Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Environmental concerns challenge us all
Environmental concerns are not only for scientists, lawyers and policy-makers. They are for all of us, not least since we all have moral responsibility for future generations.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
PEN Award finalists announced
From today's Washington Post, written by Marissa Newhall:
Books by Sherman Alexie, Barbara Kingsolver, Lorraine M. López, Lorrie Moore and Colson Whitehead are finalists for the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the PEN/Faulkner Foundation announced Tuesday.
Alexie's short-story collection "War Dances" and Kingsolver's historical novel "The Lacuna" are in contention for the $15,000 prize along with López's "Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories," Moore's "A Gate at the Stairs" and Whitehead's "Sag Harbor."
The winner of the award, the country's largest peer-juried prize for fiction, will be named March 23.
Judges considered nearly 350 entries -- all novels and short-story collections by American authors published in 2009.
Last year's winner, "Netherland" by Joseph O'Neill, was rushed into paperback after President Obama mentioned it in a newspaper interview. Having tired of briefing books, Obama said, he had taken respite in O'Neill's tale of cricket and friendship in post-9/11 New York City.
As each year's winner is thought of as "first among equals," all five finalists will be honored May 8 at an award ceremony at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Each runner-up will receive $5,000.
Books by Sherman Alexie, Barbara Kingsolver, Lorraine M. López, Lorrie Moore and Colson Whitehead are finalists for the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the PEN/Faulkner Foundation announced Tuesday.
Alexie's short-story collection "War Dances" and Kingsolver's historical novel "The Lacuna" are in contention for the $15,000 prize along with López's "Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories," Moore's "A Gate at the Stairs" and Whitehead's "Sag Harbor."
The winner of the award, the country's largest peer-juried prize for fiction, will be named March 23.
Judges considered nearly 350 entries -- all novels and short-story collections by American authors published in 2009.
Last year's winner, "Netherland" by Joseph O'Neill, was rushed into paperback after President Obama mentioned it in a newspaper interview. Having tired of briefing books, Obama said, he had taken respite in O'Neill's tale of cricket and friendship in post-9/11 New York City.
As each year's winner is thought of as "first among equals," all five finalists will be honored May 8 at an award ceremony at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Each runner-up will receive $5,000.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wrestle with life, then grow and learn
Wrestle with life, then grow and learn
Published: Friday, February 19, 2010 9:11 AM US/eastern
By NATHAN DAY WILSON
Wrestling with life, while always difficult and sometimes traumatic, is both unavoidable and, more importantly, necessary because wrestling with life helps us develop vision in life as well as expectations. Wrestling with life gives us insight as well as experience. We grow in compassion and in character. Wrestling with life — difficult and scarring though it is — transforms us and enables us to transform.
Wrestling with life is of the essence of life. In the process, we learn things about ourselves and we come to understand some things about God as well. God gives life, and in the giving allows us to be co-creators, full participants with the chance to make decisions, and part of making decisions is taking charge of our lives.
Wrestling with life drives us to find God within us and God in the darkness that surrounds us. Think about that for a moment. Some of us hesitate to say that God is within us, maybe because we think it sounds like we are puffing ourselves up, elevating ourselves above others, showing off and so on. Others hesitate to say that God is in the darkness that surrounds us, as though the darkness is only the absence of God.
But instead, a lesson from the story of Jacob wrestling in the dark, a lesson I think God would have us know is that wrestling with life helps us find God within and God in the darkness that surrounds us.
Here’s how Rumi, a 12th-century poet, put it:
I saw Grief drinking a cup of sorrow and called out, “It tastes sweet, does it not?”
“You've caught me, and now you've ruined my business," said Grief. "How can I sell sorrow when you know it's a blessing?”
There is beauty in the dark valleys of life. We call it hope. We call it spiritual growth -- grounded in the ability to remember a difficult past, either our own or someone else’s, that became new life more than we could ever imagine. Our difficult pasts — our times of scuffling and scrapping, rumbling and wrestling with life — prove to us that whatever it was that we ever before thought would crush us, would trample us, would completely paralyze us has been survived.
And if that is true, then we can survive and grow through whatever we are wrestling with now.
Published: Friday, February 19, 2010 9:11 AM US/eastern
By NATHAN DAY WILSON
Wrestling with life, while always difficult and sometimes traumatic, is both unavoidable and, more importantly, necessary because wrestling with life helps us develop vision in life as well as expectations. Wrestling with life gives us insight as well as experience. We grow in compassion and in character. Wrestling with life — difficult and scarring though it is — transforms us and enables us to transform.
Wrestling with life is of the essence of life. In the process, we learn things about ourselves and we come to understand some things about God as well. God gives life, and in the giving allows us to be co-creators, full participants with the chance to make decisions, and part of making decisions is taking charge of our lives.
Wrestling with life drives us to find God within us and God in the darkness that surrounds us. Think about that for a moment. Some of us hesitate to say that God is within us, maybe because we think it sounds like we are puffing ourselves up, elevating ourselves above others, showing off and so on. Others hesitate to say that God is in the darkness that surrounds us, as though the darkness is only the absence of God.
But instead, a lesson from the story of Jacob wrestling in the dark, a lesson I think God would have us know is that wrestling with life helps us find God within and God in the darkness that surrounds us.
Here’s how Rumi, a 12th-century poet, put it:
I saw Grief drinking a cup of sorrow and called out, “It tastes sweet, does it not?”
“You've caught me, and now you've ruined my business," said Grief. "How can I sell sorrow when you know it's a blessing?”
There is beauty in the dark valleys of life. We call it hope. We call it spiritual growth -- grounded in the ability to remember a difficult past, either our own or someone else’s, that became new life more than we could ever imagine. Our difficult pasts — our times of scuffling and scrapping, rumbling and wrestling with life — prove to us that whatever it was that we ever before thought would crush us, would trample us, would completely paralyze us has been survived.
And if that is true, then we can survive and grow through whatever we are wrestling with now.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Journaling
Feeling emotional? Write it down
By Nathan Day Wilson
Published: Friday, February 5, 2010 9:11 AM US/eastern
I love the ability of writing to change lives. My life, your life, our lives as a community — writing has the capacity to change them all, and change them for the better.
