Like me, Lynn helps people and all kinds of communities do their best to grow and thrive. This is her passion, her life, her gift to the world. For over a quarter of a century she has traveled the world to help others help themselves. Something I suspect started when Lynn began to learn about herself and her own potential. “Psychotherapy, exercise, and spirituality” have been her holy trinity of sorts that helped her grow to be her best friend. Having started her career in the travel industry, Lynn's eyes and mind were opened she started to learn more about other people, new cultures, philosophies and spiritual practices. After returning to the university to study anthropology, and then surviving grad school, Lynn began to teach others – reigniting their imaginations and helping them to ask better questions. She told me, “Learning is part of our who we are, it’s a spiritual task.”
Her personal story is a “pandora’s box” of drama many of us know too well. It's deeply personal and is most certainly the footing that has helped propelled to where she is today. But Lynn has done the hard self-work and she does not dwell in it. She, like me, doesn’t like to look back. Instead, she lives in the moment working out what will be next for her to achieve; feeding her passions and nurturing her soul in the process. Her mindfulness was present, and she made me feel comfortable getting to know her by getting to know me as well.
As our country is limbo, and unrest is unsettling our nerves, we can choose to look back at our past mistakes, pointing the finger and blaming others. Or we can choose to be more present – both with ourselves and with one another. It’s in this moment we can learn from each other, coach and inspire one another to be our own best friends. Who knows, maybe we might become friends with one another in the process. It's just one of the many things that’s I learned tonight from my new friend…Lynn.
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According to pbs.org, “Coffee plants reached the new world during the early 18th century though the drink wasn't really popular in America until the Boston tea party of 1773 when making the switch from tea to coffee became something of a patriotic duty.”
According to Wikipedia, the history of coffee dates back to the 15th century and can be traced to the Sufi monasteries of Yemen. It soon spread to Mecca. And by the 16th century its fragrant aroma reached the rest of the Middle East, and traveled as far as South India, Persia, Turkey and the Horn of Africa. The beans I enjoy each morning come from around the world, but they are then roasted in rural Michigan before they are mailed to me in California. Barb lives in a small, rural town of Spencer, Iowa. She is a retired Speech Language Pathologist who has worked in the state since receiving her master’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston (where for some strange reason are in love with Dunkin Donuts coffee.). I found it interesting that while we are waiting to learn who will be our next president, one of the candidates had a speech issue. And that someone like Barb helped him overcome his stuttering. We never know who the people we help will become someday. Case in point, the first student Barb worked with was a young girl whose speech was difficult to understand. Together they worked hard and did not give up until the child was able to overcome the challenges and learn to speak clearly. Today, that girl is returning the favor as a speech pathologist as well. According to Johns Hopkins University website, coffee is more than just a way to get your caffeine fix. It also contains antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease.
Recent studies found that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from some of the leading causes of death in women like coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. It also does something to decrease breakage in certain DNA strands.
Barb has a great heart that she was willing to share with me. When I asked her who was her favorite Muppet (because we all have to have one) her smile lit up. “Professor Honeydew and Beeker” were the first to come to mind. This was just one of many other things we had in common; like both having cried while watching The Muppet Movie, and both agreeing Kermit the Frog today just isn’t the same without the voice of Jim Henson. She is more than a coffee drinking-retiree-mother-grandmother-friend of a friend. She is more than someone who shares my Scottish-Canadian roots and love of the Muppets and Sesame Street. She is a kind and gentle soul I could have coffee with every morning. She was easy to talk to and just get lost in the conversation. When I asked her what she’d like the world to know about her, it didn’t surprise me to hear her say, “I’m a good friend. I try to be kind and treat people the way I want to be treated. I love my family.” According to Diane Vizthum, a nutritional researcher, “What you add to your coffee can make a difference in how healthy the beverage really is.” She suggests skipping the sugar and adding naturally sweet spices and flavorings like cardamom or cinnamon. I don’t know what kind of bean Barb was using. I don’t know if it was caffeinated or decaffeinated. I can’t recall if she added milk or half-in-half. But I do know a little more about her. By adding her to my morning cup, certainly added to the health and well-being of my soul. “Life is fragile. Be kind.” That was her advice. Simple, yet profound. The very wisdom that fits so perfectly at home on the side of one's favorite coffee mug.
Before that can happen, Lili must first graduate from high school which, like so many other schools around the country, is still online. “Zoom school sucks!” When I told her I was going to quote her on that, she encouraged it. I had nothing but sympathy for her.
