118 | Transcending Woke (Part 3)
Date: June 6, 2022
Welcome back to the podcast!!!
This is the final installment of the "Get Woke Series."
Minute of Transparency: Going Home
Today's Topic: Transcending Woke (Part 3)
Deconstruction
The Transcendent Spiral
// 1. DECONSTRUCTION
In this series we've done a deep dive into what it means to be "woke." Because the term "woke" is hitting its stride these days.
It's become a cultural and political thing to be sure. But early on, I suggested that there is also a spiritual side of things.
That being "Spiritually woke" is a thing - and quite possibly the most important of the three...
But if there was a word, or concept that rivaled the idea of being "woke" recently - it would probably be the concept of deconstruction.
And wouldn't you know it - there is a HUGE amount of overlap between the idea of being "woke" and the "deconstruction process."
At least in my mind...
Now - we have talked about deconstruction on the podcast. Not in this context - just as a one-off concept. So if you're interested in that - head back to: 090 | THE TRANSCENDENT TRUTH PATH
https://transcendhuman.com/podcast/2021/11/090-the-transcendent-truth-path
But for our purposes today - let's walk back through the info as it pertains to being "woke."
Step 1: Do a Google search for the word "deconstruction" and what is the first thing you see?
A dictionary entry of course
With this as the definition:
"A method of critical analysis of philosophical and literary language which emphasizes the internal workings of language and conceptual systems, the relational quality of meaning, and the assumptions implicit in forms of expression."
If you're like me - you're like what?! I don't even understand...
Step 2: Go to dictionary.com and there is an even more fleshed out version of this definition - but still not what I was expecting to find.
Step 3: Find a simpler explanation
So I found an article on literariness.org:
"Deconstruction involves the close reading of texts in order to demonstrate that any given text has irreconcilably contradictory meanings, rather than being a unified, logical whole."
So at its core - deconstruction is a philosophical tool - looking at a book, published work or theory and dismantling it based on inherent contradictions.
A bit easier to understand - but still not the definition I was expecting.
Until I realized that I probably won't find the definition I was looking for.
Because I'm looking for a subset of the original. The "theological" definition for that term.
Because these days "deconstruction" is used more in that context than any other context:
It makes sense that this is the word they chose
Because spiritual or religious deconstruction is often kicked off when a person identifies contradictions in their belief system
Sound familiar?
In this setting - people within a specific religious tradition start looking at the things they were taught, or the things they thought were true, and they find contradictions
These contradictions lead to negative emotions - feelings of irritability, frustration and even anger
Which leads them to start deconstructing - or removing things that don't seem right - things that they now view as false beliefs
In this way, the word "deconstruction" has been co-opted by the religious community. And not a specific community - it can be seen in many religious communities :
The Evangelical Christian Church
The Southern Baptist Church
The Mormon Church
Judaism
You name it - and someone is in the process of "deconstruction" within that church
Now - similar to the idea of people being "woke" or people experiencing "Awakenings" - deconstruction is not a new concept.
In fact - since the dawn of time people were taught certain things - then at some point in their lives - had to re-evaluate and determine for themselves what they truly believed.
This happens on an interpersonal level, but can happen on a corporate level as well - where an entire group of people shift from believing one thing to believing something new - something different.
The story of Jesus in the Bible is a perfect example of this for me.
In fact I think we could refer to Jesus as the Master Deconstructionist:
Not that He was deconstructing Himself
We believe Jesus was perfect and therefore already had the Truth within Him
But He literally led a deconstruction movement throughout His lifetime
You could say He was "woke" in His day - and He was calling those around Him to be "woke" as well!
Need examples?
Jesus broke through all sorts of cultural norms - deconstructing them as He went
He deconstructed the animosity between Jews and Samaritans
He deconstructed the treatment of women - elevating them in a culture where they were second class citizens
He deconstructed the legalism, religious perfectionism and hypocrisy of the ruling religious leaders
He deconstructed a long list of legal laws - replacing them with one concept: love
Do I need to go further?
So let's talk a bit more about how "woke" and "deconstruction" overlap...
First Observation: The two are NOT all inclusive:
In other words - not all "woke" people are in the process of "deconstruction"
And not all people in the process of "deconstruction" would be considered "woke"
The best illustration is to view both in a Venn Diagram
Each is represented by a circle
Each circle overlapping the other
2 separate elements, but also an overlapping section
And in this series - I'm making the case that the overlapping section is a thing. That both are happening in our culture, and that I believe the two are connected at the hip spiritually.
