how do you view life and faith?

Is life and faith a chore or a pleasure? I know sometimes life can be hard, sad, worrisome. But it should not be always or even the majority of time. Jesus said that he had come to give us life, and a life more abundant. Often we miss the pleasures of life because we are not looking for them. Too often we think of faith as following a list of do's and don'ts ...instead of enjoying the freedom that God gave us to live every day in His presence.

Are you curious? Do you wonder at things and explore? Have you traveled down any stray roads just for the heck of it? Have you tried any new things lately or are you stuck in a routine that never varies?

Recently my wife and I took up dancing. She had done a bunch of it before we met , in school years and college days. I grew up not dancing - both from a conservative upbringing where dancing wasn't favored ,and from feeling like I had two left feet. I have a good sense of rhythm -being a musician - but it never seemed to translate to my feet. I have enjoyed learning and having some success in learning the footwork. We are doing both a swing dance class and going to local dances. It is good to get out of my comfort zone once in a while, and the exercise is good as well:)

There is so much around us to enjoy. My garden is a constant source of joy , with new plants popping up in unexpected places, and established plants having new blooms - got to now go out and see what has come up. What will you see today?

words

Words can heal and words can hurt
Words can build and words can tear down
Words can create and words can destroy
Words can give hope and words can generate fear

How are you using your words today?

Many use words they don't understand only to look intelligent. Some use words to sound pious, but they don't believe them. Others use words as weapons, instead of building blocks. Be careful about the words you use and how you use them. The Bible says that a word fitly spoken is like "apples of gold in pictures of silver". But it also says "the tongue is a fire" and can be "full of deadly poison".

You have heard the phrase, "sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me". That simply is not true. Words can destroy a person. Many times the hurt we cause comes from simple misunderstanding and ignorance. We may not realize that a particular word or phrase may hurt someone, usually because their life experiences are different than ours. We should be sensitive to this and adjust our speaking accordingly, especially with those we consider friends.

Sometimes we are careless and recklessly hurt with the words we use. In those cases we must apologize and seek to heal the breach. We are all human and make mistakes.That is part of life.

Sometimes in anger we use words to get reactions - like a grenade thrown into a crowd. There are words that are termed "gunpowder words", or inflammatory - their impact goes far beyond their literal meaning.

For instance, if you call someone a fascist or Nazi, there are many images that come to mind to accompany the words. There are specific definitions to the words, but you must be careful about applying them to current situations. The persons using them today are using them not to identify but to get a reaction (like squelching dissent or discussion).

This brings up the last problem with word usage today. Many use words to attack, belittle, ridicule, and tear down people, not just ideas. Especially when people are angry they strike out at others. When debate and discussion is not getting them the desired result -compliance with their opinion - they resort to fighting with words - name calling,etc.

We should all take a few deep breaths, think about what we are doing before we speak, and search our hearts and see if we really want to say those words. To paraphrase another Bible verse - "whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, think - and speak - on these things".

Consider your words carefully today. If you are purporting to be a follower of God, your words can either add to or detract from others vision of Him ,seen through your life.

the state of political discourse

Have you ever struck up a conversation with a stanger and then part-way in wished you hadn't? One where you found out the person shared a similar interest and you thought you could have a fun discussion of it, but realized you were miles apart on your views? And that they were deadly serious about being in the right?

I had that experience back in my singles' days. I was at a pre-Thanksgiving gathering and met a new person who mentioned that he liked politics. I was a poli sci major in college,so we began talking. I was in Arizona at the time and we had just had an election where a new governor was elected, in a three-way race. I had reservations about one candidate's commitment, and another's extreme political views, and so picked the third candidate, a woman with substantial career political experience who I thought would do just fine.

The moment I mentioned who I had voted for the conversation went off the cliff. In the view of the other person it was if I had committed a mortal sin. They , of course, had supported the extreme candidate, who won. I then spent the next 10-15 minutes (seemed like forever) trying to get out of the conversation. It has made me wary to this day to blindly start conversations on politics with strangers. It's not that I don't do it, nor that I only talk with people I know I will agree with. But I want to make sure that the person I talk to will be reasonable and have a conversation, not just rant if I happen to disagree with their position.

I think this is where the country is right now in political discourse. There is little conversation going on and much more ranting. The disagreements are framed in the context of name calling,inflammatory rhetoric, lack of common courtesy, and posturing. Some of the signs I have seen are shameful and many comments are not meant to contribute to better understanding - sought or shared - but as verbal bombshells meant to intimidate, shame, ridicule, or cut off discussion.

People need to watch what they say, not because"someone is listening" , but because words can hurt and common decency should lead us to care what other people think and feel,no matter who they are or what they believe.Too often people use words they do not understand or realize what they mean. For example, if someone says something is "un-American", they are saying that it is off limits, end of discussion. Or, if someone says something is "immoral" then further advocacy of the idea itself is seen as "immoral"and the person advocating it as "immoral". They may not intend for that to be so, but it is. How can you argue against an "un-American" or "immoral" idea?

