Sunday Musings – December 8, 2019
In the Christian calendar this is the second Sunday of Advent; the second Sunday when Christians look forward to the birth of the child Jesus who would become this young man who would teach that all need to begin to look at each other and the rest of the world with new eyes. He, as did some other revolutionary teachers prior to him, suggest that one love one’s enemy; that one focus on one’s own ways of hurting others before judging another; that one feed the hungry, minister to those brothers and sisters in jail, tend to the sick and give away all one’s possession and follow his teachings.
Those who use this religious framework and claim to admire and seek to emulate the teachings of this radical, homeless, jobless man who accepted the equivalent of free food stamps (food stamp assistance), who welcomed the stranger, who would spend time with those who were considered less than or worse than are busy preparing for the grand feast of Christmas. Many will also drop some coins into the Salvation Army buckets, buy some needed items for a poor child whose parents cannot afford even the basics, and some will even write a check. Yesterday In downtown Pittsburgh many individuals and families were ice skating in the outdoor rink in front of the PPG buildings, enjoying the Christmas Village shops and related activities in Oxford Square, attending, as we were, a cultural even at one of the downtown venues or in nearby Oakland enjoying the Carnegie Museums or the amazing displays at Phipps Conservatory. Still others were crowding the shops and streets of the Strip District or otherwise preparing for religious holiday such as Christmas or the Festival of Lights.
Here in Wheeling, West Virginia People’s University hosted 8 published Wheeling female authors who have collectively published an impressive number of educational and entertaining works. The local professional symphony was joined by professional and local skaters for the Symphony of Ice performance, many came for the Super six games, and many others gathered with friends and co-workers for the first of the holiday parties
There was some local attention paid to yet more mass shootings in the United States, some notice was taken of yet more addiction related deaths, and many watched, read about and expressed opinions about the behavior of those “leaders” at the NATO conference, the impeachment proceedings and the tweeting behavior of various representatives of we the people.
There is much our behavior as humans that we can celebrate and yet, if not careful, we will carefully avoid the challenge of applying the teachings of that man Jesus to our day to day life with each other. We will instead cut food stamps for many, turn away those fleeing violence and poverty, ignore the fact that so much of our wealth is held by the 1%, continue to pretend as if we know who the criminals are and build more jails for them, judge others as less then and pretend as if some are more deserving than others. We will pat ourselves on the back for providing temporary shelter while ordering new locks for our doors. We will teach our children to praise the misfits Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed while educating them to build physical, economic, and even spiritual walls to keep out the misfit such as that Jesus character.
In short us humans will attempt to add some colorful lights and decorations to the holiday trees while forgetting to water them.
There are those misfits who will challenge each other to think outside of their tiny boxes. There are always the new teachers who take the words of the spiritual teachers seriously; those who will joyfully dance emotionally and spiritually naked; who refuse to quit loving and acting as if one can walk the talk while not punishing or judging those who have not yet found a way to loosen the chains of oppression, greed, addiction, or “more”.
Written December 9, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
In the Christian calendar this is the second Sunday of Advent; the second Sunday when Christians look forward to the birth of the child Jesus who would become this young man who would teach that all need to begin to look at each other and the rest of the world with new eyes. He, as did some other revolutionary teachers prior to him, suggest that one love one’s enemy; that one focus on one’s own ways of hurting others before judging another; that one feed the hungry, minister to those brothers and sisters in jail, tend to the sick and give away all one’s possession and follow his teachings.
Those who use this religious framework and claim to admire and seek to emulate the teachings of this radical, homeless, jobless man who accepted the equivalent of free food stamps (food stamp assistance), who welcomed the stranger, who would spend time with those who were considered less than or worse than are busy preparing for the grand feast of Christmas. Many will also drop some coins into the Salvation Army buckets, buy some needed items for a poor child whose parents cannot afford even the basics, and some will even write a check. Yesterday In downtown Pittsburgh many individuals and families were ice skating in the outdoor rink in front of the PPG buildings, enjoying the Christmas Village shops and related activities in Oxford Square, attending, as we were, a cultural even at one of the downtown venues or in nearby Oakland enjoying the Carnegie Museums or the amazing displays at Phipps Conservatory. Still others were crowding the shops and streets of the Strip District or otherwise preparing for religious holiday such as Christmas or the Festival of Lights.
Here in Wheeling, West Virginia People’s University hosted 8 published Wheeling female authors who have collectively published an impressive number of educational and entertaining works. The local professional symphony was joined by professional and local skaters for the Symphony of Ice performance, many came for the Super six games, and many others gathered with friends and co-workers for the first of the holiday parties
There was some local attention paid to yet more mass shootings in the United States, some notice was taken of yet more addiction related deaths, and many watched, read about and expressed opinions about the behavior of those “leaders” at the NATO conference, the impeachment proceedings and the tweeting behavior of various representatives of we the people.
There is much our behavior as humans that we can celebrate and yet, if not careful, we will carefully avoid the challenge of applying the teachings of that man Jesus to our day to day life with each other. We will instead cut food stamps for many, turn away those fleeing violence and poverty, ignore the fact that so much of our wealth is held by the 1%, continue to pretend as if we know who the criminals are and build more jails for them, judge others as less then and pretend as if some are more deserving than others. We will pat ourselves on the back for providing temporary shelter while ordering new locks for our doors. We will teach our children to praise the misfits Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed while educating them to build physical, economic, and even spiritual walls to keep out the misfit such as that Jesus character.
In short us humans will attempt to add some colorful lights and decorations to the holiday trees while forgetting to water them.
There are those misfits who will challenge each other to think outside of their tiny boxes. There are always the new teachers who take the words of the spiritual teachers seriously; those who will joyfully dance emotionally and spiritually naked; who refuse to quit loving and acting as if one can walk the talk while not punishing or judging those who have not yet found a way to loosen the chains of oppression, greed, addiction, or “more”.
Written December 9, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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