The Human Agenda

Adam: God's Beloved

Adam:  God’s Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen

Reflections by David Nelson

The walk this morning felt good even with a sore muscle in the thigh.  The time spent at Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City during the Big XII basketball tournament was fun.  It is a full weekend.  Sunday morning we will have our final conversation about the book Adam in our adult class.  The book has been one of my companions during this Lent season.  It tells the story of a profoundly handicapped young man in a special community where Henri lived as one of the caregivers.  Adam could not speak or even move without assistance.  He is totally dependent on others since his birth.  By any standard he was a burden to his family, and society.  Yet in the care giving and community building many lives were transformed.

I resisted the comparison with Jesus that is a theme throughout the book.  Jesus was whole, he was brilliant, and he was fully in charge of his life.  Jesus taught others with his stories and his prophetic witness.  He healed the sick and raised the dead.  He fed the hungry and empowered others to be disciples.  Adam could do none of these things, and yet for Henri, others in the L’Arche Daybreak Community, and for many readers of this short book, Adam was also a witness to God’s unconditional and indescribable grace.  I finished the book with a profound sense of appreciation as well.

Why have I resisted?  Why did some of the narrative seemed forced at times?  I don’t know the reasons, but I do know I will ponder these questions again.  What I do realize is that the story became personal for me as well.  I too had the privilege of companioning residence of Bethphage Mission as a child with my father and I took confirmation classes for a few days retreat several years while a pastor.  It is hard to put words to the feelings of hanging out with these “special” people.  I visited people in the twilight hours of their lives when they could only “be” and not “do”.  In most cases I felt touched in ways that words cannot describe. 

My thoughts also brought the short life of our daughter Molly into focus.  Although healthy, happy, and very brilliant (in my eyes) she too did not write any books, preach any sermons, contribute any hours in volunteer service or perform wondrous feats of great athletic ability.  But she blessed my life beyond measure.  She remains a part of my memory that defines my existence.  Her gifts were her presence and the incredible relationship that cannot be severed even by death.  Death ends a life.  It does not end a relationship.

I am grateful for stories that I can’t explain.  I am appreciative of a group of adults that share an hour on Sunday morning to share books, conversations, and theological reflections.  Through the stories shared I continue to experience a profound sense of awe and inspiration at the human journey.  Grace is amazing and it is birthed in so many incredible diverse places.

House of Earth by Woody Guthrie

House of Earth by Woody Guthrie

Reflections by David Nelson

 What a joy to read this book.  Rarely have I experienced such appreciation for an author and songwriter.  Woody composed House of Earth like he composed his music.   Reading these words to myself is like reading song lyrics or a piece of poetry.  While reading it during two snow days, I wanted to read it out loud to someone who would listen and appreciate the lyric, poetic, earthy human experience with me.  Music and poetry is best shared aloud.  This novel is more poetry and song than fiction.

 House of Earth was not published during Woody Guthrie’s lifetime.  It was published in conjunction with the 100^th anniversary of his birth.  He made several attempts to sell it to a moviemaker, but that failed.  Some have suggested it might have been too graphic, too erotic, and too raw for publication in the late 40s.  The discovery and publishing of this novel is a rare gift.  It is a deeply personal trip into the mind of one of this nation’s greatest poets, songwriters, and prophets.

 There have been other novels that invite us to reflect on the struggle of the dirt farmer in the Great Plains.  There are books about the “dust bowl” days and many of us recall stories our parents and grandparents told us about that terrible time.   Many love stories have been shared.  This book, however, more than any I have read, attracts me to the heart of two people who are doing their best not just to survive the rugged life they received, but to create a sacred space between them and around them. 

 Tike Hamlin, like Woody himself, reads a government booklet about building an earth house.  This is a house that will stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  It will not get blow away in the west Texas winds and it will not rot in the dirt.  Ella May is tougher than the brutal life she is dealt and more compassionate than seems possible.  She refuses to choose between homemaker and lover as she embodies both.   In the erotic dance between these two incredible human beings   warmth and light are created in a dreadfully cold and dark place.  Ella May and Tike imagine a future that will include their dream earth house and a child to raise in it.   But they don’t just dream, they engage in the behaviors that will create that vision. The house becomes a deep metaphor for their life together.

The story is amazing.  The writing is attractive.  The result, for me, in the reading experience is one I hope for whenever I pick up a book.  I want it to allow me to live in another place and time for a few hours.  I want it to bring smiles to my lips and tears to my eyes.  I want it to invite me to live with fond memories.  I would like it to create in my head thoughts about a more just world filled with more hope.  House of Earth did all this and much more.  But for the much more you will just have to find a friend to read a few passages out loud.  It looks like a book but it is really a love song from a wonderful man.  

