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Tuesday, 18 December 2012
I always feel like singing! How about you? :)
Maybe our challenge is to make time for singing everyday.
I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony...
Amazing Musical Swings in Montreal
"Each swing is a set of four and has its own unique sound, but if you are in perfect harmony with the other 3 seats then an actual song is played. The theory is that you communicate and interact with people more if it’s for a specific goal and if you’re having fun."
"Each swing is a set of four and has its own unique sound, but if you are in perfect harmony with the other 3 seats then an actual song is played. The theory is that you communicate and interact with people more if it’s for a specific goal and if you’re having fun."
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Allegiance or Faith?
al·le·giance/əˈlējəns/
| Noun: |
|
faith/fāTH/
| Noun: |
|
Can "faith" exist without an object or concept to have faith "in"?
I've been wondering about this as I read a born again Christian's arguments/explanations for this change in their life. The change being, becoming "born again" and affirming a commitment to a particular belief system.
What I wonder about is: is one's faith dependant upon having a system of belief to have faith in? Can I be a faithful person, trusting in God, god, Jesus, Allah, love, peace, the universe, goddess, Jehovah, or another name for something we cannot define or prove without having an allegiance to a belief system?
And what makes something a "strong" belief versus a "weak" belief? One's level of certainty? Certainty can be form of blindness, and can be dangerous. Humans have been blessed with a questioning mind. And unless the level of my belief is directly correlated to the existence or non-existence of said object of belief (i.e., God), what difference does it make if I question things? Isn't a curious mind a sign of being a fully engaged person, seeking understanding?
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
WTF Saint John? How DO you change the world?
I read a quote once from Mother Teresa when someone asked her how she does what she does: "Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you."
Sage advice.
It applies to many situations.
When you talk about "changing the world", as I have in the title of my blog, one's first response may be to feel overwhelmed by the prospect, and then to give up before you even start.
But then I remember this quote by Oscar Schindler: "Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."
As all wisdom does, these quotes empower through the reminder of simplicity. Focus on what you can do. Start at home.
Which brings me to a heartening development in my own home town. Lisa Hrabluk has begun an inititive called "What's the Future Saint John?" A question many of us have been asking ourselves. I invite you to get more details at her blog post...
And I invite us all (me included) to jump on this bandwagon and be part of the solution to our troubling times.
:)
Sage advice.
It applies to many situations.
When you talk about "changing the world", as I have in the title of my blog, one's first response may be to feel overwhelmed by the prospect, and then to give up before you even start.
But then I remember this quote by Oscar Schindler: "Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."
As all wisdom does, these quotes empower through the reminder of simplicity. Focus on what you can do. Start at home.
Which brings me to a heartening development in my own home town. Lisa Hrabluk has begun an inititive called "What's the Future Saint John?" A question many of us have been asking ourselves. I invite you to get more details at her blog post...
And I invite us all (me included) to jump on this bandwagon and be part of the solution to our troubling times.
:)
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Reflecting on Adam and Eve...
I'm watching "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", and the character Tommy Gnosis talks about Adam and Eve at one point, and he made me see something I never thought about before.
When Eve bites the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, she then knows what is good and evil. And she chooses to share the fruit with Adam.
Many in religious circles have since said that Eve is to blame for Adam's fall (and subsequently the female sex of our species is damnable).
But I want to go back before that.
When Eve ate the fruit, she had the knowledge of good and evil. And then she chose to share the fruit with Adam.
So, the question that intrigues me is... if Eve knew good and evil, was her act of sharing the fruit good or evil? I think most have always interpreted it as evil.
But, what if, once she had the knowledge of good and evil, her act was good?
What if it was good?
What if, with her new knowledge of what was good and evil, she chose to do good?
What does that mean for men and women today? If it means anything.
When Eve bites the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, she then knows what is good and evil. And she chooses to share the fruit with Adam.
Many in religious circles have since said that Eve is to blame for Adam's fall (and subsequently the female sex of our species is damnable).
But I want to go back before that.
When Eve ate the fruit, she had the knowledge of good and evil. And then she chose to share the fruit with Adam.
So, the question that intrigues me is... if Eve knew good and evil, was her act of sharing the fruit good or evil? I think most have always interpreted it as evil.
But, what if, once she had the knowledge of good and evil, her act was good?
What if it was good?
What if, with her new knowledge of what was good and evil, she chose to do good?
What does that mean for men and women today? If it means anything.
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