Sabbath Messages > Sabbath Message: April 30, 2005
Good Sabbath
April 30, 2005
Tom Friedman, in his new book "The World Is Flat" , depicts a nation of slackers and deadbeats who want to cop out of the economic rat race. He likens the economic perils facing the nation to the Sputnik crisis of 1957.
O Lord
Just when hopelessness supplies its diminished dreams
We find hope. I guess that it is the nature of living.
When we have liberty, we find license accompanying it; we stretch our freedoms until they can harm others. In hopelessness we can find that up is nearer than down, that in facing the realities of life, we frequently discover the cures for all kinds of perils; miracles are invented by more than God, for He has shared all that He knows if we but pay attention.
This week I taught my ethics and leadership class at the New School of Architecture. We discussed our values when we are disappointed in someone else, especially an advisor. A Native-American young man approached me, after class, and told me how much he enjoyed the class and whether he was being argumentative in serving up his opinions and questions. Of course not, for that is the student who best instructs the teacher who is listening.
God is always listening; it is we who do not hear the answers and suggestions; it is we who become argumentative, stubborn, wasting our brains while trying to discover the meaning of our lives. I call it life's journey to build our soul, a wonderful opportunity for each mortal occupying the preciousness of time. It's not all our fault; after all we are only human; God should know that. We have three "ears", two to listen to others and a mind that interprets what we think we hear.
God speaks through others. Ralph Goodson, one of my spiritual brothers, was an international attorney, brilliant and always listening. His splendid spouse, Trisha, gave Ralph one of her kidneys so that he could live and live better. I saw her afterwards; she had changed; God had lighted her spirit with a brightness that illuminated whomever she was next to; she was older but hadn't aged a moment. She was bathed in a holiness that she couldn't see, but others who loved her understood. Ralph is the kind of successful person who knows everyone, but his love-besides Trisha-is music (and people). His intelligence is never burdened by arrogance or vanity. He knows what near-blindness and near-death can teach, for only the stubborn are truly blind and near-death is part of life's journey towards immortality. It is a step, a series of steps, which always accompany wisdom as it seeks a soul-mate.
Spending part of a day with these two and whatever friend they introduce to my life, is a joy. This time it was Dr.Arthur Bartner, the marvelous director of the University of Southern California's Marching Band. I had seen him many times at football games, as he raised the baton to an attentive team of musicians, and "Fight On" rang through the L.A. Coliseum; the mood was one of joy and anticipation which even defeat could never diminish. That is the way of tradition, it eludes becoming the captive of either momentary, superficial passion, or temporary hopelessness, when we are dispirited by temporary defeat. God doesn't bother defeating us; we do that ourselves. Sure there are knaves who bring us down and try to make us go through self-doubt, but all of that is very temporary as we listen to music, pick up life's beat, fill our soul with a spiritual holiness and find another meaning to our lives.
We search for those meanings all our mortality. All people of little or great means share this search.
A child lends it to the birthing Mother; a sport's achievement brings Dad and child together in triumph or defeat; life's lessons and meaning are cloaked in a camouflage of failure and hopelessness, even tyranny. Within us dwells our true selves and it requires all of this to teach us about ourselves, our true selves: good, decent, noble, imperfect but full of possibilities.
This Sabbath, share your love with a fellow mortal, reassure your loved ones of how good life will be if they listen to God's constant whispers and find the pathways illuminating our souls.
sandy
