merton, dahlstrom, & women + the military
So here I am in San Francisco, settled into my abode with three great housemates. I could describe to you how San Francisco is different from Cincinnati, Seattle, DC, etc., but no need. One lesson to note though, having a car in this city is STRESSFUL. And expensive in all the ways you may think.
After traveling thousands of miles across the country, it has come time for a new pace of learning and adventure. One that is similar to sitting in an office for nine hours... but besides learning at work, which I do, I appreciate time to read, breathe, exercise, and do all kinds of things there simply is no time for during school.
For example, hanging out in Dolores Park, with my roommates, after church, and eating organic ice cream and gourmet cheese! Yesss.
I've been reading a book entitled The Solitary Explorer : Thomas Merton's Transforming Journey. Though, looking back, I probably wouldn't have chosen reading a book about a hermit monk as my first book in a new city, surrounded by a dense urban environment, but nonetheless it was an informative read. Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk in the 1950s and 60s, as well as a talented writer, enabling Catholic, Christian, and other interested readers learn about a contemplative's views of modern American culture through his inevitably different lens. Here are some excerpts of what I considered important:
- "...'what a man truly is can be discovered only through his self-awareness in a living and actual world.'"
- "To leave the 'world,' then, is to leave oneself first of all and to begin to live for others."
- "The man who dares to be alone can come to see that the 'emptiness' and 'uselessness' which the collective mind fears and condemns are necessary conditions for the encounter with truth."
- "The desert...provides the conditions for a cramped spirit to relax and become open."
- "Discipline develops our critical insight and shows us the inadequacy of what we had previously accepted as valid in our religious and spiritual lives."
- "...only after a person both knows the life from experience and has broadened his or her horizons so as to envision new possibilities, can constructive suggestions for change be prudently offered."
- "...truth develops in conversation."
- "And when I am no-thing I am in the ALL, and Christ lives in me."
As usual, I recommend online sermons of my pastor in Seattle, Richard Dahlstrom (here). The last one I listened to was March 13 about II Corinthians 2:12-17 (Did you know I Corinthians is Paul's second letter to them, and II Corinthians is the fourth, we're missing 1 and 3? yep!). A key verse is v.14 :
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
Notice it says always and also the use of the phrase "fragrance." Concerning the former, Richard points out that even when we make decisions (school, internship, finances, etc.) and then immediately question them, God is always leading us. We need to be confident that God is at work, whether we are where we "want to be" or not. He references Acts 15 in which two God-seeking men, Paul and Barnabas, part their ways because of a dispute, exemplifying that just as the early church was not perfect, neither are we, and yet God is still at work. Always. "We've got to get over our obsession with perfection ... it's that very obsession that leads us to pride and condemnation, not humble boldness." We see everyone has snapshots of failure in the Bible, but the godly ones continue seeking God. Concerning the aroma, this is an interesting metaphor we are to encapsulate as Christ-followers. This means we aren't to seek response from others, but rather if we're representing Christ. This takes us from affirming our faith to actually living out our faith. The aroma isn't from what we say we believe, but rather how we live.
These are good things.
Also good:
"Loud Pipes" by Ratatat
"Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars
Oh yes and last thing. While grazing the Internet, I stumbled upon an interesting operation the U.S. Marines are currently employing in Afghanistan. It is the FET, Female Engagement Team, created to help the Afghan women to be more represented in their society. Knowing something like this exists within our armed forces makes me feel good and hopeful that perhaps this is the way of the future, that the military can use its power to enforce community and social development. I would be interested to know what kind of action the military is able to help enact more than an NGO or non-military program, I'm sure it's something. Basically the women assigned to this job go to the villages and speak with the Afghan women about their concerns within their community. Results have included women-run small businesses, girls being allowed to go to school, women involvement in community meetings. Here are two articles on this:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19.14
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