If you click over to our church website: www.stpaulsumc.com, you will see our "Peace Blog" and information about our Lenten emphasis on Peace, keyed by the Prayer of St. Francis, and especially the opening line: "O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace." Our "slogan," if you will, comes from a Henri Nouwen writing, and it is "Show the Dove!" Obviously, we are hoping folk realize that the dove is the biblical symbol for peace.
Take a moment to click on the "Peace Blog" and share some of your thoughts on peace with us! Or, if you join us for worship, stop at the "Dove board" outside of the sanctuary and write a word of peace, or a brief prayer for peace. Oh, and be watching for the "big dove" that is to show up, too.
"Show the dove" is a way of challenging us all to be peacemakers, following the example of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. It is not always easy to be a peacemaker in these rapidly changing and often acerbic times. What may be a "peacemaking" statement or attempt to reconcile two positions today could well be an incendiary word by the end of next week. With the polarization of our politics, it is almost impossible to "talk politics" with friends or relatives without someone freaking out. But the Gospel compels us to try to make peace, and one of the ways we can do that is to focus on people rather than just positions, problems, or parties.
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, is credited with the following statement (said in my words, not Wesley's 18th Century ones): In the essentials of the faith, UNITY; in the non-essentials of the faith, LIBERTY--we think and let think; and in all things, CHARITY (love). For Wesley, the "essentials" were the "faith basics" of Christianity: recognition of Jesus Christ as the Son of God; the Bible as the Word of God; and the church as the Body of Christ, active in the world. If we ascribe to these essentials, Wesley would declare us fellow Christians. Note, however, that the "non-essentials" would include A LOT of stuff we fight over--politics, hot-button social issues, race, economic class, which team is the better team, etc. He called them "non-essential" because your views about these things do not qualify or disqualify you from being a child of God. By "think and let think," Wesley meant we could have spirited debate about these, even seeking to persuade the other to see our view, but at the end of the day (or the conversation), we should be able to find our way back to the essentials and be sisters and brothers together. Peace does not have to be disrupted by our politics or loyalties. (In the political spectrum, consider that James Carville, a sharp-tongued, Democratic strategist and spokesman, is married to Mary Matalin, an outspoken Republican strategist, and from every evidence, they have a wonderful and loving marriage!)
Peace does not have to be impossible because of someone's religion, or their skin color, or their personal interests. Jesus seemed to do quite well with all kinds of people, although we have to admit that religious leaders gave him the most fits.
Ask yourself: when DO I have a problem being at peace or being peaceful around others? The answer to this question sets the agenda for your next personal and spiritual "homework assignment." (My answer to this question is easy: DRIVING--I am not a patient driver. I only wish I could do better with the peacemaking part of this! I'm trying, but it's going to take a whole lot of God and lot less of me to bring peace to this situation.)
Here's a peace of Good News linked to my last "driving" confession: We're not alone in this pursuit. The Prince of Peace is on our side. May God's presence and God's Spirit help us all in our pursuit of peace, our work for peace, and our efforts to be peacemakers! Remember, "Show the Dove," my friends! Shalom...
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Drifting Left...
I was chatting with a church member recently, and as we discussed my first year-plus experience as Lead Pastor here at St. Paul's, he made the observation, "You seem to be drifting left in your rhetoric when going beyond the essentials," (meaning in my sermons, I assumed). An interesting discussion ensued, and frankly, I've been thinking about this for several days since.
"Drifting left" was his way of saying away from a "conservative" and more toward a "liberal" direction. While we were not directly discussing politics, obviously, this was at least one small elephant in the room. As I stated earlier, I continued to ponder our conversation, and here are a few thoughts that have emerged:
I am a United Methodist Elder, and as such, I am called to support the views of this denomination, generally. Of course, we are free to disagree on some things. I, for one, do not agree with our current disciplinary statement, "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings." I disagree, for many reasons, including that I believe it is a bad extrapolation of Bible verses that are not addressing covenantal, monogamous relationships, but a kind of sexual perversion that is also condemned among heterosexuals. I disagree because the Bible is not a book of science or medicine, and those fields--with great support from psychology--today say that our sexual orientation, like so many other things, is on a "spectrum," and "normal" may fall at different places on that spectrum. I also disagree with our exclusionary statement because we now know that there are no longer just those two "poles" of heterosexuality and homosexuality. This is why we now use the term LGBTQIA to at describe sexual orientation. We need to add an "S" for straight, too. However, this post is NOT predominantly about sexual orientation, so I digress.
As a United Methodist leader, I do support our position on a variety of social issues. Since its inception, for example, United Methodists have been in favor of universal healthcare. And as such, our Board of Church and Society lobbied on behalf of the Affordable Care Act, which, though FAR from perfect, was at least a move toward insuring more people and getting rid of the "pre-existing conditions" rule that often left people with chronic illnesses without coverage when they changed jobs, or lost a job and had to find their own healthcare coverage. I like our views on abortion. The "official position" of The United Methodist Church is that we oppose the use of abortion as a means of birth control or for gender selection. We do affirm a woman's right "to choose," in consultation with her family and physician, and we support abortion as an alternative when a woman is raped or is a victim of incest. We believe in working for peace, and reluctantly accept military action as a means to achieve this. Pastors are encouraged to help young people discern very carefully before choosing military service. United Methodists have historically been viewed as "pluralistic," meaning we are tolerant of different viewpoints theologically--there is no rigid doctrinal statement or confession to which we swear allegiance beyond the core beliefs of the Christian faith, which Mr. Wesley called "the essentials." Another term for this intellectual headroom is called "Big Tent." We are a "big tent" people.
Our resolutions on social issues like those listed above, as well as others such as gun safety, ministering with those in poverty, and the role of government, make us "drift left" in the minds of my conservative friends. Is it a fair indictment? Yes, if you compare how we apply our religious values to how Jerry Falwell, Jr. does! But not all of our positions on issues are "liberal," and most could be summarized as "moderate." In terms of social issues, our founder--meaning Jesus, not Wesley--certainly "drifted left," and was considered a downright liberal by the powers that be of his day.
