"i have tasted paradise": a poem plus a reflection on William Stafford

According to Paul Lacey, the poet William Stafford had great self-discipline and used to write every day. He started the day free-writing every day in CPS camp. “I owed the government my time after breakfast, but before dawn my time was my own.” He once was asked:“What if the poem you write doesn't meet your standards?” He replied, “I lower my standards.” What this implies is there is something important other than standards. The poetry was a way of gaining health. If you ask yourself, “Why isn't your poetry like Yeats',” it gets in the way of the Light. 

This free-written poem doesn't rise to the level of Yeats, but I hope it brings you closer to the Light.

i have tasted paradise

in the first light of day

in a walk to the kitchen

in a piece of homemade bread

in a glass of orange juice and the smell of fresh coffee

in the question of a child

in the smile of a friend who doesn't need any explanations

in the stillness of the trees just before sunset

in the stillness of this library where the books feel like old friends

and invite me to muse in companionable silence

as dusk settles in

but of what use is paradise

if it cannot be shared with You?

"As I grow older": a reflection based on a passage from Brother Lawrence's "Practice of the Presence of God"

"...In the winter, seeing a tree stripped of its leaves, and considering that within a little time, the leaves would be renewed, and after that the flowers and fruit appear, he received a high view of the Providence and Power of GOD, which has never since been effaced from his soul.”--Brother Lawrence, writing of his conversion experience at age 18 in a book entitled “Practicing the Presence of God.”

As I grow older

I must grow simpler

like a branch stripped of leaves

by indifferent winds

until I can see quite clearly

as Brother Lawrence did

on that frozen day in March

when You revealed Your presence

not in fire, but in ice,

not in glory, but in a leafless tree

Your Word made

all too fragile flesh

quaking and thankful

just to be alive.

Community of Divine Love

This morning, after attending my weekly meeting of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, I went to a lovely communion service at the Community of Divine Love, an Episcopal monastery in the Benedictine tradition, located in San Gabriel, next door to the Church of Our Saviour, I went because my spiritual director is a member of this community and because I wanted to experience a communion service in the contemplative mode. I also wanted to balance my activism with contemplation.

The service took place in a small chapel, large enough to hold perhaps 20 people.The Byzantine icons on the walls and the smell of incense recalled my Orthodox roots and made me feel right at home. Four monks led the service--three sisters and one brother. Around 8 lay people were present. And a contemplative dog sat peacefully by the altar. 

The worship seemed very Quakerly. Not only was there a lot of silence, there was also open worship sharing in which everyone could take part. After Brother Dennis read the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, there was a period of silence. 

Several people shared about Jesus' compassion, the tears he shed for his dead friend and for his grieving family. Brother Dennis noted that after Lazarus is raised from the dead, Jesus tells bystanders to take off the linen cloths in which he was wrapped. "Unbind him," says Jesus. Brother Dennis interpreted this to mean that when an encounter with Jesus raises us from spiritual death (such as addiction), it takes a community to complete the process of resurrection and a renewed life. 

I was struck by how Martha (the activist) and Mary (the contemplative) both worked together to help Jesus fulfill his mission. Martha rushed out to greet Jesus and engage him in conversation. After he revealed to her his true nature ("I am the resurrection and the life"), Martha rushed home to share this good news with her sister, who had been grieving in isolation. When Mary left her home and encountered Jesus, her vulnerability opened his heart:

She fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled

This moment in which Jesus the Christ connected emotionally with hurting humanity spoke to my heart and to my condition, and so did the way it was presented. I have never attended an Episcopal service so Quakerly in its openness to Spirit. I look forward to returning.

I also admire this group of monks because they are all committed to prison ministry. Their spirituality is grounded in service to the "least of these" that I deeply respect. 

I have always been drawn to the contemplative life. After spending time in a Zen monastery, as well as Christian ones, I wrote this poem thirty years ago, when I first became a Quaker. 

          PERVIGILIUM STELLARUM

Walking down to the river

after vespers:

moonlight

swirled like Persian script--

an undecipherable hymn

floating upward....