One of the ways our individual lives can be changed through writing is by keeping a journal. Psychologists have found that writing about your feelings can help the brain overcome emotional upsets and leave you feeling happier.
In particular, brain scans on volunteers showed that putting feelings down on paper reduces activity in a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is responsible for controlling the intensity of our emotions. They’re calling this the “Bridget Jones effect.” Kind of lame shorthand if you ask me, but nobody did. And my wife likes those movies, so don’t tell her I said that.
Here’s the skinny: Whether you elaborate on your feelings in a diary, pen lines of poetry or jot down song lyrics to express negative emotions, there appears to be positive healthy effects. UCLA psychologist Matthew Lieberman said the effect differs from catharsis, which usually involves coming to terms with an emotional problem by seeing it in a different light. Lieberman said, “Writing seems to help the brain regulate emotion unintentionally. Whether it’s writing things down in a diary, writing bad poetry or making up song lyrics that should never be played on the radio, it seems to help people emotionally.”
I think Lieberman was talking about me when he said that about bad song lyrics, but I’ll try not to be offended. Too much. I’ll deal with it in my journal.
The psychologists investigated the effect by inviting people to visit the lab for a brain scan before asking them to write for 20 minutes a day for four consecutive days. Half of the participants wrote about a recent emotional experience, while the other half wrote about a neutral experience. Those who wrote about an emotional experience showed more activity in the prefrontal cortex, which in turn decreased neural activity linked to strong emotional feelings.
Two parts of this study surprised me: Men benefited from writing about their feelings more than women, and writing by hand had a bigger effect than typing.
A quote from Lieberman made sense: “The reason (that men tend to show greater benefits) might be that women more freely put their feelings into words, so this is less of a novel experience for them.” Living in a house of all women, I can witness to the brother’s comments about women freely verbalizing their feelings!
Anyhow, the point of this column, if there is one, is that writing about your emotions can help. It can help you recover from emotional distress, process situations, release tension and more.
So get out those pens and write!
Wilson is pastor of First Christian Church, 118 W. Washington St. His book, “Waging Peace Amidst Raging War: The Impact of Religious Peacemaking Institutions” is to be published in the fall. His e-mail is nathan@fccshelby.org.
By Nathan Day Wilson
Published: Friday, February 5, 2010 9:11 AM US/eastern
I love the ability of writing to change lives. My life, your life, our lives as a community — writing has the capacity to change them all, and change them for the better.
One of the ways our individual lives can be changed through writing is by keeping a journal. Psychologists have found that writing about your feelings can help the brain overcome emotional upsets and leave you feeling happier.
In particular, brain scans on volunteers showed that putting feelings down on paper reduces activity in a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is responsible for controlling the intensity of our emotions. They’re calling this the “Bridget Jones effect.” Kind of lame shorthand if you ask me, but nobody did. And my wife likes those movies, so don’t tell her I said that.
Here’s the skinny: Whether you elaborate on your feelings in a diary, pen lines of poetry or jot down song lyrics to express negative emotions, there appears to be positive healthy effects. UCLA psychologist Matthew Lieberman said the effect differs from catharsis, which usually involves coming to terms with an emotional problem by seeing it in a different light. Lieberman said, “Writing seems to help the brain regulate emotion unintentionally. Whether it’s writing things down in a diary, writing bad poetry or making up song lyrics that should never be played on the radio, it seems to help people emotionally.”
I think Lieberman was talking about me when he said that about bad song lyrics, but I’ll try not to be offended. Too much. I’ll deal with it in my journal.
The psychologists investigated the effect by inviting people to visit the lab for a brain scan before asking them to write for 20 minutes a day for four consecutive days. Half of the participants wrote about a recent emotional experience, while the other half wrote about a neutral experience. Those who wrote about an emotional experience showed more activity in the prefrontal cortex, which in turn decreased neural activity linked to strong emotional feelings.
Two parts of this study surprised me: Men benefited from writing about their feelings more than women, and writing by hand had a bigger effect than typing.
A quote from Lieberman made sense: “The reason (that men tend to show greater benefits) might be that women more freely put their feelings into words, so this is less of a novel experience for them.” Living in a house of all women, I can witness to the brother’s comments about women freely verbalizing their feelings!
Anyhow, the point of this column, if there is one, is that writing about your emotions can help. It can help you recover from emotional distress, process situations, release tension and more.
So get out those pens and write!
Wilson is pastor of First Christian Church, 118 W. Washington St. His book, “Waging Peace Amidst Raging War: The Impact of Religious Peacemaking Institutions” is to be published in the fall. His e-mail is nathan@fccshelby.org.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Delta's Customer Disservice
It's hard to know whether Delta or Northwest has worse customer service. With their merger, I suspect the two employ a scorekeeper to mark which representatives have not helped the most customers. Today my guess is that Delta is in the lead.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Dónde está el amor?
“Dónde está el amor?” This was the question posed by a priest in mass today outside Chiapas, Mexico. “Where’s the love?” he asked us – when some control so much and manipulate those who have so little; when some limit education to the wealthy only; when some restrict the flow of natural resources, such as water, to others.
Where’s the love?
Where’s the love?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Now I’ve read some boring books in my life. Of that, there is no doubt. But at least I can say that most, perhaps all, of my boring reads were assigned, not selected.
Not so for my neighbor on a flight today. He, by choice, was reading Robert’s Rules of Order: All You Need to Know. “Why?” I inquired, secretly hoping he was the new board chair of some worthwhile nonprofit or needed a quick refresher before leading an influential meeting.
After a brief pregnant pause came the reply: “Just wanted to see what it said.”
We had no more conversation.
Not so for my neighbor on a flight today. He, by choice, was reading Robert’s Rules of Order: All You Need to Know. “Why?” I inquired, secretly hoping he was the new board chair of some worthwhile nonprofit or needed a quick refresher before leading an influential meeting.
After a brief pregnant pause came the reply: “Just wanted to see what it said.”
We had no more conversation.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Who will do God’s will?
Imagine the following scene. In a hurry, as usual, familiar words rush from your mouth: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on Earth as it is heaven.”
Suddenly, abruptly, almost curtly, a voice responds: “Are you sure?”
