mediocrity for dummies

What a great string of books! Computers for Dummies. Democracy for Dummies. Electronics for Dummies. Relationships for Dummies. George Bush for Dummies. The Bible for Dummies. Alimony for Dummies. Thermo-Nuclear War for Dummies. Mandarin for Dummies. There simply is no end to the intellectual vastness that these (mostly) quite helpful books can cover.

I’d like to see them assault one more area of dumbness— mediocrity. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to realize that striving for the mediocre doesn’t take a great deal of effort. Although, staying there does. Seriously. Some men and women are satisfied to work an eight hour day, come home, watch TV, get up the next morning and do the same thing all over again. On the weekends they play with their expensive toys (flat-panel TVs, jet-skiis, jeeps, snow mobiles, boats, planes, etc); and then back to the same routine on Monday. After 15-20 years they wake up to discover that they are really bored with everything. They realize that buying more just won’t cut it this time. Maybe their marriage is stable (not exciting, but lasting), maybe not. Maybe they’ve been through numerous relationships; nothing satisfies. They’ve got more stuff than they know what to do with…, and they’re bored with it all. Truly, they have striven for “the dream” and, instead, have arrived at mediocrity.

They’ve wanted it ALL, and have settled for stuff, or not enough stuff…, yet, or a job that they could do in their sleep, or a marriage that has about as much zing to it at last week’s lettuce. Mediocrity.

If that’s all life is about then, seriously, why bother!?! If all you want is stuff, then, eventually, you’ll probably have it; and you’ll want even more. If its excitement you want, there are plenty of ways to pump the adrenalin after the scary movie scene doesn’t do it for you anymore: motor racing, rock-climbing, speed-skating, lugging, bungee-jumping (nah, forget the rope), sky-diving… from 80,000’.

Mediocrity, like personal pleasure and happiness, is the natural byproduct of a life centered upon itself. Genuine fulfillment in life, a life richly lived, is the byproduct of a life focused on making a difference, on counting, on contributing to the needs of the world and blocking the spread of evil. Nothing done to make a difference, to count, is insignificant, mediocre; it always matters.

For the past 15 years I’ve grabbed onto a tag-line for my life that I want to stick. Allow me to suggest it for your reflection— “Honor God, honor people…, make a difference.” ‘Nough said.

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of May 3, 2010

When your number’s up…, what?

Spring is here! Things are growing again—flowers, trees, bushes, weeds, mold spores! There, wasn’t that too much realism for you!? Me too; especially the allergy exciting stuff. But it is good to see things going green again (apologies to my few southern hemisphere readers).

It’s a good time to get outdoors again. Exercise—remember? Ouch! Hurts more this year, eh!?! But exercise alone won’t do it. Nor will simply getting on the scale and rocking it back & forth to drop it a few pounds. There’s a medical check-list that recent research suggests we all need to keep in mind. They’re our numbers—heeding them could quite literally add years to our lives. Here is a list of the optimum levels of the numbers you should be keeping track of:

Blood pressure: 115/75 Waist size: Less than half your height TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): Less than 2.5 mIU/L LDL level: Less than 100 Fasting blood sugar: Less than 95 HDL level: Greater than 45 Vitamin D blood level: More than 50 ng/l

There are the numbers that will help us keep our BODIES fit for life. But what about our emotional side? What are we doing to manage the stress, maintain balance, give and receive love? Emotional equilibrium is just as critical as physical health for us all. To be a specimen of health and an emotional wreck most of the time is self-deprecating. Then there is the spiritual aspect of our life. What numbers should we be keeping track of for our souls?

Measuring on a 1-10 scale, what are your numbers?

Talking with God (prayer)- ____ Caring for people in need- ____ Sacrificing- ____ (when you have little) Listening to God (prayer)- ____ Feeding your soul (time alone)- ____ Serving others lavishly- ____ Learning from God (Bible)- ____ Taking risks of faith- ____ Worshiping God- ____

So, maybe you are a specimen of health—jogging, exercising daily, eating salads morning, noon, & night. Maybe your psyche is in perfect harmony with the universe and all created beings. But when your number is up…, when it comes your time to make the transition from life to beyond, will your soul be in sync with the God who made the universe and all its creatures?

What are your numbers when your number comes up?

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of April 26, 2010

cat outside the door

How can you tell if there is a cat outside the door? If you own a cat (as much as anyone can own a cat) the probability and expectation is greater that there is, in fact, a cat outside your door; most likely, longing to be let in to be fed. Then it’s back out to do some seriously cattin’ around.

