Author: rkcdlitt

Optimism is with us . . . if we allow it

If we agree that there is an instinct for freedom and progress, that there are opportunities for change, then there is a possibility that we can collectively contribute to making our world better. Our world seems to be coming apart at the seams. People are upset and in the streets demonstrating; masses of our population have no idea what is true and what is false. These two diverse views come together when we see that people are waiting for what will eventually come; and it shall come, but maybe not the way we expect.

Talking with people, I find there is an optimism that seems to be contradictory to current events. This optimism will keep us on the path to progress, the path to true freedom. When Christians and other people of faith get back to the foundations and the One we follow, we see that rebirth of these concepts is not only possible, but key to this journey, this pathway. Our faith is especially important and helpful at this critical moment when the health of the very existence of life forms are seriously at risk.

We can see so little. Life unfolds slowly and in stages. When we look at today, at the now, we should practice a posture of compassion: we’re not seeing everything there is to see and understand. There’s always more; there is always something hidden from view that we must allow room to grow, room to mature, developing into something we can grasp and mold to the greater needs. We cannot be selfish; we must be humble enough to accept that others are involved and others need care.

We were created for union, for working together; but this can present a feeling of emptiness. We spend most of our lives projecting and protecting our own small ideas, thinking in a mode of separate self-image. In a world based on ideology, it seems impractical to talk of unit and compromise; but isn’t this what makes us and has made us as the most prosperous and progressive civilization in history. We have lost these concepts.

I pray that our leaders, political, educational, and spiritual can offer a unified message that working together is what works. Then, we might regain the instinct for freedom and progress, regain the objective of making the world, the whole world, a better place to live.

^{Miscellaneous thoughts on New Year’s day:}

^{One of the practices that we as humans have is to make a superabundance of resolutions that we have no real design in keeping. I am only making one this year. With only one, I might have a better chance of working to change my little corner of the world. I will try my best to be much more aware of my surroundings, and how I usually disrespect them. I am not going to become an eco-freak, but I am going to take care on what and how I waste.}

^{From the book of Genesis, God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” The earth feeds us, all 6 billion of us. We have to stop abusing our home. Towards the end of the first chapter of Genesis, God stepped back, looked at his creation, and declared that it was very good.}

^{I wonder how good it is today.}

^{One of my abuses is the use of my car; I am guilty of over using it. I have an eco-friendly car, if there is such a thing. I-95 is a parking lot most hours of most days. I can’t open the window without breathing all the exhaust fumes.}

^{Rather than convince our political leaders that we must increase mass transit, we allow and encourage them to pave over more of the Earth to allow us to drive even more.}

^{Keeping with the idea of driving everywhere, I look on the shoulders of I-95 and see a garbage dump. It seems that many people don’t know that they can keep their garbage in their car and then put in receptacles at rest stops. Or, they may just not care. Our highways are garbage cans for the uncaring; but our city streets are even worse. The trash I see in the gutters characterize a barbaric society.}

^{If we cannot place our garbage in proper waste baskets, it is highly unlikely that we can begin respect the Earth God gave us.}

^{If I take this one step further, if we cannot respect the Earth, how can we respect each other. We are so consumed by our own needs that we place our desires, our comfort ahead of all else. This includes people, animals, and plants; everything that God declared very good.}

^{My prayer this first day of 2018 is that all people take the time to think of others before themselves to allow others to enjoy the life that God has given us.}

Not too Simple!

I believe that we are caught up in the throes of a renewed awakening, a period of sustained cultural and political transformation during which our ways of seeing the world, understanding ourselves, and expressing faith are on the cusp of change.

Intense change will end what most of us believe or assume to be true. The monumental transformation in our society has created a creates the double-edged monster of decline, what must follow is renewal. God did not promise that nothing would harm us; She promised to be with us and guide us regardless of the perils we face. And we do face immense perils in our society and the world today.

I do not agree with what our leaders are doing in Washington; this includes members of both political parties. I want to be fair to all people and their beliefs. My father was a staunch Republican, absolutely have no use for the Democrats. As a youth, I agreed with him. Then came reality. I am what some would call an independent, having voted for people on both sides of the aisle. I matured in the 1960s with the political and social unrest brought on by the Vietnam War, the fight for civil rights for all people, and the ERA for women. The 1960s was a period of intense and hateful divisions in our country.