Shocked, you reply, “Sure of what?"
The voice continues: “Sure that you want my will to be done, my desires to be made actual.”
You: “Well, yeah, we could always use a little more heaven on Earth!”
The voice: “My will: No more children dying of hunger. No more extreme poverty. No more allowing the greed of a few to trump the need of many. Peace among nations, even religions. People truly loving me and each other. These are my desires. This is my will. Is this what you want?”
You: “Yes, sure. Absolutely. All of that sounds exactly right. It sounds very good, in fact.”
The voice: “Then what are you doing to make these things happen?”
Wondering how to finish this now uncomfortable dialogue, you mumble: “Em. Well. Me? What am I doing, you ask?”
The voice, in a calm yet firm tone: “Yes, you. If not you, who? Who else would do my will?”
The dialogue ends.
Wow. Try to catch your breath. If that dialogue happened to you, what would you think, feel and do? Would you ever dare to pray those words again?
After all, the voice — which we assume to be God’s voice — has called you out. You claimed to want God’s will on earth. And the voice met your claim and raised you one: What are you doing to make that claim become reality?
That’s a tough one. In fact, it is so tough that I think we ought to back up and blame it on Jesus. After all, he’s the one who used this phrase in his model prayer.
It’s true. Jesus was big on kingdom of God talk. Line up 100 New Testament scholars and ask what is most central to the message of Jesus, and I bet nearly 100 will say it is this idea that the kingdom of God can transform earthly kingdoms.
Or if you don’t like scholars, just open the Bible. Kingdom of God talk is all over the place, especially in the first three Gospels.In Mark, which is the oldest Gospel, Jesus uses the phrase in his inaugural address: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe this Gospel.” (Mark 1:15) Matthew and Luke both include kingdom talk in their beatitudes and many parables.
So, what did this phrase mean for Jesus? For Jesus, God’s kingdom had a present and a future meaning at the same time.
In the present, right now, you can claim the presence of God within you and among you within community. The future meaning aspect for the kingdom of God envisions a transformed world where relationships are deeper and the Earth and its fullness are rightly recognized as belonging to God. (Psalm 24)
There is more to say about this, but not today. After all, today I am thinking about your prayer to want things ordered the way they would be if God were king and other rulers were not.
It’s a big claim. Are you sure we want that?
Suddenly, abruptly, almost curtly, a voice responds: “Are you sure?”
Shocked, you reply, “Sure of what?"
The voice continues: “Sure that you want my will to be done, my desires to be made actual.”
You: “Well, yeah, we could always use a little more heaven on Earth!”
The voice: “My will: No more children dying of hunger. No more extreme poverty. No more allowing the greed of a few to trump the need of many. Peace among nations, even religions. People truly loving me and each other. These are my desires. This is my will. Is this what you want?”
You: “Yes, sure. Absolutely. All of that sounds exactly right. It sounds very good, in fact.”
The voice: “Then what are you doing to make these things happen?”
Wondering how to finish this now uncomfortable dialogue, you mumble: “Em. Well. Me? What am I doing, you ask?”
The voice, in a calm yet firm tone: “Yes, you. If not you, who? Who else would do my will?”
The dialogue ends.
Wow. Try to catch your breath. If that dialogue happened to you, what would you think, feel and do? Would you ever dare to pray those words again?
After all, the voice — which we assume to be God’s voice — has called you out. You claimed to want God’s will on earth. And the voice met your claim and raised you one: What are you doing to make that claim become reality?
That’s a tough one. In fact, it is so tough that I think we ought to back up and blame it on Jesus. After all, he’s the one who used this phrase in his model prayer.
It’s true. Jesus was big on kingdom of God talk. Line up 100 New Testament scholars and ask what is most central to the message of Jesus, and I bet nearly 100 will say it is this idea that the kingdom of God can transform earthly kingdoms.
Or if you don’t like scholars, just open the Bible. Kingdom of God talk is all over the place, especially in the first three Gospels.In Mark, which is the oldest Gospel, Jesus uses the phrase in his inaugural address: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe this Gospel.” (Mark 1:15) Matthew and Luke both include kingdom talk in their beatitudes and many parables.
So, what did this phrase mean for Jesus? For Jesus, God’s kingdom had a present and a future meaning at the same time.
In the present, right now, you can claim the presence of God within you and among you within community. The future meaning aspect for the kingdom of God envisions a transformed world where relationships are deeper and the Earth and its fullness are rightly recognized as belonging to God. (Psalm 24)
There is more to say about this, but not today. After all, today I am thinking about your prayer to want things ordered the way they would be if God were king and other rulers were not.
It’s a big claim. Are you sure we want that?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Questioning the prayer
Questioning the prayer
By Nathan Day Wilson
How many times have you said The Lord’s Prayer? A few hundred times? Many thousands? Never at all?
The prayer is a work of beauty, especially Matthew’s version with its pleasant cadences and well balanced couplets. Try reading this aloud so you can feel the pulse: “Our father in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done.”
Did you feel it? Whether it means anything to your faith or not, you have to admit there’s wonderful rhythm to the prayer, smooth and melodic.
For me, the prayer evokes many memories. I’ve prayed it with close friends and with complete strangers. Those words have celebrated new lives and consoled recent deaths. In rooms where all spoke the same language, and in rooms where languages were as numerous as people, I’ve claimed and clamored this prayer that Jesus taught his followers.
Yet for a prayer so beautiful, so evocative and so central to whom and whose I am, rarely have I thought about what each phrase in the prayer means or why Jesus decided to include it. So I asked myself some questions.
For example, I asked myself, “Self, why did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray? After all, prayer was a pillar of Jewish piety. Public prayer, spoken aloud in the morning, afternoon and evening was common.”Then I thought, “Hmmm, Self, that is a good question.”
Then I considered rewarding my good question with some mint chocolate chip ice cream, but decided I should ask more questions instead.
What do you think? Why did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray? Or what’s your answer to these questions: Why did Jesus organize the prayer the way he did? After the beginning invocation, is there anything significant about the order of his six requests? How was the prayer radical at the time when Jesus taught it?
And the big one: Does this prayer have relevance for you; or, do you just say the prayer now because that’s what others have always done?
