Flowing in the Darkness

Wednesday Morning Quarterback

2011-07-06T08:10:00.002-04:00

Sports culture dominates. And sports culture invites everyone to participate, not just the athletes on the field/court. We know what plays to run better than the coaches. We know who not to put on Dirk to defend the last shot. We know who should have won American Idol, who the best star dancer was. And we are even allowed to "vote" on who should win.

Sports culture spilled over this week into the legal field. Millions of 13th jurors decided that the 12 jurors on the field made the wrong move. We know better than them. From the 30 scattered minutes I watched, she was clearly guilty. And I know the law inside and out and I am never influenced by the media nor Facebook.

So we are mad and sad. Mad at the injustice. Sad for the little girl. But we are a Christian nation and so its ok because (and here I summarizing about 50 FB posts)...

God will get her someday.

Its Osama all over again. Except this time, we didn't get the satisfaction of revenge killing but our God will.

Dear followers of Jesus Christ, is this really a helpful message? Is this the way that Christ would want us to respond to the situation?

When I read one FB posts that says "I hope Casey knows that God loves her and will forgive her" I will leave the bench and enter this game.

True Blood, In-Vitro Meat, and Human Compassion

2009-06-30T11:23:00.000-04:00

Recently I was watching HBO’s vampire series True Blood. This got me thinking: If a more powerful life form has developed a synthetic, cruelty-free way to feed themselves, then why can’t human beings? The parallel is not exact. Vampires must drink blood to survive. Human beings can live without consuming animal flesh. But for most, the craving for meat (and the social pressure to eat it) is too strong to resist.

I have been a vegetarian for 14 years with a short period about 3 years ago when I ate meat occasionally. During that time, I succumbed to social pressure and just didn’t think about what I was eating. I think most people would rather not think about it and because (in this culture) it is widely accepted as normal, most people just keep eating what they want.

A 2008 study showed that more meat was eaten worldwide last year that at any other time in history (not sure how long statistics have been kept on this). Meat is a luxury and as developing nations advance economically, more meat will be consumed (see India and China). This means, generally, more environmental problems from land degradation, animal waste and methane gas (cow farts).

When I first read about in-vitro meat production in the University of Chicago Alumni Magazine http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0906/features/future_fillet.shtml), I was repulsed. And although I would probably never eat it, if it reduces animal suffering and environmental degradation, then I am willing to lend my support.
Vampires (I assume) are not real and human beings are in the fortunate position to be the most powerful creatures on this planet. But what if we were not? Would we object to being breed and slaughtered for the consumption of another species? Would we not try to convince the “higher” species that they could synthesize human flesh?

For more information, see http://invitromeat.org/content/view/12/55/

A (maybe not so) Hypothetical Question

2009-06-05T20:40:00.001-04:00

If you won 1 Million USD and you had to give it away to one or more organizations, which ones would you give to and why? Discuss.

The Life You Can Save - Creating a Culture of Giving

2009-06-03T12:12:00.004-04:00

Peter Singer argues in his latest book (http://www.thelifeyoucansave.com)

1. Suffering and death from lack of food/shelter/medical care are bad.
2. If we can prevent something bad from happening without sacrificing anything nearly as important, it is wrong not to do so.
3. By donating to aid agencies (the good ones who do good work), you/we can prevent suffering and death without much personal sacrifice.
4. If we do not donate, we are going something wrong.

Its hard to find fault with his argument. I want to find fault. You mean, if I buy that new flat-screen and spend money on something I don't need, then I am doing something wrong?

Singer goes on to defend many of the most levied-criticisms and common objections to giving. More interesting (to me at least) is his description of research showing why people give and why they don't.

1. We are more likely to give if we think that others are already doing it.
2. We are more likely to give if the person/people we are giving to are identifiable.
3. We are less likely to give when we think the situation is futile.
4. We are less likely to give if the responsibility for helping does not rest entirely on us. The phenomena is known as "The Diffusion of Responsibility."

This book has got me thinking about what I give and why and how much I give. In tough economic times, people are giving less and less especially to those groups serving the poorest of the poor.

TheLifeYouCanSave's challenge is simple. You can view he pledge here. http://www.thelifeyoucansave.com/pledge/pledge.php?curr_country=171&lang=EN

For me, its about 2% of my annual income. Not really that much. I did it (still researching who to give to). And if all American taxpayers did it, 471 billion would be raised.