We then went into a period of relative calm. Our leaders joined forces to enact true improvements for the citizens of this country. Then, as in all history, we as a people became complacent, just as did the ancient Israelis 2500 years ago. The 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and now the 2010s brought chaos in the cultural and political lives of the country.  We, the people, have forgotten that we are the government; we have allowed special interest groups to rule us.

We must return to what our values based on our faith, not money; and, I am not centering on any one religion. I have read the holy books of most religions in the world and as a general rule, I have found that all teach the same basic message: Love God, Love our neighbors (including strangers), and Love ourselves. Welcome those who are in need or need a place to eat and sleep.

This seems to be such a simple message; but it is a message that we have long forgotten. It is critical that we reverse the downward slope we are traversing, before it is too late. We shirk our responsibilities to others and care only for ourselves. I heard a religious person from Detroit say that we cannot blame the politicians for our woes. They are only doing what they know how to do . . . protect themselves. This is a perfect example of how we act and react towards each other. We voted for these politicians; well, not really; only 51% of us voted; the rest of us did not care to vote.

I know I have gone way off the title of this, but I will return to it. Our lives depend on us following very simple rules that can be extremely difficult if we allow them to be. We must Love God, Love ourselves, and love our fellow man. We must also demonstrate this Love daily. If we do not, we will find it almost impossible to experience the profound transformation needed.

I have always believed in the KISS principle. Keep it simple, stupid. I despise the word stupid; after all, I am an educator and do not believe that people are stupid. However, in this case, I will overrule my own unofficial conduct and us this term, because I believe that unless we recognize what we must do, the minimum we must do, we will fail as a society, as a world society.

There are merely three days before we greet a new year and face new problems, or maybe old problems that seem to have magnified. It is time to take a step backwards and seek patience, guidance, and the freedom to release our tainted minds, loosen our controls over those things we view to be certitudes. A time for change should begin with a time to seek greater guidance in our lives. When we pray for this guidance, we are already being guided by God; the desire for guidance is this first step to easing our pre-determined controls that have made us edgy in the old year. When we seek guidance, God is with us, helping us to find the correct way.

As we face this change, this new beginning, let us pause to receive the Joy of this past Advent season, remembering what brought us to this time of year. Look at our families; be thankful for all the blessing received by and for those closest to us. Look around for any words of kindness, any generosity, any acts of charity.

Linda and I had the occasion to join others in a celebration of communal loving kindness. The Table at St. George’s Episcopal Church is a vital ministry for those in need in the Fredericksburg area. There are many congregational and client volunteers who work unselfishly to bring much needed food to our neighbors. The celebration last night was to thank those who diligently work behind the scenes to bring this ministry to life. A handful of people give their time to individually bag food donations from such businesses and Panera, and Wawa. These donations fill a gap in what we can purchase; they come to us in bulk and must be separated, discarding any spoiled food, and then individually wrapped for presentation at The Table. Hours of tedious work are required each week. This handful of volunteers are a blessing, and a joy to be with.

We also have another group of volunteers that rises very early on Christmas morning, congregate at St. George’s, and prepare Christmas packages for the homeless families who must live in one-room motels to keep their children off the streets. This year, these volunteers delivered over 200 food packages to our neighbors living in motels in Fredericksburg.

Little things such as this may go unnoticed by the masses, but they are the vital tasks that need requires. These volunteers are gifts from God.

Our challenges for the new year will still be present; however, with our recognition that we must be diligent in our efforts, be thankful for our volunteers, and by all means take the time to thank God for his blessings, and his support in our efforts to bring love and kindness to our neighbors. We celebrate this relationship.

The term mend brings many ideas to life. The obvious thought is to repair, or when speaking of people, to heal. However, if we go a little further outside the lines of conformity, we can think of mending as rejuvenating, putting on something new. One of the readings from James reminds me that when a person was suffering in biblical times, people would gather around, pray over the one who was sick, then anoint him with oil, purifying him with the presence of the Lord.

