Umpteen Horizons » Community

DIVING INTO LOVE

Leo Denton — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:56:07 +0000

The call of love flows from our humanity and from all that is. Love is an endless ocean, a never-ending forest, a mountain that keeps on rising and rising. Love is ready for us and waiting. But the status quo or much of the way that our world is set up tempts us to limit our love and our humanity. Many people, however, from many cultures throughout our world and throughout our history, have called to be revolutionaries, “You have heard it in many ways, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” It’s time to go make a splash and jump in, to think and climb, to play games and laugh, to trust and share, to forgive and serve, to work and win, and to dance, sing, and exchange stories.

Volunteers in Nashville, Tennessee work to provide water and other necessities for tornado victims, photographed May 6, 2010.

But what is Love? It’s far more than pleasant feelings concerning others. Love is a wondrous emerging reality grounded in practical and thoughtful actions that uplift and fortify our relationships with others.

Love shares food, clothing, shelter, … gifts, hugs, emails, face time, visits, … seeds, plants, skills, knowledge, services, esteem, … Love is a champion of justice and equity for all. Love demands equal access to needed goods, services, education, employment, fair pay, … Love’s priorities are those things which benefit everyone. Love would rather have poverty for oneself rather than accept injustice for others. Love generously shares and exchanges goods for everyone’s benefit. Love needs nothing more than what we already have. A few loaves and fish will be enough.

Love welcomes each person. Love is responsive, kind, attentive, understanding, and forgiving. Love strives to work out every miscommunication, every misunderstanding, and every hurt. Love reconciles and heals. Love looks out for everyone. Love does no harm, creates no violence, respects the safety needs of all, and does not return evil for evil. Love recognizes the gift, value, and role of each person, each being, and each thing. Love embraces the astonishing diversity of life, languages, cultures, and peoples, for their own sakes and for the richness that they offer us. Love esteems others recognizing their genius, goodness, and vitality. Love sees the inspiration present in others and present in their guiding visions. Love rejects no one and does not view anyone as being lesser or second class. Love would rather have the scorn from the “chosen” or the “in-group crowd” rather than participate in the rejection of anyone. Love connects everyone and everything. Love involves all of us together – trusting together, working together, sharing together, playing together, and celebrating the human family together.

Love is not short-sighted but rather looks toward the long-term benefit of all especially the needy. Love directs its works toward the present and coming generations. Love respects our common home, the Earth, and all its wonders. Love is patient, persevering in hope and in respect, even in disagreement and conflict, concentrating on much deeper agreements and common goals. Love is the person who I cannot stand. Love is humble. Love chooses trust over power and control. Love overturns the status quo beating swords into plowshares. Love is wholesome, constructive, creative, expressive, and empowering for all. Love answers needs.

Let’s dive in!

This is the second post of a series outlining where Umpteen Horizons is going. HUMANITY – OUR PATH TO VICTORY was the first post of this series. This post on love is the first of four posts on love. After love, this series will follow with other topics too.

Again I am very interested in your thoughts about all this. Also again, this will lead toward something very practical. So what do you think about love? What do you think about love as a call and as a revolution? Please make comments here or send me your thoughts at denton2100@gmail.com. Thanks much!

Humanity – Our Path to Victory

Leo Denton — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:57:47 +0000

Celebrating freedom in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - photographed August 31, 2008.

Splashing and jumping in the water – meditating in the woods – hiking together in the mountains – playing games – laughing – painting one another’s faces – hugging one another – looking into each other’s eyes in trust – learning from each other – sharing and exchanging treasures generously – forgiving each other – preparing for and enjoying a feast – joining together in disaster preparation and recovery efforts – serving each other and working together – being victorious together – singing – dancing – telling stories … the wondrous gift of our humanity, this is who we all are and where we need to invest our energies, concerns, and works.

Our life-giving humanity has been described in terms of needs and abilities by many people such as Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, and Ashley Montagu, an anthropologist. These descriptions include our needs and abilities to love and be loved, to sensitively and authentically relate to one another, to let life unfold by respecting the freedom and growth of others, to honestly accept ourselves for who we are, to appreciate our differences objectively, to have strong ethical standards, and to be concerned for the well-being of everyone. We also have tremendous capacities to be enthused, to be curious, to appreciate and be caught up in the wonder of life, to be spontaneous, to be playful, to be humorous, to be joyful, to show affection, to share laughter and tears, and to express gratitude. We have boundless growth abilities too. Today, step by step, we can overcome the failings of yesterday through our needs and abilities to organize, to communicate ideas, to be flexible, to be resilient, to be creative, to identify difficulties and find solutions, to be optimistic, to try new things, to be open minded, to listen to ones heart and grow through self-reflection, to think soundly, to listen to and trust in others, to grow within and beyond our own culture, to win together, and to celebrate wholeheartedly.

