Peter's Epistle - A 156 Week Offering

Entertaining Ourselves to Extinction

2010-03-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

March 12, 2010

I like to be entertained and a good laugh can melt the most hardened feelings or attitudes. Humor is an essential ingredient in a balanced life, and when I find myself taking myself or the issues too seriously there is always a member of the family to encourage me to ‘lighten up.’ Point well taken, and I recognize humor’s prominent role in a healthy life; that being said, we, the human family especially in developed nations, are on a dangerous path towards entertaining ourselves to extinction.

Perhaps providentially, though I am certain the creators of the two popular reality shows named ‘Survivor’ and ‘Lost’ had no idea that their shows were pointing the way towards the challenging years ahead. Already, we think of people surviving, or barely surviving in many parts of Africa, and now our awareness has grown of the plight of the Haitians. Islands in the Pacific watching water levels creep across their sand bar homes are starting to talk about survival. For many of us, our hearts are softened by the images we see on television, but the long term response to the trajectory we are on has been to increase access to that which entertains and amuses us; rather than to educate ourselves to enlightenment and understanding of the issues compromising the integrity of millions across the globe.

Technologic innovation, television programming, movies story lines and production, best selling authors, countless magazines, and even the presentation of the religious message have all been packaged to entertain. Watch the TV programming guide cycle through its offering and you are privileged to hours and hours of often mindless entertainment. Occasionally educational programming suspends my channel surfing and I watch a National Geographic Special on polar bears, or listen to Jeff Corwin lament about vanishing species, or admire cogent commentary on the health care plan; but more often than not I am forced to listen to sound bites and the entertainers posing as journalists. And our gadgets, my goodness, a phone has now become a directional GPS, a link to everyone we have ever known, and a window into the world of websites far and wide. We can attach our Game boy to the TV, play countless games on Wii and amuse ourselves forever with DVD’s CDs, Ipods, and countless other marvels of modern minds. I too like my music but a record player still works, and a phone is not different than 100 years ago in terms of end result; except for the fact that our telephone # on Cape Cod used to be 431 and now it is so long that I can not remember it. Yes, I can entertain myself all day long on my daughter’s I phone!

In addition, and this phenomenom is growing; I don’t know about you, but the internet and the game machines are addicting. I know addiction. I am addicted to searching for old magazines. Not a bad thing in itself, but the addiction side is very interesting to note. I can not seem to go more than a day or two without checking EBay to see what is new. Have I become a part of my own self fulfilling prophecy – am I entertaining myself to extinction?

A wise mentor once reminded me that certain behaviors can be addicting, rarely our relationships – the exact quote was: “Peter, work is addicting, marriage is not.” I now add, entertainment is addicting and often the couple seeing me for some advanced marital training or a marriage check up complain of the hours dedicated to entertainment, rather than partner participation in shared activities. Breakdown of family is high on the list of people reflecting on modern life, and when examined TV, or our entertainment gadgets are often a baby sitter. Cars now have TV’s in the back seats so our children can watch videos or movies, play games, and not have to interact with anyone for hours on end. Has the internet become a necessity, and is face book replacing face to face interaction with family and friends? I think we all know the answer and the acceleration of the extinction of playing outside and getting in touch with nature is already underway.

Are we entertaining ourselves too much? Is that even possible?

The facts: Who get the big salaries in our culture? Celebrity corporate executives, professional athletes, movie, TV, and radio personalities – NOTE: when a culture pays Howard Stern 500 million dollars to entertain us with inappropriate behavior, language, innuendo and salacious offerings on a 24/7 basis you know we have slid into the extinction track. Our young watch hours and hours of television, much of which is designed to sell more stuff to them via advertising that seems to increase in frequency and intensity every year; and why? - so the young can be entertained some more, rather than educated to the reality they will face.

Is entertaining ourselves to extinction simply another way of saying we are fiddling while Rome burns, or arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? When I ask myself this question I am quick to discover I need to be very conscious of the allocation of my time. Wasting time is now bred into us. Once I, we, own this behavior it will lose its power over us. If not, we, you and I both, are contributing to the extinction of our own species. Amen!

Environmental Olympics

2010-03-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

March 5, 2010

There is no such thing as an environmental Olympics, yet what is it going to take to get all the nations of the world to gather in one place to celebrate how unity out of diversity is possible when discussing our common interest in a healthy home?

The concluding ceremony of the Olympics in Vancouver, after the single greatest hockey game ever played, in the estimation of the experts, and this Connecticut Yankee who grew up skating on the North – South ponds in Short Hills, New Jersey, presented all the athletes marching together with smiles as wide as the Pacific on their faces. Now a blending of amateurs and professional athletes, the spirit of competition over, the final night could be a model for the world.

How about a competition on cleaning up a continent? What about teams working together to build a dam, construct a series of water works for irrigation, fashion school rooms out of locally obtained materials, develop sustainable gardens where easy access eliminates fossil fuel transportation of food? Instead of small pockets of Peace Corps type projects that make a difference, but are not of the scale and scope to shift the paradigm, why not Global Environmental Olympic events?

National resources, financial, educational, and certainly technological are poured into creating success on the bobsled track, or the Nordic combined so that our total medal count becomes a part of our national pride. I cheered when our 5 foot 7 inch ‘skipper’ of the sled won the Gold Medal. I applauded Bodi Miller for being the comeback kid and Shawn White for doing tricks on the snow board that no one even dreamed was possible as both took another Gold. I was proud of them, appreciative of our country devoting energy to their success, and wishful that we could all pour ourselves in to fixing the planet; beginning in the villages and cities where we all live.

