Parsifal
is the legendary knight who sought the Holy Grail. The Grail was the
chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper, and for Parsifal it
symbolized a contact with the holy, with spiritual reality. His
quest for the Grail was a quest for the truth about life and
immortality.
Now,
the secret of the Grail was held by an old king, but this king was
suffering from a mysterious illness, and his whole kingdom was cast
under this same spell. The palace and its gardens were in decay, the
springs of the kingdom were drying up, trees would not bear fruit,
and even the animals were no longer bearing young.
Knights
from all over the realm arrived every day seeking news of the king's
health. Then one day Parsifal arrived – poor and unknown. He paid
no attention to courtly custom and politeness, but made straight for
the king's chamber, and without greeting or inquiry about the king's
health, said: “Where is the Grail?” As if to say, “Where do I
find the Holy? . . . Where is the truth about the meaning of life?”
The
king said: “It is here.”
In
that instant, everything was transformed. The king rose from his bed
and was well. Springs brought forth water, vegetation began to grow,
animals were with young, and the castle was restored. Parsifal's
question regenerated the whole land.
It
seems to me that this parable applys today to many institutions.
They are perishing because there are few seekers of truth, few
adventurers. It is enough, you see, simply to raise the central
questions, to pose the problems, to become a seeker, for life to
return.
For
a congregation (or diocese) to begin to ask questions inevitably
leads to seeking answers, which leads to thinking, which leads to
vision.
I
have long thought that too many church leaders (mostly clergy
including bishops) operate with answers, which are theirs, which
makes for starting at the wrong place. They do not operate with the
knowledge that they are the newcomers. They must listen to the
people most of whom have not been invited to speak.
Parsifal
is a model which dares us to take the chance of offering hope to the
people by listening to them.
Hope
is not something we capture. It must always be sought. It will hide
or be hidden again and again.
Where
is hope? It is there to be discovered. The rest is up to us.
To quote Bob: Parsifal is a model which dares us to take the chance of offering hope to the people by listening to them.
ReplyDeleteFor decades, the Episcopal Church has offered program(s)and persists to do so unceasingly. My love of stewardship was always based on the reality that authentic stewardship leaders always challenged people to discover abundance leading to gratitude and generosity. I never saw anyone get really turned on by a program except the "answer man" himself who pulled out and presented his latest snake oil for making all the numbers get bigger.
This Blog was much discussed over the weekend during a gathering of Churchpersons, both clergy and laity. The conversation moved from, “Can a mythical person be a patron saint?” To “Which mythical character are you most like?” This lead to visiting about the disconnect between how people view themselves and how others see them. For example, the group agreed that Bishop Bob was in harmony with Sir Parsifal; both are/were seekers of truth and meaning.
ReplyDeleteThe deliberations expanded to venturing theories about which mythical character our current and past leaders would choose to describe themselves. A variety of answers came forth: Apollo – god of music, arts, and knowledge; Dionysus – god of wine, parties and festivals; Hermes – god of boundaries, travel, and communication; plus, of course, Zeus – king of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus.
The exchange became more serious when the group acknowledged seeing a fair measure of Narcissus in many of our clergy and lay-popes. For example some of our leaders expect constant reinforcement that they are superior, intelligent and all powerful. Others in the group pointed to leaders who are arrogant, belittle others and lacking in empathy. These are the folks that project and protect themselves at the expense of others. Ugh.
Hopefully the future Episcopal Church will have more Parsifal and less Narcissus.
A well crafted question and listen ears (with a good dose of humility and patience) can serve the congregational leader better than any other tool in the "leadership tool box" (or golf club in the golf bag, depending on the metaphor you prefer). Couldn't agree more with theme of this blog. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI recall studying the works of Carl Jung, during which time I discovered that searching for life's meaning contains the questions for spiritual growth. Parsifal indeed asks the question and then everything seems to bloom. I spent 40 years in active ministry, much of the time providing answers because I thought that that was what I was supposed to do. Only in mid-life did I discover the joy of listening. Fortunately, the last few years of my ministry held the rewards of being an active listener as well as speaking my mind. All clergy leaders need to listen and we need leaders who are not narcissistic. Good work Bob
ReplyDelete