The Color of Meaningful Work

“The mystery of human existence

lies not in just staying alive,

but in finding something to live for.” 

(Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov)

What makes a job worth doing? I recall a scene from the movie "Gandhi" in which Gandhi and his wife were residing in South Africa. They were living in a commune called an ashram, wherein all work duties were shared equally by the participants. One of those responsibilities was cleaning latrines. The movie portrays Kasturba (Mrs. Gandhi) as being upset when confronted with her turn to sanitize toilets. Gandhi asked his wife why she had not cleaned the toilets that day:

"'I don’t want to clean the latrines; it’s the work of the ‘Untouchables’!' she retorted.
'All work in this community is sacred, and none is more sacred than to devote ourselves to make the ashram pure by cleaning the latrines. It is an act of worship,' Gandhi replied." 

I will never forget that scene for it revealed to me the sacred nature, not of our work, but who we are in our work. All too often we assume that some forms of employment, some tasks, are inherently more valuable than others; as though the garbage collector's job is debasing relative to a doctor's or teacher's employment. In fact, this very idea is strongly reinforced by the monetary remuneration system upon which most of earth's economies are based; the more you get paid the more valuable a job must be.

Gandhi reminds us though, that all work has its place. Human communities are woven together upon a loom of millions of threads; each plays a part in the totality of the tapestry; each is only one thread. Thus, plumber, CEO, sports star, farmer, home-maker, dentist... none are more inherently valuable than the other as all are a part of the whole. 

What then gives our labor meaning? It is not so much what you do, as who you are in what you do. Do you treat your clients, co-workers, and all whom you meet through your vocation with kindness? Are they merely cogs in a wheel to be exploited for your gain? Do you see people or numbers? If you want your work to meaningful, deeply rewarding, and world-changing then you may want to evaluate who you are in your work place.

“The purpose of life

is to contribute in some way

to making things better.” 

(Robert F. Kennedy)

The value of your work today is not simply in the tasks before you; the value of your work is that YOU are doing that work, that YOU are engaging your tasks with all your heart, with the purpose of making a positive difference in somebody's life. Human life has never been about our tasks, or our stuff; it is about recognizing that, as author Bo Lozoff states, "human life is very deep..." Do not accept the maxim, "it's not personal, it's just business..." Such perspectives demean our humanity and place a false value on our endeavors. Rather, assume that everything we do is personal - that every interaction is about being a deep human being capable of extraordinary Love, full of Light.

What you do is important, very important, because it is a portal through which you will impact your world. On this day you will change someone's path by the way you interact with them. Will you use kindness and compassion, or indifference? The choice lies before you. You have only this one day... for humanity's sake see the depth in every person you encounter.

I leave the last word to Jesus:

"You did not choose me,

but I chose you and appointed you

that you should go and bear fruit

and that your fruit should abide..."

(John 15.16)

The color of meaningful work...

who we are, not what we do.

It is

what goes into

the soup

wherein

flavor arises

be salt

in life's

soup

Be

Breathe

Play

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys." (Proverbs 18.9)

- From Buddhism: “Those who consider the inessential to be essential 

And see the essential as inessential Don't reach the essential,
Living in the field of wrong intention” (Gautama Buddha, The Dhammapada)

- From Islam: “Do not turn your face from others with pride, nor walk arrogantly on earth.

Verily the Almighty does not like those who are arrogant and boastful.” (Qur'aan 31:18)

The Color of Ingestion

“Affirmations are our mental vitamins,

providing the supplementary positive thoughts we need

to balance the barrage

of negative events and thoughts we experience daily.” 

(Tia Walker, The Inspired Caregiver)

What to do with that leftover salmon chowder that was nearly coming back to life? Without too much thought I made use of Camrose's excellent waste-water removal system (a.k.a. sewer) and flushed it down the toilet. As it swirled around the bowel (clockwise, by the way) I had a momentary thought as to what leftover salmon chowder would do once it was in the sewer system. For that matter, what does anything offered to the great porcelain throne do at the end of its journey?

