Christmas is once again around the corner. We just had Easter, the other Sunday, it feels like time is flying and these celebrations come one after another with so little time in between. Everything familiar with Christmas can be seen all around: the music, the tinsel, the stress of shopping, the crowded supermarkets with their glut of food, the parties, the strain of forced family togetherness when often the chemistry isn't there, the religious rituals with their words of peace in a world that knows no peace, the joys, some real some feigned, the griefs of those somehow left out etc. etc.
Will this year's Christmas be any different from that of a year, two years, ten years ago?
In spite of the Nativity scenes, the carols, the services, the sermons or the "smells and bells" of packed churches, will we have come any closer to the real meaning beneath it all? Or will it be yet one more telling of a simplistic tale? A charming tale of a virgin giving birth? A rustic tale of shepherds hearing the sounds of angels singing? A magical story of three wise men traveling to find a baby in swadling clothes? We have heard it all, many times.
What do these stories have anything to do with my life today, in Hollywood Florida, with my aches and pains, my sicknesses and sadness, the stress of poverty and unemployment around us, the fear of terrorism around the world? What has these stories to do with any of that?
Aren't these stories utterly remote from one's deepest fears, longings and hopes, remote from the grit and pulse of life as we and every other person on Earth must live it daily?
A vast segment of humanity has been telling itself this same story of a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem for many centuries now; Almost half of the populations of this planet, that is three billion people are Christian and they have been telling this story of peace and goodwill towards all peoples.
But nothing has changed. Bethlehem itself has become synonymous with violence. There is no real peace in the very land where the prince of peace was born; what are the sounds we now hear above the very sky that was filled with the music of the angels first Christmas song: Glory to god in the highest, and peace to men of good will? What sounds do we hear now? The sounds of rockets that the Palestinians hurl at the Jews and the bombs that the Jews drop on Palestinian homes.
Just now, as the Christmas fervor is being driven towards its annual climax, once-Christian nations are waging war against other countries. There are 34 wars going on right now in the world; We only hear about two of them, Iraq and Afghanistan.
What is the deeper story of Christmas that has somehow been twisted wholly out of shape? The story that is layered over with fraudulent wrappings that the real gift is rarely ever seen, let alone observed and gratefully received?
Is there, or, was there ever some precious thing of matchless beauty, power and grace at the very heart of Christmas, something-with flaming potency to transform our lives, our world? The answer is a resounding, all-embracing yes, but it's not won by glib or lazy wishful thinking. Mere repetition of literalistic tales and pious traditions can never get us there. One can go through the entire process of advent, by rote or on automatic pilot, and miss the "whole point of Christmas.”
This brings us to what many may find to be a tough medicine or even drastic surgery. But if one is to pass beyond the childish and the external to the core of what Christmas is all about, it's an essential step. What one has to realize first of all is that the tale of the birth of Jesus is a “symbolic” story. Underline the word, symbolic. That means it has a deeper meaning beyond the obvious.
No, not a fairy tale, not a legend, not a piece of fiction to be seen through, but a spiritually symbolic story; in other words, a truth so vast and so important to our human condition that it can only be told in the most profound language of all, the language of symbolism, and metaphor.
Symbols are so powerful and when we understand the meaning of it, it will transform our lives. Let me give you an example. Take the American Flag, with it stars and stripes. Suppose you give it to an illiterate person living in a hut in the Amazon jungles. He has never heard of America or does not even know what a flag is. You give him the US flag and what will he do with it? Most probably use as a blanket during the cold amazon nights. For him, it means a piece of cloth, a blanket
But for a US citizen who understands the meaning of the flag, it is a whole different experience, he will die for it because it represents much more than a piece of cloth.
Christmas stories are something like that: the stories of Virgin birth, singing angles, happy shepherds, curious magi, and the star in the sky are profoundly symbolic. If we just believe them as stories that happened 2000 years ago, it won't have any transforming value for us. It will be just like using a flag as a blanket.
Let us just look at the symbolic meaning of the story of virgin birth. It is a common story found in almost all ancient cultures of of Egypt, Sumeria and other Mediterenean cultures in the period before Christ. What is really being said by it has nothing to do with bypassing natural biology.
Rather, the meaning lies in the truth that whatever else this birth is, it is an act of God. It says that Jesus was being sent as the Word of God, the son of God. The Virgin Birth was not known to Paul, Mark or the author of John's Gospel. It was clearly not part of the earliest preaching in Acts.
The Christmas story tells us that Jesus was born of God and that ultimately we all are too. However, unlike Jesus, the majority of us have not yet consciously had this Virgin Birth, or awakening in our souls as to what or who we have been created to be. In the birth of every baby, the Word is "made flesh." That's the ultimate meaning of Christmas.
