Isn't it something how it is apparently possible to go through life and miss life? How we can run hell-spent after money, status, career, possessions, power, control, success... and miss life? How we can parade ourselves through life with purpose, goals, ambition, accomplishment and yet not have a clue as to what life really is? All the while thinking we know what life really is?
As an imperfect follower of Jesus, I find myself often reflecting on the will of God in and for my life, believing that is what life really is. I am what some call a seeker, a person who seeks after God and the deeper things of God - often in silence and solitude - wanting more of him, "knowing him as I am known of him," never content with where I am in him. Desiring more. But where am I headed? Where is he leading me?
As I reflect on so much of what is called Christianity in my culture of America my heart hurts for those who seem to accept the spiritually superficial, all the while believing they have it all figured out. Those who seem to think that God and salvation are the latest Christian fad or fashion, brand, doctrine, political issue, mega-church, or Christian public relations campaign, and miss the genuine penetrating, never-ending, deep down drawing of the Spirit.
But then I am reminded of, humbled and encouraged by the prayer of Thomas Merton from his book, Thoughts in Solitude. He prays:
"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from this desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."
Wow! To God be the glory!
Peace for real,
Dennis
Monday, November 19, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
A Veteran's Day Conflict
I am noticing on Facebook today all the genuine and supportive posts about this being Veteran's Day. I have to say over the last several years every time this day rolls around I experience mixed emotions and I know why.
Along with every other American I have been conditioned from an early age to view the U.S. Military and military personnel with an almost sainthood status. These are young men and women who were drafted into or now volunteer to "defend freedom," sometimes being maimed in the process physically and/or mentally and sometimes giving the "ultimate sacrifice." There is something in me still that can admire the commitment and sacrifice these young people make.
On the other hand, their commitment includes rigorous physical training as well as mental conditioning and programing, all for the express purpose either directly or indirectly of killing our fellow human beings. And this quite frankly bothers me. I know they are suppose to kill only our nation's "enemies" when we are under threat but the truth is even with the most sophisticated weaponry and careful intelligence our military, supported by you and me, ends up with "collateral damage," a euphemism for killing innocent women, children and men, all too often. Besides this, our nation has involved itself in conflicts over the years and around the world that have been highly suspect as warranted or necessary. The real reason we fight too often I fear is to wield power and control over other nations so that we can continue our comfortable lifestyle. It seems that Augustine's "Just War Theory" gets very little attention these days.
I just find it all to be at odds with especially the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, along with the teaching and nonviolence of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Paul II (to name a few).
I will say thank you Vets for committing a part of your lives to something I guess you believe in and something bigger than yourselves. I can commend you for that. But my heart's desire is we all pray to come to the full conscious understanding that we are to love our enemies; that those who live by the sword will die by the sword; that violence, war and killing our brothers and sisters around the world is a completely evil and illogical position which will never bring peace.
Peace for real,
Dennis
Along with every other American I have been conditioned from an early age to view the U.S. Military and military personnel with an almost sainthood status. These are young men and women who were drafted into or now volunteer to "defend freedom," sometimes being maimed in the process physically and/or mentally and sometimes giving the "ultimate sacrifice." There is something in me still that can admire the commitment and sacrifice these young people make.
On the other hand, their commitment includes rigorous physical training as well as mental conditioning and programing, all for the express purpose either directly or indirectly of killing our fellow human beings. And this quite frankly bothers me. I know they are suppose to kill only our nation's "enemies" when we are under threat but the truth is even with the most sophisticated weaponry and careful intelligence our military, supported by you and me, ends up with "collateral damage," a euphemism for killing innocent women, children and men, all too often. Besides this, our nation has involved itself in conflicts over the years and around the world that have been highly suspect as warranted or necessary. The real reason we fight too often I fear is to wield power and control over other nations so that we can continue our comfortable lifestyle. It seems that Augustine's "Just War Theory" gets very little attention these days.
I just find it all to be at odds with especially the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, along with the teaching and nonviolence of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Paul II (to name a few).
I will say thank you Vets for committing a part of your lives to something I guess you believe in and something bigger than yourselves. I can commend you for that. But my heart's desire is we all pray to come to the full conscious understanding that we are to love our enemies; that those who live by the sword will die by the sword; that violence, war and killing our brothers and sisters around the world is a completely evil and illogical position which will never bring peace.
Peace for real,
Dennis
Saturday, November 10, 2012
"Friends Who Stick Closer than Brothers"
Thursday I was returning from a job interview and had made arrangements to meet my friend George for a cheap lunch (remember I'm not working) at a little neighborhood diner. When I got there George was sitting at a table with "Mac" another gentleman I know who was actually on my caseload several years ago in a residential substance abuse program. I had been his counselor for a time and praise God he has been "clean" for many years! It was good to see him and catch up. He didn't know I had lost my job and was sorry to hear it.