Let’s start with a National Olympic Environmental program! Each state could compete for the Gold Silver and Bronze in a multitude of categories. How about solar installations? Victory Gardens? Alternative fueling Stations? Number of Electric Vehicles? Number of Vegetarians – each category could have local winners from the towns, then the over-all winner from the state, and then the national winner would get the Gold!

This is not idle chatter to amuse, but rather the outline of a blueprint that will be required sooner or later. We may not have ice in the same old places a hundred years from now. Our climate change under-way may dictate that certain countries can no longer host the Olympics because the snows at the ski resort did not return. If glaciers retreat, and snow packs shift locations, we may not be able to adjust or adapt fast enough; thus, the creation of a competitive and fun way to make a difference might be worth exploring. In the meantime – Hooray for all the athletes who participated. I wish I had been born a few years later so I could have tried the half-pipe with the double-triple mactwist, or whatever!

Lunch

2010-03-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

February 26, 2010

Is there anything better in life than enjoying a meal with family or good friends? I enjoy ‘breaking bread’ with friends at noon, in part because I have a chance to work or walk off the indulgent calories, it is usually less costly than dinners, and we are more on top of our game midday than at night. I have taken to heart the idea that we should eat breakfast like a king, enjoy lunch like a knight, and refrain at dinner like a pauper.

I offer a caveat associated with lunching with me. The urgency of shifting our strategies as a human family has prompted my willingness to confront both my own behavior and that of my friends. A long time ago I recognized that a guiding principle that can transform lives is for one who cares to be able to confront. If I did not give a darn about the future of my grandchildren I would probably be playing gin rummy at the club; or indulging in some self absorbing ritual. I care about tomorrow for them, and thus I am risking confronting those systems that will prevent their having a healthy life today.

As warned by those who have experienced grandchildren before me, “they will change your life.” Yes indeed, for the last 10 years my inner angst has been about the future of 3 young children that call me Popeye; thus a constant evaluation of my attempt to make a difference in this world has become the primary focus of my life.

Here is where lunch comes in to play. I have now begun to ask our grandparent friends of their concern for tomorrow’s generations; and what, if anything we should all be doing? I intone poetically that bridge, endless travel, golf, and the pursuit of hobbies will not get the job done; though I must admit I like all of the above. Furthermore, adults do not need to be informed by another pretty sunset, magical fjord, African animal, mountain stream, or Cape Cod day – we’ve been there, done that and our touch with nature has informed us forever. But what about our grandkids having those same teachers?

I remember catching an 10 lb bluefish off of Monomoy Point, Cape Cod, only to return it to the sea explaining to my children that the fatty tissue of the larger blues contain pcb’s in quantities unsafe if consumed regularly. I caught these very tasty fish as a boy – now we only take the 4-7 ‘pounders’ and are careful to remove all the dark meat before eating. Yet, I want my grandkids to experience the pleasure of fishing for dinner.

Thus, in this context my lunch with good friend, and former children’s movie and television executive Bill Bauman resulted in an examination of his retirement plans; and mine as well. He is a bit younger, and looks it, and when he told me he had joined the Art Council of Cincinnati, I cared enough to confront. He has three grandchildren as well. Wrong answer - I thought to myself – he was joining the age-old paradigm for retiring executives - to serve on art, hospital, music, theater etc. boards is standard retirement practice.

Nothing wrong with this in principle and the arts need support, and Katy and I surround ourselves with art in our home, but the culturally accepted behavior is not enough; and in some cases it is almost like whittling on the front porch as the house burns to the ground.

It is clearer by the year that every able bodied voice must join the chorus, in one’s own unique way, to sustain the future. A good chorus, a well tuned orchestra consists of diversity of talents, voices, and instruments enabling harmony. Every person counts today. No one should be left behind as we build a full participation chorus echoing the cry – ‘this is not about us – we have already experienced the joy of creation; it is now our grandchildren’s turn.’

Call me for lunch – let’s talk.

Odd Word – Oikos – Good Word

2010-02-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

February 19, 2010

Complex issues need bridge builders, persons who can take the esoteric and often complicated ideas and simplify them, so that the common folk, like most of us, can understand the issues more easily. Two people along my path, Dr. John Cobb and Mary Nichols, helped me begin to crystallize my ideas about the collapsing of creation. Today, with all the phony trumped up charges against legitimate science, we certainly need bridge scientists and bridge ecologists who can clarify the complex crisis you and I have helped create.

Dr. John Cobb wrote several important books, but the one he wrote in 1970 with the prophetic title Is it Too Late? got my attention immediately. I discovered Cobb in the early 80’s, but after his 1989 lectures at my parish of St. Matthew’s in Pacific Palisades California I was forever in his debt. His profound yet simple approach captivated the early adopters in our parish community. I have tried to emulate this man of the cloth who saw that the preservation of creation was the most important theological issue of our, or for that matter, any generation.

He began (and I paraphrase): Economics and Ecology come from the same Greek word oikos; meaning household. Economics is the management of the business side of the household as ecology is the understanding of the biological side of the household. Our only house is mother earth and sound management practices are essential. The practice of business must always take into account the impact on the biological if we are to maintain planetary balance. Respected scientists point to the increasing disequilibrium, that is the un-balancing of the natural in our world, in part because we have favored economics over ecology to the detriment of the whole. Balance is beauty, and as we pollute the skies, sully the waters, and destroy the forests the balance disappears with the beauty. We see it, we smell it, and we taste it and all because the management of the household has not taken into account the link between ecology and economics.

