Monday Memo

A weekly positive meditation and thought-starter from the Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs

Special Note

Many, many thanks to the Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs for his inspiring and stimulating Monday Memo columns for the last nine months.  Due to a change in circumstance, he will not be able to continue the column, but we are deeply blessed and grateful for the columns below, which are as relevant and stimulating as ever.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Who is on our side?  We hear commercial jingles touting certain corporations are on our side.  But, where are they right now when our social safety nets are being shredded?  Who is on the side of the 150 million Americans whose combined incomes are less than the nation’s 400 wealthiest individuals?  Who is on the side of the 50 million Americans living without health insurance?  Who is on our side when the ‘Clean Air’ and ‘Clean Water’ acts are under assault threatening to put the environment at even greater risk?

There is a whole lot of talk going on all over the place among public figures and politicians who say they are concerned about us, the people of this country, but who among them are standing up and speaking out for us?

As we look around and see the increasing number of foreclosed homes, job layoffs, and reductions in social services to assist the most vulnerable in our nation, we need much more than false care and rhetoric without substance.  We need a vision to show us how to address the morass of personal, corporate, and communal challenges too many of us are facing.  We need real champions on our side who will come forward with platforms, strategies, ideas, and encouragement to inspire us.

Amid the haggling and casting blame across legislative aisles, there needs to be louder voices of justice and equity rising from our representatives.  Perhaps they need us to encourage them so they can find the courage do what is right and necessary.  The floors in our capitols should be flapping from the weight of truth and compassion spewing from the mouths of those who are on our side.  Instead, in this special period, we hear debates about debt and deficit and almost nothing about decency and delivery of services to assist people in need.  Such posturing makes these very dangerous days.

In the Ancient Texts, there are numerous episodes of behaviors similar to what we are witnessing across our country.  The poor, orphans, widows, elderly, children, and innocent people were oppressed by powerful and indifferent tyrants.  There were misappropriations of resources and wealth to fatten the wallets of the already rich.  It is very dangerous business to ignore the cries of others who struggle and suffer.

Who is on our side?  Who cares about the plight of the middle class working everyday and striving to live honestly?  Who cares about the elderly who contributed to our society and now are afraid during their sunset of years because they can’t afford medicine or medical care? Who really cares about our children whose academic careers are compromised and jeopardized by budget cuts?  Who is on our side when our nation’s infrastructure is crumpling and bridges are falling down? Who is on our side when our neighbors lose their homes and the people across the street lose their jobs?  Who cares about us when we are sick, hungry, and wondering what to do?

Truly, it is time for us to take real stock in what it means to be neighbors and develop sustainable communities through financially-stable families and individuals.  It is time to reassess our priorities.

Consider Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and God will give you everything you need.” (NIV)

Who is on our side?  We must stand together for the highest good and the common cause binding us as one nation.  There are no ‘knights in shining armor’ coming to rescue us.  We must be at our very best by caring for each other and attending to the needs of every one of us; no exception.  We must come together, side-by-side, to support and help each other to successfully weather the storms of this special period.  God be with us when we are on our side.

Monday, July 25, 2011

There is an endless conversation about money going on across the country.  Everywhere, we hear people talking about the national debt, state budget shortfalls, the economy, and the overall financial crisis.  No matter the amount of money, it is not enough.  Everybody talking about money doesn’t mean everybody has money.

How do we change the conversation?  Instead of bantering on and on about scarcity and the lack of funds to do everything we can imagine, what if we set a limit on those things we can control?  How about a ‘what if’ list of things we could do to shift how we understand this money mania?

Here is my short list of things we could do to start actually dealing with the fiscal crisis everybody tells us we are facing.

First, let’s make one thing perfectly clear.  The economic meltdown is not a natural disaster.  It is not the result of an “act of God” or any super natural force.  We did not just suddenly find ourselves in this situation.  It did not attack us without warning.  We are living with actions that were planned, designed, and executed with precision.  Thus, it is important for us to realize manufactured conditions produced this special period.

Second, we must imagine realistic alternative responses to mitigate the harsh impact certain events have wrought on too many lives.  Families and individuals are struggling and suffering because their needs have not been given crucial consideration.

Third, we must establish priorities that provide basic support equitably to every person affected by the realities emerging during this time of stretched resources.  Fundamentally, we must agree on some basic items to guarantee a quality of life that is sustainable.

Shelter, nutrition, health care, transportation, education, and clothing should not be diminished or sacrificed.  In order to ensure the delivery of those needs, a cap on cost should be instituted.  Extraordinary efforts must be made to provide the means for people to live without the threat of losing everything they possess.

Thus, we must find the will to reduce hardship and fear among anyone who is within the grasp of loss and failure.  Our society must become affordable so shelter, health, food, clothing, education and transportation are available without worry.  Making life affordable throughout the United States is the right thing to do to transform a time of woe into an opportunity of hope.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Have you had any good dreams lately?  Do you remember your dreams?  Sometimes a dream may float through your mind and vanish shortly after you wake up.  At times, some dreams linger and become a part of your mental life.  They recur and keep you wondering about their importance.  There are times when dreams appear so vividly they stir you or disturb you.  They worry you.

Dreams can be associated with idyllic possibilities; things we hope will come true.  We envision changes that will improve our lot.  We dream of things that are pleasant and beautiful.  Without much prodding, dreams help us to escape reality or provide an altered state of consciousness.  Usually, we think of dreams as positive experiences as they take us to places familiar or strange.

What do you dream about?  Is there something you desire and spend time wanting to appear?  How do you interpret your dreams?

In modern history, one of the most popular references to dreams came during the March on Washington in 1963 at which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.  He talked about a change in the social construction of our nation that would allow all citizens to share in the promises of freedom and justice.  His dream depicted a time and place in which all people lived peaceably together and shared the harvest of civility and sanity.

There is a particular aspect to dreams we cannot deny.  Simply, dreams reside in the ‘land of nod’ as we sleep.  Their substance is comprised of intangible waves and rhythms within our minds.  They disappear as we rise and take on the full effort of life.  Yet, they can remain with us and inspire our actions.

In the ancient world, dreams were given great consideration.  They were perceived as messages from God.  They were of significant consequence as people sought meaning and understanding about the purpose of their lives.

The story of Jacob, the third Patriarch, is fabled as a vision of struggle and triumph.  Jacob’s imperfections and shenanigans sent him on a flight to escape the wrath of his twin brother, Esau.  Thus, there is the speculation Jacob’s dream was fueled by a guilty conscious.

A dream exists in the in-between of being and non-being, place and un-place, and is and is not.  Yet, there is potential to manifest it into a refined, definite existence.  For Jacob, it was the genesis of a promise fulfilled as the progenitor of a multitude of nations.  It helped to clarify God’s promise to his grandfather, Abraham, who had traveled the exact path on which Jacob found himself.

We have our own dreams to consider.  In them, we may discover the larger context of our relationship with God and other people.  More importantly, our dreams may convey a true message of hope and possibility amid the distractions of our busyness.  While we sleep, we may see the way toward an opportunity waiting to be realized.  

Monday, July 11, 2011

Imagine what’s possible!  That is the theme of the United Church of Christ this year as we move on a course toward new challenges and opportunities.  It could be the theme of our lives.  Have you thought about the possibilities for yourself?

Each of us is facing something that is new, different, or quite familiar.  Some of us are dealing with health crisis and financial worries.  We are concerned about our families and neighbors.  At the same, we are experiencing a realm of unprecedented events that may make us feel out of sorts.  All of it is part of a scheme to ignite our imagination.

Whatever is taking place, we need to pay close attention to our attitude.  How we think about things really matters when it comes to how we adjust to the moment.  This is not particularly easy.  It is necessary however to develop an attitude that inspires us rather than one that causes us to lose the desire to be our best person.

I am not going to suggest any positive thinking techniques or insult you with platitudes.  Instead, here are some suggestions to help make the possible more bearable.  It begins with memory.

As we think about what is possible, it is important to reflect on what really is important from our experiences.  What really matters now as you think about those sacred moments that put you on a path that actually guided you to now?

Just take a few minutes and recall one significant encounter that helped to define the rest of your life.

As I comb through my memory, I am immediately taken back to my formative years as a teenager.  There was a freshness associated with new people, new ideas, and a range of perspectives that were quite different from my own.  Yet, each one of those items formed a string of living pearls that resulted in who I am becoming even now.

Blessed with loving parents whose maturity gave them the courage and foresight to applaud my steps, properly chastise my mistakes and turn them into learning moments, I eventually found myself in a place that was both foreign and distant from my home and upbringing.  It was a very intimidating period as a flood of newness washed over me.  The proverbial “fish out of water” was most appropriate in its description of my placement.

I found myself in the West San Gabriel Valley as a recent high school graduate among college students, Peace Corps veterans, and an international adventurer from Paris.  Nothing had prepared me quite fully for what was to come.  I could not imagine what was possible.  Even thinking back to that hot summer of 1967, it is hard to believe the many twists of life that circled me back to this incredible region.  Who could have known the possibility of my returning and becoming a part of this community?

Imagine what’s possible!

The second suggestion is to stop, be still, and pray by listening.  God is still speaking is another theme of the United Church of Church.  It is a reminder that God’s Creating Presence remains powerful and all-encompassing.  God is speaking to you right now.  Are you listening?  Can you discern the voice of God?  God encourages us to be open to something else.  We are urged to be surprised.  Even if the body of evidence clearly disappoints and frightens us, God is still there speaking to us.

Finally, another theme in the United Church of Christ provides a helpful hint at how we can imagine what is possible.

An extravagant welcome to all God’s children unleashes any pretense or fabricated fears.  “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here,” invites us to be present with others.  It is there in the company of friends and strangers that we truly come to know what is absolutely possible.

Now, we can advance from memory to vision.  Look forward and see the unpaved road ahead.  It is here where we are ready to imagine what’s possible.

Monday, July 4, 2011

July is the month in which we celebrate the birth of our nation.  235 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed by courageous men who dared to set a course for the future of their new government.  They imagined a country where freedom and democracy could be established as a way of life.  While they could not guarantee the success of their desires, they were determined to do everything within their power to make it so.  They sought a ‘more perfect union’ with the protections required to insure the sovereignty of their political experiment.

Imperfect but flexible, the signers of that document realized the importance of creating a framework for governance that would allow the emerging nation to adjust for the changing realities their success would create.  Their vision was profound, audacious, and wrought with incredible possibilities.  For all their efforts, they could not imagine the expanse of the country and the great diversity of global presence which today defines the United States of America.

We are a people who represent nearly every nation and society on the planet.  Many of us are here because of the wishes and desires of our parents who sought a better way of life.  Some of us are here because of forced, involuntary transplantation of our ancestors.  Still, others are members of our society as indigenous residents whose histories pre-date the explorations of Columbus and the conquistadors who invaded this region of the world.

We are comprised of recent arrivals who risked their lives crossing deserts, mountains, and dangerous territories to eke a living.  Others of us are descendants of adventurous pioneers who traveled across seas and over large swaths of land from coast to coast in search of new opportunities.  All of us are here with our various backgrounds, cultures, traditions, and world views.  “Out of many we are one” people who make up the population residing within the boundaries of this country.  And, still, many more are yet to arrive, and they will come just like others before them.  They are on their way to make the transition and vow their citizenship and residency as “Americans.”

How could those men who signed the Declaration of Independence have known the extent of their reach?  Did they see how much their hopes would be shared by so many others right up to this very moment?  We are not a monolithic populous of one mind or a single belief.  Rather, our differences often cause us to stretch broadly to accommodate even the polarity of our perspectives and passions.  Great consideration, politeness, patience, and tolerance are necessary for our union to survive.

Yet, we are witnessing a potentially destructive element among us that threatens to dishonor the evolving embrace of the highest ideals for a people who sought, fought, and sacrificed to make our nation a land of dreams fulfilled.  These days demand vigilance and tenacity to preserve what the founding fathers created and set in motion.  Along the way mistakes were made that affected the destinies of so many other countries and their peoples.  Along the way our Constitution, a living document, has been amended to correct mistakes and protect our citizens.  And, still, more must be done to address the changes that continue to define us as a nation.

Any campaign to limit or restrict the civil liberties of the people of this country must be watched with careful eyes.  Efforts to misinform, corrupt, or deceive the people of this country for the purpose of promoting a particular agenda that benefits one sector over and against another must be met with strategic determination to reduce or halt such impact on our society.  Our diligence to identify, assess, and alter such campaigns must go forth.

That, too, was part of the signers’ great concern.  They cautioned against tyranny in any form that could pose a threat to our understanding of a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

 “We the People” is far more inclusive today than what the signers of the Declaration of Independence originally had in mind.  That is a good thing and benefits us all.  So, as we celebrate the birthday of our nation, let us resolve to increase our awareness about the health and well-being of every person who shares the rights and privileges of this nation that was once seen as “the shining city on a hill” where under God’s guidance we can achieve “freedom and justice for all.”

Monday, June 27, 2011

The old saying, “It’s easier said than done,” rings true for many things in our everyday lives. We talk a lot about stuff that has various levels of importance.  We talk face to face, over the telephone and the Internet; in front of crowds, and we even talk to ourselves.  But, in order for things to happen, it takes more than just talk.

Dwight Casimer, producer of my radio talk show in Chicago, used to say, “If talk was revolution, we’d all be free.”  His point was obvious: there’s plenty of talking going on with very little doing.  The words of the old Negro spiritual, “Everybody talking about heaven ain’t going there,” are a constant reminder that success requires more than words and a wish.  We must be engaged in a dedicated effort to achieve our goals.

Of course, to have any credibility at all, it is necessary to confess both my profession and expectation as a preacher and teacher.  Talking is my business.  I am paid to talk, tell stories, and use words to inspire and instruct.  But, it is not merely for the sake of entertaining and teaching that I talk; rather, at its best, the talk is intended to inform and help create a clear path toward connecting all of us together.

There is more work to be done than there are laborers to do it.  There are so many opportunities for us to use our best ideals to guide our efforts and make life better for everyone.

