gentlefootprint

Leadership & Other Things

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 01:42:31 GMT

After sitting through 8 hours of leadership training today, I've been mulling over a few thoughts.

(1) We broke up into small groups to brainstorm and discuss who we thought was the world's greatest leader. An interesting exercise. Bearing in mind corrections is a paramilitary environment, it came as no surprise when the likes of Collen Powell and Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf surfaced. Others named included the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Alexander the Great, Gandhi, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Princess Diana and the Pope. But our state trainer wasn't prepared to hear us ultimately give the distinction of greatest leader to Jesus.

(2) I observed how tragic it was that contemporary or current leaders were absent among the names that surfaced. Is there no one out there that instills hope and inspires us to greatness?

(3) Our trainer kept equating supervision and management with leadership. I suggested that this was wrong. The mere fact that someone holds a position of supervision does not make him or her a leader. I believe that a leader is "begotten, not made." I believe that in the workforce and in any group there are persons who will be recognized by the group as natural leaders, as the ones with vision who inspire and move the group.

(4) My definition of a leader? Someone who is a team builder, who recognizes the gifts and talents of individuals and empowers them to share these gifts, who is proactive rather than reactive.

(5) During another group exercise we were asked to list examples of leadership styles that don't work. Among this list was the practice of promoting the wrong people. When a participant asked why this happened, the trainer went around the group and asked if our spouse was like us or our opposite. What struck me was that out of 60 participants, 55 declared there spouse to be their opposite! The trainer suggested that we shouldn't therefore expect any better from our employer. I observed that we don't choose who we want for our supervisor like we choose our spouse.

(6) I was bothered by the 55 out of 60 statistic. What could that mean? Then I figured it out (I think). We don't choose our opposite to be our spouse. We choose someone who feels like our soulmate, our complement. After the ceremony and honeymoon is over we settle into the nitty gritty of married life and we begin to recognize the flaws in our spouse that romance left us blind to. These "new" (are they, really?) discoveries lead us to question our choice or what we got ourselves into. When we say our spouse is our opposite, aren't we merely saying that my spouse isn't the person I thought I was marrying? This stage I believe is where so many marriages fall apart. First sight of the flaws and we want to bail out.

American Idol Spirituality

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 23:31:11 GMT

Singer, songwriter, arranger Barry Manilow gave advice to American Idol's final 11 prior to last night's competition in which they chose and performed a song from the fifties. It struck me how that advice is also pretty decent spiritual direction for all of us:

(1) Know who you are, what you do best and don't compromise it. We get ourselves into all kinds of trouble when we envy or mimic someone we would rather be or whose talents or opportunities we prefer. The only thing I am capable of excelling in is being myself. The world would much prefer and benefit most from me being me wholeheartedly rather than pretending to be someone else.

(2) You're not just a singer, you're a story teller. Interestingly you can tell the difference between the performer who is singing a song very well, hitting all the right notes in perfect pitch and the performer whose singing is coming from the heart filled with feeling and passion. I would much rather listen to the latter. Likewise everything I do in life can either be meaningless words (even when well chosen) and lifeless actions (even when appearing noble or purposeful) or each can tell my story to the world.

(3) Song selection is critical. You must choose the right song that showcases your talent. If you are an investor, you're going to direct your resources where you are most likely to see a healthy return. It is likewise important to recognize that I am not a cornucopia or bottomless well and my success and fulfillment in life dictate that I invest myself in efforts that will impact on drawing nearer to my destination.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 07:55:01 GMT

The last hours of 2005 are literally ticking away and soon attention will fall upon events taking place in Times Square. 2005 was extraordinary, but then so is any other year at this point looking back. Violence and poverty throughout the world continue. This year's benchmarks were a wave of natural disasters which reminded us that we are only human and that life is at once both precious and fragile.

Among those we lost this year were an anti-war champion, the king of late night television and a pope. It seems that remembering those who are no longer with us is an integral part of the ritual that marks our annual passage from one year to the next. It reminds me of Yahweh instructing Moses to climb the mountain to view the land of Canaan which he was about to give to the Israelites as their homeland. Moses would only view it from afar but not enter it. And so it is of those we lost. They will not enter the new year with us.

We greet the incoming year filled with all of the hope and promise of the Israelites entering Canaan. It will not take long before we discover that 2006, like every year before it, is not the land of milk and honey. In 2006 we will meet once again achievement and failure, discovery and bewilderment, industriousness and disaster, life and death. Whatever the new year holds for you and I, may we embrace it with acceptance and peace.

My Spiritual Journey

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 03:00:26 GMT

"The journey you wish to take can only begin from where you are right now this very minute."

Before I ran across Ron Atchison's quote (above) this morning, I had decided to devote my upcoming posts to sharing an intimate portrait of my own spiritual journey. In some respects you may say that is what I've been doing. But writing about things spiritual is not necessarily the same endeavor as recounting my spiritual story.

