Hello, God---it's me again. I'm still here---thank You for that. You are very quiet lately. Are You still there? Perhaps You are wondering what to do with us. Things aren't much better this year, as You have probably noticed. The terrorists haven't given up on us ---they want us gone. But we're fighting back by profiling each other ---wouldn't want to insult the terrorists by singling them out. Our economy is still pretty much in the tank, and nobody seems to know what to do about it--do You? This week North Korea bombed South Korea, which may be the start of something big. Other nations aren't doing so well either, especially Haiti, where cholera is running rampant. On the bright side, Prince William, of England, announced his betrothal to Kate, a commoner of uncommon style, looks, and background. This was particularly good news, as we hear that the institution of marriage is going out of style, and in another decade or so, weddings and lifetime commitments will be passe, a thing of the past, gone ---like waiting to get married before having a child. We're very progressive these days, and are doing away with anything not convenient or to our liking. And You'll be interested to note that Bristol Palin daughter of the much loved/hated politico, Sarah Palin, did not win the Dancing with the Stars competition-----everybody is happy. I don't know how it is up there, but we like our winners to be real, with the right stuff---popularity contests are not us---no Sir, we are purely motivated and highly discriminating when it comes to dance contests . Elections are a different matter, however. Experience and skill sets don't seem to count as much then---if we like 'em, we vote for them. Period.
So, for now, we continue to float quietly, gently, surely through space----if only we could enjoy the peace of that ride. What's that? You wish us to be happier and less stressed? Easy for You to say. Forgive my impudence---what is Your secret for remaining calm in the face of all our problems? Something called "hope"? For us? So, You haven't given up on us yet---you still believe? And we should ---believe that all things are possible? If You say so---guess You should know. But I wouldn't bet Your eternity on us--we're an unruly. rascally bunch. We all believe something different, everybody thinks they're right--- we're a virtual "tower of Babel", speaking many languages, with assorted religions, going in different directions. But what can I do? I'm just one small person. You've heard the expression, "like trying to herd cats"? I can't imagine how You can hope to manage us all anymore. We seem lost, astray. Yes? You say You don't give up easily? But You need my assistance? Oh---I don't know my Lord, I'm not Your best choice----I'm worn, broken in some respects, dubious, questioning,---and very sassy. You'll use me the way I am? Okay, then. I'm in--- reporting for duty. Show me how to help.What? A local soup kitchen? A nursing home? The unkempt homeless man on the corner? The spiteful neighbor next door? The family member I haven't spoken to in years? Well,----that's pretty heavy duty stuff--I mean, Haiti might be easier. I have a very full schedule --busy, busy. Certainly, you can find someone better suited for the job. But thanks for caring, and believing against all odds that things will get better. Gotta run----You might want to keep an eye on North Korea, though---just a thought.
Nice chatting with you. Thanks again for still being there. Please don't despair. Think of us as Your work in progress. Surely,You'll come up with something---after all, we're not Your first rodeo. You know, I can see You now--- Oh, my God, You are beautiful, magnificent, awesome. I had no idea---- but why the tears?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
PICK YOUR POISON---PAT DOWN,PICTURE, OR THE OTHER "P" WORD???
Desperate times call for desperate measures---are we getting too desperate about our security and are you ready for the current wave of public outcry regarding airline travel and the accompanying body search precautions? Or perhaps I should say, are you ready for the next invasion of your privacy----make that a literal invasion of your privacy. "Would you prefer a very thorough pat-down, Sir, or a very complete and revealing x-ray of your entire, naked body?" One man has already revolted, and may get a hefty fine to remind him of his lack of rights when traveling by air. And now comes the news that Muslim women may not have to be searched below their necks--for religious reasons, don't you know. Talk about public outcry---if Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, lets this one pass, she may feel not only the wrath of the American public, but the airline industry's as well, if people resort to other means of travel---and even the pilots, themselves, refuse to fly under such conditions.