And now, here is the BIG HOWEVER: As biblically sound Christian people, we preach personal responsibility and community engagement. We are called to be ethical, moral people by the teachings of Jesus as most especially seen in the Sermon on the Mount and in his famous parables. We are not "liberal" when it comes to understanding this responsibility, either. While we work for worldwide justice, Mr. Wesley believed that "each individual is endued with a sense of dignity and moral responsibility." We don't "drift left" here. When we are given opportunities to make a positive contribution to our society and the world, we are to do it! Self-centered choices are eschewed in favor of fairness and sharing with the wider community and the community of faith. However, each of us must relate to (as well as answer to) our God and Savior individually, and be responsible stewards of our time, talents, and treasures. Just because my pew neighbor can put a big check in the offering plate doesn't mean that I am absolved of giving. And while my abilities, skills, and expertise are mine to use to make a living and carve out a decent existence, they are not mine alone. God's wants some of that, too, for how else will the Realm of God unfold?
So, while our belief in the Gospel as instituted and preached by Jesus Christ often DOES cause us to "drift left" by loving our neighbor as ourselves, caring for the poor, and visiting the sick, the widows and the orphans, this same Gospel calls us into a personally accountable relationship with Christ, and to a life that reflects the grace and love of Christ. Politically, we are Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Independents, and on and on, depending upon which scriptures you are interpreting and which ministries to which we feel called.
Finally, I leave you with this thought: The dove can only fly when it beats both the left and right wings, synchronously. As United Methodists, we will not adequately reflect the "whole counsel of God," the Holy Spirit, and the Prince of Peace unless we coordinate that "big tent" stuff and keep both "wings" moving. Drifting too far "left" or "right" will take us off course. Shalom, Yinz.
"Drifting left" was his way of saying away from a "conservative" and more toward a "liberal" direction. While we were not directly discussing politics, obviously, this was at least one small elephant in the room. As I stated earlier, I continued to ponder our conversation, and here are a few thoughts that have emerged:
I am a United Methodist Elder, and as such, I am called to support the views of this denomination, generally. Of course, we are free to disagree on some things. I, for one, do not agree with our current disciplinary statement, "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings." I disagree, for many reasons, including that I believe it is a bad extrapolation of Bible verses that are not addressing covenantal, monogamous relationships, but a kind of sexual perversion that is also condemned among heterosexuals. I disagree because the Bible is not a book of science or medicine, and those fields--with great support from psychology--today say that our sexual orientation, like so many other things, is on a "spectrum," and "normal" may fall at different places on that spectrum. I also disagree with our exclusionary statement because we now know that there are no longer just those two "poles" of heterosexuality and homosexuality. This is why we now use the term LGBTQIA to at describe sexual orientation. We need to add an "S" for straight, too. However, this post is NOT predominantly about sexual orientation, so I digress.
As a United Methodist leader, I do support our position on a variety of social issues. Since its inception, for example, United Methodists have been in favor of universal healthcare. And as such, our Board of Church and Society lobbied on behalf of the Affordable Care Act, which, though FAR from perfect, was at least a move toward insuring more people and getting rid of the "pre-existing conditions" rule that often left people with chronic illnesses without coverage when they changed jobs, or lost a job and had to find their own healthcare coverage. I like our views on abortion. The "official position" of The United Methodist Church is that we oppose the use of abortion as a means of birth control or for gender selection. We do affirm a woman's right "to choose," in consultation with her family and physician, and we support abortion as an alternative when a woman is raped or is a victim of incest. We believe in working for peace, and reluctantly accept military action as a means to achieve this. Pastors are encouraged to help young people discern very carefully before choosing military service. United Methodists have historically been viewed as "pluralistic," meaning we are tolerant of different viewpoints theologically--there is no rigid doctrinal statement or confession to which we swear allegiance beyond the core beliefs of the Christian faith, which Mr. Wesley called "the essentials." Another term for this intellectual headroom is called "Big Tent." We are a "big tent" people.
Our resolutions on social issues like those listed above, as well as others such as gun safety, ministering with those in poverty, and the role of government, make us "drift left" in the minds of my conservative friends. Is it a fair indictment? Yes, if you compare how we apply our religious values to how Jerry Falwell, Jr. does! But not all of our positions on issues are "liberal," and most could be summarized as "moderate." In terms of social issues, our founder--meaning Jesus, not Wesley--certainly "drifted left," and was considered a downright liberal by the powers that be of his day.
And now, here is the BIG HOWEVER: As biblically sound Christian people, we preach personal responsibility and community engagement. We are called to be ethical, moral people by the teachings of Jesus as most especially seen in the Sermon on the Mount and in his famous parables. We are not "liberal" when it comes to understanding this responsibility, either. While we work for worldwide justice, Mr. Wesley believed that "each individual is endued with a sense of dignity and moral responsibility." We don't "drift left" here. When we are given opportunities to make a positive contribution to our society and the world, we are to do it! Self-centered choices are eschewed in favor of fairness and sharing with the wider community and the community of faith. However, each of us must relate to (as well as answer to) our God and Savior individually, and be responsible stewards of our time, talents, and treasures. Just because my pew neighbor can put a big check in the offering plate doesn't mean that I am absolved of giving. And while my abilities, skills, and expertise are mine to use to make a living and carve out a decent existence, they are not mine alone. God's wants some of that, too, for how else will the Realm of God unfold?
So, while our belief in the Gospel as instituted and preached by Jesus Christ often DOES cause us to "drift left" by loving our neighbor as ourselves, caring for the poor, and visiting the sick, the widows and the orphans, this same Gospel calls us into a personally accountable relationship with Christ, and to a life that reflects the grace and love of Christ. Politically, we are Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Independents, and on and on, depending upon which scriptures you are interpreting and which ministries to which we feel called.
Finally, I leave you with this thought: The dove can only fly when it beats both the left and right wings, synchronously. As United Methodists, we will not adequately reflect the "whole counsel of God," the Holy Spirit, and the Prince of Peace unless we coordinate that "big tent" stuff and keep both "wings" moving. Drifting too far "left" or "right" will take us off course. Shalom, Yinz.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Worriless...
During the Advent cycle, pastor Karen Slusser and I preached a series of sermons on "less," which included "listless," "worriless," "timeless" and "limitless." Several folk have suggested I revisit some of the elements of the "Worriless" message in this blog, so here goes...