Contrary to what Atchison's quote claims, my spiritual journey does not begin right here, right now. In a real sense, it doesn't even begin with my birth. My own journey is but a jaunt along a path already marked by those throughout history who have undertaken it. Much of what I see has already been discovered yet my uniqueness guarantees surprises along the way.

The unconscious lessons of my infancy - unconditional love, protection, trust, nurture - mark my actual departure along the spiritual journey. Much ground is covered in these early years without my ever realizing it. Before I ever consciously ask my first spiritual question, I have progressed in my understanding of the ways of the spiritual realm and have put the first blocks of a foundation in place from which I will relate to it.

(Instead of offering questions to ponder during this series of posts, I welcome your comments as to how my story relates to your own journey.)

To be continued...

Looking Within

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:57:55 GMT

In his book The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle frequently reminds his readers that he is not teaching anything that we do not already know. Cheril Carter-Scott in her book If Life Is A Game, These Are the Rules echoes that sentiment when she observes "Deep inside, you already know all you need to know."

Such an empowering truth, but do we really believe it? We greet our inner voice with distrust and heed it only after its been verified by external sources.

Consider the many wonderful spiritually-themed xangas. Are these not, in part, an expression of the writer's inner voice seeking common acceptance or ratification? Why are we so uncomfortable expressing and embracing the profound, life-altering spiritual truths etched within our heart, our spirit, our soul?

A legitimate concern might be the fear of confusing the inner voice of truth with the voice of the ego. Only by sounding out our inner voice through the ears of those we trust can we minimize the risk of being played by the ego.

If we agree with the premise that the answers to our innermost questions rest within us then it is also important to consider who or what the origin or source of the inner voice is. Is it the voice of God? The voice of a collective unconscious? Or is their no inner voice other than that of the ego?

What is the source of our inner voice? What inner truth or lesson do you have the hardest time believing or trusting?

May peace be with you and yours...

Life Is Unfair...

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:56:44 GMT

In the world of sports, officials or referees monitor each game to ensure it is played fairly and by the rules. Most of us, however, can recall a game where a bad call by an official stripped the game of fairness and tipped its outcome.

In the back of our minds we want to believe that life is fair. We assume that everyone is basically good and that opportunities in life are evenly doled out. But our experience teaches us otherwise. A relatively small number of people seem to enjoy a disproportionate amount of good luck or fortune with some of those regarded as undeserving. Bad things happen to good people. Television shows like Average Joe remind us of the difference outer appearance can have, with most of us, including celebrities, aligned with average rather than knockout good looks. A disproportionately large percentage of the world's population is poor and hungry while a relative few possess the world's wealth.

How could God create a world filled with such unfairness and inequity? Shouldn't the cards God deals out to each of us be more even handed?

But therein lies the real problem - blaming God instead of assuming responsibility for righting the disparity. God has seen to it that we are capable if we harness our best qualities and place them into service for the common good. Often what appears to be unfairness is relative. As today's quote suggests, for those things we might feel sorry for ourselves there are others who are able to make due with far less.

Today's question, then, is...

Unfairness: God's fault or our responsibility? What steps can we take to alleviate unfairness?

May peace be with you and yours...

Letting go...

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:55:48 GMT

Every moment, every instance places me at a fork in the road. I can choose the path of trying, with every ounce of energy and every resource available to me, to control my surroundings, the people about me and the course of events. Or I can let go and let things unfold as they will.

It's funny, but most of us choose to live our life along the first path, even though it is absurd to think I can "control" any person or thing outside of myself. There simply are no guarantees - Even if you're particularly good at it. The first path is surrounded by stress, compromising of values and disappointment. It is the path of noise and busyiness. I wonder how much illness and disease and interpersonal strife is attributable to journeying along this first path?

The alternate path, letting go, is liberating and redemptive. It is the path of release, integrity and freedom. This path isn't the negation of drive, ambition or goals. Letting go isn't the same as giving up. It is always important to set my sights on where I'm heading and to have an idea what I'd like to accomplish. Beyond that, however, is futile and takes you back to the first path. Things unfold along a design far beyond anything I might have control over. To let go and allow things to simply "be" opens myself to the world of surprise and wonder.

What in your life do you most need to let go of?

May peace be with you and yours...

God And Blogs

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:54:26 GMT

I just wrapped up the second of three consecutive 12 hour work days. Friday will be a normal 8 hour shift but then it's back to work Saturday for another 8 hours of overtime. Needless to say, I've been preoccupied with thoughts of work AND frustration that it hasn't left me with much time for xanga.

A while back I asked gentlefootprint readers if they thought Jesus would have had a blog if God had chosen our day and age to send His Son. Commenting on my last post, many indicated blogging helped them feel close to God and allowed them to participate in His work, in love and service of those we meet here. I feel the same way and believe resoundingly that Jesus would be right here each night blogging with us!

