FOR THE GREATER GOOD

"There is no Greater Good, only Good, however small the Good!"


Funny, how while watching a TV show, a profound and life changing statement will give me pause!

"There is no Greater Good, only Good, however small the Good!" said Dr. Theo Yedlin as the decision was made to hand select those going back into the pods. "It is for the Greater Good to only take those who are healthy and breeders." said Jason, the demented leader of the army in Wayward Pines.

This gave me pause.

I took an Ethics class in my graduate program where we struggled with what it means to make decisions based on "The Greater Good." Wars are waged and fought for "the Greater Good!" The Mentally Ill were mass sterilized at one time, "for the Greater Good!" Women were not allowed to vote "for the Greater Good!" LBGT community were not allowed to marry "for the Greater Good!" And I could go on and on and on!

My question in the Ethics course was very simple: "Who gets to decide what defines the Greater Good?" Of course we talked about how it depends on who is in charge of "the big decisions", be it religious leaders, politicians, doctors, judges, etc. There was a head nod to how each of us must make these decisions on a daily basis; as we discussed whether to let totally disabled babies live, whether to quit a job and have to live on food stamps because your boss asks you to falsify records, and such.

It was all framed around The Greater Good. Here is how the dictionary defines the Greater Good: "The benefit of the public, of more people than oneself; that which is better and more correct."

"That which is better or more correct." "The benefit of the public."

What is better or more correct than: THERE IS ONLY GOOD!

 Dr. Yedlin says "There is no Greater Good, only Good, however small the Good."

Dr. Yedlin wanted to make the choices for who would go back into the pods and wake up thousands of years later, by lottery, since all could not go. That would be fair he said. But "for the Greater Good" the leaders only wanted those "perfect people" who could then breed to make more perfect people.

Yes, only a TV show, but I have found this story to really cause me to take ethical pauses, especially in this highly contested election year we are in.

I watched both conventions even tho' I am a Democrat. What I heard from the RNC was how one person would make the decisions for the Greater Good. What I heard from the DNC was how WE collectively as much as possible will make decisions based on THE GOOD!

We have been challenged, just like when JFK ran for office and won, to take care of our neighbor; our Muslim neighbor, our gay neighbor, our black, Asian, white neighbor, our poor and stinky neighbor, our mentally ill neighbor, our single mom who had an abortion neighbor, our pagan and Jewish neighbor.

WE ARE TO CHOOSE ONLY GOOD, NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE GOOD!

We have come through a time when it is all about the "I"! We are in a time when the Enemy is everyone who does not look like us, does not believe like us, does not love like us, does not worship, work or dress like us. The Enemy is everyone who is of a different race or nationality or an immigrant.

It's  for the Greater Good I heard during the RNC to be forceful, carry more guns, hate, and eject those NOT LIKE US. And one man, all by himself will be making the decisions for the Greater Good.

NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE GOOD! That is what really gave me pause.

I pray that I never feel like I cannot stretch myself to do Good! Whether that be to fill up a backpack for underprivileged children, send a card to someone hurting or celebrating a birthday. Whether that be smiling at everyone I meet even when I am in my own pain. Whether that means "voting my conscience" and being proud to live in a country where I can do that. Whether it means leaving my pentacle at home on the day I helped my elderly mom serve lunch to her church ladies because I knew she was scared to death they would find out I was pagan and not Christian.

Whether that means praying for others, lighting candles for the sick, those morning and the world. Whether that means caring for animals and the earth by doing all I can in my own little piece of the forest. 

Once upon a time, in my younger days, I truly felt it was all up to me to save all the children throughout the world. I convinced myself that without me, things would fall apart in my family of origin, my marriage family and my job and church.

One day, I was in a true panic attack over it all and I heard Goddess say to me:

"I ONLY ASKED YOU TO TAKE CARE OF THAT RIGHT IN YOUR PATH. IF EVERYONE WOULD DO THAT, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THE SITUATION WE ARE IN."

That is The Good!
That is The Right!

To be kind, caring, compassionate, positive, giving, thankful, at peace, loving, faithful, and accepting of others to do their part in the unique way they are asked to fit into the puzzle.