The answer is - it breaks down, and eventually its constituent parts flow on through nature's water-ways. In Camrose, as it is for any farm or acreage, the water that pours out of our kitchen faucet has been cycled through our plumbing many times over. Whatever we pour down the drain will be digested by the earth's belly, and will affect the health of the earth and its creatures.

In similar fashion, the body is affected by what we eat, drink, and otherwise take in through the environment around us. This paradigm is consistent for any form of ingestion - what goes in plays a role in what comes out. So it is that the health and well-being of our heart, mind, and soul are dependent upon what we feed them.

We now live in a world of unfettered access to all manner of literature, media, music and information. We can find an answer to any question that niggles our thoughts, and we can get that answer whenever we want it. From the most profound wisdom to the most despicable vice we can access all that is good, bad, and ugly.

The problem is, we forget that what we put into our thoughts, into our heart, determines the health of our being. One of nature's laws is that the whole is made up of its parts. Consequently, what we think, how we feel, the perspectives we inhabit - these form from what we feed our mind, body, and heart.

“It's up to you today to start making healthy choices.

Not choices that are just healthy for your body,

but healthy for your mind.” 

(Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You)

It is no surprise that so many of us struggle with self-image and esteem, that depression is rampant, when we are fed a constant mental diet based on advertiser's agendas and violence and sex-filled movies. 

“Taking care of yourself

is the most powerful way

to begin to take care of others.” 

(Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders)

Make a quick mental list - how many negative, non-life giving messages have you inadvertently or intentionally ingested in this day? Did you watch the news, view ads on TV, billboards, or through other media? Did you look in the mirror and feel shame? Has someone berated you lately, does your job subject you to the chaotic energy of others? Chances are your list is significant. 

Well there is an antidote for all that poor mental food. The same unfettered access we have to information that can harm us can likewise build us up. Endless hours of inspiring movies, books, documentaries, devotional writings, and other encouraging media are waiting for your ingestion. And if that is not enough, the ultimate source of encouragement rests between your ears - your own inner voice. Love yearns to build you up, to make you strong. Listen to your own wisdom, and when you find your thoughts going to dark places take a breath and step back. Find that brilliant inner light that is the Spirit of Love and heed its gentle voice. 

"Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give you."

(John 14.27)

Your personal health affects the well-being of your family, and the strength of your family is the foundation of healthy communities. Be mindful today of that which you put into your body, mind, and heart. In the same way that we guard our environment through care of our water-ways, so too shall we protect the heart by care of the mind.

I leave the last word to lady wisdom from Proverbs:

"Watch over your heart with all diligence,

for from it flow the springs of life."

(Proverbs 4.23)

The Color of Ingestion...

We are what we eat

Plants grow

from

the seeds

that

are sown

This we trust

for

good

or ill

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1.13)
- From Confucianism: "Tzu-kung asked about the true gentleman. The Master said, "He does not preach what he practices until he has practiced what he preaches." (Analects 2.13)

- Sikhism: "Realization of Truth is higher than all else; Higher still is truthful living. (Adi Granth, Sri Ashtpadi, M.1, p. 62)

Armena Town

This just in ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbyuoVgNtrY

The Color of Joy

It's a brand new day...

What is Joy?

- a feeling? A state of being? A response? Today I invite you to consider times in your life when you have experienced Joy...

“When you do things from your soul,

you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” 

(Rumi)

Making supper for my family yesterday I fell into a moment of pure Joy. Nothing exceptional was happening - our "Chocolate Lands" CD was playing, I was sipping a very nice Apothic Dark wine, the curry dish I was preparing smelled heavenly... and I was filled with the unmistakable aroma of Joy. In that moment everything was perfect; I could have reclined in its stillness forever.

