Faith Venture

Can You Think?

June 29, 2023

OK, I never thought I’d ever quote that famous behaviorist psychologist B.F. Skinner, but this thought was too good to pass over without, well, thinking about.

The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do.

John Wesley, among many other Christian writers and preachers, talked about using experience, tradition, and reason while coming to understand scripture.

If I took Facebook as an example of the level of thinking in the world right now, I’d be forced into skepticism about the ability of humans to think. Perhaps other forms of communication, as well.

Some people are worried about artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT taking away our ability to think. On the one hand, I wonder about our ability to begin with. On the other hand, I have heard teachers explain that ChatGPT can be used along with thinking.

How, you may ask. Have the student (or you can try it) think and devise a topic sentence. The big question. Then write three or four supporting statements. Then turn ChatGPT loose to research and write some paragraphs. Then go back and rewrite that prose into English (or whatever).

My first geometry teacher told us that we’d learn about shapes and angles, but also that mostly what we would learn was how to think. Solving proofs of theorems is a great model. I use it to this day.

Try thinking sometime today. Read a passage (not just a single verse which can lead you astray). Think of possibilities. Not just one interpretation. What if the writer meant this? Or that?How did the original readers take this? Go sit in a park or by a pond or river and just think.

This reminds me of a story I heard many years ago. This could have been about me at 10 years old. It seems a little boy was sitting in class in school. He was staring out the window totally oblivious to the class. The teacher noticed and stopped talking. Soon, all the kids were staring. He realized something was up and his attention returned to the classroom. “What were you doing?” asked the teacher. “I was thinking,” was the reply. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to think in school?” she said. When the entire class burst out in laughter, she realized what she said.

But, too often it’s true in school and at work—we’re not supposed to think. Be that little boy. Think.

Posted in Disciplines, Thinking | Leave a Comment »

The Journey From Ego to Soul

June 28, 2023

If you’ve followed me long, you realize I’m an eclectic reader. I’m like a sponge plus a filter when it comes to absorbing information and wisdom wherever I can. Steven Pressfield writes fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays. His The War of Art (a cute play on words from the classic Sun Tzu, The Art of War) talks about The Resistance that interferes with your creative process.

He writes a weekly newsletter. This morning he wrote about the memorial service for his old friend and mentor Norm Stahl. Norm’s son told the story of Norm and his cousin. The cousin called once and asked for $25,000 for an emergency (most likely a gambling debt). This was many years ago when that was really a lot of money. Norm had it, and he loaned it. The cousin never paid it back.

The entire family knew the situation. It was a constant source of tension at family gatherings. At one family holiday gathering the tension visited again. Norm got up and walked toward his cousin. He hugged him. It broke the tension. Everyone was released.

Pressfield writes, The change in Norm was he shifted from the ego to the soul. This is monumental. It’s the equivalent, if you ask me, of what the Buddha would call Enlightenment.

The ego holds grudges. The ego sees only its own self-interest. The ego hoards slights and grievances. The ego hates.

But the higher self sees soul-to-soul. It pierces the Little Picture and perceives what’s really important. It loves. It forgives.

Pressfield is spot on. That is why Jesus and the early Christian Desert Fathers (see John Climacus, for example) spent so much time on ego, pride, humility.

I sense that we (all of us) need to meditate and pray deeply about our own journey from ego to soul. Someone need a hug today?

Posted in Attitude, Humility, pride | Leave a Comment »

Time–Do We Have Enough?

June 27, 2023

Time. We just don’t have enough of it.

Or, do we.

Perhaps what we lack is focus. Decide on something to work on, work on it.

Perhaps we say Yes too often and need to practice the word No. Or, Sorry, I cannot fit it into my schedule.

On the other hand, perhaps we structure too many things into a day. We have not built in slack time. We have not set aside time to just sit (or walk) and think and relax.

We must set aside eight hours for sleep. We should set aside three hours for eating. Eating slowly helps us consume less and keep our weight down.

That leaves us with 13 hours for work, play, rest, connection. It should be plenty.

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Perfection and Imperfection

June 26, 2023

Perfect is the enemy of good.

Perfect is the enemy of done.

Once when I was a vice president of a small company, the engineers had a conversation with me. It involved when to ship a machine we were building. Now, if we didn’t ship, we didn’t get paid. But they didn’t want to ship until the machine was perfect. It was hard to explain to someone with a perfect mindset that the customer couldn’t wait for perfection. They needed a machine that would make the products they needed within the specs. Good was good enough. Perfect was not attainable.

In the spiritual life, we must ask of ourselves–are we waiting for perfection?

Worse, do we now think that we are perfect and have no need for anything further from God?

Have you met Christians (or perhaps people from other religions) who think they are perfect? Did we notice the imperfections that they ignored?

Perfect we may strive toward as long as we don’t develop a psychological disorder such as anxiety or depression.

Imperfect is the human condition. When we accept that in ourselves and in others, then, and only then, can we grow in faith and service.

Posted in Spirituality, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Smooth Is Fast

June 23, 2023

I heard an interview with a former US Navy SEAL. He left me with a phrase that repeats in my mind.

Slow is smooth; smooth is fast.