As I write , this issue is escalating at jet like speed. Law suits have already been filed, and the debate is raging. Has the American public finally reached a boiling point regarding just how much they will tolerate and trade off for their security? As so often happens, the crux of the matter finally becomes apparent, as the outer layers of protest peel away the more obvious objections----yes, it's incredibly invasive, highly indignant, arguably humiliating, and totally against all that we stand for in our freedom loving society----and that brings us to the very thing we, as a country most abhor---the thought of a "police state" becoming ever more possible, as little by little, security measure by measure, necessary mandate by mandate, we give up our rights---in this case, our very personal rights. It is not only counter to all that we stand for, but ironic that in order to protect our way of life, we must give up much of what makes us who we are. But is there not a different, better way to ensure that people with evil, destructive motives and means, are not boarding our planes with us? Already, theTransportation Security Administration is considering altering and easing the new pat down and x-ray procedures in response to the public controversy. However, to put it bluntly--- if a plane blows up in the sky, will we not wish we had done any and everything we could to avoid such a horrific assault? We have to do, what we have to do. Right? That is the premise, the argument, and the trigger for the pat down and x-ray procedures we now face. But have we actually done all that we can do? Like the elephant in the room, there is another obvious. but not so palatable alternative.
And now we have come to the real, not so pretty, nor politically correct core of the debate--- its name is" passenger profiling". Israel does it quite successfully. But we have been more than
reluctant to use this method, even as we stared at the black, horrific hole of 9/11 and an enemy we knew was not done with us yet. To profile was to discriminate and tread upon our very sacred laws of civil rights. There are many who still feel this way. It tears unhistorically into the fabric of our culture and our values, and so we have been willing to allow all of us to be profiled, rather than just a suspicious few---grandmothers, children, wheelchair passengers, and now even our airline crews, all are subjected to the same scrutiny. But perhaps we have arrived at a point of being forced to look with a cold and pragmatic eye at our limited choices, as the terrorists overcome our security barriers, and back us into a corner. Some say they will have won, if we become a nation of suspicious paranoid profilers. But have they not already won on a larger scale, as we all, like sheep, succumb to allowing our very private selves to be probed and x-rayed? The argument will include those who say profiling will not work, as the terrorists begin to recruit those who do not fit the stereo-typical mold. And that is true, but not yet or in very many cases. Time is still on our side.and perhaps we should use it while we can. It would seem a huge deterrent to implement at least some sort of profiling in order that not all of us are denied our basic personal freedoms. Perhaps it is time to get mad, get real, and say like the character in the long ago movie--"we're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore." If that means profiling , then hopefully we can be forgiven our attempt to protect ourselves without bowing to draconian methods. It is the price of admission, and it is what it is. War? If not, it's close enough. Pat down or picture, Sir, or Ma-am ,or child? Neither, thank you--- not if there's another way. Desperate times call for desperate measures----
As I write , this issue is escalating at jet like speed. Law suits have already been filed, and the debate is raging. Has the American public finally reached a boiling point regarding just how much they will tolerate and trade off for their security? As so often happens, the crux of the matter finally becomes apparent, as the outer layers of protest peel away the more obvious objections----yes, it's incredibly invasive, highly indignant, arguably humiliating, and totally against all that we stand for in our freedom loving society----and that brings us to the very thing we, as a country most abhor---the thought of a "police state" becoming ever more possible, as little by little, security measure by measure, necessary mandate by mandate, we give up our rights---in this case, our very personal rights. It is not only counter to all that we stand for, but ironic that in order to protect our way of life, we must give up much of what makes us who we are. But is there not a different, better way to ensure that people with evil, destructive motives and means, are not boarding our planes with us? Already, theTransportation Security Administration is considering altering and easing the new pat down and x-ray procedures in response to the public controversy. However, to put it bluntly--- if a plane blows up in the sky, will we not wish we had done any and everything we could to avoid such a horrific assault? We have to do, what we have to do. Right? That is the premise, the argument, and the trigger for the pat down and x-ray procedures we now face. But have we actually done all that we can do? Like the elephant in the room, there is another obvious. but not so palatable alternative.
