groundwork

Great Expectations

The US woke up this morning to the news of the election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

On a personal level, I felt that this particular campaign season was a bitter and divisive one.  There are millions of people who will be working through their disappointment and hurt.  On the other hand, I have been reading the jubilation of others who are celebrating a "decisive mandate for change."

Robert Novak wrote this morning that Sen. Obama and the Democratic party did not receive an overwhelming mandate.

Time has posted on their website a feature entitled The World's View of Obama's Win.  I am not a fan of Time magazine - but I thought this feature was an interesting piece.  It is clear that that there are many in the world who harbor great expectations for our next President of the United States. 

In one of the most insightful responses, Josef Joffe of Germany provides the following thoughts:

"Up to 8 out of 10 West Europeans would have voted for Obama, which points to a religious rather than political phenomenon. The way they see it, George W. Bush is a one-man axis of evil, and Obama the redeemer: "Deliver us, for thine is the kingdom . . ." Europeans want to love America again, and they imagine that a simple act of exorcism (called "elections") will rid them of the curse. But politics is not about redemption. Obama is not what West Europeans dream he is: polite, social-democratic and pacific. In other words, more European than American. Will the Euroswooners still love Obama when he presses them for more troops in Afghanistan and real sanctions on Iran?"

The Politics of the Crowds

I, for one, am relieved that the long running US election season will come to an end tomorrow.  The tiring campaign commercials on the airwaves will hopefully disappear for a while.

Unfortunately, I have already heard rumblings that 2012 race will begin on the morning of November 5, 2008. 

I read a fascinating article this morning entitled Obama and the Politics of Crowds on the Wall Street Journal website. The article provides a perspective on the elections that few have at this time.  I thought I would share it here for your consideration.

The author's last paragraph is masterful. and though provoking. It is reminder that no candidate can ultimately deliver on all of the promises made during an election season. 

The morning after the election, the disappointment will begin to settle upon the Obama crowd. Defeat -- by now unthinkable to the devotees -- will bring heartbreak. Victory will steadily deliver the sobering verdict that our troubles won't be solved by a leader's magic.

More on Halloween...

I posted a link yesterday to an article describing the decisions that some Jewish families between Halloween and the Sabbath.  The Columbus Dispatch had a 'companion' article this morning.  There is a similar struggle between Halloween and (of all things) football. 

The Dispatch included another article in their Religion section outlining the challenge Halloween presents to  many Christian homes.  A growing number of families are opting to back away from the overt dark overtones of the holiday.  I thought it was an interesting look at how the Christian community wrestles with this holiday.

I thought the following quote was interesting from the article Hallowed Halls:

Halloween can be a scary time for the grown-ups who run Christian schools.

They have to decide whether to celebrate the holiday of ghosts and ghouls as they're trying to teach about Christianity and God's love.

For some, that poses a contradiction. Others don't see a problem.

Halloween was born as the ancient pagan festival of Samhain, marking the end of summer for Celtic people in what is now the United Kingdom, Ireland and northwestern France.

As Paul Harvey says - you can" wash your ears out" by considering another view of this holiday.  I would recommend the article Halloween:Treat or Trick?

Halloween or Sabbath?

I stumbled upon an article posted on a Jewish oriented website.  I was unaware that there are those in the Jewish community who observe Halloween.  Until this article, I didn't know about the plight of the Jewish families struggling to choose between the Sabbath and a secular pagan holiday.

I am amazed at the mental gymnastics that some seem to go through in order to justify their personal choices.

One key quote:

"As the day approaches, a debate between traditions is raging in many Jewish homes: challah vs. candy, the Sabbath Queen vs. the Pumpkin King, blue homes vs. orange. It's a serious give and take, with the youth vote swinging one way and the Shabbat moms and dads the other.

 

Who wins? Considering the holiday's murky Celtic origin and Christian association, wouldn't it be better to simply abstain?"

The obvious answer would be 'yes'.  But later on in the article, we are treated with this amazing quote:

"So what should you allow your children to do this Halloween night? It is a difficult and personal choice. I try not to think of it as trick or treat, much of the candy handed out is kosher and sortable. The trick here is how to treat the evening Jewishly."

I am not sure what it means to observe Halloween in a "Jewish" manner. I wonder if there is a better way to approach this question - and to simply abstain?

You can read the rest of this article here.

Net Reach

A brand new article appeared today that indicates that the Internet has surpassed the reach of TV.  Admittedly, the article Many Europeans choose Internet over TV focuses on data from Europe.  But I don't think that those of us in the US are all that different in our use of the web.

