Faith Venture

Many Nice People

November 28, 2023

Need to know what’s going on in the world? It’s easy to know enough without immersing yourself in the news-media-advertising-complex.

As side benefit you stop noticing so much the bad side of people (like my post yesterday about people whose behavior belies their stated beliefs).

This morning during meditation the number of good people I come across every day came into focus. We moved during Covid shutdown to a new city in a different state. We don’t know many people—even now. It’s not easy.

Several women I know volunteer at food banks and/or serve meals to those who need a good hot meal.

I had met a woman who at first glance looks like one of those girls you knew in high school who is pretty, knows it, and is a bit stand-offish. I recently had a chance to talk with her as she is one of the owners of the coffee house where I work once a week or so (writing, not making cappuccinos). Several people came through the shop who knew her and were happy to see her. She turned out to be nice to everyone.

There are people who reach out to those around who are hurting. Many people help out just with random acts of kindness, even small tokens like opening a door for someone or carrying a load.

None of these people rate headlines in the news-media-advertising-complex. But they form the backbone of the community or church or organization.

Be one of those. It is as good for your health as for those being served. And when you meet these people, say Thank You.

Posted in Doing, Service | Leave a Comment »

Put Christ Back in Christian

November 27, 2023

I had a few minutes to browse on Facebook the other day and saw a cartoon.

The older couple sit side-by-side on a couch. He says, “We need to put CHRIST back in CHRISTmas.” She replies, “I’d settle for putting CHRIST back in CHRISTian.”

I showed it to my wife. She just said, “Well, that’s so you.”

Perhaps the description is annoyed. Or disappointed. Or even despair. That’s what I feel when people grab media headlines portraying themselves as christian when simultaneously exhibiting no signs of the spirit of Jesus.

That has become so pervasive (not among a majority of people, but among a majority of headline seekers) that I prefer not to refer to myself as Christian identifying with them. I prefer to describe myself as what I try to be—a follower of Jesus.

Ignatius of Loyola developed a spiritual practice of The Examen. I don’t practice it exactly every night, but most nights I ask myself how have I been a good follower and where have I missed an opportunity and fallen short. And I always fall short somewhere. Which gives me room to be better the next day.

This is a good practice for those of us who profess to be followers to perform. Doing it honestly with self-awareness keeps us humble and striving to be better at following. And if enough people do that, maybe it could be a movement. And maybe we could put Christ back in Christian.

Posted in Awareness, Disciplines, Spirituality | Leave a Comment »

Let Go of Anger

November 24, 2023

Flashbacks of exploding in anger sometimes visit my conscious self. It’s embarrassing now. How frustrations or deep hurts overflowed into words and actions.

I could say that we live in an age of the angry young man where everyone is like that. Politicians around the world seem to be tapping into that anger. Except that angry young men have been around for decades—millennia even. Billy Joel released a song in 1976 described as a sardonic look at “the angry young man who will go to his grave as an angry old man.”

Maybe I lost the edge of that anger when I became 25 or so and my brain finished growing (biological fact, in case you missed that in class). Or maybe years of meditation. Or maybe the times, especially in business, where I was metaphorically stabbed in the back by colleagues or friends, and I realized in the bigger picture, I was better off gone from that environment.

Looking at that bigger picture, would you like the vision of yourself as one of those angry old men (or women)? No one around you? Doing nothing for the family or community? Probably taking years from your life?

I can’t imagine that a person exists who doesn’t experience something sometime that lights a torch inside. A mark of maturity and growing spiritual awareness is revealed when we can let it go. Quickly. Before we say or do something foolish. Hitting that internal pause button before we hit the keyboard return button that will send that email or publish to social media.

How about if we go to our graves known as kind and compassionate rather than angry and bitter? We can do that. It does take work. And time.

Posted in Attitude, emotions | Leave a Comment »

Gratitude and Generosity

November 23, 2023

In America today is Thanksgiving Day. A national holiday. I was taught that it commemorates a meal after the 17th Century English Pilgrims in what is now Massachusetts survived a year and the people already living in the land provided food for a feast.

For some it is a time for family. Gathering the extended family for a turkey dinner. I have an Italian friend who told me she saw a video once about a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner and it looked nice.

Many have families torn apart by death or anger or misunderstanding. I imagine it is difficult to think of gratitude at those times. Psychologists tell us that conjuring gratitude even in those circumstances helps our mental/emotional balance. But, who am I to tell people that?

Many other people use the day both for gratitude and generosity. They provide food for homeless people and people whose economic fortunes are low. Some people in the community I lived in provided a community Thanksgiving dinner bringing together people who were alone and people less fortunate. A great idea of generosity and gratitude.

Instead of just one day, perhaps we could use the day, even those of you from around the world who read these words, to start a pattern of daily gratitude and generosity. Imagine what a world it would be if even half of the population practiced that!

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Confidence

November 22, 2023

So many people cannot contain emotions when they hear something they don’t agree with. Christians with a particular point of view who think the entire population of humanity agrees with then only to discover someone who doesn’t. Either an explosion of emotion erupts or a smoldering fire ignites.

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”― Robert Frost

Even as a young lad I failed to understand the insecurity and sensitivity to criticism of many people. I remember people in my town worried about communists stamping out Christianity. I thought, “If Christianity is truly ordained by God, then we should have confidence that it will endure one way or another.” And I was only 11.

I still have that attitude. Although I have two podcasts in queue that appear to be people with whom I will not agree. I have discovered from experience, though, that even here I may learn something valuable.

Never miss an opportunity to learn that you are wrong or that you have bad information. It is the path to growth.