And now we have come to the real, not so pretty, nor politically correct core of the debate--- its name is" passenger profiling". Israel does it quite successfully. But we have been more than
reluctant to use this method, even as we stared at the black, horrific hole of 9/11 and an enemy we knew was not done with us yet. To profile was to discriminate and tread upon our very sacred laws of civil rights. There are many who still feel this way. It tears unhistorically into the fabric of our culture and our values, and so we have been willing to allow all of us to be profiled, rather than just a suspicious few---grandmothers, children, wheelchair passengers, and now even our airline crews, all are subjected to the same scrutiny. But perhaps we have arrived at a point of being forced to look with a cold and pragmatic eye at our limited choices, as the terrorists overcome our security barriers, and back us into a corner. Some say they will have won, if we become a nation of suspicious paranoid profilers. But have they not already won on a larger scale, as we all, like sheep, succumb to allowing our very private selves to be probed and x-rayed? The argument will include those who say profiling will not work, as the terrorists begin to recruit those who do not fit the stereo-typical mold. And that is true, but not yet or in very many cases. Time is still on our side.and perhaps we should use it while we can. It would seem a huge deterrent to implement at least some sort of profiling in order that not all of us are denied our basic personal freedoms. Perhaps it is time to get mad, get real, and say like the character in the long ago movie--"we're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore." If that means profiling , then hopefully we can be forgiven our attempt to protect ourselves without bowing to draconian methods. It is the price of admission, and it is what it is. War? If not, it's close enough. Pat down or picture, Sir, or Ma-am ,or child? Neither, thank you--- not if there's another way. Desperate times call for desperate measures----
Thursday, November 11, 2010
IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH???
Just saw "Hereafter", the new movie by Steven Spielberg and starring Matt Damon--. It was a nice respite from the political whirl we find ourselves in this month. The movie was about a man who seemingly could connect with the departed and even have brief conversations with them---conversations! See? A good chat may even go on after life---we really need to keep honing our skills!
The real crux of the story, however, was of the heartbreak of losing a loved one, and the yearning to re-connect, if only for a moment, and even if it's using someone else as a go-between. We cannot seem to accept the finality of death, and our hearts break over and over again as life dishes out the good-byes, one by one. It is the fate of our humanity that we live to die, but it is in our DNA to resist and rail against it, even though we know it is inevitable. But in the movie, one of the characters has a near death experience, in which she catches a glimpse of life hereafter. She knows it is true, and it changes her perspective and the direction of her life. There have been many who have written books on this issue, and most accounts of near death experiences are very similar. The scientific jury is still out on this topic, with some saying, the visions of a life after death are attributable to chemical and physical changes that happen to our bodies as we disengage from them. Still, the stories keep coming, and they bring with them intrigue, hope, and joy. Some even report that they did not want to return to this existence, as the one they had seen was indescribably better.
The movie depicts much of the sadness, stress, and turmoil of this life, but ultimately the happiness that is found in relationships that make being human so worthwhile---the exquisite love between a child and mother or a sibling--and of course, the magical love of two people who find each other and know that they belong together. But when separation happens, the pain can be almost unbearable for those who are left behind. And so, we seek solace in imagining and hoping for life after death---where we will meet our loved ones again---and sometimes even before, as depicted in the above mentioned movie. It's a dicey deal to make contact with the spirit world, and no one has ever proven it can actually be done. We are God's children, but we are also of the earth----heaven must wait, and so must we.
