Along the road of my journey I have crossed paths with a few people who consider themselves atheists or agnostics. At the risk of generalizing, I see they all have similar traits that may explain their lack of faith in a supreme entity. While very learned people who measure their successes in life by the degrees on the wall, the amount they spend to achieve them, and the stacks of Greek literature, novels of anti-establishment and dramatic essays of societal dissent, they completely close off their minds, hearts and spirit to the possibility of the presence of God in their lives. And they tend to think they are above all who partake in a community of worship and some even look down their noses at them. Although they say "that's fine for you but..."
Now, I am just going by the people I know, but they all come from very similar backgrounds. A troubled childhood, years of unhappiness, and bitterness toward a faith that disappointed them. This results in them being hypocritical of others. They tend to try to use science to try to dispel faith. They take the bible more literally than do those who enjoy the written word as a guide for life.
Enough of my dissection. My words today are not to direct negative thought against those who choose not to believe but to give better understanding. To gain empathy and prayers for those we tend to disregard as "on their own". To strengthen our own faith, and hopefully to open a door to the church to those who may linger outside.
Throughout our lives we are tested. Not just in our faith, but in our work ethic, through our moral compass and by our core beliefs. Passing the test always gives us the affirmation of the direction of our path to spiritual peace. And it moves us to a higher plateau that allows us to see life through a clearer point of view and to see the big picture. Being filled with the holy-spirit is something that cannot be understood until it is experienced. But we should never look at it as something that puts us above anyone else. It is a calling to extend a hand, open our heart and to bring others closer to God. While some may choose to wait for their 'death-bed conversion', we choose to make sure our affairs are in order early in life to assure our life's calling is complete. Perhaps our life's calling is to show another that it's never too late to open your heart to God. Even if is at the end of their life.
Choose to remain close to those who fail to see, feel and experience the presence of God. Live every day with the joy of God in your heart. Believe me, they are watching. Lead by example in your daily works and embrace those with hollow hearts. Spreading God's love isn't hard to do. It takes much more effort to turn away from Him. And that makes our job very easy.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
All Creatures Great and Small
I'm going to get a little "Anti" here and hope I don't offend anyone. It is something I believe in and cannot find anything to dispute my passionate feelings.
When I see God's creatures I see the same freedom mankind constantly seeks. To soar to great heights like a bird. To run with the wind like horses. To float in contemplation like butterflies. Nature gives us so many opportunities to experience freedom. I feed the morning song birds every day to enjoy their contribution to the dawn of a new day.
I find as I have aged that I am more and more bothered by God's creatures on display. The last time I walked through the zoo I became extremely depressed by the lounging lions in their fiberglass "habitat". Or the overcrowded monkeys sitting around on a stage meant to resemble rocks. Worse than this, is a visit to Sea World, where "Shamu" jumps through hoops in a large fish tank. Or the dolphins swim around their pond so that children can pet them.
Now I am not suggesting that we have an animal 'Bill of Rights", but I do think we benefit more from observing animals in their true habitat than we do from having them trained to put on a show in a mock-up habitat. In this day of 'virtual' everything and the ability to watch anything we want from our computer screen, I can't figure out why we still lock up lions and whales and convince ourselves that they are happy. If you were offered a chance to live in a beautiful mansion with servants to feed you and clean up after you, you would jump at the chance. But if in exchange you were not allowed to leave the mansion, the facade was removed and hundreds of people would view you everyday, would you still take it? Would you act as if you were in your "natural habitat"?
Cameras can be hidden. Why not hide them around wild life preserves and the ocean and allow people to observe and study life as it was meant to be? Zoo's, aquariums and Sea World are made purely to make money. I was very happy to find that Sea World in Ohio has closed. I hope "Shamu" was set free to retire to the ocean, but I doubt it.
Who would trade the ocean for a fish tank? The skies for a cage? The jungle for a fiberglass stage? If you opened the tanks, cages and fences, would they stay in? Probably not. I'm not suggesting we set domestic pets free. Most of them, the ones given love and care, wouldn't leave if they had the opportunity. Sadly, the mistreated ones would probably fare better on the street. At least they would have a fighting chance to survive.
We have to co-exist with God's creatures. Respecting the beauty of their actions in the wild. Keeping the environment clean and friendly to their use. Technology has given us the opportunities to appreciate them in ways that allow us to observe their actions, respect the food chain, and study their natural instincts without turning them into circus acts or live stuffed animals. They are here for a reason. And we must appreciate their beauty and contributions to the earth. All creatures, great and small...except squirrels who are just evil and destructive, which is why you never see a statue or painting of St. Francis holding one.