So the three of us broke bread together as I secretly hoped that my friend George might pick up the tab for my lunch due to my strained financial circumstances. Mac finished eating before George and me and stated he needed to split. We exchanged goodbyes and Mac went his way. As George and I continued to talk, the waitress came to our table and said she just wanted to let me know that Mac paid my lunch tab!
I had such a warmness and joy fill my soul. My lunch tab wasn't much but that wasn't the point. It was that a man who had struggled with addiction for years; someone that I hadn't talked with for some time, out of the graciousness of his heart, knowing my circumstances felt moved to buy me lunch! It just doesn't get any better than that, right?
But then yesterday another friend and colleague of mine (Jim, a PhD from Yale) who I had worked with for almost twelve years and who was on vacation when I got "canned" decided to get together for lunch so I could explain all that happened in my "canning."
Throughout my explanation of the why and how of my dismissal he sat quietly and intently, listening to my every word, empathizing with what I felt occurred in this painful process. When I had finished he explained to me with emotion, tearing up on at least two occasions, how my departure has left a huge hole in the programs area of the organization and how he cannot remember when someone leaving has had such a profound impact on both staff and the residents I served. He said I have left a powerful legacy that will last. I was touched by his kind and heart-felt words.
Then he said he wanted me to know that if I find myself in a tough situation and in need of "a little financial help" he would be honored to assist. That's when I almost started to tear up.
I know I tend to be a softy, but I gotta tell ya the last few days have been pretty emotional for me. You know it says something in the book of Proverbs about having friends who stick closer than brothers. I am so blessed to say I got a few of 'em!!
Peace for real,
Dennis
So the three of us broke bread together as I secretly hoped that my friend George might pick up the tab for my lunch due to my strained financial circumstances. Mac finished eating before George and me and stated he needed to split. We exchanged goodbyes and Mac went his way. As George and I continued to talk, the waitress came to our table and said she just wanted to let me know that Mac paid my lunch tab!
I had such a warmness and joy fill my soul. My lunch tab wasn't much but that wasn't the point. It was that a man who had struggled with addiction for years; someone that I hadn't talked with for some time, out of the graciousness of his heart, knowing my circumstances felt moved to buy me lunch! It just doesn't get any better than that, right?
But then yesterday another friend and colleague of mine (Jim, a PhD from Yale) who I had worked with for almost twelve years and who was on vacation when I got "canned" decided to get together for lunch so I could explain all that happened in my "canning."
Throughout my explanation of the why and how of my dismissal he sat quietly and intently, listening to my every word, empathizing with what I felt occurred in this painful process. When I had finished he explained to me with emotion, tearing up on at least two occasions, how my departure has left a huge hole in the programs area of the organization and how he cannot remember when someone leaving has had such a profound impact on both staff and the residents I served. He said I have left a powerful legacy that will last. I was touched by his kind and heart-felt words.
Then he said he wanted me to know that if I find myself in a tough situation and in need of "a little financial help" he would be honored to assist. That's when I almost started to tear up.
I know I tend to be a softy, but I gotta tell ya the last few days have been pretty emotional for me. You know it says something in the book of Proverbs about having friends who stick closer than brothers. I am so blessed to say I got a few of 'em!!
Peace for real,
Dennis
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
"A New World in the Shell of the Old"
Most of us will be gathered around our television sets tonight watching whatever cable station or network we prefer as the voting results in our respective states and around the nation start trickling in. Most notably we will be watching the vote tally for President of the United States. Who will win? Will it be Romney or Obama. Political pundits as I understand it have been leaning towards another four years for President Obama. We'll see if they're right soon enough.
But whether it is President Obama or Governor Romney, I am of the opinion that it won't make that much difference especially as long as our congress and our nation are in gridlock, vying for its own political advantage, gain, greed, power and control, expecting to get what they want with seemingly little real concern for what is best for the country and for the common good in our nation and around the world.
I am of the opinion we are an empire in slow decline. I know that can be hard to hear for many of us Americans cause we can somehow think we are an exception (ever heard of American Exceptionalism?) to the historical fact that every empire down through the ages has come apart - and we will be no exception. It's just a fact.
It seems to me that so many of our systems and institutions are broken, not working, in disarray with no apparent viable solutions in sight. I mean look at the post office, the political system, the educational system, the economic mess, the medical system, infrastructure. Need I go on? They all are in a quagmire within political gridlock and little political will for positive change and meaningful solutions. Just rhetoric. Sickening rhetoric.