Posted in Growth | Leave a Comment »

If You’re Going To Do It, Do It

November 21, 2023

Arnold Schwarzenegger, body builder, actor, governor, has had a life-long mission of spreading fitness and health passion and information. He sent an email about establishing a “positive corner of the internet.” I signed up for his Pump Club newsletter and then got the Pump Club App. He and his co-editors deliver a wealth of health and fitness information within their positive “village.”

Recently he addressed a problem we probably all see—or even resemble. Doing things half-way. He sees people come to the gym only to sit on the weight machine bench staring at their smart phones. How can they be focused on accomplishing a great workout while distracted by many things?

He says, “If you give whatever you’re doing your all, you’ll never regret it. You’ll never look back in 20 years and say, ‘I wonder what might have happened if I tried harder.’ “

He uses a German phrase, Wenn schon, denn schon. “It basically means, if you’re going to do it, do it.”

The pastor or your boss asks you to lead a team to accomplish a mission. You can decide—do you focus and do it, or do you fit it in among many distractions and accomplish the minimum?

Do you say to yourself that tomorrow I’ll get up at 5:30 am, read something spiritually uplifting, meditate, workout at the gym, and be ready for a good day—while sitting on the couch watching TV and snacking at 11:30 pm?

Or, when you are going to do it, do it.

You can sign up for the newsletter and app at this link. To get the app, use the code ARNOLD.

Posted in focus, Physical | Leave a Comment »

How To Lose Billions of Dollars

November 20, 2023

“How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire.” James the Apostle

How can you lose billions of dollars of assets?

I have heard many times, “I’m an American. I have a right to my opinion.”

My readings in literature and history teach that having an opinion is the human condition. Opinions are easy. Thought is hard. Informed opinions thoughtfully expressed are rare as a gem in the desert.

You can say whatever pops into your mind. On social media it is easy to just pop off something. And then you live with that forest fire that James warns us.

You can say what you want, but there are consequences. Not everyone will agree. Many will vehemently disagree. There is no rule that you will not suffer consequences from saying stupid or inflammatory things.

These thoughts sprang from thinking about Elon Musk, agreeing publicly with a white supremacist X post then seeing companies bail out of advertising with his company. He can say what he wants, but others need not agree.

“I’ve got a right to say what I want.” Yes, but that’s not always the responsible thing to do.

And again James teaches, “No one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Your tongue, or your social media post, can create a whirlwind of emotions. Taking a breath before hitting the enter key asking if this is the responsible thing to do works wonders.

Posted in Attitude, responsibility, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Deliver Us From Evil

November 17, 2023

…Deliver us from evil (or deliver us from the evil one). — Jesus on prayer

I was in high school thinking through my newfound stance on pacifism encouraged by my reading of the words of Jesus. I have a fuzzy memory of sitting on the front porch of the house of a couple of girls I knew. Probably I was there to talk to one of them. But I was a socially awkward geek. My memories are of talking with their mother. She asked pointed questions probing the various ramifications of a pacifistic life orientation. We had to my mind great and meaningful conversations.

Some who adopt an orientation toward peace forget that Jesus tells us, as if we couldn’t figure it out on our own, that evil exists.

He told us to ask God to deliver us from the grasp of evil.

Most of us can manage to wander through life without coming face-to-face with evil. That is a blessing. Many cannot. It can intrude at the most unexpected times and places. Maybe from friends and neighbors we have known for years.

We can debate theology, but that leads nowhere. The foundation question concerns how we respond. Do we let evil become our master and respond to evil with evil?

Maybe we allow God to deliver us—maybe by providing the extra strength we need to confront evil and conquer it.

When we are living with God perhaps we are infused with trust that we can respond to each situation as God would have us—seek peace, confront with strength. And also ask for discernment so that we don’t mistake someone’s angst for evil and respond wrongly.

Posted in Living, Prayer | Leave a Comment »

Justice and Restoration

November 16, 2023

Justice, it seems, isn’t about punishment or vengeance or getting even. It’s about restoration, wholeness, setting things right.

I am neither liberal nor conservative. Most people call me liberal, but that is not my orientation. My life direction concerns peace and justice. These attributes go along with each other.

Rich Dixon, who wrote those sentences on his blog about “Rich’s Ride” with a focus on justice for those caught up in sex trade and forced labor, resonates.

There are people who use justice, as in getting justice, meaning achieving vengeance. As in “getting even.”

I like Rich’s thought that it’s not about getting even or protecting my “rights.” Justice concerns setting things right. Returning to the way we should be. The way God created us all to be.

This sounds like how Jesus always raised the bar on people’s understanding of the Law. Committing adultery might be bad, but lusting after another person while committed to another is also bad. It’s a higher bar. Obeying all the commandments might be good, but selling all you own and following Jesus is a higher bar.

Getting our own justice might be one thing, but working for justice for the other is a higher bar. And Jesus always wanted us to strive for the higher bar.

Pray for peace; work for justice—for all.

Posted in Justice, Peace | Leave a Comment »

Enough for a Life

November 15, 2023

“To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.”― T.S. Eliot

My favorite poet. Deeply contemplative and exceptionally observant, but unfortunately too literary.

Let us contemplate.

Benjamin Franklin every night asked of himself, what good have I done today. Every morning begins a period of time where we are presented with an opportunity to serve. Have we responded correctly?

Maybe not every day, but too often, someone misstates something about another person or group of people. Do we tacitly nod as if in agreement? Do we gently respond with corrective information? How often do we say the healing word for the moment?

When walking in nature, do we pause to look at the miracle of a leaf? Or of a different bug or bird or critter? Or visit an art museum and pause to contemplate a beautiful piece of art? Or the beauty of the moment observing mother and child or adult child with elderly parent?

There is a word. Awareness. Do we go through the day mired deep into our own thoughts and miseries? Or, we are aware of the world around and our place in it?

I pray for awareness.

Posted in Awareness | Leave a Comment »