The Heart of Zen and the Gospel

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While I am a United Methodist Christian, I agree with Buddhists when they point to “attachments” as a great sense of pain and unhappiness.

If we define happiness by the amount of things we posess, we become possessed by our possessions. In other words, we become enslaved. Our possessions distort our self understanding and our understanding of others.

Our soul is out of balance, leading to profound inner disruptions. We can begin to see others as competitors who want to take our possesssions. That is a path that leads to bloodshed and war.

In my opinion, the world’s strife is rooted in envy and fear that what we have and who we are aren’t “enough.”

If we believe these lies, there is no peace (wholeness). Community is destroyed. This is evil.

The Gospel is an inverted kingdom (reign). It is not about power used in unhealthy ways. Instead of being about taking, it is built around self-giving.

I return over and over again to the Christ whose life expressed a love rooted in giving, who helped build a movement not built on acquisitions or “self-improvement” leading to a lie that we approach godhood—but instead expressed an angle of vision sharply at odds with Rome and the Herrods.

The tragedy at Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18), displays all of the trappings of an unhealthy mind, desperately clinging to power and wealth. The voices of the slain children are still heard yet today.

Instead of criticism and unhealthy competition which cannot build healthy community, we must “flee” the poisons of unhealthy acquisitions and build on a different ethic.

I return over and over again to this one expressed by Paul:

Philippians 2:1–11 (NRSV): Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

7 but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

8 he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

This is the foundation upon which to build. It is the healthy foundation found in Zen (turning away from possessions, unhealthy expressions of power), but instead choosing to see the great need all around us.

The foundation is in Jesus whom we call Christ.

So, those who believe that the Gospel is irrelevant, don’t know Jesus or the Gospel.

It is our responsibility as Christian communities of faith to live a “Christ shaped” life and to model God’s grace.

It is this purpose which can save the world and those around us.

In Jesus’’ Name. Amen.

Your brother, Chris

The Rev. Chris Madison is a retired clergy member of the Indiana Annual Conference. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please contact the author via his Facebook page.