Is meditation ‘unChristian?” I am wholly unconvinced it is. I heard this story of death row inmates engaging in an intense Vipassana meditation program today on NPR. I love how it details the process of lowering defenses when you choose to be answerable only to yourself.
This is an inspiring story… I really respect the discipline of these people.
And in no sense do I think meditation is ‘un-Christian’. Only someone who has an overspecific idea of what the word ‘meditation’ means would assert such a thing. The relationship between meditation and prayer is an interesting one. Is the threat of no answer what worries certain Christians about the more solipsistic process of meditation?
You know, the image you included above, and the video that’s on the homepage today (see below) make me sad: to see the racial profile of inmates in your part of the country. America certainly owes better to its black citizens than incarceration. There was one white guy in that video who seemed to be a prisoner, and the rest were white members of the community casting harsh judgement on these inspiring people who are trying their best to find themselves.
I also hate (Claire, are you getting this? ;) ) that it’s a skinny white, middle class dude who seems to be doing the teaching, leading the program… I think it’s played on a lot more in this trailer than in the interview: obviously the visual force of black men in white jumpsuits/silhouetted against a white background is attractive for film-makers, working with the Hollywood conventions (where the black guy is always the criminal). It’ll take time to change, I guess.
I’ve been meditating lately, and it’s the closest I’ve come to Christ in a while. So I guess that says something.