When I see God's creatures I see the same freedom mankind constantly seeks. To soar to great heights like a bird. To run with the wind like horses. To float in contemplation like butterflies. Nature gives us so many opportunities to experience freedom. I feed the morning song birds every day to enjoy their contribution to the dawn of a new day.
I find as I have aged that I am more and more bothered by God's creatures on display. The last time I walked through the zoo I became extremely depressed by the lounging lions in their fiberglass "habitat". Or the overcrowded monkeys sitting around on a stage meant to resemble rocks. Worse than this, is a visit to Sea World, where "Shamu" jumps through hoops in a large fish tank. Or the dolphins swim around their pond so that children can pet them.
Now I am not suggesting that we have an animal 'Bill of Rights", but I do think we benefit more from observing animals in their true habitat than we do from having them trained to put on a show in a mock-up habitat. In this day of 'virtual' everything and the ability to watch anything we want from our computer screen, I can't figure out why we still lock up lions and whales and convince ourselves that they are happy. If you were offered a chance to live in a beautiful mansion with servants to feed you and clean up after you, you would jump at the chance. But if in exchange you were not allowed to leave the mansion, the facade was removed and hundreds of people would view you everyday, would you still take it? Would you act as if you were in your "natural habitat"?
Cameras can be hidden. Why not hide them around wild life preserves and the ocean and allow people to observe and study life as it was meant to be? Zoo's, aquariums and Sea World are made purely to make money. I was very happy to find that Sea World in Ohio has closed. I hope "Shamu" was set free to retire to the ocean, but I doubt it.
Who would trade the ocean for a fish tank? The skies for a cage? The jungle for a fiberglass stage? If you opened the tanks, cages and fences, would they stay in? Probably not. I'm not suggesting we set domestic pets free. Most of them, the ones given love and care, wouldn't leave if they had the opportunity. Sadly, the mistreated ones would probably fare better on the street. At least they would have a fighting chance to survive.
We have to co-exist with God's creatures. Respecting the beauty of their actions in the wild. Keeping the environment clean and friendly to their use. Technology has given us the opportunities to appreciate them in ways that allow us to observe their actions, respect the food chain, and study their natural instincts without turning them into circus acts or live stuffed animals. They are here for a reason. And we must appreciate their beauty and contributions to the earth. All creatures, great and small...except squirrels who are just evil and destructive, which is why you never see a statue or painting of St. Francis holding one.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Preparing Your Legacy
When presidents and politicians leave office, they have an entire staff to create their boss's legacy by starting foundations and putting their name on buildings, schools, highways, etc. It is all to get their message out. To remind people what they stood for. And sometimes, to change the way history treats them.
As individuals we have a responsibility for our own personal legacies. Not that we need to have roads named after us or foundations in our memory. We just need to be sure that the message we sent in life becomes a tool for those we leave behind.
The path we clear on our journey will be followed. The example we set will be used to chart future courses. Think of the brush and weeds cleared away by those who traveled before you. And we mustn't wait until the end to catch up.
Did we lead those who follow us on a clear path to God? Did we clearly pass the temptation to skip valuable life lessons just for the sake of speeding up or simplifying our journey? Did we show our grasp of the talents we are blessed with by using them to do God's work along the way? Reaching out to others and walking them through the bramble on life's journey will be our legacy.
We don't know when our journey will end. We do know that when God wakes us with a new day of challenges, our legacy planning should already have begun. Marble edifices crumble. Names on roads and buildings change when their patron is gone and forgotten. But when we chart our course to one of giving instead of receiving. One of reaching back to others rather than clinging to those around us. One where we are focused on the mission and not on our minor stumbles. Then we will leave behind a legacy that others will find easy to follow. And when God asks us "what is your legacy?" then all we will have to do is turn around.
As individuals we have a responsibility for our own personal legacies. Not that we need to have roads named after us or foundations in our memory. We just need to be sure that the message we sent in life becomes a tool for those we leave behind.
The path we clear on our journey will be followed. The example we set will be used to chart future courses. Think of the brush and weeds cleared away by those who traveled before you. And we mustn't wait until the end to catch up.
Did we lead those who follow us on a clear path to God? Did we clearly pass the temptation to skip valuable life lessons just for the sake of speeding up or simplifying our journey? Did we show our grasp of the talents we are blessed with by using them to do God's work along the way? Reaching out to others and walking them through the bramble on life's journey will be our legacy.
We don't know when our journey will end. We do know that when God wakes us with a new day of challenges, our legacy planning should already have begun. Marble edifices crumble. Names on roads and buildings change when their patron is gone and forgotten. But when we chart our course to one of giving instead of receiving. One of reaching back to others rather than clinging to those around us. One where we are focused on the mission and not on our minor stumbles. Then we will leave behind a legacy that others will find easy to follow. And when God asks us "what is your legacy?" then all we will have to do is turn around.
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