The Christmas story is your story, and that of your husband or wife, your child, your sibling or parent, your neighbor, and the people of Iraq and other nations experiencing turmoil. It's the story of our human family. So when you hear that one billion people in the world are starving or 200 million babies die every year in Africa due to malnutrition and lack of health care, all you can say is, I have my problems too, the story of Christmas has not touched your heart. God dwells in every heart. The joy of Christmas means awakening to this fact.
In order to awaken to that fact, we have to do something about it. It is not just enough to tell and retell old stories; it is not even enough to believe those stories. There has to be some action on our part and that is where today's reading comes into play.
Here John the Baptist is preparing the way for the Lord. He is preaching to the crowd as to how to receive Christ. He doesn't tell them any pious stories; he doesn't mince words, he is cutting it to the chase: H calls them brood of vipers. That is a pretty harsh name to call his audience. He chided them for pretending to be good people based on their ancestry.
It is like saying, we have been disciple all along, we have been faithful to this church for years, we come here for worship every Sunday. John told them that believing, and pretending and claiming are useless when it comes to preparing the way for the Lord. They had to DO something. There had to be some ACTION, there had to be some BEHAVIOR change. That is why the crowd asked him: “What should we DO then?
And John pointed out some specific behavior changes they had to make. To the crowd he said: “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” It is not a suggestion or a recommendation, but a command. They MUST do it. You MUST share what you have, especially if you have more than you need. Now that is a behavior that welcomes Christ..
To the Tax collectors who asked what they should do, Jesus said: “Don't collect any more than you are required to.” During those times, tax collectors cheated the ordinary people, they intimidated them and extracted more money than they should have,and put the extra in their pockets. They were the IRS of those times. Again, John is asking them to change their behavior.
To the soldiers He said: Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely, be content with your pay.
Here again, John is asking them to change their behavior. To do things differently.
So, during this advent, I want you to ask one question and you can ask that directly to Jesus, because he is already here. You don't have to ask John the Baptist. Because, Jesus is right here. Ask him, what must I DO, other than decorating the church, lighting the advent candle, making the manger, sending Christmas cards, having family gatherings? We do that every year.
If you sincerely, ask that question to Jesus, he will tell you. You may not want to hear what he has to say. You may not want to do what he asks you to do. Because, it is hard.
Unless we DO something different than what we normally do, this Christmas will come and go, and we will remain the same.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Spiritual Self Esteem
Spiritual Self-esteem
A guy had been feeling down for so long that he finally decided to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist asked him a few questions, then sat thinking in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, he looked up and said, I think your problem is low self-esteem. It is very common among losers."
You can't touch it, but it affects how you feel. You can't see it, but it's there when you look at yourself in the mirror. You can't hear it, but it's there every time you talk about yourself. What is this important but mysterious thing? It's your self-esteem! It's how much you value yourself and how important you think you are. It's how you see yourself and how you feel about your achievements.
Self-esteem isn't bragging about how great you are. It's more like quietly knowing that you're priceless. It's not about thinking you're perfect — because nobody is — but knowing that you're worthy of being loved and accepted.
Good self-esteem is important because it helps you to hold your head high and feel proud of yourself and what you can do. It gives you the courage to try new things and the power to believe in yourself. It lets you respect yourself, even when you make mistakes. And when you respect yourself, others respect you, too.
Having good self-esteem is also the ticket to making good choices in life. If you think you're important, you'll be less likely to follow the crowd. If you have good self-esteem, you know that you're smart enough to make your own decisions.
Low self esteem can be very destructive to life. Self-blame, self-criticism, or constantly putting others down by making them feel guilty, are some of the signs of low SE. Other signs of low self esteem are over eating or over working, playing the victim, blaming others for your problems, not taking responsibility for your life, turning power over to outside agents to make decisions for you, and then feeling victimized if the results and not to your liking.
Black and white thinking or the inability to understand nuances and complexity of life are also signs of low self esteem. Low self esteem has a lot to do with how you were raised at home. If you were always told that you were no good, you will never amount to anything or that you are a loser, you are likely to have a low self esteem.
If you had a domineering parents who never valued your opinion you are likely to have low self esteem. If you were abused emotionally or sexually you will more than likely develop low self esteem. I had a chaplain in my class who was sexually abused by her brother. Today she has trust issues with men, is over eating, she is 300plus pounds, is depressed all the time. Her life is a mess. She is barely functioning in life.
So far, I have been talking about psychological self esteem. There is something called spiritual self esteem which many people don't think about. Everything I mentioned so far about pys. Self esteem is also applicable to sp. SE
I think majority of the religious people suffer from low spiritual self esteem. So what are some of the signs of low sp. SE? Think about your relationship to God. If you believe that God is this supreme being and you are this lowly, unworthy sinner, totally dependent and completely helpless, you are suffering from low sp. SE.
I have such a hard time singing Amazing grace. I like most of it,but the second line is hard to sing. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a WRETCH like me. Imagine a parent telling a child every day, that he is a wretch, that he is a loser, that he is never going to amount nothing, how is that child going to grow up? We will call that emotional abuse from a parent.