Jesus' blog would be pretty amazing. I think his blog would display whatever image or message a passerby needed to see at a given moment... a virtual, ever evolving post that would become a friend for the lonely, healing for the sick, hope for those in despair, understanding for the confused, direction for the lost, peace for the troubled.

But then it occurred to me. Jesus DOES have a blog and is blogging right now. Jesus' blog is gentlefootprint, is trimtab, is ronlawhouston, is The_House_Of_The_21st_Apostles, is bcygni, is soulfulwriter, is Ynottw, is infinitezone1, is fakejagner, is TexasAmber, is momofjenmatt, is homer3132, is ananas_comosus, is PilgrimOfTruth, is lonesomedoveme, is TimsHead (I know, pretty cheap way to say thanks to those who frequent my blog).

WE are blogging FOR GOD! GOD is blogging THROUGH US! No wonder then why I feel so torn when a hectic schedule at work leaves me with little time to blog, and why so many of us feel a deep seated, inner urge compelling us to blog.

And so, a special question tonight...

What blog and specific post was "God's blog" posted just for you, giving you just what you needed at the precise moment you visited it? (I'm not sure if we can create links when we comment, but if it's possible, it would really be cool to do it here so we can visit these "God's blogs" all over the blogosphere!)

May peace be with you and yours...

God And Me

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:50:46 GMT

At the center or heart of the spiritual life is my relationship with God. To grow spiritually is to find ways to enter more deeply into God's life while inviting Him to share more intimately in mine. God and me.

Our relationship with God is quite different from the relationship we share with a spouse, a child or a parent. The health of these relationships depends on the quantity and quality of the time we invest in them. Intimacy in these relationships detaches us from our connectedness in the wider community creating an exclusivity that draws us deeper into each other.

Surely God knows us intimately, having called us by name before we were born. But God's relationship with us is not exclusive for he seeks such a relationship with everyone. I am special to God but do not command his sole interest. God also makes it clear that we enter into his life and show our love for him by what we do for others, particularly the least among us. Thus a relationship with God is not about "me and God." It is about a relationship with my sisters and brothers around the world.

The irony then is that if I want to grow closer to God, I actually have to grow closer to those around me, for He is in the sparkle in their eye and in the hunger pains of their starving body, in the gratitude of the thankful heart and in the emptiness of the broken or lonely. Me and God? No, me and my sisters and brothers and in the midst of those relationships I find God.

Where or how have you most intimately experienced God? What has that taught you about how to foster your relationship with God?

May God's peace be with you and yours...

Parenting 101

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:49:37 GMT

The last post considered how deficits in family and home life may leave teens vulnerable to the allure of a street gang promising love, belonging and validation. I was heartened to find so many willing not just to comment but to contribute such careful thought and consideration of the topic. Thank you so much for shaping the discussion!

One thing everyone agrees on is that kids want and need to experience parental love. They need to know their parents are interested in them and care.

Parenting is an awesome responsibility. When you choose to have kids ("accidents" included), your primary concern becomes attending to their needs... not your own obsessions, not your career, not your love life. It is nothing short of a balancing act to provide that love, interest and validation while at the same time setting reasonable limits and teaching that bad choices come with consequences. Differences over how to approach discipline often becomes the deal breaker in relationships.

So how ought a parent approach discipline? That will be the focus of the next post but here I'd like to focus on a parenting strategy that should minimize - if not eliminate - the need altogether.

Focus on the GOOD

What did God do after he created? The Bible says he recognized how good it all was! Such a wise model for parents - recognize the good you have created by treasuring your kids!

Parents who only pay attention to their kids when they're doing wrong are creating problems for themselves. It sends the wrong message that the way to gain attention is to misbehave. Instead recognize your kids' goodness and reward the good they do with your interest, love and affirmation.

I was moved by momofjenmatt who works in a residential treatment center for boys. She shares that the troubled kids she works with are among the best artists, basketball players and poets she has seen and tries as best she can to encourage boys who have never been told before that they were good or awesome at something. Thanks for sharing, Laura!

Your own kids should have no doubt and won't if you parent by focussing on the good.

What do you think? Does it make sense to place the emphasis in parenting on recognizing the good?

May peace be with you and yours...

The Influence of Gangs

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:48:00 GMT

I work at a state prison. Yesterday I interviewed a prisoner who was the vice president of the worldwide gangsters, a gang active in southwest Detroit. He acknowledged that this gang was involved in acts of violence and homicide. No act could be carried out without his knowledge and blessing or that of the gang's leader. He said he got into the gang in the first place because he didn't fit anywhere else. His own mother abandoned him to foster care. Participation in the gang was the one place where he experienced the human need for love, belonging and validation.