This is our journey together. As Howard Thurmond, a theologian, has said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” So let’s “Choose life!” with our whole heart and with our whole soul and with all our strength (see Deuteronomy 6:4 and 30:19). In the same full spirit, let’s “Choose our humanity!” by embracing visionary understandings of all that we perceive and all that is beyond us; deep, altruistic intentions in all that we are about; gentle, truthful, compassionate interactions and relationships between us; respectful, helpful, healing actions; life-giving livelihoods; wholesome, vigorous effort; alert, empathetic mindfulness; and hope-based, needs-based, empowering concentration (see the Eightfold Path of Buddhism). Let’s be responsible and answer our call to be fully human, alive, and free! Let’s, as a human family, get in our zone, find healing, and be victorious together!

I am very interested in your thoughts about this. This may seem very theoretical but this is the first of a several posts that are heading toward something very practical. What do you think about humanity? Also what do you think about the call to love, the topic of our next post, or should I call it the love revolution? Please make comments here or send me your thoughts at denton2100@gmail.com. Thanks much!

Sharing our Interconnected Earth

Leo Denton — Tue, 17 May 2011 17:27:14 +0000

Olympic National Park, photograghed by Paul Symington on October 15, 2005.

We – Earthlings – animals, plants, and more – trillions of us – belonging to millions of species – all contribute to Earth’s incredibly wondrous biosphere. Together we can share and enjoy this planet as our home. As intelligent human beings, we can also share and enjoy the incredible richness of thousands of cultures, religions, philosophies, and spoken languages. Our biological and cultural diversity is an ever-flowing fountain for our humanity.

Yet in the midst of such wonder we are afraid. We find ourselves disconnected, small, caught up in the “rat race,” and when we think deeply, the shortness of our lives weighs upon us. Yet our capabilities are extraordinary. Of course, we easily make mistakes and are in need of continual growth, but the diverse gifts that lie deepest inside of each of us can bring us such joys, life, meaning … In a word, we can LOVE – loving the WHOLE and all individuals.

About five years ago, I had a dream where I ran up to a man who was considered a subversive radical, and I challenged his theories. But he just replied in a friendly manner that “The positive energies of government are far more compelling than the negative.” Realizing that he was not so dangerous, I asked him to be more specific. He replied, “Human cooperation should strive toward being enlightening, empowering, and unifying.”

Perhaps the beauty and resilience of Earth’s diverse, interconnected eco-systems can teach us that it’s time to stop racing – become still – look beyond our perspective – and join hands for the benefit of All.

We’re having a planning meeting for this year’s Dauphin Island Hands Across the Sand. We’ll meet at 5:30, Thursday evening, May 19, at Ryan’s restaurant (4439 Rangeline Rd in Tillman’s Corner). Ryan’s has a meeting room reserved for us. So if you’re interested, please come for our eating meeting (everyone pays for their own meal). Google Map for Ryan’s: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Proposals for the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama

Leo Denton — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:41:25 +0000

Time for your voice to be heard!

Many families in coastal South Alabama depend on a sound coastal environment for their livelihoods. The coastal communities in south Mobile County have been assaulted by the oil catastrophe. Many families are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing oil catastrophe. These proposals provide needed tangible benefits for these communities.

The proposals have emerged from several community brainstorms held in Coden and on Dauphin Island. These proposals are sensitive to community needs and the goals of the Commission. The set of proposals are not meant to be comprehensive but to be included in the comprehensive plan being developed by the Commission.

Ecological Needs

Clean, restore, and enhance gulf and bays
Build and enhance 100 miles of oyster reefs and 1000+ acres of coastal marsh and seagrass – see http://100-1000.org/
Ensure that water, air, and food are safe with ongoing long-term testing – data should be fully and immediately available to the public
Develop comprehensive, fail-safe regulations to prevent future oil catastrophes – prevention is a great deal better than the cure

Coastal Community Participation

Enlist local decision making and employment in coastal recovery efforts
Invest in coastal economic opportunities to support sustainable coastal recovery and enhance Alabama’s coastal areas and waters
Train south Alabama medical professionals to diagnose and treat environmental health conditions potentially related to the oil catastrophe
Immediate public transparency on all issues relating to public health such as the use of dispersants in area waters and the ongoing presence of oil and other health threats in area waters
Listen and learn from coastal communities in order to improve future responses to coastal disasters such as oil spills and hurricanes

