November 4, 2018

“There is grace in the world and some of it is for me.”

That quotation is from an extraordinary story told by Auburn Sandstrom at one of The Moth’s storytelling events.

There is grace in the world and some of it is for every person, including each of us.

There is grace in the world and, just as important, much of it comes from people – from us.  Whether, when and how to be agents of grace is entrusted by the Holy Spirit, and by our consciences, to each of us.

[Ms. Sandstrom’s story: https://themoth.org/stories/a-phone-call.]

The get-away-with-it culture

Many people abuse others, and society, by breaking the law - violence, driving drunk, cheating, stealing, etc. - or failing to honor basic social values of honesty, responsibility, charity and live-and-let-live, confident that they'll get away with it.
If we really hold and wish to maintain those values, let's work to change the get-away-with-it culture, starting by ending any get-away-with-it attitude in ourselves and not rewarding it in others.

Reality check #8: the take-give balance

Each moment of life includes a complex combination of taking and giving.  Like inhaling and exhaling, this is mostly unconscious, but there is value in increasing our consciousness and personal responsibility.
We take in oxygen and nutrition.  We give love, kindness, compassion, patience – and some thoughtless, regrettable behavior.  We take rest and we play, sometimes at great expense.  We give work, sometimes with great effort, in paid or unpaid service to others, from which we take fulfillment – but at some point we say "enough."  We take support and joy from as many of our relationships as we can – person-to-person, citizen-to-society, human-to-nature – usually in some proportion to what we give to those relationships, but sometimes coasting on a feeling of entitlement.  
With every breath, we continue the cycle of take and give, with some conscious or unconscious effort at balance.
I am alive and well: I know I am taking the basic necessities of life - and more.  Is my taking and giving in a reasonable balance? 
Am I pulling my weight in human society?
Is what I am doing or about to do consistent with the take-give balance I wish for a fulfilling life?