As awareness grows, and as we become more in tune with our complicity in the loss of the beauty of creation we will recognize and accept that all business practices will of necessity be measured against the environmental consequences of our actions. All endeavors can not be separated from the earth’s story and one day soon all decisions will be made based upon this awareness. Currently we are beginning to hear concepts like thru-put cost, closed loop manufacturing or farming, sustainable business practices, and resource management; each indicating that ecology management is working alongside sound business models.

This was all reinforced at lunch one day with leading environmental policy maker and nationally prominent leader Mary Nichols. In her charming direct way she looked at me and intoned: “Peter if your focus is going to be on the environment, eventually you will have to deal with our economic systems.”

All of us have scales that cover our eyes, and occasionally as we age some fall to help us see more clearly. Thankfully, over 20 years ago Cobb and Nichols helped me realize that corporations, companies and the capitalists who run them must not put profit ahead of protection of our fragile island home; - this message should be preached and promoted passionately. The greening of business is starting to take hold, yet the paradigm shift that will place preservation and protection ahead of profit is only beginning to be acknowledged. This, the only business model that is truly sustainable, does not deny profit, but places an emphasis on the balance between ecology and economics – this can be the guiding light for the 21st century and beyond.

Oikos, a strange word indeed, but one that brings into focus how all aspects of life on our fragile island home are interrelated; especially economics and ecology; or as the jingle goes: “You can’t have one without the other.”

Prayer Breakfasts

2010-02-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

February 12, 2010

Prayer is not going to get the job done, yet once again the religious community gathers in Washington DC under the pretext of lobbying whoever will listen, that climate change is an important issue. No problem with the premise, but the strategy is the old paradigm, too late. Prayer breakfast as a way of showcasing talent has been the strategy of the conservative, albeit reactionary religious community for years. Many marquee names of the stalwarts of the so-called and self labeled ‘moral majority’, which was neither, would offer their particular list of grievances at the breakfast held every February and then ask God to make sure they get their wish by advocating for a particular political candidate. Yes, this was how it worked. What was interesting, besides this inappropriate melding of church and state, was that the President would attend, thereby legitimizing something that in its very name speaks of lobbying God? As hard as people may pray, God is above the efforts of lobbyists, regardless of their religious stature or following or eloquence.

The God I worship is present at every breakfast, and if you believe that God is omnipresent the mere invocation of God’s name at a designated breakfast says more about the participants than God. I have been invited to The Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC on numerous occasions and this week the religious community for ‘climate change action’ (my italics and emphasis) is meeting in Washington while honoring the pioneering NASA climatologist James Hanson. This week they are debating how many prayers to have at the beginning of the breakfast. (I might suggest they also limit the words each prayer giver can use for my fellow clergy are not known to be brief when a pulpit is extended to them for advocacy.) This style of breakfast is more in keeping with my personal beliefs, I know several of the key organizers and I respect their progressive and thoughtful religious agenda, yet I can’t legitimately point the finger at one prayer breakfast contingent while honoring the other.

I admire this group of clergy working hard on key environmental issues like forest preservation and climate change, and they are representing many different denominations, and religious communities. I joined with them in Washington DC a couple of years to lobby the World Bank, and I appreciate the direction they have taken to awaken fellow people of faith communities to the seriousness of the issues. I have also lobbied them, albeit without much success to put teeth into their rhetoric. I have implored them to consume less, eat lower on the food chain, give up beef altogether and become noisy – radical advocates for God’s creation are needed because the old paradigm of being ‘nice clergy, priests and rabbi’s’ is not getting the job done. Once again, I am afraid, is that the safe approach seems to be more comfortable for most. Radical activism has been negated by more pressing issues such as who should give what prayer at the breakfast; a bit of tongue in cheek, but the time for prayer has come and gone.

I smile inwardly knowing that over 20 years ago a broad spectrum of religious communities began to pray, sing, dance, and preach about God’s garden and what the human family is doing to exploit it for short term gain and long term pain. Like many others, I drafted worship services with environmental themes, wrote new creeds with an environmental focus and promoted prayer on behalf of all God’s creatures. Many across religious lines wrote resolutions for conventions, offered specific guidelines to churches for retrofitting to save energy, crafted environmentally focused and thoughtful Sunday school curricula, and honored Earth Day with congregational participation on many levels; yet, when all the smoke clears from our frenzied activities one can not see any more clearly today than 20 years ago, for the potential for a sustainable future is still way up in the clouds someplace.

The time has come to stop praying, or praying with a different focus, so that our energies are released to be more Jesus like, if we are Christian, or Moses like if we are Jewish, or Buddha like or Mohammed like if we are from the Buddhist or Islamic traditions. Look at their lives - when synthesized we see an over-throw of the ruling elite, the criticism of the establishment where corruption rules, and a revolution of thought that places equity and justice above all else should be our prime focus as religious people.

As a Christian priest my prayer is that we wake up and be more Christ like (in the sense of an archetypical role model) and not emasculate the message to fit our political agenda. Jesus used parables to teach, parables with nature as the context, and revolution to awaken a new paradigm for the modern world. Without question, the models, the archetypical human expression of the divine is not represented in any one figure but in the collective, and when we put the collective together, adding in perhaps Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King (with all their human shortcomings and frailties) we get a sense of what we are called to be. Each stepped out from their culture to challenge with love in their hearts.

