Month: December 2014

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Are the gifts wrapped? Maybe you are stumped about what to get the teacher this year or a special friend. There can be a lot of stress around gift giving at Christmas. The pressure to get the “right” thing for each person. At our house in the past when the kids were little, some years we would open presents all day on Christmas and not be done and have to continue on December 26! Then as the kids got older, we went to one big gift. But that one gift had to be just right. . . Yikes!

I recently read a beautiful line in Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient: “We seemed to be interested in things that could not be bought or sold.” It is a reference to a small group that was obsessed with exploration of the desert. But I love that line, “We seemed to be interested in things that could not be bought of sold.” When I think about it, it is the things that can’t be bought or sold that are the most important, that are of the most value.

This is worth remembering as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Jesus is important not because of what he owned or gave away, but because of what he taught, the way he looked at the world, and the love he imparted. He shows us community, forgiveness, healing, love, friendship, generosity, and compassion. These are things that cannot be bought or sold. They are values, attitudes, morals. These are the things that dictate behavior. So, really, they are the most important things in life for they drive our choices and our actions. Christmas, then, is about things that cannot be bought or sold. Maybe thinking about that will take some of the stress out of gift giving this season!

For reflection: What gifts have you received that cannot be bought or sold? What gifts have you given that cannot be bought or sold?

Prayer: We are grateful for Jesus and all that he teaches us about the good life. Through him we learn to take delight in a life of giving, service, solidarity, and friendship. The gifts that we receive from Jesus cannot be bought or sold. In our consumerist, materialist culture, may we tune our hearts to value most what cannot be bought or sold. Amen.

What is a life worth? In recent weeks we have been reminded that all lives are not equally valued. The killings in Ferguson, MO, Cleveland, OH, and Staten Island, NY, among many, many others give the impression that the lives of dark skinned people are not valued to the same degree as white people in this country. In addition, day after day, in countless settings, it is clear that the life of a person of low income is not valued as much as the life of a person of greater means. This can be seen in health care, in business, in law enforcement, in social service, and in the government.

In these December weeks we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The story tells us that he was born in a stable to parents of low income and low status. Jesus was dark skinned. He was poor. He was lower class. He was from a small, rural village, not a center of power. He was part of a barely tolerated minority on the fringe of the Roman Empire. Jesus was not mainstream by any means. He wasn’t even middle class.

In today’s world, we might think of Jesus’ socio economic status as comparable to a welfare baby. Or a homeless person. Or an illegal immigrant. If Jesus were born today, would we even notice?

For reflection: Can you think of ways that you have benefitted from the circumstances of your birth? The economic, racial, social, or gender privileges that you have received simply as a accident of who you were born to?

Prayer: We know that in the eyes of Divine Love, all people are equally valued. There is love for all and within all. Jesus lived from this reality. He treated everyone with respect, dignity, and compassion. May we allow ourselves to embrace this world view putting aside our pride and our fear. Amen.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. December 7. A day that people in the US remember the Japanese attack in 1941 that led to the US entering World War 2.

On the radio this past week, I learned that in Germany there are memorials all over the country to the people who were killed in World War 2, particularly the people who were killed as part of the final solution. This remembering is part of the process of repenting, atoning, and transforming the culture so that such evil is never allowed to happen again in that country. And, indeed, Germany has made major strides in becoming a diverse, stable, and tolerant country. Even the number of Jews in the population is growing.

In the wake of World War 2, Japan also made significant efforts to come to terms with its heritage of war and conquest. There are peace memorials throughout Japan. The people have tried to demilitarize their culture.

These processes of transformation in Germany and Japan would have been unimaginable in the 1930’s. And yet these two countries have made vast changes in behaviors and attitudes. The changes and transformation have not only been internal. Today the US counts Japan and Germany among its strongest allies. Who would have expected that?

There are places in the world where age old conflicts continue. I think of the Balkans. And of the middle east. The examples of Germany and Japan and their relations with the rest of the world help to give hope that conflicts in other places can be resolved.

For reflection: Where do you see conflicts that look hopeless? Perhaps between countries, or groups of people, or individuals. Where are there signs of hope for peace and reconciliation?

Prayer: Jesus saw the best in people. He saw the possibilities that were there. He never gave up on anyone or on any situation. We pray for the courage and the strength to have that kind of faith and hope in ourselves and in others. May peace prevail on earth. Amen.

On Dec. 5, 1955, the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott was launched. Of the 50,000 blacks in the city, 30,000-40,-000 participated. These were people who commuted on the bus everyday. Who rode the bus routinely. And they stopped riding the bus. Not for a day or a week. But for over a year. For 54 weeks.

A bus boycott. Most of us who will read this probably haven’t ridden a bus in years. For many of us, we might equate boycotting the bus with boycotting our cars. Can you imagine living without a car for 54 weeks? Walking, taking the bus, riding a bike, etc.? It’s hard to imagine. I can’t think of the last time, if ever, that I have inconvenienced myself to that degree for something I believed in. To make a statement. To bring pressure to bear so that meaningful change takes place.

