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Haitians Face Adversity with Faith
One of the basic tenets of this site is finding the beautiful side of life and presenting it for the appreciation of all – whether it be music, art, literature, film, architecture or just a thought. But where does one look to find the beauty in what happened in Haiti? Where is there anything but death, devastation, destruction and ruin?
Where is the beauty in an impoverished island/nation ripped from it’s already ragged moorings and thrashed about willy-nilly? Where indeed, but in the noble, still undaunted hearts and spirits of a people who introduced the concept of freedom to the Caribbean. When all of the world would justifiably understand if they took the advice of the friends of the prophet Job who told him to “curse God and die”, but the Haitian community stands resolute and its faith and absolve to move forward. Who can not be touched by this beauty of spirit and, despite what Pat Robertson or anyone else may say to the contrary, these people did not make a bargain with the devil; they made a covenant with God to show the rest of us what true dignity in the face of adversity looks like. They took on an overwhelming burden for our instruction, let’s not let their suffering be in vain.
Just wondering if Pat Robertson would have said that Jesus must have made some pact with the devil that he was paying for when he suffered and died?
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The Vibrancy Of Life
The vibrant colors of fall, especially the brilliant oranges, are reminders of the vibrancy of life. There is something about the color orange that stirs and enlivens. It’s an intense color that you have to commit to wearing. You don’t wear orange timidly. You can’t put it on and not expect to stand out – you will be noticed! You have to have a certain amount of swagger to pull off orange!!
When we bring that same intensity and commitment to an activity, cause or relationship; it’s called passion or zeal. People don’t use the word zeal too much these days. We think of the word that derives from it, zealot and don’t like the connotations.
Zealots are associated with people who hold extreme and, sometimes, violent views and ideologies. We think of suicide bombers and or, on the lighter side, grown men stripped to the waist in body paint enduring sub-freezing temperatures to root for their favorite football team. These are the zealots we identify with. These people feel something on a level most of us could never comprehend. But think about it, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to stir up some zeal for life in general and not just grind through it.
Let’s get excited about the little, and not so little, things we take for granted everyday until they are taken away. The miracle of sight is not something the sighted dwell on, but take it away...
So, this fall, when you spy that brash color orange, let it inspire you to be a little more brash and brazen in your approach to life. Be a zealot for for life, for love, for beauty! And that’s “A Beautiful Thought!”
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Out Of Order!
I guess it’s only right to write about order in September. Most of the Virgos I know born in this month are really particular about processes and procedures. They are real sticklers for how things are done and seem to take it as a personal offense when they aren’t done to their expectations. It can sometimes be exasperating dealing with a Virgo, but they get things done!
Ironically, though, two very extreme cases of being “out of order” happened in this month:
Kanye West – What? Was he simply trying to latch on Jay-Z’s jock by dissing Taylor Swift at the VMA’s when he interrupted her acceptance speech to declare the greatness of Beyoncé’s video? Was Kanye really that inconsiderate and rude or was it all for show and effect? I don’t know, but from where I sat, Ye was out of order!
Joe Wilson – WTF was this Senator from South Carolina thinking in blurting out, “You lie!” to the President of the United States?!? That was just flat out disrespectful. It was indefensible and had to be rebutted by his own party members, but interestingly dude is coming off like some kind of voice of the people (racist, hate-filled people, but people nonetheless). He was out of order!
Thankfully, there is a greater order that supersedes the individual actions of two idiots without the restraint reign in their thoughts before running their mouths. There is Divine Order that allows for even these indiscretions to be just threads woven into an overall tapestry that only makes sense when we rise above it to view it.
Kanye’s comments led to a moment of class by Beyoncé to allow Taylor Swift to make her aborted acceptance speech for Best Female Video when Beyoncé won for Video of the Year. Ye was actually right about Bey’s video, but wrong in his approach.
Joe Wilson showed the raw, unrefined venom some folks hold for President Obama and hopefully this will lead to another “teachable moment” for the nation!
The Bible says, “all things work together for good...” That’s just reassurance that, even when things seem so totally out of order, perhaps there is a bigger, broader plan that is at work and that’s “A Beautiful Thought”!
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Like Michael Jackson, Your Will Determines What Happens
After the initial shock of Michael Jackson’s death, one of the first questions people wanted to know was if he had a will. His will would determine how his assets would be distributed.
Just as a will articulates and determines what happens after death, “will” of another sort often determines what happens to us in life.
There are people, especially children, who get labeled as stubborn and “hardheaded” because of the intensity of their will. They know what they want and come hell or high water, they intend to get their way! I think a better term for them is “strong-willed”. That phrase takes the negative off of an incredibly powerful personality trait that, when properly channeled by parents or others, can lead to tremendous accomplishment and personal success! It also takes the onus off of them and puts it on the authority figures in their lives to help them achieve that success instead of using it as a way to prophecy their failure.
Michael Jackson had a will that provided for his children and declared his wishes that his mother Katherine be their legal guardian and so it has happened. Michael Jackson also had a very strong will that played itself out in a life of dedication and sacrifice for his art.
I often live in a world of ideas, but what I’ve had to admit is that ideas, even the best and most profound ones, need the backing of a strong dose of will to bring them to fruition. One without the other leads to imbalance...too many ideas and you are lost in a haze. Too much will and you are intransigent and rigid. Balance the two; tremendous power and I guess that’s what truly can be called good will; and that’s a Beautiful Thought!
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Rev. Ike Dies. Was He a Prosperity Pimp or New Thought Prophet?
Rev. Ike has made his transition at age 74. While, it’s easy to dismiss Rev. Ike as a pioneering “prosperity” preacher in the mold of the many avaricious televangelists who came later; that’s a too simple classification and very wrong.The message of the Rev. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II had little in common with those of either Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggert or even Creflo Dollar. Rev. Ike was one of the first contemporary Black preachers to embrace an approach to spirituality that focused on the “God in me” as opposed to an external, patriarchal higher power who could be jealous, vindictive, angry and very judgmental. This was a radical departure from the status quo of theological thought.
Rev. Ike, in many ways rattled the traditional religionists because he was exhorting people to look for some relief on this side of the grave. He was saying that waiting to go to Heaven to have an abundant life was not in line with the message of a Nazarene who said the “kingdom of Heaven is at hand”.
Was Ike flamboyant? Yes. Over-the-top? Certainly! Too materially-focused? Quite possibly. But, the man’s personal excesses do not, or should not, totally discount the truths found in his very progressive message of an individual’s responsibility for their own happiness and personal empowerment, regardless of finances.
Abundance is a lot more than money, but I think Rev. Ike had a real point in saying that, if given the option of having some or not, having some loot ain’t all bad and if God is truly omnipresent, then "God in me" is quite accurate – and that's "A Beautiful Thought".
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