We live within a society that has a history of crafting treaties, rules, pronouncements, and promises.  We have a legacy of drafting noble documents that proclaim “liberty and justice for all,” yet, we know those ideals do not exist for every member of our nation.  Even our religions provide sufficient words to help us live righteously in a way that would please God; yet, we are aware of the terrible realities that have resulted in God’s name, including wars, the Inquisition, the Holocaust, slavery, and extensive poverty.

We must and we can do so much more than offer mere platitudes to address the wrongs wrought upon so many people.  Words definitely have their place.  We need words to communicate our thoughts, feelings, hopes, and vision.  But, more importantly, we need to demonstrate our purpose and transform our words into deeds.  Otherwise, we are left with what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called, “A check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’."

My father’s words throughout my childhood were, “Son, your word is your bond.  If you fail to keep your word, your life loses its value.”  That’s pretty harsh instruction, but it is no less true.  What we say should have meaning beyond intention.

When we talk about “radical hospitality” and “extravagant welcome,” we should at least know what we are talking about and then act in way that is consistent with what we mean.  Neither is casual nor should be taken for granted.  Both require unusual behavior in a society that feigns invitation while it puts into place policies, practices, and legislation to restrain open acceptance of people who believe the invitation includes them.

The great teacher Jesus of Nazareth told his followers to go into all the world and love those they meet.  That is what each of us is called to do.  We are to act with compassion, forgiveness and love for everyone.  It is not easy, but it is required by God.

Monday, June 20, 2011

What is freedom?  Many Americans hold freedom as a virtue; something worth dying for to preserve.  But, do we actually understand its ramifications?

Does freedom have boundaries?  Who sets such limits?  Is freedom applicable to everyone?  Equally?  Fairly?  Unconditionally?  Why?  Or, why not?  Who determines the conditions of freedom?  Can freedom exist without conscientiousness of its existence?  Under what terms is freedom restricted?  And, if such terms can be determined, does freedom still exist?  More importantly, for freedom to have any meaning at all, we must consider its meaning and implication.

Classical definition of freedom is “the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression. Freedom is commonly known as a state of being free from government oppression.”

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_(political)

If freedom truly is a virtue for which countless others have died to protect and preserve, why is the loss of freedom within our society accepted with apparent casualness without protest?

In recent years, Americans have watched our civil liberties eroded with the passage of the so-called “Patriot Acts” since the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.  We have been told such measures are necessary to protect us from terrorists.  At the same time, we have allowed our privacy to be invaded to point where it almost doesn’t exist.  Even the ideal of freedom barely captures our attention.

Historian John Hope Franklin cautioned against the Renaissance Era’s influence on the concept of freedom “to pursue those ends which would be most beneficial to (a person’s) soul and body…that resulted in the destruction of long-established practices and beliefs and even in the destruction of the rights of others to pursue the same ends for their own benefit…freedom which emerged in the modern world bordered on licentiousness and created a situation that approached anarchy.” (Franklin, From Freedom to Slavery-Third Edition; Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1967; page 43)

Paraphrasing sociologist and political activist W.E.B. DuBois, Professor Franklin challenged the practice of “freedom to destroy freedom, the freedom of some to exploit the rights of others.  It was, indeed, the concept of freedom with little or no social responsibility.” (Ibid)

That kind of “freedom” gave rise to slavery in the United States of America and the extermination of Native Americans to possess and privatize open, public lands.  Dr. Franklin wrote, “If a man (sic) was determined to be free, who was there to tell him that he was not entitled to enslave others?” (Ibid, 43)

The Bible’s exodus story focused on God’s intervention into human history to detest oppression, slavery, and suffering.  Moses, the priest of the Hebrew people who fled captivity, encountered God in a ‘burning bush that was not consumed’.  God said, "I have observed the misery of my people; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them.”  (Exodus 3:7)

Juneteenth celebrates Emancipation Day of African Americans from slavery and is shared this year with Father’s Day on June 19.  Today it is well worth our time to think seriously and deeply about freedom and justice for all.

Monday, June 13, 2011

We don’t just read the Bible, the Bible reads us.  No matter how many times you pick up The Book, there is always something new, unusual, or never-before detected within its pages.  The other day a man blurted, “I wish Paul (the apostle) would stop changing and adding to his letters.  Every time I read one I find something new.”  That pretty much sums up our experiences whenever we read the Bible.  But, it is not the Bible that changes; rather, we are constantly changing and experiencing life differently almost daily.

The Bible catches and captures us right where we are.  There are times when things are going great; it couldn’t be better.  We read the Bible and find joy and hope.  There are times when life falls apart.  We read the Bible and discover comfort and peace.  Then, there are those times when we crack the pages and face challenges with a charge to change the way we live and think.  That may be the hardest moment for us because we may not want to change.  We may want life to keep going the way things are.  The Bible reads us.

I truly enjoy Bible study and spiritual formation classes.  There are times when I need to sit with others and listen to their stories as we open the Bible together.  Each Tuesday night at 7 o’clock at San Marino Congregational United Church of Christ, a group comes together for Soul Food.  That’s a time when we share our stories and explore the emerging Word of God.  No matter how many times we review familiar texts, we come away with something new.  The Bible reads us.

We are in the midst of Pentecost, the birth of the Christian church.  This is a transformational period as we reflect on the power of God.  Although Pentecost actually dates back long before Christianity was born, the advent of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus’ followers marks a critical turn in history.  In fact, there are biblical accounts that parallel ancient traditions found in the Hebrew Scriptures and followed closely by the First Century Christian community.  To appreciate the continuity of the plot lines requires reading the Bible systematically.

However, a theological scholarly pursuit of scriptural understanding is not necessary to catch the Spirit of God’s intention for humankind.  We only need our own curiosity and desire to engage the messages preserved for our reading today.  Unfortunately, we lose precious opportunities to experience the mysteries hidden inside The Book when we choose to have a private, exclusive and limited encounter with God.  Like poetry, the Bible is intended to be read aloud and exchanged among others.  While it may be a source of consolation and resolve in quiet moments, it really needs a communal approach for us to fully glean what it offers.

The Bible is dynamic, apparently contradictory at times, and always available for review and critique.  Mostly, it provides lessons to guide our lives and correct our mistakes.  It is a source of encouragement and reproach.  It reads us like a book.

During this season of Pentecost, open the Text again for the first time and discover something new about yourself.  God is with and within us.  Find out what the Bible has to say to and about you.  When you read the Bible the Bible reads you.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Religion educators are important people in our lives.  Often we just take them for granted because they faithfully show up every week and provide instructions and teach us ancient stories and lessons.  They are reliable and we just expect them to be with us.  They rarely receive special attention.  Usually, they are not mentioned publicly or recognized by politicians.  Yet, religion educators have shaped many of our understanding of life’s true meaning and purpose.  They have sharpened our senses and focused our awareness so that we concern ourselves with other people’s welfare.

This week we are giving our religion educators special attention.  Their commitment to enriching our faith journey deserves our gratitude and appreciation.  Biblical exploration and study enhance and heighten our quality of life.  We are able to connect with people who lived in ancient and distant places who also sought to worship God and form communities.  We learn about God’s desire for all human beings to take care of the Earth and build relationships based on compassion, forgiveness and love.

Life brings us into contact with God’s great design with diversity and pluralism.  We can become lost in the mixture of cultures and alluring opportunities that inspire us to venture beyond our comfort zones.  The excitement of discovery causes us to stretch and imagine what is possible.  At the same time without discipline and deeper awareness of God’s expectations for us, we can make major mistakes.  Our religion educators help to provide critical ways of seeing ourselves in the world so we can make informed, good decisions.

As we celebrate the wonderful work our religion educators diligently perform every week, we also express our thanks for their willingness to stand with us as they encourage us to go forward with confidence that God is with and within us.

If you have not participated in any spiritual formation programs, re-think your priorities.  There is more to life than jobs, recreation, and personal chores.  Our religion educators help us balance our time and put our priorities in correct order.  For all that they do, we are grateful.

Life without religion educators is only partially lived.  They make an incredible difference in helping us see and hear God.  We say again, "THANK YOU," to religion educators for bringing the Word and making us more human.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Saying, “Good-bye,” is one of the most wrenching and difficult experiences in life.  Children grow up and leave home and parents have to let go and wave good-bye.  Loved ones are called to serve their country and head to war and families tearfully watch them sail away.  A friend dies and we grieve as we think about our own mortality.

Good-bye does not always mean gone forever as implied in the Japanese term, “sayonara.”  The Spanish phrase, “hasta luego,” suggests we will meet again or “I will see you later.”  It is the English usage of “good-bye” that can leave us dangling with uncertainty about the permanence of the farewell.  Unlike Japanese or Spanish, English does not provide a specific placement of time to help us know how long the absence is expected to last.

We say good-bye to our children each morning as they go off to school and we expect to see them again within a few hours.  We say good-bye at transport terminals where people catch airplanes, buses or trains to travel great distances.  We say good-bye when relationships end or someone moves away.  Each good-bye has a very different quality and depth to its significance, but none can be taken for granted or felt with the same level of emotion.  Every good-bye does not mean the same thing; at least, not in English usage.

When Jesus gave his long good-bye speech to his disciples as recorded in over five chapters of the Gospel of John (13-17), we read a complicated exchange of fluctuation in which a mixture of temporary and permanent expressions conveys his departure.  On the one hand, Jesus tells his followers he is going away to a place that he will prepare for them to follow him and that he will return.  On the other hand, he shares with them indicators about his death which signal a much longer absence, including a real sense of finality.  What were those who heard him to make of all he said?  What does it mean for us today?

Often it is not what is said that informs us, but how we hear and under what circumstances we hear that can help us to understand what is said.  Jesus’ disciples were caught off guard by his message that stunned and sent them into a state of distraught and despair.  They did not fully grasp what he was talking about as he explained why it was necessary for him to go away.  They could not accept his talk of dying and leaving them.  After all, he was a healthy, young man who demonstrated great power and had performed wonders.

Jesus began his conversation by calling out the one companion who would ultimately betray him and turn him over to the authorities for trial and execution.  That, alone, was more than enough to create a dispirited moment.  After Judas Iscariot, the traitor, left the group, Jesus moved quickly to calm down his men and give them encouragement; even hope.  It was the longest recorded message Jesus delivered.  The “Sermon on the Mount” in which he preached the ‘beatitudes’ and instructed listeners to ‘love their enemies’ is the second longest sermon written over three chapters in  the Gospel of Matthew (5-7).

Good-bye can be for a very long time.  But, Jesus points out that physical separation does not mean complete absence.  There is a spiritual dimension to life that joins us closely together without the constant appearance of the other.  Throughout his ministry, Jesus tried to help his followers to know their intimate relationship with God.  Although they could not see God face to face, God was always present with them as God is present with us.  This is true with human relationships as well.  We can feel the presence of someone who once stood in front of us but has moved on.  The authentic contact with another human being can become seared within us and our love is inseparable.

That is what Jesus wants his followers to understand.  The power of love removes distance and separation.  Love is the divine gift that binds us into a single cord of mutuality and eternal presence.  Jesus left his disciples in a real and physical way, but he became truly one with them spiritually, and that made them bold, bodacious, and bound together.  Jesus’ words of good-bye transformed a sense of alienation into awareness of unity within his small band and beyond them to a renewal of Covenant with God for all of us.  With God, there is never good-bye in any language.

Monday, May 23, 2011

What kind of nation are we building today when politicians attack educators from kindergarten through universities?  What kind of vision do we have for the future of this country when the people who prepare our children are under siege?

From California to Rhode Island, teachers are in the crosshairs of elected officials who take aim to break unions and eliminate collective bargaining rights of workers.  They combine the sluggish economy with the results of student standardized tests to rationalize their assaults on classroom personnel.  Missing from the critique of societal concerns that put teachers under the microscope and their livelihood on the chopping block of state budgets is the real cause of our current economic woes.

In California, for example, there has been a convenient dismissal of the disastrous, vote-baiting proposition of 33 years ago that falsely presented a remedy to what had been the state’s flawed, excessive property tax structure.  Proposition 13 did more than reduce property taxes to one percent of cash value.  It cut the financial lifeline of our public schools and required both state legislative houses to reach a super-majority of a two-thirds vote to increase taxes.

We used to provide free education from elementary schools to our state university systems financed through property taxes.  California led the nation in quality public education.  Today, it trails almost every state in the country.  And, we wrongly blame our teachers.

Major demonstrations recently in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego by teachers and students put the spotlight on the unfair, erroneous and misplaced focus on educators as culprits.  While our public schools need help in addressing the overwhelming issues brought onto campuses that restrict and distract teachers and students, they are not breeding grounds of social ills as portrayed by pundits and politicos.

Ignoring the larger, more pervasive problems that plague American life, such as joblessness, income inequities, cultural incompetence, and lingering racial biases creates greater dangers that put all of us at risk.  Blaming teachers will not resolve that crisis.

There are harsh lessons yet to be learned by stubborn, reluctant, and recalcitrant minions of a peculiar mindset who insist on backward tactics to stall the emerging reality.  Although they may attempt to disguise their true intentions under the garb of decency and civic responsibility, they are fully exposed.  Their consistent arguments to weaken public education and bolster private and corporate-supported institutions, including charter schools and voucher programs, to drain and transfer public funds reveal their blatant desires.

The scheme goes beyond our state and national public education system.  It also seeks to diminish our governments’ abilities to provide general assistance and social services to the poorest and most vulnerable members of society, including those who gave their lives in service to our country: returning war veterans.

We are witnessing the blind allegiance to a political perspective that is committed to reducing the basic tenets of our nation’s core values; namely, to serve, protect and defend.  Right now, there is a movement afoot to eliminate resources that will serve our children, protect their futures, and defend against the onslaught of foreign and domestic threats on their well being.

Failure to insure the highest quality education and preparation for our children to meet challenges and opportunities on the horizon is to betray them and the nation.  Attacking educators today guarantees their demise tomorrow.  Is that really what we want?    

Monday, May 16, 2011

“Walk the talk” is a mantra many of us try to follow.  It means to do what we say.  Sometimes, we see people who say one thing and live a completely different or opposite life.  They have secrets they want to hide.  Or, they pontificate about high expectations placed on others without making a sincere effort to model what they say.  In fact, there is a cliché that sums up that practice, “Do as I say and not as I do.”

