Our Soldiers

I am a pacificist.   I accept that war is sometimes unavoidable, but usually is because of our own collective failings from years or decades ago.   Also, to avoid some wars almost perfect knowledge and foresight is necessary.   I firmly do not support the Iraq war and had struggled with soldiers who chose to fight.   I am becoming more aware of the incredible bravery of these men and women along with the sacrifices they make.

Many choose to fight for us, for me, without regard for if we are aware or thankful for their sacrifices.   Whatever has moved them, they believe their service is necessary to serve humanity or their country.   While I still have a different view of the war, I thank those who sacrifice so much in pursuit of what they believe.   I pray that we all may have wisdom when making choices that involve life and death.    

The Highest Goal

I am re-reading this book called The Highest Goal.  The author encourages the readers to reflect on their purpose.  I have been contemplating about my purpose for years, and have been expecting that it will reveal itself with flashing lights.  This is your purpose, now go do it!   With frustration, I am admitting that has not happened.   The book is based on a class the author teaches at Stanford, giving young college students a foundation for which to start their adult life (where was that when I needed it).    The author will shatter your dreams if you think that your highest goal is to feed the homeless, build schools, run for office, or make a million bucks.  Our highest goal relates to having complete awareness of the energy that sustains us, it reveals itself differently to all of us, but is rooted in the same principles.  



In one exercise, we, all of us readers, think back to our earliest childhood memory of feeling like we were in the flow, connected, etc.   As a side note, if I am a child and thinking about flow and connected, I would say when I was playing Twister.   But, being more educated now, I can tackle this challenge.    When I was no more than 7, I would venture off with my friends to a field with a creek, trees, and no houses for as far as a 7 year old could see.  This was at least a quarter mile away from home.   I know you must be asking "your mom let you do this when you were so young?"  I am asking that question now too, but it never crossed my mind then.  Mom, what were you thinking!



This creek, surrounded by cottonwood trees, offered me serenity.  I could stomp through it, ponder what critters lived in it, what the generations before thought about it.    I felt part of the larger system called life.    Fast forward to the age of 10, we lived in the "country" with 10 acres of open field behind our house.   I could disappear into the field and trees anytime I wanted to reflect on nothing.  Pondering nothing was important when you had an obnoxious brother and sister (this is past tense, John and Pam).     Did you ever lie in a pile of snow, with only the sound of your breath, watching the clouds move overhead?     The connection with all that surrounded me coalesced in my breath.   



When I was 15, my best friend and I, hung post it notes with peace signs all over the city where we went to school.  We really believed we could make a difference.   Sure you chuckle now.   We were united in our purpose, and simply our intention that the world would be better, I am sure had an impact.    I felt connected with the yearning of all of the others around the world, who yearned for peace.     We unconsciously came together in this system.   How is that for easy teamwork?    Unfortunately, we were not too green minded, or would not have scattered so many reams of paper.  



We have a raging creek in our backyard today, surrounded by trees.   My 9 year old daughter sits out and watches it flow, she connects with the life around her, and becomes one with the system we call life.    



I think I have completed my assignment now.   My highest goal is to bring my awareness to the connectivity (communing) we share with each other, the trees, and animals.life.      I wonder what the next chapter in my book brings.   I hope it gives me an instruction manual on how to execute with flashing lights! 

What does "ubuntu" mean?

Ubuntu is a South African tribal word whose essence means "I am
because we are." South Africans ground themselves in this philosophy
which has led to the healing of their country following the atrocities
of apartheid. Our humanity is linked by an extraordinary bond of
divine love. Our humanity is much deeper than our experiences, race,
religion, or gender. We are one.

Skin, blood, fat, bone cells, etc. collectively make up our individual
bodies. Similarly we as individuals are part of one larger body -
humankind. When an organ fails the body weakens or dies. When one of
us suffers we all are diminished. When we are strong, recognizing our
interdependence, we flourish. This is a simple observation in
nature, which we are part of not separate from.

Yesterday, I was commissioned for a leadership role in my church. I
have held mid executive management positions with large financial
institutions. I always step into these roles feeling confident of my
ability. Yet the role I stepped into yesterday, left me feeling
ordinary. Wonderfully ordinary. I humbly agreed to this calling.
Before, I agreed I questioned how would I one day lead this
organization whose only mission is to transform lives. Many who
walked before me had much more religions moxie than I. I can't even
find the words to pray without stumbling and sounding like a religious
neophyte. Or worse, a monotone inauthentic wannabe patriarch...aagh
(come on you know the type, where is the bravado of the spirit?!)
Okay, that is a whole different conversation. One day and every day
my words will match the omnipresent spirit that moves me (happens
occasionally, especially if I don't think I am praying).

Back to my original point. There I stood, plain ordinary me, holding
hands with my equally ordinary friends. Yet in a pause we felt the
Presence and recognition that those we were holding hands with were
not ordinary individuals (just like those red blood cells are not much
good on their own), we were one body. Then exactly the opposite
feeling of what I was expecting happened.

As we stood in the center, we were now center stage - all powerful,
with our energy radiating out to the masses that would follow our
steps. Nope, wrong (another knock to the good old ego) The outgoing
leaders, those returning to the flock, those we would now lead,
encircled and prayed for us. Their energy shot directly to the core
of this circle, the zing went through our nerves, feeding our souls,
and calming our fears. We were all one.

As a religious neophyte, I, who surprisingly have been called to one
day be a lay leader of this flock, felt the blessing of being ordinary
while being blanketed by the extraordinary. Ubuntu.

Blogging?

Blogging, seems like danger...opening yourself up to others, creating vulnerabilities, dropping the facade.   Or, is it just the opposite that the readers now are pausing to learn more about who we really are?   Maybe blogging is a much more selfish experiment.   A way to offer a clear expression of who we are, to be able to take jumbled ideas of our being, and distill them into a few illustrative words.  Perhaps the words are not just mine, but an offering, or more boldly, a sliver of human consciousness?  

The power of language, the power of being, the recognition that I am because we are.  The theory of Ubuntu.