What caught my attention in this article were the following paragraphs:

The survey found that in the 10 nations, 169 million people now go "frequently online."

They spend "a lengthy 11.9 hours online each week and nearly a third are recognized as 'heavy internet users as they spend an average of 16 hours or more online each week, representing more than 48 million people," said the survey.

It said 87 percent seek information online, followed by e-mailing (81 percent); social networking, (42), instant messaging (37), music downloading and listening to radio (both 31), watching TV, film or video (30); checking ratings and reviews (27), forums (26) and downloading film or video (20).

Those that are 'frequently online' are there for primarily information.  I also found that social networking (i.e. myspace, facebook, friendster) is an increasingly important part of the daily online experience.

These numbers reveal the great potential that organizations have in reaching people all over the globe.  It is going to be interesting to see where all of this leads!  I think I have a glimpse - but I am comfortable in waiting to see the eventual outcome.

Parents and Teens View the Internet

  I have found the Pew Internet & American Life Project to be an informative site about the Internet.  The organization provides surveys and data regarding the role of the web in American lives.

According to their website, "the Pew Internet & American Life Project produces reports that explore the impact of the Internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life. The Project aims to be an authoritative source on the evolution of the Internet through collection of data and analysis of real-world developments as they affect the virtual world."

The people at Pew have released an interesting new report entitled Parent and Teen Internet Use.  The report contains helpful statistics for those of us who have teens at home - or who work with teens on a regular basis.  The fact is that most of the young people around us are connected to the web.  The Internet remains one of their main modes of communication.  There are websites such as Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, and numerous forums that serve as the connection to their community. 

The extract from the Parent and Teen Internet Use report contains the following information:

Parents today are less likely to say that the internet has been a good thing for their children than they were in 2004. However, this does not mean there was a corresponding increase in the amount of parents who think the internet has been harmful to their children. Instead, the biggest increase has been in the amount of parents who do not think the internet has had an effect on their children one way or the other. Fully, 87% of parents of teenagers are online -- at least 17% more than average adults.

Parents check up on and regulate their teens' media use, not just in terms of the internet, but with television and video games as well. However, those rules lean slightly more towards the content of the media rather than the time spent with the media device.

In looking at parents and teenagers together we found that teens are likely to view technology devices more positively than their parents. Parents and teens tend to own a similar number of technology devices (2-3), but the type of devices differ.

A Tipping Point?

I have been thinking about the recent confrontation happening in the Palestinian-held Gaza and Left Bank.  It seems that the area trips back and forth between slow simmer and full boil.  There are times when there is little discussed in the news concerning Israel and the Palestian situation.   Only to find the region landing near the top of the headlines seemingly overnight. 

In the past few days, I have read some interesting material on the current situation. 

Rick Lowry has written a thoughtful column for National Review Online .  Lowry reaches back into the history of the region to provide insight on the events of today.  He asks the crucial question - Is the Middle East about to self destruct?

He writes:

Historian Theodore Von Laue argued that the ascendance of the West in the 20th century subjected non-Westerners to “the psychological misery of knowingly belonging to a ‘backward’ society.” Many non-Western countries adapted, reconciling modernity to their particular cultural contexts. But the Middle East tended to import the failed Western ideologies of socialism and fascism, and watched itself fall further back. As Ralph Peters explains, in such circumstances, “people look for somebody to blame, and they default to blood and belief, ethnicity and religion — fundamentalist religion.”

read the entire article - Tipping Towards Catastrophe

Religion is playing a crucial role in the current circumstances.  It is indeed an  important story that may have ramifications beyond the borders of Israel and her neighbors.

Friends in Cyberspace

During my travels this past week, I was thumbing through the recent Time magazine.  The last column in the latest issue involves the ubiquitous nature of social networking websites like myspace and facebook.  Time's Joel Stein comments how one of these websites (myspace) features into the campaigns of the contenders for President of the United States in 2008. 

Stein's article would be a reasonable place to begin for those who are unfamiliar with the myspace revolution (Friends in High Places). I have only become better acquainted with social networking websites in the past few months.  I have learned that these sites have become 'the place' to be for the younger generations.

My  initiation began when one of my daughters mentioned something that she read on a friend's myspace page in a conversation.  I was a little alarmed because I really didn't know anything about the website.  I began to do my own research - and was surprised to find that many of the young people attending our local congregation had their own myspace pages.  On a whim, I signed for my own myspace page and began to learn all about this social networking thing.