As we've discussed - being "woke" spiritually is an important thing.
But just as important - could be the process of "deconstruction:"
Dusting off the religious beliefs we were taught as kids
Making sure they aren't bogus
Making sure we aren't living a lie
Making sure we're not viewing the world through a broken filter
And where is this more likely than in the good old US of A?
We live in a historically Christian country
A large percentage of the population was raised in a traditional religious home
So the number of people in a position to walk through deconstruction is very large
And as people deconstruct their religious beliefs:
They are often considered "woke" by the very religious community they are part of
Not the good version of the word "woke" of course
In this setting - being "woke" suggests the person is bad, immoral or in some way defective
Throw in the political climate, with the polarization we're seeing and the religious overtones of certain political parties and it's the perfect storm
Second Observation: There are Numerous Deconstruction Outcomes:
In other words - as people deconstruct they move away from their religious tradition in a variety of ways:
There are those who continue to remain in their religious tradition - just with a slightly adjusted view of the belief system
Next - there are those in the middle - who struggle with staying connected - because so many of the beliefs seem suspect
And there are those who give it all up - throw in the towel and never look back
And obviously there is everything in between
Third Observation: There are numerous "Woke" Outcomes:
In other words - in this overlapping section of people who are going through "deconstruction" and also considered "woke"
There will be different levels of "woke" ness... to use the word that probably isn't a word...
There will be people who maintain certain spiritual beliefs and start to be more spiritually "woke"
There will be people who give up all spiritual beliefs and become "woke" culturally or politically
And every possible scenario in between
Now - I'm not going to sum it all up by saying you have to be a certain thing. That literally goes against the very concept of being "woke" - which is a focus on social justice, peoples rights and peoples desire to be themselves.
So you do you...
But at the same time - that doesn't mean we throw the baby out with the bath water.
If there is a higher standard - if there is a way to Transcend Human - if we can rise above the Human Condition - we should at least acknowledge it right? We should at least raise the bar - and suggest that it would be better to head that direction if possible.
So let me paint that picture - even though it's not my picture. I mean I'm not there yet - so it can't be my picture.
I'm on this journey just like everyone else.
But what could it look like?
Simply put: What Would Jesus Do?
I know! I know!
That is SO 1990! Did I pull out my WWJD bracelet and put it on to write this episode? No…
But let's look past the stereotypical jargon - past the bracelet - past the teeny-bopper Christian who just came off a spiritual high conference weekend - and find the truth behind the message...
There's no way to capture every aspect of Jesus' life and what He represented - but let's just grab 2:
He made it clear that religions go off the rails - and you have to get back to what matters most (deconstruction)
He made it obvious that people matter more than politics or religion. Love is the answer and love will triumph (woke)
But let's look at each a little closer:
Jesus made it clear that deconstruction was necessary - but that it didn't require leaving the church. In other words - living life in a community of faith is not the issue. You just need to boil all of the religious mumbo jumbo down into the core elements of your faith and stick to those
In the other episode where we talked about deconstruction I split it out into two very distinct things:
Deconstructing Our Religion: This is good - it's what we're talking about - weeding out religious traditions for true faith
Deconstructing Our Faith: This is not what you're looking for. To deconstruct your faith is to deconstruct what is true. To turn our backs on Absolute Truth in favor of a life without truth. There is no good outcome in this scenario. There may be peace in this life - but at the forfeit of a life after death
Next, if we follow Jesus' example on being "woke:"
We choose to give up some of our rights
We put others before ourselves
We view all people as equal
We start looking for ways to help or serve rather than to get or receive
This "loving" lifestyle is the kind of "woke" we're after
Being "Spiritually Woke"
// 2. THE TRANSCENDENT SPIRAL
So last week we went into detail about Spiral Dynamics - and how crazy it is that the theory seems to define the various stages (or spirals) that we're on as individuals, organizations and societies or countries.
It's a sweeping theory - an umbrella theory if you will that to me does an amazing job in the following three areas:
Seems to sum up everything we've seen in the past
It seems to describe everything we see going on right now
It seems to predict the way forward - to suggest where we're headed as we grow more and more self aware
However - as we discussed last week - Spiral Dynamics is NOT a religious, spiritual or Christian view of the world.
