“I have learned to use my anger for good…..without it we would not be motivated to rise to a challenge. It is an energy that compels us to define what is just and unjust.” GANDHI
KINSHIP
Most of us know our kin, sometimes wish we did not. Can we imagine a world of kinship, a place where the man who is black, the woman who is Muslim, the neighbor who is gay, the co-worker who practices Buddhism, the homeless man on the corner, the drunk in the gutter – can we somehow see each of them as kin? Related? Worthy of our love and compassion?
Society, governments, and religions often, inadvertently or overtly, put separations between us defining our differences thereby reducing relationships to a status of “us” and “them” in denial of the paradigm which the great wisdom leaders throughout history from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Gandhi, to Muhammad, to Jesus of Nazareth to Lao Tzu to Gautama Buddha tried to teach during their lifetimes.
Even when placing our lives in service to others, we are not recognizing God’s dream for his/her Creation – being one with the other and not separate. Kinship is what Jesus practiced. He was one not standing outside the circle, but in the midst of those “… whose dignity had been denied…with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless….the easily despised and the readily left out…the demonized…the disposable.” cac.org
We, who are eternally hopeful that the time for non-violence, for peace, for kinship has arrived, read the words of one of the revered prophets of the Judaic tradition, HABAKKUK, who said, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time, it speaks of the end and will not prove false.”
“In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together, the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them.” ISAIAH 11:6
It paints a beautiful picture of what life on earth could be – was intended to be. Do you see it? Are you willing to live it? It’s our choice.
simplicity, gratitude, generosity
“Aware of the poverty and greed in the world and of the intrinsic abundance of the earth, I stand in the presence of the ancestors, the earth, and future generations and vow to cultivate the simplicity, gratitude and generosity that have no limits.”
Rosemary Lynch and Mary Litell, Peace Grows! Pace e Bene
There is no shortage of anything in this world except, perhaps, love. The misconception of a world without enough is the result of too many people wanting too much unimportant stuff. Predicted shortages of food can be easily resolved if government subsidized mega-food industries are held accountable for the resources they consume and the ecology they destroy to produce highly profitable protein for our tables.
But ultimately, we are responsible. I am responsible for shedding exaggerated beliefs of what I need to not only survive, but thrive in today’s world whether it be foodstuffs or consumer goods. Living simply does not equate to going without; rather, it is a commitment to joyously appreciate each new day with words of thanksgiving for the earth’s abundance and generosity and then sharing that abundance cheerfully.
In words attributed to Gandhi – “live simply so that others may simply live.”
follow the leader?
So many of us have lived our lives placing unmerited value on the opinions of others while discrediting our personal truth and reality. Breaking the shackles of people-pleasing requires honest self-appraisal, a healthy dose of self-esteem, and an enormous commitment to self-realization.
Follow the leader. Just a child’s game? How about Simon says? For us they were playtime activity intended to teach interaction with other children. But, have you ever considered the ramifications of a 5 or 6 year-old being taught to follow a designated leader wherever that person leads or to do explicitly what Simon instructs? Of course not, they were just games for children.
What about adults? Life is not a game. Do you and I have enough self-confidence, enough courage to walk away from the herd trailing after a proclaimed leader when we know that person is dishonest and corrupt? Whether that person is speaking from the pulpit of a church or from a governmental office, do we have the cojones to say, “No, I will not follow you nor do as you say?”
Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King, Jr, Gandhi, Desmond Tutu were such men. They viewed their country’s status quo as unacceptable. Violence was not the answer; however, passive disobedience created movements which fueled social action that could not be ignored by national leaders with their trailing herds and toadying sycophants nor preachers with their ‘amen & hallelujah’ congregations.
It was called civil disobedience. In the months leading up to November 3rd, we should, each of us, consider what it is we are willing to do to press forward on a path which honors the validity of all citizens whether white, black, brown, religious or non-religious,
gay or straight, wealthy or poor, Muslim or Christian. When our elected leaders ignore us, when our spiritual mentors speak untruths, our options as a nation dwindle. However, a greater power within each of us commands us to disobey government and religious leaders when that obedience would be illegal, unlawful and unjust.
The days of child’s play are past. A new era in American history is upon us and its future will be determined by whom we choose to follow and whom we choose to obey.