Climbing back up the hill

through the dark orchard:

the Dipper poised

above the abbey's lights:

so much     

  poured down

     from all that

         Nothing!

As Meister Eckhart notes in one of his sermons, God is no-thing and from no-thing comes everything. This is the Great Mystery that frees us from the tyranny of materialism and lets us feel the joy of just being.  May we make time in our busy lives to experience timelessness, the peace that passeth understanding. May we be content with a God who is No-thing so that we can rejoice in our own No-thingness!

Why I am supporting Hillary as well as a radical revolution of values

I have been a wholehearted supporter of Bernie Sanders, who has been a breath of fresh air in the American political scene. I didn't agree with everything he stood for--I was uneasy about his support for drones and for the B-35 bomber--but I resonated with his progressive social and political agenda which I feel is consistent with my values as a Christian and a Quaker. 

I was thrilled to see how he moved the Democratic party towards a more progressive platform, one that supports universal health care, free university education, Wall Street reform, campaign finance reform, etc. I also feel he was right on in opposing the TTP and calling for a more balanced approach toward the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. 

He also showed that it is possible to run a campaign without corporate money and come within a hair's breadth of winning the Presidential nomination. His integrity and commitment inspired a rising generation to dream of a new America, one that is closer to the vision of Martin Luther King when he said, America needs a "true revolution of values."

But the reality is that his tireless and admirable efforts did not lead to his nomination. Instead, we have a nominee who is a centrist, a liberal reformer rather than a true revolutionary. For many on the left, she is a deep disappointment. 

But our disappointment should not lead us to be blind to her real virtues, or to undermine her chances of being elected. Hillary Clinton has been demonized so much it was refreshing to see how she was justly praised by Obama, Biden, Sanders, Bloomberg, and yes, Bernie Sanders himself. Hillary has demonstrated her ability to bring together the Democratic party and has the potential to bring together our deeply divided country. Her slogan "we are stronger together" offers a totally different worldview from Trump's "I alone can fix it."

Here are some of Hillary's virtues as I see them:

1) She is smart, rational and "listo" (ready for the job, as Tim Kaine pointed out). Unlike Trump, she is willing to listen to others and compromise. As a pragmatist, she will do what it takes to get things done. I feel that if progressives apply pressure on her, she will listen and do the right thing, much like Obama and FDR. 

2) She has the experience and temperament to be President. Although I don't agree with her hawkish foreign policy, I feel that unlike Trump, she won't do anything outlandishly stupid and dangerous. We can't afford to have an unhinged hothead like Trump with his finger on the nuclear trigger. 

3) Her liberal credentials are in many ways more solid than Obama's. She was ranked 11th most liberal Senator in Congress, far more liberal than Obama, who was ranked 22nd in the same study. As Bernie pointed out, they are in basic agreement about most issues, and have drawn closer because of Bernie's highly effective campaign. See http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/3/31/1374629/-Hillary-Clinton-Was-the-11th-Most-Liberal-Member-of-the-Senate.

4) She is unashamedly a feminist  who cares deeply for the rights and welfare of women, children and families. She has proudly broken the glass ceiling. She has demonstrated that America is finally ready for a woman leader. As she has said, "It is past time for women to take their rightful place, side by side with men, in the rooms where the fates of peoples, where their children's and grandchildren's fates, are decided." I am thrilled by the idea of the first woman president following in the footsteps of the first black president. What a breakthrough for America!

So I will do what I can to support Hillary, just as I did for Barack Obama. I will make phone calls in battle ground states to help get out the vote, and I will contribute financially. I will do my best to persuade others to do likewise. The stakes are very, very high in this election. I don't want to see a repetition of what happened in 2000, when the progressive vote was split by Ralph Nader and Bush was elected president. 