It 's very scientific in nature - based on ideas from humanism - and past psychological thought and theory. Very academic - with little to no spiritual significance.
So how can, or should, someone with spiritual beliefs view Spiral Dynamics?
Glad you asked - because I'm going to propose a new variating of Spiral Dynamics - one that includes the spiritual element.
Now I haven't spent months thinking this through, fleshing it out, researching the details of it.
This is literally something I came up with in the shower - something I'm throwing out there to start a discussion.
I'll call it the Transcendent Spiral for the fun of it. But at the end of the day it's my brain attempting to superimpose my Christian beliefs onto the Spiral Dynamics theory...
So here we go...
First - I'm going to adjust the Tiers:
Tier 1: Absolute. Personal. Scarcity mindset. Focus on immediate, subsistence, tangible things
Tier 2: Relative. Transpersonal. Abundance mindset. Focus on the future, states of being, intangible things like the continuity of the species
Tier 3: Transcendent. Omni-personal. Universal mindset. Access to all knowledge. Ability to see entire past and make sense of it all
Adjustments to the Spirals:
Tier 1: Remains unchanged
Beige: Survival
Purple: Security
Red: Energy
Blue: Order
Orange: Success
Green: Community
Tier 2: Added one to this Tier
Yellow: Synergy
Turquoise: Holistic
Violet: Spiritual
Fully connecting to the spiritual realm
Allowing a refined spiritual energy to drive thoughts and behavior
Giving up "rights" in order to defer to spiritual truths
A willingness to be persecuted for beliefs
Viewing death as a transition vs. the end
Tier 3: Brand new
White: Glorification
Moving from earthly body to heavenly body
Ascension to heavenly realm
1000 years in heaven (Millennium)
Eternal life (Heaven on Earth)
And there you have it.
In my limited time, and with very little research - this was my take on an updated version of Spiral Dynamics - one that incorporates the following Christian concepts:
Earth was created by an Intelligent Designer: God
Earth is currently in a state of imbalance: Satan, Sin Virus, etc.
God sent Jesus to be the Antidote to the Sin Virus: Offering all of us an exit strategy
And there is a coming Cosmic Climax: Life on Earth will come to an end. God will return to remove the Sin Virus once and for all
This ushers in Eternity: Those who accepted the Antidote to the Sin Virus will live forever in an environment where the Sin Virus no longer exists
Now I know this starts to sound "exclusive" right? Which is a reputation most Christians get because they make too much of the Christian view of being saved.
It becomes all about Jesus - you have to believe in Jesus - the only way you get to heaven is if you believe in Jesus.
Extremely exclusive right? It suggests that Christians are the only ones who will be saved - and that everyone else if going to Hell.
And if you are stuck in the Blue Spiral - focused on order, rules, rigid standards for living, etc. This makes total sense. Life is one big high school and you have to be accepted into the cool kid clique in order to be someone.
But when you get up into the Yellow Spiral - you start to put Blue in its rightful place. You start to view everyone right where they're at - and you find value in them no matter what they believe or what spiral they're stuck on.
Now this might sound a little woo woo here on Earth - that a person can become that loving and all inclusive. But if it this is possible - as a sinful human being - think how much more of this God is capable of!
If we are God's kids - created in His image - and He loves us with a perfect love we can't even imagine right now - what do you think He would do to win us back?
I don't believe we fully understand the ways He connects with people, and His ability to connect with a person and read their hearts - their intentions.
First off - you have all of the people who lived and died before Jesus died on the cross. There were different ways an Israelite showed they believed in Him.
Then there were people outside that religious tradition. People who are in the Bible because of their faith in something they didn't even understand. Like Rahab - in Jericho - helping the Israelite spies get out of the evil city. The Bible explains that she and her family were saved because of their heroic actions.
Think about that for a minute.
How many people are there in the world who have done something right in a difficult situation - all because they were prompted to do so by their conscience?
Because God prompted them to stand for Him and they did it without even knowing why.
Could it be that there will be thousands of people in heaven someday because of situations like this?
People who never even heard the story of Jesus dying on a cross for their sins?
