It's voting day in the US for a new president. I generally try to stay away from politics as it can be divisive, and I certainly don't mean to offend and take sides. But as a Canadian outsider, I feel the need to post some 'life and liveliness' things I've though this time around.
I was really confused by this one. Seems like an attack on 'socialism' and against democrats, but is all about fear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnX7TNFIELg&feature=plcp
I've seen many people supporting the Republican side on solely a faith based issue of 'pro life' which is fascinating that to many this is the issue to drive the day for many. Yet surely there are other values that are important, isn't there?
I believe values are important, don't get me wrong, and I believe human life is precious. Yet why is this one value above and beyond any other?
As with all ethical things a myriad of other issues play in. Is it driven by some kind of 'sin value scale'? I don't think God has a scale that runs from little white lies up to abortion. Maybe the biggest challenge is thinking through all the issues, and here's a couple interesting links that surprised me this election which are values to consider.
Here's a committed republican's position on loosing the fear of universal heath care, which runs straight into other key issues surrounding the abortion debate. The thesis is if America had universal health coverage there would be less abortion:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/permissiontolive/2012/07/how-i-lost-my-fear-of-universal-health-care.html
Surely Christ saw all people equally, how can anyone justify denying a vote? Doesn't that show a profound lack of valuing others? http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/09/should-the-poor-be-allowed-to-vote.html
Sticky ethical issues can't have black and white solutions. If we close quarters on our specific ideas of 'what I define as right' (worse yet in God's name) we are doing the same things as those that want to enforce strict shari'ah law on others. We start a fight that takes away life and liveliness.
Adding life and liveliness is all about transparently including people, and supporting their needs in a sacrificial way. It helps no one to divide up into corners of 'my' values and throw rocks. It makes a difference to care and see the world through eyes of equality and understanding.
If I was voting, it would be for equality and understanding.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
I have chickens!
I did however build myself a chicken coop, and now am the proud owner of 8 chickens! Since I live in a small town in Alberta, it seemed fitting. According to the Birkmann test I took a few months ago, I have an interest in agriculture/outdoors, so I have permission to nurture my inner farmer.
Most of the chickens are young: 3 Silver Grey Dorkings (pictured and critically endangered in Canada), 2 Speckled Sussex, 2 Americanus (the ones that lay light blue eggs) and one mature Rhode Island Red. The Rhode Island Red 'rules the roost' is at the top of the 'pecking order' and other wise bosses everyone around. She has earned the nickname of 'Attila the Hen'. She is the only one old enough to lay eggs so far.
I have to say, that I am simply amazed almost everyday as I stop by to pick up the freshly laid egg. It's just amazing to look at this edible product, and see where it came from!
The coop itself is more of a 'chicken condo' than a coop, complete with thermostatically controlled heating, but it's small, lots of poops lying around, and not a place I'd want to live. But in the chaos, the cramped quarters, these funny little beasts are capable of producing a perfect, clean, flawless, life sustaining egg.
I just look at them and don't seem to get over the amazement of it all. I like technology, but I'm thinking we're very far away from machinery managing to pull off anything as perfect as a simple egg.
Come on by: I'll share.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Most Inspiring Gift Ever
Got some news on my birthday today, which is the most inspiring gift ever.
In 1993 I was working for Samaritan's Purse Canada and had 'escaped' out of Mogadishu Somalia to Kenya, when Franklin Graham asked me to set up an African office in Nairobi. I said OK and built out a guest house to ferry volunteers, and an office to coordinate supplies into Somalia and Sudan. I also started discussions with UN members to start Samaritan Purses' Rwanda work.
Those were some pretty dark days as one might imagine (my brain starts spinning to even *think* about watching the movie Black Hawk Down: can you say a touch of PTSD? Not enough to mess up my life but I do see a Loomis truck in a parking lot, scan for trouble and park by the *other* entrance to the store.) The year and a half in E. Africa was very hard, but I'm proud of what I began. One of those first staff was Benson. He continues to work there today, and proved he was a man of integrity in those early days.