Today I interviewed a 21 year old former member of the Vice Lords in Minnesota. He too acknowledged that this gang was guilty of committing acts of violence and homicide during his involvement. He was "beat in" and active from the age of 8 to 14 until his family fled that state to distance their son from the gang's influence. He gave a similar story of turning to the gang to experience belonging and feel important.

There was nothing about this young man's appearance that would set him apart from the All-American kid next door. As I questioned him, I at first grew impatient with his rambling responses. But during the course of the interview it struck me that something else was at work here. This kid must have sensed in me someone who might actually care. He was telling me his story, not about what he did but about who he was. I resisted my own temptation to speed the interview along and listened with interest.

What my work has taught me is that kids become vulnerable to the allure of gangs and the like when they do not feel loved, when they don't fit in or belong, when they can't get anyone's attention, when who they think they are isn't validated.

If you have kids at home, love them. Give them your attention. Show them you are interested in who they are and that you care.

When I grew up I had a stay at home mom who was always there for me. Few households can afford that luxury these days and many homes are headed by a single parent giving his or her best. I get angry that for all the political rhetoric concerning family values, precious little is being done to support and enrich the experience of families. Are we as a society self-destructing?

The questions I leave with you today...

What can we do - as parents, as communities, as a nation - to show our kids that they are loved, that they belong, that they are worthy of our time and attention?

Change

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:45:14 GMT

I wonder why change frightens people so. Afterall, everything that is continuously unfolds. Nothing remains constant. Growth. Evolution. Journey. Change. That's life!

That we fight change seems on the surface to be human nature. We are most comfortable when we are in our element, when we surround ourselves in the familiar. And so we stubbornly cling to the things in our life that have always been. At work the answer to why we do what we do is all too often little more than because its the way things have always been done. For some, the effort to fight change is so intense and persistent that they find themselves engaged in weekly visits to their psychotherapist and looking for the elusive pill that will bring happiness. But how can one find true happiness while living life contrary to nature?

Attitude and perspective are critical in keeping our emotions in check. Emotional discord or restlessness is the culprit most likely to rob us of a sense of wholeness and peace. It is important therefore to look at change maturely and with the right attitude. Change isn't the enemy. It's our friend.

Through embracing change instead of fighting it we can own the direction our life takes as it inevitably unfolds. When we face each new day anticipating our progress along the journey and greeting the changes taken place that leave us so much more than what we were the day before we will have learned to harness the power and beauty of change.

A question to ponder as you consider this post is...

Looking back, has resistence to change ever made a positive contribution to your life?

May peace be with you and yours...

Special Places, Sacred Spaces

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:43:56 GMT

While camping with my family in the summer of 1959, an 8 year old Don took off on a hike into the woods and discovered a bluff overlooking the bend in a river in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. This place has captured my imagination ever since and whenever I visit I feel at home there. Being there brings me into the presence of the transcedent God and Mother Earth. Sitting on the bluff I feel small in the scheme of life and at the same time large in the knowledge that there is a unique yet significant role I am destined to play. I have returned to my special place several times and spend time there whenever I find my life in some kind of transition.

We need special places and sacred spaces because we need to step out of the rat race of life to focus and gain perspective. We need a place where all of life’s distractions can be left behind while we focus on the two most important relationships of our existence - our God and our inner self.

Special places and sacred spaces can take many forms, from an actual geographical place like my bluff overlooking the riverbend to an altar we've created in the corner of a room. Or it may be a mystical inner place we find and can return to through meditation.

This weekend's question...

Where is your special place or sacred space? How often do you go there? What does going there bring you?

May peace be with you and yours...

Cancer Sucks

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:42:24 GMT

It has become real cool these days to sport at least one elastic band around your wrist. My family wears the yellow "Live Strong" wrist bracelet. We also wear buttons proclaiming "Cancer Sucks." My sister-in-law’s body is ravaged by 4th stage cancer.

It is a miracle she is still with us. The driving force in her valiant year-long battle is her 14 year old son whom she doesn’t want to leave without his mom. Like my aunt before her, she worked in the health care profession and should have recognized and acted upon the warning signs that tried to grab her attention. I'm sure things would have been handled differently if given the opportunity but life doesn’t give us "do overs."

Teresa’s life consists of trips every three weeks to the Cancer Treatment Center in Illinois for what is purportedly the most "kick ass"chemotherapy available. In between she is in and out of hospitals to deal with its complications. Now I have back problems that some day will require surgery so I have learned to live with pain but I wouldn’t embarrass myself by claiming to know the degree of pain my sister-in-law must endure every minute of her life. Then there’s the ancillary hardships that increase the burden, most pressing of which is trying to remain financially solvent in the face of rising medical bills. Computers that generate shut off notices could care less that you’re waging war for your very life.

Needless to say she gets discouraged. If you feel moved to send her a card to help lift her spirits, please send it to: Teresa Wiley, 203 Canal St., Augusta MI 49012. (It would be appreciated.)

