Author Archives: Leo Denton

Noah and the Ark Builders

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Birderwatchers at bee tree in the Indian Shell Mounds on Dauphin Island

Birdwatchers at bee tree in the Indian Shell Mounds on Dauphin Island

Black-throated blue warbler at Dauphin Island

Black-throated blue warbler at Dauphin Island

Volunteers Saving Dolphin

People saving dolphin stranded in ditch after Hurricane Rita

 On Dauphin Island, I was deeply impressed by the attitudes and actions of two groups: birdwatchers and hurricane watchers. When I wrap these two groups together, I get a glimpse of a very old, old friend who believed in the value of others.

Noah loved people, his family, animals, and the Earth. He enjoyed grass, trees, fresh air, rain, and the beauty of the skies. Noah was in the habit of observing, learning, providing for the needy, listening to others, and sharing fresh insights.

Noah’s epic courage, faith, and determination inspired him to prepare well for the Flood of all Floods. People laughed at Noah. But he remained so positive, that he rallied friends and family to help him build the Boat of all Boats. Noah so clearly worked for the benefit of all, that it was said that he walked with God and that he was God’s true messenger (see Bible and Qur’an).

“At the Shell Mounds, Noah and I saw 10 warbler species and a scarlet tanager was hopping right at our feet! Nice talking, got to run, someone saw a scissor-tailed flycatcher at Fort Gaines!”

The warnings are up – it’s a category 5 hurricane – little else matters! Like Noah, the islanders have let go of old spats. There are people to look after, everyone’s pets too, and time is of the essence! Community, family, survival – all is at risk!

Like in the days of Noah, our future is in doubt, but we are the Ark Builders! Inspired by the birdwatchers, we, each in our own way, can learn to gratefully take in the beauty of the Earth! Inspired by Noah, we, each in our own way, can learn to protect all Creation’s precious gifts! Inspired by islanders preparing for hurricanes, we, each in our own way, can learn to put away our squabbles and work together for the benefit of all! And when we do, patiently like Noah, wherever we’re at, country, cities, islands … we will be embracing a future filled with rainbows and promises beyond our imagination!

Butterfly at Dauphin Island

Butterfly at Dauphin Island

 
Birding and butterfly photos can be found at youtube video: Birds and Birders of Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dolphin photo above can be found at Wikimedia: U.S. Navy photo of volunteers

The Farbor’s Way

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Let’s take this journey together – a new world beckons.
A new world beckons – can we make the journey together? Photograph by Wikimedia user, Palosirkka, Denali National Park and Preserve, September 8, 2012.

“Love your neighbor as yourself!” But every rule has exceptions! Who is our neighbor anyway? Why must we, with all our good work, love the conservative who stands in the way of our progress? Or why must we, with all our good work, love the liberal who wants to tear down our values? Don’t forget the time when they lied about us and did us wrong! They don’t deserve our respect!

We’re usually not so blunt. We’re smooth talkers, like the lawyer who asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” But the lawyer’s heart was inflamed. He hoped to inflame his audience and maybe even the teacher too. The fiery storm in his heart sought “clarification” about neighbors and enemies.

Jesus could have fed the flames. He could have narrowed the call to love. Or he could have engaged the lawyer in a righteous argument. But Jesus was good at calming storms, and he calmed this one by trusting us with a story about a traveler who is mugged, robbed, and left for dead. Some respectable folks come along but they simply walk by. Finally, another traveler comes. He’s a farbor from another land and background, not a neighbor at all. In fact, he’s an enemy of the respectable folks who walked away. But this traveler sees the man’s needs, cares for him, and carries him to safety. “Now,” Jesus asks us, “which of these do you think was a neighbor to the man who was beaten and robbed?”

This stranger, this enemy, has become the neighbor, the hero! Inspired compassion has overcome the status quo of hatred.

Yes, we have diverse guiding visions, but these positive visions in all their diversity are united in urging us to develop and practice virtues and to avoid and eliminate vices.