Not to be rude, but if you’re not going to speak up with some answers, I’m going to ask one more question: Of all the images or ways that Jesus could have addressed God at the beginning of the prayer, why did he start by saying “Our Father?”
After all, Jesus could have said something like, “Holy One who loves us more than there is water in the deepest sea.” It would have been true, and poetic if I may say so. God does love us, and all creation, more than there is water in the deepest sea — or even all the seas combined.
Or Jesus could have addressed God as “Ground of all our existence.” Or even, “One whose strength surpasses the strongest boulder.” Both are true statements; both are apt descriptions.
But Jesus did not start the prayer with any of those. Instead, he started with the Aramaic word, “Abba.” Why?
Those are the sorts of questions I’ve been asking myself. The good and exciting news for me is that this weekend I’ll be sharing some answers to the questions. The congregation I get to serve, First Christian Church, is beginning a worship series about The Lord’s Prayer this Sunday at 10 a.m.
One of the most requested worship topics, I think and pray it’ll be a good series. I guess I’m not the only one interested in deeply experiencing this much loved prayer.
By Nathan Day Wilson
How many times have you said The Lord’s Prayer? A few hundred times? Many thousands? Never at all?
The prayer is a work of beauty, especially Matthew’s version with its pleasant cadences and well balanced couplets. Try reading this aloud so you can feel the pulse: “Our father in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done.”
Did you feel it? Whether it means anything to your faith or not, you have to admit there’s wonderful rhythm to the prayer, smooth and melodic.
For me, the prayer evokes many memories. I’ve prayed it with close friends and with complete strangers. Those words have celebrated new lives and consoled recent deaths. In rooms where all spoke the same language, and in rooms where languages were as numerous as people, I’ve claimed and clamored this prayer that Jesus taught his followers.
Yet for a prayer so beautiful, so evocative and so central to whom and whose I am, rarely have I thought about what each phrase in the prayer means or why Jesus decided to include it. So I asked myself some questions.
For example, I asked myself, “Self, why did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray? After all, prayer was a pillar of Jewish piety. Public prayer, spoken aloud in the morning, afternoon and evening was common.”Then I thought, “Hmmm, Self, that is a good question.”
Then I considered rewarding my good question with some mint chocolate chip ice cream, but decided I should ask more questions instead.
What do you think? Why did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray? Or what’s your answer to these questions: Why did Jesus organize the prayer the way he did? After the beginning invocation, is there anything significant about the order of his six requests? How was the prayer radical at the time when Jesus taught it?
And the big one: Does this prayer have relevance for you; or, do you just say the prayer now because that’s what others have always done?
Not to be rude, but if you’re not going to speak up with some answers, I’m going to ask one more question: Of all the images or ways that Jesus could have addressed God at the beginning of the prayer, why did he start by saying “Our Father?”
After all, Jesus could have said something like, “Holy One who loves us more than there is water in the deepest sea.” It would have been true, and poetic if I may say so. God does love us, and all creation, more than there is water in the deepest sea — or even all the seas combined.
Or Jesus could have addressed God as “Ground of all our existence.” Or even, “One whose strength surpasses the strongest boulder.” Both are true statements; both are apt descriptions.
But Jesus did not start the prayer with any of those. Instead, he started with the Aramaic word, “Abba.” Why?
Those are the sorts of questions I’ve been asking myself. The good and exciting news for me is that this weekend I’ll be sharing some answers to the questions. The congregation I get to serve, First Christian Church, is beginning a worship series about The Lord’s Prayer this Sunday at 10 a.m.
One of the most requested worship topics, I think and pray it’ll be a good series. I guess I’m not the only one interested in deeply experiencing this much loved prayer.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Light of truth in healthcare
The Shelbyville News
Light of truth in healthcare
By Nathan Day Wilson
First of all, thank you for the many emailed, telephoned and in person compliments on last week’s column. And, thank you for the complaint: a good reminder of the difficulty of writing hyperbole. I appreciate them all.
It was a fun column to write.
This week’s column, I’m afraid, is every bit as important but not as much fun. In fact, this week I write with a sad and heavy heart.
Here’s why: The past couple weeks have been very difficult for the soul of all Americans. In the midst of discussing important healthcare issues that will affect your family and mine for generations, too many of our fellow citizens have decided to resort to lies and uncivil behavior.
Whether they support reform or the status quo, their misinformation and divisive tactics sadden me, embarrass me and concern me for the well-being of our country.
You may have received some of their emails. Usually without the names of authors or supporting citations, the emails claim such ludicrous lies as healthcare reform would force families to receive care ordered by a government panel instead of qualified, trained doctors and their staff.
Another popular email claims that elderly would be left to die if healthcare reform passed. This is also untrue, and sickening that anyone would even write such a lie.
Why are some people doing this? I’m not sure, and I pray they stop. My guess is they benefit from the system as it is – a system that delivers the best health care to the wealthiest and leaves 46 million fellow Americans with no health insurance at all.
My guess for why people circulate intentionally untrue emails and act in violent ways is that they want us to be afraid. I never appreciated bullies, and I still don’t.
I think it should stop. For those of us who are Christians or belong to other faith groups, it should stop. For all of us who embrace the Golden Rule, it should stop. For us who seek justice and fairness, it should stop. If for no other reason than just our common identity as Americans, it should stop!
Let’s ask for, even demand, a healthcare discussion that is factual. Let’s demand one worthy of your family and my family; a discussion that brings our communities together instead of fragmenting us further.
Proverbs 12 says that “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Well, special interests, your moment is up. Now we want real healthcare discussion, not misinformation. We want the light of truth, not the heat of your fear-mongering.
--
Wilson is senior pastor of First Christian on West Washington St, which this week will celebrate all students, teachers, administration, staff and school board members at the 10:00 worship.
Light of truth in healthcare
By Nathan Day Wilson
First of all, thank you for the many emailed, telephoned and in person compliments on last week’s column. And, thank you for the complaint: a good reminder of the difficulty of writing hyperbole. I appreciate them all.
It was a fun column to write.
This week’s column, I’m afraid, is every bit as important but not as much fun. In fact, this week I write with a sad and heavy heart.
