Well, what I knew to be true intuitively before - that we are a very interconnected bunch on this planet - I've seen with my own two eyes on Face Book. I've not been a My Space or Face Book devotee up to this point. To tell you the truth I didn't get it at all. However, I joined Face Book this week so that I could demonstrate it on the new Blackberry Storm, and what was immediately apparent is how connected humans are to one another.
Friend lists grow exponentially and it's easy to see how one person can be connected to another they've never seen or heard of by just one or two degrees. Face Book even tells you that you may know so and so, who knows so and so, who you know. It's amazing.
If you've ever wondered if your life affects others - for good or bad - here is evidence that it does. We are like a giant tapestry with threads intertwined this way and that. Each thread is an integral part of the whole - whether adding to the beauty or detracting. I don't know about you, but I want to add to the beauty.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Drinking the Koolaid
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the tragedy at Jonestown where 900+ people died from cyanide laced grape Koolaid. I watched some videos this morning from that time, and discovered that my kids (ages 15 & 14) had never heard about it.
I had just turned 16 when Jonestown happened and remember it well. I'd say that most of us (of a certain age) remember watching with horror as images from Guyana were aired. How could something like that have happened? What were those people thinking?
Well, it turns out that many of them were not thinking that they wanted to end their lives. From what I learned today, many were injected with cyanide against their will and many others under intense psychological pressure were "led" to the buckets for a drink.
In watching interviews of folks who survived Jonestown, it's clear that many (including Jim Jones' son) who disagreed with much of what went on there. Jones' son still believed he could accomplish something good with the people he loved in spite of his father's abuse and madness. He told reporters that those people were the only folks he'd known his entire life. How could he leave them?
If you're around my age you probably grew up drinking Koolaid. Who didn't? Koolaid, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was a kid staple. Drinking Koolaid was a good thing - a normal thing. Ironically, it's probably someone around my age who coined the phrase "drinking the Koolaid" to mean something bad - something not normal - and a clear reference to Jonestown. Funny, how things can get turned around...
With that in mind, maybe there's no more appropriate phrase than "drinking the Koolaid." Jim Jone's church began as a good thing. Jones had a vision for racial equality. He wanted to found an authentic, loving community of people. But things went wrong, got out of hand. Jones forgot who he was and who the people were - and to whom they really belonged - and the result was tragic and frightening. It's still frightening, because it's a common story. Everyone (given the proper set of circumstances) is vulnerable to this kind of thing happening. There are warnings in today's Lectionary for leaders:
Luke 17: 1Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard!
James 3:1-10: 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8but no one can tame the tongue?a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
Enough said.
I had just turned 16 when Jonestown happened and remember it well. I'd say that most of us (of a certain age) remember watching with horror as images from Guyana were aired. How could something like that have happened? What were those people thinking?
Well, it turns out that many of them were not thinking that they wanted to end their lives. From what I learned today, many were injected with cyanide against their will and many others under intense psychological pressure were "led" to the buckets for a drink.
In watching interviews of folks who survived Jonestown, it's clear that many (including Jim Jones' son) who disagreed with much of what went on there. Jones' son still believed he could accomplish something good with the people he loved in spite of his father's abuse and madness. He told reporters that those people were the only folks he'd known his entire life. How could he leave them?
If you're around my age you probably grew up drinking Koolaid. Who didn't? Koolaid, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was a kid staple. Drinking Koolaid was a good thing - a normal thing. Ironically, it's probably someone around my age who coined the phrase "drinking the Koolaid" to mean something bad - something not normal - and a clear reference to Jonestown. Funny, how things can get turned around...
With that in mind, maybe there's no more appropriate phrase than "drinking the Koolaid." Jim Jone's church began as a good thing. Jones had a vision for racial equality. He wanted to found an authentic, loving community of people. But things went wrong, got out of hand. Jones forgot who he was and who the people were - and to whom they really belonged - and the result was tragic and frightening. It's still frightening, because it's a common story. Everyone (given the proper set of circumstances) is vulnerable to this kind of thing happening. There are warnings in today's Lectionary for leaders:
Luke 17: 1Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard!
