“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”                                                                                                    Michael Douglas portraying financier Gordon Gekko from the movie “Wall Street” 

“The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal.”                                     I Timothy 6:10

Which quote above do you think I might go with here today?

Today’s reflection is not the usual type to which you have become accustomed in this space, so thank you dear reader, for indulging me the opportunity to vent a frustration. In doing so, I confess that I will take a complex issue, and I will reduce it to a simple plea. I will look at Major League Baseball (MLB) as simply a fan. I do not know the complexities of the financial arguments that bind the parties involved- the owners and players. I do know that the greed which clouds the issue for both sides, has an effect beyond the parties who are negotiating. It hurts fans, even casual ones. It also hurts the thousands of people who are employed by all the associated business activity generated by the sport.

At a time when we really need baseball, and MLB desperately needs this particular time to reclaim some fan interest and energy, we witness a contest of wills that will hurt everybody.

Fans have a stake in this as well, yet we do not get to sit at the bargaining table. Fans have invested considerable emotional capital in their teams. Owners count on this loyal support. Fans have provided significant financial support as well, not only in ticket and concession sales, but also in sales of licensed gear, and often in “sweetheart deals” given to baseball owners by city/county governments for stadium construction, as well as tax incentives.

Short-term, greedy thinking by both sides will hurt baseball in the long run. Now, I know that it is easy for me to give away other peoples’ money. But as I said, I am simply thinking like a fan here. I see the game suffer, losing a mountain of potential goodwill which could be gained by getting back on the field as soon as restrictions to sports are lifted.

Since I believe that baseball is a venerated institution in America, the leaders of it have a responsibility to hold it as almost a public trust. The owners, Commissioner and players need to look beyond the short-term financial impact for themselves and consider the longer-term consequences that go beyond their immediate bottom line.

Greed has consequences. People get hurt both financially and emotionally. We have often heard the expression, “Take one for the team”- meaning, sometimes we need to sacrifice ourselves for the good of the team.

I say to players, owners, and the Baseball Commissioner, how about “Taking one for the fans?”

“For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”        Philippians 4:13

Today is June 6^th. On this day, 76 years ago, the invasion of Normandy took place, an event which ultimately signaled the defeat of Nazi Germany. The bravery of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen that participated in that invasion should never be forgotten, so today I begin the reflection with that remembrance. Just pause and offer a prayer of thanks to honor the participants, as well as the fallen of that day…

The opportunities for making heroic, strong decisions, such as ones in the hands of commanders of D-Day are rare. Most of us are not in the position to make dramatic decisions that affect the lives of thousands, even millions of people. But we are always in the practice of making small decisions which affect us as well as those around us.

So often, I see in my clients some hindering mindsets that have been ingrained early in life. Some have not had confidence instilled in them, or some were even abused physically or emotionally, and never gained the identity of seeing themselves as successful.

There is the story about chaining elephants that is instructive. One could never chain a full grown elephant to a stake in the ground. The huge, powerful animal would easily break the chain and go free. However, if an elephant, as a baby, is chained, even with a relatively small chain, he will learn that he cannot break free. The chafing of the chain will also reinforce the futility of the struggle, and the baby elephant will accept his fate, and just quit trying to escape.

As the elephant grows into maturity and strength, he could easily break free of his bonds- but he doesn’t try. He has learned that he is shackled, and accepts his fate and the limited territory to which he has been held since infancy.

Now, chaining elephants is a terrible thing and it should never be practiced, but the point is illustrative. Sometimes we learn as children that we are unable to succeed at something, so we simply stop trying. Even when we are older, and have gained skills, knowledge, wisdom, we feel restrained by past ingrained notions of inability to move forward, and we stop trying new, challenging things.

In counseling, we use the phrase, “Change one thing, change everything”. If we can muster the strength and courage to change one thing, we can change everything.

Prayer: Father thank you for the gift of free will, and the ability to decide. Give us wisdom and courage in doing so, Amen.