Here’s why: The past couple weeks have been very difficult for the soul of all Americans. In the midst of discussing important healthcare issues that will affect your family and mine for generations, too many of our fellow citizens have decided to resort to lies and uncivil behavior.
Whether they support reform or the status quo, their misinformation and divisive tactics sadden me, embarrass me and concern me for the well-being of our country.
You may have received some of their emails. Usually without the names of authors or supporting citations, the emails claim such ludicrous lies as healthcare reform would force families to receive care ordered by a government panel instead of qualified, trained doctors and their staff.
Another popular email claims that elderly would be left to die if healthcare reform passed. This is also untrue, and sickening that anyone would even write such a lie.
Why are some people doing this? I’m not sure, and I pray they stop. My guess is they benefit from the system as it is – a system that delivers the best health care to the wealthiest and leaves 46 million fellow Americans with no health insurance at all.
My guess for why people circulate intentionally untrue emails and act in violent ways is that they want us to be afraid. I never appreciated bullies, and I still don’t.
I think it should stop. For those of us who are Christians or belong to other faith groups, it should stop. For all of us who embrace the Golden Rule, it should stop. For us who seek justice and fairness, it should stop. If for no other reason than just our common identity as Americans, it should stop!
Let’s ask for, even demand, a healthcare discussion that is factual. Let’s demand one worthy of your family and my family; a discussion that brings our communities together instead of fragmenting us further.
Proverbs 12 says that “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Well, special interests, your moment is up. Now we want real healthcare discussion, not misinformation. We want the light of truth, not the heat of your fear-mongering.
--
Wilson is senior pastor of First Christian on West Washington St, which this week will celebrate all students, teachers, administration, staff and school board members at the 10:00 worship.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Custom made or cookie cutter religion
My wife Janice likes to bake, which is good since I like to eat what she bakes! It’s one place where our universe aligns and everything works out peachy.
Cookies are her specialty. Her cookies may be tried and true, such as chocolate chip or my favorite monster cookie, or they may be new and experimental. Her cookies may be round and chewy, or they may be flat and crisp. They may be loaded with chocolate, or sans chocolate but chock full of nuts and berries.
When our daughters were younger, Janice would sometimes bake with them using cookie cutters. Sometimes the molds were metal, sometimes they were plastic; their job was always the same: mold the cookie dough into identical shapes so that the cookies would look the same.
If you promise to keep a secret, I’ll tell you that I liked the Christmas tree shapes the best, though the Halloween pumpkins were swell too. Yes, I said “swell.”
There are definite good reasons for using cookie cutters. First of all, they are convenient. Baking cookies with a preformed shape is much more convenient, much easier than baking cookies that are shaped by hand.
Cookie cutters are also good because – at least in theory – the end result of using cookie cutters is a batch of cookies that looks the same.
And finally, cookie cutters help with quantity. You can produce a lot more cookies in a shorter amount of time when you are just stamping them out than when you take the time with each and every cookie.
But there are downsides too. Cookies made with cookie cutters are not nearly as creative as ones that are handmade. They don’t tell you as much about the personality of their baker. The shape imposed may not fit the cookie dough very well either: after all, whoever heard of a Christmas tree with a big raisin sticking out of it!
Religious communities are similar. Some are like cookie cutters, trying hard to stamp believers all into the same mold. Their approach to worship and education and service is more of “one size fits all” approach, rather than a customized, open approach.
Sometimes faith communities of this sort demand conformity of thought and action. At their worst, they shout, “My way is the only way!” and demean those who disagree.
Other religious communities – churches, synagogues and mosques – realize that faith is handmade. Sure there are absolutes, and they should be known. But there is much more that God shares with us in ways appropriate to each of us. There’s much more individual shaping that God does in our lives so that we complement, not conform to, each other.
It takes time and care to shape a faith of this type. You have to get your hands messy to make this kind of cookie.
How can you tell one type from the other? Listen to the language used. Does it encourage deeper thought, more genuine reflection and authentic engagement? If so, it is more of the handmade faith variety.
Or is the language closed? Does it duck the hard questions? Is there a pretend attitude that the world is of two shades with simple choices, rather than multicolored and complex? If so, then you have yourself a cookie cutter approach.
So now you are wondering which type is better? In my opinion, it is the handmade, open ended, willing to ask difficult questions and trust more in God’s mysterious grace than our definite understanding type. But I’ll say again that both types of religious communities have their positives.
The main thing is for you to consider which one you prefer – custom made or cookie cut.
Cookies are her specialty. Her cookies may be tried and true, such as chocolate chip or my favorite monster cookie, or they may be new and experimental. Her cookies may be round and chewy, or they may be flat and crisp. They may be loaded with chocolate, or sans chocolate but chock full of nuts and berries.
When our daughters were younger, Janice would sometimes bake with them using cookie cutters. Sometimes the molds were metal, sometimes they were plastic; their job was always the same: mold the cookie dough into identical shapes so that the cookies would look the same.
If you promise to keep a secret, I’ll tell you that I liked the Christmas tree shapes the best, though the Halloween pumpkins were swell too. Yes, I said “swell.”
There are definite good reasons for using cookie cutters. First of all, they are convenient. Baking cookies with a preformed shape is much more convenient, much easier than baking cookies that are shaped by hand.
Cookie cutters are also good because – at least in theory – the end result of using cookie cutters is a batch of cookies that looks the same.
And finally, cookie cutters help with quantity. You can produce a lot more cookies in a shorter amount of time when you are just stamping them out than when you take the time with each and every cookie.
But there are downsides too. Cookies made with cookie cutters are not nearly as creative as ones that are handmade. They don’t tell you as much about the personality of their baker. The shape imposed may not fit the cookie dough very well either: after all, whoever heard of a Christmas tree with a big raisin sticking out of it!
Religious communities are similar. Some are like cookie cutters, trying hard to stamp believers all into the same mold. Their approach to worship and education and service is more of “one size fits all” approach, rather than a customized, open approach.
Sometimes faith communities of this sort demand conformity of thought and action. At their worst, they shout, “My way is the only way!” and demean those who disagree.