These words from CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by Henry David Thoreau are well-advised in today’s political turmoil:
The government, according to Thoreau, is not just a little corrupt or unjust in the course of doing its otherwise-important work, but in fact the government is primarily an agent of corruption and injustice. Because of this, it is “not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize”. WIKIPEDIA
I AM LARRY – worthy, unique, loved
a Better Way
Today we celebrate what many Christians including Franciscans believe to be the most significant day of the Christian year – the birth of a new nonviolent world. Jesus was all about nonviolence. His ways and life, encapsulated in the Gospels, breathe a better way for Christians to engage with brothers/sisters of Hinduism, of Islam, of Judaism, of Buddhism, of all the great religious persuasions pursuing peace on earth. Over a hundred years ago, Gandhi observed that every religion is rooted in nonviolence. May we also, in our Christian faith walk, begin the Christmastide celebration ushering in 2020 with the peace of Gandhi, Buddha, Muhammad, Jesus on our hearts. Namaste. 🙏
FROM MATTHEW 5:1-7, 27
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
OCTOBER 2
Are you an advocate for non-violence? Do I commit on a daily basis to non-violence in my life? It is fitting that the International Day of Non-Violence be celebrated on the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi who was born October 2, 1869. Bestowed the title of Mahatma (a person who is revered and respected) he led to the independence of India from British rule by mass non-violent civil disobedience.
Concurrently reported on the same news page which tells of Gandhi and today’s celebration of non-violent actions to confront the world’s affinity for violence, is an account of a national leader suggesting in a private meeting with aides that the immigration “problem” could be resolved by “shooting them in the legs” or “topping a 2000 mile electrified border wall with flesh piercing spikes.” MSN NEWS
We can only hope that this account of the President’s words were a summary of foolish and facetious statements by one who attempts to lead by division and fear. Other actions and speech, however, confirm that our nation is not governed by policies of non-violence. Peace through enforced powers of violence is not what Gandhi had in mind when crusading for independence from Britain. It is an unsustainable truce in which the oppressed must submit to an oppressor.
Who is my personal oppressor? Yours? What inner powers keep us from knowing peace? What violence do we inflict upon our souls? Perhaps the most significant factor in world-wide violence is absence of self-love. No, not talking about ego and its deceptive need for attention, rather, the realization that compassion and tolerance of others begins with an attitude of compassion and tolerance for me. I MUST LOVE ME BEFORE I CAN LOVE OTHERS.
Are you a movie fan or prime time TV viewer? Ever question the need for all the blood and violence being shoved into your head? Yes, it gets terrific ratings above and beyond any ratings SOUND OF MUSIC or I LOVE LUCY would garner. But, it shows a complete absence of reverence for life. Self-love and non-violence begin in a place of reverence for all life, all creation, all races, all tribes, all creeds, all religions, all lifestyles. Doesn’t mean I need to understand or agree with your choices, but I must respect your right to live your choices. Namaste, my fellow earthlings. Have a blessed INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE.
NAMASTE – is it really so difficult?
“The crises we find ourselves in as a species require that as a species we shake up all our institutions—including our religious ones—and reinvent them. Change is necessary for our survival, and we often turn to the mystics at critical times like this. Jung said: “Only the mystics bring creativity into religion.” [1] Jesus was a 
mystic shaking up his religion and the Roman empire; Buddha was a mystic who shook up the prevailing Hinduism of his day; Gandhi was a mystic shaking up Hinduism and challenging the British Empire; and Martin Luther King, Jr. shook up his tradition and America’s segregationist society. The mystics walk their talk and talk (often in memorable poetic phraseology) their walk.” MATTHEW FOX cac.org – Richard Rohr
Do I do that – walk the talk and talk the walk? How about you? Those of you who have read my ramblings over the past few years probably realize I have a serious issue with religion and religionists. Many of them talk a great spiel from the pulpit and the pews of their churches, but then don’t walk it in their lives or in their behaviors. That is not real; it is not empowering. If not embraced in lifestyle this pretty rhetoric becomes just more trash on the pile of religious deceit. Preachers are guilty, parishioners are guilty, black and white are equally guilty, politicians are guilty. Me too. I do not always walk the talk.
But I highly esteem those mystics who have. The four named in the introductory quote are just a few of the many men and women who discovered their inner truth and then lived lives accordingly. Buddha was human, Jesus was human, Gandhi was human, and Martin Luther King was human, all acclaimed mystics were humans who acknowledged the Divine center of their beings as the most consequential and significant reason to talk the walk and walk the talk.
Our world is racing to the annihilation of the human species. Accompanied by rabid politics, fear-mongering politicians, greedy capitalism and heretical religions, the voices of those who pursue social justice, peace, and inner searching seem lost in the insanity. That which could turn the tide and redeem civilization from a sure demise is often obscured by conversations of victory at any cost rather than sensible compromise embracing the rights of all mankind and all earth’s natural resources.