The key text was Philippians 4:6-7: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
On first read, we are tempted to respond, "That's easy for HIM to say..." I read about a church sign that accidentally juxtaposed two sentences: "Don't let worry ruin your life. Let the church help." With a few yucks, it does awkwardly get at the question, what is the role of our faith in helping curb or sooth our worrisome anxieties?
Paul says Don't worry about anything. Humans are born worriers. Our intellect, and the ability to assess a situation and formulate actions and responses naturally also paves the way for worry.
We tend to lump worry and fear together, yet an interesting article I read in a psychology periodical provides these pairings and definitions:
Worry and Anxiety - A set of responses to an unknown, imprecise or ill-defined threat; often anticipatory in nature and created by the imagination. It's more associated with the need to be prepared. Worry leads to feeling anxious.
Fear and Panic - A set of responses to a known, precise, well-defined threat, which can be real or vividly imagined. It's mainly about avoidance and escape. In its extreme form, fear becomes panic.
Makes sense, doesn't it? This "worrisome" thinking can easily create the conditions that make a person feel anxious. The article listed four scenarios that lead to this:
In another "worrisome" arena, some wag had posted on FaceBook a picture of a doctor's coffee mug which read: "My medical degree trumps your Google search!" How true it is that when we receive a diagnosis, we so often go right to the Internet to research it, or the meds prescribed. AND that brings on the worry and anxiety. I remember being given a prescription several years ago, and when I read about it--and its side-effects--on the Internet, I was scared to death to take it. Thankfully, I called a former parishioner who was head of pharmacy for all of UPMC Health Systems at that time, and he gave me a good scolding: "TAKE the drug--you need it! Besides the side-effects mentioned only occurred in a small population of teenage females from a mid-eastern country, so I think you're safe." It is so true that we drive ourselves to worry much of the time.
Passing through life's challenges--and related worry--is similar to a spacecraft coming back to earth, re-entering the earth's atmosphere:
1. It can just hit the atmosphere and burn up. When we don't plan ahead and prepare ourselves for some of the contingencies, this "crash and burn" may happen to our psyche. This is where the fear and panic come in.
2. The spacecraft may have an "ablative" heat shield. This is designed to slowly burn away as it enters the atmosphere, carrying the dangerous heat away from the vehicle. Might we be able to use this "gradual burn" as a way to keep from the "heat" building up to a dangerous level in our personal situations? A "controlled burn" sometimes works as a coping skill when facing trials.
3. The spacecraft may have "tiles" like the space shuttle did. These special ceramic tiles were able to "take the heat" and then dissipate it internally. I once saw a demonstration of these tiles whereby one was held by a pair of long forceps in a very hot flame until the center of the tile was literally glowing red. The person doing the demonstration then suddenly pulled the tile out of the flame and literally grabbed it in his bare hand. In that short period of time, the unique properties of the tile "snatched" the heat away from the surface, and even though it was still glowing hot at its center, the outside was already cool to the touch. Amazing. In terms of our worries and anxieties, being surrounded by a strong supportive community--family, friends, church--can act like those tiles in a time of crisis or challenge. I have observed that people who have little "supportive community," or friends who are affirming, comforting, or willing to walk along side of them during difficulties, often fall prey to the "crash and burn" scenario.
4. Finally, a spacecraft can avoid the destructive forces of friction in the upper atmosphere by a "powered descent." If it has an engine capable of balancing the force of gravity and descending slowly, no heat is generated. However, this requires a lot of power, and we haven't yet built a spacecraft that can do this. From a psychological and spiritual perspective, this is what Paul is talking about when he says--...but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Prayer and trusting in God can provide that extra power and "lift" to allow us to descend to the low points slowly, and then to begin to rise above them.
Two additional things Paul mentions here are also keys to navigating life without giving undo way to worry, anxiety, fear or panic:
Peace - he says it can "guard our hearts and minds". Learning how to practice peace, work for peace, and benefit from peace is a good assignment. The first item on this agenda is avoid being a contentious, angry or unpleasant person. Hotheads rarely experience--or can create--peace.
Thanksgiving - that "with thanksgiving" part of Paul's sentence is huge. Living with and regularly dispensing gratitude goes a long way in helping us avoid worry and anxiety!
Epilogue...at the conclusion of this particular message, we invited parishioners at St. Paul's to write their worries, fears, and anxieties on a peace of paper we provided when then arrived. Then, as they left, we had paper shredders at each door, and they were urged to drop these papers into the shredders. What they didn't know was that when they arrived for worship on Christmas Eve, their shredded worries had become the "straw" in the chancel manger bearing the Christ Child. Play with that image a bit, won't you? God cares. God really cares. And many of God's people care about you, too. Find some of them and engage a journey of faith and healthy psychological values, coping skills, and affirmations. You will be so much happier for it. And stop listening to all of the politicians...
The key text was Philippians 4:6-7: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
On first read, we are tempted to respond, "That's easy for HIM to say..." I read about a church sign that accidentally juxtaposed two sentences: "Don't let worry ruin your life. Let the church help." With a few yucks, it does awkwardly get at the question, what is the role of our faith in helping curb or sooth our worrisome anxieties?
Paul says Don't worry about anything. Humans are born worriers. Our intellect, and the ability to assess a situation and formulate actions and responses naturally also paves the way for worry.
We tend to lump worry and fear together, yet an interesting article I read in a psychology periodical provides these pairings and definitions:
Worry and Anxiety - A set of responses to an unknown, imprecise or ill-defined threat; often anticipatory in nature and created by the imagination. It's more associated with the need to be prepared. Worry leads to feeling anxious.
Fear and Panic - A set of responses to a known, precise, well-defined threat, which can be real or vividly imagined. It's mainly about avoidance and escape. In its extreme form, fear becomes panic.
Makes sense, doesn't it? This "worrisome" thinking can easily create the conditions that make a person feel anxious. The article listed four scenarios that lead to this:
- Helplessness - Insufficient information to handle the situation
- Over-stimulation - Too much information, or information overload
- Incongruity - Conflicting information
- Unpredictability - Having an uncertain outcome
In another "worrisome" arena, some wag had posted on FaceBook a picture of a doctor's coffee mug which read: "My medical degree trumps your Google search!" How true it is that when we receive a diagnosis, we so often go right to the Internet to research it, or the meds prescribed. AND that brings on the worry and anxiety. I remember being given a prescription several years ago, and when I read about it--and its side-effects--on the Internet, I was scared to death to take it. Thankfully, I called a former parishioner who was head of pharmacy for all of UPMC Health Systems at that time, and he gave me a good scolding: "TAKE the drug--you need it! Besides the side-effects mentioned only occurred in a small population of teenage females from a mid-eastern country, so I think you're safe." It is so true that we drive ourselves to worry much of the time.
