Is God Punishing Us?

Seems like mostly caring and concerned folk all over the world are trying to help us rid ourselves of the coronavirus.    But I continue to see things everyday that suggest God is punishing us.  This happens whenever there is a significant tragedy.  Like hurricanes, and other natural disasters, they suggest God is out to get us.  Our current situation dovetails into this kind of pronouncement.

It's hard for us to handle the fact that our relationship with a higher power  is shrouded in mystery, as this cartoon from this week's New Yorker suggests.

So my question to you and to myself is, "Did God give us the virus?"  Is that how God operates?  Is this the nature of God?

A few of our religious leaders around world are suggesting that God gave us this virus.  And some of our television evangelists are trying to sell us (the chosen few) expensive elixirs that will supposedly keep us safe.

 Here's my take.  No.  I don't believe that's the way the God of the universe operates.  Many if not most of the catastrophes in the world are cause by us - not God.  In my eyes the only questionable thing he did was to give us free will.  So we bumble along making messes in our personal lives and beyond.  

But, on the other hand, we've scored major accomplishments for the good of humanity.

Here's what I continue to believe: God is not fear.  God is love.  God empowers us to do good.  And we see this good playing out in new and powerful ways every single day.

I hope that when this crisis is over we'll be able to step back and evaluate what was botched and what was done well.  That's the nature of problem solving.  Placing blame is not the most important thing.  And placing blame on God is ridiculous.

But I firmly believe that God has given US the knowledge and power to make life on this planet  sweet.  So here's a big thanks to all of you who are "Running to the Fire" in ways we would not have even dreamed of a week ago.


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Sack Lunch Bunch

Do you know who tells the truth?  Drunks and children - John Mulaney

I love watching comedian John Mulaney.   His stand up act is comprised primarily of intricately composed vignettes, some of them about children who intimidate him and his firm stance on wanting kids.

So why did he do this special for Netflix?   Is it ironic as one kid suggests?  It's kind of like a kids variety show like Sesame Street.  But is it for kids?   It's full of existential anxieties and fears and some of it's R rated.

David Byrne and friend

But the kids are fine.  It's the adults who are messed up.  Here are a few of my favorite parts:

 * The song, "Grandma Has a Boyfriend and his name is Paul," Of course you understand why I like it.)

 * This is followed by a story titled "Sasha's Dad Does Drag."  (It's sad but not for the reason you think.)

 *  74 year old Broadway musical performer Andre De Shields (with eye patch)  and kids, do a bang up job of singing and dancing in a skit that has De Shields, as a math tutor, explaining how he lost his eye.  The explanation makes no sense but it's highly entertaining.

Jake Gyllenhaal, A K A
Mr. Music

 * Another one has David Byrne (that guy who performs in a grey suit but no shoes) and one of the girls telling adults to put their phones down and pay attention the their kids.

 * Richard Kind tells the kids his favorite movie is "Witness for the Prosecution."  Don't know why this was so funny to me.  Maybe it's just ironic.

 * Then there's a song in the rain where a kid helps a grown up woman, played by Annaleigh Ashford, who can't stop crying.

 * The very last song is done by totally inept and manic Jake Gyllenhaal, as Mr. Music, telling these super talented children how to make music.  Isn't this ironic?  What a great finish.

  So if you're interested in a variety show with super talented kids and adults who might help you pay more attention, check out John Mulaney and The Sack Lunch Bunch on Netflix.


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Sensory Overload

While my health continues to get better,  I still have a variety of symptoms.  One of them is sensory overload.   I belong to an international group of Meniere's suffers and, awhile back, we were asked to describe what sensory overload feels like.  Here are a few responses:

It's like when your computer freezes because there are too many tasks open or a task is stuck.


