by daniel johnson
April 22, 2024
During his college years, Owens went from being “separated from God” to reconciling himself with God and refining his image of God.
Lama Rod Owens, 44, a Black Buddhist educated at Harvard Divinity School, has become what he calls a “new saint” among his students by blending Buddhist and Judeo-Christian teachings. We are developing human resources. Raised in the Black Baptist and Methodist traditions, Owens left the religion due to unwelcoming attitudes towards gender and sexuality, seeking personal religious autonomy and a more inclusive spiritual path.
as Associated Press According to reports, Owens credits much of his spirituality to his mother, the Rev. Wendy Owens, whose journey as a United Methodist minister inspired his spiritual journey. “Like many Black women, she embodied wisdom and resilience and vision,” Owens told the magazine. “She taught me how to work. “She taught me how to change because she saw me do it,” he shared.
After graduating from Berry College, a nondenominational Christian school, Owens redoubled his commitment to service, he said. AP That was his new religion. Owens trained as a sexual assault victim advocate and also volunteered for projects focused on HIV/AIDS education, homelessness, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse. “Even if I wasn’t doing this theology anymore, what I was doing was definitely following the path of Jesus: feeding people, protecting people,” Owens said. Told. A.P.
Shortly after graduating from Berry College, Owens joined Haley House in Boston, where he met people from all walks of faith, including Christianity, Buddhism, Wicca, Islam, and even monasticism. He credits a friend with giving him a copy of Vicki McKenzie’s The Snow Cave, which tells the story of the Tibetan Buddhist nun Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s quest for enlightenment, which set Owens on a spiritual path.
“When I started exploring Buddhism, I never thought, ‘Oh, black people don’t do this, or does this conflict with my Christian upbringing?'” Owens said. “I thought, ‘This will reduce my suffering…I was just interested in how to reduce harm to myself and others.’
It was only at Harvard Divinity School that Owens became exposed to various religions, where he met followers of a Satanist. Despite the name, most Satanists are non-theists, according to La Carmina, author of The Little Book of Satanism.
“There are many different kinds of Satanists, but most people don’t actually believe in the devil and don’t worship him as a god or a force of evil. In most cases, devil worshipers are non-theistic ” and views Satanism as a personal liberation from traditional theistic beliefs,” La Carmina said. Columbia Magazine. “We respect nonconformity and rebel against superstition and the idea of arbitrary authority. Modern Satanists are nonviolent and interested in reason, justice, and the pursuit of truth.”
During his college years, Owens went from being “separated from God” to reconciling himself with God and honing his image, he said. AP“God is not some very grumpy old man sitting on a throne above the clouds. God is space, emptiness, and energy. God is love.
Owens continues to draw inspiration from people as diverse as James Baldwin, Harriet Tubman, Alvin Ailey, Andre Leon Talley, Toni Morrison, Tony Kushner, and Beyoncé. This far-reaching influence, he said, motivates him to remain fluid. AP“I want people to feel the same way when they experience what I talk about and write about.”
Owens further added, “That’s part of an artist’s job, to help us feel and to not be afraid to feel. To inspire us to dream differently. , shake yourself out of rigidity and allow yourself to be more fluid.”
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