Listen to this Guy with Shoes! (Daniel)

 So, the other day I went to put on my trusty shoes, my gray New Balance 574’s, and realized that there were taking on sandal like qualities, which is a really sarcastic way of saying that they have a couple of holes and cracks in them. I can’t tell you how much I like these shoes, they are so comfortable and lovely to wear that I have purchases them two times in a row now. If that is fashionally questionable, I shall redirect you to Scot McKnight’s blog and the dialogue that is taking place on this very issue.  Now, let me return to the situation at hand and state that I do believe it is high time for me venture into new shoe territory. I might buy a couple of pairs, one for running and work, and the other for more casual wear. For my first pair, I was thinking about the New Balance zip 8505’s, here is picture:

For the more casual, everyday shoes I really like the Born Tribune’s, pictured below:

 

 

 

Anybody got any other ideas? What shoes do you like?

 

Henri Nouwen on Writing (Daniel)

 

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post, and the more I consider why I go for awhile with long absences on this blog the more I come to the realization that much of my writing is influenced by fear. Sometimes I begin to think that there is not much going on of any significance in my world that I should write about or reflect on, sometimes I think that there is someone out there who can better articulate the thoughts and feelings I am dealing with and that the best thing for me to do would be to find that person and listen to them process this world rather than let me stumble and ramble on trying to get my point across. During these times I also believe that other writers do not experience this struggle, that for them writing is of no consequence and it seeps from them naturally so as to not put forth much effort.

I am thankful that I am not the only one to experience this anxiety, to struggle with what it means to write and how to articulate the human experience. I was reading through Seeds of Hope: A Henri Nouwen Reader, and found this quote by Nouwen, who is one of my favorite writers and has been a spiritual guide for a couple of years now. He writes: 

“Writing, however, is often the source of great pain and anxiety. It is remarkable how hard it is for students to sit down quietly and trust their own creativity. There seems to be a deep-seated resistance to writing. I have experienced this resistance myself over and over again. Even after many years of writing, I experience real fear when I face the empty page. Why am I so afraid? Sometimes I have an imaginary reader in mind who is looking over my shoulder and rejecting every word I write down. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the countless books and articles that already have been written and I cannot imagine that I have anything to say that hasn’t already been said better by someone else. Sometimes it seems that every sentence fails to express what I really want to say and that written words simply cannot hold what goes on in my mind and heart. So there are many fears and not seldom they paralyze me and make me delay or even abandon my writing plans.

And still, every time I overcome these fears and trust not only my own unique way of being in the world, but also my ability to give words to it, I experience a deep spiritual satisfaction. . . . What I am gradually discovering is that in the writing I come in touch with the Spirit of God within me and experience how I am led to new places.” (“Reflections on Theological Education”)

One of the things I am learning through writing is how much of a spiritual experience it has been for me. It is a struggle, and there is much pain and much fear that I experience amidst the process. Today I thank God for helping me and meeting me in these places, for the emptiness that I feel and also for the fulfillment that I receive in the writing.  A paradox of course, but that is what faith is most of the time… a paradox.

 

Gerald Ford: Humility and Humor in Politics (Daniel)

Yesterday, as I was droving home from lunch with my family, I listened to NPR’s Talk of the Nation and their remembrance of former President Gerald Ford. They interviewed former representatives John Dingell (D) and Alan Simpson (R), who both worked with and alongside Ford.  As I was listening to these former congressmen, what impressed me most was their desire to articulate their appreciation for each other, their respect over differing political philosophies, and their passion to do “the business of the country”. Both men stated that they disagreed with each other often, but yet that didn’t let them become stagnant in working out policies in the best interest of the United States. Suddenly these men began to sound like wise sages, articulating a renewal for bipartisanship and compromise in a country that has chosen to tow the party line instead of believe in working things out together. Instead of demonizing and hyperbole, these men contend that humility and humor need to be reintroduced into the political spectrum. We must learn to laugh together in order to face the darker realities that this world challenges us with.

Another thing they discussed was the modesty and humor that characterized Ford. Both men agreed that “Gerry” was a man of decency and courage, and yet he could laugh with others and at himself. The man who pardoned Nixon and withdrew American forces in Vietnam was the same man who fell clumsily down the stairs of Air Force One. He appeared to be a man of peace, humility, and hilarity. I must admit, I didn’t know too much about Ford until recently, but what I have learned from him and his character is that we are called to be people who are decent and honest, and yet we must laugh at ourselves and not take life too seriously, for if we do that then we lose sight of what it means to be human. My prayer is that political leaders today can remember and emulate leaders like Ford. He wasn’t perfect, he was human. It was refreshing to hear about Ford, Dingell, and Simpson and their deep respect and admiration for each other, and I hope that somehow the political cilmate can change and we can begin to see each other as allies and not foes. But that is often too romantic of an idea…