We now find ourselves in Holy Week. Half of John's Gospel take place during this week. Mark, Matthew and Luke all have Jesus' theological "direction" centered around this week (Jesus continues on the road to Jerusalem). We start the week with the crowds cheering the new Messiah and end the week watching with the crowds deriding this Messiah upon the cross - if we haven't been among those shouting for his crucifixion. These powerful gospel stories carry me through the week. Some how, they have me routing for Jesus (even though I know the outcome) while also asking me who I would really stand alongside and support (The crowds? the Jewish aristocratic leadership? The Romans? Who?).
While this is a story about a Jewish man from a backwater town on the edge of an
Empire, it is also about us. In that sense, this story is Archetypal (it applies to us, too). What are we willing to die for? What are our priorities and principles and how do they guide us? How do we continue to open ourselves up to the Divine Mystery's call in our lives? Where do still need to let the Ego die within us to more fully open up to life, to living in a non-dualistic way?
Blessed Be,
Joel
Monday, March 30, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Living - Inside or Outside
Friends of ours (a family) were sharing on Sunday about their trip last summer. In sort, they traveled to the East Coast of the United States from the West Coast and back. They shared how the experienced challenged them to live more fully into ideal notions, how the experience(s) now shape how they see the world around themselves, the ways the trip has inspired them, and how the trip spoke to them indivdually and as a family. It was a great presentation, even though it is limited (due to time, etc. They figured they only showed about 3% of their photos, for example).
During a part of their presentation, they shared the physical dimensions of their RV Trailer by using string and they children to give it shape. Then they used some other string to show how much "floor space" they had. It was a great demonstration that the kids (and I think the adults) could quickly grasp. One of the comments has struck with me, however.
During this process, it was commented "This is the amount of space we lived in."
On the way home, I asked our family if they felt that they lived in a small space. The comments were, "Only when it is pouring rain outside", "Sometimes it feels that way," ... But it seemed like we were in agreement that we don't live "inside" so much as "outside" in the world around us. It continued to be a conversation piece for us. By nightfall, we had decided that the space inside our boat is like one room (OK, so the Head might be another, and one could call the V-berth and quarter-berth other rooms, I suppose) in a very large house, a house in which the sky is the roof, and the sea and shore our floor. In fact, we have often felt that the marina environment is much like a hotel or apartment complex. In an apartment, everyone has their apartment (boat) but meets each other in the hallways or common places (docks or entry way).
We have just finished house/cat-sitting for some friends of ours. We all found the comparison between house and boat life interesting. In the house, we seldom ventured outside unless we were to go someplace. The only exception being playing hoops in the driveway. When we were at the house, I would say that we lived "inside." While on the boat, I would say we live more "outside."
The above discussion reminded me of a questioning conversation: do our bodies hold our souls or do our souls hold our bodies? Which is "outside" and which is "inside", and how does that make a difference in what we experience?
Blessed Be in the midst of Lentan pondering.
Joel
During a part of their presentation, they shared the physical dimensions of their RV Trailer by using string and they children to give it shape. Then they used some other string to show how much "floor space" they had. It was a great demonstration that the kids (and I think the adults) could quickly grasp. One of the comments has struck with me, however.
During this process, it was commented "This is the amount of space we lived in."
On the way home, I asked our family if they felt that they lived in a small space. The comments were, "Only when it is pouring rain outside", "Sometimes it feels that way," ... But it seemed like we were in agreement that we don't live "inside" so much as "outside" in the world around us. It continued to be a conversation piece for us. By nightfall, we had decided that the space inside our boat is like one room (OK, so the Head might be another, and one could call the V-berth and quarter-berth other rooms, I suppose) in a very large house, a house in which the sky is the roof, and the sea and shore our floor. In fact, we have often felt that the marina environment is much like a hotel or apartment complex. In an apartment, everyone has their apartment (boat) but meets each other in the hallways or common places (docks or entry way).
