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

Love on par

Recently my son wanted to get back into golf. He played for several years when he was a kid but other priorities pulled him away from the game. When he mentioned he wanted to start playing again, I was excited for the opportunity to spend some time with him doing something he loves, so I decided to get some clubs and learn how to play too. How hard could it be, right? A good friend of mine who just happens to be an excellent golfer gave me a set of clubs, and off I went to the driving range for some practice. Once in a while I actually make a good connection with the ball, but other times my grass divot flies farther than the ball. I keep practicing though, and this morning I think I played my best golf yet. I’m sure Tiger could still crush me one-handed and with his eyes closed, but still I feel like there is at least slight improvement.

Learning how to love can be a bit like golf. It’s awkward and ugly sometimes. You might par one hole, showing love and kindness to a stranger, but then turn around and speak rudely to your spouse, trash someone on social media, or stiff the waiter for a tip because he wasn’t quick enough refilling your water glass, Triple bogey. Ugh! Just when it feels like you’re starting to get better, the next hole sucks and you feel like a hack, a total fraud, and you have no business being on the course at all. I know the feeling.

Just like golf, love takes practice and patience. Be kind to yourself and don’t give up. Keep getting out there. Be brave and vulnerable. It might feel weird at first. As a matter of fact, it might always feel a little weird, but that’s ok. Loving people isn’t easy. It can be messy and frustrating, but in the end it’s worth it. As we continue to learn and grow, we will discover that love is like a superpower that can heal, inspire, bring hope, and perhaps even save someone’s life. So don’t quit. Even if you feel like just saying, “F%&# it” and throwing your clubs in the pond and walking away, don’t do it. Take a deep breath, give grace to yourself and others, and learn from it. You’ll be glad you did.

May peace overflow in your life and in our world as we continue to learn to love.

Dare to dream

The past 18 months have challenged our world collectively more than anything else has in my lifetime. Death and disease, hate and division, hopelessness and depression all have plagued our human experience this last season of life. None of us are exempt. In many ways we are still in the middle of this war, hunkered down in the trenches and hoping there will be victory soon. Many are scared, most are tired, and all hope for better days ahead. I know I certainly do. MLK said, “I have a dream,” and I wonder if perhaps you do too. Sometimes when life just seems to suck at every turn, our hearts can stop daring to dream. We are no longer thriving, living life to the fullest, but we’re stuck in survival mode just trying to get by.

I have found myself stuck in those seasons many times in my life, but I don’t think it has to be this way. In the words of the great Switchfoot, “We were meant to live for so much more.” It’s true. You and I were made in the image of a creator. That means we were created to be creative, to dream up new ideas, to explore ways to connect mind, body, and spirit with the world around us. This can’t happen until we set our sights on something higher than just getting by. It takes intentionality, courage, and purpose to step out of our picket-fenced lives and bring love and hope to the world.

Dare to let your heart dream of a better world. Then, let your love show it, and your voice share it, until we all begin to feel hope again. I’ve heard several people speculate about the possibility of another civil war in America. Let’s not wait to see. We can all take action by fighting for love and caring for one another today. Don’t listen to the voices that try to pit “us against them”, whoever “us” and “them” is. We’re all human. We all need love and we all hope for better days ahead. There’s nothing civil about war, so let’s dream of something better and fight for civil peace instead.

Walls or Windows

Photo by Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

Spring Break 1992, at 16 years old I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico with a high school youth group. None of us really knew what to expect from the trip other than people telling us it was going to change our lives. On day 1 of travel, the big yellow school bus pulled into a rest area along the I-5 freeway just after dawn so we could have breakfast. Admittedly I was quite spoiled as a kid, so I was a bit disappointed when breakfast turned out to be cereal with warm powdered milk. Warm. Powdered. Milk. What the heck? Who does that? Well, only a few hours into the trip and my life was definitely changed. I will never, ever drink warm powdered milk again.

After driving for many, stinky hours in the bus, we were just a few miles outside Ensenada, Mexico. With eyes wide in disbelief, I stared at the landscape filled with makeshift tents of cardboard, tarps, plastic, and any other trash that could be used for shelter. It’s a pretty common scenario for youth groups and church missions to visit impoverished nations to bring assistance for food, shelter, medical care, etc. I don’t want to minimize these trips at all, as I do believe great things can happen when we choose to get out of our comfort zone to help others. I wonder though, what do we actually see when those same people are camped at our border hoping for refuge and opportunity? Do we see them behind a wall keeping out the illegal foreigners, or do we look at them through a window, where we can see them clearly as they are in their beautiful humanity? How do you view foreign immigrants and refugees? Do you see them as a troublesome, political issue that needs tighter immigration laws, higher walls, and tougher foreign policies? Or, perhaps you can look a bit deeper to see their infinite worth as humans made in the same image as you and me. What prejudices or implicit biases do you feel in your gut that it’s time to call out and let go of?

I am deeply convinced that nationality does more to divide than it does to unite. Sure we need border security, whatever. I certainly don’t pretend to know everything about immigration laws, refugee status, and all that legal stuff, but I do know that if we don’t see them as human, don’t recognize their beauty and value, we are completely missing the call to love our neighbors. Love has to be the foundation of foreign policy, the catalyst for any humanitarian aid, and the window through which we see our neighbors across the street and around the world. Have you been seeing people through walls to keep them out? Try looking through windows instead, to see people of all nations, tribes, languages, and identities with love and kindness. Better yet, let’s open the door to them to have a conversation and let them into our lives. If we choose it, that will truly change our life and theirs. And you don’t even have to drink warm powdered milk to do it.