>"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"
     Romans 2: 1-4

I am a rank amateur watercolor artist, possessing a mere beginner's competency. I am serious, though, about my genuine love of great art, and continually strive to improve my aesthetic sensibilities and appreciation. Aesthetics, we are told, is an intellectual study that concerns itself in finding what makes one work of art better than another. It considers, too, how humanity's interest in art is connected with other great philosophical interests, science and religion. It should come as no surprise, then, that one culture's great art may be another's "stick in the eye."

In early 2001 the Taliban leaders of theocratic Afghanistan announced their intention of destroying two 175 foot high Buddha, sculpted into a mountainside as part of their drive to "create the world's purist Muslim state." When that threat became reality, and these 1500 year-old, irreplaceable ancient artifacts were blown up, I was immensely saddened...... no, I was outraged. These masterpieces were not the property of one nation I told myself; they belonged to mankind. They were "owned" by you and me just as much as by the mullahs and their Islamic followers in Afghanistan. Because these two Buddha were human "images" they were found offensive by people of a different tradition ... so they were destroyed. Blatant intolerance, one might say. Then I thought: "what about the Northern European Christian settlers who showed similar disregard and intolerance for the religious and cultural artistic artifacts of the Native Americans?" Something to ponder on.

So, what have I learned from all this? That intolerance knows no aesthetic, cultural or national boundaries, whatever the religious persuasion. The anger I felt for the Taliban was no doubt much the same as that felt by the Amerinds toward our ancestors. Better that I turn to my own Faith and pray for a deeper understanding of my own Beliefs, I thought. In a much larger sense, there is a similar world-wide need for greater understanding and tolerance between cultures, between religions, between nations.

Quote I: Father Hans KÜng is a contemporary Roman Catholic theologian whose ideas shaped Vatican II. (However, because he challenged the Catholic Church's hierarchy he has been denied the right to teach by Pope John Paul II. Doesn't that have a historical ring to it?) Fr. KÜng has written: "No peace among nations without peace among religions. No peace among religions without dialogue between the religions. No dialogue between religions without investigations of the religions."'

Quote II: "Art should be independent of all claptrap ---- should stand alone, and appeal to the artistic sense of eye and ear, without confounding this with emotions entirely foreign to it, as devotion, pity, love, patriotism and the like. All these have no kind of concern with it." James McNeill Whistler.

Psalm 88:8
"Every day I call on you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you."

And...

"Sovereign Lord, grant me a faith like the psalmist's. Let me lean on you in perfect trust." Amen

Contributed by Jack P.
Published Monday June 30, 2003
Week 31 of Liturgical Year B