I have learned a lot from interacting with the young people on these sites.  You can learn about their interests, hopes, fears, and their feeling concerning a number of topics.  I know that I surprised a number of them by actually establishing my own myspace page.  I would loved to know what was going on in their minds when they saw my 'friend request' in their inbox.  And then again - maybe I would not want to know! 

There are things on these websites that would alarm many of you - and it is not for the faint of heart.  There are sometimes comments that are made between individuals that would raise your eyebrows - and it may not be good for your blood pressure.  However, I have valued the on-line education that I have had these past few months.  It has helped me to prepare material for discussions during the upcoming Summer Camps for our youth.

It is my observation that myspace appeals to the teenagers - while facebook is oriented towards the college-age young adults.  These are places where they are connecting and networking with one another. It is almost like a large electronic 'Study Hall' or a gigantic version of the detention room from 80's film The Breakfast Club.  It is revealing, raw, enlightening, aggravating, encouraging, discouraging, wonderful, and frightening - all at the same time.  While my time on-line has been a roller coaster ride, I hope that I can help and encourage my on-line friends in some small manner.

Overall, I have learned how to pray for them. 

But I have to say that I have learned a great deal from this experience.  I don't know if I will remain active on these sites or not in the future.  But the education has been invaluable in peering into the minds of the youth of our local congregations at this present time.

A New Golden Rule?

Those of us who are familiar with the Bible have heard of the "Golden Rule".  We may even be able to recite it from our distant memory - more or less verbatim.   

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

While it may be a common statement in some circles, I have to wonder if it would be considered a common practice? 

There is a new article on Vision concerning the famed 'golden rule'.  It contains some food for thought for all of us in this busy world.

The author of the article submits the following points:

The Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Some would say that this just isn’t enough: in our global village, we need to consider cultural differences and the desires of others. This thinking suggests that we humans have never found ourselves in a multicultural setting before now. 

The new Golden Rule goes something like this: Do unto others as they would have you do unto them. This mindset really reflects a narrow view of the original intent of the Golden Rule. In fairness, calls for a new rule point to the very real need to explain the meaning of the original. That it should and would need to be explained properly to each succeeding generation is a fact of life.

read the entire article

Complain...Complain...Complain

CNN has posted an article this week concerning a Missouri Pastor's efforts to stamp out complaining in his congregation.  His efforts have drawn national attention as the result of giving away purple wrist bands.  These elastic bands are meant to serve as a personal reminder to quit complaining. 

A similar article about this news item has appeared in our local paper this morning.

The CNN article contains some interesting comments concerning complaining and our postmodern world:

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- The Rev. Will Bowen tries not to complain. He wants everyone else to stop carping, too -- all 6 billion of us on the planet.

And his message, first preached in a sermon at his small suburban church, has caught on -- even though some critics note complaining serves an important function.

Last July, Bowen challenged worshippers at Christ Church Unity to quit complaining as a way to bring more prosperity into their lives. The congregation is part of the Association of Unity Churches, which offers what it calls "practical Christianity" -- a way of life leading to health, prosperity, happiness and peace of mind.

"When you're focusing your attention on what's wrong or complaining, you're going to get more of what you're complaining about," Bowen says.

Positive thinking is not a new concept, but Bowen's spin came with a contemporary twist: the silicone bracelet. At the July sermon, Bowen handed out about 250 purple bracelets he wanted his congregants to use to remind themselves to stop complaining, criticizing or gossiping. Sarcasm was another no-no.

He challenged them to refrain from complaining for 21 days because, he said, that is how long it takes to break habits. Whenever they found themselves failing they were to switch the bracelet to the other wrist and start over.

"Complaining draws all of its essence from negativity," the 47-year-old Bowen says. "When you complain, you do it typically to attract attention or sympathy. It's you saying, 'There's something wrong with me.'

read the article 'Pastor preaches against complaining"

I will be one of the first to support the effort to help stop complaining.  I believe that we complain too much in our daily lives.  Since reading this article earlier this week, I have been listening carefully to the conversations that I encounter during the day.  I was amazed as to the amount of complaining that I heard in personal conversations on the phone and in person.  On a personal level - it has been instructive (and humbling) to me as to the times I began to complain.

I do have some reservations with Bowen's approach that 'complaint-free' life will lead to health, prosperity, happiness and peace of mind.  It makes sense that we would have a peace in our mind if we were to consider and watch our words.  We would not have to worry about offending or causing hurt to others. 

But I take issue with assertion that it will lead to health and prosperity.  It seems that everyone is looking for the magic bullet that will lead to wealth and happiness. 

Why is it that it's not good enough for us to stop doing (or continue doing) something because it is simply the right thing to do? 

In asking this question, I am not complaining.  I am just asking.