What Though My Joys and Comforts Die

our lives are filled with moments.  some of them are pleasurable, others not so much so.  we try to connect these fleeting experiences into meaningful stories, so that there is a relationship between one moment and the next.  we tell ourselves that one event leads to the next.  sometimes, one is the cause of the next, but, for the most part, there is a randomness to life.  we cannot control what follows from one moment to the next. 

for example, i may be engaged in conversation with another person.  i may think that a comment i make prompts a certain response from the one with whom i'm speaking, but i cannot predict with any certainty what my conversation partner may say based on what i've said before.  our response to one another can lead the exchange down paths that may not have been intended when we began talking.  a comment may lead to an angry or an agreeable response, or it may end the visit altogether.

 

it is the nature of our interactions to be beyond our control.  we cannot control the flow of a conversation, much less the flow of our lives.  perhaps, it is this very inability to control what happens next that causes us to try to exert more control over our lives, thinking that in doing so we can move events in the way we believe we want them to go.  perhaps that is why some theistic religions teach that there is a divine being that is in control and that whatever happens does so because of a plan that is being carried out at the direction of that being.  this belief is an attempt to make sense of the randomness of life, rather than admitting that life is beyond our control.

when someone is stricken with a dreaded disease or when someone dies, we often hear that this is "god's" will, part of the divine plan.  we are told that the illness has a reason which we may not understand, but, if we will accept the divine will, we will learn from what has happened.  in the same way, we hear people saying that someone dies because "god" is calling that person home because "god" needs the deceased more than we do.  these views help those who espouse them to deal with tragic events rather than admitting that these unfathomable disasters are random acts that come to the good and the evil without discrimination.  as jesus said, the rain falls "on the just and the unjust."

as i sat at breakfast the other morning, watching the wind buffet the tree branches outside my window in one direction and then in another, i thought that we cannot control life any more than we can control the direction of the wind.  it goes where it will, and so do our lives.  may we learn to accept what life brings, using our minds to solve the problems with which it confronts us and being thankful when good comes our way.  may we not attribute the good or the evil to a supreme being that has caused it all or that we are the cause.  may we live in the knowledge that life is what it is in spite of our attempts to control it.  shalom.

 

I Want to Be More Loving

christianity has become distorted in this country, having turned into something that is not recognizable as the expression of the life and teachings of jesus.  the basic tenets of loving one another and forgiving others when we are wronged have been lost in political rhetoric that divides us.  most christians here see those who are "outside the fold" as being evil or, as is the fashion now for anyone who disagress with us, these others are condemned as "woke," whatever that means.  so many who purport to be christians are caught up in the us-versus-them way of thinking that all that jesus stood and died for are forgotten.

christians condemn those they don't understand and refuse to try to walk a few steps in their shoes.  members of the lgbtq community, the non-religious, and followers of other religions are disparaged without ever learning what life is like for them.  women are seen as second-class citizens whom god has ordained to be controlled by men.  women are seen as subservient creatures whose purpose is little more than procreation.  these "others" are railed against from the pulpit and the christian religion marches in lockstep with right-wing politics.  freedom of expression is curtailed, books are banned, and a bent toward authoritarianism is extolled as a virtue.

this is not to say that all christians subscribe to this perverted view of christianity, but so-called evangelicalism has become the dominant strain of christianity, as less politicized churches decline.  many of the same criticisms can be leveled at other religions when fundamentalism is dominant.  we see this in judaism, islam, and the buddhism of myanmar.  in most cases, these religious expressions are male-dominated and insist that those who think differently, look differently, and live differently are the enemies of "true" religion.  these outliers are to be feared and suppressed.  they are a danger to the young, and children must be protected from them.

i am fearful of this expression of any religion, including my own.  sometimes, i wonder if i should call myself a christian, not because of my religious beliefs, but because i don't want to be identified with this perversion of christianity that has become the dominant strain of christianity in the usa.  religious leaders wonder why young people are leaving the church, but one only has to look at the narrow, exclusionary, us-versus-them practice of christianity in many denominations and congregations to understand why those with open minds and open hearts don't want to have anything to do with christian churches.

may we turn from religions that view others as enemies and infidels.  may we embrace openness to other ways of thinking and being.  may we seek to understand those who appear to be different from us, remembering that in truth we are all very much the same.  may we condemn those who would separate us into warring camps and accept our common humanity.  shalom.