Passing through life's challenges--and related worry--is similar to a spacecraft coming back to earth, re-entering the earth's atmosphere:
1. It can just hit the atmosphere and burn up. When we don't plan ahead and prepare ourselves for some of the contingencies, this "crash and burn" may happen to our psyche. This is where the fear and panic come in.
2. The spacecraft may have an "ablative" heat shield. This is designed to slowly burn away as it enters the atmosphere, carrying the dangerous heat away from the vehicle. Might we be able to use this "gradual burn" as a way to keep from the "heat" building up to a dangerous level in our personal situations? A "controlled burn" sometimes works as a coping skill when facing trials.
3. The spacecraft may have "tiles" like the space shuttle did. These special ceramic tiles were able to "take the heat" and then dissipate it internally. I once saw a demonstration of these tiles whereby one was held by a pair of long forceps in a very hot flame until the center of the tile was literally glowing red. The person doing the demonstration then suddenly pulled the tile out of the flame and literally grabbed it in his bare hand. In that short period of time, the unique properties of the tile "snatched" the heat away from the surface, and even though it was still glowing hot at its center, the outside was already cool to the touch. Amazing. In terms of our worries and anxieties, being surrounded by a strong supportive community--family, friends, church--can act like those tiles in a time of crisis or challenge. I have observed that people who have little "supportive community," or friends who are affirming, comforting, or willing to walk along side of them during difficulties, often fall prey to the "crash and burn" scenario.
4. Finally, a spacecraft can avoid the destructive forces of friction in the upper atmosphere by a "powered descent." If it has an engine capable of balancing the force of gravity and descending slowly, no heat is generated. However, this requires a lot of power, and we haven't yet built a spacecraft that can do this. From a psychological and spiritual perspective, this is what Paul is talking about when he says--...but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Prayer and trusting in God can provide that extra power and "lift" to allow us to descend to the low points slowly, and then to begin to rise above them.
Two additional things Paul mentions here are also keys to navigating life without giving undo way to worry, anxiety, fear or panic:
Peace - he says it can "guard our hearts and minds". Learning how to practice peace, work for peace, and benefit from peace is a good assignment. The first item on this agenda is avoid being a contentious, angry or unpleasant person. Hotheads rarely experience--or can create--peace.
Thanksgiving - that "with thanksgiving" part of Paul's sentence is huge. Living with and regularly dispensing gratitude goes a long way in helping us avoid worry and anxiety!
Epilogue...at the conclusion of this particular message, we invited parishioners at St. Paul's to write their worries, fears, and anxieties on a peace of paper we provided when then arrived. Then, as they left, we had paper shredders at each door, and they were urged to drop these papers into the shredders. What they didn't know was that when they arrived for worship on Christmas Eve, their shredded worries had become the "straw" in the chancel manger bearing the Christ Child. Play with that image a bit, won't you? God cares. God really cares. And many of God's people care about you, too. Find some of them and engage a journey of faith and healthy psychological values, coping skills, and affirmations. You will be so much happier for it. And stop listening to all of the politicians...
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Not again...
Another terrorist attack, this time in Paris, France. Way too many of my blog entries over the few years I have been "blogging" have been responding to mass shootings and acts of terrorism. How sad this is, indeed.
Why terrorism? I guess terrorism is what factions resort to which have no standing army or military resources beyond guns and bomb-making supplies. Terrorists have no bomber planes or submarines. They are usually the "vehicle" of destruction themselves. And they are cowards--legendary cowards of the world--who harm or kill others and then blow themselves up. And most of them aren't too bright. From "shoe bombers" to suicide bombers, many of them have blown themselves up prematurely or failed to detonate themselves before getting caught in the act. The victims of terrorists die several deaths: they lose their physical life; their death serves absolutely no purpose, let alone a redeeming one; and they are totally innocent, killed during innocent, everyday pursuits such as shopping, going to school, the theater, or having a restaurant meal with friends.
Again, why terrorism? Are there goals on the part of the perpetrators? One columnist recently penned that the goal of the Islamic State (I will honor France by calling them by the name ISIS detests: Daesh) is to polarize the West against all Muslims. If the West lumps these KKK-like extremists into the broader category of "Muslim" and acts on the prejudiced assumption that Muslims are all bad, then Daesh thinks these marginalized Muslims will flee into the their arms, uniting all Muslims against the West. It is an asinine idea, but if some of our public leaders don't wise up, they could make it work for the bad guys. Most Muslims--like most Christians--are peaceful, god-fearing people. They should not be viewed through the distorted, discolored and puny lens of the Daesh. How would Christian people feel if they were viewed by the world as equated with the tactics, beliefs and hatred of the Westboro Baptist Church or the Ku Klux Klan? And while some wing nuts posting on FaceBook have complained that the Muslim community has been silent over the carnage carried out by Daesh, nothing could be further from the truth. Muslim leaders from many nations and "offices" from within Islam have condemned these acts as being in total opposition to the Koran and the faith of the Prophet Mohammed.
Remember, polarization against Muslims and the breakdown of Western religious freedom designed to exclude Muslims is exactly what Daesh may be wanting to accomplish. The best thing we could do to flummox the aims of Daesh is to grow closer to our Muslim compatriots, embracing them, seeking to understand their faith, and treating them as the loyal citizens that they are.