And then there are the mounting numbers of stories from the Middle East. Stories from Muslims who reported seeing a man in a white robe standing before them - asking them to leave what they know and believe in Him.
Would it chap your hide if you got to heaven and met hundreds of thousands of people who had this experience?
And what about people in the Buddhist traditions or Hindu traditions? Don't you think God has a plan for them as well? A way we may not even know about - but a way that allows them the same opportunity to choose eternal life with Him?
I think we put God in a box - in our finite little Christian brains. We feel so special and assume everyone needs to be like us in order to make it to Heaven.
But this is my friend is the perfect example of living fully in the Blue Spiral - and choosing not to transcend.
For me, Spiral Dynamics helps me understand a few things very well:
It Suggests Growth and Forward Momentum:
It suggests that we need to keep moving - keep learning - and keep growing
That what we currently understand is limited at best
There is so much in front of us - so keep an open mind and be open to change
It Suggests Inclusion vs. Exclusion:
On our personal journey through the spirals it is important to understand:
Each Spiral is NOT a destination - our journey isn't linear like so many things in life
This is why the colors are called Spirals and not Levels, or Phases
Because a spiral keeps going around - building on what's below it
And without the lower spirals - there would be nothing holding us up
When you move into Yellow - you don't remove all of the colors below you from your tool belt and become 100% Yellow
You've simply opened up a new level of understanding
Your mind has been freed from a few more of the chains holding it down
But you're not a new person - you're the same person with an upgraded OS
You now have a few more features to offer the world
The old features are still there - and help you function correctly - but the new ones have allowed you to do new things
The Importance of Synergy with Others:
This is called the "Radical Shift" - moving from Tier 1 to Tier 2 Consciousness
The Yellow Spiral is when you stop looking at people based on who they are what color they're in, and what they can do for you
Instead you begin to think bigger - synergistically
This whole idea that when we ascend to the next level - we don't leave others in the dust
When we ascend, we still have all of the Spirals below us inside of us
And at any moment - we can revert back to a lower Spiral and act in that manner
We begin to view everyone as important - as we're all on the same journey based on the life conditions we face and our minds ability to make sense of things
People are currently where we used to be
So why not love them well, and help them in their journey?
Let's Land the Plane:
This was our final episode in the Transcending Woke Series.
I know it got pretty deep at times - but hopefully it helped you see the concept of being "woke" in a whole new way.
That there is the cultural and political version of being "woke." But also a much more important version - becoming "Spiritually Woke."
For me - the path to becoming "Spiritually Woke" included:
Going through Exponential Change in the past 4 years
Feeling as if I've experienced an Awakening of sorts
Understanding Spiral Dynamics - and where I'm at personally
The systematic deconstruction of the unnecessary religious elements in my life
And finally - allowing both Spiral Dynamics and my Core Christian faith suggest a new path - a way forward
I hope me walking through this was helpful for you.
Everyone has a different story. A different life experience and a different way of understanding it.
But hopefully some of these ideas resonate in the most generic way.
Suggesting the path we're on together, and possible next steps for you in your personal journey.
This week wrestle with the following questions:
Are you in a specific religious tradition?
If so - where are you at with your religious community?
Things going well?
Things not going well?
Have you deconstructed some of the things you thought were true?
Do you see the need for that in your future?
If you're not part of a religious community - is there anything in your life you've had to deconstruct?
Based on my adjusted view of Spiral Dynamics:
What do you think of The Transcendent Spiral?
Thoughts on the additions of Tier 2 and Tier 3 elements?
And on this new platform - where do you see yourself?
And finally - based on everything we've talked about:
Do you consider yourself "woke?"
Culturally?
Politically?
Spiritually?
Thank you so much for joining us on this journey.
This series was so fun for me - and a lot of work at the same time. Most of the time episodes roll out of my brain with frightening speed.
But this took a lot of effort. A lot of research. And a lot of quiet time - trying to make sense of the whirlpool of ideas swirling around up there.
Next week I'm going to leave things open because I'm not sure where I want to go next. I have a folder full of potential topics. But I'm also traveling back to Indiana this week for a wedding and to see friends and family. And there's part of me that believes something will come up out of the blue during the week - something super relevant - and easy to knock out on the road.
But we'll see what happens.
Until then, have a great week everyone, be as "woke" as you feel comfortable, and and as always, keep Transcending Human!