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On Experience

Every job has its drawbacks and down days.  That I am convinced is true.  Of course, some jobs have more drawbacks and down days than others.  I had a couple of those jobs as I worked my way through college.  I always knew they would not be forever, but in the midst of a job like this, it may seem interminable---it will never end!

My current job as a college faculty person is actually quite a nice gig, as my friend says.  In my present context, I have freedom to do much as I like.  I realize this is a good deal and I have no complaints.  I accept that I have it quite good.  But even in a job like mine, there are days I find challenging.

One of those days happened yesterday.  It was innocent enough.  I am involved in a teaching situation with some others in my little world.  They are quite nice and very supportive.  But sometimes the topic or subject matter is tricky.  It is often said of parties that one should not talk about religion and politics.  Frequently, I am in discussions of both!

Yesterday, the theme of the day was “experience.”  I have known for a long time that personally and for my Quaker tradition this is an important concept.  I know that experience lay at the heart of my personal spirituality.  And every time I give a talk on Quakerism, one of my opening lines is that Quakers begin with experience and not doctrine.  This does not make Quakerism unique, but it does distinguish us from many other Christian traditions.

So the discussion yesterday was focused on a complex article about the idea of “religious experience.”  I’ll spare you the details.  Essentially, the author poses the scholarly question whether there is even such a thing as a religious experience? The author does not doubt that people think they have religious experiences.  But thinking I have one and actually having an experience of God are two different things.

Of course, the problem with a religious experience is I have to take your word for it.  You cannot “prove” it to me.  And I cannot do the same thing you did---for example, try the same approach, the same prayer, etc.---and replicate the experience.  I do not doubt this contention. 

But I am not willing to go so far as to suggest there is no such thing as a religious experience.  I am ok with the fact that I cannot prove to you that I have had a religious experience.  So I was not unduly troubled with the tenor of the article, although it is easy to see how this perspective can upset some folks.

I am pretty clear how I understand experience.  I differentiate experience from something that happens to me.  As I live through a day, countless things happen to me.  Some things happen and I am not even aware of them.  These do not count as experience for me.  This means for me to have an experience, I need to be aware of something that happens.  And secondly, all experience, as I understand it, is “interpreted experience.”

For example, if I tell you I just experience God, you can ask me, “how so?”  To tell you means I interpret the experience.  I tell you I sensed God’s warm hand on my heart.  Obviously, this is metaphorical language.  God does not have literal hands.  But I did feel something tender, warm, and soothing on my heart (and, hence, my whole being).  I interpret this to be God.  I can’t prove it…but I ‘know” it.

I am ok with this based on faith and not scientific proof.  I am ok with a warm heart of experience.

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