Other religious communities – churches, synagogues and mosques – realize that faith is handmade. Sure there are absolutes, and they should be known. But there is much more that God shares with us in ways appropriate to each of us. There’s much more individual shaping that God does in our lives so that we complement, not conform to, each other.
It takes time and care to shape a faith of this type. You have to get your hands messy to make this kind of cookie.
How can you tell one type from the other? Listen to the language used. Does it encourage deeper thought, more genuine reflection and authentic engagement? If so, it is more of the handmade faith variety.
Or is the language closed? Does it duck the hard questions? Is there a pretend attitude that the world is of two shades with simple choices, rather than multicolored and complex? If so, then you have yourself a cookie cutter approach.
So now you are wondering which type is better? In my opinion, it is the handmade, open ended, willing to ask difficult questions and trust more in God’s mysterious grace than our definite understanding type. But I’ll say again that both types of religious communities have their positives.
The main thing is for you to consider which one you prefer – custom made or cookie cut.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
True Freedom
My latest newspaper column:
http://www.shelbynews.com/articles/2009/07/04/news/doc4a4d764d87bfe777292734.txt
http://www.shelbynews.com/articles/2009/07/04/news/doc4a4d764d87bfe777292734.txt
What means much to you?
Father never accepted any gift from his students, but when his daughter became a teacher, she never refused any gifts from her students.
The father was upset by this practice, so one day he reproached his daughter: "I do not accept any gift because gifts mean nothing to me. It pains me to know that you grab all that your disciples bring to you."
The daughter replied: "Father, if gifts mean nothing to you, why are you bothered whether I accept them or reject them?"
In my life, what means much to me, even when I think it doesn't?
The father was upset by this practice, so one day he reproached his daughter: "I do not accept any gift because gifts mean nothing to me. It pains me to know that you grab all that your disciples bring to you."
The daughter replied: "Father, if gifts mean nothing to you, why are you bothered whether I accept them or reject them?"
In my life, what means much to me, even when I think it doesn't?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Words That Create Community
This is from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey and is titled "Words That Create Community."
The word is always a word for others. Words need to be heard. When we give words to what we are living, these words need to be received and responded to. A speaker needs a listener. A writer needs a reader.
When the flesh - the lived human experience - becomes word, community can develop. When we say, "Let me tell you what we saw. Come and listen to what we did. Sit down and let me explain to you what happened to us. Wait until you hear whom we met," we call people together and make our lives into lives for others. The word brings us together and calls us into community. When the flesh becomes word, our bodies become part of a body of people.
The word is always a word for others. Words need to be heard. When we give words to what we are living, these words need to be received and responded to. A speaker needs a listener. A writer needs a reader.
When the flesh - the lived human experience - becomes word, community can develop. When we say, "Let me tell you what we saw. Come and listen to what we did. Sit down and let me explain to you what happened to us. Wait until you hear whom we met," we call people together and make our lives into lives for others. The word brings us together and calls us into community. When the flesh becomes word, our bodies become part of a body of people.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Marriage is like ....
Can als be found at http://www.shelbynews.com/articles/2009/06/27/news/doc4a43debaed39b936699370.txt
A phone call in the night
By Nathan Day Wilson
Today is my wedding anniversary. It’s also my wife’s.
I’m not going to tell you how many years we’ve been married. Don’t want to mess up the math. Let’s just say that, for me, it seems like our marriage began yesterday; for my wife, I think concepts of eternity come to mind. We’ve been married somewhere in between.
Perhaps due to the anniversary, or perhaps due to a recent writing conference, or perhaps due to the many weddings I am celebrating this year, or perhaps due to indigestion, I was wondering what a good metaphor for marriage is. You know, “Marriage is like ….” and then you fill in the blank to describe this abstract idea of marriage.
To help me develop a good metaphor, I started to ask my wife, but then remembered wisdom of one of my late heroes, comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who said, “I haven’t talked to my wife in years. I didn’t want to interrupt her.”
I took his advice and decided instead to check with others. Of course, lots of people have had lots to say about marriage.
From philosophers, even the esteemed Socrates: “By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you will become happy; and if you get a bad one, you will become a philosopher.”From film directors, such as King Vidor: “Marriage is not a word; it is a sentence.”
Similarly, from authors, such as John Mortimer: “Marriage is like pleading guilty to an indefinite sentence. Without parole.” And Helen Rowland: “Marriage is like twirling a baton, turning handsprings or eating with chopsticks. It looks easy until you try it.”
And of course, there are words aplenty from comedians, such as Evelyn Hendrickson: “Marriage is like a phone call in the night: first the ring, and then you wake up.” And I’m sure you’d be surprised that Dave Barry has said a word or two about marriage: “Contrary to what many women believe, it’s fairly easy to develop a long-term, stable, intimate and mutually fulfilling relationship with a guy. Of course this guy has to be a Labrador retriever. With human guys, it’s extremely difficult.”
Of course, no column that mentions marriage is complete without quoting Mae West: “They say love is blind ... and marriage is an institution. Well, I’m not ready for an institution for the blind just yet.”
That's enough already. Let’s move on to something worth remembering. For instance, the sentimental side of me — yes, there is one, I just hide it — likes this quote from Ivern Ball, “A good marriage is like a good trade: Each thinks he got the better deal.”
That’s something I would include in my metaphor for marriage. As well as something about how my wife inspires me with her concerns and commitments. Something about how she impresses me with her capacity to remember schedules and balance interests. Something about how she impacts my life, the lives of our children, of our family, of people on the other side of the world with her love.
With all those words from others and thoughts of my own, I decided it was time to develop my own metaphor for marriage. So I asked myself, “Self, what is marriage like?”
But before I answered, I was interrupted. Go figure.
A phone call in the night
By Nathan Day Wilson
Today is my wedding anniversary. It’s also my wife’s.
I’m not going to tell you how many years we’ve been married. Don’t want to mess up the math. Let’s just say that, for me, it seems like our marriage began yesterday; for my wife, I think concepts of eternity come to mind. We’ve been married somewhere in between.
Perhaps due to the anniversary, or perhaps due to a recent writing conference, or perhaps due to the many weddings I am celebrating this year, or perhaps due to indigestion, I was wondering what a good metaphor for marriage is. You know, “Marriage is like ….” and then you fill in the blank to describe this abstract idea of marriage.