This is an interesting custom that we no longer practice. It could be that we no longer have the time to gather when a person is suffering, or it could be that it being a Jewish practice, the Christian community rejects this practice. Or, it could be that we lack the faith to travel down this ancient road; we no longer have the faith that God heals. All too often, we run to a clinic to get a magic pill to heal us, overlooking God’s plans for us.

I am pointing my fingers at me. At my age, and after all that has happened to my body, I rush to my family GP to be cured, when I know that the cure I receive is only for my physical side . . . only!

One thing that certain Christian faiths do is the practice of laying on of hands. I have been the recipient of a laying on of hands ceremony. The first time was a prayer by the congregation at our church in New Jersey as we said goodbye to them after being a part of the congregation for 34 years. The experience was very moving, but I was not in the frame of mind to appreciate the true meaning behind it. I merely accepted their wishes for a safe future.

The second time was orchestrated by my wife and my personal trainer. They suckered me into attending a prayer service at a church in Spotsylvania County; it was a Wednesday evening prayer service. After the regular participants shared their needs and were prayed over, my trainer spoke, announcing a guest who needed prayers . . . me. Not wanting to embarrass anyone, I agreed. And was brought to tears.

Since then, I have become a prayer minister at my church, laying on of hands to those who join my prayer circle Sunday mornings. The presence of God in the prayer corner, when we are praying together for grace, is always apparent. We can feel God’s presence, as we turn our attention from ourselves to reflect on the Goodness, Love, and Compassion of our Lord. In a word, we are both healed; we are both mended in the presence of God. It is a most enchanted moment for both of us. It is not new; it just seems that way.

Renewal during Advent

I had an interesting experience yesterday; I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right wrist. If that’s not bad enough four days before Christmas, the I had to be at the hospitably 6:00 AM.

I thought I was handling the situation perfectly, until the nurse took my blood pressure. I normally have a blood pressure near 115/65; yes, I do exercise regularly. I am normally a very relaxed person, who does not allow the day-to-day annoyances to bother me. Well, when she took my blood pressure, the reading was 152/98. Very high! She explained that just the fact that I was having surgery will increase the rate, due to anticipation. Oh! How cool a customer I am.

From check-in through the time when I finally was wheeled into the operating room, my faith in humanity, jaded as it sometimes is, was fully renewed. Linda and I were greeted by smiling faces and warm greetings. The nursing staff was totally professional, very pleasant, and desired only to make me as comfortable as possible. The anesthesiologist and the surgeon were pleasant and efficient, and the surgery went as planned. During the recovery and discharge, I was treated with the greatest respect, competence, and above all gentleness and smiles galore.

It is a wonder how a concept, such as renewal, appears and becomes a most important factor in our lives.

I have had a wonderful life! I have experienced business failure and many medical issues, but I have always had people around me who were supportive, loving, and understanding. It is the greatest gift that a person can receive. As I ponder the life I have had, I can see many times when my faith was shattered (temporarily) only to by those around me, even if faith was not the issue.

My wife, Linda, who always says that she finds it difficult to pray, is a living prayer. Daily, she renews my faith in the Love and Goodness that God graces our lives with. What she has done for me for the fifty years we have been married, she is now doing for those struggling with their lives in Fredericksburg. Through her kindness and loving nature, she helps renew the faith and lives of others.

I stress this, because what Linda offers, what the nurses and profession staff and Spotsy hospital give on a daily basis is what we all endeavor to find. We need the love and support of all the people we meet, and when we experience it, we discover that our lives have been renewed, allowing us to continue our journeys, maybe not with ease, but definitely made easier by those around us.

This renewal is one of the many gifts God gives us. I pray that I can keep my experiences in mind, allowing me to offer this same blessing to others . . . continuously.

Embracing during Advent

A question arises: how can we embrace the true meaning of Advent without alienating those who believe in a different manner as us. We sometimes find it difficult to embrace what Desmond Tutu says: “Ubuntu … speaks of the very essence of being human. … It is to say, ‘My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours.’ We belong in a bundle of life. We say, ‘A person is a person through other persons.’” 