When the church calls us unworthy and wretched sinners, that is a form of spiritual abuse. If you study the creation story in the book of Genesis, you will find that the human being was created in the image and likeness of God. The human being that is created in God's image is good. As a matter of fact, at the end of each day of creating, the phrase used is: “And god saw that it was good.” But at the end of the sixth day of creating, after creating man and woman, the phrase is: “And God saw that it was VERY good.” Why would you want to call something that God created as very good, unworthy and wretched?
Also at the end of the creation story, we see God giving Adam and Eve full authority over His creation. God tells them to take over and manage the earth that he had created by giving “dominion over everything on earth.” In other words, God was inviting the humans to be co-creators with God.
Instead of being co-creators with God, we would rather be “wretched sinners unworthy of god!
I ma reminded of the story of a mild-mannered man who was tired of being bossed around by his wife. He went to see a psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist told him that he needed to build his self-esteem, and so gave him a book on assertiveness, which he read on the way home. He had finished the book by the time he reached his house.
The man stormed into the house and walked up to his wife.
Pointing a finger in her face, he said, "From now on, I want you to know that I am the man of this house, and my word is law! I want you to prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, I expect a sumptuous dessert. Then, after dinner, you're going to fill the tub so I can relax. And when I'm finished with my bath, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
And the wife said: "The funeral director."
Now that is not self esteem; that is arrogance. That is not what I am talking about when it comes to our relationship with God. I am only asking you to take your rightful place in the world as co-creators with god, a status that God has given to us, graciously. God will be so delighted if we claim that role in life.
When my son Tommy turns 25, if he is still living at home, uneducated, unemployed and totally dependent on me, I would be very upset. Every time I give him a few dollars, if he thanks me and praise me and tells me that I am the best dad in the world, I will be disgusted. If he asks my opinion before he does anything, I will be annoyed. I will be disappointed in my under achieving, uneducated, unemployed son. I want him to grow up. I will be so happy, if he takes responsibility for his life. I will be the happiest if he he succeeds in life independently of myself.
Now think of your relationship to God. God will be happy when we grow up spiritually. God the father will be delighted when we, his children, develop a healthy spiritual self esteem.
A sign of low spiritual self esteem is the blind allegiance to traditions; it is called traditionalism. Following a religious tradition without thinking about it or asking questions about its meaning and relevance today. The debate about wearing burqa by moslem women in France is a case in point. They want to cover their face,because it is in the Quran. But Quran was written in the 5th century. They don't ask questions, because it is written in the holy book.
Few weeks ago. One of our chaplains went to the house where this lady had died, at 7 PM. The family wanted the body to be picked up by the funeral home, only after 11 PM because, they had a son arriving from Houston by a 10 PM flight. My colleague did not want to wait in the house three hours past his shift so he told the family that he was going to get another chaplain to come to the house, to relieve him. But the family had a strange requirement of this chaplain. If it is a female chaplain coming to replace him, she should not be in the middle of her menstrual period.
I was the chaplain who went to replace my colleague. The patient who died was a member of a religion called Zorastrianism. You may not have even heard about that religion, let alone what they believe in. It is a religion that was founded in Persia, modern day Iran, by a man named Zoraster. One day he was taking a bath in the river, and he had this revelation from God, and he wrote them down in a book called Avesha and the people who believed that book became his followers and it became a religion.
When Islam took over Iran, the Zorastrians were dispersed. Majority of them ended up in India. In India, Zorastrians are called Parsis. They are concentrated in Mumbai. They are some the most successful businessmen in India and the most westernized minority religion in India. Zorastrianim is a dying religion and there are only about 450K Parsis in the world today.
The basic tenet of that a religion is GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD WORDS, GOOD DEEDS. Not a bad doctrine. But their death and burial customs are kind of strange by 21st cent, standards. Ideally, the dead body should not be buried or cremated. It should be eaten by vultures. I am not making this up, In close knit Parsi communities in India, they have something called a tower of silence. It is a concrete structure about 20 feet tall and they will leave the dead body on top of it, to be eaten by vultures.
According to their religion, a menstruating woman is impure and she cannot be near a dead body. It is a religious custom based on purity laws. We have that law in the OT. According to the book of Leviticus, A woman is unclean during her monthly period. A woman is unclean for 33 days if she gives birth to a son, and unclean for 66 days, if she give birth to a female child. Then she has to go to the temple to be purified by cleansing ceremony, performed by a male priest, of course.(Lev. 12)
So, I know where it is coming from: The holy book, in this case, Avesa, the holy book of the Parsi religion. But why follow that blindly today when women's dignity and equality are the norms? I say blindly, because it makes no sense in 21st century America. I think there are two main reasons: Ignorance and fear. Many people just don't know much about their religion. They have not made any serious attempt to study and understand the teachings of their religion for themselves. They blindly follow what they read in the holy book or hear from preachers. I think, they are also afraid to question these traditions, because, they fear God's punishment.