Now I am a Christian (or as I like to say, an imperfect follower of Jesus) but please don't tell me, "Oh, it will all be alright in the great bye and bye when Jeeeesus returns!" If I hear that, or something close to that one more time I think I'm gonna throw up! Look, I believe the Apostles Creed, etc, etc, but I think Scripture makes it plain, especially since the resurrection of Jesus that God desires his will to be accomplished on this earth as it is in heaven. So, what are we doing? We play politics with the gospel! Shame on us! We talk and talk and judge and put down and talk some more. My God, forgive us for resting in our comfortable homes, making our comfortable livings, going to our comfortable churches and giving from our comfortable checking accounts funds to add another wing to the church or buy that new pipe organ all in the name of Jeeeesus. It pisses me off!.....and it makes me sad.
I don't even know where I intended to go with this post other than to say I'm tired. I'm heartbroken that we play at the gospel. Not all of you, but far too many of us.
So, each day we need to listen for God and carry out one concrete way to live the gospel through prayer and action. We need to follow the example of Jesus (you know I don't think Jesus ever made an explicit command to worship him, though I do, but was always saying "follow me"), We need to be about the real business of as Dorothy Day was fond of saying, "Building the new world (read kingdom of God) in the shell (that's what it is) of the old.
Peace for real,
Dennis
But whether it is President Obama or Governor Romney, I am of the opinion that it won't make that much difference especially as long as our congress and our nation are in gridlock, vying for its own political advantage, gain, greed, power and control, expecting to get what they want with seemingly little real concern for what is best for the country and for the common good in our nation and around the world.
I am of the opinion we are an empire in slow decline. I know that can be hard to hear for many of us Americans cause we can somehow think we are an exception (ever heard of American Exceptionalism?) to the historical fact that every empire down through the ages has come apart - and we will be no exception. It's just a fact.
It seems to me that so many of our systems and institutions are broken, not working, in disarray with no apparent viable solutions in sight. I mean look at the post office, the political system, the educational system, the economic mess, the medical system, infrastructure. Need I go on? They all are in a quagmire within political gridlock and little political will for positive change and meaningful solutions. Just rhetoric. Sickening rhetoric.
Now I am a Christian (or as I like to say, an imperfect follower of Jesus) but please don't tell me, "Oh, it will all be alright in the great bye and bye when Jeeeesus returns!" If I hear that, or something close to that one more time I think I'm gonna throw up! Look, I believe the Apostles Creed, etc, etc, but I think Scripture makes it plain, especially since the resurrection of Jesus that God desires his will to be accomplished on this earth as it is in heaven. So, what are we doing? We play politics with the gospel! Shame on us! We talk and talk and judge and put down and talk some more. My God, forgive us for resting in our comfortable homes, making our comfortable livings, going to our comfortable churches and giving from our comfortable checking accounts funds to add another wing to the church or buy that new pipe organ all in the name of Jeeeesus. It pisses me off!.....and it makes me sad.
I don't even know where I intended to go with this post other than to say I'm tired. I'm heartbroken that we play at the gospel. Not all of you, but far too many of us.
So, each day we need to listen for God and carry out one concrete way to live the gospel through prayer and action. We need to follow the example of Jesus (you know I don't think Jesus ever made an explicit command to worship him, though I do, but was always saying "follow me"), We need to be about the real business of as Dorothy Day was fond of saying, "Building the new world (read kingdom of God) in the shell (that's what it is) of the old.
Peace for real,
Dennis
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Preconceived Notions
I know we all have some preconceived notions of "reality." One of mine was that all progressives or liberals (political or "Christian") were more or less evil. I'm happy to report that view is now in the past and the fact is I have learned a lot of helpful and meaningful theology and public policy from my progressive and liberal friends. I have come to see (by the grace of God) that a narrow or close minded perspective makes Johnny and Suzy dull (as well as ignorant) boys and girls. Ah, the need for a good ole' liberal arts education and a theology that grows deeper than the crowd!
Anyway, all of that to share with you an interesting incident I experienced the other day. I traveled back to a soup kitchen in my area and decided to park across the street in a small counseling center parking lot just to observe the goings and comings at the soup kitchen. What I saw were a few cars in the soup kitchen parking lot and a couple of men walking from the soup kitchen not to the parked cars but passed the cars and down the street to who knows where. The men seemed decently groomed and dressed.
About that time a late model white Cadillac pulled into the counseling center parking lot right next to me. A very well dressed older woman with meticulously styled snow white hair probably in her sixties removed herself from the car and asked me if I had business with the counseling center. I suspect she might have been the properitor of the counseling center and I repled no that I was just inquiring about the soup kitchen. This is what she told me.