Some people think cats are sneaky, devious creatures. I think cats take on the character of their owners. Others think cats are lazy. They may have a point; most cats, from cutsie widdle kittens to lions, sleep 80% of their lives. [Is there a link between cats & teenagers!?!] But there are some who truly understand cats. They honor their independence while providing them with food & shelter. They don’t de-claw them—taking away their only means to climb trees to escape danger. Rather, they learn cat-whispering to inform the cat it is not OK to use the furniture as nail sharpening apparatus. They form a symbiotic relationship with the cat to their mutual benefit.

If you are a dog-lover you are now nauseated beyond description and want to vomit and write a really nasty retort to this emPulse. But bear with me a little, o impatient canine aficionado! In defense of cats are not so much sneaky as they are soft on their feet, silent, stealing smoothly into our lives. We may not want them always, but eventually, we will find them stealthily nuzzling up beside us, warmly purring, and making themselves quite at home. And, to our distaste, we find ourselves uncomfortably comfortable with that. We like it, but we will never admit it to a soul.

When I was eight or nine, I was sick a lot. I had a cat named Tabby. We snuggled and nuzzled constantly. I was perpetually breathing fur. When Tabby gave birth to her 4 kittens in the clothes dryer in the basement it was a wonder to behold to my young eyes. After awhile she would carry them up two flights of stairs to where I lay in bed, clean them up, daily, and leave them with me for the day while she went out, cattin’ around. She had come to trust me; and I would not let her down.

It’s that way with God too. For those of us who do not need to be smacked-up along side of the head, Christ waits softly, quietly, outside our door, waiting for an opening. He will not force His way in…, He will wait, and wait, and wait—just like a cat. When bidden an entrance He will graciously nuzzle up beside us and wait for our reaction. If we shove Him off the couch, He will get the point. If we relax and grant Him safe haven, He will become a safe haven for us as well. For there is a symbiotic safety in learning to relate to the Lord God on His terms and not on ours. “Trust in the Lord…, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) Trust is a two way street; but it starts with us.

Maybe it’s time we all reexamined the way we relate to the Lord God of the Universe. Think of it! A symbiotic-safe place found in Jesus Christ.  Like a cat…, outside the door.  Meow.

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of April 19, 2010

the contexts for Christianity

Mind games; let’s play. Topic— the contexts for Christianity. There are hundreds of religions on this planet (Buddhism, Islam, Hindu, Baha’i, power, sports, consumption-ism, etc). The one I believe offers the explanations that best describe the state of reality is the Christian faith. Do not think me naïve; the history of Christianity recalls some of the worst atrocities and passive approval of evil’s expression ever witnessed. Yet its basic understanding of the human condition is without parallel—

Humanity’s basic nature is not to do good but to preserve one’s self There is more evidence for a created universe than for one simply appearing and evolving Human community is the context for scientific discovery Two distinct sexes work better than one sex able to reproduce itself For the most part, life is about seeking meaning People have decided to deny their Creator and go their own way Evidence for the existence of real evil is overwhelming People seem to need personal salvation from themselves Jesus Christ backed up His claims to Deity with actions History is linear, not circular Justice is not found on earth Life can only be fulfilled in reconnecting with our Creator

Though the Church is clearly with its flaws & failures, genuine Christian faith among the masses is always seen in expressions of common decency, acts of sacrifice, love, and unswerving devotion to the teachings of Jesus. If anyone claims to be Christian and exhibits few of these characteristics, then their claim is false. Genuine Christians move among their networks of relationships as beacons of encouragement, vessels of Truth, and servants of others. They may not be able to explain their faith very well, because of present-day vocabulary-patterning, but their life of love needs little explanation.

Because of the model Jesus Christ set before the world, Christians have always played the under-dog in the grand scheme of things. Christianity’s worst days, whether in the era of the Crusades or in the rise of the conservative right, have always been when it was in a position of power. Truly, power dost corrupt: absolute power, corrupting most absolutely.

The primary contexts for Christianity have always resided in three places. First, in the lives of those who epitomize the pattern of godliness exemplified in God’s Son-on-earth, Jesus Christ. Second, in the communities of faith, within Scripture and beyond, that have served our societies as servants and fellow journeymen, together, seeking justice & truth. And third, within the interplay between the Lord God Creator of all that there is and this one, measly planet, Earth, on which He has focused His love and salvation. Crazy, isn’t it!?!

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of April 12, 2010

… the horizon below

High on the dirt road to Cripple Creek there is a vista of Colorado Springs that is majestic! A panoramic view to the east that sweeps the city and the distant plains. The contrast always intrigues me as I lie in 4’+ of winter’s remaining snow under a bright sun, gazing across the horizon below—a broad expanse of desert, spotted with green circles of irrigated crops. In the city below, familiar routes, favorite restaurants rise to recognition— I-25, Rt,24, the Antlers, Memorial Park, Sonterra Grill. To the north, the Airforce Academy’s Chapel spires gleam in the sun: to the south, there is just a hint of Pueblo in the distance.