We were also told that our duty is to protect and defend those beliefs and rituals, even without fully understanding them. We were told that it is the devil who makes you or question or challenge those beliefs.
One of the things that caught my attention several years ago was a pamphlet from Rev, James Kennedy's church. It clearly stated that no one, except those in the hierarchy of the church, were allowed to interpret the Bible, because they had not received proper training. It struck me as a prohibition and an attempt to control a monopoly... a self-proclaimed "superior cast" prohibiting in the "inferior crowd" to try to have a direct relationship with God.
The lack of spiritual self-esteem leads to the repeated playing of an internal recording inside our heads that goes something like this, "I am a wretched sinner; If ask questions about the scriptures, god would be angry with me; I cannot possibly have a direct relationship with God. I have to go through someone who is a mediator between unworthy human beings like myself and God. I have to go through the pastors of my church, through the Pope. They are the ones who know. They are closer to God. I am just a sinner. I don't know anything."
In Jn 15: 15 Jesus said; I no longer call you servants, Instead, I have called you friends.” Now, friendship is about equality and mutual respect, not slavish submission and feelings of unworthiness. In Mt. 5:48,: Jesus said: “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” Let us heed Jesus invitation to be his friends and co-creators with God.
A guy had been feeling down for so long that he finally decided to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist asked him a few questions, then sat thinking in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, he looked up and said, I think your problem is low self-esteem. It is very common among losers."
You can't touch it, but it affects how you feel. You can't see it, but it's there when you look at yourself in the mirror. You can't hear it, but it's there every time you talk about yourself. What is this important but mysterious thing? It's your self-esteem! It's how much you value yourself and how important you think you are. It's how you see yourself and how you feel about your achievements.
Self-esteem isn't bragging about how great you are. It's more like quietly knowing that you're priceless. It's not about thinking you're perfect — because nobody is — but knowing that you're worthy of being loved and accepted.
Good self-esteem is important because it helps you to hold your head high and feel proud of yourself and what you can do. It gives you the courage to try new things and the power to believe in yourself. It lets you respect yourself, even when you make mistakes. And when you respect yourself, others respect you, too.
Having good self-esteem is also the ticket to making good choices in life. If you think you're important, you'll be less likely to follow the crowd. If you have good self-esteem, you know that you're smart enough to make your own decisions.
Low self esteem can be very destructive to life. Self-blame, self-criticism, or constantly putting others down by making them feel guilty, are some of the signs of low SE. Other signs of low self esteem are over eating or over working, playing the victim, blaming others for your problems, not taking responsibility for your life, turning power over to outside agents to make decisions for you, and then feeling victimized if the results and not to your liking.
Black and white thinking or the inability to understand nuances and complexity of life are also signs of low self esteem. Low self esteem has a lot to do with how you were raised at home. If you were always told that you were no good, you will never amount to anything or that you are a loser, you are likely to have a low self esteem.
If you had a domineering parents who never valued your opinion you are likely to have low self esteem. If you were abused emotionally or sexually you will more than likely develop low self esteem. I had a chaplain in my class who was sexually abused by her brother. Today she has trust issues with men, is over eating, she is 300plus pounds, is depressed all the time. Her life is a mess. She is barely functioning in life.
So far, I have been talking about psychological self esteem. There is something called spiritual self esteem which many people don't think about. Everything I mentioned so far about pys. Self esteem is also applicable to sp. SE
I think majority of the religious people suffer from low spiritual self esteem. So what are some of the signs of low sp. SE? Think about your relationship to God. If you believe that God is this supreme being and you are this lowly, unworthy sinner, totally dependent and completely helpless, you are suffering from low sp. SE.
I have such a hard time singing Amazing grace. I like most of it,but the second line is hard to sing. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a WRETCH like me. Imagine a parent telling a child every day, that he is a wretch, that he is a loser, that he is never going to amount nothing, how is that child going to grow up? We will call that emotional abuse from a parent.
When the church calls us unworthy and wretched sinners, that is a form of spiritual abuse. If you study the creation story in the book of Genesis, you will find that the human being was created in the image and likeness of God. The human being that is created in God's image is good. As a matter of fact, at the end of each day of creating, the phrase used is: “And god saw that it was good.” But at the end of the sixth day of creating, after creating man and woman, the phrase is: “And God saw that it was VERY good.” Why would you want to call something that God created as very good, unworthy and wretched?
Also at the end of the creation story, we see God giving Adam and Eve full authority over His creation. God tells them to take over and manage the earth that he had created by giving “dominion over everything on earth.” In other words, God was inviting the humans to be co-creators with God.
Instead of being co-creators with God, we would rather be “wretched sinners unworthy of god!
I ma reminded of the story of a mild-mannered man who was tired of being bossed around by his wife. He went to see a psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist told him that he needed to build his self-esteem, and so gave him a book on assertiveness, which he read on the way home. He had finished the book by the time he reached his house.
The man stormed into the house and walked up to his wife.