Joy, I think, is not about what we own, achieve, or hunger for. It cannot be bought or sold; it cannot be predicted, commercialized, or replicated. It is a chaotic, unpredictable, light that flares into our awareness according to its own dictates. Like air, I suspect that joy surrounds us at all times, but that we are only aware of it when we still ourselves and open our heart to the moment.

For just a few heartbeats yesterday afternoon I awoke to the goodness of life, the wonder and beauty of simple things - food, wine, family, home - and in those heartbeats I felt the movement of Joy in the current of life. 

“One can never consent to creep

when one feels an impulse to soar.” 

(Helen Keller, The Story of My Life)

Joy is the soaring of the soul, an absolute union with the Divine. It is a bridge that Love creates to transport us into the heart of something vastly greater than ourselves. To be "in Love" is to know Joy; to be in Christ is to know Joy; to just "be" is to know Joy. So very much healing happens when we lower ourselves into the warm and embracing waters of Joy's deep pool.

Be open to the power of Joy in this moment. Open your awareness to the good things in your life, to the wonderful ordinariness of whatever is happening right now. Breathe deeply, be grateful... just let go and fall into the water of Love. Joy might just spring upon you.

The color of Joy...

Some say that it is our natural state of being

To ponder further:

From the Bible - "The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14.17)

From Buddhism - "You should devote yourselves to find joy in pleasures of the Dharma, and should take no pleasure in desires." (Holy Teaching Vimalakirti 4)

From Hinduism - "The Infinite is the source of joy. There is no joy in the finite. Only in the Infinite is there joy. Ask to know the Infinite." (Chandogya Upanishad 7.23)

What Friends are For

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” 

(Friedrich Nietzsche)

There are certain people in our lives who radically alter the course of our trajectory. My wife is one of those people to me. When first meeting Anna 22 years ago I could not have imagined the gift that her companionship would unfold to be. Anna married a man covered in rough edges, a person who did not know himself well and who was prone to impatience and stubbornness. Through these years her friendship has been God's polishing stone for my soul. She may not have been aware of it, but her gifts, and her personal challenges, have been exactly what was needed for my heart to grow. Many times she may justly have questioned why she was with me; I can tell you that her presence in my life has been the catalyst for much of my awakening. If I have evolved, if my being has known any metamorphosis, the price has been paid in great part by my beloved.

I suppose that's how it works - that God's hand reaches out to sculpt us by way of the people who share our journey. Family, friends, neighbors, those we love and those we loathe - God works away at our jagged edges, carefully chipping off the bits that are no longer needed, revealing the perfection of His love in His handiwork. The gentleness of our journey-mates can soothe the beast within, healing and nurturing our heart. Concurrently, the rough shards that make up the broken pieces of other's lives also teach us, hone us, grow us. In fact, the butterfly within the cocoon of our being will emerge only as we are purified by Love's encounter with all that humanity expresses.

“A friend is one that knows you as you are,

understands where you have been,

accepts what you have become,

and still, gently allows you to grow.” 

(William Shakespeare)

Slowly, carefully, I am becoming me, and in no small part due to the constancy of Anna's companionship. In the mirror of her love I have seen my worst and my best, marveled at my potential, and wept for the fool that I so often embody. And still that mirror bravely stands beside me to walk into the unknown of tomorrow. Is that not who Christ is - the one who stands beside us, within us, often carrying us, no matter what the path, no matter how steep, how rocky? Is the Love of Christ not a mirror to our soul revealing our sin, disclosing the wonders of God's imprint? Anna is Christ to me every day. Her hard days challenge me, her strength becomes my strength. 

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.

"Pooh?" he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand.

"I just wanted to be sure of you.” 

(A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh)

The people in our lives are our strength - through their care and by way of their rough edges God teaches us, unfolds us, makes and remakes us. Take time this week to offer a word of gratitude to the people who have changed the trajectory of your life.

I leave the last word to the writer of Ecclesiastes:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down, a friend can help them up.

But pity the person who falls and has no one to help them up!