The stakes are even higher in this election since the Donald makes Bush seem like a Boy Scout. When I think of Trump, I think of the home-grown Fascist hero of Sinclair Lewis' novel, "It Can't Happen Here." In this prescient novel, written in 1935 by the Nobel Prize winning chronicler of American culture,  Lewis shows how a Fascist can get elected in America when the liberal vote is divided. Yes, it could happen here and it's up to us to make sure it doesn't!

I am under no illusions, however. The election of Hillary Clinton will not bring us the kind of political, social and spiritual revolution we desperately need in this country. It will, at best, be a baby step in the right direction.

What we need, as Dr. King pointed out, is a "true revolution of values." How can we bring that about? Stay tuned... and let me know your ideas. We need to figure this out together!

Stand Still, Leap like a Tiger: Korean style Zen meditation

This is a poem I wrote about meditating Korean Zen style many lifetimes ago. I love the image of meditation as a tiger waiting for its prey. I learn a lot about meditating by observing my cats. They are masters of just being. This image is from the Providence Zen center. "Only don't know" was the mantra of my Zen master. I still find it enormously useful.

  

                       YONG MAENG JONG JIN

                ("Stand Still, Leap like Tiger":

                   Korean term for meditation)

The tiger sitting at the edge of the hissing sea

watches as the waves come and go.

The tiger is not impressed.

Gulls laugh overhead. The tiger is not amused,

nor does he envy their wind-borne life.

The tiger sits and waits as the sun rises,

as the shadows move across the beach,

as the tide gradually inches higher,

as the earth slowly tilts on its axis,

as the universe spins off in a million directions.

The tiger does not move. It is waiting.

Sandpipers pitterpatter, crabs sidle,

waves crash redundantly.

The tiger watches.

It is almost noon. The tiger still does not stir.

The afternoon passes. No game approaches. No matter.

This is the way of the tiger.

Every moment is the moment it has been waiting for.

How do housing commissions help cities develop more affordable housing?

Should Pasadena create a Housing Commission? This was the topic of a Friendly Debate hosted by the City of Pasadena Housing and Career Services Departments and moderated by Dan Davidson, pastor of Rose City Church.

Debaters (all Pasadena residents) included:

Pro: Michelle White- Affordable Housing Services, Jill Shook - Author/Catalyst, Rev. Hannah Petrie - Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church.

Against: Charles Loveman - Heritage Housing Partners, Blair Miller - City of Pasadena Design and Transportation Advisory Commissions, Ali Barar AIA - Gonzalez Goodale Architects.

Rev. Hannah Petrie started the conversation with an inspiring vision for our city:

“With an AHC, Pasadena could be a model of urban development that ensures diversity, economic generation, and environmental innovation.” We shouldn’t settle for “this is the way of the world.” There’s a better one possible, but yes, it will take more effort and funds. (See Justice hustle)

All agreed that affordable housing needs to be a top priority in our city, but they differed on whether a new commission would effectively address the housing crisis. Those opposed were concerned mainly about cost and staff time. They felt that Pasadena already has too many commissions and that a housing commission might slow down rather than increase the development of affordable housing. They also felt that the housing department is so effective it doesn't need outside help. 

Those who support a housing commission noted that even though Pasadena has an excellent housing director and housing department, over 23,000 families are "cost burdened" with respect to housing (i.e. spending more than a third of their income on housing) and are on the Section 8 waiting list. Half the teachers in the city can't afford to live here. Half of the African American population has left in the last 25 years because of gentrification. Advocates cited examples from cities where housing commissions have helped change policies and thereby created more affordable housing. A housing commission can also foster more community input and generate new ideas and perspectives. As Jill noted:

JILL: In the past week I’ve spoken with five housing managers, or liaisons to housing related

Commissions in CA.

Dave Popf, the assistant housing manager of San Jose’s Housing Department stated that their Housing and Community Development Commission is really good for providing a forum for public input and that they take a burden off of the staff and the City Council. The Commissioners focus on policy research and support. They do not delay decisions, but if things like fast tracking affordable units is not working, they seek to fix this. Last year this commission served a key role in reducing rental increases from 8% to no more than a 5 % per year. In addition to providing public input on the HUD Consolidated plan, annual related action plans and the Housing Element, this Commission helped the city as it defended a lawsuit designed to invalidate its inclusionary zoning ordinance.  The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, and now serves as precedent for protecting other Inclusionary Housing Ordinances.