Like the Good Samaritan, we can move beyond our divisions which have only enslaved us. Like this Good Traveler, we can think first of others and let ourselves become instruments of divine healing. Like this Good Farbor, we can embrace life in many beautiful ways:

  • I will strive today to SHARE THE GIFT OF CREATION with all living beings and people.
  • I will strive today to EXPERIENCE THE WONDER OF BEING A HUMAN BEING embracing the astonishing diversity of life, persons, cultures, and places on our wondrous Earth.
  • I will strive today to PUT INTO DEEDS MY GUIDING VISION.
  • I will strive today to SEEK THE GENIUS AND INSPIRATION IN OTHERS AND IN THEIR GUIDING VISIONS.
  • I will strive today to FULFILL MY DUTIES to my family, neighbors, friends, all others, and myself.
  • I will strive today to FIND JOY IN EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE, even in my sacrifices, trials, and persecutions.
  • I will strive today in every conflict to be attentive to all, seek understanding, forgive, heal, and MAKE PEACE.
  • I will strive today to MANAGE MY DESIRES HONORABLY AND TEMPERATELY so that I will maintain right relationships and will pursue ardently and effectively what is beneficial to myself and others.
  • I will strive today to DEDICATE MY TIME AND RESOURCES TOWARD OTHER’S NEEDS, particularly those who are suffering and have pressing needs.
  • I will strive today to WORK CREATIVELY, COOPERATIVELY, AND PRODUCTIVELY.
  • I will strive today to BE HUMBLE, HONEST, OBJECTIVE, AND KNOWLEDGEABLE.
  • I will strive today to FREE MY GUIDING VISION FROM ALL NARROWNESS AND FALSENESS that might diminish others, blind me to the needs of others, set me above others, or in any way hinder me from becoming closer to others.
  • I will strive today to HONOR ALL PERSONS AS MY FAMILY knowing that we are one human family.
  • I will strive today to ENLIGHTEN, EMPOWER, AND UNIFY.

I am Nahari

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Nahari talks with Gandhi taken from the 1982 movie, Gandhi

Nahari talks with Gandhi (from the 1982 movie, Gandhi)

There is an astonishing scene in the movie Gandhi where a Hindu man named Nahari commands Gandhi to “Eat!” The fasting Gandhi is starving, near death, but he refuses pressing for an end to violence. Nahari, overcome with emotion, cries out, “Eat! I am going to hell, but not with your death on my soul!”

Gandhi replies, “Only God decides who goes to hell.”

Nahari continues despairingly, “I . . . I killed a child . . . I smashed his head against a wall.”

“Why?” Gandhi asks.

Deeply distraught, Nahari replies, “They killed my son . . . my boy!” Nahari holds his hand out showing the height of his son. “The Muslims killed my son . . . they killed him.”

After an intense pause, Gandhi replies, “I know a way out of hell . . . Find a child . . . a child whose mother and father have been killed . . . A little boy . . . about this high . . . and raise him . . . as your own . . . Only be sure . . . that he is a Muslim. And that you raise him as one.”

Nahari almost leaves but then goes to his knees and breaks down sobbing. The divine seed within him is coming to life. Astonishingly, there is a way out of hell.

This story is not so much about Nahari, or about the faults of any people of the Indian subcontinent, or about the cruelty of Christian imperialism in India, or even about the violence or injustice or intolerance in today’s world. It is about me. How many times have I sought to get the better of a deal, killed the creativity in a child, scoffed at the wise thoughts of others, watched abhorrent videos, wasted the gifts of nature for my own convenience, discounted the needs of others, lashed out in anger, doubted the divine seed in others, failed to be generous, failed to forgive, placed myself above others, … In all these things, I have built up our insane violence, injustice, and politics.

But hell is not our only option. With God’s Infinite Gracious Mercy, we need add just a few ingredients: understanding, appreciation, justice, forgiveness, and love.