Upcoming Vital Conversations

“The purpose of a Vital Conversation is not to win an argument,

but to win a friend and advance civilization.”  Vern Barnet 

Vital Conversations are intentional gatherings of people to engage in dialog that will add value to the participants and to the world.  In Vital Conversations we become co-creators of a better community. We welcome all people to attend our conversations and celebrate the rich pluralism of the greater Kansas City area. The topics and books are subject to change.  We meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m.  at Mid Continent Public Library, Antioch Branch.  

For two more months we will discuss three unique ways religions have approached diet and health as religious practice.  Our quests will share their personal journeys and insights they share in their unique and wonderful communities here in Kansas City.

 March 13, 2013 Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. First published in 1875 and read by more than eight million people, this nondenominational book has a 119-year history of healing and inspiration. Named one of "75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World."  Our guest co-facilitator will be Riley Seay from the Christian Science Center on the Plaza.  Read chapters 1,2, and 6.

April 10, 2013 How To Eat To Live by Elijah Muhammad, Messenger of Allah.  For many years, Messenger Elijah Muhammad has been teaching the so-called Negroes of America on the proper foods to eat to improve their mental power, physical appearance, for prevention of illness, curing of ailments and prolonging life. Isaiah Muhammad, a friend from “Eggs and Enlightenment” will be with us along with others from The Nation of Islam.

May 8, 2013  Sacred Ground:  Pluralism, Prejudice and the Promise of America by Eboo Patel.  Patel asks us to hare in the vision of a better America – a robustly pluralistic country in which our commonalities are more important than our differences, and in which difference enriches, rather than threatens, our religious traditions. Pluralism Patel boldly argues, is at the heart of the American project.

June 12, 2013  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig.  This is one of the most important and influential books written in the past half-century.  It is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live . . . and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better. Here is the book that transformed a generation: an unforgettable narration of a summer motorcycle trip across America's Northwest, undertaken by a father and his young son. A story of love and fear -- of growth, discovery, and acceptance -- that becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life's fundamental questions.

July 10, 2013   How God Changes Your Brain by Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman.  God is great for your mental, physical and spiritual health.  This book is both a revelatory work of modern science and a practical guide for readers to enhance their physical and emotional health and to avoid mental decline.  Al and Nina Babich will be our guests.  They both have done training on brain awareness and Al has a training company, “My Gray Matters.”

August 14, 2013 “Dakota 38”, a movie free on line, documents the ride to Mankato in 2008. It was a memorable trek, filled with blizzards but also warm greetings from small town residents along the way. In the movie, Indian spiritual leader Jim Miller describes his painful dream and its hold on him. The dream inspired an annual horseback ride from the Missouri River in South Dakota to Mankato to remember those executed. That journey, in turn, inspired Hagerty and his colleagues to honor both the modern day riders and those hanged in 1862.   

 

Cell Phone Use

I am turning off my phone

 I am a happy owner of a first generation iPhone.  I really like this amazing piece of technology.   I like the convenience of being able to receive and make calls from almost anywhere.  I like having my address book available and my calendar always at my fingertips.  I have even used the texting more recently to make quick connections that have added value to someone or have just been fun.  There are several apps that I think are really cool.  I have my “personal Om” for meditation.  I can listen to podcasts while sitting or walking.  It is great to have maps to find my way to a new location.  I like to be able to check my home line (yes, I still have one of those) when I am out of town.  I really like having a dictionary at my fingertips when a word appears that I don’t know.  The list goes on and on.

 As wonderful as this modern technology is, however, I have some real concerns about this modern “convenience.”  I was saddened the other night at a dinner party when the host at the head of the table temporarily withdrew from the guests around the table while remaining at the table to check emails and texts.  I don’t know who they were from but it saddened that he could not wait for a break to pick them up.  I am insulted when I am in a one-on-one conversation and the other person stops, takes his phone from the holster, and puts me on hold while he takes care of other business.  I am disturbed when I see couples dining or attending a movie together both connecting to others instead of being totally present with their date.

Just because being able to communication all the time is possible, I don’t think it is necessary or healthy.  A recent survey of 2,254 adults found that 44 percent of cell phone owners had slept with their phones next to their bed and that 67 percent had experienced “phantom rings,” checking their phone even when it was not ringing or vibrating.    Some companies are requesting or demanding that employees turn off their work cell phones from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. so they can be more rested and engaged during their working hours. 

Other research has suggested that cell phones have created more space between people rather than increasing our personal intimacy.   I seek to deepen my relationships with family, friends, associates, and others.  A balance between personal and professional life is less possible when there is no time during the week when I am not available to anyone who has my number.  As an Appreciative Inquiry Coach I keep reminding my clients and my friends that life is so precious and so short.  It is important to live life on purpose.  “It’s your life.  Don’t miss it.”