I was honoured to be included in a plan with Scott Hughett and John Clayton to privately provide some funds for Benson to build a greenhouse and sell tomatoes off season. John told me:
Benson told me, 'I know how to grow things'. He is growing tomatoes - I ate one, it was delicious. The challenge isn't growing them, it is growing them at the right time to hit the market. The 20L bucket can sell for either 200ksh ($2.50) or 2,000ksh (yeah - $25!), depending on the season - it's all about timing.
He also said:
His home is a 4 hour bus ride to work each day (it was a 2hr taxi ride each way), yes he gets up just after 4am each day to get to work. He told me that he hopes to be self sufficient in just a couple more years and will move completely to farming, and yes perhaps sleeping in occasionally. . .
Benson is totally inspiring for me. A guy with very little in the way of resources living with integrity and hard work allowed me to help, which is such an honour! I can't imagine what it would take to do what he has done. Look at that picture! That is the picture of someone owning his life with wisdom and strength of character. Talk about a guy adding live and liveliness, not taking it away.
Thanks for the great birthday gift of inspiration and food for thought Benson!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Traffic
I've travelled a few places in my day, and getting around town is always interesting. Canada is pretty similar from what I've seen. Some narrow windy streets in Vancouver to no right turn rules in Quebec. Bangkok was dirty, London and LA were just clogged, and in East Africa, well, anything seems to go with the lines just suggested examples of where to drive.
I was surprised in Washington DC to find people crossing roads on a red. Lots of pedestrian signs, lights, timers and well done cross walks. So, lack of direction is not a problem. But yet, almost every crossing, people just walked across the road as long as there was not a car that would instantly hit them. I even saw a couple with 2 little kids in strollers crossing busy downtown streets like that!
I felt like an idiot standing there, unwilling to cross. I don't think I'm a stickler for traffic law, or unwilling to 'do as the Romans do'. Perhaps I just don't want to die. At times, groups of people would dart out as traffic allowed, and others would follow to not be left standing there. Leaving me all alone, waiting for the green light. What a dork. I asked several natives about this and they just chuckled and said 'That's what we do here'. One lady told me that almost once a week there is someone that is hit by a car. And yet, they just keep crossing on the red.
I asked a Somali taxi driver to explain and he just shook his head. It's on the traffic to stop, regardless, or it's all on the driver. The individual without the car needs to be protected. Single women sometimes will also dart out of the cab without paying, and a Somali taxi driver can't chase a pretty lady down on the street without fear of repercussion. So where on earth does this pedestrian power come from? Why do pedestrians feel entitled to doing what they want, when they want, without the rules applying to them? Even with police everywhere, I saw them stand around as people just walked where they want, when they want.
Just a cultural thing? Possibly. Perhaps a strong sense the the rights and freedoms of the less powerful person (ie: not in a car) need equality with a bus? But I would be concerned that an attitude of 'the rules don't apply to me, I'm special' in the nation's capital impacts on the running of that nation. I'm not sure how the nation's capital can turn a blind eye to pedestrian entitlement, and the cost of vehicles on the road. Isn't this the one place where entitlement shouldn't be rampant?
I was surprised in Washington DC to find people crossing roads on a red. Lots of pedestrian signs, lights, timers and well done cross walks. So, lack of direction is not a problem. But yet, almost every crossing, people just walked across the road as long as there was not a car that would instantly hit them. I even saw a couple with 2 little kids in strollers crossing busy downtown streets like that!
I felt like an idiot standing there, unwilling to cross. I don't think I'm a stickler for traffic law, or unwilling to 'do as the Romans do'. Perhaps I just don't want to die. At times, groups of people would dart out as traffic allowed, and others would follow to not be left standing there. Leaving me all alone, waiting for the green light. What a dork. I asked several natives about this and they just chuckled and said 'That's what we do here'. One lady told me that almost once a week there is someone that is hit by a car. And yet, they just keep crossing on the red.
I asked a Somali taxi driver to explain and he just shook his head. It's on the traffic to stop, regardless, or it's all on the driver. The individual without the car needs to be protected. Single women sometimes will also dart out of the cab without paying, and a Somali taxi driver can't chase a pretty lady down on the street without fear of repercussion. So where on earth does this pedestrian power come from? Why do pedestrians feel entitled to doing what they want, when they want, without the rules applying to them? Even with police everywhere, I saw them stand around as people just walked where they want, when they want.