Defeating the "forces" of Daesh will not be easy, as has been said by our current President and his predecessors. It was actually President George W. Bush who said clearly in speeches after the September 11, 2001 attacks that the "war" against terrorism would be long, hard, and expensive. Conservative AND liberal politicians call terrorism a "cancer." If we can agree on that, can we also agree that it may only be defeated in the manner of treating a cancer? We attack cancer surgically or with precisely targeted radiation or drug therapy. When someone gets cancer, we don't just snuff out their whole life. And yet, that is what some--including a few of those aspiring to the Presidency--want to do. "If I'm President, I'll bomb the sh_t out of 'em," one said during a recent public speech witnessed by the whole world. Sure. Where? Does he know where they are? And how much collateral death will he accept in attempting to kill this "cancer"? George W. Bush was very right about what would be necessary to defeat global terrorism. We would be best served by forming broad, international coalitions--even across ideological lines--and enhancing our intelligence operations so they can better perform a "PET scan" to detect this "cancer" wherever it may be so it may be carefully and surgically removed.
And again, we should embrace our Muslim friends, here and abroad. Raising our children to respect and not hate persons from other nations and religions will sow the seeds of peace. If our kids hear us ranting about how "evil" Islam is, or how we should "just bomb the sh_t out of 'em," different seeds will be sown, and God help us if those "plants" grow and produce "fruit" in our future. America will be stigmatized by and isolated from the rest of global society. We're headed in that direction now. A great biblical word--repentance--could be the salve. To "repent" means to stop, turn, and go in the opposite direction, and for the believer, that direction is "Godward." Let us, as a society, repent of the evil we harbor in our hearts toward innocent, respectful Muslim neighbors and citizens who choose to live at peace with us. Salam and Shalom, Yinz.
Why terrorism? I guess terrorism is what factions resort to which have no standing army or military resources beyond guns and bomb-making supplies. Terrorists have no bomber planes or submarines. They are usually the "vehicle" of destruction themselves. And they are cowards--legendary cowards of the world--who harm or kill others and then blow themselves up. And most of them aren't too bright. From "shoe bombers" to suicide bombers, many of them have blown themselves up prematurely or failed to detonate themselves before getting caught in the act. The victims of terrorists die several deaths: they lose their physical life; their death serves absolutely no purpose, let alone a redeeming one; and they are totally innocent, killed during innocent, everyday pursuits such as shopping, going to school, the theater, or having a restaurant meal with friends.
Again, why terrorism? Are there goals on the part of the perpetrators? One columnist recently penned that the goal of the Islamic State (I will honor France by calling them by the name ISIS detests: Daesh) is to polarize the West against all Muslims. If the West lumps these KKK-like extremists into the broader category of "Muslim" and acts on the prejudiced assumption that Muslims are all bad, then Daesh thinks these marginalized Muslims will flee into the their arms, uniting all Muslims against the West. It is an asinine idea, but if some of our public leaders don't wise up, they could make it work for the bad guys. Most Muslims--like most Christians--are peaceful, god-fearing people. They should not be viewed through the distorted, discolored and puny lens of the Daesh. How would Christian people feel if they were viewed by the world as equated with the tactics, beliefs and hatred of the Westboro Baptist Church or the Ku Klux Klan? And while some wing nuts posting on FaceBook have complained that the Muslim community has been silent over the carnage carried out by Daesh, nothing could be further from the truth. Muslim leaders from many nations and "offices" from within Islam have condemned these acts as being in total opposition to the Koran and the faith of the Prophet Mohammed.
Remember, polarization against Muslims and the breakdown of Western religious freedom designed to exclude Muslims is exactly what Daesh may be wanting to accomplish. The best thing we could do to flummox the aims of Daesh is to grow closer to our Muslim compatriots, embracing them, seeking to understand their faith, and treating them as the loyal citizens that they are.
Defeating the "forces" of Daesh will not be easy, as has been said by our current President and his predecessors. It was actually President George W. Bush who said clearly in speeches after the September 11, 2001 attacks that the "war" against terrorism would be long, hard, and expensive. Conservative AND liberal politicians call terrorism a "cancer." If we can agree on that, can we also agree that it may only be defeated in the manner of treating a cancer? We attack cancer surgically or with precisely targeted radiation or drug therapy. When someone gets cancer, we don't just snuff out their whole life. And yet, that is what some--including a few of those aspiring to the Presidency--want to do. "If I'm President, I'll bomb the sh_t out of 'em," one said during a recent public speech witnessed by the whole world. Sure. Where? Does he know where they are? And how much collateral death will he accept in attempting to kill this "cancer"? George W. Bush was very right about what would be necessary to defeat global terrorism. We would be best served by forming broad, international coalitions--even across ideological lines--and enhancing our intelligence operations so they can better perform a "PET scan" to detect this "cancer" wherever it may be so it may be carefully and surgically removed.
And again, we should embrace our Muslim friends, here and abroad. Raising our children to respect and not hate persons from other nations and religions will sow the seeds of peace. If our kids hear us ranting about how "evil" Islam is, or how we should "just bomb the sh_t out of 'em," different seeds will be sown, and God help us if those "plants" grow and produce "fruit" in our future. America will be stigmatized by and isolated from the rest of global society. We're headed in that direction now. A great biblical word--repentance--could be the salve. To "repent" means to stop, turn, and go in the opposite direction, and for the believer, that direction is "Godward." Let us, as a society, repent of the evil we harbor in our hearts toward innocent, respectful Muslim neighbors and citizens who choose to live at peace with us. Salam and Shalom, Yinz.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Mourning in America...
Since I wrote my last post (which was forever ago--sorry, life happens!), we've had another school shooting. The gun people immediately countered with some of those whacko statements ("Guns don't kill people--PEOPLE kill people"; "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns"; "If everybody was armed, these things wouldn't happen", etc. etc.) I call these statements "whacko" because from a logic standpoint, they are total nonsense. Oh, and I left out one that really gets me: "Saying a gun killed someone is like saying a spoon made me fat." What? One fact that is lost in all of this is that guns were created to kill--period. They are killing machines--a small "nuclear weapon" one can carry in a purse or pocket. Capital punishment--judge, jury, and sentence in the palm of your hand. Spoons are, well, they are spoons--an implement designed to aid in eating or portioning out substances. What part of this don't gun people understand?
After the flurry of whacko stuff came a few that, on the surface, make some sense. Fostered by the belief that people who shoot up schools have mental issues, the NRA and other gun rights spokespersons suggested that we need to do a better job of dealing with mental illness in America. That would fix the problem. Great. However, a vast majority of gun people (and this is according to some of their own surveys) advocate for tax cuts and cuts in programs that are designed to expand aid to persons with various spectrum disorders and mental illness. And most of them oppose the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") that seeks to provide healthcare coverage--including therapies for those with mental disorders--for many persons who, otherwise, would not have it. So, the "America needs to deal with mental illness" is a straw-man statement meant to take the spotlight off of the real problem--the rapid proliferation of guns in America and the ease with which a person can buy a gun, including at "roving loopholes" called gun shows.