This is a special period in which living a consistent life in alignment with what we say and do is very much needed.  People are searching for “cues and clues” to find ways to improve their conditions.  They watch and listen to see and hear how they should behave and conduct their business.  They want to know who is ‘walking the talk’.

We can only imagine their disappointment each time a person of faith contradicts the teachings of Moses, Jesus, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Gandhi, King, Day, or Mother Teresa.

There really should be a correlation between attending religious services and delivering social services to anyone in need.  There should be public acts of kindness, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness portrayed by people who spend time in sacred spaces of worship.  We should be able to distinguish between someone who confesses a religious commitment from others who have no conscience about God’s intention for human salvation and liberation.

Yet, when we look around we see there are not enough people who ‘walk the talk’.  Instead, there are other influences that have seized our hearts and minds.  Greed, selfishness, violence, avarice, envy, and deceit conspire to create an atmosphere of broken relationships, mistrust, despair, fear and suspicion.

We are subjected to a saturation of dangerous words that project perspectives that lead to division, discrimination, and damage lives.  False information spreads like wildfire and enflames our attitude to rile us against other human beings.  We lose sight of the potential for goodness and righteousness to guide our actions.

There is a great need today for morally courageous people to step out of the shadows and into the broad daylight.  We need to experience God’s love in the embrace of people who care deeply for each other.  We need to feel Christ’s presence in the faces of strangers who surround us.  What the world needs now is a sermon that is lived and not preached.  Then, we will witness the truth about ‘walking the talk’.

Monday, May 9, 2011

There are major events happening all over the world. Severe storms have captured most of our attention. There have been earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, heavy snowfall, drenching rain, heat waves, and fluctuating temperatures almost weekly. We are experiencing a spring unlike any we have known in most of our lifetimes.

If the weather were not enough to give us pause, there are the continuing wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Libya. At the same time, even as the national economy shows signs of improving, too many people are still out of work; others face foreclosures on their homes; pensions are lost; and, uncertainty about state budgets keep many of us off balance.

What does all of this mean? Are these signs that we need to understand? Should we change how we live?

The catastrophes cause us to ponder the deeper meanings of life. This is a time to reassess our values and reconnect with our families, neighbors, and people in our lives. Disasters that hit so close to home help us to see the world differently. We realize we are vulnerable and not invincible. We need others as much as others need us. We live in a social reality that requires community. Sometimes it takes something incredible to remind us of the sacred, fragility of human life.

These are times in which we cannot escape the full extent of Nature’s force and our interwoven relationship with Creation. Recent reminders of that systematic connectivity are instructive in keeping us focused on God’s desire for people to work together and take care of each other. We cannot afford to be callous or inattentive to the needs of our brothers and sisters. That is our greatest challenge right now.

Sometimes we forget about what so many people are living with and living through as major events displace and rearrange their lives. We don’t always concern ourselves with the plight of the poor. That is what made the hurricanes and storms along the Gulf Coast a few years ago so devastating. Years of neglect and abject poverty increased damages and loss of life. Today, many areas in that region have not been rebuilt and too many people continue to struggle and suffer.

Worse, in war zones, people are terrorized, not comforted, and have no expectation of wars ending soon and their lives improving. Do we think about them? Do we care about the dangers families and children face in places destroyed and broken by violence?

The signs of these times inform us again about what it means to be truly human. We are given new opportunities to make life better by becoming aware of what is happening and thinking clearly about the positive difference you make.

Monday, May 2, 2011

It may be easy to forget that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were immigrants who traveled from one country to a new land in search of safety and sanctuary.  We may also forget they were part of a larger group of people who were immigrants who journeyed through many nations in search of a homeland.  Even today families continue to move across borders for the very same reasons that led Jesus and his parents to flee Palestine and cross over into Egypt as they escaped the threat of death and hardship.

Likewise, the United States of America was founded by immigrants, settlers who arrived on the eastern shores of this land from distant countries.  They came with hope and fear.  They left everything that was familiar and ventured into the unknown places of the New World.  Lest we forget, when many of them arrived they were met by long term residents who extended hospitality and friendship.  Having crossed the Atlantic Ocean after weeks on rough seas, those earlier pilgrims were hungry, sick and weak.  Many died along the passage.  The survivors were in great need of food, medicine and shelter.

Immigrants and indigenous peoples were joined in a web of humanity.  They required assistance and understanding.  Their initial contact did not produce conflict.  Rather, they experienced a depth of humanity that reflected possibilities of cooperation and companionship.  Yet, we know the unfortunate realities that emerged with the collision of history and coincidence.  Hospitality and hostility formed a toxic relationship with deadly consequences.

Criminal conduct and nightmarish greed gained a stranglehold on the human condition in the developing colonies that created intolerable standards for livelihoods, including the extermination of the welcoming hosts and the institution of slavery.  A system that allowed the importation of human cargo from Africa and exploitation of human labor was sanctioned at every level of government.  At the same time, new immigrants from Europe were treated harshly and often criminalized because of their places of origin.

Today, flawed immigration policies at the federal and state levels continue to plague the lives of newly arrived residents.  Stigma, slander, and shame accompany those persons who struggle and survive the treacherous paths to life in the United States.  It is neither easy nor casual to come to a country that signals its openness to the “huddled masses” but dares to cast long shadows on efforts to achieve entry.

A great country is known by the way it treats the most vulnerable people within its borders.  Greatness is defined by one’s ability to receive and provide for those in need.  Greatness can only be applied when extraordinary efforts are made to insure the welfare of everyone who relies on public assistance.

When we remember the Holy Family, we must also find them in the faces of men, women and children who live among us but whose lives are threatened because of their identity and legal status.  For the United States to be a truly great nation, we must determine to be a place where compassion dictates our desire to provide shelter, sustenance, healthcare, quality education, and the opportunity to thrive to everyone who comes across the border or steps onto these shores.  Anything less renders us something other than great.  The person we reject and turn away may, in fact, be Christ Jesus.

Monday, April 25, 2011

What’s up with all this business about slamming teachers and dumping on public education?  It’s become a national sport to blame teachers for all the social ills in the country and to make disparaging remarks about students in public schools.  Well, it is time to stop!

Our family is dedicated to public education.  In fact, even after our academically-high-achieving children were offered scholarships to prestigious private schools, we refused the offers and kept our children in public schools.  We have no regrets about our decision.

This past week we attended open house at our daughter’s high school.  The enthusiasm among all her teachers could not be missed.  Each one expressed glee about teaching their students, and several teachers spoke with pride and honor about the length of their tenure at the school.  One of the youngest teachers, a math instructor, shared his academic pedigree as an undergraduate from Princeton and alumnus of the Claremont Graduate University.  He even gave our daughter helpful tips about preparing to successfully apply to the upper echelon colleges and universities.

At first I was a bit suspicious of the bubbly attitudes demonstrated by every one of the teachers.  It felt they had been instructed to impress parents and had practiced how to approach us with positive, high energy.  But, there were several reminders of what we experienced were not some fabricated display of sincere commitment to public education.

First, although the teachers expressed encouraging remarks to parents about each of their students, they also went straight to their grade books and reviewed the progress of every child.  Some students were performing at or above their grade level, while others were not doing as well.

Our daughter’s Spanish teacher explained it this way, “My students are doing as well as they want to do, but they don’t always do as well as I want them to do.”  She was not discouraged or dismissive.  She and her colleagues set a pace that pushes their students (our children) to achieve with high expectations of success.

Second, the teachers were in their classrooms into the evening with parents who also had come from their jobs.  It made for a long day yet the teachers were still working and planning to return the next day and continue teaching our children.  That is a testament of commitment which cannot be denied.

A few weeks ago I looked at schedules teachers had posted in their classrooms at another public high school on the far west side of Los Angeles County.  I was visiting with a friend who consults with classroom teachers.  He invited me to observe him at work.  While waiting in one teacher’s office, I read the monthly schedule which indicated starting time of 7:30 every morning and ending around 4:30 in the afternoon.  The schedule also included special events that took this teacher off campus and out of the area with our children to participate in activities with students from other public schools. There was no shortage of commitment and dedication to public education among those teachers.

Third, and perhaps the most important element to assess the effectiveness of teachers, our daughter was beaming with excitement about her school and what she is learning.  That was the bottom line evidence something very good is happening in public schools.  She and her teachers are connecting and are co-conspirators in assuring her success.

All of this could be reduced to an exceptional experience outside the routine.  However, our children have attended public schools in several cities.  Our observations this past week are consistent with all their schools.

Teachers in public schools deserve better depictions than what is usually presented by politicians and pundits.  Public education needs to be supported more without the broad criticism and blind sided attacks so commonly delivered.

When the record is examined and the truth is told, we realize there is no justification for the constant barrage of insults and vicious assaults on teachers and public education.  To be certain, improvements need to be made on campuses across the country.  But what is needed more than anything else is a change of speech, tone, and attitude toward teachers and public education.  Instead of complaining about how bad our schools are, more of us must work a lot harder to make them better by becoming more involved in saving and supporting our teachers and schools.

Visit a public school and talk with teachers and students about their schedules and expectations.  It may be a rewarding and surprising experience.

Monday, April 18, 2011

We can and we must do better.  We are in the midst of a storm of incredible opportunities to allow our humanity to flourish.  Global wars and disasters require our full attention, talents, and efforts to bring healing and hope to people who are trapped in the inescapable tragedies that dominate their lives.

This is a kairos moment which makes necessary every available resource to address tremendous needs all over the world; including right here close to home.  It does not matter our skill level, wherewithal, or amount of time we can give; all of us are needed to relieve distress that grips too many people.

If you are wondering what you can do, have a conversation with your family and friends about the events taking place on every continent.  As you talk together, discuss what you understand about the wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear power plant meltdowns, atmospheric contamination of radioactive particles, increased homelessness, job losses, business bankruptcies, protracted unemployment, abandoned children, elderly abuse, poverty, and rampant greed.  That is merely a short list of mega-conditions affecting our neighbors and many of us.

These are times that invite responses rooted in faith traditions that give clear, unambiguous instructions about generosity, hospitality, compassion, and the importance of true community.

Earth is comprised of global villages with connecting ecological, environmental, and economic systems.  All of us are affected by activities, policies, and practices that touch human life.  No matter how hard we may try, we cannot ignore the impact of current events.  There is no hiding place or shelter from the throes of trauma touching persons on every part of the planet.

This is compassion time.  Although many politicians and pundits are engaged in piecing together budgets that stripe away social safety nets and protect tax cuts for our nation’s wealthiest citizens and major corporations, it is impossible to deny the obvious needs of the most vulnerable who depends on public services.  We are in the midst of a special period that makes compassion the operative means by which we can survive many contemporary trials and tribulations.  All of us need each other.

We can do better than what is being offered in our nation and states capitols.  We must do better than cutting taxes that put vital services at risk.  We have to stop our mindless financing of senseless wars.  We must re-arrange our priorities to assure quality of life is not compromised because of misplaced values.

This is a time when we can evaluate what is truly important and must be preserved to advance our ideals.  That is why we have to carefully and closely follow the ancient wisdom to hold life sacred by loving one another.  These troubled days allow us to assess our priorities so we will live consistently with our faith traditions.  This is not the first time human beings have been challenged by forces beyond our control.  We must not lose hope or feel helpless. Instead, we must join together and imagine new possibilities that will make the world better.

There are some people who do not agree and have no desire to extend themselves as a force to do the kind of good that will benefit others.  But, if enough of us who take our faith seriously were to consider ways to activate choices which transform disasters into opportunities to heal and make hope possible, then we can go to sleep at night confident we are striving to do our best.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Bad news is pouring out from everywhere.  The California state legislature is stuck off course and doesn’t have the will to resolve our budget crisis.  Teachers face massive layoffs in public schools.  War cries echo across the halls of Congress.  Unresolved issues to put the nation on a more solid economic footing are slipping the country deeper into debt.  The end of woe does not appear to be near.  That bad news pales against the horrendous reports of disasters around the world, including civil conflicts, starvation, diseases, and the aftermath of destruction and death in the wake of earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear meltdowns.

Yet, here we are in the midst of contradictory experiences and perspectives.  Some of us are only marginally affected by the events that capture the attention and change the lives of people in the state, across the country, and around the world.  While some of us are observers of the difficult episodes saturating the news, too many others are caught in the mire of inescapable realities.  They live without remedy or relief.

There is a need for a breath of hope to sustain all of us through these and the days ahead.  We can do something to assist people in trouble and those who are at risk.  It takes a concerted and cooperative effort by all of us to change the path we are on.  There is a better way to make a more positive and necessary difference.

First, we must assess our resources, organize our actions, and coordinate our response to the myriad crises.  We must be determined to use every available opportunity to forge an effective change for the common good.  As we listen to the cries and concerns of those most directly affected by the traumatic experiences they face, we can begin to imagine ways that are helpful.  We must move forward together with prayers for God’s guidance and Christ’s compassion.  We must use the information we receive to assure what we do is consistent with the needs people articulate.  There is something for everyone to do during this special period.

Just being present with families and individuals who suffer and struggle to survive is a tremendous gift.  Attending to the calls for assistance is more than sufficient to encourage the afflicted and to breathe hope.  That is what we need right now.

Hope is under attack by cynical politicians who have designs to dissuade the public and undermine the power of imagination and courage.  Hope inspires us to challenge obstacles that appear overbearing.  Hope shoves us into the fray without flinching.  We need hope to keep us moving forward.  We cannot allow hope to be lost as contentious, dishonorable, would-be public servants try to diminish its purpose.  Hope induces joy and creates an attitude of strength and new possibilities.  It is not trivial or weak.  Hope is necessary to keep us believing we can overcome.

As we work to form new community and convert strangers into friends, let us “keep hope alive” and breathe new hope into everyone we meet along the path toward a better world.

Monday, April 4, 2011

There are times when we may feel like giving up.  Things go wrong and it seems as if there is nothing we can do to change it.  We look at ourselves and think no matter what, it is not going to get any better.  Have you been there?  Do you know that feeling of frustration and resignation?