Just a cultural thing? Possibly. Perhaps a strong sense the the rights and freedoms of the less powerful person (ie: not in a car) need equality with a bus? But I would be concerned that an attitude of 'the rules don't apply to me, I'm special' in the nation's capital impacts on the running of that nation. I'm not sure how the nation's capital can turn a blind eye to pedestrian entitlement, and the cost of vehicles on the road. Isn't this the one place where entitlement shouldn't be rampant?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Do you feel truly free?
In your country?
In your circle of friends?
In your workplace?
In your place of worship?
With God?
I had a conversation where the answer was a mix of yes and no. This was interesting to me, since I expected the answer would be a definitive no because none of us are free, or a definitive yes because being in a community involves an acceptance and choice of owning the the rules of that community. There is not freedom without ownership. There is only freedom with submission.
I'm not sure how one ends up in a community (choosing to be there) and not feel ownership with a 'free' voice within that community.
In North America we throw around 'It's a free country' all the time, and it's true: we are free compared to a dictatorship in another country. But there is no free lunch. That freedom is bought with a price. We happen to live (and choose to continue to be!) in a country where people fought for a system of government that gives us choice. That makes us feel free, because for the most part it's so well set up that it just works. But the fact is that if we decided we don't like the rules, and do what we want, there are consequences. Choice includes responsibility. For the most part we follow the rules because they are what we define as 'normal' and it is easy to be compliant (culture subconsciously aids us here).
In reality though, none of us are free.
All of the above are actually the same structures of 'communities' we belong to. Community is important, and includes authority structures (formally or in-formally), rules, responsibilities, and things we get from the community and things we give. There are codes of conduct we choose to submit to in order to be a part of the community to avoid consequences if rules are broken. If we feel free, it is because we are in line with the rules. If we don't feel free, it simply means we don't feel that we have choices and want different things than the community is offering. Ironically, I believe all people have choices: we just don't understand the situation or do not want to own the responsibility of the consequences.
Many brave soldiers have died fighting for a cause in a 'community' we call a country. For right or wrong reasons, whether they chose the cause or felt they didn't have a choice, they fought and died to support the ideals or ideology of that community. Freedom to choose is bought with blood.
If you believe you are free (or without consequence) in any one of those communities above, you likely will not be able to articulate the implied or direct rules or authority in those communities, or understand the rules and authority you have subconsciously accepted and the entirety of the responsibility you bear. If you did, it wouldn't seem so free. If you do not feel free, without understanding and accepting the rules and authority of the community you are in, you will feel confused or frustrated by expectations you can't understand or fear.
If you believe there is freedom without consequence and ownership of choice that you must bear, you have not been paying attention to the sacrifice of all that have come before. You are not special. Life isn't just more fair for you than others: many debts have been paid already. You are just enjoying the consequences of what others that have paid for you. You are blessed, not more special than others. There is no free lunch.
Isn't it bad that 'none of us are free'? Absolutely not! This is just how life works. Life can only flourish when we realize that for there to be 'freedom', ownership of pain has to happen in community with others so we earn freedom together. If we believe we are free (without the hard work of choosing or ownership) then we are just pretending and perhaps even believing we are special and entitled to be exempt from the pain. If we realize that in *any* community we choose to be in, we are a vital part of that community and need to become responsible to participate and support that community. Or choose not to own what is required and leave. This is honest living. People that experience 'freedom' in a community without giving are only half there.
Once we have owned our choices, and contributed together with others, great communities are achieved, and freedom can be enjoyed by all in that community. But no one should feel free from the work to get there. No one should choose to be in a community expecting to get anything positive without giving in. Complacency is not the same as ownership.
Country: Is why you need to take voting seriously, as you have been given the responsibility to be a part of choosing of leadership. Dying in a war may be required, FYI.
Friends: You can't just 'take' in the relationship, you have a responsibility to give and define what being friends means. You absolutely need to be aware of what you are required to give, and what you do and do not agree to in being part of of the relationship. Lest you feel like you have no choice but to go along with someone else's rules.
Workplace: A healthy workplace wants you to speak, own clear responsibilities and give to build the business model. Not to just simply do what you are told and collect a pay check. Something is wrong if that is happening.