Education and Support Initiatives for Oil-Affected Families

Grant full scholarships for children of low-income, oil-affected families to local universities, community colleges, or technical schools
Provide job training and a support system for coastal workers and others who have lost their livelihoods due to the oil catastrophe
Enhance science curriculum at all levels (K through college) to better appreciate Alabama’s coastal environment and to provide appropriate service-learning programs to support the environment (see service-learning resource center at the University of South Alabama http://caslce.usouthal.edu/)

Coastal Fire Protection

Develop a unified, comprehensive plan for coastal fire fighting resources
Several coastal communities need multipurpose fire engines with 75-foot ladders and with storage for water and foam
Fire and rescue response boat powered by twin engines and capable of pumping water from sea
New bunker gear capable of protecting the well-being of the firemen and providing self-contained breathing for firemen
Radio communications for hazardous-materials quick response needs that connect Mobile, Baldwin, and neighboring counties in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida

These proposals will be submitted to the Commission this evening at the Bayou La Batre Community Center. This is a public meeting for the Commission to share its plans and receive input from the public. Meeting starts at 5:30 P.M.

Compassion is Every Breath

Leo Denton — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:25:29 +0000

With every breath we take, we draw life from the same atoms that have been shared by countless creatures, people, and prophets. We look around and see flowers, sunsets, birds, butterflies, and many wonders. No matter what we have done or not done, good or evil, we benefit from the sun and rain that nourishes the plants and fruits we eat (Matthew 5:44-45). Such is the loving generosity of our Earth and our Creator.

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love" - Theresa of Calcutta. Photographed by Wikimedia-Commons User Túrelio on July 13, 1986.

As the Creator’s children, as parts of the Earth, just like the air we breathe, we are called to generously share our gifts so that life might be sustained, that justice might be created, and that peace might be restored. Our sharing, like the Earth’s sharing, must extend to everyone, even to those who ignore us or treat us harshly, just as we have ignored or harshly treated the Earth.

This revolutionary call is not about great individual heroic acts, but about us, plain everyday people, alertly respecting one another, hoping in one another, and acting wisely and generously together. It is the mustard seed growing. It’s believing in the great good of “small things” done “with great love” (Theresa of Calcutta). It’s acting without looking for any credit or reward, “do not even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:2-4). It’s each of us connecting our hearts to the needs around us and joining together so that each small breath and each small act works for the benefit of all.

If you’re interested in Alabama’s coastal communities and in the environment and you’re able to come, we are having a Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm this Thursday (October 28) at 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. at the Coastal Response Center at 7385 Highway 188 in Coden, Alabama. If you feel your voice is needed, please come and invite other interested persons, your voice is needed! Snacks will be provided.

Also if you have a minute check out Empower News (see tab above), it is really coming along. Thanks to Dawn McKinney, Rachel Guillory, and Mignon Denton for contributing to this effort regularly.

Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorming

Leo Denton — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:21:23 +0000

Twenty-five coastal residents – fishermen, artists, nurses, teachers, environmentalists, business persons, scientists, community workers, film makers, researchers, … – brainstormed for two hours at the Coastal Response Center in Coden, Alabama on September 30, 2010. Discussions revolved around the safety of seafood, exposure to toxic dispersants, incidence of area cancer, gulf and marsh ecology, coastal recovery from hurricanes and the gulf oil catastrophe, economic needs, public awareness, political leadership, education at all levels, and truth-trust-and-transparency issues relative to big oil and the government.

The group shared disturbing news about people suffering from exposure to dispersants and oil, the unusual numbers of deep water crabs around shores of Dauphin Island, sightings and collection of oil on Alabama shores during the past two weeks, recent use of dispersants, and numerous coastal people’s needs going unmet (similar to what happened after Hurricane Katrina five years ago).

In the political arena, the group will seek to work with elected officials and those running for office to achieve a clear end to the use of dispersants and gain better representation on governor’s task force for commercial fishermen, seafood businesses, the ship building industry, and the Asian community. Additionally efforts toward the independent testing for seafood will be pursued.

The group will also work to inform the public in brief easy-to-understand materials about the dangers of dispersant use and the ongoing effects of the gulf oil catastrophe. Participants discussed the importance of supporting businesses in coastal communities, helping the needy, and providing high quality educational experiences and service opportunities for the youth. Participants also encouraged one another to serve the community practically and positively in whatever opportunities can be found.

If you would like to help in any of these endeavors, please contact me at denton2100@gmail.com or 251-861-4012 or plug in with local groups and local environmental groups. Our next Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm will be held on October 28 at 6:30 P.M. at Coden’s Coastal Response Center which belongs to the South Bay Communities Alliance.

Discussions happened in both the full group and small groups, photographed by Dawn McKinney, September 30, 2010

Each person was given the full attention of the group, photographed by Sheila Hagler, September 30, 2010.

Ervin and Betty Royal of Coden and South Bay Community Alliance, photographed by Sheila Hagler, September 30, 2010.