Do you remember the movie "Bruce Almighty"?  He was receiving prayer requests by hearing them in his head as they occurred, hundreds at a time.  They became jumbled, and he became frustrated and couldn't make sense of any of them.  Sensory overload is like that.  Everything is coming at me at once, but it seems I'm the only one noticing.    -  Meredith

Jenalyn


Background noise often causes sensory overload between me and whoever is talking to me.  It takes intense concentration to get through the multiple barriers.  It's exhausting and eventually causes tremendous stress, like I'm having a heart attack.  -  Cess


As I walked on stage it sounded like a jet engine going on.  It's literally a noise.  It's cacophony.

- Huey

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A Being and Doing Reminder

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books is:

If  you know who you are you'll know what to do.

My time in church yesterday morning was an exciting reminder of both concepts - Being and Doing.

Dr. Jean Raffa

First  in Forum, our speaker was Jean Raffa.  Jean is an expert on getting to know and understand ourselves.  (Look up her website.)  Jean is a "Jungian."  Carl Jung and Sigmund Fraud were pals but differed a bit on what makes us - us!  Jung believed what we think we know about ourselves (our ego) is only a small part of who we are compared to our unconscious selves.  So I should spend some time getting to know the current me.  (Jung was big on dream interpretations.)

As you know, I'm not a big woo-woo person but I think Jean and Carl are right on.

After Forum I met up with our minister, David, and he introduced me to this unpretentious man who was to be our speaker in worship.  I recognized him but couldn't put my finger on who he was.

It was Dr. Gary Mason.  He's a United Methodist Minister but so much more.  Like he's a global peace maker.  Most notably in Ireland but also has been part of the Israel, Palestine crisis and many others.  Much of his involvement is quiet.  (Therefore it requires a mature ego.)  He heads up an organization called "Rethinking Conflict."  (Look up his website.)

Dr. Gary Mason

Here's a quote from yesterday's sermon:  Leadership is NOT about being popular.  It's about doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

In other words, If you know who you are you'll know what to do.



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Universal Reconciliation

Reconciliation - Cause to coexist in harmony

My husband Ken loved the word "Shalom."  It usually means, hello or goodbye or bless you but Ken's favorite defination was "Universal Reconciliation."

My husband David did not express this in words - he just practiced it.  Like the time in a park in Minneapolis when he sat down on a bench beside a young woman in in full burka with only her eyes sparkling through.  He persisted in  chatting her up in spite of the fact that she never replied.    Then, when I saw a young man running toward toward them I'm ashamed to say I was extremely nervous.   But he told David the young woman had just arrived in the country 24 hours earlier and spoke no english.  And they had just married that day.  But David didn't finish, he just changed his focus to chatting up the young man.

Over the years several of you readers have inquired about Forum, a group that I love.  It's a part of my church and we meet on Sunday morning but we do not call ourselves a Sunday school class.  We recently took the steps to officially identify ourselves as a "Reconciling Group,"  The folks who crafted the welcoming statement worked hard to express who we are.  Some people assume that we all think alike.  That is the opposite of who we are.  Here is a portion of the statement:

Forum is an open and inviting community of individuals who strive to live out Christ's teaching and our Wesleyan heritage while discussing contemporary and theological issues.  We embrace the diversity of perspective and backgrounds of individuals.......We welcome and affirm that each person, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identification, ethnicity, race, cultural background, physical or mental ability, economic status, age, and/or theological orientation is a child of God  and has a seat at the Forum table.   

I love exchanging views with folks who don't think like I do as long as they are civil and kind.  My dream would be that we all "coexist in harmony. " I believe that the future of our universe depends on it.

Shalom to you my friends.


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I Am (Not) Good Enough

Currently, one of my favorite preachers, Jon, spoke to us last Sunday on the concept of being "Good Enough."  Jon, who recently received his PhD, told about a time, somewhere along in his studies, that he was displeased that he got a B in one of his classes.  When he let his professor know how distraught he was and requested another go at the grade the professor e-mailed Jon a reply saying that a B is good.  And Jesus taught us that good is good.  Jesus said, I am the Good Shepard.

This reminded me of the times I used to beat myself up about not being good enough.  But, because I still think of David every single day, I want to share this story about him and his Aunt Lora.

