The Left Hand of God
January 29, 2007 at 8:48 pm (Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Values & Social Justice, activism, communication, current events, democrat, democrats, ecology, faith, inspiration, inspirational, news and politics, philosophy, politics, religion, social justice, spiritual, spiritual journey, spirituality, theology)
“People feel a near-desperate desire to reconnect to the sacred, to find some way to unite their lives with a higher meaning and purpose and in particular to that aspect of the sacred that is built upon the loving, kind, and generous energy in the universe that I describe as the “Left Hand of God.” Rabbi Micheal Lerner
The Left Hand of God means looking at the universe through the perception that love, kindness, generosity and caring for others are the central ontological realities of life, and that when they do not manifest in the world in which we live, the world is distorted and needs to be healed. The Right Hand of God, conversely, means looking at the universe through the perception that life is a struggle of the Righteous (which means, people who belong to MY church) against Satan (which means anything different from me). The only path to security is through domination of others.
So, we have this basic difference. Through the Left Hand of God, we come together with others whose kindness, generosity, and compassion guide one to use power to heal. Through the Right Hand of God, people also come together to seek kind, generous and compassionate companionship, but they revel in a Left Behind spiritual vision where they, the beloved of God, get to watch or even participate in the punishment and submission of the wicked. This religious posturing has led secular people to conclude that all spiritual people are either demented or dim witted. Which we are not. We who live by the Left Hand of God have just been less articulate, less organized, and perhaps less confident than the spiritual right.
Times are changing. Micheal Lerner’s book has created a movement to coalesce those whose spirituality is loving, affirming, humanitarian, earthcentric. This would include Buddhists, Jews, Progressive Christians and those who identify themselves as spiritual but not religious. This movement is called the Network of Spiritual Progressives. The network also welcomes secular humanists, atheists, and conservative Christians who share a common vision for America.
I love this movement! I joined a few months ago and am just beginning a study group on The Left Hand of God.
“The well-being of Americans depends on and is intrinsically tied to the well-being of every other person on the planet and on the health of the planet itself, so every chauvinistic and every ecologically insensitive approach is not only immoral but self-destructive, as it abandons the divine mission of human beings to be partners with God in the healing, repair and transformation of our world, our planet and ourselves.” Micheal Lerner
Raymond Lam said,
January 29, 2007 at 9:19 pm
In the Nicene Creed Jesus is described as having Ascended and “sitting at the right hand of God the Father”. Does this mean we get to watch the show from the same seat? =)
Anyhow, the God Michael Learner is describing sounds very noble to me. Anyhow his goal in itself is quite impressive.
It is interesting that in Kabbalah, Chesed (mercy) is the right pillar while Binah (severity) is the left. So I think that Lerner is using the terms right/left in a contemporary political sense.
tobeme said,
January 29, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Very interesting perspective. Thank-you. Excellent writing.
Thanks.
in2l said,
January 30, 2007 at 9:16 am
Thank you for bringing the distinction between the Right Hand and Left Hand to light.
I look forward to reading more insights as you work your way through Rabbi Lerner’s book.
If we can get the word out to enough people this might become an Unstoppable movement.
I would like to see that very much. it is an idea whose time has come.
Desiree said,
January 30, 2007 at 10:54 am
A most interesting post! I would be thrilled to read more about this!
I will post more, so stay with me! Also, chapters of the Network of Spiritual Progressives are open for membership across the country. Check the link above and see if you can find your local chapter. My NSP group is awesome. really great people.
seekingfor said,
January 30, 2007 at 1:03 pm
This is the exact type of movement we need in the world. Spirituality and religion are too powerful to be left to those who have a distorted view of it.
I applaud your study of things from the left side of things. I’ll be following your link and checking it out for myself as well.
I think it is crucial for us to finally realize that we are really one, sharing the same divine potential.
So many of us know this. It is our time to organise and be heard.
beepbeepitsme said,
January 31, 2007 at 7:20 am
I posted a bit about the origin, as I see it, of the preference for the righthand being seen as positive and the lefthand as being seen as negative. You might be interested. Or not.
The Right Hand Of God
http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2007/01/right-hand-of-god.html
I will check it out!
purefnevyl said,
January 31, 2007 at 9:22 am
It does seem a noble creed. But the bluster of the right would make it hard to be heard.
I hear ya. I have been looking for effective ways to respond to the bluster of the right for years.
Raymond Lam said,
January 31, 2007 at 10:14 am
Depends which “Hand”, the right or left, is currently more dexterous at handling spiritual affairs. ; -)
And political affairs, too.
Opening New Possibilities « Living Life Fully said,
February 21, 2007 at 9:15 pm
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