Not everything I write in this Flash is meant for everyone. For example, last week I wrote about giving and growing for young families, many of whom want to give to the church, but find themselves strapped for cash, what with the ample costs of raising a family. This week I want to write for those a tick or two older than I am, already retired, who face different challenges.
GROWING AND GIVING
A few weeks ago I enjoyed breakfast with a young family from our congregation. After covering an item on our agenda, and visiting together a bit, I could feel them hinting meekly around the edge of another question. It was about giving to the church. They hesitated, but I always appreciate directness on these matters.
TIME IS NOT SO LONG
Anthropologist Margaret Mead once declared Americans to be neophiles. That is, we swoon over anything young and new. No wonder “new and improved” is stamped on everything from panty hose to vise grips. In New England less so, but we tend to deprecate tradition and history and readily respond to what is new.
Breathe Deeply, You’re at Home
Did you ever ascend to grandma’s attic or kneel down into your garden’s freshly turned earth to whiff an aroma that transported you beyond place and time? The scent reported a connection unique and personal in all of the world. It is both ordinary and thrilling how smell triggers timeless feelings of place and belonging.
An Ongoing In-between
Many of my friends and peers are all about social media. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Goodreads, and any of the other dozens of platforms out there. There is a feeling of connection, of community, of being entertained, and of being informed. They love discussing what someone, somewhere, said about something that relates to this other thing they once heard someone, somewhere…. etc.
IDEALS, BACKBONE, AND GRIT
“People should realize that it is always possible to preserve one’s ideals and one’s backbone; that one can stand up to lies; that there are values worth struggling for…and that no political defeat justifies complete historical skepticism as long as the victims manage to bear their defeat with dignity.”