To help me develop a good metaphor, I started to ask my wife, but then remembered wisdom of one of my late heroes, comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who said, “I haven’t talked to my wife in years. I didn’t want to interrupt her.”
I took his advice and decided instead to check with others. Of course, lots of people have had lots to say about marriage.
From philosophers, even the esteemed Socrates: “By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you will become happy; and if you get a bad one, you will become a philosopher.”From film directors, such as King Vidor: “Marriage is not a word; it is a sentence.”
Similarly, from authors, such as John Mortimer: “Marriage is like pleading guilty to an indefinite sentence. Without parole.” And Helen Rowland: “Marriage is like twirling a baton, turning handsprings or eating with chopsticks. It looks easy until you try it.”
And of course, there are words aplenty from comedians, such as Evelyn Hendrickson: “Marriage is like a phone call in the night: first the ring, and then you wake up.” And I’m sure you’d be surprised that Dave Barry has said a word or two about marriage: “Contrary to what many women believe, it’s fairly easy to develop a long-term, stable, intimate and mutually fulfilling relationship with a guy. Of course this guy has to be a Labrador retriever. With human guys, it’s extremely difficult.”
Of course, no column that mentions marriage is complete without quoting Mae West: “They say love is blind ... and marriage is an institution. Well, I’m not ready for an institution for the blind just yet.”
That's enough already. Let’s move on to something worth remembering. For instance, the sentimental side of me — yes, there is one, I just hide it — likes this quote from Ivern Ball, “A good marriage is like a good trade: Each thinks he got the better deal.”
That’s something I would include in my metaphor for marriage. As well as something about how my wife inspires me with her concerns and commitments. Something about how she impresses me with her capacity to remember schedules and balance interests. Something about how she impacts my life, the lives of our children, of our family, of people on the other side of the world with her love.
With all those words from others and thoughts of my own, I decided it was time to develop my own metaphor for marriage. So I asked myself, “Self, what is marriage like?”
But before I answered, I was interrupted. Go figure.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Not Being Distracted
Can You Hear Me?
The master of ceremony bragged on the elementary-aged award recipients: their concern for the environment, their vision of a recycling program, their stamina to make the vision a reality. He called their names. Wild applause, some standing, pictures flashing. But only one recipient appeared.
When the emcee repeated the second name, there was muffled laughter when someone said, “Em, he’s in the john!” Apparently the little boy just couldn’t hold it any longer. This was his big moment, his chance to shine, his opportunity. His name was called, his response was anticipated, but he was in the john!
I wonder how often I am “otherwise occupied” when God calls my name. Something God wants to teach me, something God wants to show me, something God wants to give me - even bigger than a community award – and I am, well, distracted. For what is God calling my name?
For example, lately God is teaching me how fragile life is, showing me how important relationships are, giving me the gift of faith in the midst of struggle and calling me to more focused ministry.
How about you? What is God teaching, showing, giving your right now? For what is God calling your name? I don’t pretend to know the answers for you, but I am always eager to discern the answers with you.
Please contact me for opportunities to talk.
It’s your big moment. God is bragging about you. God is calling your name. So, try not to spend it in the john!
See you soon at the place where God teaches, shows, gives and calls-
Nathan
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Musicals as communication
I don’t know enough, but since you don’t know that I don’t, I’ll act like I do.
I’ve listened to musicals throughout my life, but feeling their power and assessing their quality are new to me. While affinity is finally decided by the temperamental viewer, there are some standards.
Quality musicals begin with powerful voices. If the voices are weak, it’s likely the musical is weak. Consistently misuse a voice and it may develop nodules, which can ruin a voice and a musical.
Quality musicals tell interesting stories without taking too long. Take too long and the audience may fall asleep. The more interesting the story, the longer can be the musical – if necessary.
Quality musicals are packed with striking costumes and stunning sets. The details of both energize the audience, enhance the production and enliven the story.
Quality musicals finish strong, unlike this essay.
I’ve listened to musicals throughout my life, but feeling their power and assessing their quality are new to me. While affinity is finally decided by the temperamental viewer, there are some standards.
Quality musicals begin with powerful voices. If the voices are weak, it’s likely the musical is weak. Consistently misuse a voice and it may develop nodules, which can ruin a voice and a musical.
Quality musicals tell interesting stories without taking too long. Take too long and the audience may fall asleep. The more interesting the story, the longer can be the musical – if necessary.
Quality musicals are packed with striking costumes and stunning sets. The details of both energize the audience, enhance the production and enliven the story.
Quality musicals finish strong, unlike this essay.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Good writing
This week I’m at the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research to participate in a writer’s conference. It’s my first time to the Institute, though I have long been a fan of its publications and other work.
I awoke this morning at 6:00 and walked down a road and across a bridge to the other side of Lake Stumpf. The problem was that my phone, which of course serves as my clock since that makes sense, did not automatically reset to local time, as I expected. I discovered this upon entering the fitness center, which I was pleased to find open, and a few ROTC members said the center was open only for the ROTC until 6:30. It was 5:40.
I like the architecture and layout that I saw on Saint John’s University campus. The Sexton Commons in particular, which I was also pleased to find open (no shops or stores within the building were yet ready for the day’s business, but the building itself was open with a few food service employees milling about), is a very attractive space.
Here’s a quote from Michael Dennis Browne, a librettist, from a publication of the Collegeville Institute: “A good piece of writing is an opportunity for the reader to imagine. You, the reader, are given the ingredients, the makings; the cooking is up to you. It does require a certain temperature if the water is to boil.”
This week I hope to learn more about providing ingredients.
I awoke this morning at 6:00 and walked down a road and across a bridge to the other side of Lake Stumpf. The problem was that my phone, which of course serves as my clock since that makes sense, did not automatically reset to local time, as I expected. I discovered this upon entering the fitness center, which I was pleased to find open, and a few ROTC members said the center was open only for the ROTC until 6:30. It was 5:40.
I like the architecture and layout that I saw on Saint John’s University campus. The Sexton Commons in particular, which I was also pleased to find open (no shops or stores within the building were yet ready for the day’s business, but the building itself was open with a few food service employees milling about), is a very attractive space.