Quarantining through COVID has been a challenge to all of us. Having three teenagers myself, I know how hard it's been for Lili. “I was supposed to go to New York on a class trip,” she bemoaned before adding, “I could have been in Fiji” (on another class trip. Just for the record, I had no idea school trips could be so exotic. I once got to visit the local newspaper plant when I was a senior, and I was just happy to out of class. Once the new normal of the pandemic settled, Lili found a new rhythm in life by taking her music to the next level. She created a routine of playing music, one day the piano, the next day the drums. “It was good for me” she said because it pushes her to learn more and to do more. Music theory became her music therapy to help her with her own funk in life. A lesson that spoke to my own heart. Fun Fact: I was surprised to learn that Lili only started learning how to read music a year ago after taking an AP music theory class at her prep school. Born and raised in Tampa, Lili has a twin brother. I used to say tell parents of twins that “It’s such a beautiful way to go insane.” Like many fraternal twins, they are both different and yet very much the same. “I’m the funnier one,” she said when asked. Although they share birthdays, the TV, and the Playstation, but Lili is definitely her own person. She is smart, articulate, passionate and deep. She has a soul that has soul. Which might explain when I asked her what genre of music she liked Lili said, “as long as it’s a work of art, I’ll listen to it.” Since it is Election Day, I had to ask her how she imagines the future when she is ready to vote. As part of the March For Our Lives, a movement to end gun violence, I wasn’t too surprised to hear her say, “I think we need to eliminate all the undemocratic practices, they are the key to our failure.” I have a feeling Lili will be a part of moving that revolution forward. After all, she is a drummer that’s used to leading and keeping the beat strong and steady. When I thought about our hour together – discussing everything from politics to sexuality to religion – I couldn’t help but think about myself at her age. I too was obsessed with music. I loved having political discussions and being active in making changes in the world. And at a time when it wasn't popular to do so, I was open and affirming to all people. All which seem to prep me for this particular interview. Fun Fact: (although this never came up) when I was Lili's age I took her mom to the Prom. Lili’s mom was the one who set this interview up for me. She thought the two of us would have a lot in common, but I suspect there was more to her intentions. After spending the afternoon with this amazing human, I watched her navigate some tough questions that had been weighing on her shoulders lately. I’m grateful her mother knew us both so well, because it was my great privilege to share my heart with her daughter. And I can't wait to see the music she will create. The soundtrack of her life is well on its way of being a huge hit. It’s funny how our paths cross some 35 years before we ever meet – proving my point that we are all connected in more ways than we can imagine. To meet Lili this way was such a nice reminder of how important it is to be nice to people; to accept them for who they are and who they choose to love; to be there for them with an open heart and an open mind, and to do so without fear, prejudice, or judgment. You never know when they might show up in your life again. I read on the World Wildlife Federation website that “The Amazon is an incredibly unique place. It is the world's largest rainforest and River system, and the most biologically diverse place on earth. It contains millions of species, most of them still undescribed.” When I met Gilianny, she was thousands of miles from her home in Brazil where she grew up on the Amazon. She would go on to study biology – the science of life – in college. You might think that Amazonian rainforest would be the perfect avenue for studying creation and life. Not so for Gilianny. She’d learn about the fullness of life from a boy named Noah. Much of our 2.5 hour interview was spent learning about her son, who was born with a genetic disorder called Trisomy 13; a condition that takes the life of most infants within a year. Noah is almost 12. In his short life he has overcome more than most people do in a lifetime. With his mother and father by his side, Noah has endured Myelodysplastic Syndrome; a painful disorder that disrupts the production of healthy blood cells. He’s been intubated, and was once resuscitated after his heart gave out from receiving a flu shot. He’s undergone surgeries, blood transfusions, skin grafts, and today he is on dialysis for kidney failure. Most of us are not prepared for such a mission, but it seems to me Gilianny was made for answering this call.
Fun Fact: A Slovenian athlete once swam almost the entire length of the Amazon River in just 66 days.
Her faith journey started after high school when her dad, a nurse in the Amazon, converted to Christianity. Halfway through her college career, Gilianny felt the call to be a missionary. While pursuing that call, she met her husband who was also a missionary. Not long into their marriage, Noah was conceived. When they discovered his abnormalities, they decided to move to Gainesville, Florida where she and I spoke. Listening to her testimony, and about the challenges she faces on a minute by minute basis, I looked at my life, my ministry and mission, and wondered if I could do what this young mother does. What is her secret for life? She told me, “I always chose to believe and not lose hope.” That is some holy biology. Despite centuries of in-depth exploration, that Amazon remains a mystical place that hides innumerable secrets. Some other facts I learned about Gilianny include but are not limited to: she ate fried queso for breakfast this morning. And she was born on her mother’s birthday, a joke God played on her mom for personal reasons that I won’t go into. We share the same faith, answer similar calls, and have both lived in Florida. Yet, it was the Amazon that felt connected us. Not many people get the chance to see the great mysteries of creation from such an amazing and divine point of view. She and I are lucky to know what it's like to swim in those wild, untamed waters. More than a river, the Amazon is an important part of life as it winds its way from The Andes mountains of Peru and travels through Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and ending in Brazil where it empties out into the Atlantic Ocean. I went to Peru and spent a week on the Amazon River (in an old medical missionary boat). I remember hiking in the rainforest, among the giant kapok trees and lazy sloths, and feeling so small. It was there I realized that I was just a tiny part of the enormity of life. Yet whenever we connect with one another, like Gilianny and I did today, I realized how connected we really are to all of life. No matter how big or small, we are a part of the great ecological wonder of life. This post has been altered due to some concerns by the person interviewed. He did not want his named mentioned, his photo shown, or anything that might identify him. Because I believe in honoring the divine inside all people, and especially those who are willing to help me in this experiment, I have honored his request. And I am grateful for his willingness, and his kindness throughout this process.