Happy Giving,
Brent

Blogging for a Cause

2009-05-25T09:38:00.003-04:00

KIva.org, an organization I support, is participating in a "Blogging for a Cause" contest. Are you familiar with Kiva? Kiva provides a way for you to get involved with microfinance, to provide a small loan to men and women around the world who want to start or expand small businesses. Your money is pooled with other people's money for a micro-loan which is then repaid by the lender. You then get your money back and you can lend again.

My first loan for $25 was to Makbuliddin Boboev. Makbuliddin is 31 years old, married and had three children. He lives in the picturesque mountain region of Isfara, in the Vorukh district of Afghanistan. Every year, from June to July, is the season for drying apricots. At this time, Makbuliddin and his family go to orchards to gather aprictos for drying. His total loan was $600 for a 10 month term which is paid back 100%.

Although there is a small risk of default, I do not consider this charity. It is a way for your money to help empower others who are trying to improve their lives. It is your money which goes out and comes back and works over and over again.

If you haven't checked it out, I encourage you to go to www.kiva.org
And for a great introduction to microfinance, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Yunus

Brent

This blog post is part of Zemanta's "Blogging For a Cause" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

Life in the Slowed-Down Lane

2009-05-13T17:48:00.002-04:00

A little update on what I am doing these days (and maybe you can help me piece it all together).

First, I am working on greening my life, house, driving, eating habits, etc. I am walking to work (when there are no tornadoes expected). I am composting. Sara and the boys planted lettuce, peas, peppers, and tomatoes in a neighbor's garden (thanks Robin!). We also signed up for a 1/2 share of fruits/veggies/herbs from a local organic farm. We pick up first box on June 1 (yeah!). For the college I work for, I am brainstorming a grassroots effort to work on sustainability issues. Working name: Culver's Green Team. Financially, I am studying the SRI movement, natural investing, and ESG investing (environmental, social, and corporate governance). This is for personal preferences and also because I hope to one day help my friend Pete with his financial planning business www.krullco.com. (Krull & Company is a financial services firm specializing in Socially & Environmentally Responsible Investing. We help you align your investments with your values.)

Second, I am working on class preparation for 2 new-to-me courses next semester. New Testament - reviewing material I have previously studied. Zen, Punk Rock, and Personal Transformation - this is an First Year Experience course, my own creation, and I'm jazzed about it. We'll listen to a lot of music, sit zazen, read Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen and work on writing skills.

Third, this summer, I will be homebrewing. The equipment was donated and I have some extra malts left over from my last try (hope this batch turns out better). If its any good, I'll let you know.

Destroy what needs to be, Love the Rest,
Brent

Emergency Help for My Friend in Mexico

2009-05-11T17:29:00.002-04:00

I know its been a long, long time since I've blogged. The following post comes from a good friend of mine in Mexico. I can personally attest to the need to provide "food packages" to some of the poorest people I have ever had the privilege of meeting.

If you would like to help, you can email me for more information. Any small amount will go a long way to helping those who need it most. All money will go directly to the people who need it most (not to overhead, administration, etc.)

Please read on...

This has been a particularly difficult year for our country: the economic crisis, the presence each day of organized crime, the contamination problems, and now the serious sanitary crisis for the outbreak of a new type of virus that attacks the population. In general, they take us as being en a state of alert.

This is a hard test of faith for all the citizens of this country; the people fear for their health and for their security. For preventative measures, we have made the decision to send the students home, following the recommendations of the federal government.

Thinking a little of the future, we want to invite you to participate in our fund for emergencies. We know that, due to this health crisis, many people are left without employment and without means of survival. For that, we would like to increase our food and water program in communities of limited resources. If you are interested in that, do not hesitate to send me an email in order to receive more information about it.

Also, we ask for prayers. In this very difficult time for our country and for our people, there is nothing better than the protecting hand of our Lord, taking the load for us. We are convicted that without the help of God, we could not get very far.

We very much appreciate your friendship and your prayers. We will continue confiding in God and doing our work as much as we can.

We know that the crisis is the ideal time to reinforce our faith and that separated from God, we can do nothing.

We send you a great greeting.

