paved and well marked, offering lavish rest stops at regular intervals. The path of spiritual development is more likely to be rocky or muddy and feature switchbacks. Imagining the way ahead can give us the energy to keep moving. Religious imagination is also valuable because it allows us to interpret sacred texts in metaphorical terms instead of interpreting them literally.

It is not overstating the case to say that lives are in danger when some religious texts are interpreted literally. The nominal cause of some violence committed by religious extremists may be a literal interpretation of sacred texts. What should be the response of religious liberals? Religious liberals often interpret sacred texts metaphorically, and we must not abandon religion. That will likely make matters worse.

The de-escalation of violence fueled by sacred text literalists will come not because secular people convince them to change. It is more likely to come because of imaginative religious liberals within the religious tradition in question. They may or may not identify with the “religious liberal” term. We will recognize each other by our use of imagination, empathy, and persuasive language to convey our message with depth and richness.

We must not give up talking to those who differ from us regarding religious belief. We can always learn more about others and their values. If we are able to develop a relationship of trust, we may even have occasion to point out internal inconsistencies in the worldview of others. After all, no one likes “cognitive dissonance.” By exploring internal inconsistencies in worldviews, the view may change.

Our collective hope lies in the human capacity for imagination, empathy, and persuasive language. May religious values guide our development. May we seek and strengthen relationships of trust with those who differ from us. May spiritual growth be ours – and theirs. May it be so.

Harmony and Dissonance – by the Rev. Ann Schranz

Posted on by George Yenoki

What are Unitarian Universalist teachings about harmony? My answer makes use of music as a metaphor. Years ago, I had to take an elective class in the humanities. I wanted an easy class, and I liked music. I had learned to play the piano and the clarinet, and I sang in a youth choir. I’ll take a music appreciation class, I thought. How hard could it be? After all, musical notes go up and down and go apart and come together. Musical pieces end when everything comes to a final harmony. Right? I discovered that while musical notes do go up and down and do go apart and come together, musical pieces end when the composer ends them. In Western classical music, often the ending is related to a final harmony, but sometimes it is not. I learned that there are different musical traditions in different cultures. I learned that there are different musical scales, different ways of playing notes, different rhythms, and different goals that composers have in mind. Dissonance can be an objective in itself. It is not inevitably a signal that final harmony is on the way. In my opinion, Unitarian Universalism does not regard harmony as an overriding goal.Justice, equity, and love are higher principles. In their service, sometimes we have to disturb harmony. Sometimes we have to shake things up, to disrupt “business as usual,” even to disappoint people who considered us to be friends and allies. In the domestic realm, for example, we must meet domestic violence with dissonance. In the societal realm, we must meet injustice with dissonance. Yet dissonance is not always the best approach. How do we know which is called for – dissonance or harmony – in domestic relationships and in society at large? It is a judgment call, and we must do everything in our power to exercise good judgment. At a minimum, developing good judgment means listening more than talking. It means not isolating ourselves but rather seeking a community to which we are accountable.
Developing good judgment means being aware of our biases and stereotypes, and it means seeking opportunities to interact with people of different backgrounds.Developing good judgment means taking reasonable risks – not taking foolish risks, but taking calculated chances and requesting feedback. In an increasingly polarized world, we must use all the tools at our disposal – dissonance and harmony – to de-escalate the many feuds within the human family. Agreeing to disagree may be the best we can do. Agreeing to disagree, ideally with respect, but in any case without violence, can be a step forward. Let us sign up for a class in appreciating different religions (as well as appreciating the music of secular people). Let us use both harmony and dissonance in the service of justice, equity, and love.