 

And yet… “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”                                                                                                                                                                      Romans 5:8

Our country is reeling from racial strife, an economic blow from a pandemic, and uncertain and tentative recovery plans, and yet we continue on.

Our country has a shameful history of racial oppression, toward African-Americans, Native Americans, Japanese internment during World War II, and toward other minority groups. Early immigrants to America faced discrimination and persecution before finally being assimilated into mainstream culture, and yet we survived and thrived.

Our legal system has been co-opted at various points in history so that it denied justice to people of color or people with little means, and yet we maintain an openness in that judicial process that many in the world envy.

We are seeing upheaval and demonstrations in the streets of American cities, which at times became over the line in violence, and yet, they have by and large been peaceful, attended by people of all races, colors, and age.

We are beset by social media inflamed by emotions, which has truth mixed in with error, assumptions, and downright lies, and yet, our freedom of speech principle survives as a beacon for the world.

We have strayed far from being the beacon on the hill envisioned by early immigrants to the “New World” centuries ago, and yet, this country has stood as the hope of democracy for a world that still yearns for the freedoms we enjoy.

Yes, our country is flawed suffering, and yet, America endures the pain, recognizes past sins, and holds hope for overcoming those sins.

So, we grieve the injustices of our past. We humbly and collectively ask God for forgiveness, and we name the demon of racism. Now we can, if we so determine, begin work together to cast it out.

Prayer: Father, thank you for this country we love. We are flawed and yet hopeful because of your love for us, Amen

We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.                                                                                               II Corinthians 10:5

We are surrounded every day with situations which are challenging. Even our own thoughts often tend to work against us at times. We have messages, often triggered by events around us- comments from other people, the seemingly constant parade of negative news stories, etc.- which can really put our minds into a place of tension and despair.

The verse from II Corinthians reminds us that we need to take hold of our thoughts, and conform them to the worldview which we hold to be life changing and life-saving.

Sometimes we get caught up in an anxiety response, an emotional and physiological reaction that is immediate. That physical/emotional response comes quickly, and the cognitive (executive part of our brain) weighs in later. That is really how we are wired in our fight/flight response system, and it often serves us very well. It can protect us from danger, but it can run away with us if we don’t use the executive part of our brain to regulate when the initial trigger is gone.

The writer Paul suggests that we become aware of our thoughts, own them, then take charge of them, and not let them take charge of us. We need to speak truth to the thoughts that tell us something else. Our anxieties and insecurities can give us wrong messages which must be tested in the light of truth. To do that, we must take charge of the input in our minds.

The truth does set us free, we just need to slow down the emotions of the moment and put our cognitive, our “executive brain”, in charge.  This takes discipline and patience, things which are in shorter supply when we have few margins in our life.

So when we feel stressed, angry, fearful- whatever negative emotion comes up, we need to take the thoughts captive. We need to ask, “Is this truthful?” “Is this loving?’ Is this helpful?” That way we can slow things down and respond in ways that are honoring to ourselves and others.

Prayer: Lord give us the patience and discipline to take our thoughts captive and conform them to your truth, Amen.

But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble James 4:6

I have always been struck by the beautiful concept of paradox. The dictionary defines paradox as “a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.”

The Bible talks about paradox all the time. Jesus talked about leaders being servants; Paul said that “when I am weak, then I am strong”; Jesus said “the meek shall inherit the earth”; James said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” The list goes on and on.

We need to be open to the fact that what appears to be absurd, or contradictory, may lead us into real truth. We need humility to give up some of our opinions that may not be fully accurate. There may be other, or more information that we need to get the complete picture.

So, stridency in the current racial strife we are experiencing is not the answer to peace. In many of the demonstrations, we see how kneeling together, law enforcement officers and demonstrators, takes the tension out of the air and it unites them in a higher cause. Kneeling, a symbol of humility, seems to be the start of being able to communicate better.

So it strikes me that humility is the beginning of wisdom. Understanding that we do not have full understanding of matters, that there is more for us to learn, is the beginning of finding truth.  If we all recognize that there is something more we need to learn, and we kneel together, we have started on the beginning of wisdom.

