Around and Around

Probably one of my all-time favorite movie scenes is in the classic, small-town American baseball movie, The Sandlot. A group of pre-adolescent boys spend their summer days playing baseball, but in this scene they all go to a carnival together. One of the boys pulls out a big pouch of chew, they all shove a huge wad in their mouth, and get on one of the rides. Shortly into the ride, you start to see their faces change from laughter and joy to nausea and panic. Pretty soon every single one of them is puking on the ride, which ends up flying all over the other passengers as well. If you have a weak stomach, you might feel a little nauseous just hearing about it. I have to admit, that feels all-to-familiar right now as we look around the world and wonder when this chaos is going to end. Seeing all the tragedy, horror, hatred, and heartache is enough to make us all puke if we’re paying attention. Sadly, rather than look at it and be moved to action, I often turn the other way, puke a little, and just swallow it back down.

Families are literally running for their lives in Afghanistan. Entire villages slaughtered and burned in Ethiopia. Thousands of migrants starving for food and a better life stuck at the border. Tibet, Hong Kong, Greece. Fires, floods, Covid. The list goes on and on, Every corner of the globe is facing enormous difficulty of some kind or another, and we all wonder when is this going to end? Perhaps we’re asking the wrong question. Maybe, just maybe, we need to stop yelling at each other, put down our guns, and ask ourselves, “How are we going to get through this together?” Instead of “when will this end?”, we can be asking how we can love better and what we can do to help each other get through this. It really doesn’t matter what my, or your, opinions are about climate change, politics, vaccines, or anything else. What really matters is how we are loving one other.

There is plenty of room for us to have differences of opinion and have open, respectful discussion and dialogue if we first start with love. If our primary concern is to show love and kindness to someone, then we can talk together, share ideas, and be united as one human race that is working for the good of all mankind. Next time you read the news or hear about some tragic suffering across the globe, take a moment to think about those families. The children and grandmas, moms and dads. See the humanity behind the story, allow it to stir in your gut, and move you to act in compassion, kindness, and love. That’s how we’re going to get off this ride.

Right or Left

Chocolate or Vanilla? Rap or Country? Pizza or Sushi? These may (or may not) be easy decisions when there are only two options. But what if we start adding in hamburgers, tacos, cookies and cream, coffee, or a million different other things? Some you might love and others not so much, but it’s much more difficult to declare an absolute best when you realize just how many options there are. We all have our personal preferences when it comes to food, style, music, etc., but it’s hard to deny that countless other good options exist that may be someone else’s favorite, and that doesn’t make them wrong.

This got me thinking about something called a binary system. A binary system is a system that involves only two specifics options, like a “yes or no” question. You can only answer yes, or no. There is no in-between, no third option, and no room for compromise. It’s a simple yes, or no. Some things in life function really well in a binary system of thinking. For example, is it ok to mistreat someone because of their race, or make fun of their ethnicity? I hope we all agree that’s a hard “No”. It’s not ok. In case you’re not really aware, that’s active racism and it’s hurtful and terribly wrong. Is it good to feed and care for the needs of your children? Probably a unanimous yes on that one. When we start talking politics, philosophy, religious denominations, or even football, things can get a bit more complicated, and it’s in these areas that we need to be careful of a binary system of thinking.

When we draw hard lines in the sand with people, we force them to choose one of the limited options we give them, which often leads to arguments, division, and sometimes all-out war. In case you haven’t noticed, God is very creative. Like snowflakes, each of us is uniquely created, but we are all created in the image of God. That means that even the co-worker you can’t stand and that sister-in-law that bugs the crap out of you are made in the image of God. They are reflecting a part of him that may be totally different than you. And that’s a good thing. We aren’t all alike and we don’t have to act, think, speak, and believe all the same things. We are created in the image of love, so let’s spend less time dividing over things we don’t agree on, and look for the beauty and goodness in each other. You just may start to see love in places you never thought to look.

Rooted in love

A big, beautiful tree in front of City Hall was toppled Sunday afternoon when a crazy storm blew through our little town. It was one of several trees that had fallen, and countless broken branches. We even saw a trampoline perched on top of huge tree that was lying across the road. In some regions, storms like this are as common as rain in Oregon, but we don’t typically have wind like that here.

One of our favorite things about our hometown is that it is tucked at the base of some beautiful hills and trails that we’ve been hiking together since our kids were barely able to walk. After the storm we were anxious to get on the trails and see what damage may have been done, assuming there would be dozens of fallen trees and branches blocking the path. To our surprise, after about 4 miles of hiking we only saw one newly fallen tree on the ground. Thousands of trees make up the landscape of those hills and we only saw one tree that fell victim to the storm. It made us wonder why. Why are there so many trees down in town, but these were still standing? I think the answer is community.