In contrast ,when someone says that they believe something is wrong, you can ask"why" , and you can disagree if you like, saying "I believe it is right". It is an exchange of views and beliefs, not hard and fast "truths".You can agree to disagree without it becoming personal or judgmental. Unfortunately today that is not very evident - especially on health care. The "judges" and verbal bomb throwers have taken over, and ordinary citizens are either being seduced by it, or repulsed. And battle lines are drawn ,when building solutions needs to take place.
Heaven help us all.

self-labeling

In my last post I talked about labeling. And you may think to yourself,"I don't label others".That may be true and that is great, but what about labeling yourself? Self-labeling can be just as destructive, and is more insidious because we often fail to see it. Some labels are simple and harmless. If you root for a particular sports team, you are considered a fan on that team. I root for the Portland Trailblazers (NBA) so therefore I consider myself a Trailblazer fan. I was born in the US so I am an American.

Some are more fuzzy - depending on your stands on the issues of the day you may consider yourself liberal, conservative, libertarian, independent,etc. It may help you sort out the huge amount of data, information sources, groups, etc that we have access to in the information overload society we live in.

It is okay to a point to self-identify yourself with a label, but there is a danger. You will change over time and the label you may wear today may or may not apply later on in life. You may feel that you must not change some view or other because it will not conform with the label you wear (or conform to what someone else might think that label means). You and your beliefs are more than just some label. Static behavior and belief tend to stifle life.

There is another danger in self-labeling. The self talk that we do can limit ourselves - we can call ourselves names that are judgmental. We don't always say them out loud, but we think them. Ever catch yourself saying "I'm dumb", "I can't do this",or "I am a failure"? That is self-labeling and self-judging and it can sometimes do more damage to our self image than any hurtful comment by another. It can paralyze our lives.

That doesn't mean that we should not recognize and admit when we were wrong. To deny obvious wrongdoing is just as bad. But there is a vast difference between saying "I was wrong" and "I am wrong", between saying "that was a stupid thing to do" and "I am stupid".

And I think we find that the more we avoid self-labeling ourselves the more we can avoid labeling others. It is no wonder that Jesus said that one of the two greatest commandments of God was "love your neighbor as yourself"...if you can't love (value) yourself, how can you love (value) your neighbor?". You were created, I believe, in the image of God. And that Christ gave His life to save your soul. That gives you inexhaustible worth in the eyes of God. Live in the truth of that.

labeling

Labels can be handy things. Think about all the cans on the grocery store shelves. How do you know what to buy? You look at the label and search your mind to find a match with things you like and need. If there is no match you move on , if there is a match, you buy it. You don't have to open the can, test the contents, or do anything but pick it up and put it in your cart. The label has saved you time and energy for other tasks. You rely on others to make sure that the food is safe and palatable, you just shop.

But the very things that make labels helpful on food, make them toxic to relationships. Dealing with people fairly and justly is not like shopping. You don't acquire friendships , you grow them. You build them with time and energy. You have to get to know what goes on below the surface - inside the can , so to speak. All too often we deal only with surface, make up our opinions on just what we can see, and rely on simplistic "group" characterizations, rather than get to know individuals. You have to spend the time and energy.

How do you know if you are labeling? If you find yourself using such words as always, never, all , none, every, about a particular group then you may be labeling. Certain things may be common to a group, like all Baptists are religious, but others may not be ...not all Baptists frown on jazz music. I happen to know, because I was raised a Baptist (Heinz 57 varieties and all). Other things used to categorize groups involve making moral judgements and those are the worst kind of labels. From that comes prejudice, hate, and ultimately violence.

How do you overcome labeling? The same way you expand your taste palate. You try new things, meet new people. Listen (smell) and talk to (taste) people from groups you don't normally associate with or see as different. You might not always come to appreciate them, just like not everything you taste is pleasing, but at least you have expanded your world a little. And remember, not every one will agree with you, but you can respect them. I have tried limburger cheese (my grandfather loved it) and haggis. I like the haggis and have sampled it again. The limburger I will leave to others. But at least I know what both taste like.

Don't put people on the shelf through labeling. It isn't right, it isn't fair, and it only leads to division and discord. And you shouldn't label yourself...but that is fodder for another post:)

comfort zones

What is your comfort zone, and have you stepped out of it lately? We all have spaces, not just physical places but mental ,social,emotional,spiritual, etc, that we feel comfortable with. We grow up in families and communities with certain characteristics - be it beliefs, manners, expectations, likes and dislikes. We develop a sense of home, a place to feel safe. We all need that. But then we go to school and we learn often that not everyone is like us. Not everyone shares the same likes and dislikes. Not everyone has the same personality and not everyone has the same beliefs. And you have to adapt, accept those differences, while retaining a strong sense of who you are. You don't have to become someone else because of it, but it will change you, perhaps modify who you are.

