Anonymity, Pt. II

In his book People of the Lie – The Hope for Healing Human Evil, author M. Scott Peck, in an endeavor to define evil, writes that “I can do no better than to heed my son, who with the characteristic vision of eight-year-olds, explained simply, ‘Why Daddy, evil is live spelled backwards.’”  Peck goes on to argue that evil is that which is in opposition to life; it is all the forces which seek to destroy spirit, to kill life or liveliness.  Goodness is its’ opposite, it is that “which promotes life and liveliness.”

I have yet to find a better definition myself.

I bring this up because our receptionist, Kim, had an anonymous message on the general office voicemail calling us evil because we support Gay Pride on the website.  This messenger of God made sure to read the requisite passage from Leviticus to reinforce his belief.

It would be easy to judge this fellow, to set up a polarity that says either he is right or we are right, but my theology of the Trinity requires me to seek third options, and I think I have it.  The fellow has dyslexia, which is a developmental reading disorder that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols.

He really meant to say that we are a Live Church.  As Peck writes, “There are various attributes of life – such as sentience, mobility, awareness, growth autonomy, will.”  Evil seeks to kill one or several of these attributes without actually destroying the body; this is the process by which one can “break” a horse or a strong-willed child without doing any physical harm.  The German-American Jewish social psychologist Erich Fromm broadened the definition of necrophilia to include the desire of people to control others – “to make them controllable, to foster their dependency, to discourage their capacity to think for themselves … to keep them in line.”  In his work The Heart of Man: Its’ Genius for Good and Evil, he distinguished this from the “biophilic” person, the one who appreciates and fosters the various life forms and the uniqueness of the individual.

That’s us, for as our Mission Statement declares, we seek to be a community that “… nourishes and challenges mind and spirit … nurtures individuals and families with are, compassion, and love … radiates a loving and living faith presence …”

Yep, that’s Bellevue First Congregational Church.  A Live Church.  And every day I brag to my friends and colleagues about how lucky I am to serve here, and that maybe if they are real good then one day they will get to serve a similar congregation.

As our Jewish sisters and brothers would say: L’chaim … To Life!

See you in church,

Kevin