Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Phil. ii.3. (quoted in Lincoln's Devotional, page 72).
When we think of Lincoln is not this what we most envision and appreciate about him--a man who esteemed others better than himself. How alien to current thought and practice this is, with our emphasis on rampant self-assertiveness approaching at times self-worship. No wonder strife and vain glory abound. Today I will consider a radical idea (written some 2,000 years ago) that I should consider others better than myself.
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What was the best idea or invention you ever came up with? How did it turn out? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1557).
In the class I recently took I learned of a teacher that required her students to do failure resumes. Sharply contrasting with the typical resumes full of hype, this one had students confess to their greatest failures in resume format. Today's question makes me wonder if a more interesting question might be what was the worst idea or invention you ever came up with? One that comes to mind is when I was a kid I planted some beans and sat on the steps waiting for them to sprout. A common theme in my worst ideas is a lack of patience. The opposite is true of my best ideas. In the late 80's and early 90's I began developing a relative database complete with menus and a multitude of reports. I continued to improve and develop the program for 10 years--each year the data becoming more complete and interesting. The database tracked the activity and revenues/expenses of events at a venue that included an arena, theater, and meeting rooms. One year I received an employee of the year award for the work. This gave me confidence in computer programming, the practical application of algebra and Boolean logic. Just as importantly, it taught me the gratification that accompanies meeting the needs of others. It taught me the critical importance of listening carefully to customers.
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Sometimes we vacillate between indulgence and grand sacrifice when all God really wants is obedience. (from The President's Devotions by Joshua Dubois, July 28th).
I have a friend in prison that I turn to on occasion for a topic to discuss on my blog. Yesterday he suggested that I write on sacrifice. This is a hard one to write about since sacrifice always implies some level of pain. At the same time it carries the meaning that you give up something when you don't want to. This raises the curious question, if you decide to give up something because you do want to (say you find what you see as a more meaningful avenue for your efforts) is it still sacrifice even though the pain is supplanted by a larger, more generous, and even pleasurable purpose?
It is impossible for me to think along these lines without thinking of my hard working and energetic mother. She worked like a Trojan caring for our family. I honestly think she did not regret one minute not having time to be a woman of leisure for she obtained considerable meaning and self-worth from her caring chores. There will be skeptics who will laugh at my conclusion, but there will be many others (thinking of their own moms) who will agree that such is not only possible but is often the fact. In short, sacrifice need not always imply pain on the one hand or a perverted masochism on the other. It is quite possible to sacrifice with the beauty and peace of a sunflower standing tall.
When Jesus tells us to serve the "least of these," he is not saying to us, "Punish yourself," but rather "Reward yourself!" When you reach out to others as Jesus did, you will discover and important new reason for your existence. (Through the Year with Jimmy Carter, page 212).
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What was one of the biggest misunderstandings about Christianity you had to overcome before you could believe? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1555).
Sometimes there is a disconnect between words and deeds. Also there can be disconnects between beliefs and words and deeds. If someone says they believe the airplane is safe but refuses to fly in it out of fear, we can conclude the undergirding belief is wanting--is less than totally absolute. Christians as a general rule say that they are striving for perfection but have not achieved it. Therefore, if one observes an assertion of belief from a Christian and yet finds contradictory behavior, it need not be a failure of belief but a lack of perfection. That is, all Christians who admit imperfection and show patches of unchristian behavior are not necessarily hypocritical so much as human--their reach exceeds their grasp. In this sense the belief of all Christians is merely wanting in perfection which in turn allows for learning--for we learn from mistakes and press on towards the goal before us.
However, a much more important matter may be at issue. Perceptual difficulties are increased in matters of ethical complexity. An obvious example is telling the truth--something all Christians strive to do. But with very little effort we can think of a zillion cases when truth telling would be harmful rather than helpful. In these cases one substratum of Christianity is trumped by deeper substrata--giving the appearance of hypocrisy or flagging belief when in fact neither is true.
Therefore, one should be skeptical of cynical conclusions regarding the solidity of belief. For what seems most hypocritical may be most affirmative of core beliefs.
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E Pluribus Unum ["Out of many, one"] included in the Great Seal of the United States, being one of the nation's mottos at the time of the seal's creation. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_pluribus_unum).