Another statement you will hear--which sounds sane on the surface--is "We need to enforce the laws on the books." Well, take a look at some of those laws. Of course, you have to go from state to state, because the NRA has succeeded in keeping most laws about guns at the state level. Many of these "laws" are either unenforceable or are clearly inadequate to regulate the myriad ways a person can now buy guns (massive gun shows of the variety we have today, and the Internet, were nonexistent when these laws were passed).
And then there are the "entitlement" philosophies--but not the ones you are thinking about! What I mean is the almost universally prevalent idea that if I have a job and am a "hard-working" American, I should be entitled to all of the services I need without having to pay for them through taxation. These are the people who want "smaller government" and tax cuts until their kid winds up in a declining school system, or their streets need paved, or when they are living on Social Security and a COLA raise is not forthcoming. Many of these same "entitlement" people decry the public assistance and SNAP programs for those who are either not able to work or who can't find a job making enough to live on. Let's face it: There will always be people who never progress beyond a "low skill" ability and who may never be able to have a job beyond the service or hospitalities industries. We need those people and we need those services. Why not pay them a wage they can at least survive on? Or, do we just let them starve? Sorry, I got a little off track here, but I do see a lot of this as related. After all, if I can't keep a job because of a mental disorder and have either no--or poor--healthcare services, but have no problem buying a gun, is this not a recipe for disaster?
This whole scenario is extremely complicated. Solutions will require the best minds, malleable laws, compromise, and funding. We'll not fix any of them--the gun issue or that of mental illness--with trite, nonsense bumper sticker quips.
And, here we still are, in the wake of more senseless gun violence. Of course, the statistics tell us that better than 60% of gun deaths annually are suicides. Hmmm, sounds like mental illness to me. And about 10% are accidental--people who die because a child gets ahold of a parent's unlocked, loaded firearm or in accidental shootings that occur when someone buys a gun and has no idea how to operate it (other than pulling the trigger) or make it safe. [My own nephew could have been killed when a "friend" was eager to show off a new handgun and because he did not understand his own gun, accidentally fired a bullet through my nephew's shoulder, inches from his heart.]
Are there some simple things we can do to address some of these cases? Sure--simple, but not without costs. Here are a few ideas:
1. Create a national, computerized background check system that screens applicants for mental illness (including catching those being treated by psychotropic medications). Persons wishing to buy a handgun would have to sign a waiver permitting this system to access their medical records.
2. Eliminate any exemptions for gun shows or Internet purchases.
3. Require mandatory training about the weapon in question before it can be possessed by the buyer. [A few years ago, my wife and I bought "his" and "hers" identical automobiles a year apart. When we picked up the second vehicle--from the same salesman who sold us the first one--we had to sit through a complete orientation to all of the controls. When I reminded him that we had been driving the exact same car for a year, he said, "I am required to give you this training before you drive the car off the lot." Hmmm.]
4. If a person seeks a concealed carry permit, they again should have to go through the background check AND have a mandatory marksmanship training class at a gun range. [Even the best-trained police officers only hit their intended targets 30% of the time when using a gun in the line of duty, not on the gun range.] Imagine what happens when the untrained open fire--actually, you don't have to imagine, as their are tragic statistics about the "collateral" injuries which result.
"Law-abiding gun owners" should have no problem with these kinds of regulation. There is nothing here that would prevent a mentally stable, law-abiding individual from owning (and even carrying) a gun. When I ran these ideas by a few gun people I know, the immediate reaction was that if we allow more gun regulations, "soon they will be after our guns." No...haven't we had speed limits and traffic laws since the horseless carriage hit the streets, and no one is trying to get our cars, are they?
Now, here's the punchline: If these measures save even 10% of those who currently die in shootings each year, we would save over 3,000 lives! We wear seat belts in our cars because of far fewer fatalities when that law was passed. If you examine the statistics I listed earlier (60% of gun deaths are suicides, 10% are accidental), note that this leaves only 30% of gun deaths that fall into the "criminal" category. And yet, if you listen to the NRA, you would believe that there are two kinds of gun people--law-abiding citizens and criminals. There is a whole third category they miss--victims.
What can we do about this? Begin by writing your public officials. And if they don't listen, vote for new people. Become informed. As people of faith, pray, and work with your church or parish to urge instituting safer gun laws and providing better treatment and care for those with mental illness. If we don't begin to do something, we can just count the days until the next shooting and wring our hands once again about how sad it is.
After the flurry of whacko stuff came a few that, on the surface, make some sense. Fostered by the belief that people who shoot up schools have mental issues, the NRA and other gun rights spokespersons suggested that we need to do a better job of dealing with mental illness in America. That would fix the problem. Great. However, a vast majority of gun people (and this is according to some of their own surveys) advocate for tax cuts and cuts in programs that are designed to expand aid to persons with various spectrum disorders and mental illness. And most of them oppose the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") that seeks to provide healthcare coverage--including therapies for those with mental disorders--for many persons who, otherwise, would not have it. So, the "America needs to deal with mental illness" is a straw-man statement meant to take the spotlight off of the real problem--the rapid proliferation of guns in America and the ease with which a person can buy a gun, including at "roving loopholes" called gun shows.
Another statement you will hear--which sounds sane on the surface--is "We need to enforce the laws on the books." Well, take a look at some of those laws. Of course, you have to go from state to state, because the NRA has succeeded in keeping most laws about guns at the state level. Many of these "laws" are either unenforceable or are clearly inadequate to regulate the myriad ways a person can now buy guns (massive gun shows of the variety we have today, and the Internet, were nonexistent when these laws were passed).
