Faithfulness

I have the word faithful in my password and everytime I type it I think about faithfulness.  Having faith?  the condition of having faith.  Feeling full of faith?    Faith is not my strong suit, practice is.  In Quaker terms, what you do is your practice and what is in your heart is your faith.  So I am more grounded in taking positive steps than in mere belief.

Yet I pray constantly.  Go figure

I pray for peace, I pray for justice.  I pray for my country and for my planet.  And for myself-my health and peace of mind and the like.  

I have been listening to daily teleconferences about sustainability.  Every interview closes with "what is the one most important thing for your listeners to do? "  And there is some consistency in the reply:  get started.  Do something.  Do Some Thing, and it will lead to the next, and the next, and soon you'll have allies and a movement and perhaps an achievement. 

So I dive into this blog and hope these random thoughts help you, dear reader, go somewhere and do some thing.

Peace, y'all

Molly

Precision

The importance of Truth has become very clear to me.  If we see truth, how can we not become humbled by it?  How can we keep up our pretences if we see the truth?   I think it's impossible.

I came to this understanding about truth through a quote involving growing our personal strengths in three areas:   precision, gentleness, and ability to let go.    "Precision" rattled around in my head quite dissonantly, and a friend suggested to think of it as seeing things accurately.   And to me that means recognizing truth.  

I find this very humbling.   Yet familiar.  I am Quaker, and the formal name of our group is the Religious Society of Friends.  And we are friends of....... TRUTH.   So my Quaker forebears already recognized the cardinal place of truth in our human understanding, faith and practice.   Seeking more truth.

The revelations I have found and shared about trafficking are part of seeing the truth.   First we see the problem, then we imaging a solution, then we enlist others and bring the solution into being. 

Truth.... A beautfiul and powerful force.  

Yes, this is part of my nonlinear path to personal peacemaking.   Seeing truth, God willing, will help me see the right path to increase the amount of peace and justice in this world. 

Glad we didn't spend money today on fancy fish.   Glad we didn't gamble in the raffle at the gig today.  (Meeting? Event? Party? I don't know.)  Seems to me a better way to spend money is to help others.   A little glimmer of truth there, just a weak and faint one. 

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

justice

Some time ago I realized the path to peace is through justice.  Sweet justice, blind justice.  Social justice, environmental justice.  

Now, recently I got an email suggesting I pray for patience, gentleness, and precision.  PRECISION?  This seemed very strange, but the nature of precision could be accuracy, and that could mean truth.  Oh, to see truth, to know truth.  

The ability to see truth clearly is something worth praying for indeed. 

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

about cars

I recently began reading Wall Street Journal and I have learned a few things.   1) Americans are buying less gasoline than they have in 11 years.  Whoa!   High prices, efficient cars, fewer places to go in a depression, who knows?    2) In March, the big 3 automakers (GM, Ford, Chrysler) sold a record number of cars--and it's the high fuel economy cars that are driving off the lot in droves.

The federal government required high fuel economy, and funny, I didn't hear any moaning and whining about how hard it would be.  The car makers are putting out small efficient cars and large (more) efficient cars.  Hybrids galore.

I learned today from the editor and creator of GreenBiz.com, Joel Makower, that companies are doing a lot to be more sustainable, but they are not talking about it.   They are not doing it for PR or idealogy.  They are doing it for sound business reasons.

Let's let the carmakers laugh all the way to the bank.

Recently I have blogged a lot about problems, and it depressed me, I admit.  The problems are still out there, but I will turn my focus other places for a while.  

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

On poverty

So many in this world are poor.  In the US income inequality is growing, as the national discussion of the 99% and the 1% indicate. 

Poverty's sorry companions are hunger and disease.  Each contributes to the other, in a downward spiral through misery to heartbreak and death.  I mention heartbreak becuse the weak suffer more and across the globe, that means children.

Most of the world lives this way, especially in our planet's southern hemisphere.  We in the northern hemisphere must look at ourselves.  Our governments exploit their governments.  The wealthier you are, the more likely you are to benefit from the system - the laws and luck of a culture. 

Here is a website that explains the problems pretty well.  

Now...what to do, what to do?  Buy local.  Buy fair trade.  Buy less.  Give generously.  Very generously. 

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

a rough day at work

My boss likes to have lots of people look at things.  Today I wanted to send a notice to the printer but no, let's have another manager review it, and a lawyer.   If that won't slow things down, there must be rocket fuel involved.  I am frustrated about it.  Still I am grateful for the job. Many folks do not have jobs, and want one. 

I wish sometimes I were retired but must wait a while.  All is well, I suppose. 

Peace, y'all

Molly

And out like a lamb....

It's April!   I'm so grounded in truth there is a little truth in the claim that I'm humor-impaired, so April Fools day has little value to me.   But it's sunny and the start of a very springy month, and I'm very glad of that.

The saying is that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, so now it's lamb season.  In fact it probably is.  I know I've seen a lot of new calves as I drive around the region. 

It's also the season of renewal, from the flooding of the Nile to Passover, to Easter, to spring blossoms.  I love Spring!

As Christians prepare to celebrate Easter-- the death and resurrection of the Prince of Peace -- I want to note that Christians have no monopoly on peace and justice. 

Here are some thoughts from a variety of cultures:

Mahatma Gandhi: "Be the peace you wish for the world." Martin Luther King:  "We must learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to perish together as fools." Holy Qur'an, 5:33 "the taking of one innocent life is like taking all of Mankind... and the saving of one life is like saving all of Mankind" Dalai Lama "If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.” Mother Theresa of Calcutta: "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” No single faith or culture has the monopoly on seeing the value of and connection between peace and justice.   I hope as you, dear reader, celebrate the holidays and the northern hemisphere's seasonal renewal, you also 1) try to provide peace to another 2) talk to your enemies 3) learn to live together 4) work to save a life 5) be the peace you wish for the world. Whatever your faith and culture.   Peace and justice, y'all Molly