This relates to other advice I’ve received and to my life experiences.

Once I rushed through everything trying to do three or four things at once. I was frustrated with progress as well as tired. Driving in traffic, I’d speed up only to be stopped at the next traffic light in the slow lane passed by the cars I’d just passed.

Rushing didn’t get me anywhere faster. Maybe just a speeding ticket.

I’ve not only learned that phrase, I have also learned to embody it.

I concentrate on one thing at a time. That doesn’t mean that a hundred thoughts don’t pop up. They do. But I’ve learned to move past and come back to task.

Don’t rush the conversation.

Allow time to get where I’m going. If circumstances make me late, well, then I’m late. That’s life.

Even eating. Chew more. Swallow less. Slow and smooth.

Even working out. Some things require intensity, but don’t rush through (well, unless you’re doing sprints!). I look at the dumbbells. Select the weights. Raise slowly to extension. Lower slowly and smoothly. Do my sets. Amazingly the workout is done before I know it.

In your spiritual life, it’s the same. When you read–read. When you meditate–meditate. Allow the time. Savor it even.

Posted in Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Are You Doing Significant Work?

June 22, 2023

Or…are you merely busy?

Seth Godin has released a new book I highly recommend…The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams.

We are all doing some sort of work. It might be in the marketplace, or an organization non-profit or religious.

What we should be doing is creating significance for someone else. Whom are we serving?

Or, are we merely busy?

Are you merely a manager who orders the group, team, organization into compliance to run as smoothly as possible?

Are you a leader bringing significance to a team of committed and passionate individuals creating change and changed lives to others?

If you work for the first, perhaps you should quit and find the second sort of team.

Posted in Work | Leave a Comment »

Taking Criticism

June 21, 2023

OK, I’ll admit it. I don’t take criticism well. It’s from a deep sense that I’ll never be good enough. (Thanks, Dad.)

Something you should know about delivering criticism. If you begin with something positive or almost positive and then say, “but”, everything ahead of “but” is forgotten.

I found this piece of advice from the Stoic Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (from The Daily Stoic newsletter).

If that criticism is correct and we are in error then the person criticizing us has done us a favor by correcting it. If they are wrong, what do we care? More likely, if we are doing our job right, we should already be well aware of the issue that people are raising and already be fixing it. We should have no sense of ourselves as perfect or above critique. Nor should we be so fragile and vulnerable as to not be able to bear being disliked or disagreed with.

What a mature approach. Something to learn from and practice. We can, if we but open our minds, learn from those who differ from us and those who offer criticism—even the unkind ones.

Posted in Attitude, Growth, Learning | Leave a Comment »

Meditation Spaces

June 20, 2023

I am on the road at another conference. Last week we were in the desert in Las Vegas. This week in the sub-tropics of Orlando, FL. No, I’m not doing Disney. Learning about new technologies and their uses. Big topic is sustainability.

When I’m in a hotel, I search for outdoor locations in the morning to begin my day refreshed. Meditation in an environment like this patio at the JW Marriott allows me to bring more energy to a day filled with interviews and other human interaction.

When I’m home, it’s a walk around the ponds in the community. I’ve even just walked the city when I happen to be downtown Chicago or wherever. Just being out is a great way to begin the day. It’s also a great way to rejuvenate in the mid-afternoon.

It is permissible (I give you permission) to meditate with your eyes open. That is a refreshing alternative that also allows your mind to associate freely and come up with new ideas.

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Laws and Commandments

June 19, 2023

There are people who try to make a rule to proscribe every possible way to live a life. Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with not only the 10 Commandments but a total of 613 laws. Many of those made a lot of sense to a huge group of recent slaves now loose and on their own in the desert. Raising pigs would have destroyed their way of life. Eating shellfish would have killed them.

First Century Jewish teachers added many more rules trying to keep up with changing times. Jesus often talked about the burdens the Pharisees were laying o the people with all these additional laws.

Then Jesus came. During his final instructions to his followers, he said that he would leave them with one new commandment. Not 614, but 1. Love one another as I have loved you. Do this and people will know you are my followers.

The Apostle Paul explained this in his letter to the Galatians calling it freedom from the law. (He explained it in many other places, too.)

We humans try to make it hard by over-thinking. It’s a simple concept just hard to live:

Love one another as Jesus loved his followers (and us). The extension of the love was giving up his life for them (us).

Posted in Freedom | 5 Comments »

Traveling

June 16, 2023

Traveling.

Yesterday was another travel day. Two-and-a-half days of software conferences. A delicious anniversary dinner Monday. More good food during the week. Four-hour flight Las Vegas to Chicago. But that means about seven hours of total travel and wait time hotel to home.

Both flights to and from were packed. People queued up orderly. Boarded. Got settled. I never heard a discourteous word. People helped anyone struggling to stow baggage. Perhaps we’ve recovered as a society from the unsettled nerves and frustrations of the Covid pandemic. Maybe that will rub off into other areas.

How good it is to travel and be emotionally drained by witnessing belligerent and obnoxious incidents.

Maybe it’s a discipline. Maybe it’s a lifestyle. Maybe it should just be who we are. Courteous, agreeable, helpful.

Posted in Attitude, Disciplines | Leave a Comment »