Sunday Musings – January 14, 2018
Today is the first day for many in the United States to begin events honoring and celebrating the ideals and work of Martin Luther King Jr. Here in Wheeling, the day will begin with a short peace march to be followed by a luncheon and an awards ceremony to honor some who have worked tirelessly to carry on the work of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and many others. Church services will then follow. Although the services will be ecumenical they will be decidedly more Christian. This will discourage some and allow other to do what I choose to call transpose. However one envisions the “system/being” which created and which continues to allow this universe and probably the universes to function as a unit, it is obvious that no person or part functions without affecting the whole. All parts are interdependent. Perhaps, this is not as obvious to those who are young or those who can only experience the individual slices of this puzzle. To some of us old people or anyone with a wider vision it seems to be difficult to ignore. Thus, it is this wide sense of wonder and gratitude that I will experience as I absorb the praise in song, word and deed of various religious traditions today.
Many will recall that prior to computers when one wanted to play or sing music by using the printed page of music no matter what key in which it was written one learned to train the mind’s eye to see it in the key that one wanted to play or sing it. Now, of course, I am sure that one can use a computer program to change the key. I suspect that many of us could benefit by practicing transposing in many aspects of our life. No matter what religious language we hear we can practice translating or transposing it into the language, which is most meaningful for us. I am not at all convinced that it matters what language we use as long as it is a language of loving non-violence. I would strongly recommend that all of us avoid negative and hateful language. Either we are all worthy of love and kindness or none of us are. I am well aware that some of the costumes and shields which fears drives many of us to use are, to say the least, unattractive, but we can see beyond those costumes and shields and not respond with unkind costume or shields of our own.
Martin Luther King, in all his limited humanness, believed that long-term love does conquer all. The fact that he was gunned down does not change that possibility. If we have the courage to think long term scholars will “prove” this to be the case. People of various faiths already know this.
Many thanks for the courage, love, and joyfulness of the life of all the Martin Luther Kings we encounter on this life journey.
Written January 14, 2018
Today is the first day for many in the United States to begin events honoring and celebrating the ideals and work of Martin Luther King Jr. Here in Wheeling, the day will begin with a short peace march to be followed by a luncheon and an awards ceremony to honor some who have worked tirelessly to carry on the work of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and many others. Church services will then follow. Although the services will be ecumenical they will be decidedly more Christian. This will discourage some and allow other to do what I choose to call transpose. However one envisions the “system/being” which created and which continues to allow this universe and probably the universes to function as a unit, it is obvious that no person or part functions without affecting the whole. All parts are interdependent. Perhaps, this is not as obvious to those who are young or those who can only experience the individual slices of this puzzle. To some of us old people or anyone with a wider vision it seems to be difficult to ignore. Thus, it is this wide sense of wonder and gratitude that I will experience as I absorb the praise in song, word and deed of various religious traditions today.
Many will recall that prior to computers when one wanted to play or sing music by using the printed page of music no matter what key in which it was written one learned to train the mind’s eye to see it in the key that one wanted to play or sing it. Now, of course, I am sure that one can use a computer program to change the key. I suspect that many of us could benefit by practicing transposing in many aspects of our life. No matter what religious language we hear we can practice translating or transposing it into the language, which is most meaningful for us. I am not at all convinced that it matters what language we use as long as it is a language of loving non-violence. I would strongly recommend that all of us avoid negative and hateful language. Either we are all worthy of love and kindness or none of us are. I am well aware that some of the costumes and shields which fears drives many of us to use are, to say the least, unattractive, but we can see beyond those costumes and shields and not respond with unkind costume or shields of our own.
Martin Luther King, in all his limited humanness, believed that long-term love does conquer all. The fact that he was gunned down does not change that possibility. If we have the courage to think long term scholars will “prove” this to be the case. People of various faiths already know this.
Many thanks for the courage, love, and joyfulness of the life of all the Martin Luther Kings we encounter on this life journey.
Written January 14, 2018
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