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,
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.
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.
In 2022, I gave a TED-X Youth talk entitled "On Living Selfishly." In that talk, I assert my view that I am 100 percent selfish; that, even when I serve others, I am tied (with everyone who admits complete selfishness) for the distinction of being the most selfish person alive. To explain this view, I invite the audience - soon perhaps including you - to consider whether it helps simplify our lives, clarify our values, goals and communications, and improve our relationships to acknowledge, at least sometimes, being selfish.
Here is the link: https://events.locallive.tv/events/78964 (My talk starts at ~37 minutes.)
If you watch, thank you. There is so much self-righteousness and finger-pointing in society. This talk aims to reduce that. Because admitting our natural selfishness inoculates us against both criticizing others for being selfish and against getting upset if someone calls us selfish, I hope you find the talk valuable enough to share.
What would we do, and how would we feel, if we more often - more often toward constancy - connected to, trusted, and allowed ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit within each of us; the Holy Spirit of love?
Where am I right now on these scales?
Truthfulness with self and others versus evasion or deception?
Love versus apathy or judgment?
Self-discipline versus comfort or laziness?
Gratitude versus entitlement?
Courage versus "not my job"?
December 24, 2023
As we end the present year to begin a new one, let us release any lingering fears, anxieties, grudges and regrets.
Let us, guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, forgive every person who we perceive, whatever their intent may have been, to have treated us badly — and forgive ourselves for any such acts toward others.
Let us, confident in the Holy Spirit's constant presence and guidance to all who seek it, greet the new year free of fear and fatigue from the past, and full of renewed hope and intention to do our best to bring peace and healing wherever we go.