Prayer: Lord we bow before you in humility. Help us be open to your truth, which sets us free, Amen.

 

You Can Observe a Lot by Just Watching                                                                                                                                                                                          Yogi Berra

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.                                                                                                                        Jeremiah 29:11 

We have a robin who has built her nest in a wreath on our front door. This must have been a good idea for her, since she is the second bird who has built a nest in that wreath this spring. It is not, however, a good idea for us. She had built the nest pretty quickly, and we really only took notice after she had laid her eggs. We decided that we would give her as much privacy as one can, given that the nest is on a door that does need to open periodically.

We decided to use other egress out of the house when we would leave- usually the garage, or the door to the deck. She has become as comfortable as a bird can be under the circumstances, living just on the other side of our door, and always visible through the windows on the door.

The other day while working in the front yard, I upset her and her boisterous mate who jealously helps her guard “their territory”. They squawk, yell, chirp and make whatever other bird sounds that signal – I suppose – fear and anger.

I thought about this from another perspective. This is my house, and they are mad because I am present on my own property. I mean them no harm. In fact, we have gone out of our way to give them a safe place, undisturbed (generally) for them to prosper. If they only knew that we are trying to help them and protect them so that they can launch their little ones into the world.

Yet they are skittish, angry at my presence, and feel threatened when we get too close.

Then I thought about how we sometimes treat God in his creation. We sometimes fail to remember his love and protection for us, even becoming angry at him when our plans go awry. He means for us to prosper, even when we don’t understand the situation.

Prayer: Thank you for your plans, your ways, which are higher than our ways, Amen

 

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get”                                                                                                                                                                                  Matthew 7:12 (The Message)

The other day I was thinking about wearing masks, and why that action seems to spark some emotional reactions in people. Scientists tell us that there is value in wearing masks, and that it cuts down the opportunity of spreading the Coronavirus, depending on the quality of the mask. As we begin to open up the economy, and we certainly need to, it seems that wearing masks would just enhance the safety of that plan.

However I understand that with everything, there are several aspects of our nature in play. We are physical, spiritual, and emotional in our make-up. We therefore need to pay attention to all these parts of us as we make decisions.

For me, I believe in the safety of wearing a mask when I am interacting in a store. I also believe that all behavior is communication, so when I wear a mask, I am making a statement. I am saying by modeling mask wearing, that this is a reasonable thing, and I endorse the idea.

In my own mind, I also see the spiritual aspect of this. I am helping to protect others. I am doing unto others as I would have them do unto me. The mask is not perfect protection for me, but it is helpful to others.

I know that there are emotional arguments by some that perhaps contend that “nobody is going to tell me what to do”; or “this is government overreach”; or “that is a political statement”; or “I’m not sick, I don’t need to mask”. I am sure there are other emotional reasons that people have that result in them deciding not to mask. Who knows, maybe they just forgot to wear it.

I understand also that there is a small percentage of people who cannot wear masks for other reasons- they feel suffocated perhaps, or simply have such negative physical or psychological reactions that they feel too uncomfortable to wear a mask.

Whatever the reasons of others, I plan to typically wear a mask in stores because I believe that there is collective benefit in that behavior.

When we can change the narrative about a behavior, we can make it more acceptable. If we can believe that wearing a mask is good for others, and that it is also good for the nation’s commerce, that may increase the percentage of people who wear masks.

Wearing a mask is not a political statement, it is a caring statement. I wear a mask because I trust that it helps others. I hope others wear one because I believe it helps me.

Prayer: Thank you for the divine plan that we are to care for one another, Amen

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream                        Amos 5:24

This is hard. As I sit to write today’s reflection, I don’t know where to start- yet I feel that I need to. Our beloved nation faces daunting problems everywhere we turn. The COVID-19 crisis has wrecked health and the economy. Now, the incredible public viewing of the death of an African-American young man- another one- has revulsed the nation.