Pointing a finger in her face, he said, "From now on, I want you to know that I am the man of this house, and my word is law! I want you to prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, I expect a sumptuous dessert. Then, after dinner, you're going to fill the tub so I can relax. And when I'm finished with my bath, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
And the wife said: "The funeral director."
Now that is not self esteem; that is arrogance. That is not what I am talking about when it comes to our relationship with God. I am only asking you to take your rightful place in the world as co-creators with god, a status that God has given to us, graciously. God will be so delighted if we claim that role in life.
When my son Tommy turns 25, if he is still living at home, uneducated, unemployed and totally dependent on me, I would be very upset. Every time I give him a few dollars, if he thanks me and praise me and tells me that I am the best dad in the world, I will be disgusted. If he asks my opinion before he does anything, I will be annoyed. I will be disappointed in my under achieving, uneducated, unemployed son. I want him to grow up. I will be so happy, if he takes responsibility for his life. I will be the happiest if he he succeeds in life independently of myself.
Now think of your relationship to God. God will be happy when we grow up spiritually. God the father will be delighted when we, his children, develop a healthy spiritual self esteem.
A sign of low spiritual self esteem is the blind allegiance to traditions; it is called traditionalism. Following a religious tradition without thinking about it or asking questions about its meaning and relevance today. The debate about wearing burqa by moslem women in France is a case in point. They want to cover their face,because it is in the Quran. But Quran was written in the 5th century. They don't ask questions, because it is written in the holy book.
Few weeks ago. One of our chaplains went to the house where this lady had died, at 7 PM. The family wanted the body to be picked up by the funeral home, only after 11 PM because, they had a son arriving from Houston by a 10 PM flight. My colleague did not want to wait in the house three hours past his shift so he told the family that he was going to get another chaplain to come to the house, to relieve him. But the family had a strange requirement of this chaplain. If it is a female chaplain coming to replace him, she should not be in the middle of her menstrual period.
I was the chaplain who went to replace my colleague. The patient who died was a member of a religion called Zorastrianism. You may not have even heard about that religion, let alone what they believe in. It is a religion that was founded in Persia, modern day Iran, by a man named Zoraster. One day he was taking a bath in the river, and he had this revelation from God, and he wrote them down in a book called Avesha and the people who believed that book became his followers and it became a religion.
When Islam took over Iran, the Zorastrians were dispersed. Majority of them ended up in India. In India, Zorastrians are called Parsis. They are concentrated in Mumbai. They are some the most successful businessmen in India and the most westernized minority religion in India. Zorastrianim is a dying religion and there are only about 450K Parsis in the world today.
The basic tenet of that a religion is GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD WORDS, GOOD DEEDS. Not a bad doctrine. But their death and burial customs are kind of strange by 21st cent, standards. Ideally, the dead body should not be buried or cremated. It should be eaten by vultures. I am not making this up, In close knit Parsi communities in India, they have something called a tower of silence. It is a concrete structure about 20 feet tall and they will leave the dead body on top of it, to be eaten by vultures.
According to their religion, a menstruating woman is impure and she cannot be near a dead body. It is a religious custom based on purity laws. We have that law in the OT. According to the book of Leviticus, A woman is unclean during her monthly period. A woman is unclean for 33 days if she gives birth to a son, and unclean for 66 days, if she give birth to a female child. Then she has to go to the temple to be purified by cleansing ceremony, performed by a male priest, of course.(Lev. 12)
So, I know where it is coming from: The holy book, in this case, Avesa, the holy book of the Parsi religion. But why follow that blindly today when women's dignity and equality are the norms? I say blindly, because it makes no sense in 21st century America. I think there are two main reasons: Ignorance and fear. Many people just don't know much about their religion. They have not made any serious attempt to study and understand the teachings of their religion for themselves. They blindly follow what they read in the holy book or hear from preachers. I think, they are also afraid to question these traditions, because, they fear God's punishment.
We were also told that our duty is to protect and defend those beliefs and rituals, even without fully understanding them. We were told that it is the devil who makes you or question or challenge those beliefs.
One of the things that caught my attention several years ago was a pamphlet from Rev, James Kennedy's church. It clearly stated that no one, except those in the hierarchy of the church, were allowed to interpret the Bible, because they had not received proper training. It struck me as a prohibition and an attempt to control a monopoly... a self-proclaimed "superior cast" prohibiting in the "inferior crowd" to try to have a direct relationship with God.
The lack of spiritual self-esteem leads to the repeated playing of an internal recording inside our heads that goes something like this, "I am a wretched sinner; If ask questions about the scriptures, god would be angry with me; I cannot possibly have a direct relationship with God. I have to go through someone who is a mediator between unworthy human beings like myself and God. I have to go through the pastors of my church, through the Pope. They are the ones who know. They are closer to God. I am just a sinner. I don't know anything."
