On a basketball fast break the player with the ball will ideally look at who is ahead and beside him or her (some of the more amazing ones seem to see what is behind them), then instantly assess the wisdom of pressing on toward the goal without waiting on the defense to set up, or pulling up and setting up a half court offense. The correct decision creates some of the most spectacular offensive plays on ESPN highlights. The incorrect decision creates some of the most embarassing.
It's all about the numbers on a fast break. If the offensive players outnumber the defensive players as midcourt is crossed, the offensive team should be able to score.
It's all about having the numbers.
We are obsessed with having the numbers. Politicians will lie in order to get the numbers. Actors will get undressed in order to get the numbers. Churches will turn into country clubs in order to get the numbers. News editors will censor content in order to keep the numbers. Baseball players will inject illegal dangerous steroids into their bodies to keep the numbers. CFO's will alter the books in order to keep the numbers.
I often wonder about the first person to think of an idea, or make a discovery that is absolutely contrary to the accepted thought of the day. Galileo expanded on Copernicus' heliocentric cosmology. He offered scientific proof and observation that the sun was the center of the universe, as opposed to the earth, as most good church going folk believed at the time. He was found guilty of suspicion of serious heresy by the Roman Catholic church and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. He couldn't have felt too badly, as Giordano Bruno, another supporter of Copernicus' theory thirty years earlier, was burned at the stake. The numbers were with the church. The opinion polls overwhelmingly supported the fact that the earth was the center of the universe.
But it was not the truth.
One of the most haunting questions of the original Holy Week was uttered by Pontius Pilate:
"What is truth?"
He said he had found no guilt in Jesus. Then he turned to the crowd and asked what should he do with Jesus. He counted the numbers.
And the survey said, "Crucify him."
He went with the numbers.
Not with the truth.
.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Warning. Urgent feeling to preach. A bit rough for Saturday morning
Urgency.
It is sad when a great word, an important word, first conjures up images of commercials for treatment of overactive bladder syndrome, prostate enlargement, or incontinence.
I don't mean to diminish the seriousness of that kind of urgency. In fact maybe I will use it as a metaphor this morning. A bit risky in the literary world to use the need to urinate as a centerpiece of an essay. But St. Augustine back in the 4th century uttered a famous prayer, "Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet." Pretty good company I think. Let's see how it goes.
Our advanced civilization has developed medications that dull the physical sensation of urgency, not only in the matters described above. There are pills that dull hunger pangs, sex drive, the need to sneeze or cough, the need to slug somebody, and a host of other natural urges. They have their places.
But it seems much of our society has been medicated against urgency to act.
All over the world, this very minute, as I am sitting on my sofa drinking coffee and mindlessly blogging, children are dying while their parents watch, if the parents are still alive. Governments are committing horrible acts of oppression which result in pain and death for innocents, at this very moment. In other places, children are dying by the thousands for lack of vaccinations that cost less than five dollars per child. A whole continent, Africa, suffers from a dreadful lack of safe drinking water, a primary reason for the spread of fatal or disabling disease, especially for children. Much of the continent could be provided safe water from new wells for what America spent on the Iraq war. Places like Haiti, just a hop flight from American shores, suffers from unimaginable poverty, resulting in pain, death, and desperation that is being felt today, with no hope for tomorrow.
Millions of living, breathing human beings, most of them children, suffering, hurting, dying, right now.
One of those commercials promotes the use of its medication "if you are always feeling like you have to go . . ."
When we are reminded of the horrible pain and suffering of millions, do we feel the need to go? As, "go into all the world?"
If not, what medication are we on?
Complacency, busyness, judgmentalism, hopelessness, selfishness?
It is uncomfortable to get off the meds, to once again feel the natural sensations that were meant to motivate us to action. Sometimes it means we have to feel the pain again. It's a tough choice to make. If we do, we can change the world.
But if we choose to avoid the feeling of urgency to help the least of these . . .
Well just piss on them . . .
.