Place of Worship: Religion is full of subtle rules. If you choose to brand yourself with a particular set of rules, you should participate 100%. Including your check book.
With God: Ah, the cool thing here is that according to the Red Letters in the Bible, the only requirements are to love the lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. That's it. If there are other rules given to you to please God, there is something wrong.
For me, God is the ultimate authority, and what He thinks matters. We know what is instructed of us (see above) and otherwise, we are free to participate in whatever communities we want, given that we follow His rules while we participate. In fact, I don't think there are prizes in heaven for following any rules created by man, we just have communities as part of how life works. One is not better than another. We are judged on God's rules as we executed them as a part of whatever communities we choose to belong.
We can feel free to any particular community that gives us joy as we own the rules and authority structures of those communities, and enjoy the 'freedom' that comes from accepting and choosing compliance and working hard to give. Knowing that by doing that we are accepted and a valuable part of life. We can expect to feel isolated if we try to join a community, and only exist within that community without accepting ownership and choosing to give.
So the real question is what communities (or authorities) do you choose to submit to? Then the hard question that follows if you do not feel right about being painted with that brush, why do you choose to stay?
In your circle of friends?
In your workplace?
In your place of worship?
With God?
I had a conversation where the answer was a mix of yes and no. This was interesting to me, since I expected the answer would be a definitive no because none of us are free, or a definitive yes because being in a community involves an acceptance and choice of owning the the rules of that community. There is not freedom without ownership. There is only freedom with submission.
I'm not sure how one ends up in a community (choosing to be there) and not feel ownership with a 'free' voice within that community.
In North America we throw around 'It's a free country' all the time, and it's true: we are free compared to a dictatorship in another country. But there is no free lunch. That freedom is bought with a price. We happen to live (and choose to continue to be!) in a country where people fought for a system of government that gives us choice. That makes us feel free, because for the most part it's so well set up that it just works. But the fact is that if we decided we don't like the rules, and do what we want, there are consequences. Choice includes responsibility. For the most part we follow the rules because they are what we define as 'normal' and it is easy to be compliant (culture subconsciously aids us here).
In reality though, none of us are free.
All of the above are actually the same structures of 'communities' we belong to. Community is important, and includes authority structures (formally or in-formally), rules, responsibilities, and things we get from the community and things we give. There are codes of conduct we choose to submit to in order to be a part of the community to avoid consequences if rules are broken. If we feel free, it is because we are in line with the rules. If we don't feel free, it simply means we don't feel that we have choices and want different things than the community is offering. Ironically, I believe all people have choices: we just don't understand the situation or do not want to own the responsibility of the consequences.
Many brave soldiers have died fighting for a cause in a 'community' we call a country. For right or wrong reasons, whether they chose the cause or felt they didn't have a choice, they fought and died to support the ideals or ideology of that community. Freedom to choose is bought with blood.
If you believe you are free (or without consequence) in any one of those communities above, you likely will not be able to articulate the implied or direct rules or authority in those communities, or understand the rules and authority you have subconsciously accepted and the entirety of the responsibility you bear. If you did, it wouldn't seem so free. If you do not feel free, without understanding and accepting the rules and authority of the community you are in, you will feel confused or frustrated by expectations you can't understand or fear.
If you believe there is freedom without consequence and ownership of choice that you must bear, you have not been paying attention to the sacrifice of all that have come before. You are not special. Life isn't just more fair for you than others: many debts have been paid already. You are just enjoying the consequences of what others that have paid for you. You are blessed, not more special than others. There is no free lunch.
Isn't it bad that 'none of us are free'? Absolutely not! This is just how life works. Life can only flourish when we realize that for there to be 'freedom', ownership of pain has to happen in community with others so we earn freedom together. If we believe we are free (without the hard work of choosing or ownership) then we are just pretending and perhaps even believing we are special and entitled to be exempt from the pain. If we realize that in *any* community we choose to be in, we are a vital part of that community and need to become responsible to participate and support that community. Or choose not to own what is required and leave. This is honest living. People that experience 'freedom' in a community without giving are only half there.