Cries for justice fill the air, and rightly so. The Minneapolis police officer who did this act was recently charged with 3^rd degree murder and manslaughter. Some say that this is not a high enough charge for the heinous act, however, prosecutors are tasked with bringing a charge that is likely to bring conviction. Even if the officer is convicted, however, will that bring justice?

Once you have seen a video like we saw on the death of George Floyd, you cannot “unsee” it, as much as we would like to. It stands as the latest example of brutality in an American history of it toward African-Americans.

The vast majority of America’s police officers are dedicated, caring people who daily risk their lives in trying to bring peace and order to their community. Some of them fail.

Those who have gone to the streets in protest have reason for anger. The long history of racism in America stands as a running thread that defies our ability to provide true justice.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. often used the quote from the book of Amos about justice.

 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

The preceding words to that verse describe how God sees justice. God does not care for religious ceremonies, songs of praise, offerings, or other trappings of worship.

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream

If we fail to provide justice to people, those who are oppressed and marginalized, God does not care for anything else we have to say.

Prayer: Lord, help us to seek justice. Help us to see people how you see them, Amen

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well                                                                                                                                               Psalm 139:14

During this COVID-19 health crisis, we have all been challenged in various ways- in changed lifestyle, in coping with isolation, social frustration, loss of job, perhaps even grieving a death. There will be, and have been, profound changes in our society because of it, some of which will be helpful and culture changing. Currently, however, we are still essentially in the middle of it. Or, perhaps, as Churchill once stated early in World War II, “…Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Wherever we are in it, we must come out of it with positive changes in our attitudes about life and about other people. The very nature of the illness shows itself to be insidious and at times baffling. We know that this virus, as do all living things, tries to prolong its own life. It invades its host and does its best to reproduce itself and proliferate.

Our bodies, “fearfully and wonderfully made” as the Bible says, fight this virus, and all such invaders with ferocity. The fact that some people are able to fight off the virus from the brink of death is amazing and gratifying. The fact that some people, seemingly healthy and vigorous, succumb to it, is terribly sad and discouraging.

Our bodies are incredibly strong and formidable, and at the same time, fragile. That same phenomenon exists in all types of assaults on our bodies. My daughter, a trauma surgeon, works on people who have been grievously wounded, and sees them recover from massive injuries. At the same time, some people will die from a seemingly innocuous little infection that turns into a septic disaster.

Life is precious, life is a gift. We had nothing to do with our conception, our life was just…a gift. So, what do we do with this precious gift we have been given? We cherish it, we try to preserve it, and we are grateful for it. We honor it fully by finding meaning in it greater than ourselves.

So, COVID-19, you came to destroy by overrunning our bodies. We respond with an increasing appreciation for life, and we will overcome this crisis.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the gift of life. Our bodies, fragile and strong, are amazing. Help us to persevere and grow in that life you give us, Amen.

O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart                                                           Psalm 15:1-2

Sojourner Truth delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech. The life of Sojourner Truth is fascinating- a heroic story that really cannot be fully appreciated in modern times. She was born into slavery, not in the deep-south, but in New York, where she was enslaved by a Dutch family.

She has a painful story- all slavery stories are painful and shameful- but her response was a God inspired miracle. She was not born with that colorful name. She had the given name of Isabella Baumfree. She took the name Sojourner Truth on one Pentecost Sunday when she heard a call from God to speak her truth- God’s truth- to the world.

How does this happen? An African-American woman, born into slavery in the middle of America’s great battle over that evil practice, becomes a famous voice in that struggle.

She was an example of meeting God in the place of obedience, then letting Him take over and do the things we cannot do. When we respond to what God would have us do, knowing that we cannot do it, but trusting that He can, that is where miracles happen.

I believe that principle works. We cannot see the end game of what we are called to start. I cannot imagine that Sojourner Truth could have possibly conceived that we would be commemorating an extemporaneous speech of hers 169 years later. She simply obeyed what God had given her to do. She did it, then God did His work.

A salute to Sojourner Truth, who would say to me, “Don’t give me the glory for what God has done”.

Prayer: Thank you for people who respond to your voice, and how you use that for miracles, Amen.