Prayer breakfasts were probably not high on the agenda of those who have walked a path wide enough for millions to follow. Pick a person, know their story, and build personal confidence that revolution is a viable answer and methodology – for in each of the above, revolting against something defined their mission, as did our ancestors around, oh say 1776. Oddly enough, all cited had a different approach or relationship with the One to whom everyone prays at Prayer Breakfasts.

Think Now or (Just Perhaps) For Ever Hold Your Peace

2010-02-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

We are a nation dependent on the automobile, a convenience that has benefited our culture in many wonderful ways; however, with several un-intended consequences the ‘back story’ is very prominent today:

1. pollution
2. endless lines of cars choking our highways and by-ways and slowing commutes across America to a crawl.
3. and, we have grown to worship that which in its present form stifles freedom and limits the quality of life.

However, our millions of cars could be moving bill boards; daily reminders of the job we all have at hand. The idea: Let’s turn lemons into lemonades and plaster bumper stickers, made out of recycled hemp on our bumpers, slogans that educate and motivate all of us to become pro-active on behalf of creation. You know: Give a hoot, don’t pollute. Earth day every day! Only you can prevent forest fires. Reinforcing the validity of systemic behavioral change is essential; and if everyone is on board change will happen.

Think globally and act locally was indeed one such auto adornment, a bumper stick I still see on the Prius or electric vehicle; and a bumper sticker and slogan that has endured the test of time. However, as rainforests rapidly disappear, fish stocks are over-drawn, water supplies diminish and the global atmosphere changes we need to both think and act globally, now – today and not tomorrow for tomorrow will be too late.

A few weeks ago the intrepid defender of whales, Captain Paul Watson, had one of his ships rammed and sunk by the illegal Japanese whaling fleet. Relentless in their baloney scientific justification scam, the Japanese should be held accountable for diminishing the quality of the global family as they exterminate whales for no reasonable purpose. They hunt in protected waters thousands of miles from home and thankfully, Captain Watson is acting globally, on our behalf. Blessings to this man and his international crew. I think about a planet without whales, and Watson is acting on their on our behalf on a daily basis.

Nearer home, yet far away, the Amazon and Congo rainforests are still under siege. Out of sight, out of mind, yet these lungs of the planet when gone will dictate the quality of air living creatures breathe across the globe. It is no longer a ‘so what’ if another acre is lost to cattle crazing to grow burgers for the fast food outlets. The global loss of these fragile eco-systems demand action. I act local and have eliminated beef from my diet. Is that enough?

My dad lost a lung to lung cancer at age 51. He died at 89 so I knew him for many years existing on one lung. Besides the diminished quality of life, he was never the same after that operation. Let’s say the globe loses one of the two lungs – the Congo rainforest goes; or the Amazon, or God forbid, both – what will the quality of life look like on planet earth?

We have to “sink” the man made carbon (that is put it someplace) from our fossil fuel addiction, and the zooplankton and phytoplankton in the sea, coupled with the soil and trees of the land have been the Creator’s gift for consistent absorption; but taking away ‘the carbon sinks’ at the rate we are doing it is courting disaster. (At this point someone always says ‘you are all gloom and doom’ – not so – we can give up eating at fast food restaurants, eliminating cattle consumption all together; eliminate soil contaminants on our lawns and gardens and plant trees – yes, we can make a difference – this is a way to act globally).

Back to the magnificent whales: I have been privileged to watch gray whales cavort in the Baja, pods of Orca’s in the San Juan’s of Washington and Canada, right whales off Cape Cod at Stellwagon Bank and breaching whales off Maui. A few years ago I was privileged on Earth Talk Today to host Captain Paul Watson. We watched video he supplied, watched with tears in our eyes, as the slaughter was documented – innocent creatures of the deep symbolic of the majesty of all creation slaughtered for no reason other than sushi satisfaction at home.

Is it time to say no more Japanese cars in our garages, Japanese cameras in our hands, Japanese TV’s on our walls, or Japanese computers at our desks? Does that really mean no Sony, Honda, Nikon, Mitsubishi, etc. etc. etc? Think globally and act locally is what we can do because our choices matter. You decide!

Paul Watson, far from family and friends, risking life to save the lives of strangers, who just happen to be the largest creatures to have ever lived on the earth. In addition, thanks to Atossa Soltani of Amazon Watch and all those who fight to save the rainforest – our lungs of the planet.

Act globally - not so hard when you really stop and think about it.

Let the Wise Teach

2010-01-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

January 29, 2010

The world mourned the loss of the remarkable ‘giant of a man’, yet small in stature, Mahatma Gandhi, on January 30th, 1948 – 62 years ago. Gandhi was an early personal hero of mine, and during my sojourn in India I made a pilgrimage to his simple shrine in August of 1963. Today, he is one we need to clone, not Dolly the sheep.

I have found that when in critical periods in a person’s life journey the ability to draw upon the wisdom keepers becomes essential in rising from the challenge. All of us have those significant role models who have spoken to us during our lives and it is important that their eternal life be acknowledged through our reflection upon their words and deeds. Turning back the pages of time to reflect on the teachings from those who came before us is prudent and guides us through turbulent times. History should never be forgotten or dismissed, but built upon thoughtfully, and consistently. Personal history with our unique mentors is especially critical to tap into on a regular basis.

I was lucky, both my parents were well liked by me and others, and brought different gifts to the table in our home. I have always counseled others when examining their life script to take the good, discard the bad from the past, and build one’s own story. That is good advice about one’s own family story.