What has happened to Teresa has been a wake-up call for me to cherish every moment and every opportunity that comes my way, to take nothing for granted. It has tempered my tendency to want to feel sorry for myself. It has given me a different perspective from which I determine my priorities. Today’s question is an invitation to share...

What wake-up calls have you received and how have they changed your life?

May peace be with you and yours...

Are We Guilty?

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:41:12 GMT

Many of you know that a couple of weeks ago I embarked upon a journey to write a book, a story I am sure was placed in my hands by God herself, a book God himself wants written. This exercise has renewed my appreciation for divine inspiration. I’ll admit the bias I bring to this project. I don’t buy the use of "because that’s the way we’ve always done it" as the sole justification for anything. I believe that any time one considers an issue, a dilemma or problem, maturity of judgement requires that there is no limit to what is placed on the table of consideration. Anything great that’s ever come at any point in history was born out of an open mind. With that said, here’s a little snippet...

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN M.

1 I didn’t set out to write a gospel. 2 But then I wasn’t expecting what happened when I visited the secret place of my childhood, a sacred space I always returned to when I found my life in transition. But more about that later. 3 What could I possibly have to say that hasn’t been said already by the four gospels of the current canon and an unfolding tradition covering two millenia? 4 But I was urged to take another look.

5 Instead of bringing the ancient and timeless truths of sacred texts forward, institutional religion at times seems more intent on placing its closed mind in a backpack and hiking back in time to justify itself. 6 I was reminded that we don’t have a gospel that concerns itself exclusively with recounting who Jesus was, what he had to say, what he asked us to consider doing and what happened to him as a result. 7 We have some of that in its purest form in the gospel of Mark which embellishes least upon the primary source Q known by all of the gospel writers. 8 By the time Matthew, Mark, Luke and John sat down to commit to writing what had been to that point an oral tradition, followers found themselves removed from eyewitnesses to the actual events that took place. 9 When they did write they faced particular challenges and circumstances that necessitated their intentional filtering of the story to address and answer those concerns. 10 The result I was told were texts that perhaps better reflected the birth and infancy of an institution than the story of the man who was its cornerstone.

Today’s question then is...

Is organized religion, our practice of faith, our religious experience, to any extent guilty of being concerned more with self-justification than it is with coming to know the heart, spirit and soul of Jesus? If so, where today do you see this playing out most?

What Are You Looking For?

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:39:14 GMT

Thanks to all who shared who their spiritual mentors were. As some noted, the role didn't necessarily require that the person be ordained or serve in a formal leadership capacity. A common thread was that the mentor embodied the spiritual characteristics most valued.

Because there are multiple spiritual paths and each of us advances along the path of his choosing at different rates, we may not find such a common thread when considering what our number one spiritual need or hunger is. When I started to think of examples, I realized early on that such a list could be endless.

My number one spiritual hunger is for community. Since becoming a xanganian a month ago, I have met and connected with some of the most incredibly amazing people representing a vast diversity of spiritual maturity and insight. Although there can be some degree of satisfaction entering into "virtual" relationships or community, "knowing" these people has stirred a longing to surround myself with their likes. I wonder what it would be like if we could live together in a small village out in the middle of nowhere. What kind of community might be possible? Imagine being nurtured, inspired, recharged in such a place! I know such a community could help me rise and ascend to the next level.

Expressing my own greatest longing is in no way intended to stifle or limit your own reflection for it is in the richness of a diverse response that we find ourselves most enriched. In that spirit, today's question is:...

What is your number one spiritual need at this moment in your life? What represents your greatest spiritual hunger? What are you looking for?

Who Is Your Spiritual mentor?

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:37:50 GMT

Yesterday many wrote in their blogs about their memories of 9/11 and its impact. As we searched our collective soul in its immediate aftermath, we enjoyed a heightened awareness of something that is ordinarily lacking in our experience - heroes. Real life heroes. We became acquainted with a lot of heroes as their stories were told and retold and the inspiration born of their heroism helped heal our nation.

I have noticed recently some blogs discussing their expectations of spiritual guides, advisors or mentors. Do these comments about what we would like to see in a good spiritual mentor suggest that there is currently a void? Who are our spiritual heroes?

My question today is:...

Do you have a spiritual mentor? If so, who is it? Would you be willing to tell the story of your spiritual mentor to inspire members of the blog community in their spiritual growth?

Would jesus Have Blogged?

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:35:53 GMT

Yesterday's discussion in The Theologian's Cafe focussed on whether blog relationships helped or hindered real life relationships. Taking the discussion one step further, I began to wonder if God had sent a Jesus or Muhammad or Buddha to us today, would they have had a blog? Would they have used their blog to share their message? How would they have promoted their blog?