 

My Country to Have and to Hold

this week, we've watched as our democracy continues to be threatened.  in tennessee, the republican majority in the state house of representatives expelled its two youngest black members.  these young men represent 140,000 constituents in the cities of memphis and nashville, leaving those who elected them without representation in the tennessee house.  the reason for their expulsion was their participation from the house floor in a protest over the state government's refusal to act on gun regulation in light of the killing of three children and three staff members at a private school in nashville.  undoubtedly, their actions disturbed the "decorum of the house" and prevented its members from continuing their work.

their behavior was inappropriate, even if their fervor to persuade the tennessee legislature to act to pass reasonable gun restrictions was commendable and right.  there were other consequences for their actions that could have been imposed short of the drastic step of expelling them from their elected positions.  what is equally disturbing was that the only white representative who participated in leading the protest from the house floor was not expelled.  she narrowly escaped the fate of her fellow protestors by one vote, but the failure of the house to punish her in the same way smacks of racism.

the willingness of republican majorities in many states to act in ways that deny those with whom they disagree the right to express their views is anti-democratic and unamerican.  as one democratic member of the tennessee house put it, we live in a country that exists because of radical protest.  our founders fought and died to establish a country based on the idea that government exists to serve the people and that those who make up the government are responsible to those who elected them.  if the constituents of those who elected the expelled representatives believed that their actions were wrong, the proper way to remove them from office was at the ballot box, not by the tyranny of a republican majority in the tennessee house.

in state after state where legislatures are in republican control, electoral maps are drawn up so that a republican majority can continued to be elected.  the votes of democrats and minorities count less than those of their white republican counterparts in these gerrymandered districts.  for instance, in wisconsin, republicans can control their legislature with only 44% of the vote, despite the fact that more often than not democrats win in elections that count the state-wide vote rather than the district-by-district vote.  other republican-controlled legislatures have done and are doing the same thing by splitting demoratic-majority districts so that their inhabitants cannot elect candidates to the state legislature.

by and large the courts have sided with legislatures that engage in extreme gerrymandering, because the courts hearing these cases, including the federal supreme court, are dominated by those with conservative, right-wing views.  these courts hold that elections are in the hands of the individual states according to the constitution, even when such control disenfranchises millions of citizens.  in the past, the legal view that each person's vote should carry equal weight made it difficult for state legislatures to engage in redistricting plans that prevented minorities from having their fair share of representation.  that view is no longer the dominant one, making one-person-one-vote less likely to prevail in court battles.

may we return to the principles of democracy that protected the rights of all, including minority parties and races.  may we insist that a tyranny of the majority not prevail in tennessee or anywhere else in our country.  may our people awaken to their responsibilities to vote and hold their representatives accountable and prevent them from assuming dictatorial powers.  may we truly become "one nation," as we pledge when we recite the national pledge of allegiance.  shalom.   

To Know the Truth That Sets Us Free

there is a phrase from our declaration of independence that is ingrained in the minds and hearts of every american--"all men are created equal."  this phrase, written by a slave-holding viriginia aristocrat and our country's third president, is difficult to understand.  there is little doubt that the word "men" was used in the universal sense, like the german word "mensch," to include all human beings, regardless of skin pigmentation, gender, or station in life.  we americans often confuse jefferson's declaration with the constitution.  in the latter document, there is an outright denial of the equality phrase, when our governing charter says that some humans are only 3/5 the value of others because of their status as slaves.  the recent indictment of donald trump speaks to our belief that all are equal before the law.  even a former president is not immune from prosecution for crimes he is accused of committing.  

we wonder if it is true that all are created equal.  we know that there is no equality of socio-economic standing.  we know that some are born with handicaps that others are not afflicted with.  jefferson goes on to say that all are born with "certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  this was written when a large part of the population, including many who served jefferson at his home without their consent, did not enjoy liberty, nor were they free to pursue happiness.  the question is, how do we insure that all have access to equality in our society.

one way of looking at the declaration's equality phrase is to regard all as equal in the sight of the Creator, despite the circumstances of their birth.  from that perspective, those born into poor families are equal to those whose families are wealthy and those born with disabilities are the equals of those who exhibit no handicapping conditions.  it makes no difference if a child is gay, straight, or trans.  if this is true, the current campaign to discriminate against many of our fellow citizens is immoral and a violation of our understanding of what it means to be an american.

may we live as though we believe that all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  may we not be so quick to judge and use our prejudices as an excuse to persecute those whose lifestyles are different from our own.  may we not take money from public education or hamstring the ability of teachers to teach and students to learn in the name of "parental rights."  may we not condemn others because we don't understand their inner lives and the outward expressions of those lives.  shalom.

