To the Three Men Who Robbed Me

I sit still,
silent for so long
I imagine
I am sinking into the earth...
slowly
Transplanted -
no longer rootless -
my toes press down, strong,
into the cool, dark soil
My fingers unfurl -
stretch forth through the air -
to respect, shelter, celebrate life,
extend grace
I stand securely,
face to the sun,
breathe deeply and
Grow, here.
Bear fruit, here.
Become beautiful, here.
and maybe - one day -
Die, here, because
I am home, here...
South Africa.

The Power of Music and Food

"When we share the gift of food new spaces are created where other gifts can be given and received."

"Songs are the musical story of us:  our culture, our history, our loves and losses. To share them is to remember, to be reminded, to look to the future with hope. To listen to them is to open ourselves empathetically to the stories of others."

"So it is that as we prepare feasts and music for others we do so in the spirit of becoming 'artists of the invisible' - offering all that we have and are to God, allowing it out of our sight and ownership, and thus receiving it back as a gift to share that we can all be thankful for."

- Kester Brewin, Other

Thoughts on Being Present to the Moment

I saw a bird I've never seen before the other day - a bearded woodpecker.  I would never have seen it if I hadn't been waiting outside for a few minutes, and I never would have seen it if I hadn't looked up.  Usually in such circumstances, I would quickly check my email or answer some text messages, but this time I chose to intentionally be present to my surroundings and to the present moment.  I was rewarded with the honour of viewing a new (to me) bird species.

 I paused and marvelled, for moments such as these are holy moments.  It is one thing to be amazed by viewing a new species; it is altogether wonder-ful to consider that there are thousands upon thousands of additional species my eyes have not (yet) seen! To think that I would never have seen this incredible bird if I had not chosen to be intentionally present to the moment makes me pause and consider how many beautiful things I have missed because I was not present - my mind was preoccupied with to-do lists or the circumstances of the day.

When did emails and text messages become more important than God's creation?  Is there a way to reverse this, to reclaim a sense of wonder and presence to what is around us?  May I dare to suggest, absolutely!... if we breed and foster an intentionality about it. 

(By the way, the emails and text messages were all attended to a little bit later... not one was "lost".)

The Story Behind the Story, Part II

I was what you might call a "nerd" in school.  I was President of the German Club. I was in the marching band.

I also competed in the Math Bowl, which pretty much sealed my fate as an "untouchable" in the social hierarchy.

 Consequently I never got asked to a school dance - not once.  I never attended my school's prom. I ate lunch in the chemistry lab every day (but truthfully, some of my lunches belonged in the chemistry lab!).  I was fine with all of this until my tenth reunion.

I didn't want to be the "nerd" anymore.  I was not upset about the choices I had made in school; I enjoyed all of the activities in which I had participated, but I was tired of being the social pariah because of it.  So I was never a cheerleader... so what?  So I had a decent brain... again, so what?  Did this make me less of a human or place me at the bottom of some social hierarchy?  NO!

I bought a red dress (which was not easy to fit into, given that I had a newborn baby at that time!), and I walked into that building, head held high, my husband by my side, and... the first person I bumped into was the former football quarterback, the guy every girl in my class had a crush on.  I had a split second of panic, but then remembered that I knew who I was... I no longer had to be intimidated.

The guy looked at my nametag, looked at me questioningly, looked back at my nametag, looked at me again, and finally said, "Well... hot damn!"  And that was worth more than all of the dances I was never asked to attend.  :-)

The Story Behind the Story, Part I

This is one of my favourite photos of Dan and I, taken thirteen years ago.  If you knew nothing of the story, you might guess that we were going out on a date or attending a function in which we had to dress nicely.  We look happy and young.  You might comment on our clothing or the styles, which are dated to some extent, and then you would set the photo aside with a closing comment such as "What a nice-looking couple."  The photo would soon be forgotten.

There's a story behind the story, however.  There's always a story behind the story, and it is that story which gives the photo meaning, that story which is intriguing, and that story which will change how you see the photo.  It's not that it's a great story; it's that it's a deeper story.  It's what led to this moment in time which was captured on film and cemented positively in my memory. 

If we only see the surface value of people and their stories, we will most probably miss the deeper stories that make their lives so rich with meaning.  Never stop at "What a nice-looking couple."  Probe deeper.  Question.  Be curious.  You might learn some amazing things.  At the very least, you will hear some fascinating stories.

Sunday Quote

"When the time comes, I shall withdraw from life, not as one leaves home, but as from a temporary lodging place. On that brightest of all days, when I depart from the confusion of this world, I shall set out, I believe, for a far-off Divine gathering of spirits...
"But, if I am mistaken, in that I believe men's souls to be immortal, I am glad to be mistaken...
"And all my life I shall continue to believe it."

-Cicero

What Gives Life Meaning?

The question was posed to me last week, "What gives your life meaning?"  I immediately thought of the typical Christian answer (upon which I won't elaborate), but what struck me was that the answer revolved around me and what I wanted to do with my life ("Obviously," you are likely saying).  I think if you asked any Western (and especially American) Christian, you would receive a similar response, though the specifics would be different.

Why this seemingly obvious response stood out to me - rather profoundly, in fact - is because it had little to do with community, with being a part of something bigger than myself.  It removed myself from the context of the community and relationships in which I live, to determine meaning based solely upon what I did with my life.  And that bothered me.

Imagine your favourite song.  Picture yourself as one note in that song.  Do you only like that one note, or do you like more - the lyrics, the chord progressions, the rhythms?  If it is your favourite song, chances are you like everything about the song and not just one single note.

When we focus on our individuality too much we lose sight of the whole song, so to speak; we care very little about the notes that came before us (setting the stage for our turn to play) or the notes that will come after us (and our responsibility to those notes). We take ourselves out of the context of the song as a whole.  I would like to suggest that our life actually loses meaning and significance when we do that.

In truth, what would give my life meaning is to be a part of something bigger than myself, something that I am a part of but could never accomplish on my own.  I see myself as one note in a grand symphony (with God as the conductor) which began when the world was created and will continue long after I am gone.  I have a part to play, yes, but it is in relation to all that played before me and all that will play after me. 

Is this mutually exclusive of a Western Christian mindset?  I don't believe so, but it might require us to loosen our grip on our individualism.  One note, or part of an amazing song?  What gives your life meaning?