James 3:1-10: 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8but no one can tame the tongue?a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
Enough said.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Having Answers
"The vocation of pastor does not permit trafficking in either miracles or answers. Pastors are in the awkward position of refusing to give what a great many people assume it is our assigned job to give… We are asked to pray for an appropriate miracle, we are called upon to declare an authoritative answer. But our calling equips us for neither. In fact, it forbids us to engage in either the miracle business or the answer business." -Eugene Peterson
The longer I live the less equipped I feel to do certain things. I am not equipped to give answers to the big questions others have about specific things in their lives. I am not often equipped to pray for certain outcomes because life teaches that God's will may encompass an outcome very different (and infinitely better) than what we think or imagine.
Even when I think of my own life and walk with God, there is so much more that I don't know than that I do know. I don't mean Theological issues. I mean life issues. I do not fully understand the trajectory of my life. I think I understand some things, but would not be surprised to learn when I get to heaven that I was completely wrong. If and when that happens I expect to laugh about it.
What I do know is that God is good. He is fully in control. His plan is perfect. His intentions are loving. He is completely trustworthy. So...although I am less and less equipped to give one kind of answer, I am more and more equipped to give (and receive) answers of another kind.
The longer I live the less equipped I feel to do certain things. I am not equipped to give answers to the big questions others have about specific things in their lives. I am not often equipped to pray for certain outcomes because life teaches that God's will may encompass an outcome very different (and infinitely better) than what we think or imagine.
Even when I think of my own life and walk with God, there is so much more that I don't know than that I do know. I don't mean Theological issues. I mean life issues. I do not fully understand the trajectory of my life. I think I understand some things, but would not be surprised to learn when I get to heaven that I was completely wrong. If and when that happens I expect to laugh about it.
What I do know is that God is good. He is fully in control. His plan is perfect. His intentions are loving. He is completely trustworthy. So...although I am less and less equipped to give one kind of answer, I am more and more equipped to give (and receive) answers of another kind.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
You Know It When You See It
Here in South Central Virginia we are enjoying the peak of Autumn. Over the last few weeks I've looked around and wondered, "So, are the leaves at their peak?" Sometimes I'd think yes and sometimes no, but I was never sure. Now that the leaves are actually at their peak colors, there is no doubt in my mind at all. I can say with certainty that we're seeing the peak.
It's funny. This is not my first Autumn, and it's not the first time I've found myself wondering if the leaves were yet at their peak only to discover later that once they are, it is very obvious. There's no wondering involved - only the glorious obviousness of the beauty. You definitely know it when you see it.
Hearing God's voice seems to be the same for me. There are times when I wonder if God is saying something to me. I ponder and wonder and muse. But then God actually does speak, and there is no doubt at all. God has a way of making his voice very obvious so that there's no doubt, no wondering - only certainty.
Interesting how, just as I wonder about the leaves after experiencing many Autumns, I wonder about hearing God speak after walking with Him for so long and knowing His voice.
It's funny. This is not my first Autumn, and it's not the first time I've found myself wondering if the leaves were yet at their peak only to discover later that once they are, it is very obvious. There's no wondering involved - only the glorious obviousness of the beauty. You definitely know it when you see it.
Hearing God's voice seems to be the same for me. There are times when I wonder if God is saying something to me. I ponder and wonder and muse. But then God actually does speak, and there is no doubt at all. God has a way of making his voice very obvious so that there's no doubt, no wondering - only certainty.
Interesting how, just as I wonder about the leaves after experiencing many Autumns, I wonder about hearing God speak after walking with Him for so long and knowing His voice.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
6 Degrees of Separation
You've probably heard of the game The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon... How you can link Kevin Bacon in six degrees of separation to any other actor... Well I was reading somewhere recently (someplace reliable, but I don't remember where) that there is research that proves that we are truly that closely interrelated - but not just to other actors like in the game, but to any other person on the planet. It's actually 6.5 degrees of separation between you and any other person on the planet.
If that doesn't make you say, "Wow!" I don't know what would. It's pretty amazing to think that you know someone who knows someone, who knows someone... well you get the point. It's not very far from any one of us to any other. So I guess, if you want to meet someone, you should just make it known that you want to meet them. Chances are you do know someone who knows someone- and probably in fewer degrees of separation than six. Hmmmm....