The Darkness Shines As Light

a few years ago, a relative suddenly lost a large amount of weight.  before the weight loss, he was slender with a healthy appearance.  in a matter of months, he looked haggard and decidedly unwell.  soon after, during a routine health checkup with his doctor, he learned that he had diabetes.  at first, he was scrupulous in following a diet that would help him keep his illness under control.  as time passed, he became less careful about what he ate.  it was too easy to check his blood sugar levels and take insulin and eat whatever he wanted, and he gave up trying to keep his diabetes under control.  we've just learned that he now has another major health problem and are anxiously awaiting what his course of treatment will be.

now, another close relative has been diagnosed with diabetes.  he is being very careful about his diet, and, at present, he is not having to take any medication to keep his blood sugar under control.  it is our hope that he will continue to watch what he eats.  his doctor has told him that if he follows his current diet, he may be recover without further medical intervention.  that is what he is working toward.

we all must deal with the problems that aging and our past behaviors bring.  for many, it is the onset of illnesses like diabetes.  in our country, this disease is affecting younger and younger members of the population, largely because of our unhealthy eating habits and addiction to sugary, processed foods.  so far, my blood sugar levels have been good, and i hope that continues.  my biggest worry is kidney failure.  i have chronic kidney disease, as did my father.  there has been no change in the level of the disease for quite some time, and at my last checkup a few days ago, there had been a small improvement in my kidney function.  my doctor warned that my problem is a consequence of having lived as long as i have, given my family history, and it cannot be reversed.  he said that the fact that it has not progressed in several years is a good sign that it can be held in check with a healthy lifestyle.  i hope that he's right.

over the past year and a half, i've gradually lost fifteen pounds.  i haven't followed any special diet.  i simply haven't eaten as much as i used to.  my wife has done the same with similar results.  we find as we've gotten older that we don't require as much food and that has brought about our weight loss.  again, my doctor has told me that i'm enjoying several benefits from my reduced weight.  i don't have to take as much medication to control my blood pressure.  my chronic back pain has all but disappeared, and he credits my improved kidney function to my reduced weight.

the suffering brought about by having lived so long is inevitable.  what is not inevitable is how we deal with it.  we cannot change the past, but we can exercise some control over the present and thereby have some control over the future.  we can take steps to improve, or at least stabilize, our health.  we can refuse to give in to the ravages of disease and old age while still accepting the fact that this type of suffering comes to all of us if we are fortunate to live long enough.  the example of my two brothers-in-law who both have diabetes is a lesson we would do well to heed.  one simply ignores his doctor's advice and allows the disease to take its course as his health steadily declines.  the other is scrupulous in doing all he can to stop the disease's progression and perhaps to recover from it.  the choice is ours.

may we do all that we can to preserve our health and to deal with the effects of aging.  may we learn all we can about how to take care of ourselves.  may we not allow our suffering to cause us to give up, accepting what we cannot change and changing what we can for our own benefit.  may we recognize our common lot, giving thanks that we have lived long enough to experience what we call "old age," when we reach that stage of our lives.  shalom.

Sanctify Our Search for Knowledge

each time i pick up the paper, i read about some disturbing bill that our state legislature has passed and that our governor has signed into law.  our state has adopted measures that make it impossible for a woman and her doctor to determine the best course of action for that woman's health and well-being.  the state is distributing monies intended for public education to parents who send their children to private schools, many of them religious institutions, and to parents who home-school their children, with none of these having to meet the stringent requirements that public schools must meet.  the state is imposing its will on trans minors and their healthcare providers, despite testimony from medical and mental health experts that the restrictions that have been enacted are harmful to these vulnerable young people.  

