092713 - The Reality of American Income distribution

Here it is folks - the reality.


http://www.upworthy.com/9-out-of-10-americans-are-completely-wrong-about-this-mind-blowing-fact-2?g=2

Monday, September 2, 2013 - Treachery and Deceit

I read all the books. Amazingly ... because I loath militarism ... unless it is a "parable". Game of Thrones" . Read any? Now I am watching the videos.

Kings, Queens, make promises ... all false. The only thing that matters is power. And, of course, personal gain. Lord Stark "confesses", and acknowledges his submission to King Geoffrey. The agreement was, he do this, and his daughters would live. No. They chop off his head, and his daughters  will die ... except Arya, who will flee. A parable of the human dark side. Oh yes, there are a few of us humans who have entered into the truth of Compassion, of the high potential of being human. But, we are now, in this World and these times, in 2013, in a time of Darkness.

David Cameron, Barack Obama, President Holland, and the sad but mad Vladimir Putin, and most of the so-called "leaders" of the World. They have been seduced by the Dark Lord ...  Voldemort, as Ms. Rowling called him. They pretend that they have the the best interests of US, of the people of the World, in mind. But they do not. They have, in mythological terms, been taken over by Evil.

Listen, People. Hear, People. We must act. It doesn't matter who elected these people. We are easily deluded by the media, by propaganda, by our own self-delusion and ignorance. Only we can protest, and change the future of the human community.

What kind of human community do you want? Think!

And revolt.

Monday, September 2 (Labour Day) - The Republic of San Marino

I have a Calendar that tells me the date of the establishment of all the countries in the World. Swaziland on the 6th: 45 years; Brazil on the 7th:  191 years. That sort of thing. Today is San Marino ... also know as La Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino - The Most Serene Republic of San Marino - and it says 1712 years!!!  "Its size is just over 61 km² (24 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe.

San Marino claims to be the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, as the continuation of the monastic community founded on 3 September 301, by stonecutter Marinus of Arba. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then the Roman colony of Arba, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates.

San Marino is governed by the Leges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini, a series of six books written in Latin in the late 16th century, that dictate the country’s political system, among other matters.

The country's economy mainly relies on finance, industry, services and tourism. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP (per capita), with a figure comparable to the most developed European regions. San Marino is considered to have a highly stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, no national debt and a budget surplus." (Wikipedia) 

I went there once ... wonderful place! I was traveling around Italy on my way to Rimini, and stopped in San Marino for a day and night. 

Now, here's an interesting thig about their way of government:  "Every six months, the Council elects two Captains Regent to be the heads of state. The Regents are chosen from opposing parties so that there is a balance of power. They serve a six-month term. The investiture of the Captains Regent takes place on 1 April and 1 October in every year. Once this term is over, citizens have three days in which to file complaints about the Captains' activities. If they warrant it, judicial proceedings against the ex-head(s) of state can be initiated."

Sounds good to me. Listen up America!! (Abraham Lincoln was an Honourary Citizen of San Marino.)  At this rate, most of our Presidents would be in jail .... and that would be a good and just thing in my estimate! 

Wouldn't you like to be Citizen # 30,001 !! I would! And, they have the highest per capita income in the World!

Well:  I can dream .... and about America too!

Aug 16, 2013: Evolution - Sr. Ilia Delio

Evolution, Franciscan Sr. Ilia Delio told the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), does not describe a biological function but rather “a continuing process of unfolding involving the hands of God.”

I would say no. Rather, it describes both ... and the two are inextricably interrelated. The concept of "God", Life and the Body are One.

080313 - poet Rupert Brooke's birthday

Today is the date of birth of the English poet Rupert Chawner Brooke. He was born in Warwickshire, in 1887. He has the reputation of being the "handsomest man in England". He had many lovers, both male and female. He died on board ship during WWI, on April 23, 1915, and was buried, at night, by his crewmates, on the Greek island of Skyros. His tomb is still often visited; I would like to go there!

