While on a trip I spent some time reading some of my favorite blogs and web sites. I came across an incredible article on Spiritual Narcissism and gained great wisdom. Here is a quote from it:
"While complaining about others and shaming a rule-breaker at an event intended to teach equanimity is -- like the story in the beginning of this blog -- ironic, it teaches an important warning: The desire to control others in order to create a "perfect" environment that nurtures our sensitivities is a calling card of spiritual narcissism. It is not a spiritual feat to feel equanimity only when everything is going exactly as one would like. True spirituality takes place in the holy messiness of the world, in open-hearted relationship with others, and in a kind smile to one who accidentally stepped on your foot."
Many pearls of wisdom in this article.
C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6
Showing posts with label insight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insight. Show all posts
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thursday, November 11, 2010
What is Truth - Johnny Cash
As I begin my "mythical journey" as a modern-day Luke Skywalker searching for what is "the" Truth, I found an old clip from the Johnny Cash Show back in the 1970s. As I listened to the message, I was struck at it's current relevancy. Our generation that are the CEOs, Pastors, Athletes, Politicians, and other leaders of our country and community have not produced perpetual examples of ethical leaders who welcome new ideas. We rise to power, forgetting that we had new ideas, and fall into the "ancestor worship" mode of "this is the way it is done" style of running a business, a church, a sport's team, a political party, etc. "New" ideas are not welcome and seen as a threat to one's power (perfect example is General Motors management and the demise of the company). Honesty must be crouched by "sugar-coating" and "spinning" to the point where it is so compromised that honesty is minimized. Those who stand for truth and utter the famous statement of the character Col. Nathan R. Jessep (played by Jack Nicholson) in the movie, A Few Good Men - "You can't handle the Truth!", are removed from committees and relegated to a serf's role in the kingdom. Who as a leader has a youth to remind them that they were young and mortal? Without the youth:
Today the youth are asking the same questions of adults and adult leadership, and sadly they are receiving the same morally bankrupted hypocritical answers that we received in the 1970s when we were the youth. If you don't believe me watch and listen to Johnny Cash from 1970. What happened to us? Johnny Cash's song is convicting, please watch and receive the lesson.
Here's to the youth and their questions!
Churches become museums of saints instead of hospitals for sinners.
Today the youth are asking the same questions of adults and adult leadership, and sadly they are receiving the same morally bankrupted hypocritical answers that we received in the 1970s when we were the youth. If you don't believe me watch and listen to Johnny Cash from 1970. What happened to us? Johnny Cash's song is convicting, please watch and receive the lesson.
Here's to the youth and their questions!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Why? - To Mature
For reasons other than "lashing out" for the pain one has felt as being caused by God, why do people hate Christianity?
I believe I understand why people characterize some Christians as 'jerks", but here in America why is Christianity so despised by so many?
Why do those who despise Christianity spend so much effort (especially in the academic field) "proving" Christianity as false?
Why is there a war between those who are Christians and those who are not?
Providence - God provides everything - creator of all
Necessity - There is no arbitrary (i.e., fate) then there must be an order (the best possible way)
Freedom - The best possible world means to be free means to be free to choose the wrong thing
Negativity - Choosing the wrong thing has harmful effects on us and those around
Maturity - Choosing to do the right response in the mist of negative stuff
Providence - 1 Cor. 4:7
Necessity - Eph. 2:8-9
Freedom - Gen. 3:21
Negativity - Matt. 8:5-13
Maturity - Phil. 4:6-8
Thoughts from afar!
I believe I understand why people characterize some Christians as 'jerks", but here in America why is Christianity so despised by so many?
Why do those who despise Christianity spend so much effort (especially in the academic field) "proving" Christianity as false?
Why is there a war between those who are Christians and those who are not?
Providence - God provides everything - creator of all
Necessity - There is no arbitrary (i.e., fate) then there must be an order (the best possible way)
Freedom - The best possible world means to be free means to be free to choose the wrong thing
Negativity - Choosing the wrong thing has harmful effects on us and those around
Maturity - Choosing to do the right response in the mist of negative stuff
Providence - 1 Cor. 4:7
Necessity - Eph. 2:8-9
Freedom - Gen. 3:21
Negativity - Matt. 8:5-13
Maturity - Phil. 4:6-8
Thoughts from afar!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Human Being or Human Doing?
Over the weekend I picked up an old book whose title caught my eye: Ideology and Utopia by Karl Mannheim (printed by Harcourt, Brace, and Company in London, 1949). Although I have very limited knowledge of sociology, I have enjoyed the opening section on "Preliminary Approach to the Problem". On page 17 I highlighted a couple of insightful statements:
Our emphasis on a modern mechanistically computer-controlled life cannot articulate to us and the generation to follow what Dr. Mannheim prophetically wrote in the 1940s, "what it means to be a human being". Corporations see employees as "unit costs", "human doings", "liabilities", etc. So how do we value the "life-experience" and define "the meaningful goal of conduct"?
Dr. Mannheim gives the reader a clue to the question of conduct - the role of Thought. What and how we think determines the value of life and the meaning of our conduct. What do we think? I know that thoughts are like planting a crop in the field of life. If you plant corn, it doesn't matter how much you wish, pray, hope, argue, fight, and curse you will not receive a crop of carrots. You plant corn you get corn. So what are we planting, what are we thinking?
