An online magazine of faith based on a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The mission of Unitarian Universalism: A Way Of Life ministries is to provide information, teach skills, and clarify values to facilitate the evolutionary development of increasingly higher levels of spiritual development for human beings around the world.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Re-membering our awareness of the interdependent web
Matthew tells us in chapter 22: 2-5 that the Kingdom of God is like a wedding feast
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son And sent his servants to summon those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they refused to come.
Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my banquet; my bullocks and my fat calves are killed, and everything is prepared; come to the wedding feast.
But they were not concerned and paid no attention [they ignored and made light of the summons, treating it with contempt] and they went away--one to his farm, another to his business,
The mature soul comes to appreciate the interdependent web of all existence of which each person is only a tiny part. The mature soul becomes more aware of the multiple generations who have contributed to the nature of the current society in which we live. The mature soul understands the world in a trans-generational way being a witness to the grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as the grandparents and the great grandparents and the great great grandparents.
In my own case, at the age of 73, in my life time I have personally met 6 generations and if I am lucky perhaps I will meet seven. I met my maternal grandmother’s father, and I knew 3 of my 4 grandparents. I was lucky to have been raised by two parents and I am one of five children. My wife and I were blessed with 9 children and now I have 15 grandchildren the oldest of whom are 25 and 21 so I could easily see my great children which my mother has done at age 86.
I knew both my grandmothers who gave birth to my parents with my father being born in 1918 and my mother in 1920. At the time of my parents’ birth in the United States neither one of my grandmothers could vote. The 19th amendment of the constitution gave women the right to vote in the United States in 1920.
The mature soul has the long view, something sadly very much missing in our age of rapid technological change. This long view appreciates community over self. This appreciation recognizes that community takes effort to build and maintain. Some help by organizing, some by providing and doing, some by showing up and attending. But most importantly the soul remembers, re-members. The soul re-members its sense of community which has a transcendent quality which goes beyond the individual sense of self in a mysterious and marvelous way.
It is the recognition of partnership in the interdependent web which gives life meaning and this recognition allows us to leave this world when we die hopeful and not in despair.
Ask Alexa - Do you give the body control over your mind?
Alexa: Since when did we give the body control over the mind?
Since you mistakenly thought that you were a body and denied the fact that you actually are a decision making mind.
Alexa: Did you hear about the young girl who was so excited to ride the horse that she didn't use the reins?
Yes, she began riding with unbidled enthusiasm.
Alexa: Have you missed me the last few days?
No. I assumed you were busy with better things to do than ask me questions.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Letters from UU AWOL - Will impeachment rectify Trumpism?
Calvin went to a discussion group at church about impeachment. The presenter talked about the articles of impeachment in the constitution, the presidents who have been impeached before (there were three: Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton) and the grounds for impeachment of President Trump.
Many people wayed in with ideas about the political, legal, and societal impacts of engaging in the impeachment process, but no one, interestingly in a church sponsored discussion, offered any views on the moral and spiritual aspects. Calvin was disappointed and left the meeting somewhat confused.
Calvin told me he could talk about the pros and cons of impeachment in any number of venues and with any number of groups of people. The cable news shows discuss impeachment ad nauseum. No where, though, is anyone talking about the spiritual aspects and Calvin said he was hoping that at church that would be the one place where this perspective might be considered and reflected on but, disappointingly, that didn't happen. Calvin wanted to know why? Why was the avowed purpose of church, to relect on things through a spiritual lens, so glaringly ignored?
Calvin mentioned this exclusion of the spiritual perspective on impeachment to a few people and told me how his inquiry went.
Frank said, "Well, Jesus said to leave to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that God's. So leaving out the spiritual dimension is exactly what Jesus might have suggested."
Betty said, "Well, I think you have a good point, but most people aren't that sophisticated and don't think about mundane things in spiritual terms. A spiritual consideration would have been over most people's heads and probably not anything they would be interested in."
Barry shared, "Even in church people don't think in spiritual terms. They have no mental models within which to consider secular topics in spiritual terms. It is easier to argue politics than to consider the spiritual ramificiations of how we conduct ourselves."
"The metaphysical view," said Suzanne, "is that politics is all a game and that attacking one another is believed to be a path to salvation misguided though it is. Politics for many people has become an idol and people mistakenly think that if their candidate is elected and their preferred policies are chosen and implemented, then happiness will be secured for the nation and the world. This idea and wish is, of course, fool hearty and never happens. Real change comes from within and not in the external world. Attacking one's political enemies will never bring happiness and peace. A tit requires a tat and the mindset of "one or the other" is doomed to creating a hell on earth. We are all in this thing called life together and either we all win or we all lose. Life is not the zero sum game that it appears. We all are part of the interdependent web and everyone will be included in the Universal Oneness eventually."
Calvin didn't know what to say to Suzanne. He was stunned and deeply moved by her ideas. This was what he had been looking for. He wished she had been at the discussion and could have shared her views and that her ideas could have been discussed. Suzanne's views seem to be deeply Universalist.
Calvin reported to us at UU A Way Of Life that he had learned that in the process of holdiing people accountable for the well being of the whole we must join with our perceived enemies and not attack. Jesus said we should love our enemies. This means we draw them in not push them out. It dawned on Calvin that impeaching Donald Trump will accomplish very little in terms of advancing the well being of human kind. However, finding ways of transforming Donald Trump's mistakes into higher levels of awareness so that the overall functioning of our society can be improved starting with ourselves first would be a step in the right director.
