I worry about the Pope; I think he faces fierce opposition ahead because he is talking about the need for societal change. It is one thing to talk about personal sin because one can excuse the self by pointing to someone who is worse; but when it is suggested that a 'way of being' with which the majority is comfortable, is in need of change, there is an outcry and a banding together to protect against a perceived threat.
I believe generally in the goodness of people but too frequently we are limited by vision which takes in only the narrow bit of reality we occupy. The truly 'Great Men' see beyond that limited vision to concern for the greater good that transcends selfishness. They carry us forward to reach beyond our base human nature and lead us to discover our better selves. But such men are opposed, often violently so--the Lincolns, the Gandhis, the Mandellas . . .
I believe Pope Francis to be such a one; and that is why I worry about him. In his latest encyclical he addresses the challenges of today's world; a call to truly look at the enormous gap between the 'haves and the have nots', the glaring imbalance of opportunity for education, health care, and even daily survival needs. He points to an economic structure that stacks the deck for those who are privileged with unearned favors and excludes those who are not.
These are the issues that cry for our attention; unless we address them our world is not sustainable, but they promise great hardship for those who make us face them. So, while I pray for his safety, I worry about the Pope.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Goodness Shines
I teared up upon learning that Pope Francis has been named 'Person of the Year' by Time Magazine. Each year they choose from news coverage who had the greatest effect, thereby naming him the 'most influential'. In the choice the quality of the influence is not an issue, just the quantity--yet this year goodness tipped the balance.
Along with other leaders, the Pope's competition also included: the current most evil dictator who has poisoned his own people and destroys his country in order to hold on to his power, the most embarrassingly outrageous exhibitionistic stage performer, the most narcissistic self-appointed 'fixer' who leaked national secrets, and an arrogant freshman congressman who took it upon himself to shut down the government. All of those did indeed exert influence upon 2013 and history will remember them in one way or another, but Time's choice helps me keep faith in the hope that humanity may yet save itself from itself. The world fell in love with this man who stepped forward to accept the mantel of power bestowed upon him with humility and simplicity, eschewing the lavish display of 'superiority' expected of his high position. He described himself as 'a sinner' and asks the people to pray for him. In his first public statements he chose to speak of showing mercy, of not judging the heart of others, and of following the call of Jesus to reach out to the poor and hurting. People and reporters can't get enough of him because he exemplifies the high state of true human dignity to which we are all called but few ever reach. The unprecedented response he received and keeps receiving from people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds makes him the most influential.
The choice of Pope Francis as 'Man of the Year' stands apart from accolades shown another man of goodness and dignity who also has won the hearts of millions, Nelson Mandela. At his death this week there was an outpouring of love and honor given him by nations round the globe from citizens of the lowest rung on the social ladder to the highest dignitaries of state.
The connection I see between these two events is that regardless of the sound and fury of the famous, the outlandish, or the politically powerful, in the final analysis it is those from whom goodness shines who win the hearts of people in the long run. And that gives hope to look beyond the greed, violence, corruption and cynicism so prevalent and know that people still put the highest value on goodness.
Along with other leaders, the Pope's competition also included: the current most evil dictator who has poisoned his own people and destroys his country in order to hold on to his power, the most embarrassingly outrageous exhibitionistic stage performer, the most narcissistic self-appointed 'fixer' who leaked national secrets, and an arrogant freshman congressman who took it upon himself to shut down the government. All of those did indeed exert influence upon 2013 and history will remember them in one way or another, but Time's choice helps me keep faith in the hope that humanity may yet save itself from itself. The world fell in love with this man who stepped forward to accept the mantel of power bestowed upon him with humility and simplicity, eschewing the lavish display of 'superiority' expected of his high position. He described himself as 'a sinner' and asks the people to pray for him. In his first public statements he chose to speak of showing mercy, of not judging the heart of others, and of following the call of Jesus to reach out to the poor and hurting. People and reporters can't get enough of him because he exemplifies the high state of true human dignity to which we are all called but few ever reach. The unprecedented response he received and keeps receiving from people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds makes him the most influential.
The choice of Pope Francis as 'Man of the Year' stands apart from accolades shown another man of goodness and dignity who also has won the hearts of millions, Nelson Mandela. At his death this week there was an outpouring of love and honor given him by nations round the globe from citizens of the lowest rung on the social ladder to the highest dignitaries of state.
