You are an Inspiration

     Many times, I have heard news features that say, "She is an inspiration."  
     I do not mean to denigrate good intentions.  I offer alternative intentions.
     Inspiration is a noun, which is derived from inspire.
     -ation is a suffix used to form abstract nouns from verbs.  It is sad.  To abstract the potency of inspire is sad.
      To say, "You are an inspiration to me," does not offer the hope that action will be taken.
      I accept the compliment.  I celebrate when I--when anyone--may stimulate anyone to leaven the gifts they have been invited to offer.
      I wonder.  What would the world be if each of us--if all of us--accepted the invitation to fully engage our gifts?

Geography of Respect for Life

     I am perplexed by the geography of "respect for life."
     Affirmation seems to come too easily--what is one's positions on abortion, the death penalty, commitment of military forces to quell upheaval, and wars against humanity, as well as support for killing a despot, who orchestrated those wars?  Less immediate, although no less important are those who engage in the birther movement, and political rancor over so many issues--health care, and the federal budget, most notable to me.
     Cries for support of "respect for life" are usually singular proclamations, "I am pro-life," or "I am pro-choice."  Little more needs to be said, or so it seems.  I have never been faced with that question in my own life.  I have not known anyone closely, who has been faced with that situation.
     The death penalty.  I have known no one, who has confronted the death penalty.
     Most poignant to me seems to be the unabashed affirmation of killing despots--Osama Bin Laden, and Gadhafi come to mind.  There seemed to be great satisfaction, and accomplishment felt, when Saddam Hussein was killed.  I may be wrong, but in each of these cases, the satisfaction felt is an affirmation, "By the death of this individual, we have rooted out all evil from our lives.  We shall live in paradise from this day forward," or something to that effect.  This unabashed affirmation is the plateau of Respect for Life's Geography.
    Was there a birther movement prior to the presidency of Barack Obama?  If so, when?  Who was, or were the individual(s) targeted? If birthers were to prove their accusations, how would their priorities regarding the future of our society be changed--advanced?  I am of two minds.
   I have my own beliefs regarding the birther movement.  I shall share them shortly.  Yet, before I do so, I must be clear.  My questions are meant to imply no cynicism.  Are there more constructive means by which to address the doubts as to whether Barack Obama was born in the United States?  Is anyone, who is in the birther movement, proclaiming "respect for life" as one of their values?  Do they offer their thoughts as to how these two are reconciled within their value system?  With all due respect, I have not heard the juxtaposition of these beliefs expounded upon, or explored.
     The health care debate is one that I hope has ended.  I believe essential issues, and questions were at stake.  Yet, the tenor of the debate was not conducive to thoughtful, deliberative discourse.  The decibel level of the debate exceeded my tolerance level.  Guilty though I felt as someone who values my citizenship, my mental health was more important.  I needed to value my own mental health, if I expected anyone else do so. I needed to respect my own life, if I had any hopeful expectation that others might respect their own lives, and the lives of other human beings.
     I do not look forward to the Medicare debate.  Discourse regarding its future--how to strengthen it--is essential.  Yet, I fear that the decibel level will rival that of the health care debate.
     I shudder to use "respect for life," for fear that I am corrupting the phrase to bring integrity to my beliefs.
I pray that my affirmation, "I have a commitment to "respect for life," is understood with the full complexity with which it is lived.
     If profiled in traditional terms, I would be identified as a woman raised as a Universalist, who is now a Catholic.  I am a pro-choice woman, who opposes the death penalty in regard to any criminal offense.  I am a pacifist.  I take no satisfaction in, nor do I understand why it is thought that killing any despot will eliminate evil.  Yet, that profile of my beliefs does not reflect the texture---the complexity--of my commitment to "respect for life."
     I pray each of us who utters, "respect for life" does so with thoughtfulness--with reverence.  May we respect the convictions of others', whose convictions differ from our own.

Belittlement. Respect for Life.

     Once again, this afternoon, belittlement reared its ugly head, or so it felt.  I try to live with respect for different religious perspectives than my own--there is good to be found in all world religions.  I try to resist temptation--the temptation to be defensive--to say, "don't you know me well enough to know the serious reflection I bring to living a life of faith?"
     Ironically, a discussion of "respect for life,"--mutual sadness that the breadth of the term does not seem to be a part of its use--led to the derivation of the story of Maundy Thursday, and the actual events of the story.
Our agreement regarding the narrow use of "respect for life" in some discussions was missed.  A precious opportunity was missed.
    Taking biblical stories literally, or symbolically became a "gotcha" moment.  My antenna went up.  "Quick, an attempt of entrapment is forthcoming."
    I succumb to defensiveness.  "Many Catholics take a broader view.  Not every Catholic view 'respect for life' narrowly."  A defensive volley was lobbed back at me--reference to those who do have "a simple faith--a simplistic Catholic view."
    I grieve.  I mourn.  Three people of integrity.  Trapped in different ages of the same Church.  Pushed away...Drawn into...a Universal Church.  Different faces.  The same heart.
    There is good to be found in all faith traditions.  "Affirm, defend and promote the supreme worth and dignity of every human [being].  I mourn.  All three are members of the Universal church.
     "Support the free and disciplined search for truth..."  Though packaged differently, at the core, Universalist, and Catholic search for truth with the same depth of commitment.
     There are differences--important differences.  I mourn.  Yet, in my mourning, I question--do important differences preclude unity?  Do important differences preclude a unified pursuit for truth made the stronger by the diverse perspectives of the same truth?  Do the important differences preclude embracing the truth in Paul's words to the Corinthians?
    "So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Don't Walk TOO Fast

Don't walk too fast.
I don't run.
I can't run.
Don't walk too fast.
The light is green.
The sign says, "Walk."
Don't walk too fast.
The light is with me.
You are not.
Don't walk too fast.
I amble from strain--from pain.
I tiptoe toward not hurting.
Don't walk too fast.
Don't zoom past me on your motorcycle.
Don't rush to judgment.
Don't walk too fast.
                              Real life cannot be scripted.
                              All I may do is to reflect upon it.
                             Based on an intersection with a motorcyclist
                             crossing University Avenue in St. Paul.