Other voices have spoken to me through my journey and Dr. John Seeley, my mentor and friend for 30 years emboldened me to seek the highest good in all that I do. His life was exemplary on many levels, and his perspective on the world shaped who I am today. I was fortunate to be able to sit at his feet for 30 years. Today, because of my Tribrach (3 footed poetic symbol) of maladies I feel the highest good is to affirm the teachings of my mentors and write until my carpel tunnel syndrome debilitates me.

All of us, I imagine, look to individuals who we’ve never had the chance to meet personally, but in some way influenced our lives or have honed our understanding of the human story; one such individual for me, as I mentioned, was Mohandas K. Gandhi of Kenya and India. History most often reflects that his actions spoke louder than his words, but he had some pretty remarkable statements that became part of the public discourse. One such gem:

“It has often occurred to me that a seeker after truth has to be silent,” he once wrote.

I have never been surer of that ‘pearl of wisdom’ as I am right now in the year 2010. The noise around us is ever present, increasingly contradictory, often inflammatory, and on a regular basis not helpful to discerning truth, in any area. Thus, taking the gift of silence, or rather having me seek the opportunity to find silence, has become essential in wading through the volumes of rhetoric, just from blogs alone.

The idea that silence could be a viable option and a useful tool for me personally was probably when I was seated in a room with six other individuals and Dr. John O’Hearne in Kansas City Missouri in 1970.

Granted I knew the concept from scripture about being quiet so the still small voice of God could penetrate, and this was always in the back of my mind, but when Dr. John stood and faced me and stated: “Kreitler, what you need is 10 minutes a day to restore your island quality” I took notice. I have never forgotten the admonition from my 5 year guide in my personal transactional development training. He recognized my type A personality, or my hyper-activity, and cautioned that I better get in touch with my inner self and allowing myself a simple 10 minutes a day should do the trick. Nothing fancy or esoteric, a simple slow day, smell the roses and set aside time was all that he promoted for me.

An island is a beautiful thing to behold – restore your island quality - and a metaphor for peace, tranquility and a place to which many of us wish to travel for our time of relaxation and renewal. How many times we long to go to the Islands be they in the Caribbean, off Cape Cod, or in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There is a reason we like islands – our time there restores us.

Ironically, it is now the island states of the world that are raising their voices the loudest at international conferences because sea level rise is starting to compromise their very existence. If we lose the islands of the world are we not losing a part of ourselves as well?

Thus, being quiet like an island has therapeutic and metaphorical value for all of us. If we are seeking truth; or attempting to educate ourselves to truths in many sectors, are we remiss unless we set aside time to be silent? Can I, can any of us, find truth unless we meditate, pray, reflect, or quietly muse about life’s challenges? Gandhi obviously devoted much of his energy to being still – perhaps the key to his inner strength that enabled him to confront power so eloquently in word and deed.

The dilemma for me recently becomes how to deal with the anger I feel when in silence? My mind races with the idea, for example, that another island community may disappear under the waves, as did Lohachara in 2007, or an indigenous plateau tribe in the Andes losing their source of water and having to relocate; I feel angry that inter-generational environmental equity is no longer possible for many in the world. Yet, the silence helps me return to equilibrium – the silence helps me restore my own island quality.

Like any person of hope, who sees the glass half full, I will try time and time again to absorb the wisdom of those who have come before, who during difficult times rose above the clamor and found new direction; and resonate with these words in particular:

“I have learnt through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power which can move the world.”

Guess Who? Mahatma Gandhi

50 Million Blogs

2010-01-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2010

The democratization of the internet has happened. Every second of every day two more blogs are created. There are 1.6 million postings each day; that is 18 per second daily. How on earth amidst the cacophony of voices offering millions of words does one discern truth from fiction, wisdom from opinion, and sound reason from shoot from the hip verbiage? If there are 50 million plus blogs and growing the still small voice will be increasingly hard to hear; much less being able to listen to meaningful reflection by thoughtful people on the world around us. Discerning truth has become a full time job.

The time has come for writers to become activists, professors of thought doers of deeds, and those who pen these mountains of material conscientious patriots for the common good. Recapturing the ‘lost mind’ will require the concerted efforts of thousands of like minded people willing to risk much for the sake of the whole.

It has been said that a patriot is one who loves his or her country both in word and in deed. I like patriotism. Not knee jerk jingoism based on empty slogans like ‘love it or leave it,’ but loving the virtues of this nation so much that we rise above the petty discourse and speak truth to power; wherever and whenever needed. Criticism, direct, confrontational or couched in politically correct terminology may also be a valid expression, or a patriotic gesture when confronting misdeeds of individuals, institutions or parties. And today, the Lord knows, there is enough malfeasance in many sectors requiring millions to become heroic, blow the whistle, sound the alarm, and become frankly, unreasonable; but with peace, and non-violence in our hearts at all times while holding the pen used to benefit the whole.