We must come to realize and surrender to the premise that this planet is not a hodgepodge of several billion humans intent on survival as individuals, but rather, an ecosystem which includes all mankind, all animals, all plant life, all resources interdependent on one another and living together as one cohesive environment.
Learning to love ourselves and others begins from a place of reverence for all of life. This reverence flows forward in the Buddhist greeting, “Namaste”, I honor the divine in you. Not only other brothers and sisters on this earth, but every part of creation should be viewed and greeted with namaste.
“Honor the sacred.
Honor the Earth, our Mother.
Honor the Elders.
Honor all with whom we share the Earth.
Four-leggeds, winged ones,
Swimmers, crawlers, plant and rock people.
Walk in balance and beauty.”
(Native American prayer for the earth)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil….
not to speak is to speak,
not to act is to act.”
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER 1906 – 1945
“There remains an experience of incomparable value. We have for once learned to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcasts, the suspects, the maltreated — in short, from the perspective of those who suffer. Mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behavior. Christians are called to compassion and to action.” (Letters from Prison, p.16)
“In following Jesus, people are released from the hard yoke of their own laws to be under the gentle yoke of Jesus Christ. … Jesus’ commandment never wishes to destroy life, but rather to preserve, strengthen, and heal life.”
Having read the short biography of this German pastor and social activist who was imprisoned by Hitler’s Nazi regime and executed by hanging in 1945 just a month before the collapse of the 3rd Reich, I can only ask myself, “What would I do?” And then without hesitation I ask, “What would Jesus do?” I pray that my actions would mirror those of Bonhoeffer and Jesus when confronted by the challenges of pursuing social justice. What would you do?
Darkness in today’s political climate is real. Evil exists in the policies of a regime intent on instituting white, Christian control of this country and evil abounds in the minds of those who support those policies. That evil is fed by fear and by greed. It is no longer an issue which we can hope reason and compassion will remedy. Non-violent confrontation, not only in action but also in spirit and intention, mirrors the lives of Bonhoeffer, Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr. and certainly the example presented by Jesus of Nazareth. For contemporary church leaders to disavow these teachings while sanctioning racism and xenophobia is heretical doctrine akin to the regime Bonhoeffer confronted before his murder.
Lord, open our eyes to the evil within our own hearts and then guide us to non-violent confrontation of the evil existing in our nation.
let’s try Christianity
I had another post prepared to share, but a more pressing issue blipped onto my radar screen and I believe this post from a while back is appropriate for today’s religious dialog. 🙏
“Imagine no heaven or hell….and no religion, too. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” JOHN LENNON
IT’S A GREAT DAY! – poverty
“Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” NELSON MANDELA
“Live simply so that others may simply live.” GANDHI
Some of you are saying, “Larry, what does poverty have to do with a great day?”
Did you wake up from a peaceful sleep in a warm, comfortable bed? Do you have a roof over your head? Have you done your gratitude list for this day? Did you eat a hearty breakfast? Will you probably live this day without threat of gun violence or persecution for your belief system?
Congratulations! Your day has the promise of being a GREAT DAY. A majority of the world’s population does not have that promise. But, many of those people go out and make it a fantastic day regardless of circumstances. That’s the miracle of our species – we are survivors who have an innate desire to thrive.
Does your need to thrive ride on the backs of the less fortunate? Does mine? When was the last time we chose to contribute to our local homeless shelter in lieu of a new addition to our designer clothes or, perhaps, buy that man standing on the corner with a cardboard sign a lunch at Burger King rather than a steak for our dinner tonight? When did we last decide to live more simply so that others in our world would have a dish of rice to eat or a cup of clean water to drink? When?
My friend, it is absolutely a great day because we have so many choices in front of us. We can choose what we will eat rather than if we can afford to eat. We can choose which chair or sofa we will rest upon rather than which overpass we will seek for shelter. We can choose to tidy up our living room rather than rearrange our boxes and tarp. Do we understand that much of the world does not have adequate food, shelter or water and our Western culture of greed and consumption has contributed to that shortage?
Along with substantial blessing comes substantial responsibility. You and I ARE our brothers’ keepers. That is not a suggestion; it is a mandate dictated by all the world’s major religions and belief systems. Hug our loved ones this morning, appreciate all that has been given to us, and then contemplate how we can live more simply and help eradicate poverty.
