DANGEROUS GROUND

It's my sense that as a society we are moving through dangerous ground.  Part of that sense of danger comes from my instinctive fear of change - most humans, given the choice, will stick with the status quo rather than select for something that is unknown.  The other component of my sense of danger is the complexity that we will confront, as we navigate our way through the challenges we face.  Some of those challenges we know about; others will confront us with little warning, and others are purely in our imagination.

In case you think I'm referring to politics - you are correct - partly.  There's lots of danger in the political environment: internationally, nationally, provincially.  I don't want to focus on politics though.  It's not that I don't think politics and church don't mix; life itself is political, in that we have to make choices collectively and as individuals, to decide how we are going to live our lives together.  Those choices all have political elements.

The single common theme that makes me sensitive to danger is the tendency of leaders to set price as the predominant factor influencing decisions on how best to move forward.  Money, price, cost, expense...however you want to frame it, seems to have taken first place in the mindset of many.  I think that is a shallow, short-sighted approach to dealing with change.  Poet and author Oscar Wilde cautioned us to beware of persons "who know the price of everything and the value of nothing."

True as this is in politics and governance, it is also critical for our life together as a faith community.  We are going through significant change and, as we attempt to discern what we want to be and how we want to act, I'm hopeful that we will not fall into the trap of confusing price with value.  As a church, we do many things because they are the right thing to do...even if they come at a cost.  We are not a business or a commercial endeavour; we are a Christian community of faith.  Financial resources are important, but they ought not to be the primary determinant of what we could be and how we might do it.

As we travel this precarious section of our journey on the Way, let's remember the encouragement of another great writer, Paul the Apostle, who wrote, "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6-9)

Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take This Thought Away With You

"No leader can see the end from the beginning,

no matter how strategic the plan.  Try leadership by 'unfolding', pay attention

 to our own inner truth, and the gifts of insight they offer,

taking us places the five-year plan could not have imagined."

~ Carla M. Dahl, Bethel Seminary, Minnesota ~

MORAL COMPROMISE

I was riding home from Choir practice last night, listening to CBC Radio.  The topic of the program was our human tendency to accept and live comfortably with moral compromise.  After listening for a few minutes, I turned the radio off.  For me, that is a certain indication that what I am listening to is making me feel uncomfortable.  So, I turned the radio back on and I listened to the complete program.  It got me thinking about my own ability to live in contentment with various moral compromises - until someone or something calls me out on it.

To be clear, moral compromises are different from the accommodations we make to get along with others in society.  To give the gift of time or talent or resources to help someone else may at times feel like a sacrifice of self...but it's not a compromise of moral living.  Sacrifices of this nature are the foundation of a good life.

I'm probably a lot like many of you.  The moral compromises that I live with cover a full range of minor inconsistencies to major lapses of judgment and character.  For instance, I'm quick to ignore or forget my impact on climate change...I'm a fair-weather environmentalist.  I am easily drawn in by a "good deal", by which I mean that I tend to focus more on price than considering whether the value of the labour that went into the making of things gets shared equitably. 

At any given time, I pay lip service to the moral teachings that are part of my profession of faith as a disciple.  There are times when I read the book of Proverbs in the Bible, that I feel the authors were writing with me in mind: "To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the Lord.  Stupid people have no respect for wisdom and refuse to learn.  My child, learn what I teach you and never forget what I tell you to do.  Listen to what is wise and try to understand it.  Yes, beg for knowledge, plead for insight.  Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure."

Living without moral compromise might be a nearly impossible task, but I think it's part of what I understand as my journey.  For me it's not a straight path, it's more a wandering trail comprised of faith, doubt, trial and error.  Some parts of it I'll get right, other parts I will screw up or completely fail at.  Sometimes all I will be able to do is to keep moving towards the Light.

Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take These Thoughts Away With You

"God was closer to me when I was low than when I was in control.

When I was at my worst, I was very close to being at my best.

God was close and that presence was what I needed."

~ Pastor James O'Leary, Parchment, Michigan ~

"Content yourself with being a lover of wisdom, a seeker of the truth.

Return again and again to what is essential and worthy."

~ Epictetus, translation by Sharon Lebell ~

BE THE CHANGE

Ten days ago, I was elected to the Board of Directors for OSHaRE - the Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort.  When I told a friend of my decision, she said to me, "You must be crazy.  When will you find time for that?"  Good question.

It's not really a question of time, though.  It's more a question of how to live a good life.  From that perspective, I don't see that there's much choice; I can't live a good life unless I'm in life.

What made my decision to join the OSHaRE Board easy was a book that I was reading.  The author, an American, was describing the downfall of western society.  He was writing about how the gap between those "with" and those "without" was expanding faster than ever before.  He gave examples of how governments at every level are under pressure to provide essential social services without the resources to do that effectively.  He wrote that when society starts to struggle with these challenges, the ones who suffer most are those who rely on the compassion, generosity and kindness of others.  The author wrote that societies will ultimately fail if the level of civic engagement falls below a certain critical point.

In management terms, civic engagement is defined as "the process of helping people become active participants in building and strengthening their communities, whether defined as a place, or a shared identity or interest."  In Christian terms, civic engagement  is defined more simply; we call it the Golden Rule and it goes like this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The soup kitchen at OSHaRE is a practical demonstration of the Golden Rule and an opportunity for civic engagement.  OSHaRE is a community of sorts, just like our congregation is, just like our neighbourhood is.  Of course it will take a bit of time and energy to be a member of the Board there.  But, to be honest with you, it's no different than the time I take every day to get some exercise, or to eat healthily.  It's all part of living a good life - what else am I to do?

Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take This Thought Away With You

The longest journey sometimes is between your mind and your heart.

~ Tom B.K. Goldtooth, Native American activist ~