In this season, we sing about peace on earth, good will to all. We herald tidings of comfort and joy. We donate to charity. We pursue alternative gift giving – donations to an organization someone cares about, tickets to an event to give an experience. We want to be more gentle to the earth and know our consumption is taking its toll. This is all lovely.

But Jesus came to inaugurate major change. He came to redirect the river. He is about moving the mountain. What Jesus taught is not about tweaking, or even overhauling or re-branding. It’s about dismantling what was and constructing something new. These things take time, commitment, energy, passion, persistence, and sacrifice. More than 4 weeks. More than 54 weeks. Probably even more than a life time.

If we are so busy worrying about today and tomorrow and keeping on top of all of those commitments, we may never get to considering the big picture. So there will just be another Ferguson, and another Ferguson, and another Ferguson. We’ll get upset in the moment. And then worry about what to make for dinner.

I spoke with someone who was grief stricken about the killing of Eric Garner of Staten Island with the choke hold. There was a protest in the city the person is from. I asked if this person was going to participate in the protest. “I can’t. I’m too busy.”

Thankfully, Jesus wasn’t too busy to embody justice, healing, and peace. Thankfully, the people of Montgomery weren’t too busy to boycott the bus system for 54 weeks, because that initiative led to many others which snowballed into some of the major progress that has been made in civil rights in this country.

For reflection: What great themes of social transformation do you see in the teachings of Jesus? How can you/we embody those themes and invest ourselves in meaningful change? What is holding us back?

Prayer: Progress and transformation require sacrifice. Jesus gave his life. Others make sacrifices to devote themselves to scientific inquiry, or the arts, or social transformation. May we not be afraid to give our lives to a cause greater than ourselves. Then we will know peace, and comfort, and joy. Amen.

You are going to die. I am going to die. Everyone we know is going to die. Every person is born and every person dies.

The question is not will we die, but how will we die. A recent article in the paper gives the odds of certain causes of death. Are you afraid of flying? Apparently, there is a one in 8,335 chance that you will be killed in an airplane accident. So, maybe it is time to give up air travel? Maybe we are afraid of being struck by lightening. It happens, especially here in Pinellas County. Statistics tell us we have a 1 in 135,666 chance of being struck by lightening. So, maybe it’s time to stay in during a storm? It almost seems foolish to try to avoid something that is so unlikely.

What about guns? Are you afraid of being shot? Well, you have a 1 in 6,492 chance of being killed by an accidental firearm discharge. And a 1 in 355 chance of being killed in a firearm assault, and a 1 in 203 chance of being killed by a self inflicted gunshot. There is a way to prevent that. Don’t have a gun and you won’t die from a self inflicted gunshot wound. Gun control and gun safety measures could significantly decrease the risks of dying from a gunshot. So, there actually are ways to lessen the chances of a death involving a gun.

So, what are the most frequent killers? We have a 1 in 7 chance of dying from heart disease or cancer. We have a 1 in 30 chance of dying from a stroke. We have a 1 in 57 chance of dying from diabetes. These are all health issues that can be significantly addressed through diet, exercise, and medication. There are effective ways of lowering the chances of dying from these conditions.

When we look at these causes of death and the odds, we see that there are ways that we can significantly reduce the risks of death through our choices and behaviors. But, yes, there is still that 1 in 562,042 who will die from a spider bite.

Advent and the weeks before Christmas can be a very busy time. We can become overwhelmed by activities and tasks and gatherings that are supposed to be a source of joy. We can be stretched thin by the financial pressures of the season. We can become stressed by the many obligations and demands that we face. Now, don’t get me wrong. I have NOTHING against being busy. I agree with the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” I like to be busy and active.

So for me, the question this season (and all year round) is not to be busy or not to be busy. I like to be busy. The area for reflection is more around what am I busy doing? Is it something I believe is important? Does what I am doing reflect my values? Am I occupied in ways that are consistent with my commitments and interests?

I may decide that I will not fly, to avoid being that 1 in 8,335 killed in an airplane crash. But wouldn’t my efforts be better spent on healthy diet and exercise to lessen the likelihood of dying from cancer or heart disease or diabetes?

For reflection: Do the activities you are involved in this season reflect your values and commitments? Are you involved in gatherings and events that reflect what is truly important to you? What can you do to avoid finding yourself in situations that are not consistent with who you want to be and what you care about?

Prayer: Life can be so rich and full. Every day is a gift. Opportunities for joy, delight, and service abound. We pray for the grace to be aware and discerning about what we do. May our choices be life-giving to us, to others, and to the world. This is how Jesus lived and we are grateful for his example. Amen.

For the full chart, “Which One Will Get You?”, compiled from a 2014 National Safety Council report, see the Tampa Bay Times, Nov. 23, 2014, Opinion.