In the end, Dr. Yedlin, only got his wish by sneaking in a gay boy and his quirky probably mentally ill receptionist. But I can promise you, all those in the pods waiting for the next time in Wayward Pines are not Pure, Perfect People. But someone, the"I" made the decision, all alone as to who would help the Greater Good!

We must all be intentional about doing Good, HOWEVER SMALL THE GOOD!

We do this while the crazy, "all about me" world goes on around us. And just maybe our example will spread like the mint in my pots... the plant started in one and now has sent out delicious shoots that have invaded all the other pots in my garden balcony! Ahhhh mint!

Pause. What are you really doing to choose the Good. Where can you discern how decisions made for this Greater Good hurts many others in the process. Will we always succeed? No! Will we make mistakes? Yes! Do we keep trying?  Yes, cause as President Obama said in his DNC speech last night, "That's what happens when you try, mistakes happen." Then Trying leads to Hope in the face of Difficulty. And Hope leads to a better Today and Tomorrow!

Idealistic? I don't think so! I think this is what we are suppose to be doing, and have lost our way. If we take care of the neighbor and the neighbor takes care of us; there is no need to make decisions that ultimately exclude others. Because when Good is only doing for "the good of the public" then the individual faces go out of focus. 

Be the Good, live the Good, demonstrate the Good!

Blessed be!

Grieving is like a Dark Cloak

Grieving is like a dark cloak; both smothering and comforting. For many it will be the first time they find themselves cloaked in a dark and unforgiving world from which they never seem to wake up. For many it is the comfort of a familiar; calling them cloak and heal. And for some it is the Cloak of Fear and and Terror. And yet, at some time, we must all put on this Cloak of Grief. 

I saw it in different forms this morning in the ICU where I volunteer! The Dark Cloak surrounded a Family who sobbed as they stood vigil with the man they loved as he took his last breath. The Dark Cloak surrounded friends who were told that the person they had gone to dinner with just 2 days before, was on life support and would not live. I also saw the Cloak of Grief as a Family Cried, Laughed and praised their God for their loved one was finally out of pain and misery in her death! 

I also watched as a woman donned this Cloak of Grief following the news that her husband would be going home today and she would have to give up her job to be his full time caretaker. She was going to file divorce papers last week when he became critically ill. She now feels responsible to be by his side for an indefinite period of time. 

How long will I feel like this? You will feel like this until you no longer do. Everyone is different; every situation is unique and every cloak is needed for as long as it takes.

Don't be willing to give up the Cloak too quickly. Don't leave it hanging on the rack ignoring the call to put it on! 

Embrace the Cloak, savor the Cloak, live in the Cloak. 

And one day, the Cloak will have tucked itself into a drawer for future use. And you will breathe knowing that it will not be the last time you will need the Cloak, but you will rest knowing that the Cloak did not smother you, strangle you or kill you. The Cloak was your Dark Necessary Companion. 

Blessed be! 

Where did you see Goddess today?

In 2004, my cousin took me to Iceland. It was a trip that changed many things in my life. At the time I was still an entrenched Christian. I was the Worship Team leader of the contemporary band, wrote daily devotions, set the altar, etc and yet, I battled every day in my heart, mind and soul to get out of that suffocating religion.

I found one of my devotions I wrote after my trip to Iceland. It was filled with "God created this and God created that;"and "he" language all through the devotional. I tried so hard to sneak in that "she" language in, but of course, I wasn't quite brave enough yet. In fact, when I finally did, I was told I was not allowed to, and thus began my exit from that religion.

But this is not what my blog is about today!

This is what my blog post is about:

 I took this picture while standing on the Lava Field in Iceland. It takes 400 years for any growth to begin on the Lava Field. This, my friends, is the Glacier Waters flowing through the field and actually through and not over the Lava.

Water flowing THROUGH Lava! Ages old Lava at that. Lava that once was a fiery molten liquid itself, then hardened and laid barren for hundreds of years. And slowly, with time, growth began and the Glacier melted and froze over and over until the water channeled its way through the hardened rock.