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

Working on the bits and edges with you,

Pastor Bill

A gentle touch

sands us

a smile

a kind word

smooths

the edges

beauty within

as

marble

chips away

God's hand

upon

our

being

Breathe

Be

Pray

[First published May 1, 2013]

Self-Control and the Power of Choice

"A person without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."

(Proverbs 25.28)

I'm going to cut down on how much sugar I consume. Or coffee. Or TV. Or... (you fill in the blank). I'm going to pray and meditate every morning. I'm going to go to the gym four days a week. I'm going to save more, tithe more, invest more. I'm going to be more patient. I am going to spend more quality time with my spouse, kids, elder parents... How many times in life do we make these little resolutions, these promises to self, with full intention of seeing them through - until the alarm clock goes off at 5am and it's dark and cold out and the gym seems much less important than keeping the bed warm. 

Being self-disciplined is challenging, it takes - well, it takes discipline. That's the kicker for me. I wouldn't mind self-discipline so much if it were just a bit easier. Problem is my mind keeps playing tricks on me. Take sugar for instance. With a family history of diabetes and a personal history of hypoglycemia you'd think I have good reason to cut back on North America's favorite addiction. So I say to myself - "okay. Today I'm not eating sweets. None; all day." And I'm good til I go on a pastoral visit and I'm offered a piece of oven-warm flapper pie and my mind says, "It's alright 'cause it's in the line of duty. You have to eat this pie." And of course, I end up in complete agreement with myself and I smile from ear to ear as that pie goes down so nice. 

Self-discipline. Within me is a rebellious two-year-old who does not want to be told "no," who will have his own way, who will throw an internal tantrum if his will is rebutted. It takes all of my awareness to realize that the often-subtle voice of this two year old does not have my best interests at heart. I experience life most richly when I exercise a liberal measure of self-discipline - not rigidly, but liberally sprinkled throughout the various pages of my personal story. When I make choices to eat well, to exercise my body, mind and soul, when I reach for the life-giving elements and away from toxic elements of life - then a tremendous strength pours through me.

The crux of the matter is choice. In his book, The Path of Least Resistance, Author Robert Fritz suggests that our days are guided by the primary, secondary and tertiary choices that we make. Primary would be like, "I choose to be healthy." Secondary would be, "I choose to exercise to be healthy." Tertiary would be choosing to go for a walk this evening. Each moment along the way will bring us to a "Y" in the path, where one road takes us to the fulfillment of our primary choices while the other sabotages our intentions. 

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant,

but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

(Hebrews 12.11)

The apostle Paul was big on self-discipline. He recognized that walking the path of Love required Spirit-empowered choice and constant vigilance through self-discipline. Like me (and perhaps you) Paul knew that the rebellious two year old was a strong internal voice. He stated in the letter to the Romans, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Rom. 7.15). There's me - knowing who I can be, but falling short of the mark. But Paul does not give up on himself, or on us. He goes on in chapter 12 to say:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed 

by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is:

His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

(Romans 12.2)

In other words, through the power of disciplined choice we can keep that unruly two year old in line, and consequently make choices that allow our brilliance to shine through in world-healing ways. To be true to ourselves is a choice, and it takes tremendous will to realize that choice. It is a lie of the darkness, however, that tells us that we are trapped by our past, unable to grow, unable to choose Love. The work of God's Spirit is the cultivation of life-giving virtue within us: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." (Gal 5). We are not alone in this work for Christ stands with us to give us strength and encouragement. And in that light we have choices to make.

So choose Love; choose life. Each moment, as that two year old seduces you with toxic options, turn the other way and be well, and amazing, and beautiful and all that you can be.  This world needs you, because only you can do what you were born to do. Choose well...

I leave the last word to the Greek philosopher, Plato:

"The first and best victory is to conquer self."

Choosing Love with you,

Pastor Bill

the road not taken

wide and easily trod

is waiting

calling

whispering

and powerless

for your

heart

is

of God

Choose

this day

to

Love

Breathe

Pray

[First published April 24, 2013]

No More Darkness

“I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.” 