Compassion's Cavern

     I try to comprehend the impact of the quake--of the tsunami in Japan.  What nuclear problems exist?  Never have I experienced an earthquake, much less a tsunami.  Yet, I did know a college classmate, who grew up near the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.  In 1979, following a nuclear incident at Three Mile Island, if memory serves me, my classmate went home.  Details have faded over 30 years time.  Yet, I remember her fear--her apprehension.
     Though personally untouched by such major natural disasters, I am mesmerized by the pictures--the descriptions of the experience.
     How is it possible to comprehend such an enormous force of nature?  As a human being--as a person of conscience--I care to close the gap that hinders my compassion.
     Some say that in order to show a compassionate response to such devastating events, it is necessary to denigrate the scale of our own problems in relation to the dramatic events--the devastating earthquake, the turbulent tsunami.  With all due respect, I beg to differ.  Rather, I offer to you another response.
     When destruction strikes, we are called to live our own lives with increased dedication equivalent to the intensity of the destruction.  We are called to discernment.  Do we have the requisite resources of money, time--commitment of talent, or spirit--to improve the situation in some way?  If not, do we have the requisite strength of spirit to live with greater intensity--with deeper commitment--to the passions of our own lives?  We are called to discernment.
     God help me--God help us--to resist the temptation to compare our lives with the people and situations in need as a means of escaping our responsibilities to help.  We help no one to speak of others as being less fortunate.  Such talk only deepens the cavern that separates us from one another, when we are in most need.

Courage. Bravery. Heroes.

     The words "courage," "bravery," and "heroes," re-present themselves through the stories in the Tuscon Shootings tapestry.
     Never have I been comfortable with any of these three words.  Yet, others gravitate toward them--blare them proudly from a megaphone.  Why do I shun the words?  Why do others claim them worthy of admiration?
    Courage.  
    Twelfth century Old French defined courage as, "heart, innermost feelings; temper." 
    In my humble opinion, to laud any human being as a hero serves only one purpose.  "A hero" is an excuse not to aspire to living beyond ourselves--beyond what we imagine we of ourselves.
    Bravery.
    In the 1540s, the French braverie was defined as "daring, defiance, boasting." I doubt that bravery is used today intent on conveying boasting.
    In the 14th century, hero was defined as "man of superhuman strength or courage."  By virtue of the 14th century definition, it seems impossible for any human being to be a hero.  How is it possible to be super-human?  
    To laud any human a hero serves nothing but a selfish purpose.  A hero prevents any of us from striving for--aspiring--more than what we imagine we might be capable of being.
     Bravery.  Courage.  Hero.
     We have yet to embrace a word that nurtures a curious spirit committed to learning, and exceeding what any one of us has accomplished yet today.
     I have resisted admiration for precisely the same reason.  Yet, my view has change.  I feel deep admiration--a quality that in no way is encapsulated in deep respect, or deep regard.  I have been given deep admiration for my family, my friends, and my life.  Deep respect, nor deep regard do not go deep enough to embrace the fullness admiration offers.
    So, I continue to search.  Deep respect is the pathway to deep admiration.
    May deep admiration be the journey toward a companion more worthy than a brave, courageous hero.  May we admire deeply--may we be admired deeply--for the companions we may be on this journey.

Belief, Faith, and Religion

Listening to the public discourse regarding the freedom of Muslims to worship, I have been reminded of the complexity of belief, faith, and religion.

Too often, these three terms are used as synonyms.  They are interrelated, yet, they need to be distinguished.  We use labels to provide a frame of reference from which to proceed in human relations.

Yet, we must not use labels as a substitute for listening to, talking with, and understanding one another.

When I started to write this blog this week, I was surprised to find myself stopped in trying to introduce myself in a way that accurately describes and reflects who I am, what my beliefs, and faith are.  My problem?  I wanted to describe myself fully in labels,  rather than express myself fully in carefully chosen words, and in temperate voice.

In 2010, I attend a Catholic Mass in communion with individuals, who challenge me to live fully--to live with integrity.  I am a practicing Catholic--I am practicing so that I may affirm life, and rid my spirit of intolerance, disrespect.  I dedicate myself to be in communion with individuals with whom I am in agreement, but, much more importantly, I dedicate myself to be open to individuals with whom I do not share the same practices or beliefs.  I may say that I am firmly rooted in Christian teachings--in Christian living.

But...the moment I speak or act in any way that denigrates the dignity of someone whose beliefs or actions I disagree, I contradict my beliefs, disavow my faith, and lose the privilege of celebrating my religion.

I must resist any temptation to denigrate those individuals, who oppose the rights of other individuals to exercise the freedom of religion.

I dedicate myself to learn from--to be enriched by--the diversity of beliefs, opinions, and ways of living that surround me.  I pray all may share in this dedication.