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

Underneath it all, if we’re honest within, we all identify with something that is at our core. John, who is Irish, prompted this response (“I’m not Irish…, I’m only human.”), from Doug, another friend. It struck me that John truly was Irish. Though he was not Ireland born, everything about him bespoke of his Irish heritage. He looked and felt like someone who had just descended the cliffs to the moors with that damp exhaustion that craved a pint o’ Guinness. John found solace in the asceticism of spiritual retreat at monastic centers and enclaves near and far; he found his faith expressed in the ancient forms of meditation and retreats of silence from the frantic demands of daily life. He knew God in ways that few in our postModern/postChristian commercialistic society could bear; not that we all couldn’t use some silent escape more frequently.

Living out our faith, beliefs, core values, is difficult for Atheist, Muslim, Jew, or follower of Christ. We ALL are pressed by the world in which we live to conform so some monolithic, homogenous behavior ethos that seeks to disperse with individual principles for the sake of the whole. “Anyone can adhere to whatever beliefs they chose…, as long as those beliefs do not affect the functioning of society at large.” But this is an inoperable axiom. Are there truly any among us whose beliefs do not impact both our individual actions and bear an influence on our interface with those around us?!? Core values surge through everything we do; they shape belief, lifestyle, relationship principles, etc. [Incongruously, we often throw off our beliefs and values when it comes to sex and success. More on that later.]

Now I need to come-out. I am NOT Irish, though I have a keen penchant for Jameson. I am of Danish/Welsh heritage. My ancestors hold the dubious distinction of bashing in the heads of Saxons and milking cows—not, most likely, at the same time. They did sing a lot, though. But my ancestral heritage is not my core value, my life-definer; my life-reference-point goes further back. It goes all the way back to the founding of the universe, to the creation of this planet; it is grounded in the relationship I sustain with the God who created all that there is—  Jesus Christ. His stability and permanence, and the principles by which He directs us to live, are at the basis of my core values, beliefs, and daily actions.

If you are an Atheist, Jew, Muslim, or whatever, you should not agree with this.  I would challenge you to reexamine your life to see if you are, in fact, living by the principles you say form the basis for your life. Wouldn’t it be fun, sometime, to talk about our differences to see how we can work together to bring more peace into this world?

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of February 15, 2010

… and the band played on

The Band Played On, also known as Casey would waltz with a strawberry blonde, was a popular song, with lyrics by John F. Palmer and music by Charles B. Ward, written in 1895. The lyrics of the refrain are:

.

.

Casey would waltz with a strawberry blonde

As the band played on;

He’d glide ‘cross the floor with the girl he adored

As the band played on;

Well, his brain was so loaded

It nearly exploded

The poor girl would shake with alarm;

He’d ne’er leave the girl with the strawberry curl

As the band played on.

Almost a century later, in 1987, it was used as part of a book title to represent an attitude of governmental indifference and political infighting in the United States over what was perceived to be a specifically gay disease—  And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic written by San Francisco Chronicle journalist Randy Shilts.

In this first decade of the 21^st century the music and lyrics are all but forgotten; or are they? It still pops up as muzak in elevators, WalMart, art-films, and Titanic movies. Invariably, it finds its way into every Guy Lombardo classic. And I have no idea why it’s been running through my head these past couple days.

… and the band played on brings to mind the safety of sameness, of settling into a life-pattern, the regularity of a schedule, and the reliability of cohesive-consistency in life-style and demeanor. It raises an image in the mind of placid peacefulness that is not pale, but solid, serene, secure. D-e-p-e-n-d-a-b-i-l-i-t-y ! A quality of significant merit in our present social structure.

For many people it is their simple, reliant contribution to the stability of family and workplace. For others, it is a façade; for they are enraged within, a boiling caldron of conflicting emotions & life-philosophies. And still, for others, establishing this cohesive-consistency to life shields them from having to confront the conflicts that surround them— at work, at home, within themselves, even in the oddities of governmental directives. They hide within the safety and complacency of their well-ordered lives, trying as best they can to stay unruffled by any external assaults to their protected patterns.