I have been that hardened lava! I have been that hardened lava, laying barren and cold and desolate. But one day, She awakened me and began to gently flow through me. She found those cracks and crevices cause by lies and betrayals, abuse and control. She found me in my most desolate of times, after I had lived fiery and hot, but then left barren and forgotten! I was hardened and cold and bitter!

Luckily I didn't have to wait 400 years and neither do you! She came fast and furious, just like these glacier waters. She got my attention, filled all the wounded places and set me on my way! She found me in the Lava Field and changed my life!!!!!

Goddess finds us in these places and makes her face known just like in the following picture. What a surprise to see these red flowers growing in the middle of the lava field!

Yep, looks exactly like the menstrual flow of the Goddess! Do you see it? No male God creates!!!!! Hell no!!!!! This is the sign of the Goddess. She nourishes us all the time; when we are conceiving, growing and when we are barren and dry. It is Her Cycle!

I loved Iceland. So much to learn there. So many things took my breath away. It is on my bucket list to return! She calls my name!

Blessed be!

Shallow Water! No Diving Allowed!

When I was 14, the parental unit took us kids to Myrtle Beach. The hotel we stayed in had a salt water pool. I guess I didn't see the sign: Shallow Water! No Diving Allowed" because I dove in off the side of the pool and scraped my front teeth on the bottom. I had a very large overbite at the time, so yes, my teeth were outside my lips. I had closed my eyes due to the salt water.

My two front teeth were scrapped and very jagged which meant I had a swollen bottom lip most of the rest of vacation. When we got home, the dentist filed them down and I went on my merry way!

The treadmill at my apartment gym faces the pool. In front of me every time I walk, is that sign. Now, I no longer go into pools, oceans or lakes to swim...oh not because of the tooth incident...but I don't even own a bathing suit anymore!

Well, for the past few weeks I have been haunted by this sign:

SHALLOW WATER 
NO DIVING ALLOWED

"What say you?" I asked my self.

Ahhh.... finally an answer after all my sweat and daily 5 mile walks.

We, as human beings, tend to be quite Shallow. There are times, I look into the eyes of a Wolf or Bear and think they are Deeper Thinkers than we are.

Only when the Waters are Deep enough, should Diving take place. There is a lot of power contained in Diving. We intentionally, enter the Waters hands and head first; our heads being very vulnerable indeed.

I knew a young man once, who decided to dive into a shallow pool in the ocean. He hit his head on a rock and died.

And yet, we only want to dive into those Shallow places. It seems too daunting, too time consuming to dive Deeper. In the Shallow waters is where we find the hard places, so why would we want to go deeper? If there are dangers there, why in the hell do we want to see what lies Deeper still.

But sweet ones.... that is where the answers are. That is where the darkness shows us beauty and life that is beyond our reckoning. There is were the waters are colder, healing and refreshing.

Yes, we are Shallow people.

Shallow places are where Anger, Hate and Violence reside.
Shallow places are where the scars from abuse, neglect, poverty and judgement reside.
Shallow places are where entitlement lives!
Shallow places are where religious and political leaders abide!

We take the word of who ever is speaking from the pulpit or in front of a microphone at the time; as long as they are speaking from the Shallow Waters. No way are we going to dive into Deeper Waters where the Real Questions and Answers reside! It is in the Deeper Waters where we see through the lies, the betrayal, the power and control. It is there we have to do the hard work, to be able to breathe.

I believe we live in very Shallow Times which means we live in very Dangerous Times.
It is us, who are called to the Deeper Waters, who will find the Divine Voice of Love, Light and Reason.

The Deeper Waters have no place for Anger, Resentment, Killing, Racism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Inequality, Entitlement, Jealously, or Hatred.

I choose to go to the Deeper Waters and when I surface, I choose to Walk in the Truth Found There. And when Thirsty for Truth again, I will Dive, as I only choose to Dive into Deep Waters.

I learned my lesson once... well probably more than once.... yes, I am sure I did... but now, sweet ones, I watch for that Sign of the Goddess:

SHALLOW WATER
NO DIVING ALLOWED

I invite you to ignore the Shallow Waters and join me in the Deeper Waters.
Truth awaits us! 

Blessed be!