Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Freedom

Wow...big topic.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure that any blog post about freedom will come up short, but it's been on my mind the last couple of days.  Most of those who know me will hear me enter into a rant about the pains of "big government" in America.  That's why they avoid me in the halls.  Now, to be clear, I'm not an anarchist.  I don't think anarchy has done anyone any good and I do not see it as a Biblical model.  The early church set up overseers and servants to help govern the people.  But a common thread in the New Testament is clearly the concept of servant leadership, that is, a leader is nothing more than a servant of the people.  I think, in general, this was the type of government our forefathers had in mind as they drafted a government of overseers bound to a series of check and balances which involved the scrutiny of the people.  That thought leaves me to say "hmmmm....What happened?"

My thinking (such as it is) goes directly to personal rights.  We love them; we cherish them, I think we'd marry them if we could.  Even when our personal rights conflict with stated rules, opinions, or another person's personal rights, we expect our right to be met.  But whatever happened to serving the people?

Here's an example:  Let's say a university has a rule about living in the dorms and what criteria is necessary to live in the dorms.  A man for some reason cannot meet the rules and is therefore denied access to the dorms.  Yet he sues and wins the right to live in the dorm.

I know....hot button here...what if the person was disabled, had a dependecy, was in a unique situation, or just plain wanted to be cool.  Well, there are questions there, but look at it from another side.  A rule was clearly stated.  A man was unable to meet that rule.  So he sues (or somebody sues...the details are irrelevant to the example) and gains access.  Where would something like that end?  Should I be allowed to use the womens bathroom since I physically cannot become a women?  Is it not my right to use the womens bathroom? 

I fully realize atrocities have occurred where people who could not defend themselves have required assistance or intervention.  Yet that line continues to blur.  As each of us expects that our own personal rights must not be violated, we in turn know no boundaries.  Instead we break the rules as we ride upon the wave of our own self-justification.  But this is not freedom.  Freedom in not unbridled access to all things.  Rather, freedom speaks to us of release from slavery in all forms.  Freedom is about choice and that choice includes laying down my personal rights so that an order, a balance, can be brought about.  I seek not to enslave others to my personal rights by laying those rights down. 

If this understanding of freedom was universally held, we would ask questions like "How will my actions affect others?", "Will my actions hurt a person or institution?, and "Am I serving my fellow man by my action?".  I do not suggest a perfect society will come from these questions, but I'll bet it'd be a great place to live!!

What do you think?

Friday, December 25, 2009

Water

New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg has been doing a series on Toxic Water in America.   Now, you may be thinking that drinking water is of no real concern and hey, it comes from the tap.  It's practically free!  Yet we pay the price for practically free water over time.  We pay with our health.

Note:  if you do not plan to drink anything other than tap water, please stop reading.

I'm serious.  It gets weird.

The articles are disturbing though I think the topic has been treated fairly.  In my opinion, the government has not been treated as an evil villain attempting to poison us all; and that's a good thing (to borrow the colloquialism).  I don't really see the government at fault in all this;  I see us at fault.  The truth is, we desire to live in large cities where all our amenities are provided.  I happen to be a fan of this, at least in some respects (think of the toilet....I'll not go further).  Trouble comes when we give full autonomy to the government and virtually eliminate public scrutiny.  As they say, you cannot expect what you do not inspect.

It would seem that the waste treatment plants are doing what they can to kill bacteria, namely they are spiking our water with chlorine.  At first pass, that sounds terrible.  Yet in reality it's that very process that is saving our lives.  As you read the articles thoroughly  you will see that with all the disgusting additives in the water, invaders from water run off, pollution, and just plain laziness, we would not survive without chlorine.  Documented incidents are included in the articles that call out things in the water that just shouldn't be there; hormones, arsenic, floating chicken heads (what?), and even a report of pickles being discarded in the sewer system causing the smell of vinegar and spices to permeate the complex.  You can see that without the chlorine, we'd be much worse off.  But is that enough?

