EmPulse for the week of June 20, 2011

fundamental differences

Sooner or later, in the course of human interaction, we conclude that we have fundamental differences with certain other people, religious beliefs, corporate policies, or societal mores. In a pluralistic society the ideal is that we will all learn to get along in one big happy family; in the real world it doesn’t quite work out that way. Some of us form enclaves, huddling with our own kind. Others form protective cocoons about themselves as they move through evil society. In the marketplace of business all types of people are thrown together to achieve a common goal, to produce a particular produce, to contribute to the needs of people and to make a buck or two while doing so. The rub comes when people find they have fundamental differences about how to get things done. One person’s plans are dismissed while another’s are adopted: feelings are hurt, people are fired. Not always a pretty picture.

It is true—basic differences exist among people; religious beliefs, cultural traditions, leadership styles, and, of course, personality types. The trick is to, (a) not kill one another, (b) not to start with condemnation of what we do not understand, or (c) not to deny those basic differences. [… and the list goes on, of course.] As I have crisscrossed this blue marble suspended in space I have gained a wide-ranging perspective on life through other people’s vantage points, feeling their hopes, anger, disappointment, and loss.

In the grand scheme of things (read metanarrative) it comes down to the nature of Truth. Is Truth relative to time, era, and individual experience, as our postmodernist friends postulate?  Do we create our own truth within our own frame of reference? Or do we dare suggest that Truth resides outside-yet-alongside-of human experience and perception? We hold these truths to be self-evident… . Are they? Do we?

If we hold that Truth is relative, that is, relative to a particular situation, or era, or culture, or religious belief, then we have dragged down deep heaven upon us and made ourselves the arbiters of truth. This is a human arrogance of highest degradation.

It has been noted that we are all inhabitants of this lonely blue marble in the grand cosmic expanse. We will not always be able to push move our fundamental differences and learn to get along. To raise our voice and decree that we determine what is truth and what is not, that we, de facto, are the Creators of Truth, is an egotism that will push whatever fundamental differences exist among us to the point-of-conflict. We will be at war with ourselves and with God. Forgive us, Lord. Our task is to discover the Truth that already exists, whether in science or faith, and to live by it in humility. So help us God.

Have a nice week,

Gary

 

… just as long as you’re happy

Cute fuzzy kittens. Hot chocolate (with Fluff), curled up in front of a toasty fire. A diamond ring. A new car. A tropical beach in an exotic resort. A new home. Just as long as you’re happy. Why not!?! What else is there?

Might I suggest, against the flow of popular sentiment, that, though guaranteed “…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” by America’s Declaration of Independence, that happiness is not the end to which we should be striving. It should not be an end at all. Happiness, rather, is the proper byproduct of effort and service to society or another individual.

Pursuing happiness as an end in itself creates a deceptive sense of selfhood that is based on contentment rather than on a platform of considerate generosity. To be sure, there are some who give to feel good about themselves. Notwithstanding, they are still giving. But what if we were able to give purely from a motive of gallantry, or magnanimity? Scoffers will accuse that there is no such thing as a free lunch; that everybody wants something for their gift—recognition, admiration, etc. Yet I know many people who give graciously, sacrificially, who expect nothing, nothing, not even a thank you. They merely give because it is right.

No further happiness need be sought when a person’s individual integrity is in full blossom; when we steel our hearts and minds to a task, a challenge, an impossible situation which needs correction, the doing of it alone is the prize for its achievement. Happiness is merely a derivative of making a difference.

Therefore, if happiness is what you seek you pursue a wrong path. Instead, endeavor to make a difference, to add to the lot of others, to alleviate another’s suffering, poverty, or emptiness. It’s not about a free lunch, feeling good about yourself, or just as long as you’re happy. Life’s journey is to be shared with others—of greater means, of lesser means. We are each one on this planet for a short span of time. Our goal should be to make a difference, to leave a great legacy, in the changed lives of friends, communities, and nations.

And, yes, I like the picture of the fuzzy, grinning kitten.

 

Have a nice week,

Gary

EmPulse for Week of June 6, 2011

The history of amnesia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey…, I’m on vacation!

 

Have a nice week,

Gary

EmPulse for Week of May 30, 2011

“Везде, где есть корыто, там Вы найдете свиньи.”

Considered to be the father of modern Russian literature and the foremost of Russian poets, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799 – 1837), wrote a novella in 1832 that was not published until 1841, after his death. Dubrovsky. Though a tragic love story of a young nobleman (Dubrovsky) whose land was confiscated by a greedy aristocrat (Troekurov), who then falls in love with the aristocrat’s lovely daughter, Masha, and then gets shot in a duel with her father…, and, oh, never mind. The point is that in his novella, Pushkin grants us a less-than-gracious commentary on contemporary society with— Везде, где есть корыто, там Вы найдете свиньи.  Wherever there is a trough, there you will find pigs.