David was born in Maylasia where his parents were Methodist missionaries, but at an early age he was shipped off  to live with his Aunt Lora who was an "Old Maid School Teacher" in Independence Kansas.  You can imagine how six year old David's british accent went over in Independence Kansas.

This was back in the late 1930's so the title "Old Maid School Teacher" was common.  Most teachers at that time were not allowed to marry.  And, not only that, their salaries barely allowed them to support themselves.  Lora cared for her mother who was a widow of a Methodist minister.  They, as well, had no retirement or backup plan.  Lora also, from time to time, had a boarder or two, usually Old Maid School Teachers, like herself.  But Lora taught high school and junior college English for decades and helped shape the lives of countless students.

However she didn't have the "mom gene" and was definitely not a warm and fuzzy person.

Despite all of this David described his life in Independence as being ideal.  He made two best friends early on and these men stayed friends for six decades.  All three of them were tall and skinny.  They lived to play basketball and golf and were known all over town as The Long Boys.

When they got to junior high all three of them went out for the basketball team.  The day the list came out of the guys who made it everybody was crowded around to see the Long Boys names.

But only two of them made the list.  David did not.  He was devastated.  Naturally, when he went home Aunt Lora had little or nothing to say.  So he suffered in silence.  A few days later he was shocked to find, in Aunt Lora's driveway, a professional basketball backboard and hoop, along with a new ball.  Aunt Lora simply said, "I expect you to practice every day until the next tryout."

David went on to play basketball (and golf) in high school collage and for his entire stint in the Army.

I guess the point of this story to me was that David was good enough.  And you know what?  So was Aunt Lora.


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What's Your Super Power Now?

I've been dealing with health issues for a while now. I know I have flipped over into a new chapter in my life.  But aging is a part of this amazing circle of life and therefore, is good.  I want to do this part well.

Whatever "this part" looks like.

One of my favorite writers on this subject is cloistered nun, writer and political activist, Joan Chittister.  In her book The Gift of Years she says this:

Then will come twilight time, that space between here and there, between earth and eternity, when we begin to be more there than here.  When the concerns of this world fade away and we begin to be concentrated somewhere else.  That does not mean that this last period of life is an inactive time, a meaningless time.  Not at all. ....
There is a strength, a new kind of dignity, that comes with learning weakness well.....This our time to be honest, to be loving, to be open, to be grateful, to be patient, to be lovable and loving and loved.

I'm still very interested and active in the world around me but I'm also finding Joan's words to ring true. However, much of the change is good.   Every single day I'm given the opportunity to use my new super power.

A while back my grandson was invited to speak at a school for dyslexic children that he attended a few years back.  He's in college now but the skills he leaned back then to navigate that mysterious hard time in his life have served him well.

When my copy of the school's magazine arrived a few days ago I was delighted to see that his speech was included.  I've copied a small portion below.  I think it could apply to all of us who are recalibrating our lives to accept a new season with optimism and power.  Jack used the plot of the original Star Wars to illustrate how we all need to adjust to a new reality.  So please read the following, but insert your new life circumstances in place of of the challenge of dyslexia or Luke Skywalker's challenges in becoming a Jedi warrior.

Luke Skywalker had this amazing gift inside; he just needed to learn how to use the force.  He had to study Jedi masters, like Schenck teachers, to learn all he needed to conquer life and the dark side.  And it was hard.  He had to undergo adversity, study with strange creatures like Yoda, go through rigorous training and discover how to get along with people.

Like Luke, you - ALL of you - are Jedi warriors.  You have these great, unique powers and you are growing stronger every day.

Like Luke, we ALL have to learn how to overcome pain, worry, and doubt to become a mighty Jedi.

My friends, there are wonderful things ahead.  Every once in a while, you will have some tough days.  This happened to Luke when his friend got captured, his hand got cut off, and his greatest enemy turned out to be his dad.  Don't worry when the hard time comes; healing happens.

I'm so grateful to people in my life like Sister Joan and Jack who give me the gift of empowerment just when I need it most.  What's your current super power?


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