I've copied a link to a recent interview on Fresh Air hosted by Terry Gross.  Terry is, in my opinion, a good interviewer and often has guests on her show that are interesting.  Her interview with Duhigg was no exception. 

So what, then, is the solution?  Well, I can assure you that bottled water (as in packaged and sold at the store) is only part of the solution.  While bottled water certainly has its place, some studies have suggested that the long term use of purified water alone can be detrimental as well.  Purifying the water, through reverse osmosis or other processes, does clean the water, but kills both the harmful bacteria and the necessary bacteria.  What you say?  Good bacteria?  Certainly, bacteria that your body needs in order to stay well. We certainly want it to destroy the bad bacteria, but some studies have indicated that over time that may too be detrimental to your health.

Have you ever thought about water filtration?  I mean your own filtration system for your own home.  Personally, I use the Berkey system.  It filters out the chemicals and bacteria that I don't need while leaving the rest.  It tastes wonderful too.  But that is certainly not the only system.  Many more exist.  Just google "survival gear" or "water filtration systems" and you'll have your work cut out for you.

But the bottom line is that you must do what is right for your family.  Health is not a matter we should leave up to any government agency.  We must take our families health and welfare into our own hands.  As long as the government is "by the people" and "for the people" isn't that the way it should work anyway?

Monday, December 14, 2009

Big Business

I've had opportunity at times in my life to study big corporations....mostly because I worked at them.  Taking it all in stride, I have found it much easier to work with smaller companies.  One family owned company I worked for a number of years ago now goes down in my history as the best place I've worked.  As I look at some of my other faves I see a line of similarity: the location or department I was in worked like a small business within a big business.

Now, to be fair, I want to own my own business so that colors my thoughts.  But recently it dawned on me why the functions in a big corporation (and I've worked for several) always seems disjointed.  It occurred to me that they are trying to function in a way that is unnatural.  Here's what I mean....

In every corporate environment everywhere (I think that's a politically correct thing to say) whether it's a church (that's probably not a politically correct thing to say), a fortune 500 company, or the little mom and pop shop down the street, the people working there know who can get the job done.  If you need this document typed out in a hurry, you talk to Jimmy.  If you need a good deal on supplies, you talk to Sue.  If you want this project on time, you give it to Ralph.  Whatever "it" is, you know who's gonna get it done.  The reality is that for things to get done in any size company, you have to deal with it relationally. 

Most big corporations, including mega churches and the like, adopt a process model that allows them to produce their widgets in the most efficient and concise manner.  I've been involved in and used those processes for many years now.  Looking at it objectively, it's obvious to me that these processes, developed by the intelligentsia of the age, are as solid as they can be.  Yet they all over look one thing; reality.  They expect humans to follow through with them.  That's really the laughable part of it all.  From what I've seen (and there may be exceptions) the process that has been adopted holds true...for a while.  But eventually, it's all gonna hit the fan and the person who has the most pressure on them will resort to that animal instinct that God placed within them to seek out another person.  They will seek out that person that will get it done, the person they feel the most safe with.  In the end, the process fails us because we need to deal with pressure and problems relationally to feel that we've actually accomplished something.

In an environment where that is not factored in, the process seems ludicrous.  The team tends to rebel against the process because "it doesn't work." Those people who were over burdened before the process came in become even more overburdened because they are expected to follow, loosely, the process for appearance sake while still accomplishing the work in the same old way.  Thus, the whole things seems, somehow, unnatural.

I have not seen an environment where this was not so in one degree or other.  However, some companies do better when they know that the human factor will kick in and they allow some leeway in the process that allows people to do what they do naturally....handle things relationally within the framework of a process.

And still I contend that work is most often done well in the case of a small, privately owned company.  They tend to live off the relationships they've built.  Take care of the people and they take care of you.  It's no panacea I know, but somehow it does seem more natural, doesn't it?