Sadly, this observation is blatantly apparent. It alludes to a world where prosperity abounds (aristocratic elitism); herein we find gentility, grace, refinement, philanthropy (to a point), and excessive amounts of money gathered together within the property of a small segment of population. Enter the pigs; those for whom enough is never enough; the greedy, ravenous, voracious predators whose appetite for more is insatiable. Such was the case in Pushkin’s era: such is the case in ours. It is observable from Wall Street speculators, to Hollywood’s wannabes. It pervades our pharmaceutical commerce down to our Welfare recipients. Where there is a trough… . Pigs.

When you were a kid what brought you delight? A bear, a doll, a new bat or magic star-wand? What satisfies you now? Granted, as we mature our desires mature alongside; but for many of us, we come to a point when our wants overtake our needs. We want everything, rationalizing that we truly need it. Hummm. Even so, in a society with an abundance of discretionary wealth expenses will ALWAYS rise to meet income. Pigs?

In every era throughout history there have been individuals who have forgone their station in life and chosen to do with less— Siddhārtha Gautama (the “awakened one,” the Buddha), Jesus (the “promised one,” the Christ), Charles Wesley, Mohandas Gandhi, Robert G. LeTourneau, Bill & Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet, David Rockefeller— all lived/live on far less than life might have granted them. ALL gave away more then they needed to live, from Jesus’ fish to THE PLEDGE [the group of billionaires who have agreed to give away 50% of their personal wealth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giving_Pledge)]. But giving is not the exclusive business of billionaires. You and I have just as much responsibility to care for our world’s needy as do they.

The buck stops here.

Rather, the buck should start here. In these days of financial hardship for many, it should behoove us to give out of our poverty as much as others can give from their wealth (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4). We are none so poor as to lack a modicum of grace toward others. And it’s not just about the money.

There will always be Toughs aplenty that draw us to suck of their bounty. There will always be Pigs who will do so. But we can choose to do otherwise…, in every area of life.

Have a nice week,

Gary

EmPulse for Week of May 16, 2011

Truth troubles

Ever since Immanuel Kant (1724—1804) laid the groundwork for the development of Phenomenology (dichotomizing Truth into upper and lower stories, subjective truth and objective truth) our world has been plagued by the false assumption that religious beliefs and moral choices are a matter of personal preference. This thinking expresses itself in today’s culture as “Well, as long as it works for you.” Which is tantamount to saying some truth is as capricious as personal whim or personality difference. One culture’s truth is no longer applicable to another’s. Thus has relativism overtaken us all to believe that much truth is a matter of individual rendering of reality. [Right now I’m praying the builders of this Airbus A380 didn’t believe that.]

But of course, they couldn’t believe that. Their Truth has a basis in real life. Thus, I must be mistaken—my Truth (beliefs) is not as valid as theirs as it rests in Kant’s upper story. You see the quandary we’ve created? Of course, we meet the same dilemma if we attempt to verify history. You weren’t there; I wasn’t there. The events were recorded and reported to us by media, online, or in ancient documents. How can we deem them reliable? Even scientific postulations beg some faith. The evidence seems to point to a Big Bang. Ok. But WHAT banged? Where did it come from? I wasn’t there; you weren’t there. It is as if science and religion coalesce as history traces itself back to that initial burst of energy. My best guess is that, as we move forward, we will be very surprised to find discovery and revelation once again come together.

Maybe it’s time we reconsidered the idea of Truth as one unified whole, as it actually is. Science hopes, one day, to be able to explain everything. Good luck with that. Religion may already offer explanations that boggle the mind. It’s called faith— trust in something beyond understanding that deserves our allegiance. The more we seek the God of Creation, the more we will discover the complexity of this Creation to be beyond science…, yet, someday, discoverable by science. Not a surprise. Jesus Christ, the surprise magician!

So whatever your belief, in science or faith, remember that they have been intrinsically entwined from the beginning. It is only our feeble minds that need the separation for the sake of understanding. Maybe it is not reconciliation between the two that is necessary. Maybe it is the humble admission that we have had it wrong for too long. TRUTH, all truth, is One. God’s Revelation and our Discovery are the rubric around which we need to wrap our minds and our hearts to make sense of this wondrous world of ours. Get to it.

Have a nice week,

Gary

EmPulse for Week of April 25, 2011

You don’t know that you don’t know

We are living through one of the most trying times I have ever known— watching the slow deterioration of my mother’s mind. Dementia. At 96 years old, her body is in incredible shape. Physical therapists say she is the strongest person, at this age, they have ever tested. Orthopedists tell me her bones test at the same density as a healthy 26 year old. Physically, she is in great shape. But she doesn’t always remember who I am, or my sister, or my wife…, or even who she is, or where she is, or the time, or the day. Her only life-markers are the daily newspaper and meal times; and she gets them confused constantly.

