Something Positive for a Change

For Once...

I just want to stop a moment and admire this photo of a thistle. It's really beautiful, colorful, and sort of peaceful in a way.

Whew, I mean it's like 24/7 that my brain is racing and I'm trying to figure life out. I have studied various religions, read books, participated in discussion groups, and mostly I have taken long walks and just pondered. I look around and there is so much I see in society that disgusts me. Now, I'm not talking about Hollywood, porno, and the usual crap. That's absolutely nothing. No, what disgusts me more than anything is the greed, selfishness, hypocrisy, and moral hollowness I see among my fellow Americans. Sure there are little sprouts of beauty like the thistle above, but that beautiful plant is in a vast field of wicked weeds.

In regards to the religion I grew up in, I really had it all wrong. I pictured Christians as these completely humble people who lived in harmony with each other and only cared about helping others. The Christians I envisioned did not care about material wealth — their existence was on a spiritual level. Yes, there are a few Christians like this, but man, what about the rest of you? What happened? What I see now are a bunch of materialism addicts who bash gays, subtly bash the poor and people of color, who worship sports and big screen TVs, who will kill you over a parking spot during Christmas season, who cozy up with the industrialists, who hate the environment, who are totally intolerant of people who disagree with them, who support the war and torture, who live for themselves, and then turnaround and judge me as a backslidden heathen.

Yes, if you think I'm a jaded idealist, that's because I am. That's because eight years ago I thought I could go out into the civic groups and churches and make a reasoned argument, and people would say, "Oh yeah, that makes sense" and then DO SOMETHING! For several years I gave slide presentations on urban sprawl. I spoke at various groups and made a convincing argument. I thought that the sprawl issue would be the first step toward the "waking up" of America. But even the activists, moderates, and progressives I spoke to said, "Wow, that's really a good slide show," and then went back to their ruts. I gave my slide show in front of local politicians, religious leaders, and even the freakin' Optimist Club! But what became of all this? Are growth patterns and development changing in my region? Not by much.

So, again, I just want to look at the picture above and just stare at it, and just feel happy. I want to pray for it, and I want to love it. Most of all, I want to pray for my two daughters because I love them most of all. I hope the world will be a better place for them.

The Yellow Canary