Let's face it. Not too many of us nowadays make our living as fishermen. We don't walk or ride the back of an ass to journey to our place of worship. We don't challenge ourselves spiritually by going to the river bank to repent at the hands of a guy who eats locusts and wears camel skin. Quite frankly, folks back then couldn't possibly have imagined life as we know it today with blogs, cell phones and text messaging. Yet our spiritual quest takes us back to such a time and place to try to figure out what we are to do in the day and age in which we find ourselves.

I'd like to pose a series of questions based on this general theme...

If Jesus, Muhammad or Buddha walked among us today, would they have a blog to help promote their teachings and their path? How would they promote their blog? Would anyone notice? What today would trouble them the most? In a nutshell, what would their message be?

Life after Death

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:30:21 GMT

AN OPEN INVITATION TO ALL QUANTUM PHYSICISTS AND STRING THEORISTS: With the exception of allusions to your field by the likes of Wayne Dyer and Marianne Williamson, I plead relative ignorance and invite you to weigh in on the thoughts I share today.

Doesn’t science teach that all matter is made up of particles that are in constant motion? Nothing is static. All matter therefore is alive in the sense it is continuously in process, continuously unfolding. Even after I die and life as I know it expires, what remains is matter that will continue to evolve even as my physical body decomposes.

And how about that which I cannot see... my thoughts, my ideas, my feelings, my longings, my will? Most of us have experienced intuition at work, knowing or sensing something without seeing or without prior knowledge. How can this be unless these too are made up of particles and therefore enjoy an existence of their own? And if this is the case, then they too are continuous, in process, ever unfolding.

I am awed by the cyclical rhythm that encompasses nature. Living in the midwest, the seasons illustrate this rhythm for me each year as I take in the shoots, buds and blossoms of spring, the abundance and fullness of summer, the transformation and harvest of autumn and the dormancy and stillness of winter. I witness the mild, balmy freshness of spring’s wind and the refreshing nurture of her rain marking the season of newness and promise. I experience the brightness and warmth of summer’s sun call forth the season of activity, enjoyment and play. I feel the crispness of autumn’s air return and behold the unparalleled splendor of fall’s colorful fireworks ushering in the season of recollection and melancholy. I prepare to be blanketed by winter’s snowy darkness in the season of repose. Every year the seasons retell nature’s story of life and makes me a participant.

I also hold in wonder nature’s way of reconstituting herself. Every summer newscasts flash images of fighting wildfires out west. A trip to Wyoming in the fall of 2000 made it all real to me as I saw and was saddened by the magnitude of devastation. But what seems like death and destruction is actually nature renewing herself for in the midst of the charred scars left in the wake of disaster emerges the shoots of new life. In the midwest there are hints of the same renewal along countless paths taken by tornados. My faith reassures me we will witness the same along the gulf coast devastated by Katrina’s fury.

The testimony of nature both consoles me and enlightens me that even though I love life fully, I need never fear death. Death is never an end. It is merely another passage in the continual unfolding and renewal of life. I believe something of me existed before I was born and something of me, something very real, will live on even after my death.

Longing

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:27:07 GMT

I wonder what kind of objections (if any) would be raised if I were to claim that one of, if not the, most important goals in life is to find fulfillment... Fufillment of heart, spirit and soul. Fulfillment implies reaching my destination, achieving my goals. It indicates the end of the quest and the cessation of all longing and hunger. It seems that fulfillment is the harvest of the spiritual quest. But is fulfillment even possible? Does fulfillment exist?

Looking back at my childhood, whenever a birthday or Christmas neared, there was always one gift that I wanted more than any other. Something I just had to have. The toy that would complete my life. I was fortunate (or spoiled) to get that one gift most of the time. But something curious happened. "It" didn't turn out to be "all that." Not long after gaining that which I wanted most I found it no longer captured my interest or fascination. The one thing that was to have completed my life merely gave rise to the next longing.

This irony continued to play out as my life unfolded. When I graduated from high school and left the family nest to claim the world and greet my new life under the power of my own wings, I thought I was sure I had arrived. Fulfillment. But the initial taste of freedom and autonomy only gave rise to further longings. I set out to find success... a good job, a position of prominence, sufficient wealth to live a comfortable life.

But this didn't lead to fulfillment either. I discovered that, even if I were to acquire every possession I ever wanted, if I had no one to share it with I had nothing. And so my quest for fulfillment led me to look for a soul mate with whom I could build my own nest and raise a family. But fulfillment remained elusive and so I set out to show the world that it couldn't realize its full potential without me.

Is fulfillment possible? Certainly if fulfillment were real, it would be something GOD experiences. But does He? I can't imagine a Divine Creator or a Divine Author pausing to take a look at nature, the world and all that inhabits it, or even (or especially) humanity and feeling "fulfilled." There is no way the created reflects what GOD intended it to be. However disappointed, frustrated or yes, even angry, GOD hasn't given up on us yet. Thus not even GOD knows fulfillment. Instead He is driven by longing.