Sincerely,
Samuel Rodriguez
IBB

Just the Facts

2005-08-31T09:27:00.000-04:00

Recently I read the thought-provoking book Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt, an economist from the University of Chicago (my graduate alma mater). Levy argues that if morality is the way things should be, then economics is the way things are. Through the analysis of large sets of data, he debunks conventional wisdom on a variety of subjects from the reasons for the decrease in crime rates (its not gun control or better policing), to cheating in schools, to supposedly wealthy drug dealers who still live with their moms. His main point: time and energy constraints prevent most of us from examining the facts – we would rather go by conventional wisdom, which is often wrong.

In the realm of popular religion, the fallacy of conventional wisdom is exacerbated. “Because that’s the way it is.” “Because that’s what my grandmother believed.” “Because the Bible says so.” These statements are used to justify all kinds of beliefs, which have nothing to do with the facts. For example, let’s examine some recent “controversial” news stories in which religious beliefs were the prime motivating factor.

“Pastor” Fred Phelps pickets soldier’s funerals because he believes that American soldiers in Iraq are being killed as Divine retribution against the United States because we are a godless country. Why? Because we “tolerate” homosexuals, rather than execute them as Phelps recommends. Beyond the hatred and bad theology, this assertion is a monumental leap of logic. Soldiers are killed because they are shot with bullets and blown up with bombs. What does God have to do with it?

President Bush endorses “intelligent design” as an acceptable alternative “theory” that should be taught in public schools. Because he is not a scientist, I assume his endorsement stems from his religious beliefs (or political allegiance to certain religious groups). A scientific theory is an established and experimentally verified fact or collection of facts about the world. Unlike the everyday use of the word theory, it is not an unproved idea, or just some theoretical speculation. The latter meaning of a “theory” in science is called a hypothesis. Evolution is a theory that has been tested and verified over and over again. It provides a reasonably good answer to the “how” question of creation. It cannot answer the “why” question. Science is based on facts but that doesn’t mean it has an exclusive claim to Truth. But, then, neither does religion. To use an example from philosopher Ken Wilbur, think of a building with two different floors. Many scientists and theologians argue that science tells us about one floor and religion about the other floor. But what if science and religion told us something different about each floor? Start with the facts – life evolves. What can science tell us about this fact? What can religion tell us? Of course, teaching religious viewpoints in school (i.e. intelligent design) raises legitimate concerns about the separation of church and state. Which religious viewpoint should be taught? What if the view is not the one your religion accepts?

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I say, “The unexamined belief is not worth listening to or defending.” Before you accept someone’s message as truth, do some investigating. Research the facts. Not everything that “sounds right” is right.

Time for a New-Fashioned Book Burning

2005-07-11T07:49:00.000-04:00

Last week I got a flyer from a local Christian bookstore (which I won't name since it wouldn't be "Christian" of me to do so). It seems it is time for Buzz Night, a time when youth are encouraged to bring in their "secular" CDs, posters, and movies and have them destroyed. In return, they get the priviledge of 20% off a Christian CD from the bookstore.

Reactions: anger, pity, "I'm cancelling the church's account," laughter, "Maybe this could be a teaching moment."

So let's learn:

1. Is everything that is not specifically labeled "Christian" an obstacle to an authentic spiritual life?
2. What is the difference between "secular" and "sacred"?
3. Does Christ destroy culture or transform it?
4. Is it ethical to profit from your faith? (Yes I know I am a pastor and receive a salary for my work. But is that different from offering my book for sale on the communion table before the service?)
5. Is it ethical to destroy somebody's art just because they don't call themselves Christian? (Many "secular" artists are in fact Christians - they just don't market their art that way)

Finally, what should I do in this situation? Write them a letter, boycott, picket, or just pray for their enlightenment?

"What is Religion?"

2005-07-06T07:34:00.000-04:00

With Tom Cruise and Scientology all over the news recently, I have been focusing on the question, "What is religion?" Yesterday a local disc-jockey commented, "Doesn't a religion have to have some type of deity figure?" (Scientology does, I'm led to believe) The answer is "no," at least in the eyes of the U.S. government, Buddhists, and Unitarian Universalists. But what exactly does constitute a "religion," as compared to a club, cult, fraternity, or any other community of people united for a common purpose?

The answer, I imagine, is as multifarious as the various religions and the diverse people who practice them. What is religious for one is secular for another. The holy and the profane are in the beholder's eye.