it amazes me that a party that proclaims itself as a defender of individual liberty is seeking to stifle free speech and to control the most private matters between people and their doctors.  these new laws are born of hatred for those with whom the majority in the government disagrees, and ignore the advice of experts.  those in power are showing us what our nation will look like if christian nationalists are in control.  their actions make me ashamed to call myself a christian.  what is being done in the name of protecting children and giving parents more control over their children's education flows from a warped belief that the majority in our state has the right to dictate how others must think and to enforce their conservative christian view on all of society.  

the dystopian governing philosophy that has taken hold in many southern and western states is frightening.  college teachers are being told what they can and cannot say in their classes.  students are being denied the opportunity to examine questions from many sides.  textbooks are being censored, and history is being rewritten to make it more palatable to white racists.  books that look at the large questions of life in a multicultural society are being removed from library shelves.  gender-nonconforming children are being forced to hide who they truly are and being taught that their sense of gender identity is abhorrent.  many of us live in states where tyrannical rule by a conservative majority seeks to stifle open discussion of the issues and to rule by intimidating those who disagree with that majority.

may we see the great harm we do when we believe we have the answers and those who disagree must be wrong.  may we turn from the orwellian path that tells us that we cannot believe what we see with our own eyes and hear with our own ears.  may we not be afraid of painful truths about our past, and may we use knowledge of those truths to become better in the present.  may we enable each person to receive the health care that is needed, rather than allowing personal beliefs and prejudices to come between a person and that person's healthcare providers.  may our governing bodies govern with compassion and respect for each person.  shalom.

Nothing to Kill or Die For

i read an article a few days ago about a right-wing extremist group that was organized around the members' common hatred for and fear of government.  on its face, the idea that the government is something to be afraid of and depised seems absurd.  yet, this philosophy runs deep in our national psyche.  our country was founded on the idea that the british government was the enemy of the colonists in what became the usa.  the second amendment was written and adopted while the war of independence was still fresh in the people's minds, and those who endorsed it knew that, if ordinary citizens didn't possess firearms, there was no defense against a tyrannical government.  our first national government based on the articles of confederation which gave most power to the individual states and little to the federal government arose out of the fear of overreach by a strong central government that might oppress individual liberties.

it seems that we have lost the sense of balance between what is good for public safety and the rights of individuals.  everywhere we look, americans openly carry weapons, may of which are designed to kill as many as possible as quickly as possible.  a few years ago, such a practice would have been unthinkable.  we recognized that guns are dangerous and shouldn't be too handy when conflicts arose between people.  now it is hard to tell the difference between extremists and ordinary citizens.  gun enthusiasts carry their weapons as a badge of honor and are all too ready to use them.  

as our gun culture has grown and become more open, mass shootings have become commonplace.  churches post armed guards during their worship services and security people roam the halls of our schools.  commonsense gun regulations, such as bans on assault weapons and large bullet magazines are struck down in the courts as violations of the "right to bear arms" provision of the constitution.  state legislatures that see the need for laws restricting easy access to firearms are fearful of passing them because they may not stand up in court.  all the while, the number of gun deaths continues to climb, and members of law enforcement become more wary of the people they are sworn to protect because it so easy to carry and use a gun.

there was a time when we recognized that the more guns being carried around by people, the more likely it is that those guns will be used.  homeowners who lived in high crime areas might keep a weapon at home for self-defense, and hunters recognized the difference between a sporting rifle and an assault weapon, seeing no need to own the latter.  we now have many who insist that an assault rifle is a necessary instrument for self-defense and for hunting, knowing that such a position is ridiculous even as they utter it.  it is not surprising to enter a restaurant or other public space and see someone with a pistol in a holster on their belt or to see guns intended for use by the military to fight a war mounted in a gun rack in a private vehicle.  some argue that the right to bear arms extends even to those who have demonstrated their danger to others, such as the mentally ill or known spouse abusers.  "they're coming for your guns" is one of the threatening campaign slogans used to demonize politicians who support sensible gun legislation, and some candidates for office who support commonsense gun regulations go out of their way to emphasize their support for the second amendment.

it is time for the american people to find a balance between public safety and the right to own guns.  may we adopt laws that protect all of us and return to the principles which prevented those who shouldn't own guns to be denied that right.  may we recognize that owning certain types of weapons makes no sense.  may we enable all of us to feel safe when we go into public places by insisting that those who own guns keep them where they should be kept.  may we show compassion for one another rather than menacing others by openly carrying weapons that are intended to kill and maim.  shalom.