Made for goodness and a heart beating with love

I very much enjoyed Krista Tippett's recent interview with Desmond Tutu. This part of their exchange particularly struck me:

. . . Hope says, hey, things can, things will, be better because God has intended for it to be so. You know? At no point will evil and injustice and oppression and all of the negative things have the last word.

And, yes, I mean, there's no question about the reality of evil, of injustice, of suffering, but at the center of this existence is a heart beating with love. You know, that you and I and all of us are incredible. I mean, we really are remarkable things that we are, as a matter of fact, made for goodness. And it's not just a smart aleck thing to say; it's just a fact. Because all of us, even when we have degenerated, know, know — I mean, that the wrong isn't what we should be, isn't what we should be doing. We're fantastic. I mean, we really are amazing.

Made for goodness and a heart beating with love. Something to remember as we face each day. The entire interview, either in podcast or transcript is here.

Pictures today from 24.Aug.2011.

Sweet home Chicago

I thought you might enjoy the President's latest exhibition of his singing chops during a celebration of Black History Month, sharing the mike with blues legend B.B. King.

Playful infinity

There are a few snippets of the Meredith Monk interview that I want to share with you:

I always think of the relationship between the audience and the performer as a kind of infinity sign or a figure eight of energy that goes from the performer to the audience and then back from the audience back to the performer, and it's just this constant flow of energy between these two bodies of people. But the beauty of a live performance is that we're all in the same space at the same time, and I don't think we have that many situations in the world like that . . . I think that there is something about it that's so unique and it's so necessary to remember again.

Ms. Tippett: I always see you also insisting that music is about waking up. I mean, I don't know if those two things have to be in tension, but I sense that, if you had to choose between transcendence and waking up and being right there in that moment, you would choose the latter. Just saying, I mean, live performance is as direct and awake and experience one hopes as anything we do.

Ms. Monk: That's also, again, so interesting because actually I don't see those two things as opposites. I actually think that, when you are that present and you are that awake and the audience actually experiences themselves, you know, the deepest part of themselves, then the whole situation becomes transcendent because we're not — the way we live our lives is not necessarily with that level of presence. . .

I think that sense of playfulness is the sense of being alive; that's another aspect of being awake and the fluidity. It's really about fluidity, about being so in the moment that you are in pinpoint focus, but at the same time, you're completely open to what the moment has to give you or to tell you. And I think that has to do with the playfulness and people can feel that. You know, I think that that's what you're giving an audience is that spirit of the give and take that playfulness implies.

. . . I lost my partner of 22 years, so that was a very — in a sense, that was the biggest wake-up call that I ever had in my life up to that point and probably from that point on because I think that, when you have that kind of loss, nothing can ever be the same. . . . [T]hat . . . is the beauty of knowing that we will be here and gone. You know, the light goes on and the little light bulb goes off, but you leave love behind. I mean, really when it comes down to it, you just leave love behind.

If you'd like to read/hear the entire interview and/or some of Ms. Monk's music, they are available here.

Anger Management

I thought you might be interested to see what Obama really means according to Kay & Peele. Somehow Andy found this comedy team on the web.

St. Francis' Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.


Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Not so sure of the eternal life part, but the rest of the prayer struck home with me today as I watched the wonderful Independent Lens episode on Barbara Smith. Catch the whole episode if you can on your local PBS affiliate.

Watch When I Rise - I Felt So Betrayed on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.

Sacralization an demonization

I've been struggling the past few weeks with my feelings brought about by having to spend my trip home from orchestra rehearsals with an orchestra member whom I really share little in common and who's opinions, on politics & religion are at loggerheads with mine. One helpful article I've read is a recent Yoga Journal submission on the "shadow slelf." More on that when I can find a good website since I don't seem to be able to upload .pdf files of the article here.

Another enlightening moment was watching the following Bill Moyer interview with Jonathan Haidt who explores the psychological underpinnings of political opinions, a salient feature of which is that the moment you "sacralize" something, it blinds you to any flaws. And when you demonize someone, that keeps you from seeing their humanity. I'm not sure I totally agree with him about his "groupish" idea. It seems to me one significant different between liberals' and conservatives' idea of group is simply the scope they allow the concept of "us". It's still early days for me thinking about Haidt's ideas so perhaps over time he'll sway me. I hope you'll take the time to watch the interview.

How do Conservatives and Liberals See
the World?

Happy dance

After a killing spree has left her son, David, in the dumps, in an attempt to lift his spirits, Maureen Sowerbutts puts on their happy tape & they dance along.



Part of BBC's funny if dark series, Psychoville.