Recently, a salesman was sitting in my office and I was telling him the story about how the church I serve used to own a liquor store and about how our church building was originally purchased by townsfolk to keep it from being turned into a juke joint. He said that if he ever started a church it would a combination blues bar and sanctuary. The language of the Blues was religious for him.

Why not? At least I could go to the same place on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Hell, I could just sleep at the church/bar, shower, and be ready to preach the Blues without an ounce of hypocrisy seeping through my beer-soaked forehead sweat.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2005-07-05T09:36:00.000-04:00

I am back from a long absence due to serving as co-director for a church camp in Gordon, Georgia. For the 2-3 of you who read this blog, I apologize for my lack of writing.

The theme for the week was "God's Calling," which is (in my opinion) overused and poorly understood. As the Church (in all its manifestations) struggles to find clergy, I imagine it will continue to push the idea of "calling," especially to its young people.

What does it mean for God to "call" when you don't believe in "God" as as a personlike being, separated from you; when you believe in God as the Totality of All-That-Is, including but not limited to who-you-are.

What if you never find your call? Does your life have no purpose? Recently I heard about a woman who was devasted after reading The Purpose Driven Life because she didn't know what her purpose was.

If life has a "purpose," I think it is more general and universal. Wholeness, community, joy - these are the purposes of Life and its up to us to work out the specifics.

Glad to be back with you,
Brent

The Evil of Doing Good

2005-06-16T08:31:00.000-04:00

For Protestant Christians, the RCL text for Sunday is from Romans 6. It concerns sin and the act of dying to sin (in baptism) and being alive to God in Christ. Paul calls it "walking in the newness of Life."

Commentaries on this text are interesting. Many focus on how we end up sinning (or doing evil/bad things) in the process of doing what we think is good and right.

For example, this morning I heard Randall Terry ranting about how he heard Terri Shaivo say she wanted to live and how, despite all medical and legal evidence to the contrary, her husband abused her, wanted to kill her, and is an evil man. I don't doubt that Mr. Terry has convinced himself that his statements are true. And he has a higher agenda that fuels him - some type of anti-abortion, "right to life" agenda that he believes God has called him to fight for. But this doesn't mean that it is right to lie, manipulate the truth, and defame a man's character, no matter what good you think will come out of it.

The same goes for W who lied about weapons of mass destruction in order to convince the public that we needed to invade Iraq. Maybe Saddam did need to be removed by force, but this doesn't mean that it is right to lie, to manipulate the truth, no matter what good you think will come of it.

To be fair, let me offer an example from the other side. Gitmo needs corrected. It is an embarassment to the example of human rights that the USA is supposed to model. 520 prisoners are held, without being charged with a crime, without access to legal respresentation. But this doesn't mean that the people there are being abused. And to make that suggestion, even with the higher intent of forcing Gitmo's reform, is wrong.

We need to be careful about what we do because of what we believe to be "good." We may just end up doing more harm before any good can ever occur.

Don't call it a comeback...

2005-06-14T14:24:00.000-04:00

Tyson boxed (terribly) last weekend. MJ is back in the spotlight. Phil Jackson has been re-hired as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. And Alanis Morisette has re-released her breakthrough album Jagged Little Pill, this time acoustic and re-interpreted.

Philosopher, madman, Frederick Nietzsche believed in the idea of the "eternal return," which was, for him, horrifying. Briefly stated,

For time is infinite, but the things in time, the concrete bodies are finite.... Now, however long a time may pass, according to the eternal laws governing the combinations of this eternal play of repetition, all configurations that have previously existed on this earth must yet meet, attract, repulse, kiss, and corrupt each other again.... And thus it will happen one day that a man will be born again, just like me...

Nobody enjoys the same old shit, which is why we are constantly seeking to re-invent ourselves, even while we are (mostly unknowingly) having the same thoughts, same emotions, same experiences over and over again.

When I went to college I remember thinking, "now I can change who I am. Nobody here knows me - I can be whomever I want to be." But then gradually I came to realize that I am who I am and I had way less control than I thought over "who I was" and they way people perceived me.

The eternal return is an interesting idea but I don't believe in it. You can't step in the same river twice. Life flows on, thank whatever higher power you thank.