In Jn 15: 15 Jesus said; I no longer call you servants, Instead, I have called you friends.” Now, friendship is about equality and mutual respect, not slavish submission and feelings of unworthiness. In Mt. 5:48,: Jesus said: “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” Let us heed Jesus invitation to be his friends and co-creators with God.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Pay Attention, Be Alert
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Pay Attention...Be Alert
I always tell people about the importance of paying attention and being alert. In fact, that is the title of my friend Piero's book: "Pay Attention,Be Alert" which I have inscribed in my consciousness. And yet, I made a boo boo last week, and almost paid for it,but the 'Universe' came to my aid and made it nice.
I upgraded my cell phone recently, but did not like the devise I ordered. So I got a new phone, but the old devise had to be sent back to ATT for which they had provided a pre-paid address label.
I packed the phone, affixed the pre-paid label and droppped it off in the UPS counter at the nearby Office Depot. Few hours later, I began doubting whether it was a UPS label or a USPS label? Very similar, yet different. Sure enough, when I went home and checked the old box, I found out to my dismay that it was supposed to be dropped off at any US Post Office.
I was distressed because, if the phone did not reach ATT in ten days, they will charge my credit card $299, the full price of the device. That was distressing in this hard economic times.
So the next day,I went back to the Office Depot to see if the package was left behind as UPS driver cannot scan it through his system. But there was no package left behind. In my distress, I said a small prayer, that the Universe take care of my problem and save me $299. I was driving while saying that prayer, and viola, I see a UPS truck in my rear view mirror. It pulled up beside me to turn left and I noticed the toll number on the side of the truck: 1-800-PICK-UPS. I just called that number to see if they could even track a package which was not in their system. The agent said that UPS and USPS had a mutual agreement that if they got each other's packages, they will drop it off in each other's facilities, because" People do this all the time." Obviously, I am not the only one not paying attetion!
I was really comforted by that news. Seven days later, I got an email from ATT saying that they had received my returned phone in their Texas wharehouse!
Praise the Lord! I thank God for the honesty of the people who handled that package. I thank God for the honesty and integrity of the majority of people. There are people who may do you harm, but by and large I believe in the goodness of humanity. My view of others as images of God, has always helped to turn apparent negative energies of situations into positive ones.
Always believe in the goodness of humanity and slow down and pay attention! And say a prayer too. It can eliminate a lot of pain and make life easier.
Posted by Paul Veliyathil at 7:34 AM 0 comments
Labels: Alertness, attention, power of prayer
Pay Attention...Be Alert
I always tell people about the importance of paying attention and being alert. In fact, that is the title of my friend Piero's book: "Pay Attention,Be Alert" which I have inscribed in my consciousness. And yet, I made a boo boo last week, and almost paid for it,but the 'Universe' came to my aid and made it nice.
I upgraded my cell phone recently, but did not like the devise I ordered. So I got a new phone, but the old devise had to be sent back to ATT for which they had provided a pre-paid address label.
I packed the phone, affixed the pre-paid label and droppped it off in the UPS counter at the nearby Office Depot. Few hours later, I began doubting whether it was a UPS label or a USPS label? Very similar, yet different. Sure enough, when I went home and checked the old box, I found out to my dismay that it was supposed to be dropped off at any US Post Office.
I was distressed because, if the phone did not reach ATT in ten days, they will charge my credit card $299, the full price of the device. That was distressing in this hard economic times.
So the next day,I went back to the Office Depot to see if the package was left behind as UPS driver cannot scan it through his system. But there was no package left behind. In my distress, I said a small prayer, that the Universe take care of my problem and save me $299. I was driving while saying that prayer, and viola, I see a UPS truck in my rear view mirror. It pulled up beside me to turn left and I noticed the toll number on the side of the truck: 1-800-PICK-UPS. I just called that number to see if they could even track a package which was not in their system. The agent said that UPS and USPS had a mutual agreement that if they got each other's packages, they will drop it off in each other's facilities, because" People do this all the time." Obviously, I am not the only one not paying attetion!
I was really comforted by that news. Seven days later, I got an email from ATT saying that they had received my returned phone in their Texas wharehouse!
Praise the Lord! I thank God for the honesty of the people who handled that package. I thank God for the honesty and integrity of the majority of people. There are people who may do you harm, but by and large I believe in the goodness of humanity. My view of others as images of God, has always helped to turn apparent negative energies of situations into positive ones.
Always believe in the goodness of humanity and slow down and pay attention! And say a prayer too. It can eliminate a lot of pain and make life easier.
Posted by Paul Veliyathil at 7:34 AM 0 comments
Labels: Alertness, attention, power of prayer
Johnny's First Interview
Friday, April 30, 2010
Johnny's First Job Interview!
My autistic son had his first "job interview." He also received his first rejection letter: "Unfortunately, you did not qualify for the position we are offering..." But that is all right.