As a 40 year priest of the Episcopal church, and one who is proud of our heritage of honoring scripture, tradition and reason, I feel perhaps what is really needed is a re-writing of all religions scriptures to reflect the times; yes, putting effort into defining God’s will, or the creator’s intentions, in line with the reality of today. The Old Ten Commandments should not be thrown aside with disdain, but rather re-worked to help us cope with the changing times. What about #6 that says Thou shall not kill: We have so many caveats with that one that perhaps it no longer belongs. Heck we justify war, self defense killing, blowing up our enemies who have done us harm – while forgetting that all of that goes against the whole idea of turning one’s cheek or forgiving. Violence always begets violence and leads to escalation and annihilation eventually; that is especially relevant today as technology has produced un-intended consequences; i.e. it looks like we are destined to have everyone obtain weapons of mass destruction. And then how about thou shall not commit adultery – heck, 50 per cent of the population, and many self proclaimed ‘lovers of Jesus’ or ‘devotees of the Almighty’ have broken that one; and many on many occasions. Let’s start be saying ok – there are 8 commandments that I can buy into. Is it time to dump the Torah, or at least put it aside and start again? If we believe that God is a God of history then God did not stop acting in the lives of people thousands of years ago. Historical criticism demands that we put the story of the people of Israel in the context of the times.

In similar fashion, let’s select just the passages from the New Testament that are relevant for today. Narrowing down the text from 66 books to let’s say 7 might be the best place to start. Genesis, Psalms, Job, and Amos for starters; then a little Mark, one of Paul’s letters and something from the Apocrypha. That should be sufficient to get the idea of our Judeo-Christian heritage.

Truth or tongue in cheek; or simply a way to get noticed amidst the 50,000,000 voices world wide who are venting, sharing opinions, presenting good science and important facts, challenging entrenched ideologies, or sounding off annoying somebody? I can remember the pundits telling me repeatedly that I needed a little controversy on Earth Talk Today – you know counterpoint to the environmental information; I resisted because the argument is not 50-50, but rather 3% vs. 97%

Who has time to read 50 million blogs, much less 50,000 or 500 or even 5 a day when we are so busy writing our own? Thus, I will try and reflect on the wisdom of others gleaned from 67 years of observing the human story from within. Experience does not count unless we reflect on our experiences, so my 156 week offering is basically built upon reflections.

The next few paragraphs may get me in trouble, but the good books of the past need to be approached with respect and reason. Professors from Brown and Virginia Theological Seminary encouraged historical and literary criticism making sure we understood the context of the ancient writings. Warned repeatedly that there are many who take the Bible literally, I could understand, but not accept, those who justified slavery based on the book of Philemon and Onesimus, the slave who was told to be loyal to his master? In addition, the story of Adam and Eve was a myth that pointed to truth but was not true. Thus, scripture required being ‘handled’ thoughtfully. In so doing the commandment from Genesis to Avodah and shomer creation became instrumental in defining my writings, readings and thought processes from the very beginnings of my life. Keep and serve the gift was the clear directive to all Adams and all Eves forever.

How can anyone refute that directive? Pundits, highly paid media personalities, scientists hired by industries and others would lead us to believe it is not necessary to participate in the preservation of creation because either nature will do what she must do or God will intervene to fix the mess. If that were the case I would be on one of those island nations in the Maldives snorkeling with the coral reef fish families. No, we are complicit in the collapse, and right from Genesis is our clear marching orders - take care of our fragile island home; probably the only one we will ever find that can sustain our kind of life.

I believe the precautionary principle is linked to Genesis. My writings for three years will reflect that link. Changing my behavior one day at a time while not being afraid to condemn, criticize, cajole, and correct the behavior of others is a tall order not without its pitfalls and detractors. Yet, if we all sit back and decide not to decide our children and their offspring will say: What happened to Creation?

Environmental Headlines: What does it take to get our attention?

2010-01-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

January 15, 2010

Newspaper headlines attract my attention immediately. The headlines about Haiti and the plight of the nation and the people are heart wrenching. My business partner in Optimum Yield, our fledgling organic fertilizer company was to have gone to Haiti the evening of the earthquake. He has worked with the people there for 30 years, speaks their language, has many friends; including the former President Aristide. Parenthetically, my sister-in-law Elizabeth Kreitler, my brother Jay’s wife, is a leading FEMA search and rescue expert and she has been there with her dog Racker since Wednesday. (They were featured on CNN searching the collapsed UN building.) She is no stranger to the chaos following human made or natural disasters as she was on the scene at the Pentagon at 9/11, in New Orleans for Katrina, and Nairobi Kenya after the bombing of our embassy. This will be her most challenging and sad assignment ever; based on the Headlines we have all read. We are very proud of Elizabeth and her dogs (as well as the many search and rescue volunteers from around the globe) for their incredible service to our country, and most especially on behalf of the people trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings and crumbled lives.

Ironically, I was writing about headlines for today’s Epistle when the tragedy occurred - I continue my thoughts. It seems the bigger they are, The Headlines, the more likely we are to read them. In similar fashion, the more acute the medical report the greater the likelihood we pay attention to our personal well being. A heart attack is the biggest headline, but being told you have an incurable cancer ranks pretty high on the ‘get one’s attention’ list. In our interpersonal lives the headlines can also be dramatic such as ‘honey, I’ve filed for divorce.’ Headlines come at us all the time in life, and yet the 64,000 dollar question remains: What does it take to get us to pay attention?

Listening for a living for 40 years has necessitated reading for information and knowledge. I will never achieve the accumulated wisdom of my 30 year mentor Dr. John Seeley who died at 95, in part because he read every day, beginning at 4:30 am; heck that is usually about the time I make a nightly visit to the bathroom, but I will try and the headlines are always duly noted.

Here are a few headlines that have come across my desk in the past 3 years or so.

“13 Years to Turn Around Global Warming”
London Financial Times, May 5, 2007

“Global Crisis to Strike by 2030”
BBC News, March 20, 2009

“An Island Made by Global Warming”
The Independent, April 24, 2007

“Sea Level Rise Could Flood Many Cities”
Associated Press, September 22, 2007

And now for the bad news!

