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.

Acting on our values: supporting Ukraine in defeating Russian aggression

The thoughts in this blog are deeply personal.  As we grow, we must apply our principles to our lives – to how we use our time, to our relationships and communities, and to contribute as best we can to others in need.  So I am very glad to have someone of the erudition, blunt eloquence, and "let's do this!" attitude of Yale University Professor of History Timothy Snyder on my mind these days.  At https://snyder.substack.com/, Prof. Snyder writes cogently why Ukraine must defeat Russia in the present war, and why people around the world – Americans in particular, as a nation and individually – should contribute politically and financially to that defeat.  I recommend Prof. Snyder’s work without reservation.  Here’s a selection of particulars:

"Why the world needs Ukrainian Victory"  https://snyder.substack.com/p/why-the-world-needs-ukrainian-victory   Jan. 23, 2023 [sic]

"On Tyranny"   https://snyder.substack.com/p/on-tyranny  Jan. 6, 2024  (Audio: https://snyder.substack.com/p/on-tyranny-audio)

"Your neighbor's house is on fire"  https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-neighbors-house-is-on-fire   January 4, 2024  (Audio: https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-neighbors-house-is-on-fire-audio)

 "Safe Skies Over More of Ukraine"  https://snyder.substack.com/p/safe-skies-8a2 (12/20/23)  Here is the website for donations to Ukraine for protecting itself from Russian drone attacks by enlarging and maintaining its Air Defence Forces' alert system: https://u24.gov.ua/safeskies

Help Stop a Genocide:   https://snyder.substack.com/p/help-stop-a-genocide  Link to "Donate to fund a Shahed [missle] hunter":  https://u24.gov.ua/shahedhunter

 It will not surprise readers of this blog that, when I was of age for American military service, I was a conscientious objector.  I have remained a pacifist.  But that does not mean I will stand by if someone attacks another person and I have the opportunity to stop the attack or prevent or minimize injury.  Russia's ongoing war to subjugate Ukraine is such an event.  The translation for me is that I have donated money to Ukraine for both drone detection and destruction systems https://u24.gov.ua/safeskies and for de-mining Ukrainian lands.  (See https://donorbox.org/collins_demining  actor Misha Collins's fundraising campaign for humanitarian demining efforts in Ukraine.)  And I will keep doing so as long as Ukrainians need help.

At https://u24.gov.ua/projects, there are other ways for individuals to support Ukraine financially, such as https://u24.gov.ua/christmasstar  (construction of shelters in Ukrainian schools).

The international effort promoted by Prof. Snyder to help Ukraine succeed in defending itself and its freely elected government from attack after attack by an autocracy seeking their subjugation needs help!  Each of us must decide for ourselves what’s right.  But I hope you, dear reader, will join me in contributing personal funds to help Ukraine defend itself and its people, and in urging others to do so.  Thank you for at least considering this.