In town, the trees stand on their own. You may see one isolated tree in the middle of a manicured lawn or lining the sidewalk. Their roots are often shallow with nothing to hold onto but dirt and grass. In the hills is a much different story. Hundreds of trees have their roots tangled together, embracing each other like family. They guard each other from the wind, holding fast no matter what comes their way. Family. Community. Don’t we all kind of wish we had more of that. Not the petty arguments and rivalry that sometimes define family, but the deep true love that you know will be there for you when the chips are down. I know I want that, and I want to be that for the people in my life. We can’t get that by being isolated. As a card-carrying introvert this can be difficult for me, but it is reality. We were made for community, for family, friendship, and love. I’m going to try to get out of my comfort zone more and get tangled up in relational community. When the winds come, we’ll have a better chance of weathering the storm if we’re holding onto each other.

Stand in the waves

This past weekend, we celebrated our granddaughter’s sixth birthday at the Redding Waterworks park. We had a blast on all the slides, but I think the kids liked the wave pool best of all. Every time the waves would start, they’d get so excited trying to jump over the water as it swelled toward us. They always had an adult nearby either holding their hand, or at least watching closely to help if needed. As the day went on, their bravery and confidence swelled almost as much as the waves themselves. The interesting thing about a wave pool is that the waves are all calculated. The size, the timing, and the direction are all controlled. It’s fun, but not at all like splashing in the waves of the ocean.

When our kids were young, we visited some friends who lived on Kauai at the time. It was a great trip and we had so much fun, especially playing at the beach. We were attempting to body surf as the waves rolled in, but the break was all the way up on the shore, so as the wave crashed it would pummel us right into the sand. Then, like a washing machine, the next wave would hit and tumble you again and again. Nobody was hurt and we did have lots of fun, but it was definitely not controlled. It was wild and powerful and would knock you on your ass if you weren’t paying attention. Kinda like life.

I’m reflecting on the physical and emotional toll of this past year, and even of the past few days. Currently we have multiple friends and family members battling cancer, others in ICU fighting Covid infection, and countless more struggling with other physical issues, mental illness, and/or emotional trauma. As Ben Rector sings, “Here’s the truth, life sucks sometimes”. It’s hard and messy and just flat-out sucks sometimes. Like waves that just keep coming, pounding you into the sand, the daily grind of life can feel exhausting and relentless. If you are struggling right now, please tell someone. Reach out and ask for help. There’s no shame in needing or asking for help. We all need help sometimes. That’s just part of life. Also, if you happen to be standing right now and doing well, look for those who may be struggling. Offer your hand to help hold them up. That’s why we have each other. That’s what being a neighbor means, to love and support each other in times of need.

Life may suck sometimes, but it can also be really beautiful when we choose to bring love and peace to our neighbors and to the world. The waves will still come and may sometimes knock us down, but they are much easier to handle when we hold onto each other.

Let the music play

Some of my fondest childhood memories are the times I spent with my Auntie Sheila learning to sing, play the piano, and the life lessons that come from the arts and music. With a few exceptions, I enjoy nearly every genre of music. Always have. Rap, Latin vibe, Folk, EDM, African rhythms, classic rock, or many others, I find such joy in the beauty and passion of music. Last night we sat on the hill above the stage while the sounds of the Britt Orchestra filled the amphitheater with a transcendent performance of Wagner, Copland, and Mozart as the sun set behind us. It was beautiful. Wine, music, friends, and family. Not much better than that. One thing that amazes me is the way a large band or orchestra can play together in such harmony and oneness. Each artist giving themselves over to the collective canvas of the music, and I realized this morning why that is such a beautiful thing. This is how we were created to live. Each of us, with our own unique gifts, personalities, and passions contributing to the collective beauty of our world.

“We fight for the oppressed….”

The term “Social Justice” has become quite polarizing, but it doesn’t need to be. It is basically this idea that we are to live in a way that is beyond ourselves. We fight for the oppressed, care for the poor and the sick, welcome the immigrants, and treat every human with the utmost love and respect that they deserve regardless of ____________ (fill in the blank). This is not a left-wing political ideology. This is biblical love, the kind of justice that God instructed his people to live like. It’s definitely a radical way to live and I want to learn to do it better.

It’s funny, the more I write about love, the more I realize how often I am not loving. Even as I desire to live in peace and spread kindness, I find myself impatient, selfish, and argumentative. Like a violist hitting the wrong note, it can be a distraction from the song being played. This is where we give grace to ourselves and to others, and just keep practicing the way of love. We continue to learn, to forgive, and to be forgiven, and raise your voice of love in harmony with each other. There is a beautiful song of love waiting to be played out in our lives, so let the music play.

For more on this and what God has to say about justice, I highly recommend this video by the Bible Project (link below).

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/justice/?utm_source=web_social_share&medium=shared_video