“Mass Extinction Looming Nearer” with the wonderful subtitle “Carbon Emissions Creating Acidic Oceans Not Seen Since Dinosaurs”
The Manchester Guardian, March 10, 2009

“We are Breeding Ourselves to Extinction”
Truthdig.com, author Chris hedges is a graduate of The Harvard Divinity School

I must admit I have been reticent to share the headlines during the past twenty years. Either branded as ‘chicken little’ crying out “the sky is falling” or simply trying to scare people, it has been a lose-lose situation trying to explain what I have been reading. Even when I share this ‘stuff’ with our well educated, well read daughter she exclaims:

“Dad, you are always seeing the glass half full.”

I can not blame her for this reaction as it mirrors the sentiments of many friends and acquaintances, yet going public with the environmental headlines can no longer be considered optional, but mandatory.

Read the above headlines from reputable sources and spend a moment inwardly digesting the meaning behind the words. Should every single human being be concerned, or should we continue to have the debate that the environmentalists are the fringe element of society? It is strange for me to accept denial as a criteria for letting the collapse of creation continue, but Thomas of Biblical fame doubted even when seeing the evidence – thus, I understand how even headlines are discounted on a regular basis by many.

I have decided to keep reading the headlines and redirecting my actions in accordance with the headlines as our nation, our relief agencies, and thousands of caring souls put down what they are doing and respond to the Headline that reads: The People of Haiti need our help; and respond we must.

The back story about Haiti is that their headlines for years have also read of abject poverty, environmental destruction of forests, soils, coastal eco-systems, and their nation falling into and remaining in 3rd world classification. What will it take to pay attention to the collapsing infrastructure around the globe? What will it take?

New Year’s Revolutions

2010-01-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

January 8, 2010

In the good ole’ days January 1 seemed to pack all the football bowl games into one day. Now stretched out over two weeks, the New Year “2010” kicked off with literally dozens of kick offs. We watched Ohio beat Oregon, Florida clobber another Ohio team, an Idaho team come out on top of a Texas team, and a Georgia team lose to an Iowa team; just to name a few; with finally yesterday the culmination of another year of college football as another Texas team dueled Alabama.

State by state we support our teams, and rightfully so, but the commercialization of college football reminds me of a warning I gave to myself years ago in the form of a series of lectures – “we will either entertain ourselves to extinction or educate ourselves to enlightenment.” I am sure this theme will one day be a whole column, but once again this New Year’s resolution is along the lines of more education and less entertainment; though I like watching football – that is with the sound off.

As I reflected on my experience with resolutions I perhaps like most have had some success. Weight loss or exercise promises seem to last awhile, but the big issue resolutions never seem to come to fruition – you know ushering in world peace or changing the paradigm so that all we do fosters the health of creation and its perpetuation.

But, the most telling story happened over 40 years ago.

I was asked to preach at St. John’s Lafayette Square across from the White House around New Year’s. Naturally, I wove the theme of resolutions into my sermon and though nervous felt I had ‘nailed it.’ As we left the sanctuary to de-robe the rector John Harper commented coolly “Peter, did you realize that on more than one occasion you substituted the word revolution for resolution.” Embarrassed, I went from supreme confidence to the goat of the day, one who blew it.

Simultaneous to my Freudian slip of the tongue sermon, Robert F. Kennedy’s little book Promises to Keep was published.

“The great challenge before us is the revolution within our gates” wrote Kennedy referring to the struggle of black Americans for full equality and freedom.

The revolution within our gates must today come in the form of over-throwing the complacency of Americans as a global collapsing of creation accelerates. Webster’s dictionary definition #4 of revolution is: “a complete or radical change of any kind.” Others however, opt for #5 as to defining what the revolution should look like: “overthrow of a government or social system by those governed and usually by forceful means.”

Revolution: peaceful, non-violent over-throw of the prevailing mindset that we are not complicit in the collapsing of God’s creation is the 1st order of business within our country. I, you, we are all contributors to the problem of environmental degradation. In part because of two related choices: We have bought into consumption as holy and we have willingly adopted entertainment as the ‘drug of choice’ that keeps us denying reality. Many even cheer at the buffoonery of ‘reality TV’ where individuals are encouraged to make fools of themselves; as we stand on the sidelines and cheer.

In other words, as Pogo said: “We have met the enemy and they are us.”

Is it really déjà vu all over again as we watch Nero fiddling while Rome burns? Are you and I really just twiddling our thumbs as others rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic? Are we literally entertaining ourselves to extinction? The answer from many scientists studying the planet is a resounding yes. I hope they are wrong for there is much to be done before the life rafts need to be deployed; but to further the analogy the iceberg has been hit; now what do we do is the question. Revolution of thought, leading revolution in deed is part of my New Year’s Resolution.

Resolving to read more, learn more, and write more, is given high priority. I have no desire to become a monk cloistered from the joy of grandkids, toys, or even TV; but I must be more discriminating while allocating my resources better. If I am going to be part of the change I want to see in the world my dietary, spending, and habits must change over-night. A radical shift of personal behavior is required of all of us leading to the systemic change of systems over-night.