The trials and strains of life can get to us on occasion and we lose sight of the good and beautiful things around us.  It is like a cloud hovers just above our heads and stays there motionless.  As the saying goes, “In life, stuff happens.”  During those times when everything is going wrong, we have an opportunity to step back, assess what is happening, and turn it over to God.

Do you believe God is truly in charge of your life?  Can you accept the possibility that you cannot dictate every aspect of your life?  The good, bad, and indifferent all are within the realm of God’s control.  If we were to have just a little faith and allow God to take charge of our life, we will discover a miraculous occurrence.  We do not have to worry about the outcome.

There is an old hymn that says, “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.”  It is a reminder that whatever we are going through, God is right there with us.  When things get too heavy to bear, God is there to lift our burden.  “Just take it to the Lord and leave it there.”

Some of us may have the mistaken notion that we have to handle every situation that comes along.  We simply don’t trust others, including God, to take care of the matter.  We figure we have what it takes to get the job done.  In fact, that is a self imposed burden that really is too much for any one person.  Yes, even you have to surrender at some point.

The familiar Psalm 23 expresses King David’s awareness of God’s critical presence in his life.  God provides the restoring comfort of providing for David his every need.  God is the Source of consolation in times of trouble.  God supplies food, drink, and comfort.  God removes fear and inspires courage.  The importance of Psalm 23 is found in David’s understanding of an omnipresent divinity who shelters and protects against threats and terror.

When we yield ourselves to God life is seen from a proper, more appropriate perspective.  While we possess a high degree of intelligence and have an accelerate rate of gifts and abilities, we are not designed to take on all the challenges that confront us.  There is much more to the mysterious complexities of life than what we are fully capable of handling.  We are not expected to take on the world with competence to successfully achieve what life requires.  God is there with us to sustain and guide us every step of the way.

Like David, we arrive at a moment when we must surrender in order to be restored.  Humility brings us to a place where our strength is found even in our vulnerability.  What appears to be a weakness is actually the recognition we cannot do all things alone.  We need to rely on God and we need each other.  That is the foundation of community.

In order to find the Path toward meaningful life, we must acknowledge God’s presence with us.  David has given us his words in Psalm 23 to help create an image of God’s Covenant with humanity.  When life begins to feel overbearing, we can turn to the Source that invites us to bring our burden and leave it there.  The crisis may not ebb easily or quickly, but we will be restored and given the strength to carry on.  Don’t give up; give in to God.

Monday, March 28, 2011

What lessons are we receiving from the enormous events taking place around the world?  The triple threats associated with earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear meltdowns in Japan.  Civil disorder throughout the Arab world.  Air wars in Lybia.  Earthquakes in China and New Zealand.  Budget crises in states across America.  And, the mundane disruptions of crime, street violence, home foreclosures, business bankruptcies, and rising unemployment.  That is the short list of mega-catastrophes amid people’s continued struggles with the myriad of personal, micro-challenges in their everyday lives.  So, what are learning from all of that?

We are in the midst of an incredible moment which is pregnant with opportunities.  Every disaster provides new ways to connect humanity.  Over the years, we have witnessed people responding to troubles with the upmost dignity and concern for the welfare of others.  Our most generous spirit comes forward as we give our money, time and other resources to rescue individuals and families stuck in the aftermath of horror.  We know how to do good and come to the aid of those trapped in inescapable circumstances.

The series of recent travesties remind us again of our capacity to comfort and bring community where there is brokenness and fear.  We have an immeasurable ability to overcome severe hardship and restore civility.  Human beings are wired to respond efficiently and effectively to the calamities that come into our lives.  Our resilience is a source of strength and vision that allows us to keep going without being overwhelmed when our world is turned upside down.

One of the great outcomes of times like this is having access to stories.  People are talking about what they have experienced.  They share their losses and their surprises. They express appreciation and gratitude for the unexpected acts of compassion.  There are stories of survival and discovery of lost relatives and neighbors. 

In the midst of our most vulnerable moments, life captures us and helps us to focus on the minute details that we previously had taken for granted.  Friendships have deeper meaning.  Strangers become first responders.  We realize the importance of every person. The big world is reduced to a specific location and exact environment.  Everything Sometimes it takes a horrendous eruption to call our attention to the significance and fragility of human ties.  It is in such times that we become even more aware of the Greatest Power available within us.  Known by many names and interrupted in numerous ways, the Greatest Power sustains us and carries us through the dreaded days of uncertainty and dismay.  We realize again that life is beyond our control, yet, we possess all that is required for us to pass by the shadow of death.  We acknowledge and give reverence to The One whose undeniable love is never forsaken.

Perhaps this inner knowledge is explained differently and understood in ways that may not coincide with our particular interpretation.  But, it is no less real and experienced.  This too is part of the learning that comes when the earth quakes and the ocean roars above the ground.  In times like these we gain new ways of knowing that which is more ancient than time and is as accessible as our very breath.

The beauty that comes with troubling times is arrayed in the gentle smiles and twinkling eyes of survivors and rescuers.  We learn how to touch without injury and how to care without trepidation.  A lesson in being truly human is taught between the gaps of despair and grave disappointment.  We learn the power of intention, relevance and reverence.  We cannot waste this special period by failing to take away from it lessons to improve lives and draw us all closer together and near to God.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Godzilla has risen again in Japan.  The radioactive monster created for Japanese cinema has leaped off the big screen and has come to life in monstrous and unexpected ways.  Godzilla first appeared in 1954 in the wake of World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The concept of the towering creature that attacked cities across the island nation grew out of concerns about nuclear weapons used against the people of Japan in 1945.  Godzilla was conceived as the result of unleashed nuclear power.  The monster arose from the sea and trampled onto land devouring everything in its path.

This past week we witnessed unprecedented destruction in the world’s third largest economic nation as nuclear power plants exploded and radioactive materials spewed into the atmosphere.  The extent of damage is yet to be fully determined or measured.  The long lasting impact has yet to be assessed.  But, in the immediate aftermath of the meltdowns, scientists, civil defense personnel, and government officials scrambled to find solutions to reduce the harm to human, marine, animal and plant life.  The near future of nuclear power as a continuing source of energy has been put into question.  Godzilla lives!

Like in the movies that depicted the fictitious hybrid between a whale and a gorilla, this real Godzilla came ashore out of the turbulent sea that rose as a tsunami following the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that rattled Japan, killed thousands of people, and left cities and communities in ruin.  The trifecta effect of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plants meltdowns has shoved Japan into a state of unimaginable loss.  The whole world watched in horrifying shock as disaster after disaster after disaster sent a wave of tragedy in biblical proportions over that highly industrialized country.

Many of us are left wondering could that happen here.  We also have nuclear power plants.  We too live atop active fault lines which seismic experts predict are ready to erupt with such force that our lives will be drastically changed.  We too reside along the Pacific Ocean’s “ring of fire” from Argentina to Alaska with its potential to roar ashore as a tsunami.

Just as the nuclear monster was revised by American movie makers in 1998, Godzilla could cross the sea and invade our lands as it has done in Japan.  What can we do?

            Observing the responses taking place in Sendai and Hokkaido, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures throughout Northern Japan, we can see a remarkable human characteristic emerging.  In times of dire events, the best of humanity comes forth.  Overwhelming conditions require extraordinary efforts of cooperation.  Also, within the Japanese context, we see the ancient practices of harmony and humility dictating behaviors that have attracted Western commentators to pause and take notice.

 “People are waiting patiently up to seven hours in long lines to buy gasoline at a station that has only one pump,” remarked a CNN reporter who tried to imagine how desperate, frightened motorists in the United States would hold up under similar circumstances.  Perhaps the unbelievable series of incredibly terrifying quakes, rising seas, and nuclear meltdowns reveal the potentially positive possibilities of human compassion in times of horrendous events beyond our control.  These are days when we must turn toward each other and not on or against one another.  As the old song goes, “In times like these we need an anchor.”

Godzilla may have risen from fiction to reality, but God has the ultimate and final power to make life new.  Our awareness of God’s presence is the true anchor we need.  Knowing what God requires of us in our relationships with others and our response to our sisters and brothers in need, provides the correct and appropriate solutions to the problems we face.  We really do live in a one world community.  We must love our neighbors as we love ourselves; and right now our neighbors in Japan, China, New Zealand, Haiti, the Gulf Coast and around the world need our help.  We must join together like the people in the movies to defeat Godzilla.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Is God at the center of your life?

A couple of years ago while studying at the Claremont School of Theology, I took a course in comparative religion.  It was much more than the theoretical and historical review of different faiths around the world.  The class was designed to engage students in experiencing four religions that are prevalent in our area.

We are very fortunate in Southern California to have a world of cultures resident with us.  People have come from countries as close as Mexico and as far away as the Himalayas in Central Asia.  They have transported their religions and traditions to create a blend of the human mosaic that we witness on streets, in shops, and at sacred spaces.

Our class on religions visited an Islamic mosque in La Verne, a Hindu temple in Riverside, the great Buddhist temple in Hacienda Heights, and the historic Wilshire Jewish synagogue in Midtown Los Angeles.  Clergy and lay leaders greeted us, shared foods, and instructed us on their understandings of faith, personal life, and social responsibility.  Although each one was distinctive, we discovered the amazing mysteries of those four religions’ similarities.  All placed God above everything else and at the center of their purpose.

As a Christian who embraces the teachings of Jesus Christ, I found our visits invigorating and reassuring.  God truly loves the world and everyone who lives without partiality or preference.  God expects us to order our priorities in a way that places God first and at the center of our lives.

God is with us all, but the real question is “are we aware of God’s presence?”

There are many distractions that can cause us to miss the importance of centering ourselves in a precise and intentional way that keeps our focus on God.  Yet, everything we do has God’s touch on it.  Breathing is an involuntary exercise that calms us and gives us peace when we concentrate on its rhythm.  Our relationships with family, friends, neighbors and strangers attest to the importance of a God-focused life.  It is then that we are able to see the true value of others because God lives in all of us.

The ancient wisdoms found in Buddhism and Hinduism point toward the recognition of the sanctity of all life as elements of the divine mystery that is inseparable.  Judaism, Christianity and Islam share Abraham’s lineage of monotheism that connects humanity to a Covenant with God.  Although we have many names by which we call God, the tenets of our faiths are almost identical as we join our religious ancestors in faithful union.

Rooted in our understanding of living within the realm of God is the intentionality of quietly and humbly offering ourselves as creatures of divine imagination.  In every face we find a reminder of God’s good deed to make every person a witness of something greater than ourselves.  The cosmetic differences that describe us do not erase the cosmic reality that binds us together.

Take a moment and observe the slight breeze that refreshes the air and think of God.  Watch a bird take flight and think of God.  Listen to a young child play and think of God.  As the Sun appears in the morning and the ocean waves crest nearing the seashore, think of God and remember God is at the center of it all, including within you.

Monday, March 7, 2011

I am so glad I was a mature adult before I was exposed to the trappings of Mardi Gras.  Given my propensity to explore all things new and different sans inhibitions and limitations as a young adult, there was a very high probability my indulgences would have exceeded all boundaries had I ventured onto Bourbon Street during the festive season of Fat Tuesday.  Fortunately, by the time I arrived in New Orleans, the Big Easy, gauges on my life were pretty much in place.  Better judgment provided a sufficient modicum of restricted activity so as to prevent complete embarrassment and shame to my family.

Of course, for many, the whole purpose of joining the celebrations of Mardi Gras is to cast off any vestige of civility or allegiance to moral conduct.  It is a time to let go and flee into the grasp of joie de vivre.  There is no guilt or second thought given to gluttony or bare all exhibition of public inappropriateness.  Mardi Gras is a time reserved to “sin boldly” and allow one’s self to experience the expanse of human liberation.  It provides insane opportunities to race past all cautions and explore temptations of deranged notions usually concealed within mental fantasies.

Some people may find themselves attracted to the high spirit and carnival atmosphere created by the noise and fanfare of Mardi Gras’ colorful parades.  Music combined with human motion encouraged by over consumption of alcohol and illicit pharmaceuticals produces streams of dancing madness to excesses.  It is the embodied definition of unregulated “fun” that seduces spectators and participants to test the extremes of their imagination.  Free, frivolous, and frightening can partially describe the sights, smells and sounds surrounding the scenery of most American-style Mardi Gras events.

From Epiphany to Lent, Mardi Gras is a traditional period in cities on several continents in which Christians abandon almost everything resembling religious piety to partake in the “wild side of life.”  Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Great Britain, Trinidad, and the United States are among the nations where a ‘let loose’ attitude commemorates a day, week, or months of endless feasts, bouquets of flowers, rhythmic formations, and unrepentant flourishes.

New Orleans is not the only American city with Fat Tuesday activities.  Mobile, Alabama, the former capital of the colonial French territory, also keeps the tradition alive with an array of street gatherings.  But, the Big Easy is ‘ground zero’ for all things Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) in this country.  The influences of early French Catholics have survived the expansion of Anglo governance and Protestant evangelism throughout that region.

As Fat Tuesday winds down, the frolicking ends and gives way to repentance on Ash Wednesday.  The 40-day Lenten Season is a period of sacrifice, recovery of faith, and sober resolve.  Contemplation of life’s deeper meaning and humanity’s relationship to God dominate time and energy.  Reflections on Jesus Christ and his Passion transform thoughts and ignite new commitments to walk the path of the Way.  Lent is a time when we are invited to clarify our purpose and cleanse our souls.

Lent is the spiritual portal through which we enter and experience Easter, the Resurrection of new life.  Our mistakes are erased and we are aware of God’s mercy and unconditional, everlasting love.  Our sins are not so great that they cannot be forgiven.  Our relationships with family, friends, enemies and strangers take on importance to help us see our place in the larger scheme of God’s original intention for the world.  This is a time when we gather together in prayer and worship as a source of strength and guidance.  All things are made new and true liberation is made manifest.

            Like Mardi Gras, Lent is global and inclusive.  Beyond our imagination, God’s presence is felt in every segment and sector of the planet and universes.  We start all over again with a chance to make all things right.  Fat Tuesday and new life are presented as both a choice and a gift.  You don’t have to be mature to receive blessings derived from this sacred season.  Even children and the naïve can freely and safely partake in all the offerings available in celebration of Christ’s Resurrection and invitation to liberation and salvation.