She doesn’t know that she doesn’t know.

In the study of the brain, medicine has created a schema for measuring a person’s ability to grasp and retain information— The Four Levels of Cognition.

• You know that you know.
• You know that you don’t know.
• You don’t know that you know.
• You don’t know that you don’t know.

There are far too many of us glibly gliding along, oblivious to or avoiding the existence of certain realities that someday will overtake us. We do this, conscious of our actions, as a form of self-preservation, self-protection. We hide our insecurities from ourselves and from others. Not that we should lead with our left foot, displaying our weaknesses as a means to gain sympathy; but because we do have some responsibility to be true to ourselves and others.

Some of us know that we are living conflicting private/public lives…, but we have no idea of how to break the bonds of the apposition. So we remain in bondage within the façade. This is a serious, life-threatening condition. Talking with a close friend may not be sufficient, especially if you have carried on the charade for a long time. You should find someone totally outside your network of friends in whom you can confide— completely. Not a lover or a drinking buddy, but a well-balanced psychologist, a spiritual director, or a seasoned life coach. (Like me.)

Still others of us have been so beaten up by life that we are now afraid to risk anything that might put our heart or livelihood in jeopardy. We cannot stand the idea of being hurt even one more time: we cannot fail at one more job. We don’t realize that we have more assets built into us than we can conceive. In the immortalized words of Yoda, (The Empire Strikes Back), Do, or do not. There is no try. You can do more than you think.

Finally, there are some of us, too many of us, who live convoluted, deep-surface lives. We are ignorant of our failings, our offense to others, and even of our own self-esteem. We think too highly of ourselves because we never think to ask anyone else how we interact. Conversely, some of us crawl through our days under a black cloud, never sensing the gifts that God has bestowed upon us; thus, we never try. Anything. We are unaware of who we are and of the capabilities we have been given. We think we have a grasp on life, on everything about life; but we are self-deceived. There is no more frightening thing in life than a person who has no idea about what he/she is talking about, or doing, and is cock-sure they are right.

Please, take time to connect with yourself, with the people around you, and with the God who made you. There is no more critical knowledge in life than to gain an accurate perception of who you are, where you fit, and where you stand before your Creator.  Know that you know. You know.

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of April 18, 2011

Trust me all in all…, or not at all   -Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

Alfred Tennyson, Baron I of Tennyson, was Britain’s Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901). He is best known for his heroic poem The Charge of the Light Brigade, and numerous other quips that remain to this day.

“‘Tis better to have loved and lost…, than never to have loved at all.”

            “Theirs not to reason why; theirs but to do and die.”

            “The old order changeth, yielding place to new.”

Though not of noble birth, Tennyson, fourth of 12 children, was educated well by his father, a country Rector in the Church of England. When just 17, Alfred and two of his older brothers, Charles and Frederick, published their first collection of poetry. At Cambridge, Alfred was awarded the Chancellor’s Gold Medal for one of his first pieces, “Timbuctoo.” Quite an accomplishment for a young man of twenty.

The quote I’ve chosen, Trust me all in all, or not at all. bears some scrutiny. Is it possible to trust someone partially? Obviously, trusting someone to perform open-heart surgery on you does not make her/him just as reliable when it comes to valve stem replacement on your car’s engine. Nor does a good lawyer necessarily make an equally good confidant or counselor; though we often use them as such. Trust is restrained within the relationships of expertise and proficiency. We do NOT buy our gasoline from the Good Humor Man—so far. In a world where peace negotiations are channeled through arms dealers, who knows!?!

No, Lord Tennyson’s challenge concerns the nature, breadth, and depth of trust between individuals. When you are asked “Do you trust me?” what runs through your mind? He has to ask? Are you kidding? I don’t know you that well yet. Or, of course I trust you. Trust is not blind, oft referenced as blind-trust, where the character of one individual elicits implicit trust from the other with little hesitancy. That kind of trust is best reserved for our relationship with the God who made us. Amid human interactions, trust comes after a significant period of observation, of experiences of follow-through, a track-record of trust, etc. To be sure, trust often is instantaneous in a crisis (you’re hanging to a limb in a raging flood) or on a battlefield (another soldier drags you, wounded, across a mine-field to safety). But generally, trust must be earned. And earned again. And again. Betrayal is no small matter when a trust relationship is broken. It is a knife to the heart.

As you move through your days, weeks, and life…, through family relationships, business associations, supervising subordinates and inspiring those around you, remember Tennyson’s clever witticism. Trust me all in all, or not at all.  It simply comes down to— Am I trustworthy? and, Do I know how to trust another… all in all?

Have a nice week.

Gary