It is sad when a great word, an important word, first conjures up images of commercials for treatment of overactive bladder syndrome, prostate enlargement, or incontinence.
I don't mean to diminish the seriousness of that kind of urgency. In fact maybe I will use it as a metaphor this morning. A bit risky in the literary world to use the need to urinate as a centerpiece of an essay. But St. Augustine back in the 4th century uttered a famous prayer, "Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet." Pretty good company I think. Let's see how it goes.
Our advanced civilization has developed medications that dull the physical sensation of urgency, not only in the matters described above. There are pills that dull hunger pangs, sex drive, the need to sneeze or cough, the need to slug somebody, and a host of other natural urges. They have their places.
But it seems much of our society has been medicated against urgency to act.
All over the world, this very minute, as I am sitting on my sofa drinking coffee and mindlessly blogging, children are dying while their parents watch, if the parents are still alive. Governments are committing horrible acts of oppression which result in pain and death for innocents, at this very moment. In other places, children are dying by the thousands for lack of vaccinations that cost less than five dollars per child. A whole continent, Africa, suffers from a dreadful lack of safe drinking water, a primary reason for the spread of fatal or disabling disease, especially for children. Much of the continent could be provided safe water from new wells for what America spent on the Iraq war. Places like Haiti, just a hop flight from American shores, suffers from unimaginable poverty, resulting in pain, death, and desperation that is being felt today, with no hope for tomorrow.
Millions of living, breathing human beings, most of them children, suffering, hurting, dying, right now.
One of those commercials promotes the use of its medication "if you are always feeling like you have to go . . ."
When we are reminded of the horrible pain and suffering of millions, do we feel the need to go? As, "go into all the world?"
If not, what medication are we on?
Complacency, busyness, judgmentalism, hopelessness, selfishness?
It is uncomfortable to get off the meds, to once again feel the natural sensations that were meant to motivate us to action. Sometimes it means we have to feel the pain again. It's a tough choice to make. If we do, we can change the world.
But if we choose to avoid the feeling of urgency to help the least of these . . .
Well just piss on them . . .
.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Getting to know you . . .
When I was in Lithuania I was walking down the snowy sidewalk one morning and came to a stop on a corner. Crossing the street on the other side of the intersection was a young woman walking briskly. She was pushing a stroller. When she passed me I looked into the stoller to look at the beautiful baby bundled up inside. The woman slowed down, then stopped. I told her that her child was beautiful. Our attempt at conversation quickly proved that we did not speak the same language. But as I admired her baby, a big smile broke out on her face. That was a language I understood. Anyone in the world would have understood. We went our opposite directions, both feeling a little warmer I think.
I talked with a friend today who just returned from a trip to the middle east. Today's conversation was just a brief talk by our standards (less than an hour). But there was one thing she said that struck a chord with me. She reminded me that the world is so beautiful and so big, and most of us have created a world for ourselves that is so small. She reminded me that people are basically the same all over the world. I sense, and hope, that it will be impossible for my friend to fit herself back into the small world she left a couple of weeks ago. She seems to have found herself again as she rediscovered the world.
I was eating lunch with another friend today. We had been dealing with the darker side of humanity for most of the morning. So we had to talk basketball for a few minutes just to regain some balance. Then my friend jumped from the backcourt into the deep end. "Is it part of the Muslim faith to hate Christians?" he asked. I told him I didn't think so. He said he didn't think so either. "Then why do so many people say that like, 'of course you know it's true'. Why is it we have to come up with people that we can hate?"
I don't know. I admire my friend because instead of accepting the assertions of others he has been trying to learn the truth. But I have been thinking about what my friends said today. Both conversations were much more than I will relate. It is grace to have friends who challenge you.
It is true you know. Wherever you go in the world, mothers hold their new babies and look into their eyes. Parents worry about the health, safety and future for their children. Children love to play. Everyone loves to sing. Everywhere you go people laugh and cry, love and grieve, worry and celebrate.
