“Three in the Morning

When we wear out our minds, stubbornly clinging to one partial view of things, refusing to see a deeper agreement between this and its complementary opposite, we have what is called “three in the morning.” What is this “three in the morning?” A monkey trainer went to his monkeys and told them: “As regards your chestnuts: you are going to have three measures in the morning and four in the afternoon.” At this they all became angry. So he said: “All right, in that case I will give you four in the morning and three in the afternoon.” This time they were satisfied. The two arrangements were the same in that the number of chestnuts did not change. But in one case the animals were displeased, and in the other they were satisfied. The keeper had been willing to change his personal arrangement in order to meet objective conditions. He lost nothing by it!” The truly wise man, considering both sides of the question without partiality, sees them both in the light of Tao. This is called following two courses at once.” (Thomas Merton, Thoughts On The East,  “Three In The Morning”)

In Chinese philosophy, Tao is the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of yin and yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order. Yin and yang describes how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.

1. Scott Fitzgerald is credited with the following saying: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideasin mind at the same timeand still retain the ability to function.” In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the stress on a person’s mental health or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values. 

OK, so enough with the definitions. In Tao, to hold two contradictory beliefs, like the Yin and Yang, is part of their view of harmony in the natural world. In psychiatry, it is called cognitive dissonance. Tao says it is a way to see harmony in the universe – the psychiatrist would say such dissonance is part of the reason for an imbalance. Did you know that we experience something similar in the church – through the sacrament of Holy Communion: we believe that bread is both bread and the body of Christ at the same time in the act of Holy Communion. We believe the same about the wine: that it is at once both wine, and the blood of Christ. But we do not believe these are contradictory statements: while outsiders would say that they cannot be both at the same time. Within the church we simply have the faith that they are both – and nothing is outside the possibility of G-d – and it remains a part of the mystery of G-d.

So perhaps F. Scott Fitzgerald is correct about us Lutherans – but it isn’t a testament to our intelligence – it is a testament to our faith.

Pastor Dave

Contentment and well-being at once become possible the moment you cease to act with them in view, and if you practice non-doing (wu wet), you will have both happiness and well-being. Here is how I sum it up:

Heaven does nothing: its non-doing is its serenity.

Earth does nothing: its non-doing is its rest.

From the union of these two non-doings

All actions proceed, All things are made.

How vast, how invisible This coming-to-be!

All things come from nowhere!

How vast, how invisible — No way to explain it!

All beings in their perfection Are born of non-doing.

Hence it is said: 

“Heaven and earth do nothing — Yet there is nothing they do not do.”

Where is the man who can attain To this non-doing? (Thomas Merton, Thoughts On The East,  “Perfect Joy”)

“Heaven and earth do nothing, Yet there is nothing they do not do.”

Where is the man who can attain To this non-doing?”

You know, I read Thomas Merton, and the more I do the more I wonder “Why can’t I write like that?” Who can conceive of a sentence like “Heaven and earth do nothing, yet there is nothing they do not do”? It says everything, and yet it says so little. I marvel at people who can write just a few words and seemingly say something so profound it would take others chapters to say the same thing.

And yet, Jesus was able to do the same. When Jesus says to the woman caught in adultery in John 8:7 “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” in this one sentence he completely encapsulates the nature of humanity – we are all sinful. None of us is capable to throw the first stone at our neighbor, because every day we commit sin – known and unknown, seen and unseen – it is our nature. Then, Jesus says one more thing to the woman before she leaves his presence: “I do not condemn you….Go now and leave your life of sin.” Jesus sees and recognizes her sin, and loves her anyway. And he encourages her to leave her life of sin. Her future may be uncertain – but she always knows that Jesus will love her in her sinful state – and that encourages all of us to do better in leaving our lives of sin – because Jesus will always love us too.

Pastor Dave