We are made for life's long journey----resilient and tougher than we know. Our hearts may break, but still we move on, heal, and love again. Most of us cling tenaciously to life, right on to the end, though I have a friend that insists that if she ever is afflicted with Alzheimer's, she will do away with herself---I hope she forgets to do it. It's not nice to return a gift, and I think it is written somewhere that there are no returns or refunds. But it does seem unfair, unjust, and even illogical that we should have to be extinguished at some point---and that is the great question of our existence. Why? For our sins? For some great cosmic plan? And what happens after our last breath? Many faiths offer answers, but no one knows for absolute certain. If only we could know that death is just a door to be walked through--if only someone could return and tell us so--according to the Christian faith, someone has. His name was Jesus Christ. We can either choose to believe it or not. When my father passed, I was there. I can tell you that even before he took his last breath, I knew without a doubt that he was undergoing a spiritual change---I could see it, feel it, and was awed by it. He had been transformed before he took his last breath, and it was crystal clear----it was as though I was seeing through to his soul. He was still my dad, but such a different version of him. I suppose you can say that my own personal beliefs colored my witness of that incident, and maybe you would be right---but I wasn't looking for and thinking of anything other than ways to comfort my dad in his last hours. I was profoundly changed by what I saw---and given hope and peace that there is a plan and a place for us, after all, and after here. Perhaps the many reports of life after death are God's way of telling us--"Do not worry, you are not alone, I am here---and I am waiting for you." And quite likely he might add----"Get your act together---and for God's sake, stop fighting, whining, and worrying incessantly. Enjoy the here, do your best, take care of each other, and I'll take care of the after."
As a child I was warned to stay away from the world of witch craft and fortune tellers----and I have. I was taught that there is indeed a spirit world, but that not only the good inhabit it----and we'd best keep our distance from it all. Ouiji boards even scare me. I have never tried to contact the dead, nor do I plan to. Movies about exorcisms make me want to hide under the bed. I prefer to keep my focus among the living. Recently a local fortune teller was found murdered----apparently she didn't see it coming---or her husband, who is now accused of the crime. If he did it, he's going to have some serious 'splainin' to do, and I hope his wife is waiting for him at the pearly gates----but more than likely, someone else will beat her to it. And He may have already chastened her for messing with His territory-----our job is to live this life to the best of our ability, and I like to think most of us are doing the best we can; His job is to show us the way home someday. May we all get there, and may we be met at those gates with a God who is more loving than judgemental, more kind than just, and who will greet us then with perhaps ---"Welcome, to the Hereafter, otherwise known as "Forever". I hope He likes to chat---'cause I've got lots of questions. But then, maybe He'll have a few for me---
The real crux of the story, however, was of the heartbreak of losing a loved one, and the yearning to re-connect, if only for a moment, and even if it's using someone else as a go-between. We cannot seem to accept the finality of death, and our hearts break over and over again as life dishes out the good-byes, one by one. It is the fate of our humanity that we live to die, but it is in our DNA to resist and rail against it, even though we know it is inevitable. But in the movie, one of the characters has a near death experience, in which she catches a glimpse of life hereafter. She knows it is true, and it changes her perspective and the direction of her life. There have been many who have written books on this issue, and most accounts of near death experiences are very similar. The scientific jury is still out on this topic, with some saying, the visions of a life after death are attributable to chemical and physical changes that happen to our bodies as we disengage from them. Still, the stories keep coming, and they bring with them intrigue, hope, and joy. Some even report that they did not want to return to this existence, as the one they had seen was indescribably better.
The movie depicts much of the sadness, stress, and turmoil of this life, but ultimately the happiness that is found in relationships that make being human so worthwhile---the exquisite love between a child and mother or a sibling--and of course, the magical love of two people who find each other and know that they belong together. But when separation happens, the pain can be almost unbearable for those who are left behind. And so, we seek solace in imagining and hoping for life after death---where we will meet our loved ones again---and sometimes even before, as depicted in the above mentioned movie. It's a dicey deal to make contact with the spirit world, and no one has ever proven it can actually be done. We are God's children, but we are also of the earth----heaven must wait, and so must we.
