Sunday, August 26, 2012

Why I don't want to grow up

I do not want to grow up. I really don't. I've spent much of my life growing up faster than I should and it was only later than I finally let myself chill out a bit (granted, there is some growing up that you can't undo).

But really, I do not want to grow up. They say growing up is a choice.

This is not to be confused with being responsible. I am responsible. I do my work and I do it well.

But I won't grow up.

You see, as we 'grow up' and become stiff, we forget all the good that is around us. When we are children it is okay to sit in the grass and smell the flowers. Literally. Why should I forget this as my chronological age continues to rise?

Why should I stop imagining all the things that could happen?

Why should I stop laughing with children as they run around an empty field with a hoop and a stick?

Why should I stop pretending to be a superhero when it seems that everything else is going wrong?

Why should I stop dancing when I get good news?

Why should I stop breaking out into song whenever I feel moved to?

Why should I not make stupid jokes and laugh when someone else does?

Why should I forget to put a smile on my face in the mornings?

Why should I stop taking time for relationships?

Why should I put shoes on my feet that make it impossible to run at a moments notice?

Why put shoes on at all?

Do shoes suddenly make someone more respectable?

Is that why we like to think we're better than people on the other side of the world?

Because we have shoes?


I don't want to wear shoes.
I want to feel the ground under my feet,
And give my toes room to roam.

I want to play and laugh,
And sing and dance,
Dangle my toes in ocean foam.

I want to joke and run,
And talk all night,
For no reason at all.

I want to roll the snow,
And throw it hard,
Jump in leaves in fall.

I want to be old and gold,
Not old and mold,
Laughter crushing the room.

In touch with fun,
And each blessing around,
Not suppressing is gloom.

Talk with strangers,
Smile with friends,
And romp with God's creatures.

Watch the birds,
Catch a frog,
Examine their features.

Never forgetting to learn,
Always adventuring,
Each day brand new.

I want to be that one,
Never growing up,
Being one of the few.



"Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God." ~Karl Barth

I want to laugh forever. 

Friday, August 17, 2012

Christianity and Justice

So, let's take a minute and look back at a few weeks ago and the debate over chicken. I still feel strongly about it, but only to the points that I raised in my last post. The point that chicken isn't what matters, but justice is. Our neighbors matter.

I know that by saying "take religion out of the equation," some people were not happy. That's alright. We don't all have to be happy all the time, nor do we have to agree with each other.

Today, I'm bringing religion back into the equation.

Christians and Justice. What does this mean? What does it mean that our founding fathers did not put it in the Constitution that God was "the Creator"? Were the founding fathers not Christian? Were they not believers? Did they have no faith???

NO!

In fact, they were better Christians than most of us today. This group of men came together and realized that at the heart of Christianity was not the belief that people should be punished for not believing in God, but that the world God created was centered on love. LOVE is, essentially, justice. Love in action. The world Christ lived in, and the example he set, was not to beat people who didn't believe in him, or that were different than him. The adultress was not punished, but accepted and stood up for. Christ did not deny her life. In fact, Christ STOPPED people from stoning her.

Are we doing that today?

Is the Christianity that exists in our world today standing up for people whether they are Christian or not? Just because you don't agree with someone's choices or wishes, is that any reason to belittle them? Is it any reason to deny them their life? 

Is the example of Christians (the uber-conservative, picketing Christians) anything to envy? This model lends itself to PUSHING PEOPLE AWAY! I don't care how much of the Bible you know, if, in fact, your actions make people hate you! I'm not saying to go with the flow and compromise your beliefs, but to me, the essential foundation of Christianity is love and welcoming.

Justice is loving and welcoming people that are not just like you. It is recognizing our differences and yet moving forward. It is fighting for the people that are different than you. It is not differentiating. It is not denying rights.

Seriously: Where is the love? Why has love and compassion left our world in favor of hatred and division. As much good as there is in the world, and the good work that is being done, it is negated by the negativity and divisiveness.

This is not okay.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. (John 8:7)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Love your neighbor

There are a lot of blogs I want to write at the moment. But the most pressing is my own opinion (we all seem to have them, don't we) about all the debating going on about chicken, apparently. Honestly, I don't care whether you ate a chicken sandwich yesterday, or whether you will never eat one again (go ahead, judge me how you want for that statement), but I don't.

I, honestly, care more about what you do every other day of the year.

Let's take religion out of the equation. For some of my friends, this is hard to do. For others, you'd rather religion be off the table forever. Whatever your personal beliefs, let's leave them at the door and wipe our feet before we come to the table. No shoes are allowed at this table. No remnants of prior adventures. Today, we all wear new clothes of white and come unmarked to the table. The table - the ultimate symbol of serving and being served; a place of welcome.

All are welcome at my table.

Let's go back to 1776, to the founding fathers, who also sat at a table, and who drafted our Declaration of Independence. They, too, wanted to leave religion off the table (please don't try to argue this point, their words were chosen very carefully just because they knew the debates we are having today were going to come). The declaration (2.1) says:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

 "Their Creator." Not God, not Jesus, not Mohammed, not Allah, not Shiva. Just "their Creator." So whatever, or whoever, created us, we (ALL) are created equal. All of us. Every single one of us. Even if you believe in the big bang, what does that mean for the created (in this case, created by biological systems) embryo in a womb? The same thing that created your life, created that life. Just a thought. 

But not only are we equal, but we have the right to life. All of us have the right to life. That means the children, the poor, the rich, the straight, the gay, the tall, the short, the disabled, the sick, the homeless... I could go on. We all have the right to life. This means that no matter your religious belief, you have no right to take away someone's life in this country. NO REASON. 

We are all endowed with liberty. What did our founding fathers mean by this? This means that you have your free will. You can live your life as you choose. To some, this refers to the social contract of life: How do you view your life within the society where you live? We make our choices and live within our communities. Your choices come with the weight of responsibility for those actions on your shoulders. Not on whatever person gave you your beliefs, not on the god you chose to believe in. No: the weight of the decisions you make land on your shoulders. Personal responsibility: something we are losing more and more in our world today. 

And we are all endowed with the pursuit of happiness. It seems like many people are too wrapped up in trying to live the life we are endowed with to pursue happiness. And that is unfortunate. But again, this gets down to the fact that we are ALL endowed with the right of the pursuit of happiness. All of us. Even the people you don't like. All of us. 

And all of this is just from our Declaration of Independence. How does the Constitution begin?

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

 Wow. They establish Justice. Is that what you are doing with your time? Are you seeking out justice for your fellow American? By beating up, or ignoring the plight of your neighbor are you helping to insure domestic Tranquility? It says we are going to provide for the common defence. This means defence for everyone. Our troops do not fight for special interest groups, they fight for every person on American soil, and every American overseas. Just sayin'. General Welfare again refers to everyone. Every person. And the Blessings of Liberty are to the founders, their generation, and ALL their children later. ALL of them. Not just some of them. With this document, no American is to be disowned by their country, or denied its rights. No matter what. 


So, what were you doing today, and what will you do tomorrow, that upholds what our country was built upon? Are you making decisions that are allowing your neighbor, your fellow American (your fellow person!) to their inalienable rights? Are you allowing them their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? Are you allowing them Justice, Tranquility, defence, general Welfare, and the Blessings of Liberty? Are you, today, being a good American, a good person? 


Even Jesus said "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." In this case, aren't they the same thing?

Love your neighbor. 

I mean, is it really that difficult to love the people around you?

Hate accomplishes nothing. Apathy accomplishes nothing. But love, well, love conquers all.