Humanity has yearned for unity. When you think of it, heaven itself is seen as a place of unity, concord, and harmony. In fact another name for the God of holy love could be the Great Unifier. Even so, an ingrained search for unity will find a littered trail of psychoses. The great unifier for Hitler was the abject unworthiness of the Jews. This conviction served to give his life meaning and purpose and gave him a unified view of the world. Of course, in the world of natural science we are always searching for theories that will unify apparent declensions. Sometimes I envision the image of a politician looming on TV one night and promising to unify America--"Tomorrow you will all wear the same uniform." Every American I know would run the other way. This is because in America we believe "out of MANY, ONE." That is, we appreciate the paradox that in humanity lasting unity is born of diversity marinated in Christian love (of whatever format). That is, we celebrate diversity as long as one person's diversity does not encroach upon (hurt) another.
Let us look for a moment at several possible illegitimate unifiers. Blatant materialism in which the rights of others are ignored is by definition a false god or idol. Now we mustn't oversimplify rewards however (with all extrinsic rewards on one side and all intrinsic on the other). For example, it is certainly true that my house is real estate. However it is NOT JUST real estate. It is also my home that helps unify my life. I have lived in it for some 33 years and it is filled with memories and memorabilia--it is part of my roots in my beloved community. So while my house is extrinsic, my home carries tons of intrinsic value. Likewise the pursuit of power can be a false god of extrinsic value alone. However, some baseline of power (as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights) is essential for human happiness and constitutes intrinsic requisite rights.
I would beseech my friends everywhere to understand that America incorporates the "out of many, one" paradox and thus is highly congenial to the core needs of human nature.
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Do you "honor the word of the Lord"...? Why or why not? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1554).
I honor the word of the Lord for I was taught to by my parents and teachers. I honor the word of the Lord for happy people I knew in community honored it. I honor the word of the Lord for people such as MLK honored it. I honor the word of the Lord for I realize the awful cost paid by many throughout history so that I may have it today.
But in a sense all these reasons are secondary to the fact that I find it encouraging, helpful, and true (that is effective) on a daily personal basis. Its authority is inherent in its practicality within the pursuit of true happiness, meaning and value, and everlasting life.
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Are there some people who would just assume that [you are] not for them? Are there some forms or practices you could change to remove those barriers? How do you feel about making those changes? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1549; question in text reads "...would just assume that your church is not for them?)".
As there is some mystery why two dogs just don't get along and the fur rises on their backs when they get around each other, humans also can encounter personality conflicts and incompatibilities that are in some ways mysterious. There are some people who just don't like me very much and assume we're in some sense incompatible--I'm just not for them--just not someone they would choose as a friend. What can or should I do to alleviate this (assuming anything can be done about it)?
First off, I would not want them to be dishonest with me by hairspraying their fur down before we encounter one another. As uncomfortable for both of us as incompatibility can be, we should not in my opinion be phony to one another.
What I would ask of them is the same thing I would ask of myself. Ponder (NOT worry) over the matter and take it to the Lord in prayer asking for greater understanding for both of us. Perhaps ultimately we vaguely fear each other on some undefinable and profound level beyond cogent articulation. If both our prayers be to love one another even when we fear one another, we have the Biblical assurance that love drives out fear--at which point there will be no need for hairspray.
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Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives. (Oprah Winfrey; Quoted in A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink).
Saving money has a great sound to it...suggesting thrift, frugality, responsibility, competence, and a promise of increasing wealth. As I say, such is the SOUND of it. In ACTUALITY I have seen business entities and individuals rob workers of their just and fair pay all in the name of an intoned allegiance to puritan thrift. These people are not puritan and they are not righteous, they are thieves. And all too frequently, the galling thing about it is that such cupidity is intoned by the head of, for example, a hospital management conglomerate with a personal salary of millions while those workers in his organization tending bed pans live in grueling poverty. Providing effective health care is very much a democratic endeavor and it is sourced in many essential tasks though pay frequently does not reflect this simple fact.
So often we overlook the worth and significance of those who are not in professional jobs, or those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity, and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth ... For the person who picks up our garbage, in the final analysis, is as significant as the physician. All labor has worth. (Martin Luther King in his speech "All Labor Has Dignity"; quoted in Today in the Word - Moody Bible Institute - July 2014, page 29).
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If God gave you a vision or sent an angel to you with a message, what do you think the Spirit would tell you to do? Would you have any hesitation to obey? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1548).
The Lord has given me the principal assignment to further in whatever way I can the disciplines of love as the key to human happiness. This has daily implications for me in terms of ideation and practice. I have come to understand that much in life is beyond my direct control--of course, rightly so. God does not ask for assured results so much as faithful service. It is God's role to bring all the pieces together in the fullness of time. It is my role to seek integrity of purpose and action as opportunities present themselves on a daily basis--"give us this day our daily bread...."
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What dream (or nightmare) has inspired (or haunted) you? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, p. 1547).