This is not living.

Living is more like managing chaos and hoping for the best. Whether you are performing surgery, planning a mission to Mars (whoops, forgot budget cuts), or the annual spring cleaning, you know full well that it all gets messy. Life is not neat. If you are in complete control of your life then you either have a very small life or you harbor a secret fear of stepping out of your comfort-zone. In short, you have trapped yourself within, and are falling short of the greatness God holds out to you.

Picture yourself in a ballroom, with people whirling all around— beautiful paintings on the walls, crystal chandeliers above giving off a sunset warmth, and the most enchanting music playing. “and the band played on.” You— pressed against the wall in a corner.

Wouldn’t you rather be dancing?

Have a nice week.

Gary

EmPulse for Week of February 8, 2010

fear of being known

Ten years ago I lost one of the best Executive Assistants I have ever had—  to marriage. It was a bitter-sweet parting. I was excited for her to begin her new life while dreading the thought of the immense effort it would take to teach someone all the intricacies of NEEDinc. Just before she left we had our debriefing, our exit-interview. As I reviewed her incredible services to NEED, and to me, her somewhat scattered, visionary, prophetic, CEO, she rehearsed what I needed to do to make sure her replacement understood both the good and the bad of working with me. [Was I really that clueless a boss?]

As we wound down I asked her what she most looked forward to in being married. She answered with the usual young bride-to-be responses—the safety, the love, the end to the hunt for the right one, etc. Then I asked her if she had any concerns about getting married; with little hesitancy she replied “Being known.” The thought of living 24/7 with the same person for the rest of her life terrified her. I tried to assure her that that was actually the best part of marriage. She was not assuaged. Of course, today, she looks back at herself and wonders at her needless anxiety…, and laughs.

Still, there are many leaders, Christian, political, and business, who wear a mask, a persona—who fear being uncovered, found-out, exposed for who they really are if their façade of bravado, or pseudo-confidence were to be ripped asunder. Some, with good reason: because they are pretentious manipulators, users of others; but not all. Many leaders are genuinely…, well, genuine. Of a truth, degrees of transparency are still tied intrinsically and socially to degrees of intimacy and propriety. But for some, the very idea of anyone else knowing who they truly are horrifies them. What if they find out my fears? My failures? What if my wife discovers I was unfaithful once…, twice? What if those under my charge learn I don’t always know what to do, that I fake it? What if that perpetual underlying struggle I have with sin emerges? What if… ? What if… ? Their fear seethes just below the surface, binding them ever more tightly to their artificial avatar.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Confession is good for the soul, is still true. True to God, for sure. We ALL need His forgiveness and mercy. But also to those we’ve wronged. Saying something that is not true is not to misspeak; it is a lie.

Overcoming a fear of being known is not a simple matter. It starts with little revelations, small disclosures that test the worthiness, the trustworthiness, of another. This often takes years. It helps if you have skills in reading people; you can weed out those who care and those who don’t much more easily when you have these abilities. But the key ingredient to overcoming a fear of being known is to realign the foundation of who you are, your core values, that which makes you…, YOU, to come into line with the very God who made you. If you are not comfortable with the people around you knowing you, then you can be sure that being known by the God of the Universe is a terrifying, absolutely petrifying matter.

Even here there is good news and bad news. First, the good news— He already knows you; He knows everything you think, do, plan to do, etc. The good and the bad. And He accepts you the way you are. Now the bad news— He already knows you. The good and the bad. He accepts you the way you are; but He will not leave you the way you are. He needs you to represent Him and accomplish His MISSION on this earth. For that, you must change, be different, less self confident, more confident in Him. He needs you not to fear being known, but to rest in the reality that He knows you, all of us, intimately. And He wants all of us to enter into His Kingdom and to live by the principles He has set down for our protection. He wants us to enter His Heaven…, on His terms, not on ours. In the mean time, we should be making a difference in the here-and-now with who we are, rather than expending a great deal of energy pretending to be someone we are not.

So if you are afraid of being known…, give it up. It’s too late. You already ARE known. “Fear not… !”

Have a nice week.

Gary