We have just finished house/cat-sitting for some friends of ours. We all found the comparison between house and boat life interesting. In the house, we seldom ventured outside unless we were to go someplace. The only exception being playing hoops in the driveway. When we were at the house, I would say that we lived "inside." While on the boat, I would say we live more "outside."
The above discussion reminded me of a questioning conversation: do our bodies hold our souls or do our souls hold our bodies? Which is "outside" and which is "inside", and how does that make a difference in what we experience?
Blessed Be in the midst of Lentan pondering.
Joel
Monday, March 16, 2015
Birthright - Being Who We Are Created To Be
Below is a video that I found very moving. Listen to how our kayaker (Michael?) speaks of his need and experience being out on the water. What activities engage your truest self? How do you find them to be a form of prayer? What keeps you from engaging in more of this type of active prayer?
Blessed Be
Joel
My thanks to Off Center Harbor for bring this video to the attention of it's members.
Blessed Be
Joel
My thanks to Off Center Harbor for bring this video to the attention of it's members.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Awe and Wonder
And what is the Greatest Commandment, but to Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your strength, and all of your mind (See Luke 10:27ff).
How do we tend to teach in the West? What is our "bias" in where we start our intellectual probing? Do we start with a sense of wonder and awe, or do we start with skepticism and doubt?
Take a few moments to ponder this.
In some of my lentan reading I came across an author who suggested that modern western culture starts with skepticism and doubt in its philosophical understanding of proper education. Of course, the author was suggesting that we should be starting with wonder and awe.
I've been pondering this over the last couple of weeks myself. I'm not sure I have an answer yet. I agree in that having a sense of wonder and awe should be where we start our educational process. I agree that in my own life, it has been those times when I have, or am full of, wonder and awe that I learn a lot. It is what drives me deeper into a subject matter. It is what makes what others might call a dull subject matter so interesting to me. I even agree that one can learn a lot from someone else's passionate awe and wonder about a certain subject matter. But I'm not sure if I agree with this author on where the Western culture's philosophical starting point is.
As part of my pondering I share the following:
A first grade boy I know has become fascinated with all things huge and large and big, especially Mountains! As a result, he is reading maps (to find where mountains are, "Did you know that Mountain Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania?"), learning big numbers and facts ("Joel, did you know Mount Baker is 10,778 feet tall?") and causing me to learn what other peaks are in the area ("Do you know what mountain that one over there is called?"). It is his wonder and awe that is causing him to delve deeper into these subject matters.
"Wonder is an act in which the mind confronts the universe." Rabbi Heschel
Revelation comes in two volumes: one written in nature, and one in the Bible - Aquinas, Eckhart, Hildegard and others.
May your Lent be filled with Awe and Wonderment - with Revelation - with Love and Compassion.
Blessed Be,
Joel
How do we tend to teach in the West? What is our "bias" in where we start our intellectual probing? Do we start with a sense of wonder and awe, or do we start with skepticism and doubt?
Take a few moments to ponder this.
In some of my lentan reading I came across an author who suggested that modern western culture starts with skepticism and doubt in its philosophical understanding of proper education. Of course, the author was suggesting that we should be starting with wonder and awe.
I've been pondering this over the last couple of weeks myself. I'm not sure I have an answer yet. I agree in that having a sense of wonder and awe should be where we start our educational process. I agree that in my own life, it has been those times when I have, or am full of, wonder and awe that I learn a lot. It is what drives me deeper into a subject matter. It is what makes what others might call a dull subject matter so interesting to me. I even agree that one can learn a lot from someone else's passionate awe and wonder about a certain subject matter. But I'm not sure if I agree with this author on where the Western culture's philosophical starting point is.
As part of my pondering I share the following:
A first grade boy I know has become fascinated with all things huge and large and big, especially Mountains! As a result, he is reading maps (to find where mountains are, "Did you know that Mountain Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania?"), learning big numbers and facts ("Joel, did you know Mount Baker is 10,778 feet tall?") and causing me to learn what other peaks are in the area ("Do you know what mountain that one over there is called?"). It is his wonder and awe that is causing him to delve deeper into these subject matters.