In English, this motto is most commonly Be Prepared. In the third part of Scouting for Boys Robert Baden-Powell explains the meaning of the phrase:
The Scout Motto is: BE PREPARED which means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY.
- Be Prepared in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it.
I have recurring nightmares of the following types (specifics will vary): for example, I may dream I have an assignment due in 1 day requiring extensive research and there is no way I can make it--I have known of the assignment for months; I am taking a critical test and turn to the final section and find it so extensive I am impossibly short of time to complete it; I am on an isolated road in a remote area and have a flat tire and there are snakes slithering about; I have a presentation to make in 10 minutes and have found I have left my prepared speech at home.
These nightmares have a nexus of dark characteristics: 1) I am not prepared and/or 2) there is insufficient time to right the situation and 3) and/or I am beyond help or no help is available. These afflictions all rain down on critical, highly significant and important matters. Also, I always tend to be at fault in some discernible way. If I had been a good scout and thought things out beforehand and had been prepared, none of the disasters would have occurred. I am judged and found wanting. So guilt entirely saturates my sleeping mood. I awake and after a few moments of increasing consciousness am highly relieved to find the experience a dream and to sense the guilt quickly evaporating. But as a residue I have received a memorable lesson and warning--like a good scout Be Prepared.
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My Creative Process class included an assignment to create something during 35 consecutive days. It was called the Mudball Project. Today concludes that endeavor. Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project was to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you found them interesting.
The Mysterious Joys of Living Waters
When I think of wells of living waters
I see either the artesian well my father
Would show us off the roadside near our small hometown...
Near the flowing well little black and white speckled minnows
Swam within clear, cool pungent waters;
The other image I see is the hand pump
Uncle Calhoun had on his farm outside Jacksonville
As a kid it was a mystery to me how water moved
In rivers below ground;
Last week I had a hand pump installed in my yard
The mysterious joys of living waters remain.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during the next day (35 days in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Mandela Dignity
Being stiff-necked has nothing to do with dignity
I think of Nelson Mandela imprisoned at the hands of racists
I see him even then assured of his own self-worth
Yet still a friend to his enemies:
Dignity is no selfish construct
But is sourced in mutual identity.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 2 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Source of Encouragement
The US Constitution did not found equality
It merely recognized the reality of it
We are not to be encouraged principally by what's on paper
But what lies established within the human heart.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 3 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Unity as the Triumphal End
"Feeling and longing are the motive forces
Behind all human endeavor and human creations"
That's what Albert Einstein said--
We all certainly long for a sense of triumph
May we pray to be guided to where true unity lies.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 4 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Serenity Sources
Like searching for the end of a rainbow
I searched far and wide for serenity
And found it sunlit within a gathering of trees
The embodied essence of sincerity.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 5 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
On Isolation
The selfish one gains all outward things
At the expense of the selfless soul
Thus the hedonic treadmill is a curse
Isolating the isolated.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 6 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
On Empowerment
Extrinsic empowerment is irrelevant to love
That looks not at outward things
But evaluates the rag and bone shop of the heart
Whereupon finding intrinsic integrity sound
Is satisfied and content of soul.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 7 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
The Gist of Pride
Pride is one thing if you must swallow it
Chasing it down by eating crow;
I once met a big head blowing puffery
Later a small head quietly sharing their garden tomatoes.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 8 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Diversity aka Uniformity
I went to the university to learn about diversity
And there learned of deep-seated uniformity;
I went to church clothed in uniformity
And there learned of God's charged diversity.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 9 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
The Smile that Comes
Nothing is quite so satisfying
As the smile that comes
With having won.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 10 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
The Darndest Thing
A wrinkle or crease is so simple
All accidents seem a cinch
The only trouble is...the darndest thing
We must live with them.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 11 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Please Be Kind
There is a time that comes
When all is said and done
When we long for others to be kind to us
When our artifacts must stand alone.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 12 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Kick Against the Goads
In youth childhood joy can be lost
For as youth we kick against the goads
And sense a treacherous helping hand
Viewing it as lethal to independence;
Then our once suckling lips protrude in pouts--
Forming an internal puzzle of the Milky Way...
As to why this impasse lasts and lasts.
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My Creative Process class includes an assignment to create something during each of the next 13 days (35 in all). Many years have past since I wrote poems on a regular basis--I was in my 20's when I did so (I'm now 70). My project will be to write a short poem each day and post it on this blog. I hope you will find them interesting.
Left Out
I have struggled underwater
With time ringing in my ears
With urgency felt in each moment
With exploding chest
And fears of being left out.
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