overcoming metaphysical boredom

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Bless What Eludes My Grasp

Lord, so many things skitter through my mind,
and I give chase to gather them
and hold them up in a bunch to you,
but they go this way and that
while I go that way and this...
So, gather me up instead

and bless what eludes my grasp but not yours:
trees and bees, fireflies and butterflies,
roses and barbecues, and people...
Lord, the people...bless the people:
birthday people,
giving birth people,
being born people;
confirmed people,

dying people,
dead people;
hostaged people,
banged up people,
held down people;

leader people,
lonely people,
limping people;
hungry people,
surfeited people,
indifferent people;
first world people,
second world people,
third world people;
one world people,
your people,
all people.
Bless them, Lord.
Bless what eludes my grasp but not yours.

(~ Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle)

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Listen to me Under My Words

O God,
I come to you now
as a child to my Mother,
out of the cold which numbs
into the warm who cares.
Listen to me inside,
under my words

where the shivering is,
in the fears
which freeze my living,
in the angers
which chafe my attending,
in the doubts
which chill my hoping,
in the events
which shrivel my thanking,
in the pretenses
which stiffen my loving.

Listen to me, Lord,
as a Mother,
and hold me warm,
and forgive me.
Soften my experiences
into wisdom,

my pride
into acceptance,
my longing
into trust,
and soften me
into love
and to others
and to you.

(Guerrillas Of Grace, by Ted Loder)

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

UN Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Earlier this week the UN released a 400 page report on the abuses experienced in North Korea. It is a staggering report. As Adrian Hong said, the "abundance of evidence presented to civilization removes any remaining excuses for inaction. History will judge us." The only problem is, none of this is new. I've been aware of North Korea and their abuses since I started grad school in 2007, and none of this is new to me. So yes, history will judge us based on what we do now and what have not done in the past. Click HERE for the full report.

UN North Korea Report puts China in Uncomfortable Position [WSJ]
UN's North Korea report: Main Findings [BBC]
Why North Korea probably won't change despite damning UN report [CNN]
The UN report on North Korea: Four things to know [Washington Post]

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

If we want to be Christians, we must have some share in Christ's large-heartedness by acting with responsibility and in freedom when the hour of danger comes, and by showing a real sympathy that springs not from fear, but from the liberating and redeeming love of Christ for all who suffer. Mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behavior. The Christian is called to sympathy and action, not in the first place by his own sufferings, but by the sufferings of his brethren, for whose sake Christ suffered.

~ Bonhoeffer

Friday, June 28, 2013

Weekly Reading List - 6.28.13

Health & Fittness

Getting Men to Want to Use Condoms & Reinventing the Condom & A Reinvented Condom, That's only Part of the Challenge - I am apparently a little late to the party on this one, but I thought it was such a great idea and challenge that it is definitely worth sharing. As the NYTimes article points out, the goal of a condom is two fold: prevent "unintended pregnancies and STDs like AIDS. Condoms cheaply and effectively prevent both, but around the world only 5% of men wear them and there are 2.5 million new HIV infections a year. To stem that tide, health experts say, the number of men regularly using condoms needs to double."
Froome Leads Next Generation of Tour de France Contenders - The 2013 Tour de France (TDF) starts on Saturday!!

Protests & Treason (or is it Whistle blowing?)

Brazil's President Meets Protests with an Anti-Erdogan Response & Brazil Police Kill "Drug Traffickers" Following Favela Protest - I think this is a great quote from President Dilma Rousseff, "Transportation is terrible, education is terrible, public health is terrible...I think it's a miracle that people took so long to demonstrate" I don't know much about her, or her Presidency in general, but she seems like a smart lady, at minimum that is an insightful comment.
Public Split over Impact of NSA Leak, But Most Want Snowden Prosecuted & Meet the Press interview with Glenn Greenwald - I had a very intersting conversation with a Canadian Colleague of mine. He was expressing his wish that if Snowden had been truly concerned with the NSA lying to Congress and to the American public, that he had just released domestic wiretapping information. Instead he actually took state secrets regarding our enemies and other foreign countries and shared it with them. The line between whistle blowing and treason, in his mind had been crossed at that moment. I have to say I agree. That's what bothers me so much. He says, "I'm a patriot" "I was worried about the lies and secrets" but all he really did was make us more vulnerable and insecure. Although kudos to him and Wikileaks and Bradley Manning for bringing this dark secret into the public consciousness for open debate and discussion.

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Religion

Extremism Rises Among Myanmar Buddhists - I remember having a conversation with a former colleague of mine about Buddhists and their amazing poise in the face of persecution. I find it very fascinating to hear of those who have finally had enough. The consequences of belief when faced with a stark reality. I will be curious to see how this evolves for their system of belief.
US Must Separate Religion and Iran Policy - Just food for thought.