Johhny turned 17 last December. He is autistic. He can take care of his basic needs, but his comprehension is low. He understands things, but he cannot express himself in a comprehensive fashion. He can express his needs and wants, and he is happy in his own world. A young man with very few needs and and satisfied with the minimum. Johny teaches me valuable lessons about simplicity and contentment every day and I am so blessed to have him in my life.
People have asked me how we deal with life, taking care of an autistic child on a daily basis. Yes, it does restrict our lives a little, as Johnny has to be supervised at all times and he is with us every day. Jonny cannot go for a sleepover with his friends. He cannot go anywhere alone. But the joy he brings to our lives through his innocent ways is more rewarding than most other benefits we may have had if he were to be normal like Tommy,our younger son.
Few weeks ago, Johnny went for his first summer job interview. We dressed him up including a neck tie and drove him to the place of interview. When the door opened for him to enter the interview room, Johnny stopped and asked his "mommy" to go with him. Parents were not allowed as the interviewers wanted to find out how Johnny could function on his own. I watched him sit in front of the interviewers, but could not hear what he said.
Judy cried when Johnny went into the room. "My child is growing up" she said amid tears. She thought it had come too soon, too fast. When we asked him how the interview went, all Johnny said was: "Seven dollars." He just repeated that when we asked anything about the interview. Apparently that was the hourly wage and they must have talked about it.
We finished the interview and went home and Johnny went back to his computer games. He could not care less if he gets the job or not. When I told him that he did not get hired, he had no reaction except to repeat" "not hired."
We will try again next year, but there is no guarantee. We don't know what his futre will be, but I know who holds the future and that is enough comfort for now.
Posted by Paul Veliyathil at 6:31 AM 0 comments
Labels: autism, johnny
Johnny's First Job Interview!
My autistic son had his first "job interview." He also received his first rejection letter: "Unfortunately, you did not qualify for the position we are offering..." But that is all right.
Johhny turned 17 last December. He is autistic. He can take care of his basic needs, but his comprehension is low. He understands things, but he cannot express himself in a comprehensive fashion. He can express his needs and wants, and he is happy in his own world. A young man with very few needs and and satisfied with the minimum. Johny teaches me valuable lessons about simplicity and contentment every day and I am so blessed to have him in my life.
People have asked me how we deal with life, taking care of an autistic child on a daily basis. Yes, it does restrict our lives a little, as Johnny has to be supervised at all times and he is with us every day. Jonny cannot go for a sleepover with his friends. He cannot go anywhere alone. But the joy he brings to our lives through his innocent ways is more rewarding than most other benefits we may have had if he were to be normal like Tommy,our younger son.
Few weeks ago, Johnny went for his first summer job interview. We dressed him up including a neck tie and drove him to the place of interview. When the door opened for him to enter the interview room, Johnny stopped and asked his "mommy" to go with him. Parents were not allowed as the interviewers wanted to find out how Johnny could function on his own. I watched him sit in front of the interviewers, but could not hear what he said.
Judy cried when Johnny went into the room. "My child is growing up" she said amid tears. She thought it had come too soon, too fast. When we asked him how the interview went, all Johnny said was: "Seven dollars." He just repeated that when we asked anything about the interview. Apparently that was the hourly wage and they must have talked about it.
We finished the interview and went home and Johnny went back to his computer games. He could not care less if he gets the job or not. When I told him that he did not get hired, he had no reaction except to repeat" "not hired."
We will try again next year, but there is no guarantee. We don't know what his futre will be, but I know who holds the future and that is enough comfort for now.
Posted by Paul Veliyathil at 6:31 AM 0 comments
Labels: autism, johnny
Good Friday...Easter Sunday: Connect the dots
It is Easter again. This year it came too soon, because we just celebrated Christmas the other day. I get the feeling that the Christian world is just "going through the motions." On Easter morning people get dressed up and go to church; Some of them attend church only for Easter and Christmas only. I heard a pastor say that Easter is to Christians like Superbowl is to foot ball fans. Yes, we go to church on Easter Sunday. Then what? Is your life on Monday after Easter Sunday any different that it was, say, last Monday? I doubt it...
Priests and Preachers read the story of resurrection from the Gospels and tell congregations that Jesus is risen, rejoice, alleluia. And people hear it without understanding the meaning of the story. I feel that many people fail to connect the dots between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We cannot have the glory of Easter without the pain of Good Friday. Jesus said that the grain of wheat has to fall to the ground and disintegrate before it can become a plant and produce new grains. Our ego has to die before resurrection can happen in our lives. Going to church without letting our ego and our selfishness to die to the whims of the world,is merely a religious social activity without any lasting significance. Always remember that the path to the glory of resurrection intersects with the road to Calvary.
When Christians wonder why Christ has not risen in their lives, they should ask themselves if their ego has died. We live in a Good Friday world, but we are an Easter people and if Jesus is alive in your hearts, notify your face.
