Wasn't me....

Today, I was taking a walk and stopped at a local park to sit awhile on a bench. There was a couple with their young chocolate labrador and they were giving him some exercise by throwing a ball which he energetically and quite impressively retrieved and returned.

The gentlemen threw the ball on the far end of the grassy stretch and the ball bounced down the hill, into the street, and into the yard across the lane. Of course, the dog focused upon and followed the bouncing ball....all the way...down the hill....and across the street....

Fortunately, the driver of the car approaching the park was attentive and stopped while the well-trained, ball-focused, and street-unaware lab pup retrieved the ball, ran back across the street, through the field, and dropped the ball at the man's feet.

Whew....

However, what was fascinating was the comment of the man, the tosser of the ball, who exclaimed, "That stupid ball! Did you see how it bounced?!!?"

Seriously??? He was blaming the ball??!!??!?

My father was a Marine and a steelworker. We were raised to take responsibility. If you screwed up, you owned up to it; you fessed up, you said, "That was my fault."

Once, I had driven the family car to take a group of friends to the movies. While dropping one friend off at her home, I backed the car into a mailbox putting a noticeable dent in the rear of the car. It was dark when I got home so I parked the car, slid into the house, and went to bed.
The next morning, I awoke to my father and brother in the driveway and Dad saying, "Look at this! Someone must have hit the car last night! They probably used our driveway to turn-around and hit the car!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing!! Was it possible that I may actually get away with it??!!?? Brilliant! Go with the "Can you believe someone would hit the car and just drive off" line....it was perfect!

Then, I heard my Dad say, "Wait a minute; Sally had the car out last night..."

Game over.

I lead-footed it downstairs and confessed.
I got yelled at.

It is always better to take responsibility and to admit when you blow it.

It's a character thing and other people respect you. Then again, a ball can have a mind of it's own and there are rude drivers who hit your car in the middle of the night.....hmmmmmm.....

sj;

Words to actions

My spirituality is strengthened and shaped by the words, witness, and women of the Mount Saint Benedict Monastery in Erie, PA. During my daily reflection time so many of their writings shape my reading and response.

In regard to the recent violence and the saber rattling of some and our too quick response to hit back, I offer these words from the World Peace Prayer may they be the signposts on our individual and corporate journies:

"Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth,

Lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust,

Lead me from hate to love,
from war to peace,

Let peace fill my heart, my world, my universe"

Lead on;

sj;

Come together right now

You say the date, 9-11, and it pauses you. Eleven years after that day, if one stops long enough to remember, and I hope you did so today, you are brought silent and there is a somberness, a quiet introspection.

I spent the afternoon facilitating a discussion on the film SICKO and the US Healthcare system to a group of twenty Americorps students who are beginning their placement in a variety of health care settings that serve individuals and communities too often on the margins.

The spirited conversation focused on issues of community and caring for one another and who are we as Americans and what kind of nation it is in which we want to live. I found it appropriate that the students' responses led the conversation to this point especially on this day.

The energy, intelligence, and compassion of these young people gives me hope.

It is the hope that comes from the idealism of the young.
It is the hope that comes from re-membering what we can be as members of the human community.
It is the hope that we can come together and care for each other...for all "the others."
It is the hope that grounds the work we do as teachers, clergy, community organizers, social workers, members of our shared community....build from this.

sj;

Rally

To rally --- to gather together; to create momentum and go forward; to come back. Today in mainline Protestant churches was the celebration of Rally Day, the start of the Christian Education year. While in the local church, this was always a time of great anticipation for me as I looked forward to teaching and learning and the rush of watching people grow in their understanding and faith.

My mother taught Sunday School for over 65 years! On Saturday evenings, Mom would be up late putting the final touches on her lesson, which she had worked on all week. She provided the example of the importance of education and to take seriously the opportunity to teach and to put forth one's best effort.

What are you doing to spark your spirit and strengthen your faith? Where do you find spiritual nourishment?

For me, I am focusing on simplifying. My curriculum are the writings of Sister Joan Chittister, OSB and Robert Fulghum.

And you???

sj;