Monday, February 28, 2011

In the ancient teachings to the people of God, Moses constantly reminded his followers that they had a special and close relationship with their Creator.  The exodus from slavery to freedom caused them to endure harshness in a wilderness that did not provide food, water or shelter.  They were totally dependent on God for their survival.

For many of us who live in the comfort of an environment where we don’t have to worry about food, water, or shelter, it may be difficult to fully appreciate the fears and awful experiences of those who live between the margins of life.  Even if we had to struggle at some point in our past, we are no longer occupied by the threat of loss.

That was Moses’ dilemma as well.  After the people had made safe passage into a place where comfort and convenience became more available, they forgot what they had been through and their reliance on God.  Moses had to remind them again and again that their journey would not have been possible without God.

Have we forgotten those times when we were at that last point of desperation?  In our not so distant past, life was not so easy and the strain of our labor barely eked sustenance to sustain us.  Have you been to a place where uncertainty was your daily fare?  Do you know what it feels like not to know when or how your next meal will come?  Or, worse, do you remember a time when you were unable to provide for your family?

Historic amnesia is a malady that plagues much of our society.  Many of us have forgotten where we have been, what we have been through, and the trepidation that enveloped our every step.  We don’t remember the quickening pace of terrifying moments that swept over us when nobody rushed to our rescue.  All we had was prayer and a thread of hope to carry us through tough times of want and insecurity.  Historic amnesia erases memory of our experiences and causes us to become callous and careless in our inattentiveness toward others who are now where we once found ourselves.

Moses taught the people of God to never forget the path they had traveled.  Moses led them out of a state of despair and brokenness.  His wisdom and submission to God became a model of living that was both honorable and reverent.  Their fears gave way to love and vision.  Their needs were met and they were filled.  Where once they had been scattered, they later formed community and became a nation.

We need to recover from our alienation and disaffection.  We must remember our former state and imagine new possibilities for our brothers and sisters who are trapped in circumstances beyond the reach of their instant repair.  We must put love first.

It is impossible to love God without loving those who are around us.  We cannot worship God without loving justice and being merciful.  That is our dilemma.  Amid the affluence and wealth of our nation, too many people remain mired in poverty.  Greed, corruption, and bad behavior trample the human spirit.  Wrong-doing exists unabated.  The preventable activities and policies that brought joblessness, home foreclosures, business bankruptcies, and divided families must be addressed and corrected.

Moses issued a warning to the people to change their thoughts, their disobedience to God and their disrespect for each other.  There is no escape from the dire consequences of a society that refuses to correct its mistakes.  There will be no peace without justice for all.  There will be no healing of the land without re-establishing our priorities.  Let us put love first.

Monday, February 21, 2011

“Don’t hold back!” was the instruction my friend and mentor gave me as I prepared to leave Northern California for Chicago to attend seminary.  “When you get there, give the city everything you’ve got,” he instructed.  “You will get back far more than what you give.”

Bishop Will Hertzfeld could not have given me a better gift.  The first African American presiding bishop of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (a predecessor to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America – ELCA), Will also was pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in West Oakland and chaplain to the NBA Golden State Warriors.

We were introduced by Andy Reynolds, my roommate in Seattle, who had been best man at Will’s marriage to his first wife, Thressa.  Andy insisted that I get to know Will upon arriving in the Bay Area.  They had gone to college together in North Carolina.

Over the years, Will and I engaged in conversations that shaped my world view.  “I know you are a news reporter,” he once told me, “but don’t believe everything you read or report.”

Will had returned from North Korea and brought with him a book about the reunification of North and South Korea.  He was the first person I knew who had gone across the demilitarized zone (DMZ).  His travels with the Lutheran Church had taken him around the world; never as a tourist, but always in direct contact with communities seldom experienced by sojourners who stay on the “safe” pathways in distant lands.  He encouraged more than 300 people to become missionaries.

Will lived his life with openness to all people without a specter of prejudice or judgment.  He believed it was important to keep the flame of curiosity hot and burning.

In preparing me for Chicago, he wrote a note in which he urged me to study two passages in the Bible he felt would govern my ministry: Luke 4:16-30 and Isaiah 61:1-2.

In Luke, Jesus turned to the prophet Isaiah as he was beginning his three year odyssey into spiritual instruction from his hometown.  He opened the scroll where it says:

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news
to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn.”

Rejected by those who had known him, Jesus quickly found himself in the clutches of an angry mob who tried to kill him because he spoke the truth.  Yet, he was not deterred by their demonstration of disdain.  Instead, he moved on and preached to people who were hungry and thirsty for God’s Word.

Will Hertzfeld was adamant when he said, “Give everything you have and don’t hold back.” It remains a good word for us today.  We must expand our boundaries and not hold back our gifts, talents, and blessings.  The world needs us to be God’s people who love and care about others.  We must give ourselves to the cause of justice, dignity and equity.  Will was right when he said, “You will get back far more than what you give.”

Monday, February 14, 2011

Tina Turner’s 1984 smash hit single, “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” reverberates inside the minds of men and women searching for an emotional connection with someone who seals their hearts together.  Turner’s soulful rendition of her biographical lyrics produced a mixture of anger, hurt, and desire.  It reflected her torturous love journey to the edges of heartbreak, plummeting into the abyss of wretched disappointment.

Valentine’s Day is a special occasion when we share our hearts with partners, spouses, and lovers.  Yet, Tina asked, “Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?”  The pain of her suffering removed hope for redemption.  Love faded into the recesses of hidden caverns lost behind the erected shields to protect against intruders.  Memory of love lost deepened her resolve never to love again.  Tina sang, “I’ve been taking on a new direction but I have to say I’ve been thinking about my own protection.  It scares me to feel this way.”

Becoming heartless, she detected potential assailants and suggested that removing her most vital organ eliminated unrequited love. “Who needs a heart?” she asked.

Do you know what it feels like to have loved someone only to end up on your back side broken and crippled?  Have you been floored by the one person you thought was your perfect fit? You gave your total self, unselfishly, without reservation or inhibition, and then discovered love fled and left you all alone?

“What’s Love Got to Do, Got to Do With It?” becomes more than a musical refrain.  It is an empty scream felt deeply but not fully uttered.  The wounds of rejection chisel a hardened, stony shell in the place where life-giving, pulsating fluids once flowed unblocked.  An alarm is sounded with a determined “Never again!”  We go forward locked in yesterday’s ‘folly’ disguised as true romance.

“Never again!” is a mantra echoed through the mental banks where we deposited impressions and once precious moments.  Songs that created a sound track from those early days when fresh giggles and love-infected laughter surged out our throats and left our faces flush with the warmth of full throttled love.  Every minute was consumed by the slow motion of suspended time as we waited for the next available opportunity to share thoughts and quiet, simple touches with the one to whom we pledged our dreams and fashioned for ourselves notions of everlasting bliss.

Then, it happened.  Love lost. Tina belted, “The touch of your hand makes my pulse react.”  But that sensation transformed and soured into “a second hand emotion.”  Without warning, slippery spills sent us staggering into stages of premature departures and lingering unsuspected grasps of stale seconds.

We too sing with Tina Turner, “It may seem to you that I’m acting confused when you’re close to me; if I tend to look dazed I’ve read it someplace I’ve got cause to be.  There’s a name for it.  There’s a phrase that fits; but whatever the reason you do it for me.”

“What’s Love Got to Do With It?”  Love has everything to do with everything we do.  It is more than a song that answers our inner-most questions.  It directs us to go with abandon into the gusting gales pushing against our exposed sensibility.  Love drives us toward creative possibility that gives us and others true courage to love again and to forgive the unlovable ones we encounter.

Love is the quintessential human requirement that defines and colors everything.  We cannot escape its power to propel us into the realm of unexplored reality.  Love opens our hearts to hear birds singing early morning melodies.  Love opens our minds to imagine tranquility governing chaos.  Love brightens our vision to see sanity taming ruthlessness.  Love soars above the din and quiets our souls.

Yes, Jesus loves us and wants us to love each other; and not only on Valentine’s Day.

Monday, February 7, 2011

How can we identify a person of faith from anyone who cares nothing about the welfare of others and even less about God?  How is a person of faith different from someone who ignores Creation and pollutes the air, contaminates the water, and ruins the land?  Is it possible to know, see, hear, feel, or experience the presence of a faithful person in a way that appeals to the human spirit?

These are not easy questions when we take a serious look at what is happening around us.  There are numerous churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, shines, and faith-based communities and organizations throughout cities, across the country, and around the world.  Almost any day of the week, we can find people attending religious services or practicing their faith traditions.  Yet, there is a major disconnect from what God requires of us and how we live.

We look back to remember ancient wisdom that guided our ancestors through harsh moments and difficult challenges.  Sacred texts have been preserved to inform us of God’s love for every human being on earth, and how God’s mercy is extended without exception to every generation.  That gives us faith.  At the same time, we look forward to imagine how our actions today will shape life for our descendants.  We see the world as it is and wonder about new ways to make it better.  That gives us hope.  We focus on now, the present, and seek to do what we can to create what is possible in place of what is known.  That gives us purpose.

We face the fundamental dilemma that has plagued humanity throughout the ages.  For all our advances, we continue to be mired in the peril of contradiction between God’s faith in us and our lack of faith in God and God’s confidence that we can do better.  Worse, the objective observer notices the indistinguishable conduct of confessed people of faith and the others who have no regard for God’s requirements.

Wars and violence disrupt tranquility and scorch the earth with the assistance and participation of religious people, regardless of sacred instruction in almost every faith tradition to forgive, be merciful, and not to kill.

The poor suffer in the midst of affluence and prosperity while worshipers enter sanctuaries without pause as if poverty is a normal state of being for others.

Events that threaten life in all its various forms must be challenged by believers in the God who requires justice, mercy, and humility.  Instead, we witness behaviors that are much more consistent with expedience and convenience rather than faithful obedience to God.

Can you imagine a very different world in which people of faith not only read sacred texts, sing hymns, and lift up rousing prayers; but, demonstrate compassion for the most vulnerable and neediest members of society?

What if believers in God stood up in peaceful, nonviolent public assemblies on behalf of people trapped in conditions that dishonor their dignity and humanity?

What kind of world would we live in if interests on loans no longer existed and businesses had a higher priority on service and less on profit? (Psalm 15:5; Qur’an Sura 2:274-281)

Who would we be if doing justice, showing mercy, and walking humbly became our true way of life?  Would anyone be able to clearly identify people of faith from others who deny God exists?

Everyday everybody is watching everything we do.  What we do and say can determine the difference between honoring what God requires of us, and being callous about the precious gift of living in community with others.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Where do we begin?

“Put ‘neighbor’ back in neighborhood.”
(quote by the Rev. Dr. Cleo Malone of San Diego)

California Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget and call for a special election in June to deal with the state's $25.4 billion deficit saddens me deeply.  Our hope for redress has been shattered by the governor’s draconian solutions that drive us farther apart and keep the boot on the necks of the poor.

Governor Brown proposes to cut $400 million from community colleges; cut $500 million each from the California State University and University of California systems; cut $750 million from developmentally-disabled persons; cut $1.5 billion in the welfare-to- work program; cut $1.7 billion in Medi-Cal; cut welfare support to indigent families and individuals; cut In-Home Care for elderly and infirm family members; cut federal money for Social Security benefits that assist low-income disabled and elderly persons; seek voters' approval to allow the state to re-direct tobacco tax dollars that currently support preschool programs; and cut state workers' pay up to 10 percent.

Governor Brown says we need to sacrifice.  But who is sacrificing except the poor and most vulnerable?  People who are already feeling the harsh impact of cutbacks are rudely put at the head of the line to sacrifice.

The same old process goes on allowing people to avoid sacrifice who are most able to help dig the state out of its money misery.  People who live above the fray of financial frustration are not called to sacrifice.  Corporations that cut jobs, foreclose homes, and slip out of paying their fair share in taxes through loopholes are not expected to sacrifice.

In order to most adequately address the critical needs many families are facing, our best efforts must go into building community.  Faith-based organizations must lead the way by imagining and organizing an intentional campaign that focuses on the meaning of community and how we can effectively resolve the crisis.  

How can we practice our faith if we do not bring people together for the purpose of loving one another and sharing our resources?  Our mandate is to help people understand the interwoven reality of living and working together for the common good, and improving the quality of life.  That is what the prophets preached and what God expects of us.  This urgent matter demands a strategy that turns our attention to our common concerns and to recognize we have the ability to survive the onslaught of unjust proposals, policies and practices.

No matter what we do to fix the state's problems, people still are going to have to find a way to make do.  What plague us most are the alienation, isolation, separation and individualization that dominate and destroy our familial and communal ties.  The absence of community in which neighbors look after and take care of each other is the essential element that allows disasters associated with economics to be so devastating.  We really do need each other pulling together to overcome the drastic, negative effects of failed policies and practices.

The more we think about what we are capable of doing together, the more we realize we can ill afford to spend time dealing with politicians and their corrupt structures that prove to be anti-human, godless, and operate in opposition to the public good.  When we build community we discover we have sufficient resources in abundance, and we do not need to rely on politicians who fail to represent us or act on our behalf.

Governor Brown’s proposed budget does not aid the most vulnerable.  It increases the burden on the poor and working class.  Our failure to build community adds to their hardship.

Monday, January 24, 2011

The Chinese proverb, “May you live in interesting times,” can be applied to these days.  Whether that is a curse or not has yet to be determined.  We know our country is polarized.  Instead of perpetuating the “United States of America,” we are witnessing the emergence of the “Divided States of America.” 

There are widening gaps on multiple fronts, including education, technology, income, gender, and generation.  We add political affiliation, immigration status, race and religion.

Among Christians, for example, there are divisions between “progressives” and “fundamentalists” and “liberals” and “conservatives;”  “pro-life” against “pro-choice” on the issue of abortion.  Some Christians support same sex marriage while others oppose gay unions.

Residents in the inner-city often have no contact with people who live in suburbia.  There is an absence of awareness regarding the other’s reality and living conditions.  These divides are evident and increasingly disturbing.