 These are some of my goals for the coming months.  I share them and invite you to write your own.  Live your life on your terms, but do it intentionally, not by default.

1. I will use my iphone as my servant and not my master.  When meeting with groups or individuals I will ignore the vibration until a break.
2. I will leave my phone locked in the car or off when dining or going to a movie.
3. I will enjoy the texting with family and friends when distance makes direct contact impossible.
4. I will continue to read from newspapers and books and only rarely on my little screen.
5. I will continue to inform my friends and allies that although I answer all emails and calls, I am not addicted to it and it may not happen for several hours.
6. I will have meditation time each day when the phone is not on.
7. I will celebrate a forest day each week when for 8 hours or more I am not using advanced technology like phones, computers, cars, and television.
8. I will write notes and letters to people I love so they might have a more permanent record if they choose to keep it.
9. I will share my feelings about the interruptions that phones can make in a respectful and clear manner.
10.  I will be content with my first generation iphone, even thought I am envious of those who have even more bells and whistles than I have.

 

Seminary Friends 1970

We were so alive and filled with energy and hope.  The two on the right, Dave and Charlie, have completed their earthly journey.  This was taken at Knight and Susan's wedding.  I believe Charlie has a pipe in his hand, I can't ever remember him without one.

"We are again reminded that here we have no abiding city.  It has pleased the Lord in His infinite wisdom to call from our midst Charlie and Dave.  The Lord teach us to consider our own departure, that when the hour is come we may be prepared for a blessed entrance into the heavenly Kingdom."  From the Augustana Synod Hymnal

 

Thanksgiving Prayer 2012

Great Spirit, Divine One, Creator
who is heaven earth rock wind insect tree fox
human of every size shape color

Holy are your infinite names chanted sung whispered
shouted in every language, tongue.

We will live on this land and in this nation
restoring the Great Law of Peace.

Guide our hands to the soil and seed
honoring the alchemy of food.
Let us remember your abundance
and share the bread of life with any who hunger.

Let us be humble before the darkness and the light
walking in harmony amidst them.
Give us courage to know them intimately

both within and without.

For you have breathed it all –

The behind, the above, the below, the beyond.

Bless these people, this food, this place

That we all may help prepare the way

For greater justice and peace

Here and everywhere.

Amen, So Be It. 

(Based on prayer by Claudia Pamoreaux)

 

Sad Day for KC Star

To The Kansas City Star

November 7, 2012

I was saddened to open the Wednesday paper FYI section today and not find the wisdom and thoughtful column of my friend Vern Barnet.  For 18 years I have been reading his weekly reflections about “Faith and Beliefs.”  He has reminded me that religion is about more than religion.  It is about science, education, entertainment, daily living, parenting, loving, politics, economics, sexuality, and the list could go on.  Dr. Barnet is one of Kansas City’s rare treasures.  His wisdom about world religions and his willingness to share his insight has enabled this city to become one of the most welcoming communities for all people.  Through CRES he made possible the “Gifts of Pluralism” Conference only weeks after 9/11.  His vision created the The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council.  I would often ask Vern why “Faith and Beliefs” was not syndicated and shared beyond the KC Star.  He reminded me that the column was not generic but a very intimate part of our city and more often than not informed us of events in our city and our area.

 I am one of the lucky ones who will continue to receive Vern’s amazing gifts.  He is my best friend and I read and discuss books and the events of the day on a regular basis.  But I am sad for this city.  I am sad for his his critics who often got more of his time than his friends.  He answers every email with honesty, compassion and courage.  I am sad since we can read Dear Abby, Miss Manners and Billy Graham in dozens of newspapers, but “Faith and Beliefs” was only in The Star.  This great city lost a bit of its greatness today.

 David Nelson, D.Min. The Human Agenda

A slightly shortened version was submited to the Kansas City Star today.  They limit letters to 200 words.

Vital Conversations - Next Six Months

November 14, 2012 – Human responses to AIDS in Kansas City and the World

In the documentary "A Closer Walk", Ron McMillan, a Kansas City friend, demonstrates what one person can do to respond in a positive way to a major crisis.  International AIDS Day is on December 1st.  In preparation for that day we can look at current material, breakthroughs, national and global options to respond to this important issue.  Ron will be with us to share his experience and to assist in our conversation about the past, present, and future

December 12, 2012 – Hanukkah Stories.  Hanukkah is celebrated from December 9-16, 2012

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar.  The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night.  

January 9, 2013 The Breath of God by Jeffrey Small

In 1887, a Russian journalist made an explosive discovery in a remote Himalayan monastery only to be condemned and silence for the heresy he proposed.  His discovery vanished shortly thereafter.  Now, Grant Matthews journeys to the Himalayas in search of this ancient mystery.  But Matthew couldn’t have anticipated the conspiracy of zealots who would go to any lengths to prevent him from bringing this secret public.

