Mountains and Justice

A couple nights ago we were crossing the Sierra Nevada in California.  The sun was just setting and the songs of Peter, Paul, and Mary burst from our van’s CD player.  The snow-capped mountains were spectacular in the fading light.  My heart was full of gratitude for the Creator’s wondrous gift.  But there was something more.  Those old Peter, Paul, and Mary songs always stir something in me.  They are a call for justice.  I continued to gaze at those beautiful mountains.  God gave us an amazing world which not only includes natural wonders but also an incredible array of creatures that inhabit it.  This includes the very diverse human species.  We are not made to sit still.  We are charged with caring for our planet and all who inhabit it.  We are meant to do good works and this includes working for justice for all God’s people—everyone.  We are to connect with our fellow human being and be love in this world.  We are God’s hands and feet.

Written on 6/2/2014

Finding Balance

I have concluded that it takes constant effort to keep one’s life in balance.  At the beginning of this year, I became an activist of sorts.  While I have felt strongly that I have done the right things, even getting arrested, I now feel it is time to seek some balance.

Perhaps this urge has been spurred on by the arrival of spring in all its beauty.  Nature has a way of sparking creativity.  My first urge is to pull out my camera to capture what I experience.  I have tried drawing and watercolor in the past.  Watercolor can be freeing if you just let the paint flow.

About a year ago I began doing glass fusion at a local studio.  It is fun to put layers of glass together and see what you get when it comes out of the kiln.  I have tried jewelry, plates, bowls, and candleholders.  I love how the glass sparkles as the light passes through the bright colors.  I plan to spend some time at the glass studio soon and see what I can create.

When we spend too much time on one thing, our lives are out of balance.  Too much work, paid or volunteer, is not good for us.  We need time to explore—physically, intellectually, and spiritually.  We were made to be creative, in the image of our creator.  I am seeking to find the right combination for me.

Written on 5/27/2014