In the past year I’ve come to appreciate Jesus afresh, through the lens of what’s called Mimetic Theory as pioneered by Rene Girard. This literary critic and philosopher reads the Gospels (and really, the Hebrew Bible and New Testament) through the lens of mimentic violence – looking at what happens when we humans imitate hostile and fearful acts, causing “violence begetting violence.” Mimetic theory puts Jesus’ life, death, and teachings in a whole new perspective that transcends – and if we’re honest, in many ways outright negates – traditional religious structures.

And yet, mimetics as I’ve encountered them leaves me wanting more. I want to see the conversation expand from philosophy, lit-crit and theology into other social sciences – even the so-called ‘hard’ sciences, like brain sciences. And I want to see some examples of positive mimesis, darn it! Surely we’re capable of imitating more than just the ‘bad.’

I think I may have discovered the bridge to ‘something more’ that I’m looking for – Jeremy Rifkin distilling his latest ground-breaking work, The Empathic Civilization. I won’t say much more except to watch this video! It’s over ten minutes long; get over it.  It’s ten minutes well-spent. You will be mesmerized! And just maybe, your entire outlook on life and what motivates people will be transformed.

This is what guides my passions, in both Presence and The David Group International – to see a new earth and a new humanity being birthed, a people with a deeper trust in a more expansive God, where common humanity creates the deepest of ties. Viva la empathetic mimesis!

This weekend I found myself in need of another Bible. I’ve got several, but they are all filled with specific study notes – and I needed one I could record all my peace and reconciliation thoughts in – and it also needed to be one of those thin-lined ones that can easily be carried. Some of my Bibles are large hardback models that weigh about 5lbs each! And, since I’m doing more ‘inter-faith’ work, I wanted something that wasn’t an ‘in-your-face-I’m-a-Christian’ looking book – you know, big cross on the front, gold stamped pages, expensive leather that would buy an entire starving village a meal. Continue reading…