Rachel Guillory of Oceana and my wife, Rosie Denton, photographed by Sheila Hagler, September 30, 2010.

Fellow Explorers

Leo Denton — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:44:18 +0000

The fruit of the sycamore tree, photographed by Eitan f, a Wikimedia contributor, July 8, 2006.

In his life, as Jesus journeyed from place to place, diverse persons would ask him what it would be like if they followed him. Often Jesus would just say, “Come and see.” The roadmap was that unclear. Trust was paramount.

Trusting in the Spirit, Jesus strongly encourages each of us to positively and energetically use our talents and resources, to let our lights shine, and to pull together in communion. One day while Jesus was spreading this message, the Spirit inspired Zaccheaus to climb a sycamore tree to get a better look at Jesus. Zaccheaus was a hated tax collector, and he was literally out on a limb with that day’s crowd. Probably some of them expected or feared that Jesus would invite Zaccheaus to the synagogue for the upcoming Sabbath. But Jesus, like Zaccheaus, was intent on exploring new horizons, and so he called out, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” Jesus’ journey to Zaccheaus’ home and Jesus’ communion with Zaccheaus brought scandal, but Zaccheaus had climbed above life’s challenges, trusted in the new perspective, and boldly changed his life.

Thursday evening, September 30, 7:00 P.M., is the Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm. It’s at the Coastal Response Center – 7385 Highway 188 in Coden, Alabama.

Gulf Seafood not Known to be Safe

Leo Denton — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:09:54 +0000

My son, Leo, and the grouper he caught, photographed by Joe Denton on September 4, 2010.

I love to fish and love to eat the fish I catch. But I and others have been involved in some correspondence taking place between Captain Chris Bryant of Bayou La Batre and Jim McCallum, a policy analyst with the National Fisheries Service. A key fact coming out of these communications is that the seafood in the gulf oil disaster region is NOT BEING TESTED FOR DISPERSANTS. Not only that, we don’t even have a seafood test for dispersants yet. The government, however, is working on such tests and expects them to be available soon. Meanwhile we’ve been assured that the seafood is safe and hopefully it is. But this is like instructing your children that it’s safe to look only one way before crossing the street. We’re testing for oil in the seafood, how reliable those tests are is another story, but we’re not looking the other way for dispersants. How safe is that?

This week we’ll be having our Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm. It’s Thursday evening, September 30, 7:00 P.M. at the Coastal Response Center – 7385 Highway 188 in Coden, Alabama. Our purpose, in light of the ongoing oil disaster, is to share community needs, resources, ideas, and opportunities with other people who care. As everyday people, we will brainstorm and encourage one another to act and move positively together to restore our way of life, health, and coastal fishing communities. Please share the word and come.

Umpteen Horizons provides gulf oil disaster news under the Empower News tab above. On that webpage, oil news can be found under Crises. Please continue to check Empower News as it will continue to improve.

Burning Your Brothers’ Books

Leo Denton — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:49:07 +0000

Peace Train

“You see the splinter in your brother’s eye, but you do not see the beam in your own eye. When you remove the beam from of your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” All of us, brothers and sisters, need purification, and every religion needs purification as well. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Moslems … can best help each other by giving one another the good example of focusing on their own purification.

Today we remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. But how do we remember? Do we remember our brothers and sisters with the same hate that led to their deaths? Is more burning the answer? Or do we remember our brothers and sisters with acts of service? Couldn’t the world use a lot more love? Isn’t it time to heal?

Those who died on September 11, 2001, including the terrorists, were victims of religious intolerance and fanaticism. The spewing hate from that day and from many centuries past and from all sides poisons our world. But by taking the beams from our own eyes, we can build bridges for the whole human family.

Disasters and Normalcy

Leo Denton — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:58:21 +0000

Local disasters grab our attention and bring disruption. To survive and help, we wake up, pull together, pray, and rearrange our priorities. But once the recovery is in sight, it’s back to “normal.” But our normal is disasterous too, doomed to perpetuate itself. Too often our normal means accepting that millions who lack quality opportunities never graduate from high school. Too often it means accepting that millions of needy people end up in prison and too often it means accepting that millions suffer alone.

About a week ago, I met a commercial fisherman in his sixties from Bayou La Batre. His father and his sons were fisheman too. He said, “Before this happened [the Deepwater Horizons oil catastrophe], I never realized how important and worthwhile the gulf is. I just took it for granted.” This fisherman’s honesty helped me see that we need a different kind of normal that is not blind-sided by disasters. We need a new normal where our priorities for people and nature are always ready and alert for disasters. Simply put, we belong to those who need us and we need to live fully and alertly for others. The call of Jesus still rings out, “Be awake!”