I have no idea where A.K.A. was 10 years ago. But for me, I had just begun a new adventure of studying the past and learning about the future. This is the space where A.K.A. and I would meet. He an atheist. Me a priest. And FaceTime would be the application that connected us for this experiment.
At first, when I was trying to line up 30 interviews to meet 30 people, A.K.A. was reluctant to talk to me because he didn’t want anything to do with religion. He sent this in a text message when our mutual friend introduced us. “Thx for considering me but I am probably not a good person to interview. I am a free thinker and do not share the belief systems that much of the world has. I humbly submit that I have studied philosophy, religion, psychology, business, marketing, evolutionary biology, entomology and ecology and I pretty much have a firm idea of how the world works and doesn’t work.” Needless to say, I had to meet him. He was a student of life like me. Years ago, when A.K.A. was a Fulbright Scholar, he was invited to study insects in Africa. This experience would change him for life. It was very similar to my own experience I had while visiting Tanzania in 2011. I too witnessed extreme poverty, and a way of life like nothing I had ever experienced – it too would forever change my outlook on things. A.K.A. took his scientific mind and observations of life into the workforce. At some point in his long career, this intellectual giant would become an entrepreneur with the goal to put humanity and goodness into the marketplace. Thankfully I convinced him that this KNOWvember experiment wasn’t a religious experiment but a social experiment that proved to me our connectedness. Little did I know that he and I would be so tightly intertwined in our passion for life and for picking apart the paradox of humanity. What he called science, I called God. Together we agreed it was Energy. For A.K.A., “We’re like ants walking across life. One minute you’re gathering food and the next someone steps on you and that’s it.” But if this conversation tells me anything it’s that a life of an ant is equally as amazing as this complex human. We might start out reluctant to meet strangers in life. We might allow things like pandemics get in our way from growing or doing things outside of our comfort zone. When we allow that stuff to happen, we close ourselves off from the gift of life that is right in front of us. Who knows when that shoe will fall on me, or A.K.A. for that matter, but I am sure I will be contacting him again soon. Hopefully before it does.
This is a perfect reminder to us all, that joy is not about having everything perfect. Joy is not, “Every cloud has a silver lining” kind of happy emotion. Let’s face it, some clouds are dark and thunderous. Joy is also not about having all together. Being rich and successful doesn’t mean your life doesn’t unravel or that someone can’t steal your joy. It just means you can cry in a nicer car or a bigger house. It makes me wonder if we all have to suffer at some point, if only to grasp the fullness of Paul’s idea of rejoicing always. Tom Holliday notes, “Joy is applying God’s truth and power to our imperfect and sometimes terrible circumstances and realizing that God is right there,” in the midst of whatever life throws at us. Like I said a few weeks ago: when life kicks the joy out of you, God kicks it back in. No matter what obstacle you’re facing, or struggle you’re dealing with, you can still find joy because joy first found you. And loves you no matter what. All because true joy begins with God, and when God is at the center of your life you can experience the fullness of God’s joy. And always have a reason to rejoice. (READ: Philippians 4:1-9 here) In this final chapter, Paul hints that there’s some tension happening between two women. Perhaps this is why he was writing the letter in the first place. But Paul doesn’t give us details about their dispute, because the details are not important. It doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong. What’s important is this tension is making their joy incomplete. They’re not being of one mind with Christ Jesus. This is not to suggests we have to be the same or think the same. Christianity isn’t a robotic ritual. But there’s plenty of commonality to focus on. For example, Jesus calls us into a way of life built upon the strong bond of God's love which has been poured into us. If we want to find real joy, the kind that allows us to fully rejoice in the Lord always, then we have to be of one mind, and one heart. That is to be in oneness with God. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.And the God of peace will be with you. ~ Philippians 4:4-9 Recently, a disagreement happened between two friends it was over something as trivial as politics and led to one of the friends cutting the other out of her life. This kind of stuff is happening all over our country. Families are split, friendships are broken, and even churches are losing people because they’ve chosen politics over love.