Early morning inter-continental flights offer an even more magnificent majesty. I remember an early morning flight where the horizontal black line between night and day was clearly visible. On that same flight, with our altitude nearing 50,000’, everyone who stayed awake enjoyed the sight of the silver lining, and the slightest curvature of the earth on the horizon below. It is difficult to doubt your own insignificance with such a panorama.

For most of our lives we look forward, toward a horizon of coming events and expectations—turning 13, high-school graduation, first kiss, college, marriage, first real job, first child, etc. Some horizons are visible before us, with clear steps of what must be accomplished to achieve specific goals. Other goals lie beyond the horizon, forcing us to move ahead without adequate information, a safety-net, or benchmarks for us to determine our progress. BOTH take effort on our part- some measurable, some not so measurable, more sight-unseen (read “faith”).

It is, rather, on those rare occasions where we rise above it all and peer down at the horizon below that grants us the grander scheme. Climbing a 14,000’ mountain will do it (might I suggest Long’s Peak, Mt Adams, or the Athabasca), as will rising to catch the dawn on an early morning flight. So also will gazing into a warm fire on a chilly night, or walking a beach with your soul-mate & a cup o’ joe. There are many places where any of us can rise above and grasp the bigger picture of things to bring our lives back into perspective, back into order, back on track. We just need to take the time and make the effort to DO it.

Maybe discussing your life with a trusted friend, a counselor, even a career planner, may be just what you need. I do know that if you do NOT make the effort to seek the perspective of the horizon below you will putter along doing important things for the rest of your life;  but NOT what God has designed you for. You are part of a much grander canvas than you might imagine.

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of April 5, 2010

“bookends,” written by Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel) circa- 1968, imagines the reminisces of two old friends, forgetting the history of their lives.

Old Friends, Old Friends
Sat on their park bench like bookends
A newspaper blowin’ through the grass, falls on the round toes
Of the high shoes of the old friends

Old Friends
Winter companions the old men lost in their overcoats waiting for the sunset
The sounds of the city sifting through trees settle like dust
On the shoulders of the old friends

Can you imagine us years from today sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be seventy… Old Friends

Memory brushes the same years;  silently sharing the same fear
(Musical Interlude)
“Time it was and what a time it was, it was…
A time of innocence, a time of confidences
Long ago it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories…, they’re all that’s left you

I wonder what old-age will be like? Sitting on a park-bench, waiting for the end? Assisted living, nursing homes? or, going down in a blaze of glory, fighting an insurgency in some third world country? Loving God, genuinely, ‘till the end, serving society & her people, locally and globally— that’s more like it!  What needs to be done, next?

What memories will you have? What legacies will you leave? What progeny to carry on? What gifts left to the future?

Remember the past, mourn those who have passed-on, celebrate life now, create a brighter future for other people.

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of March 29, 2010

… when dreams & heroes die

Looking over a dog-eared, parchment-like copy of When Dreams & Heroes Die: a portrait of today’s college student, (by Arthur Levine, 1980), I was taken back to a quite different time in our history. It wasn’t so much the time difference, or the cultural/time-distance warp, as it was the way Levine analyzed the characteristics of that period’s college milieu. Boomers, busters, Gen-X, Gen-Y, yada, yada, yada. ALL of us have experienced the sadness of childhood disappointment of “heroes” who have disappointed us, let us down, deceived us, or who lost our trust through betrayed belief.

Heroes become real human beings with real failures, real flaws; some dissolve into the fantasies of their foundation, real illusions with no connection to real life; comic book/computer game avatars which have no association with the reality of actual beings. Yet, to be sure, there are real heroes: and most of us hold onto dreams that we truly want to become realities. Dreams are good, in fact, great! NOT to dream is to resign oneself to the humdrum of a dreary life, to personal anonymity and an interior death. It is to become a non-person, a mere cog-in-the-wheel, grinding out a life’s work as an automaton.

It is a reality of life—heroes do die, let us down, disappoint us: dreams also die; we settle for 2^nd best, 3^rd best, etc. Some of us give up our dreams altogether. And we have lost all (or most) of our heroes to time, fantasy, or failure. We have arrived at the blank wall of the convoluted definition, without role-models to provide us with points-of-reference or moral character.

Allow me to offer an alternative scenario. Could our loss of dreams and heroes actually be a trigger for us to rise to the occasion? Is it time for you to become the hero? To become the role-model for those who already look to you as someone they would seek to emulate? Is it time for you to help people dream their dreams? Fulfill their dreams?

Instead of hanging onto your fantasy-heroes of the past, your dreams for significance, maybe it’s time you became the hero for so many others, or even one other. Actually, maybe you already are significant; not in your eyes, but in the eyes of this generation’s emerging leaders.

