Love

Virtual Universal Worship of March 26, 2006

There is nothing really that I can say about this topic that has not already been said, probably better, by someone else. For all of that, it remains the most important thing, in my life, in the life of everyone I’ve ever known, ever encountered. I can only provide examples:

A few weeks ago the Washington Post brought me the terrible news that Octavia Butler, my most favorite science fiction author, had died suddenly, after a fall and a stroke. Although I had never actually met the woman (had always wanted to, however) I was completely devastated. It was as if a sudden flood of darkness had descended on the world, some support had been snatched away. As I reflected on her work, all I could think about was that she’d never be writing anything more…there would be nothing left to look forward to of her work. Yes, we mourn for ourselves.

So, I reread a couple of her books, my favorite, from her Xenogenesis series, and I could not help but be struck by the strong undercurrent of love present in her stories. She writes about overcoming fear of difference and change, reaching past the boundaries of biology and tradition, embracing ever new facets of self, consciousness, relationship. Her love of being/becoming is a scripture in itself…and not always, as good revelation is wont to be, very comfortable as it holds a mirror to ones face. Read her and be astonished.

And then, the prophet that churches and politicians hated, vilified, making of his very name an adjective of condemnation: Mani and his followers Manicheans. We now know more about him than ever, and he is brought to life in a historical novel by French Lebanese author, Amin Maalouf, “The Garden of Light.” Through the research I’ve been doing about the prophet Mani, I’ve discovered that he may turn out to be one of the most influential people of the late antique world: Manichaeism is now considered to have been one of the major conduits through which monastic/ascetic practices were transmitted to the Western church.

Manichean philosophy and literature probably strongly influenced theological and scriptural development in the Western Church as well as it became a very popular and powerful rival to the Roman church throughout the 4^th-5^th centuries. And finally, even though Manichaeism was persecuted in the Roman Empire (even before it became Christian) and Sassanid Persia, pockets of it survived in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and deep into Central Asia, India and China. There is increasing evidence for these pockets playing an important role in the development of certain kinds of Sufism and influencing Shi’a Islam.

Read the “Garden of Light” by Maalouf. The book is accurate to what is known about Mani. One cannot help by being impressed, very moved, by Mani’s love of beauty, his commitment to his revelatory spiritual source, his refusal to ally himself with religious intolerance and political violence. For that, he was tortured to death. For that, generations have been taught to hate him, to fear the very term Manichean. But love can call us back.

My nemesis: I have been hounded for the last 12 years by an individual who has stalked me, has sought to hinder my ability to get jobs, and from time to time to just personally harass me. The details of why and how are unimportant. It’s something that is personal to her and apparently seems to provide her with a measure of worth and purpose. After an extended absence, she has tracked me down to the Naval Academy and has begun to send accusing emails: because I work for the government I am arrogant and duplicitous, ludicrous and revolting (these are her adjectives). Surprisingly, for me, I wasn’t hurt or angered by her outburst this time. I simply replied by calling her to dialogue, to communication. Somehow, she loves me and this is the only way she can show it. She wants connection, but anticipates rejection, so projects her worst fears about herself onto me. It’s annoying, scary, tedious, but so incredibly vulnerable and human. Can she simply talk to me? We’ll see: sometimes love is very scary.

I will end with a fitting, if pithy, translation from the Diwan of Hafiz:

“Look upon all the gold in the world's mart,
On all the tears the world hath shed in vain
Shall they not satisfy thy craving heart?
I have enough of loss, enough of gain;
I have my Love, what more can I obtain?
Mine is the joy of her companionship
Whose healing lip is laid upon my lip--
This is enough for me.”

How and where is love in your life?