Here’s a quote from Michael Dennis Browne, a librettist, from a publication of the Collegeville Institute: “A good piece of writing is an opportunity for the reader to imagine. You, the reader, are given the ingredients, the makings; the cooking is up to you. It does require a certain temperature if the water is to boil.”
This week I hope to learn more about providing ingredients.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Socializing
What kind of adult?
By Nathan Day Wilson
Published: Friday, June 12, 2009 7:13 AM US/eastern
A woman who attends First Christian Church recently scheduled counseling with me. She wanted to discuss her teenager and seek suggestions.
You’ve probably seen the scenario she described: Her teenager can text with phone in pocket, keep up with friends on Facebook and create an excellent video PowerPoint — all while listening to an iPod and balancing on one foot. (OK, I added that “balancing on one foot” part for effect.)
Much to the mother’s chagrin, however, that same teenager can barely make a bed or give directions from our church on West Washington Street to his house. Said teenager won’t look adults in the eye or audibly greet them. Perhaps most disconcerting to mom, her teenager seems to have no appreciation for community projects, needs or issues.
Mom to me: “What kind of adult will (her teenager) become?”
I reassured her that erratic behavior for teens has been around as long as teens have been around. It’s common as children become teens and teens become young adults.
As we talked further, though, something else occurred to me. While our bodies are biologically maturing earlier due to nutritional and genetic influences, I wonder if some aspects of our social maturity are being delayed due, at least in part, to technological advancements and time spent with technology.
So I looked into this and found others more learned than I to be in agreement. For instance, two psychologists, Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson, wrote a book about it titled “Mismatch: Why Our World No Longer Fits Our Bodies.”
Their thesis can be summarized by this line: “The coincidence of reproductive and social maturation which existed for most of our history has been lost.”
Reading that made me ask myself: “Self, what does it mean to be socially mature?” Gluckman and Hanson say it is having “the skills necessary to be a successful adult.” Even I can remember that definition, so it works well enough for me.
Being the astute reader that you are, you probably could predict what I wondered next: If being socially mature means having the skills to be a successful adult, then what are those skills?
At this point in your reading pleasure, you are invited to ponder for two moments and name what skills you think are needed in order for one to be a successful adult.
OK, that’s enough pondering. Don’t want you to hurt yourself. Let me quickly say that I do not agree that time spent online is necessarily wasted time.
In fact, I think some social skills are learned while using technological tools and toys. Like what, you ask?
Well, like the fact that social worlds negotiated online are permanent, public and involve managing elaborate networks of friends and acquaintances. Or, like the fact that online socializing is always on and always immediate.
But there are other skills not well developed online, such as the skill of learning what it feels like to contribute to the care of one’s home. I know it can be a drag, but having a home that is somewhat organized and clean is mind-clearing and uplifting.
Here’s another skill that many teens I know greatly appreciate: Volunteering. I know many teens at First Christian and outside it who love to volunteer, not least because of the “helper’s high” they get from doing so.
Now, here’s where you come in. What skills would you say are needed for one to be a successful adult? I’d really like to know. Please send them to me at nathan@fccshelby.org, or by using the comment function if you read this online.
Adolescents are demonstrating their abilities to master technology; maybe we all together can develop abilities to live meaningful lives.
By Nathan Day Wilson
Published: Friday, June 12, 2009 7:13 AM US/eastern
A woman who attends First Christian Church recently scheduled counseling with me. She wanted to discuss her teenager and seek suggestions.
You’ve probably seen the scenario she described: Her teenager can text with phone in pocket, keep up with friends on Facebook and create an excellent video PowerPoint — all while listening to an iPod and balancing on one foot. (OK, I added that “balancing on one foot” part for effect.)
Much to the mother’s chagrin, however, that same teenager can barely make a bed or give directions from our church on West Washington Street to his house. Said teenager won’t look adults in the eye or audibly greet them. Perhaps most disconcerting to mom, her teenager seems to have no appreciation for community projects, needs or issues.
Mom to me: “What kind of adult will (her teenager) become?”
I reassured her that erratic behavior for teens has been around as long as teens have been around. It’s common as children become teens and teens become young adults.
As we talked further, though, something else occurred to me. While our bodies are biologically maturing earlier due to nutritional and genetic influences, I wonder if some aspects of our social maturity are being delayed due, at least in part, to technological advancements and time spent with technology.
So I looked into this and found others more learned than I to be in agreement. For instance, two psychologists, Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson, wrote a book about it titled “Mismatch: Why Our World No Longer Fits Our Bodies.”
Their thesis can be summarized by this line: “The coincidence of reproductive and social maturation which existed for most of our history has been lost.”
Reading that made me ask myself: “Self, what does it mean to be socially mature?” Gluckman and Hanson say it is having “the skills necessary to be a successful adult.” Even I can remember that definition, so it works well enough for me.
Being the astute reader that you are, you probably could predict what I wondered next: If being socially mature means having the skills to be a successful adult, then what are those skills?
At this point in your reading pleasure, you are invited to ponder for two moments and name what skills you think are needed in order for one to be a successful adult.
OK, that’s enough pondering. Don’t want you to hurt yourself. Let me quickly say that I do not agree that time spent online is necessarily wasted time.
In fact, I think some social skills are learned while using technological tools and toys. Like what, you ask?
Well, like the fact that social worlds negotiated online are permanent, public and involve managing elaborate networks of friends and acquaintances. Or, like the fact that online socializing is always on and always immediate.
But there are other skills not well developed online, such as the skill of learning what it feels like to contribute to the care of one’s home. I know it can be a drag, but having a home that is somewhat organized and clean is mind-clearing and uplifting.
Here’s another skill that many teens I know greatly appreciate: Volunteering. I know many teens at First Christian and outside it who love to volunteer, not least because of the “helper’s high” they get from doing so.
Now, here’s where you come in. What skills would you say are needed for one to be a successful adult? I’d really like to know. Please send them to me at nathan@fccshelby.org, or by using the comment function if you read this online.
Adolescents are demonstrating their abilities to master technology; maybe we all together can develop abilities to live meaningful lives.
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