In The Shack, Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) talks about patterns - she calls them fractals. She tells Mack, the protagonist that she loves fractals. Mack is looking at a garden (which turns out to be a symbol for himself) and he sees a mess. Sarayu takes it as a great compliment. Then he begins to perceive patterns. She tells him that they're fractals. Fractals are self-similar structures whose geometrical and topographical features are recapitulated in miniature on finer and finer scales. It's a fancy, mathematical term for a pattern. Sarayu tells Mack at some point in the book that lives look like that - like fractals. She meant individual lives, but I wonder about patterns as they relate to our interconnectedness.
We're so individualistic in this country. We think that we live our lives in relative isolation and that our concerns are our concerns. But that's really not true. Whether it's your neighbor next door or across town or across the world, we are connected. Jesus asked who's your neighbor? When we understand how closely (by degrees) we are interrelated to everyone, we understand clearly that every other person is our neighbor.
So... Hello Neighbor! Maybe one day we'll meet. For sure I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone who knows you.
If that doesn't make you say, "Wow!" I don't know what would. It's pretty amazing to think that you know someone who knows someone, who knows someone... well you get the point. It's not very far from any one of us to any other. So I guess, if you want to meet someone, you should just make it known that you want to meet them. Chances are you do know someone who knows someone- and probably in fewer degrees of separation than six. Hmmmm....
In The Shack, Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) talks about patterns - she calls them fractals. She tells Mack, the protagonist that she loves fractals. Mack is looking at a garden (which turns out to be a symbol for himself) and he sees a mess. Sarayu takes it as a great compliment. Then he begins to perceive patterns. She tells him that they're fractals. Fractals are self-similar structures whose geometrical and topographical features are recapitulated in miniature on finer and finer scales. It's a fancy, mathematical term for a pattern. Sarayu tells Mack at some point in the book that lives look like that - like fractals. She meant individual lives, but I wonder about patterns as they relate to our interconnectedness.
We're so individualistic in this country. We think that we live our lives in relative isolation and that our concerns are our concerns. But that's really not true. Whether it's your neighbor next door or across town or across the world, we are connected. Jesus asked who's your neighbor? When we understand how closely (by degrees) we are interrelated to everyone, we understand clearly that every other person is our neighbor.
So... Hello Neighbor! Maybe one day we'll meet. For sure I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone who knows you.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Remembering
I chaperoned the high school marching band competition yesterday. It was a great trip for our city's band - they won every category in their division. But during the debrief of the performance, the band director said that one of the judges' criticisms was that the the members did not by their movements and facial expressions convey the mood of the music.
The music the band performs this year has a Spanish theme. There is throughout the performance the sound of castanets, and at one point in the performance the band members stop and stop their feet like Flamenco dancers.
For some reason I awoke at about 3 a.m. thinking about what the band should do to convey the right message. I thought about the posture and attitude of Flamenco dancers and bull fighters...
How do I know about such things? Well, that took me down memory lane in the middle of the night...
Although we say we're Cuban, my grandfather immigrated from Spain to Cuba as a teen. In fact when Castro came to power, my grandparents fled to their home in Spain, not the U.S.. I have seen many Flamenco dances and even had a doll that was a Flamenco dancer. I have also watched more than my share of bullfights (not something I ever enjoyed). My grandfather watched bull fighting on TV the way most kids' grandfathers watched baseball.
More later...
The music the band performs this year has a Spanish theme. There is throughout the performance the sound of castanets, and at one point in the performance the band members stop and stop their feet like Flamenco dancers.
For some reason I awoke at about 3 a.m. thinking about what the band should do to convey the right message. I thought about the posture and attitude of Flamenco dancers and bull fighters...
How do I know about such things? Well, that took me down memory lane in the middle of the night...
Although we say we're Cuban, my grandfather immigrated from Spain to Cuba as a teen. In fact when Castro came to power, my grandparents fled to their home in Spain, not the U.S.. I have seen many Flamenco dances and even had a doll that was a Flamenco dancer. I have also watched more than my share of bullfights (not something I ever enjoyed). My grandfather watched bull fighting on TV the way most kids' grandfathers watched baseball.
More later...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Great Contemporary Literature
Typically when I think of great stories, I think of books written 100+ years ago. Marilynne Robinson's books are perhaps the exceptions that prove the rule. I'm not saying that hers are the only truly fine contemporary novels. However, all three that she's written are very fine. Very fine indeed.