A picture:

His tomb on Skyros

Here is a poem of his.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Beauty and Beauty meet

All naked, fair to fair,

The earth is crying-sweet,

And scattering-bright the air,

Eddying, dizzying, closing round,

With soft and drunken laughter;

Veiling all that may befall

After -- after --

Where Beauty and Beauty met,

Earth's still a-tremble there,

And winds are scented yet,

And memory-soft the air,

Bosoming, folding glints of light,

And shreds of shadowy laughter;

Not the tears that fill the years

After -- after -- 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope your day has much love and much kindness.

Monday 072913 - Pope Francis

Well. The Huffington Post reports Pope Francis saying this: "Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?" Apparently, he was not speaking about gayfolk in general; he had been asked about gay priests.  My assumption is that his assumption is that all, including gay, priests are celibate  -  now, that would be an interesting thing to do some research on! Not in my personal experience of Roman priests and Religious ... but that's another issue. Presumably he meant that the sexual sins of priests can certainly be forgiven if, as is true of all "confession", the admission and repentance is genuine. I assume (this is a lot of assuming ... since I try to follow one of Dom Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements: 'Do not make assumptions' ! ... that the Pope feels he was "safe" in making these remarks because he was not making remarks about gayfolk in general, same-sex orientation, sexual identity, etc.

Who knows (yet) what he really thinks about homosexual orientation? About Nature? About genes and how they work and why? But, I shall be positive and optimistic. I shall be interested to see if this is the first step towards a change in the thinking of the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church ... with the Pope taking the lead. My hope is that the Holy Spirit really was at work in the election of this Pope, and that the cardinals got more than they expected in choosing him. I'll probably be long dead before anything substantial happens on this issue in the RC Church. But ... unless John XXIII said something I missed, Francis may be the first pope to make a statement like he made ... about not judging. To me (prejudiced, of course) that sounds like something Jesus would say in this situation and present context, as I understand Jesus.

I suppose I could be wrong about Jesus ..........  but ... Nah!

So: Go Francis! May this be the first step towards greater understanding, love, compassion, sense, and justice.

Sunday 072813 - Showering

I just finished showering in preparation to going to worship (and I will muse about "worship" sometime soon ... a rather strange thing to be doing, I think). I became aware of how immensely privileged I am ... at least on certain "creature comfort" levels. Our shower is big, and easy to get in and out of. What percent of people have that in the World? It's in a comfortable house, with 3 bedrooms, two, yes, two full bathrooms. What percentage? I have lovely soap called Pre de Provence. I have copious (on demand) hot water ... what percentage? I can run the water until it's the right temperature ... wasting a gallon maybe ... what percentage? I have nice white towels to dry off with, which have been washed beautifully in an automatic washing machine (which uses a minimum of water, due to new technology) and dried in a gas dryer which can sense when things are dry. Jojoba oil for the body, Oil of Olay for the face, and Gold's medicated powder to prevent heat rash. What percentage??

If you can take a shower somewhat like mine  .... you/we are living like royalty ... a small percentage! Nice of my shower to remind me what a blessed life I have ... and the shower is only the beginning.

Brian+

Sunday 042113

Brian’s Reflection: Sunday, April 21, 2013

[ The Forth Sunday of Easter in the Christian Kalendar ]

The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me;

but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.

No one will snatch them out of my hand.

What my Father has given me is greater than all else,

and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand.

The Father and I are one."

- John 10 [The Gospel reading for Easter IV, Year C, RCL ]

[ The complete Readings for this Sunday can be found at:

http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Easter/CEaster4_RCL.html ]

Ultimately, who are “the sheep” who follow Jesus’s voice? Since I believe that Jesus is an authentic voice of the one Mystery that we call “God”, the answer to my question has to be “Everyone”. It has nothing to do with adherence to any particular institution. Jesus is a voice of Compassion, of Love (as well as of Justice, Kindness, Goodness) … and He is One with that Divine Voice. Along, I believe, with other such Great Voices in human history.

A friend of mine (whom I have never met in person … ah, the Internet!) raised the issue of the Boston alleged bombers, and of what can happen when ‘an "idea" is more important than bodies, their own or those of others’. Dualism … the separation of “body” and “spirit”. I’m not a great fan of all the various so-called heresies which have been propounded during the millennia … but I think that Dualism is a nasty piece of thinking. Not only are we a unity … but we are One with both God and every other human being at the most fundamental level.