I became aware of my thought life upon being forced to go to a radical movie showing at an independent movie theater years ago. The movie is What the Bleep do we Know? Although I may not agree with everything presented, I was intrigued with the responsibility of our thoughts. The following movie clip is from the movie and presents some of the data from Dr. Masaru Emoto's phenomenal work with water and words (from his book The Hidden Messages in Water):
Additional videos on Messages in Water can be found at:
We are not mechanical human doings! We are human beings responsible for our thoughts! Read and Think! The Eagle is Thinking.....
C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6
"Just as the most exact theory of cause and function does not answer the question as to who I actually am, what I actually am, or what it means to be a human being..."
"The mechanistic and functionalistic theory is highly valuable as a current in psychological research. It fails, however, when it is placed in the total context of life-experience because it says nothing concerning the meaningful goal of conduct..."
"The most important role of thought in life consists, however, in providing guidance for conduct when decisions must be made. Every real decision (such as one's evaluation of other persons or how society should be organized) implies a judgment concerning good and evil, concerning the meaning of life and mind."
"The mechanistic and functionalistic theory is highly valuable as a current in psychological research. It fails, however, when it is placed in the total context of life-experience because it says nothing concerning the meaningful goal of conduct..."
"The most important role of thought in life consists, however, in providing guidance for conduct when decisions must be made. Every real decision (such as one's evaluation of other persons or how society should be organized) implies a judgment concerning good and evil, concerning the meaning of life and mind."
Our emphasis on a modern mechanistically computer-controlled life cannot articulate to us and the generation to follow what Dr. Mannheim prophetically wrote in the 1940s, "what it means to be a human being". Corporations see employees as "unit costs", "human doings", "liabilities", etc. So how do we value the "life-experience" and define "the meaningful goal of conduct"?
Dr. Mannheim gives the reader a clue to the question of conduct - the role of Thought. What and how we think determines the value of life and the meaning of our conduct. What do we think? I know that thoughts are like planting a crop in the field of life. If you plant corn, it doesn't matter how much you wish, pray, hope, argue, fight, and curse you will not receive a crop of carrots. You plant corn you get corn. So what are we planting, what are we thinking?
I became aware of my thought life upon being forced to go to a radical movie showing at an independent movie theater years ago. The movie is What the Bleep do we Know? Although I may not agree with everything presented, I was intrigued with the responsibility of our thoughts. The following movie clip is from the movie and presents some of the data from Dr. Masaru Emoto's phenomenal work with water and words (from his book The Hidden Messages in Water):
Additional videos on Messages in Water can be found at:
We are not mechanical human doings! We are human beings responsible for our thoughts! Read and Think! The Eagle is Thinking.....
C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Nobility of Character
Virtue (present character trait of moral excellence) means that we not only accept the rules of morality, but that we understand the reasons for them. As we contemplate our life, we must search (as Aristotle has written) the activity of our soul to find that we are in accordance with a virtuous character, for without we can only become less than noble. To do the right thing regardless of the situation or persons present is virtuous and as such a noble character.
Why present our life in nobility of character? As we develop the habit of a noble character we gain the intellectual "bigger picture" of events and people around us - in short we mature. We put away the itch, the desire, the longing for stuff and search our souls to see beyond ourselves. For it is in our decision to pursue what "ought" to be and not accept what "is" that we gain in maturity. Parents understand this as they raise their children - rules of behavior are required or the home deteriorates into anarchy.
Nobility of Character develops the insight into our purpose by defining our choices - what we "ought" to do becomes what we actually do. This insight into the nobility of character further develops within us a sense of reflection on the activities of soul - we discriminate between proper and improper. Lastly, reflecting on our nobility of character requires us to apply principles of truth, joy, and love into our being - for if we do not procure application we are simply academic.
Without nobility of character a person's soul takes on the loss of ethical behavior - of which we read daily of the embarrassment (a continued reduction of a stable, civilized nation). We need to stop the "spin" (nice word for deception) and start the honor. It has been said that a coward dies a thousand deaths, but a honorable man dies once. As there is always an accounting, we must reflect on our character and activate the nobility.
C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6
2 Corinthians 5:10
Why present our life in nobility of character? As we develop the habit of a noble character we gain the intellectual "bigger picture" of events and people around us - in short we mature. We put away the itch, the desire, the longing for stuff and search our souls to see beyond ourselves. For it is in our decision to pursue what "ought" to be and not accept what "is" that we gain in maturity. Parents understand this as they raise their children - rules of behavior are required or the home deteriorates into anarchy.
Nobility of Character develops the insight into our purpose by defining our choices - what we "ought" to do becomes what we actually do. This insight into the nobility of character further develops within us a sense of reflection on the activities of soul - we discriminate between proper and improper. Lastly, reflecting on our nobility of character requires us to apply principles of truth, joy, and love into our being - for if we do not procure application we are simply academic.
Without nobility of character a person's soul takes on the loss of ethical behavior - of which we read daily of the embarrassment (a continued reduction of a stable, civilized nation). We need to stop the "spin" (nice word for deception) and start the honor. It has been said that a coward dies a thousand deaths, but a honorable man dies once. As there is always an accounting, we must reflect on our character and activate the nobility.
C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6
2 Corinthians 5:10
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