Suzanne Ise, in Sunnyvale, CA explained that their Housing and Human Services Commission played an important role in the recent passage of an additional Impact fee that is currently generating 8 million dollars a year for affordable housing.

San Diego’s Housing Commission has done an excellent job of evaluating policy and legislation impacts on the preservation and production of affordable housing.

The Pleasanton, CA housing commission initiated and is now pursuing opportunities for the production and preservation of affordable housing, not only within the City, but in the region.

Other Commissions garner support for Council approved policy, programs and other proposals. Still others conduct research, do studies and undertake best practices experiments on housing and bring in experts for educational forums.

In the slide above you can see the duties that the Greater Pasadena Affordable Housing Group recommends for our city’s Affordable Housing Commission.

In the countless conversations I have had with folks in Pasadena about the need for an Affordable Housing Commission, they respond with things like, “you mean we don’t have one? If not, we certainly need one!” 

People often call me about complex housing issues they’re facing and have no idea where to turn. We clearly need an on ongoing public space where folks can regularly share their concerns, and learn what resources they can access.

Mayor Tornek has reaffirmed his whole hearted support for a Housing Commission, saying, “We have a commission for trees and one for bikes, of course we need a commission for housing!” Steve Madison, Tyron Hampton and John Kennedy also to support a Housing Commission. We need only one more vote!

How to pray: Jesus' advice to those advocating for social justice

During our Bible study at the home of Ross and Gloria Kinsler, retired Presbyterian missionaries who have written a book called "Jubilee Justice and the Struggle for Life," we looked at Luke 11, in which Jesus' disciples ask him "how to pray." This chapter deeply touched me as an advocate for those in need.

From the context it appears that the disciples were mainly interested in petitionary prayer, and they were requesting a formula to help them ask (and receive) what they want from God. So Jesus responded with what has come to be know as the "Lord's prayer," and explained how prayers works and what we need to pray for. 

Our little group of activists tends to interpret the Bible from a social justice perspective. Thanks to Ched Myers, who founded this group twenty plus years ago, I have come to see "give us this day our daily prayer"  as referring to the manna passage in Exodus 16 wherein God rains down from heaven enough food for the daily use of the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness. Jill quoted this passage in a recent talk she gave about God's "sharing economy":

When they measured [manna] by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

This passage may be what Jesus was alluding to when he said, "Give us this day our daily bread." Give us what we need, neither more or less, just as God gave the Hebrews what they needed in the wilderness. He may also have had in mind a passage from Proverbs, as Shayne Claiborne notes in his book, The Irresistible Revolution:

 "Give me neither poverty nor riches. Give me only my daily bread. That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" (Proverbs 30:8))

According to Jill's recent sermon, the manna passage is at the heart of the "sharing economy." Finally, it's worth noting that Jesus says "give us," not "give me," daily bread. It's about feeding the community, not just individuals. 

Jesus then tells us to forgive debts, one of the major themes of his prophetic ministry. As Jill often points out, when Jesus first announced his ministry in his hometown, he declared that he has come to proclaim "good news to the poor" and the "acceptable year of the Lord," which most scholars agree is Jubilee, a time when debts are forgiven and land redistributed. 

The Torah makes clear that it is wrong to extract interest from the poor, including those who are aliens and guest workers in our country:

"If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you.” Lev. 25: 35-36

 In the Beatitudes, Jesus takes this teaching to its ultimate extreme: "If anyone asks for money, give him what he asks for, expecting nothing in return." 