A while back I said that you are welcome anywhere if you have a box of Krispy Kreme's in your hands as you enter. I don't know if that is universally true. Some cultures may be a bit more health concious. But most places, i imagine so. Or flowers. Or coffee. Or wine. Or bread.
The problem is we don't know who we don't know. That can be the neighbor across the street, the folks from across town, up north, or in another country. I think one of the reasons we are so willing to believe lies about others is so we have an excuse not to try to know them. Relationships do not come cheap. There is a cost. The safe boundaries we have drawn for ourselves must be crossed. It is painful to get close to others who are in pain. Perhaps we will have to share the pain. Or do something about it. Something must be given. Or, God forbid, given up.
What we have forgotten is that so much more is gained.
Our humanity.
.
I talked with a friend today who just returned from a trip to the middle east. Today's conversation was just a brief talk by our standards (less than an hour). But there was one thing she said that struck a chord with me. She reminded me that the world is so beautiful and so big, and most of us have created a world for ourselves that is so small. She reminded me that people are basically the same all over the world. I sense, and hope, that it will be impossible for my friend to fit herself back into the small world she left a couple of weeks ago. She seems to have found herself again as she rediscovered the world.
I was eating lunch with another friend today. We had been dealing with the darker side of humanity for most of the morning. So we had to talk basketball for a few minutes just to regain some balance. Then my friend jumped from the backcourt into the deep end. "Is it part of the Muslim faith to hate Christians?" he asked. I told him I didn't think so. He said he didn't think so either. "Then why do so many people say that like, 'of course you know it's true'. Why is it we have to come up with people that we can hate?"
I don't know. I admire my friend because instead of accepting the assertions of others he has been trying to learn the truth. But I have been thinking about what my friends said today. Both conversations were much more than I will relate. It is grace to have friends who challenge you.
It is true you know. Wherever you go in the world, mothers hold their new babies and look into their eyes. Parents worry about the health, safety and future for their children. Children love to play. Everyone loves to sing. Everywhere you go people laugh and cry, love and grieve, worry and celebrate.
A while back I said that you are welcome anywhere if you have a box of Krispy Kreme's in your hands as you enter. I don't know if that is universally true. Some cultures may be a bit more health concious. But most places, i imagine so. Or flowers. Or coffee. Or wine. Or bread.
The problem is we don't know who we don't know. That can be the neighbor across the street, the folks from across town, up north, or in another country. I think one of the reasons we are so willing to believe lies about others is so we have an excuse not to try to know them. Relationships do not come cheap. There is a cost. The safe boundaries we have drawn for ourselves must be crossed. It is painful to get close to others who are in pain. Perhaps we will have to share the pain. Or do something about it. Something must be given. Or, God forbid, given up.
What we have forgotten is that so much more is gained.
Our humanity.
.
Thurvey 4/2
It's time for the Thursday survey (Thurvey) again. I exhort you to enter the world of commentary, letting your opinion be spread throughout the cyber-universe by responding to the question of the week. Just click on the comment button, type your comment in the window, press anonymous, (type your name after your comment if you wish to be known), and click on publish.
The United States is now finding, borrowing, and printing trillions of dollars, most of which is being applied to rescue huge business institutions the survival of which has been deemed to be necessary to the economic survival our America and possibly the world. In the past six years America has found hundreds of billions of dollars to begin and prosecute a questionable war.
Why has comparable money not been available for education, health care reform, new energy systems, meaningful foreign aid to close neighbors such as Haiti, (or others that you may wish to raise)?
The United States is now finding, borrowing, and printing trillions of dollars, most of which is being applied to rescue huge business institutions the survival of which has been deemed to be necessary to the economic survival our America and possibly the world. In the past six years America has found hundreds of billions of dollars to begin and prosecute a questionable war.
Why has comparable money not been available for education, health care reform, new energy systems, meaningful foreign aid to close neighbors such as Haiti, (or others that you may wish to raise)?
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