I'd rather listen to "Off the Wall" a million times that hear one more CNN report about MJ.
Tyson is more like the chicken-brand that shares his name than the fighter he once was.
Are there no other good coaches left in the NBA?
How many ways can you re-intepret, "Did she go down on you in a theatre?"

Freedom

2005-06-11T20:12:00.000-04:00

The President is dubyad the "leader of the free world." American women and men in foreign made uniforms are thanked for "protecting our freedom." Janis sings that "freedom in just another word for nothing less to loose." Nirvana is freedom. Moksha is freedom. Free in Christ. Thank God almighty, free at last.

Sometimes I feel trapped. Trapped by the obligations of life - obligations mostly self-imposed in the quest for freedom.

What would life be like if it was all gone? What would be left? Would life be any better, any more free?

To have is not freeing. To have-not is not freeing.

Stuck in the middle, oscillating, juggling, making sense of what has stopped making sense, searching for freedom within the traps and the traps of freedom...

No Woman, No Cry

2005-06-09T11:31:00.000-04:00

My parents have been visiting for the last few days. They live in Indiana, 10.5 hr trip to Georgia to see me - or rather, to see their grandson. They are trying to see him every 2 months so that "he knows who they are."

My family has never been outwardly emotional and so it suprised me this morning when my mom started crying during our goodbyes. Since I left for college 12 years ago, I can't remember any other time my mom cried when we parted.

The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is one of strongest forces in existence. It makes me long for a time of intimacy with my parents, a time of innocence, before I moved to a state away from them, chose a major they questioned, came home drunk and used their bathroom instead of mine, pierced my ears, got a "skater" haircut, tried to runaway from home, talked back with my sassy mouth, ....

It makes me fear the days when my son and I will begin to not see "eye to eye."

Marijuana, Swamis, and the Rapture

2005-06-07T11:07:00.000-04:00

Thinking about marijuana, health, the control of the pharm industry, the government's "war" on drugs...

Listening to an interview from New Dimensions with Brother Chidananda about Swami Paramahansa Yogananda and the Second Coming of Christ...

Reading how the Rapture is a Biblical distortion that is used to make money and further political agendas...in Barbara Rossings, The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation*

*I am not selling for or promoting Amazon.com. Just a link for a closer look - buy from whomever you want or check it out from the library (I did).

Jesus was a Blogger

2005-06-06T16:08:00.000-04:00

Without too much of a stretch, we can compare Blogging to words of Jesus, especially his words to the Pharisees and other leaders. His words were challenging and controversial and he didn’t seem to care about the consequences. Of course, he didn’t say things just to piss people off – he chose his words carefully and out of compassion.

By associating himself with tax collectors and sinners; by declaring that God desires mercy and not sacrifice, Jesus was challenging his own tradition, including some passages of the Hebrew Scriptures. Or at least his interpretation of scripture was different than the Pharisees.

We should not be afraid to take Jesus’ initiative and critically examine our own beliefs, practices, and scriptures. What does the Bible have to say about justice? Are gay marriage and abortion the only justice issues (no matter what your beliefs on these controversial topics)? What about concern the elderly and orphans, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and caring for the sick? We can read plenty about these justice issues in the scriptures.

We should not be afraid to deconstruct our own idyllic and ideological God-constructions, especially when we understand that what we believe about God not only shapes our lives personally but also influences, through our collective actions, the community in which we live, our state, country, and ultimately world.

I AM / Religion is a Tool

2005-06-06T08:22:00.000-04:00

Religion gets more blame and more credit than it deserves.
Like science, religion is a tool - neither good nor bad.
It may be an opiate for the masses but opiates serve a purpose -
they can help us transcend ordinary reality, give us a glimpse
of the world behind ego, show us something More.
But if we become addicted, placated, misusing the drug to
make us feel safe, to keep us from facing reality, then we
need to check into the treatment center.
Where do you get treatment?

2005-06-04T07:44:00.000-04:00

A beginner's mind

Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness

2005-06-04T07:07:00.000-04:00

As a little child...I had a Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind...

This is a first crack, of my brain, what flows out, splurge of thinking, emotional outbursts, personal canon of shower ruminations, bedtime visions, a small way to stay sane.

Inspired by a series of Zen talks by the late Shunryu Suzuki, I offer these thoughts to you.

Darkness - uncomfortable, frightening, primordial
Flow - miminal self-editing and criticism
Streams - water, source of Life
Branching - searching for connections