We are made for life's long journey----resilient and tougher than we know. Our hearts may break, but still we move on, heal, and love again. Most of us cling tenaciously to life, right on to the end, though I have a friend that insists that if she ever is afflicted with Alzheimer's, she will do away with herself---I hope she forgets to do it. It's not nice to return a gift, and I think it is written somewhere that there are no returns or refunds. But it does seem unfair, unjust, and even illogical that we should have to be extinguished at some point---and that is the great question of our existence. Why? For our sins? For some great cosmic plan? And what happens after our last breath? Many faiths offer answers, but no one knows for absolute certain. If only we could know that death is just a door to be walked through--if only someone could return and tell us so--according to the Christian faith, someone has. His name was Jesus Christ. We can either choose to believe it or not. When my father passed, I was there. I can tell you that even before he took his last breath, I knew without a doubt that he was undergoing a spiritual change---I could see it, feel it, and was awed by it. He had been transformed before he took his last breath, and it was crystal clear----it was as though I was seeing through to his soul. He was still my dad, but such a different version of him. I suppose you can say that my own personal beliefs colored my witness of that incident, and maybe you would be right---but I wasn't looking for and thinking of anything other than ways to comfort my dad in his last hours. I was profoundly changed by what I saw---and given hope and peace that there is a plan and a place for us, after all, and after here. Perhaps the many reports of life after death are God's way of telling us--"Do not worry, you are not alone, I am here---and I am waiting for you." And quite likely he might add----"Get your act together---and for God's sake, stop fighting, whining, and worrying incessantly. Enjoy the here, do your best, take care of each other, and I'll take care of the after."
As a child I was warned to stay away from the world of witch craft and fortune tellers----and I have. I was taught that there is indeed a spirit world, but that not only the good inhabit it----and we'd best keep our distance from it all. Ouiji boards even scare me. I have never tried to contact the dead, nor do I plan to. Movies about exorcisms make me want to hide under the bed. I prefer to keep my focus among the living. Recently a local fortune teller was found murdered----apparently she didn't see it coming---or her husband, who is now accused of the crime. If he did it, he's going to have some serious 'splainin' to do, and I hope his wife is waiting for him at the pearly gates----but more than likely, someone else will beat her to it. And He may have already chastened her for messing with His territory-----our job is to live this life to the best of our ability, and I like to think most of us are doing the best we can; His job is to show us the way home someday. May we all get there, and may we be met at those gates with a God who is more loving than judgemental, more kind than just, and who will greet us then with perhaps ---"Welcome, to the Hereafter, otherwise known as "Forever". I hope He likes to chat---'cause I've got lots of questions. But then, maybe He'll have a few for me---
Thursday, November 4, 2010
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN---ARE YOU LISTENING, PRESIDENT OBAMA??
The American people are often referred to knowingly by politicians, as if they can read our minds and we're some kind of portable entity that can be handed around and used to their advantage. "The American people want ---this, or that", and of course it's always whatever the politician is trying to advance. Well, the people themselves, have now spoken---loud and clear. Make that loud, maybe not so clear--at least not to Pres. Obama. The message that got through was that things have changed since he took office. No longer the wildly popular man who was going to make everything better, President Obama looked chastened and tired as he gave his speech---but he did not seem to get the gist of the message the majority of voters sent. As though he couldn't bear to admit to wrong decisions and policies, he repeatedly stated that this defeat was due to the fact that he had not communicated his policies clearly enough---it isn't the clarity that's missing, Prez--- we get it. The question is: Do you? Whether it's the ailing economy, the continued over spending, the threat of higher taxes, or the very unpopular health care bill, or all of the above, this is a president and a country that's in trouble---and the people responded the only way they could--- with votes that screamed NO----we are not happy with the situation. Do something else, or we will replace you. It's a tough job, but you asked for it. Well, now is the time to show us what you're really made of. It is true, we handed you a mountain of problems as you entered the presidency, but it seems you added to them, perhaps even used them to build your own brand of government with the rationale that such things had to be done to save the country. The result has been a loss of confidence in you and in the direction you are taking us.You can start by losing the combative words, such as suggesting the Republicans "sit in the back of the car" "hand to hand combat"( a reference to how the congress will have to operate if the Republicans gain more power"), and simply allowing others to disagree without fear of public humiliation (Supreme Court Judge Roberts). You could also begin to make all of us feel more included in your circle, instead of referring to some of us as "the folks on the other side". You are the president of all us "folks"!