(John 18.12)

Push back the darkness.

With all your might, with the intensity of a thousand suns breaking into the blackest night - push back the darkness.

Why is it that we forfeit so much power to the darkness? You know how it is - some fool chooses to commit an act of vandalism and the community reacts by passing laws regarding curfew. A store experiences shoplifting and subsequently the owner harasses any teens seen standing around talking. A few hurtful actions push a community into fear mode and the war against... whatever... is on. Violence, in great or small measure, becomes the impetus for a rebounding flood of negative thought, emotion and action. All hail eye-for-an-eye as we walk around blind.

The recent (1)  bombing in Boston is a close-to-home example. A ripple of fear reverberated across the continent on Monday and the reaction will undoubtedly be stricter laws of some sort; increased vigilance, decreased trust.  Score: darkness 1, light 0.

Perhaps it is part and parcel for being human - that we let one act of hurt outweigh ten thousand acts of kindness and respect. Consider how many people walk into stores in North America every day, and not one of them causes any harm. In fact, many will hold a door open, pick up a dropped parcel for a stranger, give back miscalculated change... millions of acts of kindness every day. You'd think that the tsunami of positive reaction to so much goodness would wipe away the few acts of hurt that occur. But no; two thousand people walk into Walmart on a Saturday; one of them pulls a gun. Just one. The community responds as though the entire two thousand were criminals looking for a place to happen.   

Bah! Humans are crazy... but Love is crazier! I am convinced of Love for I have seen and experienced its healing power. There is some bad stuff happening in our world - lots of really bad stuff, globally and in our own back yards. But all that bad stuff clumped together and put on the scale is small potatoes compared to what God's Love is doing in and through us crazy humans. Around the world today, right now in fact, hundreds of millions of people are living the Love that they are. At this very moment the Spirit of Christ is moving within the hearts of billions. This very second acts of generosity, compassion, understanding and openness are beaming a brilliant light into our world. Jesus said, in Luke 17, that the Kingdom of God is within us (or among us, depending on the translation). What? The power, authority and healing of God's Kingdom is here, now - in you, in me, in her in him? Yup. 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” 

(Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches)

We don't have to let the few acts of violence dictate who we are. We don't need a war on drugs, a war on bullying, a war on war. We only need to be true to ourselves, to the Love that is woven into the fabric of our DNA. Our neighbor experiences a home break-in. We could react in fear and all buy security systems, hiding behind locked doors. We could - and score one for the darkness. Or, we could forgive, and realize that Love is brighter than the darkness, stronger than fear, broader, deeper and infinitely more powerful than any violence. We could choose to continue to trust and thrust fear aside.

Remember that Mid-Week Devotion last year on being a "nudger"?  One small random act of kindness nudges back the darkness. Remember the numerous times I have reminded us that we are made in God's image - that image shines through us and pushes back the darkness. We can, like frightened kittens scatter at the first sign of threat, or, like lions we can let out a roar that shakes the forest. That roar proclaims this a day of renewal, of truth, of Love running the score board to infinity. 

On Monday a few people, who have forgotten that they were created for Love, detonated explosive devices that reverberated across the world. Join me in sending a vibration out today that shakes this earth to its core - one built on gratitude, unending forgiveness and mercy; one that shakes violence to its knees. With every person you meet today let Love guide your words, actions and attitudes. Push back the darkness; shake the world.

I leave the last word to author CS Lewis

"Christianity asks us to recognize that the great religious struggle

is not fought on a spectacular battleground,

but within the ordinary human heart, when every morning we awake

and feel the pressures of the day crowding in on us,

and we must decide what sort of immortals we wish to be."

(Mere Christianity)

Pushing with you,

Pastor Bill

A dark place

crumbles

as

light

through a single crack

pours

in

You are that crack

Beam

breathe

be

“There is a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in.” 

(Leonard Cohen, Selected Poems)

(1) [First published April 18, 2013]