Sunday Musings – February 17, 2019
By the time Sunday arrives my head is filled with words, words and more words. Many arrive via the printed word and others via the spoken word. All join the many words which are frequently stored in the forms of stories I have told myself. With each word arriving from outside my head comes a strengthening or adjustment to those stories. Sometimes, the arriving words seem to not want to play with any of the words in the stories. They just hang out waiting. When I think of the week just passed the words include compromise, wall, emergency, punishment, suffering, joy and hope. There are also co-joined words which arrive in the form of phrases such as “to bear witness” (The Moth) , “The Beauty Puzzle” (RADIOLAB), The Power of God (Sermon by The Rev. Winnie Varghese at Wall Street Trinity Church), Valentine’s day, President’s Day, fake news, and a host of others. These phrases often arrived fully dressed in the costume de jour assigned by individuals or groups. Although many days I use the format of a blog to sort through some of these words and stories, on Sunday I must make room for the coming days and all the new words, phrases and stories which will arrive. Many, such as the Hallmark Valentine expectations of the emotionally and spiritually healthy, gorgeous partner who will return unconditional love without forcing me to adjust the schedule I have refined as a single person, are easy to let go. It is also relatively easy to let go of my obsessive worry about my responsibility for those fleeing all forms of violence and just focus on doing what is possible today – speaking out, welcoming all strangers I encounter, supporting those who have other forms of power to help.
I can also refuse to keep silent about my own pain or the pain of others. I can show up without attempting to hide my own shortcomings or vulnerability.
I can trust the evolutionary process and attempt to add little to the chemical, emotional, spiritual or political pollution. I can listen to programs such “The Beauty Puzzle” about evolution and what we humans can learn by studying birds whose evolution includes leaving only 3% of male species of birds with a penis or how the Bower birds insures the females have a choice of with whom they will mate.
I can practice obeying the teaching of Jesus to “love my enemy” – a teaching whose value is daily being validated by scientific studies of how abuse and love affect how we feel, think and behave.
I can remember to breathe and to attend to the mirrors which others, including those of whom I am judgmental, hold up to me.
I can focus on my own self-centeredness and self-righteousness without the need to impale myself on the sword of shame.
I can knead all those stories and words together and allow them to play with each other until they are ready for the oven and eventually to nourish my being.
February 17, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
By the time Sunday arrives my head is filled with words, words and more words. Many arrive via the printed word and others via the spoken word. All join the many words which are frequently stored in the forms of stories I have told myself. With each word arriving from outside my head comes a strengthening or adjustment to those stories. Sometimes, the arriving words seem to not want to play with any of the words in the stories. They just hang out waiting. When I think of the week just passed the words include compromise, wall, emergency, punishment, suffering, joy and hope. There are also co-joined words which arrive in the form of phrases such as “to bear witness” (The Moth) , “The Beauty Puzzle” (RADIOLAB), The Power of God (Sermon by The Rev. Winnie Varghese at Wall Street Trinity Church), Valentine’s day, President’s Day, fake news, and a host of others. These phrases often arrived fully dressed in the costume de jour assigned by individuals or groups. Although many days I use the format of a blog to sort through some of these words and stories, on Sunday I must make room for the coming days and all the new words, phrases and stories which will arrive. Many, such as the Hallmark Valentine expectations of the emotionally and spiritually healthy, gorgeous partner who will return unconditional love without forcing me to adjust the schedule I have refined as a single person, are easy to let go. It is also relatively easy to let go of my obsessive worry about my responsibility for those fleeing all forms of violence and just focus on doing what is possible today – speaking out, welcoming all strangers I encounter, supporting those who have other forms of power to help.
I can also refuse to keep silent about my own pain or the pain of others. I can show up without attempting to hide my own shortcomings or vulnerability.
I can trust the evolutionary process and attempt to add little to the chemical, emotional, spiritual or political pollution. I can listen to programs such “The Beauty Puzzle” about evolution and what we humans can learn by studying birds whose evolution includes leaving only 3% of male species of birds with a penis or how the Bower birds insures the females have a choice of with whom they will mate.
I can practice obeying the teaching of Jesus to “love my enemy” – a teaching whose value is daily being validated by scientific studies of how abuse and love affect how we feel, think and behave.
I can remember to breathe and to attend to the mirrors which others, including those of whom I am judgmental, hold up to me.
I can focus on my own self-centeredness and self-righteousness without the need to impale myself on the sword of shame.
I can knead all those stories and words together and allow them to play with each other until they are ready for the oven and eventually to nourish my being.
February 17, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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