February 13, 2013 Savor:  Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh

Bethany Klug from the “Heartland Community of Mindful Living” here in Kansas City will share reflections about this book and will invite us to experience the “Apple Meditation” in chapter 2.  She will bring the apples.

March 13, 2013 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

Riley Sea of the Plaza Christian Science church will be with us to discuss Christian Science.  

April 10, 2013 "How To Eat To Live" by Elijah Muhammad, Messenger of Allah

For many years Messenger Elijah Muhammad has been teaching on proper food to eat to improve mental power, physical appearance, for prevention of illness, curing ailments and prolonging life.  Isaiah Muhammad, a friend from “Eggs and Enlightenment” will be with us along with others from The Nation of Islam.

A Tribute to George McGovern

 

One of the great honors of my life was to be a delegate from Kansas to the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Florida.  I was under 30 and considered a “youth delegate”, part of the reforms established following the 1968 convention in Chicago.  I believed in the vision for our nation and the world that McGovern had shared.   I still believe in a liberal agenda that places service of the common good over individual gain.  I still believe that America’s greatness has more to do with its commitment to the many rather than the few and that world peace will be established better by our compassion than by our weapons.

  After the defeat in 1972, Senator McGovern continued to serve in the US Senate.  I made an appointment to visit him in Washington six years after being a delegate.  His large office had a relief map of the world on one wall.  He was presiding over the Senate Committee on World Relationships.  He carried the problems of the world on his shoulders.  When I entered his office he stood up, walked over to me, put out his hand and said, “How are you and Ann doing since Molly died?”  He, or a staff person, had seen an article in the Hutchinson, Kansas’s newspaper following the death of our daughter Molly that mentioned me being a McGovern delegate in 1972.  He got a list each day of those who were visiting and something personal about each one.  His caring words touched my heart and will never be forgotten.

 I had the great joy of seeing Senator McGovern this last spring as he was traveling to promote his final book, What It Means To Be A Democrat, I reminded him of that visit.  I doubt that he remembered that event since he has welcomed thousands into his office and into his heart.  I also share my words of condolences about his daughter who had died tragically years ago.  We embraced and shared a moment of genuine empathy between two men who still missed their daughters who had died far too young. He responded, “I think of her every day.”  George McGovern was a beautiful human being that never forgot his humanness and compassion.

I celebrate the life of a man who helped me believe in my country.  During one of this nation’s most trying times with the Civil Rights Movement, the war in Vietnam tearing us apart, George McGovern lit a fire that ignited hope in the hearts of many others as well.  Because of McGovern I believe in the fragile system of democracy.  Not every election comes out the way I would like, but because of George McGovern I will continue to work for a vision of America that he inspired. I believe Senator George McGovern was one of the finest individuals to serve in the US Senate and to run for president in my lifetime.

 

Is This Democracy?

There Has To Be A Better Way

This is not the way I understood democracy to work.  I am an enthusiastic member of a political party.  I am excited about elections and in the past looked forward to the American ritual of campaigning, debating, sharing opinions, and even arguing.  I learned as a teenager that this country is unique in that the voice and vote of a single person can make a big difference.  I have worked on a variety of campaigns during my adult years and even had the honor of attending a national convention of my political party.  But this time around it feels so different.

Almost every day I get an email asking for another donation.  Almost every day I get another letter in the mail asking for another contribution.  I know if I had not given I would not be on their mailing lists.  But this is not the way I understood or want this country to work.  These solicitations are well worded, reminding me how important it is to contribute even a small amount before midnight tonight.  If there are not enough of us sending in more money, the other side will claim victory in the fund raising battle.  Each month, each quarter represents another fund raising deadline and another appeal that if we are to save our nation I must dig a little deeper into my funds and contribute. 

I do not resent taxes.  In fact I defend taxes because I enjoy excellent schools, roads, and bridges.  I celebrate a national government that monitors factories, business, and banks to make the world a bit safer and more secure.  I appreciate a nation that cares for those who are unemployed and have served in military.  I am glad that my sisters and brothers have adequate income to live in the twilight of their lives and that medical care is provided for a growing percentage of the population.  I have my opinions about the need for even better national health care and fewer weapons of mass destruction, but I pay my taxes with a feeling of gratitude and thankfulness about the country I love.

I do resent that our elections have turned into a money game.   I am not against advertisers, but would rather see the billions of dollars spent instead on health care, education, job training, Head Start, improving our national parks, and other projects that not only produce jobs but add value to the nation.  I will vote in a few days and will live with the outcome of the elections.  I really believe there is a better way to be a democracy.