She said that the soup kitchen was run by the people who own a small health food store around the corner and that they could tell me more about it. She said that a few of the folks who frequent the kitchen were "probably genuinely needy, but most of the people were just addicts." She was gesturing with her hand as if brushing all the addicts aside. I asked her where they all slept and she told me they sleep here and there, behind buildings or in the fields under trees. Both her voice and facial expression conveyed the sense that all of them were a real bother, as she walked away and into the counseling center.
I'm plan to talk with the health store owners to learn more about my brothers and sisters who eat together in the soup kitchen and sleep outdoors. I was really ticked how the well to do woman talked and gestured about the addicts and homeless, but I'm working to forgive her because I'm sure it's another example of preconceived notions. It was Jesus who said, "Forgive them Father, they no not what they do."
This is my call to ask all of us, to search our souls for our faulty preconceived notions when it come to the neighbors around us who are struggling through life without regular food, housing, employment, etc. Let's think together about loving ways we can help our neighbors in practical and meaningful ways - like Jesus.
Drop me a line on FB or comment here. Thanks!
Peace for real,
Dennis
Anyway, all of that to share with you an interesting incident I experienced the other day. I traveled back to a soup kitchen in my area and decided to park across the street in a small counseling center parking lot just to observe the goings and comings at the soup kitchen. What I saw were a few cars in the soup kitchen parking lot and a couple of men walking from the soup kitchen not to the parked cars but passed the cars and down the street to who knows where. The men seemed decently groomed and dressed.
About that time a late model white Cadillac pulled into the counseling center parking lot right next to me. A very well dressed older woman with meticulously styled snow white hair probably in her sixties removed herself from the car and asked me if I had business with the counseling center. I suspect she might have been the properitor of the counseling center and I repled no that I was just inquiring about the soup kitchen. This is what she told me.
She said that the soup kitchen was run by the people who own a small health food store around the corner and that they could tell me more about it. She said that a few of the folks who frequent the kitchen were "probably genuinely needy, but most of the people were just addicts." She was gesturing with her hand as if brushing all the addicts aside. I asked her where they all slept and she told me they sleep here and there, behind buildings or in the fields under trees. Both her voice and facial expression conveyed the sense that all of them were a real bother, as she walked away and into the counseling center.
I'm plan to talk with the health store owners to learn more about my brothers and sisters who eat together in the soup kitchen and sleep outdoors. I was really ticked how the well to do woman talked and gestured about the addicts and homeless, but I'm working to forgive her because I'm sure it's another example of preconceived notions. It was Jesus who said, "Forgive them Father, they no not what they do."
This is my call to ask all of us, to search our souls for our faulty preconceived notions when it come to the neighbors around us who are struggling through life without regular food, housing, employment, etc. Let's think together about loving ways we can help our neighbors in practical and meaningful ways - like Jesus.
Drop me a line on FB or comment here. Thanks!
Peace for real,
Dennis
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Peace!.....and a Full Stomach
I visited a local soup kitchen in my neck of the woods today. I was anxious to meet and talk to some of the guests who frequent the place, get to know them and see how I might help. The problem was it wasn't open today, at least not for lunch.
I expected the soup kitchen would be a store front, part of of a strip mall, spacious to accommodate all the poor I see around town who most-likely would be in need of a warm meal especially as the temperatures begin to drop this time of year. Instead a found a stand alone very small house. I peered into the window and saw boxes of clothes and a few tables and chairs in a not to well kept environment. Maybe 10-12 people could fit inside? I'm not sure. The sign on the door said it was open for lunch Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and open for dinner Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bless the folks who run this place. The sign also said they get no government help (for any of you who are concerned about your tax dollars).
So, folks in need are able to receive one meal a day five days a week. I'm not sure what they do on the weekends. Maybe fast? Maybe there's another soup kitchen in the area I'm not aware of?
I'll be checking - and I'll keep you posted. Maybe there's something we could do to help? Please let me know if you'd be interested. Comment below or drop me a message on FB.
Peace and a full stomach!
Dennis
I expected the soup kitchen would be a store front, part of of a strip mall, spacious to accommodate all the poor I see around town who most-likely would be in need of a warm meal especially as the temperatures begin to drop this time of year. Instead a found a stand alone very small house. I peered into the window and saw boxes of clothes and a few tables and chairs in a not to well kept environment. Maybe 10-12 people could fit inside? I'm not sure. The sign on the door said it was open for lunch Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and open for dinner Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bless the folks who run this place. The sign also said they get no government help (for any of you who are concerned about your tax dollars).
So, folks in need are able to receive one meal a day five days a week. I'm not sure what they do on the weekends. Maybe fast? Maybe there's another soup kitchen in the area I'm not aware of?
I'll be checking - and I'll keep you posted. Maybe there's something we could do to help? Please let me know if you'd be interested. Comment below or drop me a message on FB.
Peace and a full stomach!
Dennis
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