And then there are the "entitlement" philosophies--but not the ones you are thinking about! What I mean is the almost universally prevalent idea that if I have a job and am a "hard-working" American, I should be entitled to all of the services I need without having to pay for them through taxation. These are the people who want "smaller government" and tax cuts until their kid winds up in a declining school system, or their streets need paved, or when they are living on Social Security and a COLA raise is not forthcoming. Many of these same "entitlement" people decry the public assistance and SNAP programs for those who are either not able to work or who can't find a job making enough to live on. Let's face it: There will always be people who never progress beyond a "low skill" ability and who may never be able to have a job beyond the service or hospitalities industries. We need those people and we need those services. Why not pay them a wage they can at least survive on? Or, do we just let them starve? Sorry, I got a little off track here, but I do see a lot of this as related. After all, if I can't keep a job because of a mental disorder and have either no--or poor--healthcare services, but have no problem buying a gun, is this not a recipe for disaster?
This whole scenario is extremely complicated. Solutions will require the best minds, malleable laws, compromise, and funding. We'll not fix any of them--the gun issue or that of mental illness--with trite, nonsense bumper sticker quips.
And, here we still are, in the wake of more senseless gun violence. Of course, the statistics tell us that better than 60% of gun deaths annually are suicides. Hmmm, sounds like mental illness to me. And about 10% are accidental--people who die because a child gets ahold of a parent's unlocked, loaded firearm or in accidental shootings that occur when someone buys a gun and has no idea how to operate it (other than pulling the trigger) or make it safe. [My own nephew could have been killed when a "friend" was eager to show off a new handgun and because he did not understand his own gun, accidentally fired a bullet through my nephew's shoulder, inches from his heart.]
Are there some simple things we can do to address some of these cases? Sure--simple, but not without costs. Here are a few ideas:
1. Create a national, computerized background check system that screens applicants for mental illness (including catching those being treated by psychotropic medications). Persons wishing to buy a handgun would have to sign a waiver permitting this system to access their medical records.
2. Eliminate any exemptions for gun shows or Internet purchases.
3. Require mandatory training about the weapon in question before it can be possessed by the buyer. [A few years ago, my wife and I bought "his" and "hers" identical automobiles a year apart. When we picked up the second vehicle--from the same salesman who sold us the first one--we had to sit through a complete orientation to all of the controls. When I reminded him that we had been driving the exact same car for a year, he said, "I am required to give you this training before you drive the car off the lot." Hmmm.]
4. If a person seeks a concealed carry permit, they again should have to go through the background check AND have a mandatory marksmanship training class at a gun range. [Even the best-trained police officers only hit their intended targets 30% of the time when using a gun in the line of duty, not on the gun range.] Imagine what happens when the untrained open fire--actually, you don't have to imagine, as their are tragic statistics about the "collateral" injuries which result.
"Law-abiding gun owners" should have no problem with these kinds of regulation. There is nothing here that would prevent a mentally stable, law-abiding individual from owning (and even carrying) a gun. When I ran these ideas by a few gun people I know, the immediate reaction was that if we allow more gun regulations, "soon they will be after our guns." No...haven't we had speed limits and traffic laws since the horseless carriage hit the streets, and no one is trying to get our cars, are they?
Now, here's the punchline: If these measures save even 10% of those who currently die in shootings each year, we would save over 3,000 lives! We wear seat belts in our cars because of far fewer fatalities when that law was passed. If you examine the statistics I listed earlier (60% of gun deaths are suicides, 10% are accidental), note that this leaves only 30% of gun deaths that fall into the "criminal" category. And yet, if you listen to the NRA, you would believe that there are two kinds of gun people--law-abiding citizens and criminals. There is a whole third category they miss--victims.
What can we do about this? Begin by writing your public officials. And if they don't listen, vote for new people. Become informed. As people of faith, pray, and work with your church or parish to urge instituting safer gun laws and providing better treatment and care for those with mental illness. If we don't begin to do something, we can just count the days until the next shooting and wring our hands once again about how sad it is.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Vacation's over...
Everyone surely experiences "end of vacation" anxiety, don't they? You know, that "blue" state that sets in when your time away goes away and the stacks of papers on your desk haunt anew? That's what I'm talking about in this blog post, so if that never happens to you, just go away.
Now, I really love my job. I really LOVE my job. Actually, being a pastor is a special calling that doesn't seem to fit into the "job" category. While we believe that ALL vocations are callings (from the Latin, vocatio, meaning "a call"), no one should take on the role of being clergy without a specific "call" story or faith experience leading to pursuing this unique "job." We're on call 24/7, carry the burdens of our parishioners around in our hearts right alongside those of our own kin, and "should be ready to preach, pray, or die at a moment's notice," according to a popular saying among pastors. Being a clergyperson is not for the faint of heart--or spirit. That being said, we all need some time to reflect, recharge, and remind our spouses we're still on the planet with them. Hence, vacations, usually in the "less active" weeks of Summer. In most churches--and especially in larger ones like St. Paul's--September through mid-June is just GO, GO, GO. (Of course, at St. Paul's, Summer just means you can drop it into second gear, but not pull over and park. And some of our staff--Children and Youth Ministries Directors, for example--have major events to coordinate in the Summer, too!) But still, Summer is when many pastors "steal away" for a respite.
By the way, I've tried just about every kind of vacation experience one can imagine. When our children were young, the Sterlings bought a tent camper and spent time with friends camping at the ocean. Between the sun, the mosquitos, and the wild horses jostling the camper in the middle of the night, that was about as restful as a hurricane. Oh, we even went through one of those on a vacation once--I don't recommend it. We've "done States" using AAA guides, flown to faraway places, and even stayed home for a few days of local R & R. I wish I could tell you that we found that miraculous blend of experiences making for the perfect vacation, but it would be a lie. Honestly, I still enjoy most those vacations where I can learn about things to be the most enjoyable. Art galleries, museums, science centers, historic venues--these are the fodder for a great vacation, in my book! I even like the occasional zoo, but when you've seen one Llama, you've seen 'em all. Pressed to answer the question, "But what has been your favorite vacation?", I would say the two times we have spend several days at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Yeah, that would be my answer. My wife wants me to promise that we will spend the first Christmas after I retire in Williamsburg.
Back to the anxiety issue...when pleasant, restful experiences like a good vacation end, we do experience a bit of a letdown, typically. (Like many of you, this is amplified for us because part of our vacation is almost always spent with our grandchildren, and leaving those two precious little ones behind is hard!) Since I am writing this on my first full day back in the office, I thought I might suggest a few ways to combat this post-vacation malaise. Here are a few I came up with:
1. Make a list of all of the things about your vocation that really jazz you up. On your first week back, spend some time doing a couple of those particularly enjoyable tasks (I'm writing this blog post, and I like to write).