So review what you’ve accomplished in your life. Is it enough? What more is there that you must do to make a difference for God and for humanity? BUT…, but— Who will be your protégée; what legacy will you leave in the people in whom you’ve invested? What’s your plan? Don’t have one? Why not? WHO are the people God has given to you to nurture to greatness? HOW do you care for them, train them, feed their souls?

BE the hero: make the dreams work! So help you God if you shy away from this great responsibility, this great honor.

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of March 22, 2010

even when all the experts agree…

Renowned philosopher/logician Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was born to wealth and position. Grandson of Sir John Russell, former Prime Minister to Queen Victoria, and son of Viscount Amberley, a well-known atheist of the times (who actually consented to his wife’s affair with their children’s tutor, biologist Douglas Spaulding). Russell dedicated his life to the study of philosophy & mathematics (read- “On Denoting”), logic, pacifism, and social action. A true 20^th century man.

Yet, despite his awards (Nobel Prize for Literature, 1950) and titles (Third Earl Russell), he was always somewhat of a rogue. The influence of his colleague, Alfred North Whitehead, encouraged his interest in mathematics and logic. In his PRINCIPLES OF MATHEMATICS (co-authored with Whitehead) he laid the foundation for his philosophic approach to what we now call analytic philosophy. He was a particularly prolific writer in the fields of metaphysics, the logic and the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of language, ethics, and epistomology. During World War I he was one of a handful of British intellectuals who considered themselves pacifist activists (for which he was jailed). Yet following WWII, he proposed a preemptive strike on the Soviet Union should tensions escalate between the UK and the USSR. These shifts in convenient life-philosophy were reflected, as well, in his personal life in numerous divorces, affairs, and questionable social mores & habits.

Russell was oft found to be cutting or sarcastic, intentionally oppositional. Yet one of his remarks must be given some regard—  “Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken.” The earth is flat. The earth is the center of the universe. All religions are alike. All men are alike. Evolution is fact: creationism is a myth. The speed of light (c= 299,792,458 meters/second) is a constant. There is no evidence for god (as Russell believed). December 21, 2012 in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar (Mayan culture) is the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle which will see the end of the world.

We’ve become a people who accept what we are told. To question is to go against the flow of public opinion and risk being labeled different, rebellious, not a team player. To question the powers that BE is to be a trouble-maker, a dissident, an insurrectionist. As a culture, we have arrived at a point where anyone who challenges the status quo is seen as a suspicious person. Are we so afraid of a dissenting voice, a dissimilar perspective, or a personal opinion that we turn a deaf-ear to a reconsideration of our own foundational values and presuppositions about life!?! It has been more than twenty years since Alan Bloom published The Closing of the American Mind, and we seemed to have learned little from his treatise.

Opposition to the Christian faith, a truly dissenting perspective in the early 21^st century, has reached a new height of subtle antagonism. Disdain for anything or anyone “Christian” in our society is freely accepted and touted as most acceptable and appropriate. The Christian Church, which railed against the sins of the world in the previous century, has fallen into disarray in the revelations of this century—  clergy abuse, financial fiascos, and moral failures have all come to light.

But this is not true of all genuine followers of Christ. There is a large set of true Christians whose integrity is intact, whose contributions to both church & society are noteworthy, and whose weltanschauung (world & life view) has been carefully and tediously considered. They are proactive participants in the flow of their society, school districts, health-care movements (pro AND con), missions to Haiti and elsewhere, and in meeting the needs of the war-injured and the poor. To turn a deaf ear to these people is a crime against humanity— an arrogant, intentional exhibition of prejudice, of intolerant bigoted people whose minds are made up, who refuse to consider the beliefs of astute, critical thinking people who just happen to be followers of Jesus Christ.  Judgmental discrimination at its nastiest!

If you are opposed to the Christian perspective on, well, everything and anything, make sure you understand both the presuppositional basis and the specific arguments of their position. To glibly toss them aside is intellectually indefensible, haughtily conceited, and smacks of Hollywood cynicism.  Condescension leaves such a bitter after-taste.

If you own the name of Christ as one of your definers please have a faith with some substance to it; intellectually thought-through, culturally appropriate and specific, grounded in the primary Christian documents—the Bible, and personally applicable to every aspect of your life, from faith expression to political positioning to serving the poor. And do not resist the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) as He molds your life and takes it down paths that seem very, very odd. A cerebral faith with little heart is of little use: a spirited faith with little foundation offers little explanation in any society (I Peter 3:15, Christian Bible).

Even when all the experts agree, they may STILL be mistaken. “Omnia quaerite ac dubitate.” [Question everything!]

Have a nice week.

Gary