We cannot accept the Love of God if we try to prevent others from experiencing this same Love, no matter what our official name for God is. This is the time of year when we must embrace this idea, embrace others, and move forward to a position of acceptance. This is what the message of Jesus is; this is what the message of Advent is.

If our faith cannot lead us into embracing each other, then our faith is paper thin. It is merely a testimonial to our lifeless beliefs. If God is truly Love, then we must love each other as He loves us. I am a hugger; I believe that as God hugs us, we must hug each other to give each other comfort. And, yes, I do hug other men. Why not? Women hug each other without people sneering; men should be able to do the same. If people object to men hugging, we, that’s their problem.

I thank God for giving us this time of year, this time of Advent, to remind us how close we really are. I don’t worry about how a person looks, what religion he practices, how intelligent he is, or how much money he has. God certainly doesn’t care; so, it is so wrong for me to care. What I care about is that the person in front of me is on a path, a journey of his own, facing sometimes insurmountable difficulties. Perhaps if he does not return my happy greeting, he may be in a period of personal trauma. My kind words, my hug, could make all the difference to him at this particular moment, this particular time.

God is where we come from, and God is where we will end up. By extension, the following is also true. If Love is where we are from, and Love is where we are going to end up, then why should we not express that love in our everyday lives.

I have had three different encounters over the last two days. I had a fireplace technician come to my home yesterday to clean my gas fireplace. It is the original fireplace, probable 10 – 15 years old. No parts available. I agreed to buy a new one, and the workmen installed it yesterday; no appointment a month or two away. Really, six days before Christmas. Expensive, but a nice Christmas gift. We also got to know each other as the work was proceeding. When the men were finished, I had three new friends.

Later in the day, I had a service clean my leaf-filled gutters. It took if a very short time to clean them; he reduced the price, and we spoke of power washing the house in the spring. As we were speaking, I brought coffee outside (a nice 55 degrees) and I gained a new friend.

The last visit was me to one of my doctors. It was more of a chat than an examination. We shared grandchildren photos and spoke of our family plans for Christmas. I told him how bless my wife and I are, since our son will be home for Christmas for the first time in about eight years, maybe longer. He is no longer my doctor; he is my friend.

In all three instances, we embraced each other, figuratively, and enjoyed being together as equals. Financially we are not; but that does not matter. We are in this life together, and we must embrace each other.

We cannot embrace God and Heaven, without allowing others to do the same.

Happy Christmas to all.

In the 1970s, Debby Boone sang a song called “You Light up my Life.” Shortly after, stars, such as Johnny Mathis and Kenny Rogers followed suit; Rogers’ version is my personal favorite.

As we approach Christmas, we are again nearing the light; only this light is much more brilliant than anything a songwriter could compose. Christian liturgy teaches us that a candle is a gift consuming itself, reminding us of the prayer of faith. We have vigils imploring intercession. The Paschal Candle is symbolism of the risen Christ Jesus. The biblical readings and prayers at the Easter Vigil reminds us of God’s presence.

Light is very important to us a people of faith. It is our duty to keep this light burning within us, showing our true nature to those we meet, as we progress through our daily drudgery. We must turn this daily drudgery into a walk of faithful gratitude. Gratitude for those around us, no matter how cranky they may seem on a particular morning.

As we project this light to our friends, family, and coworkers, we not only lighten our lives, we lighten theirs also. The kindness projected by this inner light awakens a similar light within those we meet. We may not realize it immediate, and for that fact, others may not appreciate it immediately. As we continue to offer this light to others, the aura, the eminence of this light grows in importance. People look forward to greeting you, because they know that they will be received in kindness.

Advent is so much more than preparing for Christmas. It is a time to remember who we are, who our fellow men and women are, and how we stand together in our Love for God, ourselves, and all others . . . family, friends, and strangers.

Trust is a word that we rarely hear or speak of in our labyrinthine society. There is no room for trust, when most people around us are concerned more with outward appearance than inward sincerity.

In Matthew, Jesus promises us the following: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” This is a major leap of faith for us to take. It is very challenging, and sometimes seems absolutely incredulous, to think that a promise made 2000 years ago remains plausible in the midst of today’s societal corruption.