2. Pick one important task that you have been putting off, and tackle it with the force of a blitzing linebacker (I hope to clean up my desk, sort out the trash from the "keepers," and file some of this stuff--even Jack Lambert would have shied away if he saw this desk).
3. Get in touch with your soul! Take some extra time the week after vacation to meditate, pray, and read scripture. Here's a good thought to guide us from Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
4. Review any photos you took on your vacation and talk about the memories created with those who accompanied you. Remembering is a way of reliving a positive experience.
5. Start planning next year's vacation!
Here is another thought. My wife, the registered, licensed dietitian, tells me that humans would be much healthier if we would eat five or six small meals throughout the day rather than one, two, or three larger ones (or, in some of our cases, one small breakfast and then one LARGE dinner!). The same may be true of vacation time. Maybe we would do better to take two or three days here and there, if possible, throughout the year, rather than two or three weeks at one time? I know, some "experts" say that you should take at least two weeks because it takes a full week to "wind down." These people don't understand "Type A" personalities, do they? We never wind down, and usually don't even run down--we just make everybody else tired. So, vacation time spread judiciously throughout the year might be a good thing to consider...hmmmm...
I will say this: If ending your vacation and returning to work causes you such anxiety or depression that you fear even taking vacation, then maybe you should pray about finding a different job? Or maybe at least getting some counseling about whatever pathology is causing such a heightened state of discomfort? One of the greatest promises we have from God is Jesus' statement, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Even Jesus took brief "vacations" from his work--and the constant yammering of the disciples--to get in touch with his inner dialogue through prayer and meditation. So, even in the Divine, we have a model. But why not make coming back from vacation just as planned and anticipated as was the respite time itself? Think about it, Beloved. Shalom!
Now, I really love my job. I really LOVE my job. Actually, being a pastor is a special calling that doesn't seem to fit into the "job" category. While we believe that ALL vocations are callings (from the Latin, vocatio, meaning "a call"), no one should take on the role of being clergy without a specific "call" story or faith experience leading to pursuing this unique "job." We're on call 24/7, carry the burdens of our parishioners around in our hearts right alongside those of our own kin, and "should be ready to preach, pray, or die at a moment's notice," according to a popular saying among pastors. Being a clergyperson is not for the faint of heart--or spirit. That being said, we all need some time to reflect, recharge, and remind our spouses we're still on the planet with them. Hence, vacations, usually in the "less active" weeks of Summer. In most churches--and especially in larger ones like St. Paul's--September through mid-June is just GO, GO, GO. (Of course, at St. Paul's, Summer just means you can drop it into second gear, but not pull over and park. And some of our staff--Children and Youth Ministries Directors, for example--have major events to coordinate in the Summer, too!) But still, Summer is when many pastors "steal away" for a respite.
By the way, I've tried just about every kind of vacation experience one can imagine. When our children were young, the Sterlings bought a tent camper and spent time with friends camping at the ocean. Between the sun, the mosquitos, and the wild horses jostling the camper in the middle of the night, that was about as restful as a hurricane. Oh, we even went through one of those on a vacation once--I don't recommend it. We've "done States" using AAA guides, flown to faraway places, and even stayed home for a few days of local R & R. I wish I could tell you that we found that miraculous blend of experiences making for the perfect vacation, but it would be a lie. Honestly, I still enjoy most those vacations where I can learn about things to be the most enjoyable. Art galleries, museums, science centers, historic venues--these are the fodder for a great vacation, in my book! I even like the occasional zoo, but when you've seen one Llama, you've seen 'em all. Pressed to answer the question, "But what has been your favorite vacation?", I would say the two times we have spend several days at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Yeah, that would be my answer. My wife wants me to promise that we will spend the first Christmas after I retire in Williamsburg.
Back to the anxiety issue...when pleasant, restful experiences like a good vacation end, we do experience a bit of a letdown, typically. (Like many of you, this is amplified for us because part of our vacation is almost always spent with our grandchildren, and leaving those two precious little ones behind is hard!) Since I am writing this on my first full day back in the office, I thought I might suggest a few ways to combat this post-vacation malaise. Here are a few I came up with:
1. Make a list of all of the things about your vocation that really jazz you up. On your first week back, spend some time doing a couple of those particularly enjoyable tasks (I'm writing this blog post, and I like to write).
2. Pick one important task that you have been putting off, and tackle it with the force of a blitzing linebacker (I hope to clean up my desk, sort out the trash from the "keepers," and file some of this stuff--even Jack Lambert would have shied away if he saw this desk).
3. Get in touch with your soul! Take some extra time the week after vacation to meditate, pray, and read scripture. Here's a good thought to guide us from Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
4. Review any photos you took on your vacation and talk about the memories created with those who accompanied you. Remembering is a way of reliving a positive experience.
5. Start planning next year's vacation!
Here is another thought. My wife, the registered, licensed dietitian, tells me that humans would be much healthier if we would eat five or six small meals throughout the day rather than one, two, or three larger ones (or, in some of our cases, one small breakfast and then one LARGE dinner!). The same may be true of vacation time. Maybe we would do better to take two or three days here and there, if possible, throughout the year, rather than two or three weeks at one time? I know, some "experts" say that you should take at least two weeks because it takes a full week to "wind down." These people don't understand "Type A" personalities, do they? We never wind down, and usually don't even run down--we just make everybody else tired. So, vacation time spread judiciously throughout the year might be a good thing to consider...hmmmm...
I will say this: If ending your vacation and returning to work causes you such anxiety or depression that you fear even taking vacation, then maybe you should pray about finding a different job? Or maybe at least getting some counseling about whatever pathology is causing such a heightened state of discomfort? One of the greatest promises we have from God is Jesus' statement, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Even Jesus took brief "vacations" from his work--and the constant yammering of the disciples--to get in touch with his inner dialogue through prayer and meditation. So, even in the Divine, we have a model. But why not make coming back from vacation just as planned and anticipated as was the respite time itself? Think about it, Beloved. Shalom!
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