We have “blue states” and “red states.”  Very few people talk about “purple states.”  Democrats have sub-sets between so-called “blue dogs” who fashion themselves as fiscal conservatives and “traditional” party members who are scattered among themselves.  Republicans also are divided as the Tea Party siphons off conservatives and seeks to distinguish itself as a “right-wing” bloc to be reckoned with going into the future.

There are some among us who believe taxes should be cut and everyone must take greater responsibility for himself or herself, while others think more taxes are needed to strengthen governments’ ability to sustain public services and provide for the needy.  The debate over health care is heated as our divided country struggles to insure medical coverage for as many people as possible.

We are a nation inching closer to civil discord as our voices rise and our willingness to retain civil decorum wanes.  We are dangerously close to becoming more than a polarized nation.  We are on the verge of itching for a family fight and lining up against each other.

For the past 25 years, our nation has celebrated the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights leader.  He projected a voice that broke through the din of divisiveness in search of common ground.  Out of the belly of demonstrative, Southern, racial hatred and discrimination, Dr. King imagined a society that honors the gifts of every person.  He saw the possibility of us being able to overcome the trappings of our past in which we legally segregated citizens by race and social class.  He believed we could become a “more perfect union.”

Nearly 43 years after his assassination, we have yet to attain the heights of Dr. King’s expectations and hopes for his beloved country.  Instead, we are devolving into a state of selfishness and madness where violence erupts rampantly and indiscriminately along streets, in homes, at schools, and around shopping centers.  There is no easy explanation for the senseless events that derail our path toward tranquility and civility.

How can there be peace when injustice exists without sufficient challenge?  Who will sow the seeds of justice and mend the soul of America?  Is it possible for us to recover from our state of drunken, licentious behavior to arouse a spirit of conscientiousness and good will?

Dr. King said, “The two most unfortunate words in our vocabulary are ‘too late’.”  If we fail to heed the warnings and reverse our current course, it will be too late.  Indeed, these are interesting times.  It is up to us to determine if that is a curse or not.

Monday, January 17, 2011

This past week has been filled with some of the most exciting moments of my life.  There is a clarification of my purpose for being alive as a longtime friend and faithful brother nudged me to look beyond current time and space, and to probe more deeply inside myself to discover the critical issues facing the survival of humanity and planet Earth.

All of us are living with some of the most deadly elements injected into our communities.  Here, I am not thinking about crime, drugs, war, or broken relationships.  Instead, we are faced with environmental travesties which lead to premature deaths and unnatural health conditions.  We are rendered slaves to a regimen of pharmaceutical products that increase the profit margins of drug companies and bulge the pockets of industrial titans.  Think about it!

We buy bottled water because some of our public water supplies so readily available at the tap are laced with contaminates too poisonous to drink.  We inhale polluted air that makes us gasp for oxygen and our children suffer from asthma.  We eat food grown on grounds saturated with carcinogenetic materials, including heavy metals, industrial waste, herbicides and pesticides.  Many of our fathers, uncles, brothers, and neighbors climb down into coal mines to extract ores that create ‘black lung disease’ and endanger each of them with every trek into the dungeons buried thousands of feet below the surface.

We have been living with these offenses for at least 140 years without sufficient attention to their impact on the environment, economy, employment and our way of life.  Everyday we are exposed to exhaustive practices and policies that shorten our days on Earth and reduce our ability to experience the joys and good health of fully active human beings.

That’s the harsh reality on one side of my epiphany which came during the sacred season of Christmas and the celebration of three wise men who encountered the Christ child.  Their epiphany now coincides with my own realization that God indeed has Good News for the world.  There is a way to change everything that has perpetuated a diabolical scheme to limit life.

Across America and around the world people are awakening to alternative energy sources that are clean and green.  These sources are abundantly more accessible to supply the needs of residents and industry across the globe.  The emerging array of natural fuel reserves now means we no longer have to depend on industrial and corporate entities that disregard our health and threaten the planet just to insure their bottom lines.  A better way has availed itself and makes it possible for us to turn our attention to energy and fuel resources that won’t harm us.

This means we will become free to advance the best of ourselves to improve the quality of life for every inhabitant on Earth.  We can realize God’s pre-Edenic intent for humanity to thrive in paradise without fear.  We can drink water, breathe air or eat food and not worry because they will come through systems that are environmentally-friendly and contamination-free.

The transition from the threatening conditions that have plagued us for these past many years will require vision and labor.  The good news is that we will use our creative minds to resolve problems that have dominated our focus.  Now we can forge new paths toward a more civil future.  A multitude of jobs are on the rise to remove deadly elements that created existing conditions, and a greater number of jobs are coming that will rush in a very different reality to benefit our families and communities.  If we answer the clarion call to develop a more just environment, we will reap the rewards of our noble efforts.

I have connected with old friends and new partners in an enterprise to make the world safer, cleaner, and healthier.  From California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, the State of Washington, and Washington, DC, an alliance of just-minded, highly committed men and women is forming to change the very way we understand our purpose for being alive.  We have no choice but do what God desires for us, including refreshing the waterways, cleaning the air, and restoring the Earth.  This is a miracle moment and everyone is invited to partake.

Monday, January 10, 2011

God bless environmentalists, ecologists, conservationists, preservationists, and good stewards of Creation and the Earth.  God bless those faithful men and women who care enough about the health and welfare of humanity that they dedicate their lives to strategies that can sustain our planet for the good of all living things.

On the other hand, what can we say about those people who strive to increase corporate profits and seek personal gains despite the truly great and terrible harm their practices and policies cause?  Their greed and dismissal of actual negative impact on the quality of life result in endangering plant, animal, and human habitats.  We know the dangers associated with contaminated water, polluted air, and soil saturated with carcinogenic materials, including heavy metals and industrial waste.

Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency is stepping up its activities to address greenhouse gas emissions and is beginning in earnest to clean up the nation’s highly toxic arenas where children suffer from asthma and other health ailments.  The State of Texas has become ‘ground zero’ in the fierce battle to limit the emission of contaminates into the air and water.

For too long, lawmakers in Texas joined forces with industrial polluters by leniently enforcing environmental regulations.  The EPA now says it will no longer tolerate the ‘sweetheart’ relationships between the state and large oil and natural gas firms.

According to a recent article by the Associated Press, “Both sides and conservation groups agree the battle has put the health of Texas residents and the environment at risk” (AP, December 30, 2010: Texas, EPA fight over regulations grows fierce).

The State of Texas lost its bid to delay the EPA’s plan to begin directly issuing greenhouse gas permits after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit refused to uphold a stay on the EPA’s unprecedented action.

The fight in Texas signals a major shift in the EPA’s history of regulating industries that emit hazardous toxins.  The federal government is increasing its authority to protect the public and the environment more vigorously.  That is a good thing.

Protecting the health of children, families and individuals is a sacred pillar of government which has been compromised at both the state and federal levels for decades.  This decision by the Obama Administration to forthrightly enforce environmental laws sets a pace that other states can follow in compliance with existing regulations.

Opponents of the EPA argue strict enforcement threatens jobs and hurts the economy.  What they don’t say or seem to be concerned about is the real harm done to God’s Creation, including God’s children.  All of us suffer when water is not safe to drink, air is not safe to breathe, and the Earth cannot safely produce food.  Ignoring the health of human beings is more than a convenience for polluters.  It is a blatant violation against humanity that must be stopped.

The clean-up of all the environmental problems created over the last 140 years and the retooling of industry to produce the products and services needed to accomplish these tasks are both gargantuan, but are underway already.  That combination promises to create far more jobs and long lived economic prosperity globally than can possibly be lost.  This will be accomplished by accelerating the replacement of the worst offending platforms in the fossil fuels business.  Properly done, it will improve the quality of life for every inhabitant of this planet and improve our economic well being at the same time.

We the people have a responsibility to make this happen.  We must insist our elected officials work on our behalf to assure laws and regulations are put in place and fully enforced to protect us and safeguard the precious, irreplaceable resources we depend on to sustain our lives.  We can ill afford to allow the rhetoric of dirty industrial titans to intimidate or coerce politicians into failing to uphold their oaths of office to defend our country against all threats, both foreign and domestic.

Cleaning up the environment and protecting the health of every person who resides within the borders of the United States must be part of our expectations from those elected and appointed officials who are charged with serving the public.

The courageous voices of environmentalists, ecologists, conservationists, preservationists, and good stewards of the Earth must be strengthened and inspired not to yield to the temptations of expedience, affluence, and activities that put all of us at risk.  What is happening in Texas today is a reminder of what continues to take place across the country, including here in California where pockets of “cancer alleys” remain actively spewing deadly elements into the environment from Long Beach to Richmond.  God bless those who say, “Enough is enough!” and demand an end to threats caused by industrial polluters.

Monday, January 3, 2011

The best antidote to recession is the re-formation of community.  In the rapid pace of our society, community has been jeopardized.  Our rush to success often leaves us weary and alone.  Relationships are fractured and neighbors become strangers or, worse, suspects.  Community is a casualty in the busyness of life.  But, if we are to recover from the current recession that has devolved into a depression for many families, we must rediscover community.  

As a small child growing up in the Watts-Willowbrook area of Los Angeles County, our community was a haven of support, encouragement, and shared values.  On the street where I lived, our neighbors depended on each other for almost everything from childcare to supplemental food supplies.  It was not unusual for someone to come to our door and ask for an egg or cup of sugar.  There were times when we needed to borrow some salt or flour and relied on the family next door to help us out until we were able to go to the store and replenish our cupboards.

Community is more than location.  It is an attitude that solidifies relationships.  People working together to improve the quality of life around them makes community valuable.  It is the most significant unit to sustain a family or individual.  During the Holiday Season, we experience an array of close ties among family and friends.  The festive gatherings provide numerous opportunities to feel the joy and hope of love and peace.

We invite others to share good cheer and partake in delicious dishes delicately prepared for occasions reserved exclusively for this time of year.  Our celebrations invite an air of liberation to be expressed without restriction.  Boundless energy spreads feverishly among young and old.  Laughter fills the room as merriment sweeps from person to person.  Community is evident even if it is manufactured in an environment of temporary high expectations.

For a brief moment, we shut out the din of discouraging news and forget the unsettling reality of hardship.  Instead, we focus on unrealized possibilities and wish for the revelation of dreams and distant hope.  We imagine a world transformed by love and renewed by mercy.  We offer the ‘benefit of the doubt’ to someone who offends us and pardons the sudden burst of disapproving banter.

This is the time of year when rules are perceived as flexible nuances that can be treated as conveniences rather than necessities.  We explore the range of goodness and kindness and extend it without condition to as many people as possible.  We believe in the miracle of life and hold a great desire for the perpetual success of human evolution to attain a height of glorious consciousness.  We strive to offer a place for everyone to enjoy the deeper meaning of the Holiday Season.  This is when community has real purpose in the midst of wider complexities born by diversities.

Our true challenge is to figure out how we can understand community beyond any parochial definition that limits its reach and make it inclusive of anyone who encounters our presence.  Becoming aware of community’s dynamic magnetism helps each of us to recognize the power of unity and the vast array of gifts all of us bring when we come together.  That is the inspiration which springs forth hope and creativity.  We really do need each other in order for community to be strengthened and nobody is left behind.  We share generously from our bounty to assure everyone is given what is needed to be sustained through these days of great challenges and opportunities.  God expects nothing less of us.

Monday, December 27, 2010

It is time to get started….again!  New beginnings can be exciting and filled with wonder.  Often, the most difficult part of doing a new thing is taking the first step.  We talk about it, think about it, wonder about it, doubt it; become inspired to do it, and, finally, with a modicum of effort, we actually get started.

So, what will we do and where do we begin?  At first glance, it appears we have so many options because there is so much that needs to be done.  Let us start with something quite simple.  The plan is to get ourselves engaged in a way that will put us on track to tackle more complicated challenges.  To make our foray into this new adventure more attractive, we will begin with something right in front of us.

Our task is to begin conversations with family and friends about the most important item in our life.  We can use any form of media, including e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or other social network; telephone, hand-written notes/letters, or face-to-face conversations.  It does not matter how we communicate as long as we take that first step to reach out to someone.

Why talk or write?

More and more, we are involved in a privatized environment in which less and less direct contact with other people is taking place.  It is ironic that with all the technology readily available to us, we manage to miss making intentional, personal connections.  Have you noticed that?

The use of “i” products, for example, and other individualized devices have taken control over much of our lives to the degree we have become more isolated and less integrated with others.  For the most part, we use media to exchange data of a sterile nature and not so much to share ourselves and our ideas.

This new beginning is intended to encourage us to become pro-active in touching someone’s life by checking in and making sure our relationships are in tact.  ‘Random acts of kindnesses’ will surprise people who do not expect telephone calls or visits.  A written note to a friend or relative you have not heard from for a while is a lovely gesture of compassion and care.  We are taking easy, first steps now to make contact with a neighbor or friend to help us go even farther later and provide an important human presence with people who are strangers and alone.

Our fresh start reminds us of the story in Matthew 25.  People who made a positive difference in the lives of others were caught unaware of their good deeds.  They asked, “When did we see you hungry and fed you, or thirsty and gave you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and clothed you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visited you?” (Matthew 25:37-39)

The answer to their questions is clear and reveals the true meaning of faithfulness and neighborliness.  The Teacher said, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.”

Someone needs to hear from you.  Somebody is wondering whether anyone cares about him or her.  It is not until we share ourselves with another person do we really get to know what is happening.  Making the connection can inspire someone to spread love and create a movement of putting others ahead of us.

Will you take that first step?  Will you write, call, or visit someone?  The Scriptures say we may “entertain angels” without ever knowing it.

Let us start a campaign to make life better by communicating directly, personally, and intentionally with words of joy, delight, cheerfulness, and authentic concern about the welfare of someone else.  Remember: “As you did for one of the least…”

Monday, December 20, 2010

What’s left when God is taken out of Christmas?  As we pour over the Gospel of Luke’s account of the Annunciation, the Magnificat, and the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, we delve into the dangerous position in which Mary, an unwed woman, found herself with her pregnancy.  We also read about the unexpected role of Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin and mother of John the Baptist, who became pregnant although she was “advanced in years.”