Similar to Nahari, we can raise our children and educate ourselves to understand and appreciate the ways of the Muslims, the ways of the Buddhists, the ways of the Hindus, the ways of the Christians, the ways of the Humanist, …

We can appreciate each person and each culture’s strengths and weaknesses, but we must not focus on the other’s weaknesses. It is by earnestly seeking solutions to own our faults, that we nourish the divine seed in others.

Nahari's Call and ChallengeWe all have needs. Justice for all is required. How we treat one person and how we neglect one person, is how we treat all humanity and how we neglect all humanity. Disrespect and injustice and violence, toward even the most despicable person, toward even the most unwanted person, toward the weak or the strong, toward our neighbor or stranger, … is intolerable.

I am guilty of these intolerable acts, yet I am forgiven and loved. There is hope, a way out of hell for everyone. Let us consider deeply and act today. Let us courageously hear the call to both a broader community and family.

Prayer is for Holistic Strength

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Prayer is not magic. Praying is strengthening, unifying, and liberating. Praying is life-talk, mission, the dance of revolution, … We cry for new life, nourishment, healing, action … Prayer is not individualistic. It’s not about special favors or any kind of favoritism. Praying is being communally present with the Communal Presence.

Monarch butterfly in backyard

Strengthening moments begin simply … a monarch butterfly photographed in our backyard on Dauphin Island, November 4, 2007.

I like to commune outside, in a space that is engaging and dynamic, filled with birds, trees, sky, various surprises, … “You-Are-Who-Are, Infinite Lover of All, Eternal Creating Spirit!”

Who am I? Where can I turn? Where is my strength, my center? I don’t want to be distracted, addicted, enslaved … I deeply want to Live being part of an Awesome Team! “Kumbaya to us, Your beloved, yearning Children, that we may keenly see and profoundly appreciate the needs, beauty, and gifts of each person and all creation!”

So much potential, but we often seem ensnared, paralyzed, powerless, … and so much of this is our own doing. I have done both good and evil. I am grateful and regretful. But all evil can be, will be, and has been overcome! “Merciful, Grateful Liberator, unshackle us from every hurt, injustice, doubt, anger, dishonesty, conceit, shame, and fear! Save us from every urge to do or return evil!”

My children and George Washington Carver have taught me that everything we need can be found in what we already have! We’ve been wondrously placed on this incredible, astonishing planet that has renewably nourished diverse life for billions of years. Without cost, the thirsty drink and hungry eat: free water, milk, bread, and the richest foods – all without costs (Isaiah)! “Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap, yet our Heavenly Father feeds them (Jesus)!” So why are we sowing and reaping such destruction upon the Earth! We! Who are we? God’s children? We must find and believe in our Collective Creative Strength! We must become part of the Great Giving! “We-Are-Who-Are, drench us with free and abundant nourishment found throughout creation and through diverse and wondrous persons!”

Much of “how-things-are” in our world, the world of our making, is shaped by injustice, dishonesty, fear, … We continue to hold each other in chains. But a renewing togetherness, generous and resourceful, is growing! “We-Can-Who-Can, rouse us to champion a wholly renewed world where nothing is wasted, every gift is shared, and every need filled!”

We, though wounded, together in all our diversity, together with the Healing Spirit, are the answer! We’re being counted upon! Our communal efforts and our inspired lives are the key to our Everyone’s Heaven and the key to our future and our children’s children’s children’s well-being and survival. “We-Will-Who-Will, heal us through shared words, play, and work so that we will come alive as one family filled with infinite joy, generosity, hope, understanding, creativity, openness, forgiveness, and love! Friend of All, our Imminent Victory, be our All in All, together for the benefit of All! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!”

Rote prayers, like the You-Are-Who-Are prayer (seen in orange above), are guides, jumping off points for the heart, mind, and actions. I try to start each morning with the Lord’s Prayer (the Lord’s Guide) followed by this You-Are-Who-Are guide. It generally takes 30 minutes to an hour. Often I don’t finish the rote words. What’s important is to join the Presence, be decisively encouraged, see the path to healing, …, and wholeheartedly live it!