The connection I see between these two events is that regardless of the sound and fury of the famous, the outlandish, or the politically powerful, in the final analysis it is those from whom goodness shines who win the hearts of people in the long run. And that gives hope to look beyond the greed, violence, corruption and cynicism so prevalent and know that people still put the highest value on goodness.
Monday, November 18, 2013
More about Where's Momma?
It's a week later and I'm still thinking about kids and parenting. That picture of the little boy hugging the Pope's legs and the Pope gently resting his hand on the child's head has stayed with me--it is beautiful.
Looking back, my post seems stern . . . I do love the tenderness it captures and I expect it to be among the 'pictures of the year' . . . but as the situation occurred, it awoke the 'parent' and the 'Child Development teacher' in me. I want to expand the point I alluded to regarding parental authority--my 'serious thought' for today.
A child is seeing a new world. He or she does not know how it works or what the dangers are, parents are there to provide the security while the child learns to operate within the existing reality. The greatest security a child can have is confidence in the parent's ability to navigate the turmoil of the 'big wild world'; the child's confidence rests in the parent's firm authority . . . they won't always like it, they will challenge it over and over, they will at times vehemently oppose it . . . but if that authority is fair, firm and not dependent upon their (the child's) reaction, it demonstrates to that child, "the person I rely upon is in control, they know what they are doing and I can count on that when I feel threatened." Besides firmness, the other necessary element that allows the child to have faith in that authority and thus provide the security is, of course, love. If the child feels the love--an unconditional love--the result will be respect. Within the circle of: love + reasoned authority = respect + security, the child's free spirit blossoms.
That is my 'teacher' thought; my 'parent' thought follows:
Figure/Ground
I was the central figure
in my life as I lived it --
My hopes and dreams, fears and disappointments
took center stage of all my concerns.
Family and friends, world events and God
were the background against which my life played.
How--when the importance of figure was so central --
could I imagine being satisfied as ground?
It didn't occur to me to consider
God's willingness to be ground in our lives
even when told of 'The Ground of Our Being';
How could I know?
How could I know?
God showed me a pattern I couldn't see.
And life proceeded from my 'figure' position
of yearning for inclusion
and yearning for distinctiveness . . .
But yearning to become ground was not something I sought.
Then I became parent
A tiny new being evolving to personhood,
and I the ground to support the unfolding!
How could I know?
How could I know?
How could I imagine being satisfied as ground
Till I became ground for one more important than me?
Looking back, my post seems stern . . . I do love the tenderness it captures and I expect it to be among the 'pictures of the year' . . . but as the situation occurred, it awoke the 'parent' and the 'Child Development teacher' in me. I want to expand the point I alluded to regarding parental authority--my 'serious thought' for today.
A child is seeing a new world. He or she does not know how it works or what the dangers are, parents are there to provide the security while the child learns to operate within the existing reality. The greatest security a child can have is confidence in the parent's ability to navigate the turmoil of the 'big wild world'; the child's confidence rests in the parent's firm authority . . . they won't always like it, they will challenge it over and over, they will at times vehemently oppose it . . . but if that authority is fair, firm and not dependent upon their (the child's) reaction, it demonstrates to that child, "the person I rely upon is in control, they know what they are doing and I can count on that when I feel threatened." Besides firmness, the other necessary element that allows the child to have faith in that authority and thus provide the security is, of course, love. If the child feels the love--an unconditional love--the result will be respect. Within the circle of: love + reasoned authority = respect + security, the child's free spirit blossoms.
That is my 'teacher' thought; my 'parent' thought follows:
Figure/Ground
I was the central figure
in my life as I lived it --
My hopes and dreams, fears and disappointments
took center stage of all my concerns.
Family and friends, world events and God
were the background against which my life played.
How--when the importance of figure was so central --
could I imagine being satisfied as ground?
It didn't occur to me to consider
God's willingness to be ground in our lives
even when told of 'The Ground of Our Being';
How could I know?
How could I know?
God showed me a pattern I couldn't see.
And life proceeded from my 'figure' position
of yearning for inclusion
and yearning for distinctiveness . . .
But yearning to become ground was not something I sought.
Then I became parent
A tiny new being evolving to personhood,
and I the ground to support the unfolding!
How could I know?
How could I know?
How could I imagine being satisfied as ground
Till I became ground for one more important than me?
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Where's Momma?