"Wonder is an act in which the mind confronts the universe." Rabbi Heschel
Revelation comes in two volumes: one written in nature, and one in the Bible - Aquinas, Eckhart, Hildegard and others.
May your Lent be filled with Awe and Wonderment - with Revelation - with Love and Compassion.
Blessed Be,
Joel
Monday, March 2, 2015
An Example of Metanoia
Lent is a time - a season - for metanoia, for changing our minds, conversion, turning around, repentance. How are we open to changing? How are we open to living more just and compassionate lives? In the process, how do we invite others to participate?
In many ways, that is what this post is about - how we invite others?
In finishing up some reading this week, I was reading in E. F. Schumacher's book Small is Beautiful about private versus nationalized corporations. Recall that he is writing prior to 1973 (when the work was published). He notes that one of the issues called forth by those proponents of private corporations is the lack of public accountability for the nationalized corporations. Schmacher finds this absurd, as the nationalized corporations have systems in place to handle and encourage public responses. Rather, Schmacher notes, the private corporations lack any kind of public accountability (see his chapter on "Ownership," esp. pg. 285).
About the same time I received an email from Avaaz saying that public pressure (through a campaign they ran) was able to change the mind of the Benetton Corporation. Benetton was the only corporation who had yet to pay any restitution for the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh. Here is how Avaaz went about changing Benetton's mind, maybe it is better to say, here is how Avaaz presented Benetton with an opportunity to change their mind, to experience metanoia:
Isn't that what justice and compassion are all about? Seeing the "other" has a potential partner?
How are you called to partner with "the least of these" this Lent?
Blessed Be,
Joel
In many ways, that is what this post is about - how we invite others?
In finishing up some reading this week, I was reading in E. F. Schumacher's book Small is Beautiful about private versus nationalized corporations. Recall that he is writing prior to 1973 (when the work was published). He notes that one of the issues called forth by those proponents of private corporations is the lack of public accountability for the nationalized corporations. Schmacher finds this absurd, as the nationalized corporations have systems in place to handle and encourage public responses. Rather, Schmacher notes, the private corporations lack any kind of public accountability (see his chapter on "Ownership," esp. pg. 285).
About the same time I received an email from Avaaz saying that public pressure (through a campaign they ran) was able to change the mind of the Benetton Corporation. Benetton was the only corporation who had yet to pay any restitution for the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh. Here is how Avaaz went about changing Benetton's mind, maybe it is better to say, here is how Avaaz presented Benetton with an opportunity to change their mind, to experience metanoia:
Benetton’s announcement spread across media all over the world -- check out just some of the coverage in the BBC, Reuters and The Guardian -- but the story of how our incredible community got there is even more inspiring.Notice what I've italicized? "Not as an enemy, but as a potential partner."
In just 2 weeks we went from launch to victory — here’s how:
Our community can be incredibly proud of this amazing result. Groups have been calling for Benetton to pay for over a year, and with the power of the Avaaz community’s passion, solidarity and strategic action, we did it! (email from 25 Feb 2015, italics mine)
- More than a million of us signed a mega-petition asking Benetton to pay up.
- Avaaz members around the world flooded Benetton’s Facebook and Twitter accounts with thousands of comments.
- We hit Benetton at home, driving a mobile billboard around their Italian HQ for days.
- We developed a high-level lobbying strategy to make the case for contribution both directly and working with important influencers.
- And crucially -- recognising that for decades, Benetton has publicly advocated for justice and fairness -- the Avaaz team engaged with them in direct, constructive communications, not as an enemy, but as a potential partner.
Isn't that what justice and compassion are all about? Seeing the "other" has a potential partner?
How are you called to partner with "the least of these" this Lent?
Blessed Be,
Joel
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