Longing is what keeps life unfolding in the direction of something that will remain beyond our reach - fulfillment. Longing gives birth to hope and dreams. Longing is what motivates us. Longing, not fulfillment, is the most important goal for without it we would cease to be.

Diversity

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:25:13 GMT

In some circles diversity is feared. Closely aligned with affirmative action, diversity is taken as a threat to the status and standing of the majority. Some people really believe that unless you look like or talk "American", you don't belong here. Lost in this view is any connection to the origins of our nation as the "melting pot" of the world.

The real gift and beauty of diversity is its inherent irony. It opens our mind to the richness of human experience and opens our eyes to the fact that, no matter how different from each other we may seem on the surface, we are fundamentally one united by the same longings of the heart. Imagine the impact genuine diversity could have on the face of the earth... if instead of fearing each other we embraced each other in partnership in this thing we call "life." Diversity is a spiritual value that cries out to be an alternative to the "do it the way of the mighty and powerful" attitude prevalent in today's world.

Sisters and brothers all are we!

Ripples

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:23:57 GMT

There’s an almost poetic quality to the image of a stone cast out upon the water setting into motion a series of ripples from the point of impact. The size of the stone and manner of impact determines the rhythm and shape of the rippling. Though they fade as they journey outward, the ripples are felt nonetheless along whatever route they take. Even should they encounter something that alters their pattern or course, they continue on into time nevertheless.

Every thought and every act likewise sends forth ripples out into the universe. We cannot therefore take the consequences of our actions lightly for they potentially color, alter or shape the course of history. Tremendous responsibility is placed on us when we consider the scope of influence of our thoughts and actions.

9/11 was a defining moment in history and has forever changed the way we view life and interact with the world. Our collective innocense and naivete was replaced by anger and fear. The ripples set into motion when the towers fell will continue to gently pass over us and color our experience forever.

We likewise cannot underestimate the effect the ripples of our nation’s policy will have both upon us and our world. In a climate where the electorate has indicated a concern for moral values, it has been sad to watch our president’s seriocomic attempts to redefine and place a noble spin on our involvement in Iraq. The real tragedy is the rippling effect of our presence there is stirring up so much more cynicism, ill regard and outright hatred for our country and its intentions than any good that could possibly come from it. We cannot beat the world over the head with our might in an attempt to pound it into submission to our will and at the same time hold on to any hope that the world will come to respect us.

Saved

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:22:14 GMT

I haven't posted in a few days because GOD has been hard at work in my life. As a result, I find myself more excited and anticipative about what lies ahead than I have been in a long, long time. This morning I was saved.

I recall a comment recently blanket posted by a rather zealous Christian across xangas associated with a spiritual themed blogring. In it tyler_is_not_important used the usual fundamentalistic lexicon about the need to be saved and the necessity of inviting Jesus into my heart as my personal savior in order to share in the redemptive/salvific benefits of the cross. There are committed christians everywhere who can time, date and circumstance stamp the moment each was "saved."

I believe whole-heartedly that Jesus was more than a mere historical figure and that his life and teachings draw us closer into the experience of GOD than was available to man before him. That in Jesus GOD took on our humanity, walked in our shoes and embraced the totality of our human experience, including the warts, flaws and cracks - even suffering and death - is what the incarnation is all about. I believe there is redemptive value to the life of Jesus and that the more intimately one enters into a relationship with him the richer the level of meaning and purpose his or her life can acquire. I believe that any salvific value to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, i.e "the cross," is a matter of grace and therefore subject to GOD's rules rather than man's. Given the countless ways and ceaseless efforts of the Creator throughout history to reach out to the created in search of a relationship and the myriad ways the created have found to turn away is a testament to the immensity and generosity of GOD's grace.

I guess this all boils down to my feeling "saved" by GOD many times - today included - and I can only hope there are many more! I woke up this morning keenly aware that GOD had a special task in mind and had chosen me to carry it out - to write a book GOD wants written! Thinking I was just going to sleep in on a lazy Saturday morning, when I awoke my mind was too busy with the flood of inspiration and ideas that danced within it. I have long felt that writing was to be a part of who or what I am all about and this morning GOD put his stamp of approval on it. Oh how good it is to feel that you have a special purpose, that what you have been chosen to do is vitally important and that GOD is at your side to give you whatever it takes to bring it all to fruition! Today I feel... "saved!"

And may all of you too be "saved," finding yourselves called to a special purpose only you can fulfill!

SACRED TEXTS, COMMUNITY & CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:19:27 GMT

I want to thank NightComesOn for his comments and challenging questions to my previous post. Because of the importance of the questions he raises, I thought it most fitting to address them in a new post...