There was something in this past week's news that I found troubling . . . over and over we saw the clip of the little boy who walked up onto the stage while the Pope was making a formal address to a large audience. The repeated rebroadcast by the networks said 'Oh, isn't this cute!' Well true, it is a cute image for the cameras, but it raises questions for me: Where was the mother or caregiver? How did he get that far on his own? Why was the child allowed to dictate that situation and no parent intervene? Where was adult judgement to draw the line between appropriate and inappropriate behavior? Yes, Jesus said, "let the little children come unto me"--and if the Pope were seated at an informal gathering and a child ran up and hugged him, that indeed would be heartwarming and a reflection of the Bible text . . . but in this case: a formal address to a large audience with microphones and TV cameras and this child roaming unrestrained was inappropriate and the parents are culpable. Imagine every parent there with a child below the age of 6 allowing their 'little darling' to freely run onstage and do nothing to discourage him/her, the result would be total disruption of the proceedings.
This incident provided a flashback to the idea that emerged somewhere about 40 years ago that suggested we let our children 'raise themselves', do nothing to control their 'free spirit'--just protect them from harm. Perhaps in a small primitive village that would be OK, but it does not fit in a complex pluralistic society striving to gain a balance that maintains order yet allows for individual freedom. We are not born knowing this, we learn how to be free without infringing on the freedom of others slowly. It is the parental job to teach how that can work. Behavior that may be appropriate in one situation is out-of-order in another. Children don't know that, that is why parents are charged with governing them for some 18 or so years. Animal young live under care only briefly because their lives are guided by instincts--human young require adult guidance for survival and they must gradually learn how to live in society and what it means to become 'civilized' (evidence of moral and intellectual advancement). Unfortunately the popularity of that concept of unrestrained childhood is showing up in the erosion of respect and self-restraint that plagues our modern world.
Yes, the image of a little kid hugging the Pope may be cute, but parents, please you need to teach your little ones behavior that is right for one situation may not be so for another--that's your job!
This incident provided a flashback to the idea that emerged somewhere about 40 years ago that suggested we let our children 'raise themselves', do nothing to control their 'free spirit'--just protect them from harm. Perhaps in a small primitive village that would be OK, but it does not fit in a complex pluralistic society striving to gain a balance that maintains order yet allows for individual freedom. We are not born knowing this, we learn how to be free without infringing on the freedom of others slowly. It is the parental job to teach how that can work. Behavior that may be appropriate in one situation is out-of-order in another. Children don't know that, that is why parents are charged with governing them for some 18 or so years. Animal young live under care only briefly because their lives are guided by instincts--human young require adult guidance for survival and they must gradually learn how to live in society and what it means to become 'civilized' (evidence of moral and intellectual advancement). Unfortunately the popularity of that concept of unrestrained childhood is showing up in the erosion of respect and self-restraint that plagues our modern world.
Yes, the image of a little kid hugging the Pope may be cute, but parents, please you need to teach your little ones behavior that is right for one situation may not be so for another--that's your job!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Judgement & Critical Thinking
Judgement is essential to human existence but we are not educated to develop judgement, rather we are programmed to learn facts. This seems to be a time of disfavor toward 'judgement', especially among young people we hear "you shouldn't judge", "don't judge me", etc. because judgement has been equated with condemnation but that is limiting it to the negative end of the spectrum; at the positive end we employ it to choose the desirable, and use it to evaluate the various merits and flaws in a conflict situation. Judgement is uniquely human and fundamental to choice making; education should focus on its development. When we relinquish our ability to render judgement and rely solely upon laws, rules and procedures it can lead to absurdity in situations that don't fit the norm -- A gathering I attended this week highlighted this point.
A soft-spoken Senior Citizen who walks with difficulty entered the discussion by apologizing for her state of mind because she was still upset and angry over nearly being arrested the day before; several people who knew her reacted with shock and disbelief, she went on to describe the incident: She has given up her driver's license so now relays on public transportation. She attends art classes at a Senior Center within a 10 minute drive from her home. There is a town supported transportation service for Sr. Citizens/Handicapped for which you must call to reserve seating. She and a friend planned to use the service to attend the art class, the friend had called in the reservation for 2, but another obligation caused her friend to cancel. When the person telling of the incident boarded the bus, took a seat, and gave her name as required, she was told her name was not on the roster so she must leave; the driver stated, "only those registered can ride". She refused to leave her seat, explaining that her friend had made a reservation for both of them but only the friend had canceled. The bus driver recognized the woman from previous rides but explained she had been reprimanded for giving a ride to someone not registered, so she had to uphold the rule. There were only two other passengers aboard and they were commenting…there was plenty of room and it was only a few short miles to the Center…It grew a bit heated at the driver's refusal to allow her to ride. The teller of the tale did not want to miss her class, she stayed in her seat, the bus went nowhere, a supervisor was called! When the supervisor appeared she ordered the woman off the bus, telling her to call in as she was supposed to do and take the next bus that would be by within the hour. Protesting that the suggestion was unreasonable and would cause her to miss her class, the supervisor threatened to call the police and have her arrested. Still she sat; the supervisor took out her cell, dialed, asking for an officer to come there to resolve an 'incident'. Our story teller said she then exited the bus because she reasoned that an art class was not worth going to jail for! --As she told the story she was visibly shaken and the entire group was incensed by the injustice.
