A dream imagining Yo-Yo Ma's thoughts on God

Yo-Yo Ma is lecturing in a college library.  He is giving two lectures in succession.  I go for the first.  He sings a song.  The song tells of God undergoing an inspection of His quarters and of His works by a host of angels.  His quarters are spare and perfectly clean and tidy: a quarter would bounce on the bed.  God stands by silently, serene.  The angels are eager to criticize but find nothing amiss.

As soon as the song is over, outraged people in the audience attack Mr. Ma, crying heresy at the idea of God being judged by the angels.  He waits for the uproar to end, and it slowly, grumblingly does.

After a minute of silence, he replies:

“Do you not think it serves God to examine, in holy company, what He’s done?

“Do you not think that God welcomes assistance in His discharge of His enormous responsibilities?

“Do you doubt that God has the strength and grace to accept - even ask for - the views of others?”

 

Wow!  I think I’ll stay for the second lecture. 

 

In the second lecture, Mr. Ma asks rhetorically what beauty is.  He pauses, listening to the silence from the audience.  He then turns to an easel and begins to draw quickly, effortlessly.  He draws the figure of a woman, viewed from behind and above.  He is most entertaining as he does this.  The woman is plump and nude, sitting with her right leg straight out and toes pointed, like a dancer.  The image is lovely -- and takes him only a couple minutes to draw.  More Wow!

Having demonstrated by implication that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Mr. Ma asks me to come forward and do the next drawing.  I go and stand next to the easel.  “Draw God,” he says.  I look at him, amused and, obviously, at a loss.  The audience laughs.  “Oh, just draw something!" he says playfully.  A bit embarrassed, I quickly, but also playfully, draw a couple random blotches of color.

Mr. Ma studies what I’ve done for a few moments.  He then turns, pauses, and says to me and the rest of the class, “You see, whatever you draw does not limit or insult God but, rather, shows God’s greatness.  This is because, with only the tiniest bit of imagination, you quickly see not only that God is more than any of us might define Him to be, but that you could draw -- or try to define-- God constantly and for the rest of your life and the result would be inadequate.”

April 28, 2024

God - the Holy Spirit of Life and of Love - is here with us, and within each of us, trusting that we will trust its guidance in our decisions about self care, service of others, and what love calls us to do.

Reasons for kindness

"Kindness" that comes from striving for influence, for reputation, or for a feeling of superiority is offensive.

True kindness is an expression of love as natural as blossoms in Spring. 

But there is also this: the kinder I am, the happier and luckier I become.

Honoring our own and others' perceptions

Our perceptions - our personal experiences, memories, and beliefs - matter more to most of us than the perceptions of others. Differences and conflicts arise even when we do our best to limit our perceptions to "objective reality" or to "common sense." Our differences, including the infinite set of purely subjective experiences - dreams, goals, yearnings, ideas, whimsy - make me me and you you.

Honoring our perceptions and experiences while being open-minded and willing, even eager, to grow is important! It takes courage, and increases courage, to do so. It takes guts to refuse to let peer pressure, fear or anxiety eclipse our truths from our own consciousness and, when appropriate, from one another.

On balancing self-care and citizenship

We do the best we can—at least the best we can see to do—and then we quit. Whether we quit to nourish the body with food and drink, to nourish the spirit with play (whatever play is to us), or simply to rest, we all do, and should, quit serving others as needed for our self-care. The author of my most recommended book these days, Whole Brain Living, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, says, "I find the more I play, the more interest and energy I have for working. I wish everyone understood that."

Then do we recognize when it is time to get back to work? That is easy enough when we have made a commitment to our children or others on which our honor depends, or a commitment to an employer, client, or patient on which our growth, reputation—and paycheck—depend.

But don't we have other important work?

Do we not have work—important duties, though varied and often self-chosen—as citizens? Obeying the law and expecting others to do so? Showing respect for others—even when they seem not to reciprocate? Educating ourselves about conditions in our community? Voting and volunteering to care for our community? Seeking and speaking the truth in public matters, even when it requires guts to do so?

If we believe citizens have no duties, or if we admit we have such duties but neglect or shirk them, or if we think ourselves excused until others better perform their duties of citizenship, how dare we complain about the conditions of society?

March 3, 2024

Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you don’t find God in the next person you meet, it’s a waste of time to look further.”

Without first finding within myself, and connecting with, honoring, and trying to serve God, however named — Holy Spirit, Life-with-a-capital-L, Allah — how can I recognize and honor God in anyone else, thus to combine our portions of holiness for mutual joy and the betterment of society?

Life beckons

 Life beckons, 

Smiling: yes, you.

Life beckons: come hither.

Now at the door.

Now at the training.

Now at the starting line.

Now at the base camp.

Now at the misty edge of the falls.

Now in the wilderness.

Now at clouds' rest.

Now at the front.

Now in the ambulance.

Now sitting on the bed, 

Wordlessly Life urges: come to me

And I will stay with you 

Through all the work and grief

And peace and joy 

That lie before us.