Whether President Obama finally hears the depth of desperation and outrage expressed by the majority of voters remains to be seen. Will he lead, according to what the majority wants, or just ask us to obediently follow his dictates? Is he capable for the purpose of rescuing himself and his party from a defeat in 2012, of being more pragmatic driven and less idealogical? If he is, then we will see a shift to the center; if not,we may see the very rapid demise of this once phenomenally popular president. This has got to be a tough decision for a man not accustomed to giving in and compromising. It is not his style, nor has he experienced the give and take that goes on in corporations, businesses, and even the Senate, where he served only for a short time. To add to his problems, there is the tug and pull within in his own party ---the extreme left, who feel he hasn't done enough to advance their agendas for bigger government, and those who are more moderate and think he has gone overboard. At some point, he will have to decide which way he will lead, and therein lies his destiny---and ours, perhaps, as well.
Whether President Obama finally hears the depth of desperation and outrage expressed by the majority of voters remains to be seen. Will he lead, according to what the majority wants, or just ask us to obediently follow his dictates? Is he capable for the purpose of rescuing himself and his party from a defeat in 2012, of being more pragmatic driven and less idealogical? If he is, then we will see a shift to the center; if not,we may see the very rapid demise of this once phenomenally popular president. This has got to be a tough decision for a man not accustomed to giving in and compromising. It is not his style, nor has he experienced the give and take that goes on in corporations, businesses, and even the Senate, where he served only for a short time. To add to his problems, there is the tug and pull within in his own party ---the extreme left, who feel he hasn't done enough to advance their agendas for bigger government, and those who are more moderate and think he has gone overboard. At some point, he will have to decide which way he will lead, and therein lies his destiny---and ours, perhaps, as well.
This mid term election was not just about the issues facing this country. The passion and over- all interest seems to indicate that it was at least just as much, maybe even more, a battle over ideologies. The deep divisions within this country go a lot deeper than the economy, though that is symtomatic of problems that need to be addressed. We are at this time, perhaps more than ever before, divided between two differing philosophies of governance--it's very simple---more or less government in our lives. It is time to make that decision, and the fight is on. The Republicans will now lead the charge for less government. There are those who believe there is no time for the Republicans to try to "go along, to get along", as is so typical in Washington politics, because too much has already happened to alter our traditional government, and that Obama's liberal agendas must be dramatically slowed or halted. It may not be advisable for the Republicans to play nice this time---the conservatives, with the tea party activists adding heavy influence, are watching. Ironically, if the Republicans choose to be more moderate against this very left leaning administration, they may be digging their own graves. Meanwhile, the Democrats are licking their wounds and already gearing up for the next election , with Obama leading the way--and at the same time challenged to dial down the divisive rhetoric and keep peace, or at least a civil tone with everyone----an impossible mission? There are those who have done it, like Clinton and Reagan. If Obama fails to complete his mission---he may be toast next time around. It all makes for the most exciting game in town---you gotta love politics!
Let us hope that we all find a way to keep our heads and our hearts steady as we go. We are in the midst of a huge narrative being discussed and written for all of us----will we retain our constitutional values and way of life, or will we dramatically change course and become more European in the way we choose to be governed? May we not lose sight of our original spirit and purpose---to be as independent as possible, while still caring for those who need it. And may we not forget that , unlike Obama's recent slip of the tongue would imply ---none of us are the" enemy". We are one people forging a way into a rather precarious future, with these common hopes---survival, and a quest to live well and free. However you feel, now is the time to join the "story" as it is being written. Become part of the dialogue-----because it's not "just politics" anymore. It's all about us and our children's life styles. economic well being, and even their security. Think about it, talk about, and let your opinions be known---so that the story of us will include and be the result of an informed, actively engaged public---not just some politician's idea of what "the American people" think or want.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)