Yesterday afternoon I finished Home. There were tears in my eyes. Tears for Jack and Glory and Della. Especially tears for Jack, who's convinced that he is outside of the grace of God. But there were also tears of sadness because the book was over. Robinson's prose is stunning. I sit and shake my head because I'd like to say more, but lack words to elaborate. Just read it.
Home covers the same time period as Gilead - and the same characters, from a different perspective. I thought I would pick Gilead back up and read through it in light of what I know about Jack and Glory from Home. I had no particular thought about when I'd do it, however, until I went to the PCUSA's site to pull off today's Lectionary on-line and noticed several quotes from Gilead in the daily quotations section. So I reached for Gilead to see if I had the same passages marked - yes marked. These are the kind of novels with passages that demand to be marked so that they can be easily found.
This one's not on the PCUSA's site but is not only underlined in my copy, but underlined with a squiggly line (meaning that I especially liked it). This passage is found on page 124 of the hard cover edition:
"When you encounter another person, when you have dealings with anyone at all, it is as if a question is being put to you. So you must think, What is the Lord asking of me in this moment, this situation? If you confront insult or antagonism, your first impulse will be to respond in kind. But if you think, as it were, This is an emissary sent from the Lord, and some benefit is intended for me, first of all the occasion to demonstrate my faithfulness, the chance to show that I do in some small degree participate in the grace that saved me, you are free to act otherwise than the circumstances would seem to dictate. You are free to act by your own lights. You are freed at the same time of the impulse of to hate or resent that person. He would probably laugh at the thought that the Lord sent him to you for your benefit (and his), but that is the perfection of the disguise, his own ignorance of it....
Calvin says somewhere that each of us is an actor on a stage and God is the audience. That metaphor has always interested me, because it makes us artists of our behavior, and the reaction of God to us might be thought of as aesthetic rather than morally judgmental in the ordinary sense. How well do we understand our role? With how much assurance do we perform it?...I do like Calvin's image... because it suggests how God might actually enjoy us."
The above is not an example of the stunning prose that I referred to earlier, but is a very interesting thought. Don't you agree?
Yesterday afternoon I finished Home. There were tears in my eyes. Tears for Jack and Glory and Della. Especially tears for Jack, who's convinced that he is outside of the grace of God. But there were also tears of sadness because the book was over. Robinson's prose is stunning. I sit and shake my head because I'd like to say more, but lack words to elaborate. Just read it.
Home covers the same time period as Gilead - and the same characters, from a different perspective. I thought I would pick Gilead back up and read through it in light of what I know about Jack and Glory from Home. I had no particular thought about when I'd do it, however, until I went to the PCUSA's site to pull off today's Lectionary on-line and noticed several quotes from Gilead in the daily quotations section. So I reached for Gilead to see if I had the same passages marked - yes marked. These are the kind of novels with passages that demand to be marked so that they can be easily found.
This one's not on the PCUSA's site but is not only underlined in my copy, but underlined with a squiggly line (meaning that I especially liked it). This passage is found on page 124 of the hard cover edition:
"When you encounter another person, when you have dealings with anyone at all, it is as if a question is being put to you. So you must think, What is the Lord asking of me in this moment, this situation? If you confront insult or antagonism, your first impulse will be to respond in kind. But if you think, as it were, This is an emissary sent from the Lord, and some benefit is intended for me, first of all the occasion to demonstrate my faithfulness, the chance to show that I do in some small degree participate in the grace that saved me, you are free to act otherwise than the circumstances would seem to dictate. You are free to act by your own lights. You are freed at the same time of the impulse of to hate or resent that person. He would probably laugh at the thought that the Lord sent him to you for your benefit (and his), but that is the perfection of the disguise, his own ignorance of it....
Calvin says somewhere that each of us is an actor on a stage and God is the audience. That metaphor has always interested me, because it makes us artists of our behavior, and the reaction of God to us might be thought of as aesthetic rather than morally judgmental in the ordinary sense. How well do we understand our role? With how much assurance do we perform it?...I do like Calvin's image... because it suggests how God might actually enjoy us."
The above is not an example of the stunning prose that I referred to earlier, but is a very interesting thought. Don't you agree?
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