Once we have owned our choices, and contributed together with others, great communities are achieved, and freedom can be enjoyed by all in that community. But no one should feel free from the work to get there. No one should choose to be in a community expecting to get anything positive without giving in. Complacency is not the same as ownership.
Country: Is why you need to take voting seriously, as you have been given the responsibility to be a part of choosing of leadership. Dying in a war may be required, FYI.
Friends: You can't just 'take' in the relationship, you have a responsibility to give and define what being friends means. You absolutely need to be aware of what you are required to give, and what you do and do not agree to in being part of of the relationship. Lest you feel like you have no choice but to go along with someone else's rules.
Workplace: A healthy workplace wants you to speak, own clear responsibilities and give to build the business model. Not to just simply do what you are told and collect a pay check. Something is wrong if that is happening.
Place of Worship: Religion is full of subtle rules. If you choose to brand yourself with a particular set of rules, you should participate 100%. Including your check book.
With God: Ah, the cool thing here is that according to the Red Letters in the Bible, the only requirements are to love the lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. That's it. If there are other rules given to you to please God, there is something wrong.
For me, God is the ultimate authority, and what He thinks matters. We know what is instructed of us (see above) and otherwise, we are free to participate in whatever communities we want, given that we follow His rules while we participate. In fact, I don't think there are prizes in heaven for following any rules created by man, we just have communities as part of how life works. One is not better than another. We are judged on God's rules as we executed them as a part of whatever communities we choose to belong.
We can feel free to any particular community that gives us joy as we own the rules and authority structures of those communities, and enjoy the 'freedom' that comes from accepting and choosing compliance and working hard to give. Knowing that by doing that we are accepted and a valuable part of life. We can expect to feel isolated if we try to join a community, and only exist within that community without accepting ownership and choosing to give.
So the real question is what communities (or authorities) do you choose to submit to? Then the hard question that follows if you do not feel right about being painted with that brush, why do you choose to stay?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ideology
My son had a great question for me. Since I don't subscribe to any one published ideology, in particular a church or other community group, what then is my ideology?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions.
I believe that God is alive and active in our daily lives. His purpose for us is to learn and choose, which is why God doesn't tell us what to do. Free will demands that we learn and choose. Christ had 2 important rules for us to follow, but otherwise it is up to us to learn who we are, choose to involve ourselves in the communities we want, and otherwise learn to trust.
When we take ownership, we give life and liveliness to others in our community and the ones we love, and fear is reduced.
Life is full of pain. The goal is not to try to avoid all pain (if we try, that will last only as long as it takes to get hungry), instead we need to be aware of the pain you *should* be owning (and which ones to leave to others). With insight into who we are and want to be, we must choose which pain we will own, then fight, tear and bleed until those pains are resolved. From the resolution of the effort spent comes peace and space, where you feel fulfilled and at rest. Joy can flourish for a job well done and you can truly enjoy life. You are blessed by the God of creation because He knows you *can* choose. Do you?
We avoid choosing to own pains due to fear. Fear is tricky. Fear seems insurmountable. For the most part fear is related to the things that we cannot control. Yet, if we realize there are things that we shouldn't control, and choose to own the things we should, there will be less to fear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions.
I believe that God is alive and active in our daily lives. His purpose for us is to learn and choose, which is why God doesn't tell us what to do. Free will demands that we learn and choose. Christ had 2 important rules for us to follow, but otherwise it is up to us to learn who we are, choose to involve ourselves in the communities we want, and otherwise learn to trust.
When we take ownership, we give life and liveliness to others in our community and the ones we love, and fear is reduced.
Life is full of pain. The goal is not to try to avoid all pain (if we try, that will last only as long as it takes to get hungry), instead we need to be aware of the pain you *should* be owning (and which ones to leave to others). With insight into who we are and want to be, we must choose which pain we will own, then fight, tear and bleed until those pains are resolved. From the resolution of the effort spent comes peace and space, where you feel fulfilled and at rest. Joy can flourish for a job well done and you can truly enjoy life. You are blessed by the God of creation because He knows you *can* choose. Do you?
We avoid choosing to own pains due to fear. Fear is tricky. Fear seems insurmountable. For the most part fear is related to the things that we cannot control. Yet, if we realize there are things that we shouldn't control, and choose to own the things we should, there will be less to fear.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
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