In this complex world we occupy it is increasingly important to know how to assess situations and use reasoned judgement. The term 'critical thinking' emerged in the mid-late 20th Century as an approach to problem solving based upon 2500 years of development from the Socratic method. Most educators are aware of it but it is not widely used in our schools. Wikipedia refers to 'critical thinking' as: "a process that leads to skills that can be learned, mastered and used." There is a need for education to focus upon developing judgement in our students as it is not possible to write rules and procedures for every situation; we will always encounter the need for 'common sense' (=good judgement) so it seems only reasonable to work at enhancing it.
A soft-spoken Senior Citizen who walks with difficulty entered the discussion by apologizing for her state of mind because she was still upset and angry over nearly being arrested the day before; several people who knew her reacted with shock and disbelief, she went on to describe the incident: She has given up her driver's license so now relays on public transportation. She attends art classes at a Senior Center within a 10 minute drive from her home. There is a town supported transportation service for Sr. Citizens/Handicapped for which you must call to reserve seating. She and a friend planned to use the service to attend the art class, the friend had called in the reservation for 2, but another obligation caused her friend to cancel. When the person telling of the incident boarded the bus, took a seat, and gave her name as required, she was told her name was not on the roster so she must leave; the driver stated, "only those registered can ride". She refused to leave her seat, explaining that her friend had made a reservation for both of them but only the friend had canceled. The bus driver recognized the woman from previous rides but explained she had been reprimanded for giving a ride to someone not registered, so she had to uphold the rule. There were only two other passengers aboard and they were commenting…there was plenty of room and it was only a few short miles to the Center…It grew a bit heated at the driver's refusal to allow her to ride. The teller of the tale did not want to miss her class, she stayed in her seat, the bus went nowhere, a supervisor was called! When the supervisor appeared she ordered the woman off the bus, telling her to call in as she was supposed to do and take the next bus that would be by within the hour. Protesting that the suggestion was unreasonable and would cause her to miss her class, the supervisor threatened to call the police and have her arrested. Still she sat; the supervisor took out her cell, dialed, asking for an officer to come there to resolve an 'incident'. Our story teller said she then exited the bus because she reasoned that an art class was not worth going to jail for! --As she told the story she was visibly shaken and the entire group was incensed by the injustice.
In this complex world we occupy it is increasingly important to know how to assess situations and use reasoned judgement. The term 'critical thinking' emerged in the mid-late 20th Century as an approach to problem solving based upon 2500 years of development from the Socratic method. Most educators are aware of it but it is not widely used in our schools. Wikipedia refers to 'critical thinking' as: "a process that leads to skills that can be learned, mastered and used." There is a need for education to focus upon developing judgement in our students as it is not possible to write rules and procedures for every situation; we will always encounter the need for 'common sense' (=good judgement) so it seems only reasonable to work at enhancing it.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Potential
In creating a new nation, our forefathers foresaw government at its best--while today we must watch government at its worst: legislators blind to the long range effects of bad choices made from intransigent positions and personal self-interest . . .
We wait and hope that ultimately their better natures triumph.
I recall a poem I wrote at another time for other reasons:
Potential
I believe in human potential--
man can be more than he is
if armed with the will to become.
I see the inherent dangers--
power can either create or destroy
so knowledge of it awakens fear.
I know of quantitative quality--
that which can be expressed positively
can likewise be expressed negatively.
I look to civilization's development
- the taming of fire
- the mastery of communication
- the understanding of order
- the creation of beauty
- the invention of systems
- the development of industry
- the perfection of technology
laced with wars, tyranny, slavery, holocaust, bigotry,
treason, genocide . . .
This is my heritage, my lineage, my ancestry;
It all came before me and is mine because I am!
This awareness engenders painful ambivalence;
majesty and pride joust with horror and shame.