I suspect in a couple of days half the country will be gloating from the outcome of our elections. That means others will be left gutted. How can we rejoice, muchless find real joy if someone we care for is hurting? Abraham Lincoln knew, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We might not always see eye-to-eye. That’s okay. Some of us are liberals. Some of us are conservative. In our house, some of us are Giants fan. While others are still enjoying the Dodger’s World Series victory. Yet we still manage to love one another. Here’s what I want you to know: In spite of our differences, when we love as God loves us, we become one instrument of God's joy. Moreover, if God’s love is at the center of all we do, then we can confront and reconcile the things that steal our joy. The Bible tells us that Christ came to reconcile us back to God. This tells me that reconciliation leads to joyful living. Perhaps you know what it’s like to work out your differences with a friend or a loved one. There’s a sense of joy and happiness that makes your bond that much stronger. Through Christ, God’s love and joy are given to us so that we can do the same for one another. As Paul wrote in Ephesians, “Be imitators of Christ, as beloved children. And walk in love.” When we do that for each other, we become not only closer to one another but closer to God as well. That alone is reason enough to to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Like Paul mentioned, you are able to rejoice and find our joy when you “let your gentleness be known.” It seems to me that God works best through our compassion; in the kindness and love that Christ put in our hearts. Jesus was gentle. He did not push people away, but instead drew people to him through love. He didn’t put up a wall or separate people from who is worthy and who is not worthy of his love. Instead Jesus crossed over social and tribal boundaries to share God’s love and show God’s grace to everyone who needed to feel it or receive it. It didn’t matter what they believed or how much faith they had Jesus showed gentleness and compassion to all, because that’s how its done in the kingdom of Heaven. That’s how joy is given and received with God in Christ Jesus. That’s how Paul is able to rejoice always in the Lord knowing that God is always present and always one step ahead of him to receive him with open arms at the finish line. This is our assurance as well when we chose to walk in the footsteps of Christ. Instead of hurting people, Jesus comforts, heals, and forgives no matter what. And he calls us to do the same, to be little Christ in the world, sharing the love of God to all. Once again the acronym for joy is Jesus Others and You. This is an invitation to be like Jesus who served others so that you can find your everlasting and eternal joy. We see this throughout the gospels. For example, on the night Jesus was handed over to his death, he gives his disciples one final lesson. After washing their tired and dirty feet, Jesus told them to “Love one another as I have loved you.” Everything Jesus did was based on this one simple yet profound sentence. As Sara Miles poetically noted, “(Jesus’) human body was God’s language, as much as his human speech.” Jesus revealed God’s glory in the way he loved others. He continues to do so today , in the varied ways he shows his love to us. It’s in this love, in the receiving and in the giving, we are one with Christ who is one with God. Just as we share in God’s love we also share in God’s joy. And when we share God’s joy, the world can help but rejoice always! I can’t overstress the importance of this love ethic; especially as we struggle to find joy in our lives. Our nation is divided. People are hurting. The pandemic and the politics behind it are not helping. Too many of us are allowing these things to steal our joy. In his final commandment, Jesus gives us an important clue to God’s nature: Love and Joy cannot be separated. Without God’s love at the center of our life, real joy cannot and will not ever exist. Not in you. Not in me. And not in the world. If you are lacking in joy in your life, if you are angry with someone or if something is causing you pain, look within yourself, look for the divine who is inside you (whether you know or not God is in you because you are made with God’s DNA) and you will find a divine light flickering in you. And be like the light that shines in the darkness of the world, be the joy of Christ who gave his life so that others could live life, a life eternal. This is what it means to love one another as God first loved us. Therefore, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable" go and do those things for others by being like Jesus who humbled himself – not for his glory, nor for his need to be right, but for the righteousness of God’s glory. I will leave you with a quote from Herni Nouwen who wrote, “When God’s love is at the center of all we do, then we are able to offer our joy and peace, our consolation and reconciliation to others; especially in moments of crisis or conflict.” Once we start living intentionally with this kind of conviction, then our joy can never be defeated. No matter what the world can throw at us, we remain as God's beloved children. For that alone, let us "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice." Works Cited Holladay, Tom. Philippians: The Eight Places Joy is Won or Lost. El Toro: Saddleback Church. Miles, Sara. Jesus Freak: Feeding, Healing, Raising the Dead. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. Nouwen, Henri. Bread for the Journey: A Day Book of Wisdom and Faith. New York: HarperCollins e-books, 1997. |
Ian MacdonaldAn ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. "that they all might be one" ~John 17:21“Prius vita quam doctrina.”
~ St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) * “Life is more important than doctrine.”
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