It will and does take time to comprehend what this means to us in 2017: perhaps, it takes prayer, or for those who do not pray, meditation, to have the faith to find the truth. In my case, this is God’s Truth. I cannot have survived the physical and psychological episodes in my life without accepting this Truth.

I am very concerned about the path we, as Americans, are taking; and, I am not just speaking about the last twelve months. I refer to the last 20-plus years. I look back over this time, only to be appalled at how far we have strayed from our Christian commandments. I want to expand this to include those offered by the ancient Hebrews and the traditional Muslims. All people of faith offer similar, if not identical, commandments. Primary in these three religions is the duty, THE DUTY, to help one another, to welcome the stranger in our midst.

When we welcome the stranger, he becomes a permanent part of our lives, even if we only meet him for a short period. We are now in the holy days of Hanukah, and the Christian Advent period, leading to our celebration of Jesus’s birth. We will invite friends and families into our homes, exchange gifts, and call ourselves people of faith, only to put these feelings on the top shelf in the pantry until next year. We are the hypocrites we accuse others of being.

I pray that we can change. We need a social revolution . . . hopefully, non-violent. If we accept the challenge, we will face hardships much worse than violence. We must accept the fact that our struggle to change is a struggle against all the institutions that we are . . . inside. We must take a philosophical, or spiritual leap, to become more human. If we can reconstruct ourselves, we will rehabilitate the world.

Preparing ourselves is one way of awaiting what returns to us this during this season. We must open our minds and hearts to receive that which is stolen from us throughout the year.

We are continuously bombarded by just about everything negative over the course of our 21^st century year, so much so that as Christmas approaches, we add the duties we feel are pressures to us to prepare for the great coming day. In a word, we are exhausted from all the preparations that we do to have a successful Christmas.

It would be phenomenal if we would take this time to step back, step back from all that tears us from what truly matters. My wife and I contracted to have our kitchen refinished. We began planning this project in September with the idea that we would have a completely new kitchen to show off during the holiday season. Watch is that old maxim? God loves it when we plan ahead, or make plans for the future. We are 14 days from Christmas day, and word has it that our new counter tops will not be ready until sometime in January. Disappointing? Yes, but not destructive for the upcoming Christmas day.

When looking at what truly matters, not having finished countertops doesn’t come anyway near what truly matters. This Christmas day, this December 25^th, 2017 is going to be beyond question a God-given gift for the Carter family. For the first time in several years, our son will be with us on this blessed day. He works for the government, and with his specialty, he is deployed once a year to the Middle East. For the last several years, he has been out of the country from November through February. He does this to allow those with families, who work with him, can be with their families at Christmas. This year, he will be with us. This is, second to none, the most joyful Christmas present that anyone can give Linda and me.

What will make this Christmas great is our family being together again for the holidays. We do not have to go buy anything, nor do we have to prepare anything special for this, absolutely, one of the greatest gifts a parent can receive. We have prayed for this, and this year it will happen. We didn’t do anything special to receive this gift, except wait in Love, praying for the best.

This is a little like what Christmas should be . . . always. I would like to take this family promise and extend it to a much broader, a much more important, yet much less demanding situation. As we prepare for this Christmas, let us step back from our daily man-made pressures and rejoice in what is rapidly approaching. The renewal of the Christmas story is a beautiful annual treasure for us . . . if we open our hearts and minds to what is truly important.

God gives us every gift we receive; we do not have to ask for it. If it is important, we receive it from God, because he Loves us. As our son is our child, we are children of God. We rejoice when our love for our children is returned in kind. We glory over how well our children have matured into responsible adults with families of their own. In our case, our son’s family, at least one that is very important to him, is those family men and women who work with him. He gives freely of his love for his family, just as we do for our family.

This is exactly what God does and feels for us. His gifts come freely, because He loves us; because She Loves.

As we prepare during this season of Advent, can step away from our everyday self-inflicted tensions to realize that we have already received the greatest gift of all, and this greatest story ever told as repeated to us during Advent? I pray that my friends near and far, my friends whom I cherish,  and those I have yet to meet, will all take the time to open our hearts and our minds to the gift that genuinely matters . . . and share this gift with all.