Posted by Paul Veliyathil at 5:44 PM 0 comments
Priests and Preachers read the story of resurrection from the Gospels and tell congregations that Jesus is risen, rejoice, alleluia. And people hear it without understanding the meaning of the story. I feel that many people fail to connect the dots between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We cannot have the glory of Easter without the pain of Good Friday. Jesus said that the grain of wheat has to fall to the ground and disintegrate before it can become a plant and produce new grains. Our ego has to die before resurrection can happen in our lives. Going to church without letting our ego and our selfishness to die to the whims of the world,is merely a religious social activity without any lasting significance. Always remember that the path to the glory of resurrection intersects with the road to Calvary.
When Christians wonder why Christ has not risen in their lives, they should ask themselves if their ego has died. We live in a Good Friday world, but we are an Easter people and if Jesus is alive in your hearts, notify your face.
Posted by Paul Veliyathil at 5:44 PM 0 comments
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Significance of Insignificance
We all have notions of what is important and what is not.I want to impress upon my consciousness that apparently insignificant and unimportant things can be very significant and meaningful.
I learned this lesson a few years ago, but I need to make it part of my conscious awareness. About six years ago, when I worked in the Dade program, I had a patient named Angela who lived alone. She was 90 years old. I was her only constant visitor. Every Friday, she would wait near the window, looking through the blinds for my arrival. One Friday, I found her extremely upset and distressed because her TV had stopped working. Television was Angela’s life line. She always kept it ‘on’ to mask the monotony of loneliness.
Angela was on a limited budget and the thought of paying for a repairman bothered her so much. When I walked in, she began crying. She told me that her TV had stopped working and if I could repair it. Being totally mechanically challenged, I didn’t dare; however, when Angela went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, I just looked around, and to my surprise, I found out that the TV was not plugged into the outlet. I plugged it in, and voila, “The Prize is Right” came on! “Angela, it is a miracle,” I cried out in excitement.
She could not believe her eyes. She hugged me tightly and said: “You made my day; you have no idea what this means to me; I thank God for sending you here.”
That day, I realized that a simple act like plugging in a TV can make a “huge difference” in someone’s life. I also determined never to judge the impact of my behavior on others based on my perceptions, because, what I consider to be insignificant could be very significant for somebody else.
The thought of “Almighty God” being concerned about an old lady’s television and “sending” me to her may be considered ‘faith-stretching.’ But may be not! The God who adorns the fragile lilies of the field and takes care of the tiny sparrows of the air, is equally, if not more concerned about Angela’s TV too.
There is a saying that “when a butterfly flaps its wings in San Francisco, weather changes in Singapore.” It is a poetic way of saying that every little act can make a difference in somebody’s life, somewhere in the world, like the ripple effect of a small stone thrown in the middle of a lake causing waves all around.
My prayer today is that the Jesus who takes note of the widow’s mite impress upon me once and for all that everything I do is important in the eyes of God, so that I may do it with compassion and devotion; that I won’t look at anything casually, or treat anyone callously; that I will pay attention to every event, relish every experience, embrace every moment and cherish the person right in front of me.
I learned this lesson a few years ago, but I need to make it part of my conscious awareness. About six years ago, when I worked in the Dade program, I had a patient named Angela who lived alone. She was 90 years old. I was her only constant visitor. Every Friday, she would wait near the window, looking through the blinds for my arrival. One Friday, I found her extremely upset and distressed because her TV had stopped working. Television was Angela’s life line. She always kept it ‘on’ to mask the monotony of loneliness.
Angela was on a limited budget and the thought of paying for a repairman bothered her so much. When I walked in, she began crying. She told me that her TV had stopped working and if I could repair it. Being totally mechanically challenged, I didn’t dare; however, when Angela went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, I just looked around, and to my surprise, I found out that the TV was not plugged into the outlet. I plugged it in, and voila, “The Prize is Right” came on! “Angela, it is a miracle,” I cried out in excitement.
She could not believe her eyes. She hugged me tightly and said: “You made my day; you have no idea what this means to me; I thank God for sending you here.”
That day, I realized that a simple act like plugging in a TV can make a “huge difference” in someone’s life. I also determined never to judge the impact of my behavior on others based on my perceptions, because, what I consider to be insignificant could be very significant for somebody else.
The thought of “Almighty God” being concerned about an old lady’s television and “sending” me to her may be considered ‘faith-stretching.’ But may be not! The God who adorns the fragile lilies of the field and takes care of the tiny sparrows of the air, is equally, if not more concerned about Angela’s TV too.
There is a saying that “when a butterfly flaps its wings in San Francisco, weather changes in Singapore.” It is a poetic way of saying that every little act can make a difference in somebody’s life, somewhere in the world, like the ripple effect of a small stone thrown in the middle of a lake causing waves all around.
My prayer today is that the Jesus who takes note of the widow’s mite impress upon me once and for all that everything I do is important in the eyes of God, so that I may do it with compassion and devotion; that I won’t look at anything casually, or treat anyone callously; that I will pay attention to every event, relish every experience, embrace every moment and cherish the person right in front of me.
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