I'll have more to say about working in big corporations in the future.  For now, it is enough to know that no matter where you are and what job you do, relationships are vital.  Remember that and you will build a team around you that will get the job done.  Count on it.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Responsibility

I'm getting excited about raising chickens again this coming year.  We raised 100 last year and butchered them all by hand (yes, including the feathers).  What an unbelievable experience that was!  It spawned a lot of good conversations with friends and family.  I think most people, at least at the outset, were very unsure of what I was talking about.  Though my wife and family were totally on board with this, we talked about it for an entire year before we actually did anything.  Now, to us that entire time was spent learning.  We visited family farms and assisted them in their poultry endeavors.  I devoured blogs, books, magazines, and websites related to poultry just to understand what I would encounter.  When it was time for chicks to arrive, we were ready.

Or so we thought.

Despite our best efforts there was still a learning curve.  You can read more about it in three articles here.  I think, though, that the learning itself was most of the fun.  Certainly the chicks were cute and all and we had great fun in watching them grow, but the greatest benefits is that we now have a knowledge of what to do.  Certainly we are by no means experts.  There is so much more to learn and experience.  Yet there is a knowledge and I can do something for myself.  My children now know exactly where our chickens come from and the joys and pains associated with it.  It is in this feeling that I think life becomes more simple.

Imagine this all too realistic scenarios:  it's the dead of winter and there are three inches of snow on the ground.  The local weather person has just announced that another 10 inches are coming our way.  People begin the mad rush to the local store.  What are they searching for?  Additional food, bottled water, generators (to produce heat mostly), and various and sundry necessities.  They stand in line for hours waiting for these things in hopes of getting the goods before someone else does.  The stress and emotions of it all become overwhelming and verbal attacks begin.  Sometimes it even comes to fisticuffs (when was the last time you read that word in a blog?).  The sum total of it all is a wearying, disappointing mess.

Yet there are those who avoid it all.  They are able to remain un-phased because they know how to handle things themselves.  They might have a stocked pantry or proper equipment.  They may have canned their foods as opposed to freezing them.  Perhaps they have a water filtration system that works without electricity.  The possibilities are endless.  Compared to the scenario at the store, it sounds pretty simple.

The fact of the matter is that we have lost the art of doing for ourselves.  Now, let me be clear; I do not advocate the life of a "lone wolf" who needs nuthin' and no one.  I think this is contrary to the way we were designed.  We were designed to need God and to need each other.  Nor am I a survivalist.  As I sit here in my argyle sweater sipping a cup of Bigby coffee (take that Starbucks lovers!) I would not be looked upon by the great woodsman of yesteryear as  the pinnacle of rugged manliness. 

What I'm advocating is a chance to go out and learn to do for yourself and your family.   We've come a long way from what our Founders intended.  They had no idea that we would be demanding government involvement in pay structures of CEO's and national health care options.  They assumed you and I would help our neighbor's out in times of disaster, not verbally assault the government for not moving fast enough.  We are responsible for ourselves both individually and corporately.  When will we start acting like it?  I think that when we start to take on that responsibility we will understand simplicity in a whole separate level.  When we finally learn to live in the community that Christ called us to, we will take on the simplicity of life that He intended.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Music

I think that part of a simple life is looking for simplicity in music. Uh-oh...hot button there. I'm not going to get into a debate on types of music and worship style. Really, I'm kind of over that if you know what I mean. My own tastes are pretty eclectic ranging from classical to jazz to bluegrass. If you start playing rap, I may even know some of the lyrics depending on the artist (some of you just had a heart attack....it's okay...i still love God). I have found though, as I've gotten older (word written with some hesitation) that simplicity in music is essential to having a clear mind.  Music, like any other media, speaks to us.  If we are constantly allowing it to speak ungodly, loud, and disjointed ideas, our minds begin to crave the noise and chaos.  The natural outcome to that is, well, not so good.  So give your mind a rest.