In the previous post, I shared my own view that to fully unlock the timeless truths contained in sacred texts (including, but not restricted to the Bible) requires an appreciation that these texts are stamped by a specific time and place (reflecting a culture and history), that they give voice (sometimes multiple voices) to crises, questions or concerns relevant within that temporal and cultural context, and that the answers or understanding sought or given reflect an intimate relationship between GOD and a people or person. In some instances this resulted in the canonization of an accepted norm and in others advanced a view contrary to contemporary norms. This position does not hinder in any way the belief that a sacred text is divinely inspired nor does it attempt to minimize the defining role a sacred text has on the community from which a tradition is born or its descendants who continue to adhere to it.

To identify with a community is to also identify with the sacred texts and tradition which define it. To disassociate oneself from these sacred texts and tradition, for whatever reason (often disagreement over an associated tenet or teaching), runs the risk of self-alienation from the community or excommunication. Indeed it has become fashionable today, irregardless of the religious tradition to which one belongs, to choose from a cafeteria menu those items found to be palatable and disregard the rest. The pope recently criticized those who embrace their faith in such a piecemeal fashion.

On the other hand there is the example of Jesus, who identified himself both with a community and its sacred texts and tradition, rising to challenge the accepted norms of his contemporaries as failing to reach the higher standard (spirit of the law) to which he challenged those who aspired to follow him. The Pharisees figured to have the right formula for ensuring favor with GOD, busying themselves with determining which of the 613 prescriptions of Jewish law were the biggies, the ones that "really" counted, the ones to be observed and obeyed above all others. They were careful to perform public acts of piety, one cannot be sure whether to amaze others with their holiness or to solidify their own authority. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees was blistering.

As with the Pharisees, the institutionalization of a community can result in a disconnect between the spirit of the founding spiritual master, the kerygma and the rules of the institution. To those who sense inherent fault or contradiction in a tenet of faith addressing contemporary concerns (either not considered or not considered fully by the founder or kerygma), the institution’s leaders may appear more interested in safeguarding the institution and its authority than it is uncovering the spirit or will of its founder. I am most keenly aware of this tension as the Roman Catholic Church addresses the issue of manditory celibacy for its priests or the contribution and service of women within the ecclesial community. There are other emotionally charged issues that have become divisive and tempt an institution to take the moral low ground, concerning itself more with its own authority than with allowing the mind and spirit of the community’s founder to weigh in on the issue or concern.

It is precisely for this reason that we not cease unlocking the timeless truths found in our sacred texts. I disagree with those who quote from sacred texts in support of their own closed-minded opinions (interpolation). We are obliged instead to consider the sacred text in its entirety to extrapolate the mind and spirit behind the voice(s). Revisiting our sacred texts to uncover the timeless truths that speak to the issues that concern us serves a vital prophetic role in the evolution of the community and ensures a connectedness between the spirit of the founding master, the kerygma and the rules of the institution.

Perspective

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:17:37 GMT

This weblog gives me the chance to write, not as the ordained minister of an organized religion or church, but as a brother traveler along the spiritual path called life, speaking from my heart of the things I have discovered as well as the things I still seek. I have had the privilege of being invited to enter into people's lives in their most intimate moments. I have encouraged and consoled along the path with the lost, the weak, the questioning, the hurt and broken, the sick and dying. I have also celebrated along the path with the joyful, the hopeful and the dreaming. Although there is much I do not understand, I have come to believe that there truly is a time and purpose for everything under the heavens.

A friend who frequently visits my journal wrote that when I give advice "all I can do is point and hope you look." I have observed before that it is misdirected to approach the Creator without keeping in mind free will. GOD gives to us in so many wonderful ways from the gift of life itself to surrounding us with a breath taking world to bringing into our life people of such extraordinary love and example to enabling us to find our way through and find meaning in the darkest moments of our existence. At no point does GOD impose herself - She remains always a gift and we are given the choice of embracing or turning away from her.

My experience has shown me that GOD reveals herself in a unique way to each person, having called each by name before he was born and having counted the very hairs on her head. It is for this reason that I hold that religion and spirituality cannot ever be considered in a "one size fits all" manner. I do not therefore judge whatever helps another along his spiritual path, unless it imposes constraints that prohibit others from finding their own path.

Allow me to end today's reflection with a word about scripture. In my life and experience I have discovered many truths that stand alone on the weight of their own authority. One need not cite a passage from a sacred text to urge another to embrace such truths. I think sacred texts can be abused this way.

Sacred texts throughout antiquity are loaded with truths that can help us along our spiritual path. To unlock the full power and meaning of these texts requires that we appreciate first and foremost that, despite divine inspiration, they are of human origin and reflect a people in a given time and place in history profoundly aware and in awe of the relationship GOD held with them. The truths of these sacred texts, though timeless, are best revealed when they are considered within that specific historical context and divine-human relationship.

I also believe that GOD is a living GOD and that GOD's Spirit continues to breathe divine inspiration through an artist's canvas, a songwriter's lyric and an author's pen (computer). These works also reveal truths equally timeless and capable of redeeming or healing a broken world.