Epistle #1 Genesis

2010-01-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2010

This year represents for me the beginning of the trinity of years that will define the future of the human family, and our partners in creation; that is all creatures who have been given life by the ruach elohim, the breath of the Creator. I will write weekly from January 1, 2010 until December 24, 2012. This three year period is the most significant block of time in my lifetime and I will pay homage to those who along the way have lifted me up and emboldened me to write and speak about this wonderful fragile island home we call creation.

I am one small voice amid the cacophony of sound blinding us to the reality of a gifted creation collapsing one calved glacier at a time. My voice may not be heard, and if heard discounted, but I am remiss if I do not ride through the tangled web of information and speak truth to power as I know it; for if I remain silent I let my children and grandchildren down. I have been complicit in the mess we are in; I am contrite and seek with this New Years resolution to do all in my power to reverse the process underway by affirming legendary David Brower’s admonition to bring CPR to our only home – conservation; preservation and restoration.
I look on my inherited garden, and will do so during the next 156 weeks as I write an epistle for your edification or criticism. Your anger at me, appreciation for me, belittlement, or disdain will not diminish nor enhance my resolve for I have with my own eyes witness creation collapsing on Cape Cod, my baseline, benchmark, and environmental point of reference for the last 67 years.

As I watch the National Geographic Channel in awe as to what is being documented around the globe, I realize as the huge chunks of ice and snow crash into the sea the attending noise is deafening, yet few are hearing its message. The earth is an intricate puzzle, and as John Donne reminded us years ago, ‘if a clod be washed away by the sea Europe is the less,’ and every crash of ice tells the story of a diminishing planet. The earth puzzle is an inter-related fabric, a design of incredible beauty, awe and majesty containing creatures great and small, in balance with nature’s bounty – an inherited puzzle where all belong, and one that has worked harmoniously to sustain life for eons of time. Today the pieces of the puzzle rapidly cascade in ever increasing amounts through our fingers and to the ground. The human family blessed with reason, memory and skill is unique in this creation, yet even we with our brains of immense ability can not, even with all the kings horses and all the king’s men, put the puzzle back together again. That being said, I honor and affirm the astounding efforts of millions of men and women dedicated to serving creation and creations offerings by living lightly on the planet and consciously recognizing one’s personal environmental footprint matters; but even to those dedicated rainbow warriors I encourage moving from personal change to systemic change as a focus overnight.

Every day is a gift. There is no discrimination when it comes to one day to the next for they all offer the potential for a self-affirming willingness to make a difference.

But, we can no longer rest on words, more scientific studies, or personal behavioral changes – though all are important and should continue. To remain as the ostrich with our head in the sand is equivalent to the behavior of lemmings running headlong into the sea, en masse.

To do nothing:

1. about over-population,

2. the ridiculous policies of church bodies,

3. the corruption within our political system to perpetuate the status quo,

4. industrial agriculture and its grip on world food supplies,

5. the no-limits to growth capitalism that is unsustainable,

6. the selfish consumerism promoted as a right by birth in this country,

7. the misguided belief that personal salvation is sufficient in God’s eye,

8. the discounting of human behavior that has caused climate change and a warming of the planet,

9. the lack of justice where an obese population uses a disproportionate amount of the earth resources while millions are malnourished

10. and the absence of sacrifice, thrift, and service as the cornerstone of any environmental or patriotic ethic

Yes, these are some of the major sacred cows no one wants to talk about and if you do you are labeled, tarred and feathered, and eye contact disappears, even among friends. So here we go – unreasonable, unrelenting, and irascible from age 67 – 70; yes 2010 to 2012.

A commitment on behalf of all grandchildren; including mine: Theo, Belle and Megan.

A brief introduction to a 156 week offering called The Epistle

2010-01-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

The day I was diagnosed with an incurable form of lymphatic cancer called ‘mantle cell’ lymphoma I began writing about my experience, feelings and observations. I wrote on a daily basis until the day the doctors told me they could no longer detect any cancer. On that day I rejoiced and ceased ‘the blog.’ I wrote, finding in so doing a catharsis for the soul as well as perhaps offering others hope by following my daily journey with the disease. My body, spirit, and mind all needed a little conservation, preservation and restoration and now I remain cancer free. Halleluiah!

However, the fragile ecosystems that sustain my body are becoming increasingly hostile to my body and to the integrity of the whole we call creation. Contamination of soil and water jeopardizes our ability to sustain a food production system capable of sustaining all 6.8 billion of us on a daily basis. We already lament the cries of millions who have no access to clean water and are living on fewer calories than my mid-day snack. Issues complex and varied challenge even the healthiest among us while the fabric of the earth is being challenged at an ever accelerating rate. As the sea level rises attract the attention of the native Alaskan villagers and the Maldives Island inhabitants simultaneously the Bolivian forest dwellers and the Himalayan Tibetans watch in dismay as their sources of water disappear, global scientific research indicates few pockets or oasis remain not impacted by the collapsing of creation.

I take notice and thus start today with a weekly offering that will focus on the issues related to the environment as well as broader social issues affecting all. Has the earth been given what I was given by my doctors 4 years ago? I was told I had 10-12 years left (hopefully medical advances will push that out further as I attempt to eat right etc. to build my immune system); how many years are the scientists telling the human family we have to live without suffering the unintended consequences of our actions?

The compilation of my readings suggests that 2010 – 2012 will provide the answers to that question. Ironically 2012 marks the end of the early calendars of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. I am not a superstitious person, but the mere suggestion that at the end of this three year period may offer the human family definitive answers about the direction we are ended is worth noting in light of our Native American ancestors history.

January 1, 2010 today! 156 weeks later is just around the corner. Time to get to work!