The link below is to an artist who I have a great deal of respect for.  Why?  He travels all over with his family (and I mean the whole family....check out his blog) singing and worshiping in churches.  His life is not about music; it's about relationships.  It's a simple life, though by no means an easy one.  I can't imagine the challenges this family must go through.  But they're together.  I suspect that when those children grow up they will have a deep and abiding relationship with one another, not because of proximity, but because of parents who invest in them daily.  Track the family and see if my little theory is true...oh yeah...and check out this CD too!

A New CD of Psalms & Hymns

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Boredom

I have a theory; I think we're all bored.  Now, I know, you've got your Itouch out and you're checking out the latest plot line of Twilight while listening to your favorite Barry Manilow song with one hand while you drive your blue tooth enabled hybrid to hang out wherever it is you hang out.  So how could you possibly be bored?  Right?

I think that our technologically advanced society is, at its heart, bored.  I can see it in the average cubicle dweller.  We sit at our computers....all day long.  Screen after screen of reports, spreadsheets, analysis, etc. is enough to drive any man crazy.  So what do we do?  Listen to the Ipod and sneak a peek at Facebook to see who sent the latest friend request.  We instant message the guy two cubes down from us.  Or, some who border on being Amish, actually walk to a cube near them and talk (does that still happen?) to each other.  Crazy concept I know.

I think it's really because we're bored.  Here's how the theory goes:  God created us to work the land.  That was His original design.  This gave Adam the chance to really pour himself into something.  Even after the fall, Adam and Eve's purpose didn't change much.  It became harder, but it didn't really change.  So they're pouring themselves into their own lives: Adam tends the land trying to provide food.  Eve is working along side Adam and caring for the children as they come.  They don't really have a lot of other distractions.  Their not worried, you see, about who danced the tango last night or who was ripped to shreds for their singing abilities.  They worried about themselves and they created a life of beauty.  That's the key.  They created something together.  It was their focus.

It seems to me that we've lost focus.  We have so many plates spinning in the air, but with no real purpose.  Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone in the world is bored at every moment.  No, I'm talking about American society in general. 

George Orwell said "War is a way of shattering to pieces... materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable and... too intelligent."  Although I cannot speak to what he was thinking, the quote seems to indicate that the more comfortable a race is, the more intelligent it becomes.  I'm not so sure that's played itself out.  Though we've come into a place as a nation where we are most comfortable, I don't see vast intelligence breaking forth.  Instead, I see games.  I see things to keep us occupied.  Instead of  groundbreaking intelligence, I see a people who identify themselves with their occupation or hobby and pour themselves into it...because they have nothing else to pour themselves into.  

The point is not that any pursuit of pleasure is bad; the point is that no matter what activities we engage in we should get back to a mindset where we pour ourselves into family and each other.  The framework of our pursuits should fit around those closest to us.  I think that's what God intended.  What do you think?

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Purpose

I know; with all the blogs out in the blog-o-sphere why create yet another one? I suppose there are many reasons for me to create a blog. I'm not interested in keeping you up to date on the latest events in my relatively ordinary life. I'm not terribly good at being clever. Instead, I want to encourage you in a way of life that appeals to me, namely, the simple life.

You, my dear reader, are likely incredulous at this point. "Is there such a thing as a simple life? Is that impossible in this era of time?" Well, the truth is that my friends and family have, by now, calmed down from their laughing fit. No, I'm not sure I'd call my life simple; but that's the point. I'd like to. It's a goal I have.

So what does it mean to live a simple life? Well, to be clear, I'm not talking about a lack of activity or a lack of technology. In my mind it has something to do with relationships. As we've "evolved" or "progressed" in our thinking, we invented new ways to ensure that we don't have to interact with anyone. You don't have to look any further than the grocery store. As I place my items on the belt, I have a screen that explains to me what my bill is, minus the coupons. I scan my credit card and sign the pad in front of me. The teller hands me the receipt and says "Have a nice day." Done! At no point in this transaction have I made eye contact with her (whew). She's given me her script, but we've not actually communicated.

I am seeking something different, something more visceral. I'm seeking humanity. Does it still exist? Let's find out...