Cultural Network interview Unitarian minister Forrest Church chronic "Most of
all truths is that love never dies "
~ Forrest Church
The weekly Religion & Ethics Newsweekly , cultural network of public radio and TV in the United States of America, PBS , where emission February 27, were included in the emission This week two segments, respectively, on the path and current experience with terminal cancer Forrest Church [Reverend Learned r Frank Forrester Cuhrch IV , 1948 -] , Minister of Public Theology Church of All Souls (Single UNVERSAL) New York and author of 24 books.
( Link to the MP3 version in English of the audio program )
(First segment) Profile of the Rev. Forrest Church:
BOB ABERNETHY , host: We have today a profile of which is probably best known Unitarian Universalist minister (the USA), Rev. Forrest Church of New York. Wrote a new book called Love and Death [love and death] . Last week, the congregation of the Reverend. Church hosted a party for her 60 birthday. But it was a celebration of a great sadness beneath the joy.
was a celebration of love in Unitarian Church of All Souls on the Upper East of New York. The members honored the Rev. Forrest Church, its minister for 30 years, during 60 years of his birth. There were his wife and children and mother of 85. The covers of his 24 books were displayed in poster format. But the festivities were extremely intense and deep as all present knew that the Rev.. Forrest Church is living with a terminal illness. Has incurable cancer of the lungs and liver, he estimates that he has less than a year.
Rev. Forrest Church : I have been blessed with a month at a time and I rejoice for it. But eventually the treatment will lose its effectiveness and barbaric assault made by the portal.
ABERNETHY : Church says he was stunned by his reaction to the diagnosis of terminal cancer.
Rev. CHURCH : I went straight to acceptance. I skipped the stages of shock, disbelief, anger and resentment. I went straight to acceptance.
ABERNETHY : The key, says Church, was being able to dispel the unresolved emotional conflict.
Rev. CHURCH : The only way to reconcile yourself, make peace with you, to make peace with your neighbor, make peace with God, find salvation, is to break through and love, forgive and love . Do not change the person you forgive. Change your own heart. So anything you can do to achieve reconciliation also means the end of your life when you get a few months, you can look back without regret.
The two saddest words in the English language are 'If only' and sound more pathetic in the time you report a person who has a disease terminal: 'If only I had stopped drinking, if only I had dared to change my career when I do, if only I had reconciled with my father when I had the opportunity'
ABERNETHY : Church had time to say goodbye to his father, the late U.S. Senator Frank Church, during the last months of his life. But accepts it was too slow to realize his duty to his family now.
Rev. CHURCH : When he spoke of not having unfinished business, my wife quickly pointed out to me: "Well, you may not have unfinished business, Forrest, but your children have unfinished business and I have unfinished business, so let's get them." I realized that it was not my death. It was our death and it made me focus on them. It was time to listen, hug and say "Sorry" as well as to mourn together and then sing-sing the old songs.
ABERNETHY : Was there a lot of crying?
Rev. CHURCH : Yes, there was much weeping.
ABERNETHY , and despite treatment during the last 2 years, Church wrote 2 books. He confessed to his congregation one of the reasons for his productivity.
Rev. CHURCH (during sermon): steroids ! Every week the good guys from the Memorial Hospital filled me with injected steroids. They helped me to tolerate the poison pumped into me to kill the cancer. Another 2 or 3 days after each treatment I felt as if fly. I have not felt so 'high' from the second half of the 1960's.
ABERNETHY : Like other unit , Church rejects many aspects of Christian doctrine. Do not blame God for her illness, and pray to God for his recovery.
Rev. CHURCH : Do not pray for miracles. Do not pray for my healing incurable cancer. Receipt and consecrate each day as a gift is given to me. I have no idea what happens after death, so I agree with Henry David Thoreau who, when asked about life after life he said, " Madam, I prefer to consider a life at a time" .
ABERNETHY : At the same time, Church says he has come to believe that without God there is nothing.
Rev. CHURCH : God is what sustains me. I connected with that grace and power. God is that which is greater than all and present in all. For me, Christianity is a faith of love-love God and love your neighbor. That is right in the heart of my very being. I am a universalist Christian. I think the same light shines through every religious window and this is interpreted. The windows are different. Is interpreted in different ways. Is refracted in many different ways.
ABERNETHY : Church believes that what he wrote in his new book is the coda , the conclusion and summary of his theology.
Rev. CHURCH : My lifelong belief is that love and death are woven more deeply at the core meaning of religion. Most of all truths is that love never dies, that every act of love that we make in this world lived on in another life and another life is transmitted, so the love we will survive for centuries and that is the labrum of religion . The opposite of love is not death. Is fear. Fear like armor surrounding our hearts. If our hearts are covered with armor, will never break. I've seen so many people get hurt from love and then try to protect him, but to protect themselves from love, but love to protect themselves are protected from the only thing that makes life worth living.
The secret of all is that it is not me. To the extent that we are self-conscious, absorbed in ourselves, we can not be aware of the world around us, from God and our neighbors.
I have preached about living the present throughout my career. Only in the here and now we love God and love our neighbors, We can redeem the day.
One of the beautiful things of the terminal illness is that your friends are strengthened. Your loved ones become more vital and more present. Each day becomes more beautiful. You open the gift and receive it as the gift it is. You walk through the valley of the shadows and is flooded with light.
ABERNETHY : At the conclusion of all other taxes Church, his wife, Carolyn, made his.
CAROLYN CHURCH : I want to know how alone is Forrest. He is at peace because has become the man who wanted to be. I could not have done it without you. I have loved, supported, have forgiven and that's what really made all the difference. So, baby, is 60 years. Happy Birthday!
ABERNETHY : And if love could heal, it would be many more.
[ Link to the sermon "Love and Death" by the Rev.. Forrest Church ]