All this is because of human potential
our being has changed the face of the earth.
Man has traveled to the moon
and he has created Auschwitz and Dachau.
Are we gods or demons?
The more we refine our being
the more aware we become of its flaws.
Ignorance once hid from us our vast potential;
yet once glimpsed, that image holds the mind in bondage.
Reality forces us to live with the less that is
while desperately longing for the more that can be.
Now, together, we are called to create a better world--
the negatives are painfully real
but somehow, somewhere, progress happens.
Truth demands we acknowledge our potential's full range
without abnegating the responsibility;
--each person's choices helps shape the future.
We wait and hope that ultimately their better natures triumph.
I recall a poem I wrote at another time for other reasons:
Potential
I believe in human potential--
man can be more than he is
if armed with the will to become.
I see the inherent dangers--
power can either create or destroy
so knowledge of it awakens fear.
I know of quantitative quality--
that which can be expressed positively
can likewise be expressed negatively.
I look to civilization's development
- the taming of fire
- the mastery of communication
- the understanding of order
- the creation of beauty
- the invention of systems
- the development of industry
- the perfection of technology
laced with wars, tyranny, slavery, holocaust, bigotry,
treason, genocide . . .
This is my heritage, my lineage, my ancestry;
It all came before me and is mine because I am!
This awareness engenders painful ambivalence;
majesty and pride joust with horror and shame.
All this is because of human potential
our being has changed the face of the earth.
Man has traveled to the moon
and he has created Auschwitz and Dachau.
Are we gods or demons?
The more we refine our being
the more aware we become of its flaws.
Ignorance once hid from us our vast potential;
yet once glimpsed, that image holds the mind in bondage.
Reality forces us to live with the less that is
while desperately longing for the more that can be.
Now, together, we are called to create a better world--
the negatives are painfully real
but somehow, somewhere, progress happens.
Truth demands we acknowledge our potential's full range
without abnegating the responsibility;
--each person's choices helps shape the future.
Friday, September 20, 2013
more about Synchronicity
(see previous blog)
By paralleling Colorado's vote to oust legislators supporting gun control with the devastating floods that swept the state immediately following, some might presume I was implying God's vengeance. Not so! I do not believe in a vengeful God; rather, a God of love awaiting humanity to realize its mandate for recognizing life's interconnectedness. It is our choices, not God's intervening that sets the stage for world events.
All life shares a tiny blue ball suspended in a vast universe--but only man makes choices. If we don't learn to make sustainable choices we face extinction--from wars and violence, ecological degradation, economic imbalance, political polarization, denial of moral values . . .
Too often we ignore a problem and collectively make choices on behalf of special interest groups who prevail because they are organized and funded and so are able to manipulate public perception to serve their purpose while diverting attention from the actual problem. Climate change is one such problem that has largely been ignored while industry actively blocks movement toward solutions. The unprecedented weather disasters in this and the last decade demonstrate catastrophic results of bad choices. So too we have a violence problem in our nation, to ignore it and punish those actively seeking reasonable solutions is to invite disaster. What I see as the meaningful connection between the two unrelated Colorado events is that both illustrate inappropriate choices in response to obvious needs. Is this a wake up call?
There are those who believe there are no random coincidences, that all happenings are part of a greater plan . . .
By paralleling Colorado's vote to oust legislators supporting gun control with the devastating floods that swept the state immediately following, some might presume I was implying God's vengeance. Not so! I do not believe in a vengeful God; rather, a God of love awaiting humanity to realize its mandate for recognizing life's interconnectedness. It is our choices, not God's intervening that sets the stage for world events.
All life shares a tiny blue ball suspended in a vast universe--but only man makes choices. If we don't learn to make sustainable choices we face extinction--from wars and violence, ecological degradation, economic imbalance, political polarization, denial of moral values . . .
Too often we ignore a problem and collectively make choices on behalf of special interest groups who prevail because they are organized and funded and so are able to manipulate public perception to serve their purpose while diverting attention from the actual problem. Climate change is one such problem that has largely been ignored while industry actively blocks movement toward solutions. The unprecedented weather disasters in this and the last decade demonstrate catastrophic results of bad choices. So too we have a violence problem in our nation, to ignore it and punish those actively seeking reasonable solutions is to invite disaster. What I see as the meaningful connection between the two unrelated Colorado events is that both illustrate inappropriate choices in response to obvious needs. Is this a wake up call?
There are those who believe there are no random coincidences, that all happenings are part of a greater plan . . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)