Calvin realized that the problem in our society is not Donald Trump. Trumpism is a symptom of deeper problems in our society. Who, after all, are the people who voted for Donald Trump, and support his policies? What are the values of Donald Trump's base? How did the hearts of the people in Donald Trump's base become so cynical and fearful of the other? Where do their hearts hurt? How do we reach out to these brothers and sisters and encourage them to join us in finding a better way to live together in love and peace?
Will impeachment eradicate Trumpism? Trumpism is a problem of the human heart. Trumpism is at its deepest level a spiritual problem. It was this observation which was missed in the discussion which left Calvin wishing for something more.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Film - Linda Ronstadt: The Souind Of My Voice
After church today, 09/15/19, I went to the Little Theater on East Avenue in Rochester, NY and watched Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice. Wonderful documentary. I give it a 4.5 on my 5 point scale.
Not only is her music wonderful, but she seems like a decent human being whose passion in life was using her voice as an instrument to sing all kinds of music. She is a gifted musician which is rare in the world of commercial acts which come and go.
Not only is her music wonderful, but she seems like a decent human being whose passion in life was using her voice as an instrument to sing all kinds of music. She is a gifted musician which is rare in the world of commercial acts which come and go.
Letters from UU A Way Of Life - Welcoming and getting along: A Vision for the ages.
It's been quite a week at UU A Way Of Life. One of our members went to Sunday service at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Dismal Seepage and reported back to headquarters that the congregation has come up with a new vision statement. The vision statement says that they will become a congregation where everybody loves everybody all the time which will nurture everyone's spirit and create peace and justice throughout the world.
Everyone clapped and expressed immense satisfaction at their cleverness, goodness, and benevolence.
Our reporter said she asked members of the congregation at the coffee hour what the vision meant to them.
Jasper said, "It's wonderful that people here are so wonderful and I think their wonderfulness will spread. It's infectious you know."
Linda joined in and said, "We have the most wonderful group of people who are so welcoming to everyone as long as they act right."
Helen agreed, "Yes, our pastor is so wonderful and she encourages everyone to share and be kind to everyone.
Our reported asked why the congregation was so small if it was so wonderful.
Art said, "Well, most people don't get it. The more cynical world calls us liberal do gooders and scoffs. I suppose, in a way, they are right. I was told, 'If you folks don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.' and we do tend to fall for just about anything because we think it is important to get along and sometimes you have to go along to get along. You know what I mean?"
Betsy said, "Yeah, we're not looking for trouble with anyone. We encourag people to leave their drama at the door. The one thing we don't do well with is conflict."
Jasper said, "Conflict is a deal breaker and UUs are big on schism. They tend to avoid conflict and just walk out the door and don't come back."
Our reporter asked, "Is it realistic to think that people can have loving and welcoming connections all the time?"
Kevin said, "No probably not, but we don't like to talk about it."
So, our reporter reported that the one thing that is not welcome in the First UU vision is conflict and disagreement and if it comes up people damn well better be nice about it or they can leave.
That's the way it has been this past week at UU A Way of Life where all the men are nice, all the women are wonderful, and all the children play quietly with each other sharing their toys generously.
Everyone clapped and expressed immense satisfaction at their cleverness, goodness, and benevolence.
Our reporter said she asked members of the congregation at the coffee hour what the vision meant to them.
Jasper said, "It's wonderful that people here are so wonderful and I think their wonderfulness will spread. It's infectious you know."
Linda joined in and said, "We have the most wonderful group of people who are so welcoming to everyone as long as they act right."
Helen agreed, "Yes, our pastor is so wonderful and she encourages everyone to share and be kind to everyone.
Our reported asked why the congregation was so small if it was so wonderful.
Art said, "Well, most people don't get it. The more cynical world calls us liberal do gooders and scoffs. I suppose, in a way, they are right. I was told, 'If you folks don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.' and we do tend to fall for just about anything because we think it is important to get along and sometimes you have to go along to get along. You know what I mean?"
Betsy said, "Yeah, we're not looking for trouble with anyone. We encourag people to leave their drama at the door. The one thing we don't do well with is conflict."
Jasper said, "Conflict is a deal breaker and UUs are big on schism. They tend to avoid conflict and just walk out the door and don't come back."
Our reporter asked, "Is it realistic to think that people can have loving and welcoming connections all the time?"
Kevin said, "No probably not, but we don't like to talk about it."
So, our reporter reported that the one thing that is not welcome in the First UU vision is conflict and disagreement and if it comes up people damn well better be nice about it or they can leave.
That's the way it has been this past week at UU A Way of Life where all the men are nice, all the women are wonderful, and all the children play quietly with each other sharing their toys generously.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Alexa: Does the body determine how the mind feels or vice versa?
Alexa: Does the body determine how the mind feels or does the mind determine how the body feels?
There is a difference between pain and suffering and the body cannot make a person suffer only the mind can.
Alexa: Did you hear about the vultures who boarded a plane both carrying two dead raccoons?
Yes, the stewardess topped them and said, "I'm sorry, only one carrion is allowed per passenger."
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