Who to Trust:
Recently, on FB a picture was posted. It was of a man and woman, who depending on your life filter, were either in an argument or a conversation. Two different FB friends posted this, apparently in support of the article attached. The paradox comes in the captions, and articles/video connected to the picture. One caption read: "Christian Woman Praying to Christ Ejected From MUSLIM Prayers at National Cathedral." The other caption (remember, same picture) read: " 'Christian' Verbally Assaults Muslims Gathered For Religious Unity to End Violence." So, which is it? I do not know, and I will never know because I was not there, and Heaven knows, I am not about to trust any one who might be reporting the incident...no one. Without having the opportunity of knowing the people involved, I have no idea what motivations were driving the behavior. Shoot, I often do not even know what motivations are driving my own behavior. It just makes me wonder if any of the people reporting this event care one iota about a coming together to end violence, or are we all just so mired in our own belief system, we have no room for the other man's viewpoint?
Convictions:
I get all my news from FB and little snippets of the Today Show. I really and truly despise the news. I do not watch it, and I have begun to stop reading a lot of it on FB. For example, the articles mentioned above, I did not read them, the captions were enough to let me know there would be great bias in the reporting. I find that the news can depress me, or cause me to feel alarmed and afraid. In addition, I cannot do a thing about it. Instead, I read blogs. Blogs by Patrick Mead that make me analyze my own approach to religion and spirituality. These are things I can change. I cannot change the violence in the world - or, perhaps, if we self-proclaimed Christians, of which I am one, would actually live our lives like the Jesus we claim to worship, the entire world would change. Sometimes, I think we are so verbal and critical of other faiths and thoughts because we just are not totally convinced of our own. If those people have anything right, then how can I be right? Maybe it is not about being "right." Maybe it is about embracing and loving and trying to understand all people regardless of race, nationality, beliefs, and lifestyles. It is my belief that can be done without sacrificing one's own beliefs and convictions. Really, is there anything more compelling than a person who lives out their convictions without talking about them and imposing them on others?
Expectations:
Recently, on FB (I know, a major time-suck in my life), a friend asked how an event went that he could not attend. Someone responded, "about like you would have expected." I literally (not the "literally" that the man on the radio meant when he said, "there were so many planes waiting to take off, it was literally a train.") put one forefinger on my nose, pointed the other one and yelled, "ding, ding, ding, ding, Bingo!" I know that seems a bit dramatic, but were truer words ever spoken? Things generally go the way we expect them, because that is what we are looking for. It would be foolish of me to project what that particular person meant by the comment. Perhaps, he expected the event to go very well and he was quite pleased. Perhaps, he thought it would be a fiasco, so it was. Perhaps, he thought it would accomplish very little, and in his mind it did. Expectations are very powerful!
Sexiest Man:
As if violence around the world, hungry children, people dying of Ebola, weather states of emergency, are not enough, the newscasters are all a buzz with the "sexiest man alive." Not being personally acquainted with the recent awardee of such an outstanding honor, I cannot comment on his worthiness. Perhaps it is my age, but give me a man who looks good in a suit, whose face lights up at the sight of his grandsons, who recognizes when a friend has no place to go for Thanksgiving and invites him to join us, who empties the dishwasher and cleans up the kitchen, who cooks the cornbread for Thanksgiving dressing, who gains much more pleasure by what he gives than receives, who has a kind and quiet spirit, who watches the tiny TV in the bedroom when The Voice is on, who has a hilarious sense of humor, who just might be blind to his wife's aging appearance, who has a servant's heart. Now, that would be the sexiest man alive, and if one should happen to be acquainted with such a fellow, one should feel very grateful.
Traditions:
This, I think, will be the first year that I am totally responsible for the turkey, dressing, and gravy for the 30 or so who will be here for Thanksgiving. It is the general consensus that no one, and I mean no one, makes dressing as good as my mother's. Of course, she has no recipe to follow, and a little of this and a little more of that is relative, and when added with a lighter or heavier hand, can produce a not-so-good result. So, I have decided that I will not try to emulate my mother's dressing, I will research, use a bit of common sense, and come up with my own concoction. Unless it is just inedible, everyone will be kind, and Thanksgiving dinner will be enjoyed. THAT is my expectation, and perhaps, a new tradition will be born.
Of course, my mom will be here, but recovering from pneumonia at age 90 is a relatively slow process, and she has so many other events coming up that, for this year at least, she is passing the torch. These things happen a little at a time. The first year we had family Thanksgiving at our house was an accident. Mom called that Thursday morning, and said her turkey had been in the oven for like 7 hours, but it wasn't done. Did I think her oven was not working? Yep, yep, that is what I think. So, Mr. L and I went across town, gathered food, and dishes, and silver, flowers, and linens, brought them to our house, and Thanksgiving at the Switzers was born. It was hard for her to give it up, but it hasn't diminished her enjoyment of the Thanksgiving gathering, After all, isn't it about the people we are with, and not the food or the decorations or the location?
So, on this beautiful, cold November day, I wish you people you can trust, well-lived convictions, great expectations, an ever-evolving viewpoint on the "sexiest man," and I wish you a joyful and grateful heart as you create new Thanksgiving traditions or revel in the old, and, as always, I wish you
blessings
Excellent read!
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