The parable of the unforgiving servant (Matt 18:21-35) can be understood in an economic as well as spiritual context, as a member of our Bible study pointed out. In this parable a servant to a super rich master has run up a stupendous debt and is forgiven his debt. He then turns around and puts the squeeze on a poor man who owes him a relatively miniscule debt. This story seems very relevant today as we consider how Wall Street bankers behaved after they were bailed out by the government, and then foreclosed on low-income homeowners, causing many to lose all the assets. See http://laquaker.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-would-jesus-say-about-our-economic.html

Jesus then gives examples of how to ask for what we need, and how God responds to our requests. He tells a parable about a man who has visitors at his home but lacks food to feed them. Since hospitality is a core teaching and practice of the Jewish faith, he feels obligated to go to his neighbor at midnight and ask for three loaves of bread. His neighbor is reluctant to get up but the man is persistent. The word can also be translated as "impudent" or "shameless." It is pretty shameless to pound on one's neighbor's door at midnight, waking up him and his family. The neighbor isn't in the mood to give, but does so only because of this unrelenting demand.

When I read this passage, I realized that this is the situation in which many of us who advocate for the poor and for immigrants find ourselves. We are demanding that our neighbors give generously when they are not in the mood. But Jesus wants us to be bold, and confident, in making these requests:

"Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door will be opened."

As a lobbyist, I know the importance of persistence. Jill and I often go to City Council meetings, and I go to Congressional offices; and we return over and over again since that's the way to show commitment and to build relationships necessary to change hearts and policies. 

This passage can also be interpreted to mean "If I ask for what I want, God will give it to me." Jesus assures us there is nothing wrong with asking God for what we want and need. Most of Jesus' disciples were poor and needed to ask for help from God and from others from time to time. Even privileged advocates like Jill and me have needs that only God can meet.  As Jill pointed out, it takes courage to ask for what we need. She added, "And sometimes I don't even know what I want!" I know from personal experience how hard it is to ask for help, even from a friend.

But in this context, Jesus is telling us not just to ask for what we want, but also for what the strangers in our midst want and need. 

In other words, Jesus is giving us encouragement to be advocates on behalf of others. Advocating for others can be challenging, as I discovered when I worked for seven years to get one homeless, handicapped woman housed. As a social justice advocate, I am grateful for Jesus' assurance that our demands for justice will ultimately prevail. 

This brings us to the ultimate ask. What should we be asking for? Clearly not for snakes or scorpions, but for something that will truly nurture and empower us. Here Jesus surprises us. What Jesus says we need to ask for is the Holy Spirit. It is worth noting that one of the words for the Holy Spirit is "the advocate."

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

The Holy Spirit has many names--teacher, healer, comforter--but the word "advocate" reminds us that the Holy Spirit is prophetic.  Advocacy brings comfort to the afflicted, and afflicts the comfortable. The comfortable don't want to be awakened at midnight and told that their neighbor is in need. But the Holy Spirit gives us the boldness and confidence, and the wisdom, to speak out on behalf of those who need an advocate. Hopefully, we can also help those in need to get in touch with the Holy Spirit so they can also be advocates on their own behalf.

This is what we should pray for, says Jesus. We need to practice God's sharing economy ("forgive us our debts as we forgive the debts of others"); and we need to ask for the courage to advocate on behalf of  "God's kingdom"--the kingdom in which God is in charge, making sure that everyone has their "daily bread": enough food, clothing, health care and housing to live a life of dignity. It is encouraging to know that if we ask, God will answer. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

Loving God, give us the confidence to ask for your Holy Spirit to guide us  and to make us advocates on behalf of those who are in need. Give us the boldness to ask our neighbors to help us to help others. Teach us to trust that you will give us what we need, and forgive us our shortcomings, as long as we are willing to be your faithful servants. 

******

11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.[b]
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c]
And lead us not into temptation.[d]’”

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Footnotes:

1. Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts Our Father in heaven
2. Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
3. Luke 11:4 Greek everyone who is indebted to us
4. Luke 11:4 Some manuscripts temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
5. Luke 11:8 Or yet to preserve his good name
6. Luke 11:11 Some manuscripts for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for

New International Version (NIV)

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