Exploring the important religious questions from a Mormon (LDS) perspective. Focus on ancient history, early Christianity, and Mormon doctrine/practice.
Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted in this forum, not due to the absence of thoughts nor to an end of seeking, let me assure you. I’ve simply been struggling to find balance ever since starting a new job back in September. My independent writing career, aka blogging and commenting, has taken a back seat these last couple months. I’m still searching for that balance, so expect my posts to continue to be a bit sporadic in the short term.
In light of searching for that balance my thought for today is an introspection into the use of time and its connection to happiness. We all have the same amount of time in a day and it is our decisions about how to use that time that really defines who we are and what we become. I have experienced a profound shift in time culture over the last year or so. It seems like only yesterday I was in Africa sitting in a store called “No Hurry in Life Enterprise”, a virtue in their community but an oxymoron in the culture I find myself part of on the East Coast. Everyone is very dedicated and in my particular workplace we are all working for a very noble cause which might justify it more but sometimes I question whether the long hours are really the legacy I want to build and have to show for my time on earth. There is always a time and place for long hours/intense work, they are a component of nearly every great achievement, but a culture of work that over the long run cuts out family, recreation, time for contemplation, etc. is, I think, detrimental to the individual and society as a whole.
Can I have it both ways or will I need need to move to Africa… only time will tell.
Poverty and suffering are perhaps some of the most challenging thoughts for a religious seeker to confront and reconcile. This Wednesday offers a good opportunity to flush out some of your thoughts as Blog Action Day 2008 is challenging all bloggers to discuss the issue of poverty to launch a worldwide conversation. I am perhaps most fascinated and excited by this model of journalism, a kind of open source community effort focusing on a global issue. I will posting my thoughts from a professional perspective over at my blog on MicroFranchising and if I can work in two posts in one day I would love to address the issue from a religious perspective in this forum. If you plan on posting yourself go to the Blog Action Day website to register to help them show the impact of the day.
This find doesn’t change much in terms of what we already knew, if we truly acknowledged everything we knew and didn’t jump to conclusions, but the fact that many scholars and the lay consumers of their publications did jump to conclusions and absolutely dismissed alternative migration patterns should be a reminder that we should be cautious in our consumption of the current truth claims of science. Scientific understanding, particularly in the more ‘interprative’ sciences (I’m thinking particularly of history and archeology but also things as ‘certain’ as DNA), should be accompanied by humility and any acknowledgement that what we do not know is more than what we do. Such a stance would make one a better scientist in my opinion, always on the lookout for additional understanding.
New Caves discovered in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Could these explain the description of Ether hiding in a cavity of a rock? Pure speculation but it is a curious description and these type of underground/underwater caves unique to the Yucatan Peninsula would aptly call for such a description. The network of caves in the Yucatan is mind boggling, there was a great segment about them in Planet Earth.
I was introduced to an exhibit produced by a photographer out of Arizona which depicts scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. It is an absolutely beautiful collection of images. I commend the artists and the producers for both the spirit they captured and art they produced. I understand there are talks that will bring it to the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. as well as the LDS Visitor’s Center. I look forward to seeing it in person. Behind the scenes video about the production can be seen at reflectionsofchrist.org.
I had a rather surreal movie watching experience this weekend. When I first saw the movie Big I would have only been slightly younger than the main character so, naturally, I saw the movie through the eyes of the boy and his friend. I imagined it would all be so cool…to be big, to get to do all the grown up things, but other than that it was just a fun movie. Twenty years later I find myself watching this movie and suddenly I’m the grown up version and living in the world of all the adults in the movie. What the freak happened to me!
Honestly it was one of the most introspective movie-viewing experiences I have had in a very very long time. The movie is incredibly insightful into the coming of age experience and the beauty of the different stages of our lives. It stirred such a mixed bags of emotions: a nostalgic sadness for the loss of innocence and unlimited potential of childhood, a desire to be Continue reading →
One interviewee stated, in essence, that the “gods of history” had given mankind another chance to step in and prevent genocide; another chance, referring to the failure of the international community to intervene in Rwanda. His language, of course, caused me to reflect about God, mass sufferings in history, and the test of this life. Who will have to answer for this in the day of Judgment? The Janjaweed? Sudanese leaders? The Chinese? The U.N.? U.S. Business? me?
The power of citizens. We are living in a pivotal moment in history. Citizen groups are becoming powerful enough to sway government, to speak louder than big business dollars, and to have impact at a level greater than the nation-state. The citizen movement was the only thing keeping Darfur on the agenda, and no matter how disappointing the ultimate outcome the fact that citizens on one side of the are actively fighting for the well-being of citizens in a remote corner of the world is a welcome advancement.
When Christ spoke that core principle, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” how far does my personal responsibility expand? Where should I put my limited time and resources? I see bums every day walking to work but then I go into an office trying to support positive change all around the world. Is one better than the other?
This weekend a constingency of us from Ashoka met with the folks at GOOD Magazine to brainstorm how we can inspire more people to become Changemakers for good. A Changemaker is Ashoka’s language for describing someone who is self-actualized and views themselves with the power to change themselves, their families, their community, and ultimately the entire society of human kind. We drew vin diagrams that blended idealism and pragmatism and talked about changing patterns in the last 50 years as a new trend in a large body of socially conscious citizens, etc.
As I listened to these discussions the expressions and language that I heard were, in essence, echoes of Zion. These are elements that the Utopians have identified across the centuries. The ways such a society are to be established have already been identified and successfully implemented for short periods of time. Why short? Because it is extremely hard work, it takes constant concentration, quick repentance, “prayer and fasting”, “meeting together oft” and the entire group must be fully committed. But I say the more we can approach that ideal the better and it should be our endless goal, so I whole-heartedly endorse Ashoka’s vision of Everyone a Changemaker. It is a matter of being and becoming.
The other day after work I decided to walk through the National Zoo and I came away with a couple thoughts. First, we humans are not the only ones with cognitive powers. There was one orangutan that was completely working the crowd, luring everyone away from another ape and then, once he had their full attention, sending them all away in disgust to his own delight as he regurgitated a previous meal and slurped it back up again. The thing is my nephew gets the same sense of pleasure from showing everyone his chewed up fish sticks. A particular seal lion also resembled my nephew in his tactics for stalling to go to Continue reading →
In my continued seeking for goodness Friday at work I had the privilege of sitting and listening to Betty Makoni, a reknowned activist for girls’ rights, as she was in the country to receive an award from Amnesty International. I was humbled as I listened to her matter-of-fact description of the problems facing young girls in her country and then completely humbled as I listened and observed her personal drive and remarkable capacity as an agent of change to drastically change the lives of thousands upon thousands of girls and eventually millions as her model is being replicated around the world.
2500 years ago a man named Jacob rebuked a gathering of men who had through their actions abused their wives and children. He spoke in the name of the Lord saying “I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women and whoredoms are an abomination before me… I have seen the sorrow and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people [and can suffer it no longer’.” In our modern day men continue to destroy these most precious and tender daughters of God. Thanks be to God that He has raised up a woman named Betty Makoni to continue this battle for what is right and the only acceptable mode of behavior towards these most precious souls in the eyes of God.
In blogging fashion I will honor with her with links to her story–
I had a rather surreal movie watching experience this weekend. When I first saw the movie Big I would have only been slightly younger than the main character so, naturally, I saw the movie through the eyes of the boy and his friend. I imagined it would all be so cool…to be big, to get to do all the grown up things, but other than that it was just a fun movie. Twenty years later I find myself watching this movie and suddenly I’m the grown up version and living in the world of all the adults in the movie. What the freak happened to me!