For example, my parents were married till the day my mom died-30 plus years. I thought that was the norm. Then I came to know many people whose parents did not stay married, for one reason or another, and many who for one reason or another did not themselves stay married. I came to appreciate more the advantages I had had growing up with two parents always there, always in love , always showing love to me and my sisters. I became more understanding and compassionate towards those who hadn't had that and to those who had tried and failed to keep a marriage together. (it takes two, you know). I am happily married and plan to stay that way, but I do not judge those who have not.

I have known people who are stuck in one place in their lives. They are committed to not changing so much that they live in fear of it. That is part of the reason for the anger being seen today in the healthcare debate. There are legitimate concerns, and then there is fear from things unfounded. There are those who use people's fears to sway them to a particular viewpoint. They lie and deceive. It is important to check your sources, think clearly, ask questions. But it is important to be open to change. Life is change. It doesn't mean you have abandoned anything, least of all what you believe. It means you are growing.

I am a gardener and I love to see what comes up in each season. There are things I have deliberately planted and then things that just pop up out of nowhere. Some things grow very well and others don't. Some things grow well for a while and then fade away. I had a couple rosemary bushes that grew like gangbusters, to about 3-4 ft high and wide. I have a picture of them in their prime, and remember the tiny blue flowers and the luscious aroma released by running my hands along the branches. Unfortunately they were decimated by a couple winters of hard frost, so they are no more. Life and the garden goes on. Perhaps I will get another, perhaps not. But I also have hollyhocks that are now advancing into the lawn. I accept the change and revel in the surprises I see every season.

Some want their lives to be neat and tidy, not a leaf out of place, no surprises (they fear surprises because they think only bad comes that way). Some people believe that they must live by strict do's and don't's, otherwise God will be displeased with them.I believe that God wants us to enjoy life, not just manage it. Jesus said He had come to give us abundant life. But you have to come out of your comfort zone to do that. I did that recently by going to a townhall meeting on healthcare. Half of the people I encountered were friendly to my points of view. The other half were either in disagreement or were hostile to those views . It was not always comfortable, sometimes tense, but a learning experience. You should try it.

Life is a garden, enjoy it ,accept it, keep growing.

spirit of the law

Have you ever watched a basketball game where the referees forgot their role? Every little infraction of the rules ,no matter how minor, was whistled, the foul line became busy, and the game became a bore. Despite the fans cry of "just let them play", the referees persisted in their enforcement of the rule, and later were surprised that people complained. They said ,"but the rules are the rules and must be enforced.",forgetting that it was a game people came to see, not a whistle-fest.

Now everybody understands what a travesty that is. But a greater travesty occurs when the "law and order" crowd get their way in the fields of the courts and law enforcement. Then it is not just a game that suffers, it is real people and their lives and livelihoods that are damaged.

Remember that a law is only as good as the reason it was made. As Jesus said to the Pharisees, "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath". It was made to provide a rest for mankind, not binders. We must remember why laws were written and judge accordingly. And that a law can't be written to cover everything in specifics , there has to be interpretation and careful application to each case. That is why we have judges, not just legal automatons.

I can think of three instances where insistence on strict,limited law application has harmed our society. One is mandatory sentencing and the "3 strikes" laws. These came from well-meaning individuals but have serious flaws. There are instances of judges excusing criminal activity , but more often I think are cases where the judge is handcuffed. You have to consider first time offenders and repeat criminals differently. And not all felonies are the same, so the 3-strikes laws can handcuff judges as well. Career criminals, shown by lengthy rap sheets, and violent offenders need to be kept in jail to safeguard the public. But there is a whole realm of rehabilitation and restitution, aspects of law that are sorely lacking in our society today. We cannot just "lock 'em up and through away the key". That is madness, financially and otherwise.

Immigration is a bigger issue that needs to be addressed in a separate post, but suffice it to say here that those who cry "but they're breaking the law" about illegal immigration, need to think about their own record and how they themselves would manage if someone caught and prosecuted them on every minor infraction of law -like when they go 5 miles an hour over the posted speed limit?

Finally, in keeping with the continued news over the Supreme Court nominee approval process, what about activism and judicial philosophy on the court? The Constitution is a set of laws, written by good men over 200 years ago in a society that is vastly different from ours. It's principles remain vital, but it must be allowed to live and breath and adapt to continual changes. That is why the Congress is given the "necessary and proper" power. The founders knew that things would change and the government needed the flexibility to adapt. Judges must be mindful of this, as well as remembering their role as guardians of liberty, protecting the rights of the minority against excesses of the majority, against over-reaches by legislative or presidential power. They are a check and balance, not just a rubber stamp for law enforcement. Much more about that whole area later, but this again is an area where the spirit of the law needs to be remembered.

And of course, it all comes back to the golden rule - "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Or as someone else wrote it, before you judge me , walk a mile in my moccasins.