The biblical account of this season of Christ’s birth on earth is filled with incredible events that cannot be easily explained.  Yet, that is exactly the point of Christmas.  If God is removed from the story we are left with a vaporous tale of interesting details rendered vacant and meaningless.  In fact, putting Elizabeth, Mary, and Jesus at the center of Christmas also misses the real significance of what took place.

Everything points us directly to God.  The Angel Gabriel sent by God to both Mary and Zachariah, Elizabeth’s husband, to announce the impending duel pregnancies, signals the importance of God’s intervention in human history.  Otherwise, the story of Jesus’ birth makes no sense and is reduced to just another birthday of a good person.  Instead, every aspect of this saga reinforces God’s remarkable imprint and answers the question, “Is anything too hard for God?”

It is not coincidental that Zachariah was chosen to enter the temple to perform his priestly duties and was confronted by Gabriel who terrified him.  After he calmed down, Zachariah heard the Angel announce the birth of John the Baptist.  Zachariah and Elizabeth were “righteous before God” because they kept the commandments and were ‘blameless’.  Also, the story informs the reader that Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses.  All of this is no small matter and consistent with God’s purpose for that family.

At the same time, in Nazareth, a young woman lived as a “handmaid of God” who followed the ancient teachings of her faith.  Mary was chosen by God to be the living vessel to give birth to Jesus.  The contrast between the elderly Elizabeth and the youthful virgin cannot be missed.  Their differing circumstances are not casual.

Elizabeth was married but could not bare children.  Mary was not yet married and had never been touched by any man.  They were two women at opposite ends of life facing the same condition.  If we dismiss God, we miss the most essential element of what took place.  We miss the Christmas story.  The Angel Gabriel said, “With God nothing will be impossible.”

The God of Creation acted intimately, not at a distance, with personal encounters that were precise, clear, and transformed the whole world.  It is not lost that all of this happened among ordinary people in an ‘outback’ region far away from the bustle of Jerusalem, Rome, Athens, or the major centers of commerce and political power.  Those three holy people were not of royalty or wealth.  They were faithful, righteous, just, and obedient to God.

Mary’s acceptance of Gabriel’s announcement that she would give birth to Jesus was an indication of her loyalty to God.  But, it was her song, the Magnificat, which portrayed the depth and breadth of her religious understanding.  First, she glorified God and offered sacred words of worship.  She humbled herself in submission to God.  Her song recounted the political, ethical, and theological meanings of God’s intention.

 “God scattered the proud; put down the might from their thrones; exalted those of low degree; filled the hungry with good things; and the rich God has sent empty away.”

            Christmas is strictly about God and the power of God’s imagination to create a new world in which justice, mercy, and peace will prevail.  God connects with humanity directly and personally.  God uses common conditions to express uncommon possibilities.  If we remove God from Christmas, we strip this holiday season of everything that ultimately matters.

Monday, December 13, 2010

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to these we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
(Foliott S. Pierpoint)

It is always helpful to have a song on our tongues as we muddle through difficult times.  Music sets a tone that can help us survive hard moments and rough situations.  Just the right song when we need a word to put circumstances in right context can make the difference between successfully negotiating our way and giving up in defeat.

Foliott Pierpoint wrote his marvelous hymn at the age of 29.  A native of Bath, England, he remembered the bucolic lands that surrounded his home.  A musical scholar, Pierpoint spent many years away from his birthplace; yet, his memory of that placid community seared a lasting impression that produced poetry turned musical lyrics.  Upon reflection of the beauty of God’s Creation, he penned words that have lasted nearly 150 years.

Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around
Turn me around
Turn me round!
Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around
Going to freedom land
(African American Spiritual)

In the cold, damp cells of Southern jails, crowds of Civil Rights freedom fighters broke into song as they waited to appear in court.  Fueled by their determination to correct the social wrongs that denied basic human rights and civil order for African Americans, a catalogue of soul stirring tunes inspired a movement.  There were times when the only semblance of hope could be found in the angelic voices that filled the cell blocks as a transforming presence.  The Civil Rights champions were revived and strengthened to “keep on keeping on.”

Such music came out of the depths of anguish mixed with the scarred jolts of disappointment and violence that historically defined a reality for people who were too familiar with life on the margins.  Rhythmic language echoed sensations felt within the refines of human fabric torn apart of by inhumane treatment.  The exactness of the sounds created a reverse response to conditions designed to destroy the spirit of liberation.  Every fiber of the freedom fighters’ existences intertwined with refrain that propelled them deeper into the ecstasy of glorious victory.

As we enter the Season of Joy, Peace, Love, and Hope, we listen for songs that inspire vision and channel us toward comfort and renewal.  It is that time of year when our heads spin with delight as we await the ‘birth of births’.

Jesus Christ is born!  Every person is a child.  The music signals a special moment when wishes for a world made safe conspire to bring new understandings among nations.  Everyone seeks affection and connections that join the human family as one collective in touch with the cosmic powers.

God’s amazing grace showers blessings on children and adults, the just and the unjust, rich and poor; and, people in and from every corner of the planet.  There are no exceptions to God’s gift of mercy and compassion.  Our mistakes are erased.  We are new again because Jesus comes among us as one of us with the Holy Word of deliverance and power.  This is Christmas!  We hear the sounds of the season with anticipation and expectation:

Joy to the world! The Lord is come:
Let earth receive her king;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
And heaven and nature sing.
Andheaven and heaven and nature sing.
(Isaac Watts)

In these days when many people feel the pains of uncertainty, let the songs of Christmas ring with harmony and confidence.  We look around and see the beauty of the earth.  We look up and see the beauty of the skies.  We turn toward each other and see the beauty of Christ in every face.  This is Christmas.  May it be merry, peaceful and joyous!

 

Monday, December 6, 2010

Not too many things get me riled up.  But the more I think about what we have not done to improve quality of life in our society, I really get angry.  Here, I am not talking about our abuse of the elderly or our neglect of teenagers.  I’m not going into the sinful ways we mistreat the poor and ignore the health of the indigent.  My complaint in this column does not touch on the protracted and lingering antiquated racial and ethnic divisions and discrimination.  Instead, I am worked up about the deliberate retardation of environmental progress that has set our nation so far back.

In Los Angeles, the second most populous city in America, we have one of the slowest, least reliable local public transportation systems in the developed world.  Our misnamed “Rapid Transit System” is nothing close to rapid.  For people who depend on buses to get to work, they have to plan their daily commute carefully and precisely to insure an on-time arrival.

Recently, the City of Los Angeles began to move a bit more aggressively to build a light rail system that will take us to the beach.  But, all these many years while Asia and Europe were speeding commuters on bullet trains in Japan and through the Tube between London and Paris, folk in Southern California continued to chug along on overcrowded freeways.  To make our experiences on the road even more cynical, we have the audacity to describe the time we turn our thoroughfares into public parking lots as the “rush hour;” when, in fact, nobody is able to rush anywhere.

More than a century ago, the visionaries in New York City laid out a plan that tunneled rail service throughout that metropolis.  With 842 miles of track, the New York Subway is the most extensive public commuter rail system in the world.  It is used daily by large numbers of riders.

Last year, it amassed more than 1.5 billion rides.  According to the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, more than 5 million rides were recorded during weekdays with almost 3 million rides on Saturdays and another 2.2 million on Sundays.  Only three other cities had more rides: Tokyo, Moscow and Seoul.

The city that consistently provides world-class, clean and efficient local commuter rail transportation is Tokyo.  Its public and private transit systems provide reliable, rapid service for more than 15 million weekly users.  Tokyo’s rail network delivers passengers throughout that major region better than any other local transit system.

But, here in Southern California, we continue to watch freeways constructed and become congested within months of their completion without any viable transit alternatives.  Why do we lag so far behind our allies and commerce partners?  And, public transit is not the only sector where we are very slowly following the leaders.

While freeways and roads continue to be built to accommodate our vehicles, China is rapidly moving farther and faster along the path toward mass production of electric vehicles.  American auto makers dug their heels in for decades and kept pumping out gas-guzzling SUVs and other petrol-fueled vehicles to feed our addiction to gas and oil.  Not only did they stubbornly keep the assembly lines rolling with gas thirsty cars, they intentionally kept alternative fueled vehicles out of mass production in America.

The Financial Times newspaper recently reported China has become the world’s leader in new clean, green energy production.  While members of the United States Congress continue to debate the validity of climate change and our dependency on fossil fuels, China is racing forward with affordable, reusable energy sources.  Americans have yet to prove we are competitive when matched up against the Chinese.  Wind, solar, and hydro-electric generation are joined by fuel cells as the wave for future energy production.

Then, there is television.  After color knocked black and white TV sets off the market, videotape forced the industry to make changes almost seasonally.  American media honchos screamed “uncle” and went straight to the Federal Communications Commission and Congress for help.

All the hoopla about high-definition TV sets and the long delayed termination of analogue signals a few years ago was just another adventure in the ironic minds of decision makers who held back digital technology until it was financially more advantageous to their bottom lines.  Three decades ago, corporate media managers successfully blocked the advent of digital television into the United States 

In the early 1980’s, Japanese manufacturers pushed to export digital television to America.  The television industry had witnessed transformation from black and white to color and from film to video.  The multiple changes of videotape formats before micro-chips became readily available were costly and the television networks were hard pressed to keep up.

Today, we are still running to catch up in many areas where our society could be much improved.  It is costing us jobs, clean-green energy sources, and a more ecologically sane way of life.  It is only when I think about how we have been turned away from real rapid transportation, cleaner fuel-efficient vehicles, and household products that really worked with more advanced technology, I start to get really mad.  I won’t mention cell phones and smart gadgets now hitting the American markets after being available in Asia and Europe in the past decade.  That’s another story.  The American people deserve better. 

 

Monday, November 29, 2010

Peace!  What is peace?  Prayers for peace have floated from the minds and mouths of people to the ears of God for more years than we can remember.  Has it made a difference?  Is peace possible?

A few years ago a group of interfaith leaders stood outside the Federal Building in downtown San Diego and publicly prayed for peace.  A deacon from a local church attended the prayer vigil and questioned whether the event would have any impact on waging peace and preventing a new war.  Within a few weeks it appeared his question was answered as the United States declared war on Iraq.

 “I don't understand,” he lamented.  “We prayed for peace.  We prayed that there would be no war.”  His faith was tested.  Instead of calm and tranquility resulting after standing and praying, war broke out.  Did it matter?  Did prayer make a difference?

One of the difficult realities for many of us to accept is that war is not an act of Nature.  The threats that make peace almost impossible come from human beings who behave in ways that cause harm to others and damage cultures and creation.  We have lived with violence for so long it seems normal.  And it is not just the macro events that send the whole world into a tail spin, but in our personal lives we live with brokenness and suffering that break our peace.   

The slippery slope of hurt, violence and retaliation creates a cycle of escalating destruction.  Honorable commitments to valor and courage are trampled and perverted by callous motives fueled by greed and expedience.  The mass promotion of global conflagration which glorifies brutality serves to de-sensitize our conscience and diminishes our capacity to feel our humanity.  The unhelpful and unhealthy romanticizing of war has successfully lured youth into a life of suffering and conflict.

For there to be peace, we must dedicate ourselves to practicing a state of “mindfulness.”  That is, every moment is precious and must be regarded as sacred.  Each breath is not replicated.  It is unique and fleeting.  We slow our pace to consider the impact of our every step.  Thus, as the song implies, ‘peace begins with me’ and is shared with others.  Peace resides inside our minds where we visualize life as serene.  We walk peacefully and speak cautiously.  The untamed tongue is a sword that inflicts undue suffering.

Jesus demonstrated the way of peace by showing compassion to people in need, including those who opposed him and sought his demise.  Peace provides a quality of living that is inclusive and open to others who may experience the world quite differently from us.  In order for peace to exist, equity, fairness, and just treatment must be our priority.  We promise to do no harm and to give others the same consideration we desire for ourselves.

Peace is bolstered by its companion, love.  There is no separation between them.  One requires the other and cannot be compromised.  That, perhaps, is the rub that makes the realization of peace so very challenging.  The absence of love creates space to remove opportunities to forge peace.  The lack of kindness and forgiveness devolves into a perpetual state of disruption that spurs restlessness and voids peace.

The prophet Isaiah portrays a picture of peace in which the lion and lamb lie down together and children play near a pit of snakes without fear.  It is hard to imagine such unusual scenes, yet the essence of peace allows the unimaginable to come clearly into focus.  Peace is the unexpected deliverance of new relationships and understandings that previously eluded us.  The graphic display of adversaries or predators and prey resting and playing together gives us pause.

What if we were to advance an alternative way in regions where danger prevails and transform conflict into reconciliation?  Imagine Palestinians and Israelis communing as family? What if al-Qaida, the Taliban, and Americans were to celebrate our common cause?  Why can't immigrants, migrants, settlers, and indigenous peoples share common space?  Imagine the rich and poor engaged in mutual respect?  Can you see peace emerging throughout the world and in our lives right here, right now?

Peace means to receive God’s grace and recognize Christ in every person.  It is to accept who we are with the awareness that each of us is authentically created with valued and sacred expressions of divine love.  All of us are created in the Image of God.  That is how we will know peace; even that which is beyond our understanding.

Monday, November 22, 2010

“So, what do you think about President Barack Obama?” my friend asked a few days ago. “Well,” I said, “he is carrying a load too heavy for any one person to bear.”

Her countenance changed into a frown. My response disappointed her as she launched into a diatribe about his failings and unwillingness to attack his opponents and distracters. “He has betrayed us. We worked to get him elected and he has let us down,” she complained.

Her sentiment is echoed across America. Almost daily there are printed statements critical of the president’s performance. Missing in almost all of them is an assessment of the American people’s responsibility to carry some of the load now shoved squarely on his shoulders.

Admittedly, I believe the president is burdened with unnatural weight, but bears great responsibility about the way things are going. It comes with the job. But, I also believe all of us must share in the shortcomings that put the nation at risk. The fact is what we are living with and living through did not commence when he took office on January 20, 2009.

If anything, President Obama has exposed the true depths of our economic and social problems. They have been in place for at least the past three decades. People ask why he didn’t bring in a completely new cast of fiscal leaders instead of refreshing the old ones. That’s a very legitimate question, but it fails to recognize the larger issues about our economic system and how it operates.