Here is part of my response to him: “Jesus said, "Love your enemies" … which statement Joseph Campbell thought the most difficult three words in the Gospel … Is there a parallel, perhaps, in what these alleged perpetrators did in pursuit of their "vision" (if there was one) with what Bush/Cheney did in killing thousands of Iraquis and Afghanistanies, and torturing hundreds of people for the "American vision"?? I think so. Loving One Another, or our "enemies" … does not mean we have to like them or approve/accept their actions … but the Gospel says we are to love them … why? So that we don't diminish, first, our own humanity  -  as the Gospel sees the nature of our humanity  -  or theirs. It does not mean that murders can't be punished for vicious anti-social acts … it means we shouldn't do to them what we would not want done to ourselves.”

Politically, a very hard row to hoe!

I continued: “Jesus saying (in my interpretation) to His fellow Jews  that every human being is to be a "sheep" of His that can/will hear His voice  -  the voice of compassion, of love, of sharing in the nature of the God of Love  -  and become one with God. The "World" is the "World" … and we have to live in it, yes, and it's not easy at times. But many wise people have pointed out that when we completely deny anyone's humanity, we have demeaned and lost ours. It seems to me that the World today is in a general state of whatever it is that leads us to demeaning each other's humanity. The value of persons (despite, in our case in America, our supposed value of the individual and individualism and individual freedom, which in America we seem these days to support only for those with whom we agree) has almost disappeared. Sad … and what Hell we create for each other. Hitler did it perfectly, in seeking the dominance of the Aryan race. 

Balance (that quintessential Anglican virtue, until recently) is critical. Extremism very often leads to violence. And extremism has its roots in the failure to value the thoughts and personhood of others and in the misconception that we are not related to each other. But the bell tolls for all when it tolls for one. Jesus found His identity in His oneness with God his Father … and he clearly (to me) wanted us to find it with God and by definition with each other. 

How long would it take to create understanding and Peace if we started now? No idea. But I hope we don't go on the way we're going, or the experiment of the human race may come to a short; brutal and ugly end. Sometimes I think I'd rather have that than what we have now … after death there is always resurrection!”

A challenging Easter message.

Goodness! So much to ponder on a quiet Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning in the high desert of New Mexico! But I think we would do well to do so as we ponder the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd of the Sheep.

(Pardon this unconscionable length! I’ve always been too verbose!)

Brian+

Tuesday 041613 - "Truth"

I'm rereading Susan Howatch's book The Wheel of Fortune. She looks at the life of A Welsh landed gentry family after WWI seen from the point of view of various members of the family. Today I read, "Truth spelled with a capital T was not in this case a synonym for reality; far from it. It stood for the way things ought to be, not the way things really were." (Howatch, Susan (2012-10-09). The Wheel of Fortune (Kindle Locations 10155-10157). Little Brown P/B. Kindle Edition.)

Actually, I think that both sides form the "whole truth". When Jesus reportedly said, "You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free", I think He was melding both aspects. When Pilate said, What is Truth", he was asking what we all ask many times in our lives. When Jesus spoke of Truth, I think He was expressing both the way we human beings "ought to be", i.e., loving, caring, compassionate beings, and that we would not "get there" unless we can see how things "really are". Susan Howatch writes powerfully in many of her works about how we delude ourselves, and of the disastrous effects that has.

I'm pretty sure we Americans are going to lie to ourselves about what happened in Boston and especially WHY. And we will get nowhere. I find myself quite sad at times that I shall probably live the rest of my Life ... what's left of it, chronologically ... in a mess of a World. But, I guess I'll try to create something better than a mess in my own situation.

A New Start

Tuesday 041513

Black-chinned hummers are around now. Fighting, of course, about territory. It will be worse when the Rufous arrive! And no, putting up four feeders does not fix it!

I'm starting a new blog. Just musing and commenting on things that strike me, engage me. Today, of course, it's the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Lst news I heard, at least to dead, 23 injured. I feel like referencing Jesus and his lament over Jerusalem, but it's "Oh America, America .....".

Getting ready to go help my husband with a catering project. What a lovely guy I'm spending my Life with!

Anyway: we'll see where this goes!