The Healing Shield

Amidst the horror, the abuse, the absolute evil, and between that, the violent volleys of various wars (versus "not war"), a friend sent me this elegant piece of (partially translated) Cherokee verse.

O'siyo Great Spirit, I am Mother.

I was made by You so that the image of Your love

could be brought into existence.

May I always carry with me

the sacredness of this honor.

Creator, I am Daughter.

I am the learner of the Traditions.

May I carry them forward so that

the Elders and Ancestors will be

remembered for all time.

Maker-of-all-things, I am Sister.

Through me, may my brothers be shown

the manner in which I am to be respected.

May I join with my sisters in strength and power as a Healing Shield

so that they will no longer bear the stain of abuse.

Niskam, I am Committed Partner:

One who shares her spirit,

But is wise to remember never to give it away,

Lest it be lost,

And the two become less than one.

I am Woman,

Hear me "Great Spirit"

Da na da

Niskam = the act of unconditional giving or loving

O'siyo = welcome

Da na da = peace be with you, or go in peace

And lest any forget, The Trail of Tears . . .

Disaster Theology and Us

A rather helpful essay (for some) on the theology of disaster (or eschatology) from writer, former Zen monk, and haiku master Clark Strand can be found on today's RD (Religion Dispatches) site.

As the author notes, the tendency to ascribe disasters (particularly, natural ones in context here) to the concept of Divine justice or retribution is not new, but often found to be tried and well . . . true, depending.

To the point, he notes that, even among the more or less enlightened among us, "the desire to regain control in the face of terrifying events is so strong we might as well call it an imperative. We will do or say almost anything to put ourselves back in charge, even if that means accepting the blame or assigning it to another."

However, also noted, in Japan, at least, the prevalence of such thinking, bent or attitude may be changing.

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara’s attempt last week to evoke the specter of tenbatsu,

or “divine punishment,” against the people of Japan got him smacked down so smartly

that it’s now questionable whether he can win reelection.

Meanwhile, a senior religious leader (noted on this blog here, previously) has made perhaps the most elegant (and logical) offering and statement to the Japanese situation.

Rev. Moon: "I hope [the] people of Japan will find courage to rise again"

The donation of $1.7 million by Rev. Sun Myung Moon on March 20 for relief

of Japanese earthquake victims reflected Rev. Moon’s deep love for Japan. 
“Rev. Moon is heartbroken that Japanese citizens are going through tremendous suffering as a result of the recent earthquake,” said Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, the international president of the Unification Church who visited the Japan Red Cross office this day to convey the donation on behalf of the 91-year-old Rev. Sun Myung Moon.”  

Elsewhere, full circle? 

Failed promises . . .

A child walks in front of a banner echoing the grievances of tsunami victims who have been living in a barracks for more than six years after the disaster. Dozens of people protested in front of the Aceh governor’s office in Banda Aceh on Monday demanding the government live up to its promise of providing housing for tsunami victims. 

(Antara/Azhari) As posted on today's Jakarta Post web site.

Japan: How to Help

 From the Technolog on MSNBC (edited) of a few days ago; how to help those in Japan coping with the devastation:

• Text-message donations of $10 to the Red Cross using your cell phone.
  Text the letters REDCROSS to 90999.
  Or simply visit the organization's website.
  
• The International Medical Corps is providing relief teams, as well as supplies.
  You can donate here.
  Or, you can text MED to 80888 to donate $10.
  
• Save the Children is accepting donations for its Children's Emergency Fund.
  You can also text “JAPAN” or “TSUNAMI” to 20222 to donate $10.
  
• GlobalGiving, based in Washington, D.C., is providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Text JAPAN to 50555 to donate $10.
  
• The Salvation Army
  You can text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts.
  
• World Vision, with a staff of 75 in Japan, focuses its relief efforts on children.
  Visit the website to donate, or call 1-888-56-CHILD (1-888-562-4453).
  You can text “4JAPAN” or “4TSUNAMI” to 20222 to donate $10.
  
• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a humanitarian assistance organization that also helped in Haiti and in countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Phone: (212) 687-6200.
  
• Adventist Development and Relief Agency can be reached at (800) 424-2372, or text the word SUPPORT to 85944 to make a donation.
  
• The mGive Foundation, which helps with mobile donations, said these groups are also accepting text-based donations: Convoy of Hope, text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10; World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals, text WAVE to 50555 to donate $10. "When prompted, mobile donors should reply with YES to confirm a one-time gift," the foundation says. "The $10 one-time donation will appear on the donor’s next mobile bill. All donations are tax deductible and receipts may be printed" from the mGive site. "Message and data rates may apply."
  
• Facebook has a Disaster Relief page.
  
• Portland, Ore.-based Mercy Corps  is "accepting donations to help survivors of Japan's earthquake and tsunami through our longstanding partner, Peace Winds Japan." Donations will go to meeting the "immediate and longer-term needs of the survivors," a spokesperson said.
  Text “MERCY” to 25383 to donate $10.

***************

And finally from the award winning Science blog of theoretical astrophysicist, Ethan Siegel, a different, possibly more comprehensive perspective on the cause(s) of earthquakes:

Ask a geologist, and they'll rightly tell you about plate tectonics, subduction
zones, fault lines, and much, much more. But there's a simple physics reason
that they happen underlying all of it.

The Earth is built like a giant, spherical layer cake. The inner core -- made up
of mostly iron and nickel -- is the densest of all the layers, while the
lithosphere -- the Earth's crust -- is the least dense.

This, by the way, is good.

More . . . >>>

The Cosmic Gulag

Human beings . . . 

ever, 

instantly beautiful, 

creative, 

cruel; resilient.

 

Nature . . . the same.

Amidst instances of tragedy;


Hope . . . 


For that is ever 


at the core

of the collective, 

bipolar, 


human condition.

Religious, scientific, 


political, economic


  groups, consortiums, et al,

clack, spout and spew;

Engaged as we all are 


in  


THE latest greatest innovation, 


revival, crusade or quest ---

However, to what avail?

Where is the salvation, the commonality, 


the semblance of harmony; 


the awareness of . . . eternity?

Somehow, somewhere, someday, 


that Hope,

that Destination . . .

that Unipolar state of being . . .

must;

MUST, lie . . . directly ahead.

IF,  truly,

We REALLY want to get there . . . 

We shall.

And arriving (mostly) intact; 

Might we not finally, ultimately

Be

Not only our own saviors -

But also,

the liberators of God?

3/2011

The appearance of free will

Saw the flick, The Adjustment Bureau , last evening, the new Matt Damon vehicle based on the

("legendary") Philip K. Dick (Official Site) 1954 short story, Adjustment Team (public domain;

available for reading here) and embellished for the screen by writer-director George Nolfi.

Most memorable dialogue exchange from the movie:

David Norse (Matt Damon) : "So what about free will?"

Thompson (Terence Stamp): "What about it?" . . . . you humans only have the appearance of free will."

Indeed.

Your assignment (not necessarily in the following order):

See the movie.

Read the story.

Walk the dog.