Further, all of us must bear more responsibility to address the deeper ills that leave the most vulnerable at even greater risk without the former, now depleted safety nets to assist them. From the inability to pass a timely, equitable budget in Sacramento to the fiscal meltdown on Wall Street; to the de-regulation of banking and lending laws that resulted in the sub-prime shenanigans across the country that got passed along to European financiers; all of that preceded President Obama taking office.

At the same time, many of us in our churches remained silent without protest to the injustices and egregious acts against the poor and the middle-class while a protected few lined their pockets with public funds. Our faith was compromised while the “least among us” suffered and fell victim to schemes that have eroded the infrastructure of our society.

While visiting Detroit, Michigan, recently, I could not miss the blatant evidence of a city maligned and neglected for nearly two score years as manufacturing plants shut down and workers were forced into unemployed. Worse, those who were hurt the most were often blamed for conditions that were beyond their control. The road to recovery for Detroit is long and full of potholes.

Detroit is only one of a league of American cities rendered wasted by corporate decisions to put people out of work and abandon their hometowns. Cleveland, Ohio, Gary, Indiana, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and a host of towns along the Eastern Seaboard all lay claim to a rust belt that cannot sustain themselves. The numerous foreclosed houses in California’s San Joaquin Valley reflect the woes of our country’s long, failed domestic policies along with extensive damage littering the Gulf Coast.

Aside from the economy, there are other assaults on people throughout our state and nation who find themselves in the cross hairs of vicious acts of barbarity. Men and women who love their same-gender partners are targets of unconstitutional laws that deny their fidelity and desire for state-recognized marital relationships. This, too, has come to President Obama’s attention and he has publicly positioned himself in opposition to “Don’t ask don’t tell” as it pertains to the military.

In California, we continue to wait for a court decision to repeal the unconstitutional proposition that rejects marriage equality. This requires all of us to be vigilant in supporting the rights of others. But, too often we in our churches have been too silent or oppositional on this issue.

Theologian John H. Westerhof wrote in his book, Will Our Children Have Faith, “The challenge facing the church is in the bland, unconverted, ignorant lives of its members. Until adults in the church are knowledgeable in their faith, have experienced the transforming power of the Gospel, live radical lives characteristic of the disciples of Jesus Christ, no new curriculum, no new teacher-training programs, and no new educational technology will save us.”

Dr. Westerhof puts before us a great challenge that, if taken seriously, will help us do better and take up some of the burden placed on the shoulders of the president. The frown on my friend’s face may also flip into a smile as we cheerfully, together, work to be the “change we can believe in.”

Monday, November 15, 2010

Where is the love? How has America’s obsession with militarism, weaponry, violence and war affected our ability to love? Has our capacity to love been diminished by our priorities on greed, selfishness, and individualism?

Perhaps these questions set a negative tone by making assumptions about who we have become, what we are doing and, worse, what we are capable of doing toward the destruction of civilization and the environment. Yet, these questions are pertinent if we are to be honest about the perilous paths our state and country have taken.

Although we have the potential of being a great society that provides all necessary basic needs for everyone who lives in California and the United States, and we have the capacity to produce sufficient food supplies to feed every person on the planet; although we are able to manufacture tools and machinery to construct efficient, adequate housing to shelter every human being in this nation and around the world, we have not chosen to exercise our skills and genius to accomplished those very good deeds. Instead, we are witnessing a massive brain drain to bolster corporations that do not share assigned high values on life in its various and diverse forms, including human, animal, and plant.

Rather than eradicating poverty and developing fair economic systems to sustain local communities within and beyond America, we have put in place free trade agreements that undermine small family farms and confiscate productive lands that render people impoverished and dependent. We have consistently failed to demonstrate our faithful commitment to “love one another” and care for “the least of these” who reside among us.

Where is the love? Can we be saved? What must we do to change our course? Who will speak for the voiceless? Who will stand up for the disenfranchised? Who will show compassion to people living with pains of despair and depression?

Do we recognize what we have become in the aftermath of President Dwight David Eisenhower’s warnings about the rise of the “military industrial complex,” and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s caution against “racism, militarism, and gross materialism?”

It does not require a highly-financed study to realize the disproportionate number of people of color who suffer the unnatural impact of disparities and discrimination in almost every sector of contemporary life. From high unemployment rates to inadequate health care; over-representation in penal institutions to under achieving academic performance in public schools, Black people, Latinos, and Native Americans are left behind in our society.

At the same time, social construction allows middle-class and affluent suburbanites to avoid, ignore, or simply miss the harsh realities of poverty surrounding us. Too many people of faith are in the dark about how our brothers and sisters are forced to exist.

Where is the love? Can we hear and feel the suffering? What must we do to improve the quality of life for the perennially poor?

First, we can begin to notice what is taking place in our name by politicians and business leaders who operate with an agenda that benefits the wealthy and straps the poor with excessive hardships. We can become aware of the absence of opportunities to create greater participation in our democratic process.

Second, we can intentionally apply our understandings of faithful living to our daily conduct that affects other people. For example, we can chose how we spend our money and time with an increased knowledge about where merchandise comes from and how it is made. We can reduce our consumption of products produced by under compensated workers.

Third, we can publicly question our national defense policies and the resulting impact on our economy, so we can help to de-emphasize the near hysteria promoted to keep us off balance and afraid. We can advocate halting the perpetuation of war that has involved every generation since World War II. We can work to decrease the growing powerful influences of law enforcement personnel and correctional officers preserved as protected entities across the country. We can shift our expectations to include social services and programs that will remove some of the conditions that breed crime.

Finally, we can take more seriously Jesus’ teachings about building community, forging good will, and forming alliances across racial, gender, economic, linguistic, religious, and national barriers.

We can imagine a world that flourishes with love, forgiveness, mercy, justice, peace, compassion and understanding. We can give each other the benefit of the doubt, rather than rushing to judgment when disappointments and mistakes occur.

When we live our faith traditions as taught by the ancient leaders, then we will be able to answer these questions with an authentic commitment to discover the love that is resident in all of us.

Monday, November 8, 2010

As we enter the Holiday Season, it’s a good time to think about family and friends.  People who are near to us can easily be forgotten or taken for granted.  Our loved ones who seem to be there all the time can be overlooked or unintentionally slighted.  Friends are especially important because they are a select group of people we invite into our lives and they accept us in their lives.  But with the rush of holiday activities, we can become distracted and miss special moments reserved for those who have been with us through the “thick and thin” of life.

People who love us for who we are don’t require or expect a lot of attention.  They do appreciate kind, encouraging words; a note or telephone call; or time together to laugh, remember, and simply connect.  This is a period when we focus on what truly matters and the people who help to complete our existence.

The real joy of the Holiday Season is a spirit of charity that expands our inner-circle to include others who may feel alone or lonely.  Strangers present a warm sense of community as we exchange a smile or greeting.  The human family is transformed into a single chord of interaction that sharpens the deeper meaning of this time of year. 

Our language changes as a greater emphasis is placed on ‘peace,’ ‘good will,’ ‘joy,’ ‘love,’ ‘merry,’ and ‘happy.’  Even ‘jolly’ comes alive as children play wildly and elders reach out to touch cheeks and clasp hands.

Through the myriad combinations of festive engagements, we are reminded of God’s intention for humanity to experience the breadth of compassion.  The divine gift of comfort, salvation, and inexplicable peace is evident and available without condition.  The celestial chorus rejoices and springs a symphonic rendering of glorious, melodic and familiar medleys for our listening ears.  Can you hear it?

We imagine the possibilities of long desired transformations that soothe our souls and open our hearts and minds to ‘things hoped for but not seen.’ 

What shall we do that is unusual and unexpected this Holiday Season that will ignite a blaze of amazing joy and surprising wonder for our families, friends, and strangers who grace our lives?  How will our intentional care for them and others advance a more perfect vision of a world made safe for “children and all living things?”

It begins with a word.  What we speak and how we say it can determine what is heard and received.  Let the best of the Holiday Season emanate from within you and spread like a California wildfire that consumes our full attention and warms everyone in a way that makes us feel the depth of love, peace, and good will. 

May our efforts of kindness be rewarded with a double resolve to make justice roll down like an ever-flowing stream.  May the lights of the Holiday Season shine brightly as signals of hospitality and generosity for the world to see.  And, may you be surrounded by love and lovers who abandon any inhibitions that restrict acts of reciprocity in this Season of Seasons.  Let it be so, and let it begin with you.

Monday, November 1, 2010

These days of challenge are part of an exciting era of change in the world.  Old paradigms are giving way to innovative approaches to pressing issues like new cleaner, greener energy sources and job creation.  New media are democratizing systems of communication that are more accessible to people from anywhere in the world.  Rapid transportation is becoming available to relieve congestion on highways and streets.  Former developing nations are inside the axis of emerging economic streams that make them increasingly less dependent.  The world is flipping and opportunities previously denied and unavailable on an equitable basis are opening up.

The predictable discomfort of transition is evident.  Fear and worry permeate our society as unfamiliar shifts create a perception of uncertainty.  However, this is not so new as to be an unprecedented phenomenon.  We merely need to remember our own history as a country and its evolution over the past 160 years.  The Industrial Revolution ushered an explosion of machinery and structures that moved the country in a direction that knocked people out of their comfort zones.

More recently in the 20^th century we witnessed a series of life alternating discoveries and developments.  Silent films gave way to “talkies” and the expanse of motion pictures.  Radio and, eventually, television connected the nation from coast to coast with instant messages.  We blasted off the planet and landed on the Moon.  Two major global wars and numerous regional conflicts resulted in re-mapping the world.  The list of significant changes in less than 100 years is long and filled with episodes of near cataclysmic events that pushed people into states of disorientation.

Today, we are on the crest of what may have been considered unimaginable just a few decades ago.  Can we adapt to the inevitable tidal wave of inventions or will we suffer the vain effort to retract, retreat, or simply ignore what is taking place?

Amid everything else, it is our faith in God that sustains us through times of radical experiences.  Our ability to go forward requires a commitment to forge community and build unity across lines and borders that divide us.  We must see each other as allies with common concerns and hopes.

The ancient teachings of Jesus begin to make sense in new ways when we apply them to our everyday activities.  This is not a time to be afraid or to allow fear to dominate and dictate our actions.  Instead, we can embrace the forward thrust toward means to improve the quality of air, water, and the earth.  We can explore ways of closing gaps that separate us from each other.  Jesus taught the importance of loving, caring, and forgiving.  Ultimately, regardless of the social and scientific advancements, we continue to have a great need to establish healthy relationships.  We must practice our faith of love, mercy, and compassion.

If in our attempt to understand all that is happening around us and we still feel uneasy, we may realize the power of prayer remains the most effective way to survive.  Prayer, meditation, and communal study of Sacred Text provide a formula to live by for these days.

Monday, October 25, 2010

There is plenty of frustration going around these days as many of us are waiting for political promises to come true.  But, we cannot forget the importance of making the effort to bring about the changes we desire.  During his presidential campaign, Senator Barack Obama inspired his supporters with two simple slogans, “Yes, we can” and “Change we can believe in.”  Now, he is criticized because change does not seem to take place rapidly.  The operative word in both slogans is “we” as in ‘We the People’.  It really is up to us working together to bring about the changes we desire and the ones our country needs.  We cannot and should not expect one person or one administration half way through its first term to make changes for us.  We must roll up our sleeves and get down to work.  “Yes we can” remains viable as long as we accept our role in the long process toward transformation.

Start right where you are with people in your community.  There is at least one thing that is pressing but has not been adequately attended to.  There is a neighbor who has not been visited.  There is a home that needs painting.  There is a child who needs a friend.  People who are out of work need comforting as they search for new jobs.  There are teenagers in your local school district who are being bullied because of their perceived sexual orientation.  Each one is a small thing when we work together to make a change.

What if we started a local “Committee to Protect Democracy” and held a regularly scheduled public forum to discuss issues in our communities where strategies are developed to accomplish goals that make change?  We cannot wait for others to fix our problems.  Yes, we can fix them ourselves and inspire others to do the same.  Imagine what will happen if we work together.  It is a statement of faith when we together become the “change we can believe in.”  What will you do to make it so?

Coming Soon! Monday Memos will be posted to a blog where you will be able to join the discussion.

The Rev. Dr. Arthur “Art” Lawrence Cribbs Jr. is pastor of the San Marino Congregational Church, United Church of Christ (UCC) in San Marino CA and a member of the California Council of Churches Board of Directors. Prior to joining the West San Gabriel Valley congregation in April 2007, he served for eight years as pastor of the Christian Fellowship Congregational Church, UCC in San Diego. While there, Rev. Cribbs founded the church’s Community Outreach Foundation, started refugee and immigrant outreach for Sudanese and Somali families, and produced and hosted the television special, “Stories of the Soul: Life after 9/11,” for which he received an Emmy award.

Before becoming a full-time pastor, Rev. Cribbs was the executive director at the national offices of the United Church of Christ in the Department of Communications. While there, he restructured the department through cross-discipline training and redesigned the UCC’s national newspaper. He also reconstituted the television production studio; launched a weekly television program on national TV; and, created a high-profile presence at General Synod.

Rev. Cribbs’ first career was as a newscaster. In the mid-1990s, he was employed by KPIX-TV in San Francisco, where he was appointed bureau chief for the East Bay and was a special commentator during the O.J. Simpson trial. He also founded a weekly spiritual support group for non-traditional church persons and produced a weekly focus piece on persons “Making a Difference.”

Currently, Rev. Cribbs serves as a trustee for the UCC Pension Boards, is a board member for the UCC Office of Communications, Inc. and is a member of both the UCC’s National Task Force on Public Education and the Southern California Nevada Conference Immigration Rights Committee. Ecumenical activities include membership in the California Council of Churches, the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights and the United Black Christians in Crisis Committee. He is also an ethics instructor at the California Department of Justice and has earned his DMin from the Claremont School of Theology.

Rev. Cribbs began his ministerial career at age 13 as assistant pastor in his father’s church. His hobbies include performance art, jazz, poetry, playwriting and acting. He also enjoys softball, table tennis and driving sports cars.