A Beautiful Thing, Part II

Photo of stained glass found on the internet

Being a rather practical soul, but nevertheless a soul who loves beauty in music, art, architecture and the word, I was happily surprised to find something about it in my devotional time recently, something that I'd not seen before.

In Matthew 26: 6 the story is told of a woman who interrupted a feast attended by Jesus. Her objective was to pour out very expensive perfume from an alabaster jar onto his head (other accounts tell of her spilling it on his feet as well, and wiping them with her hair). The disciples criticized this gesture.  "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

They were right. That perfume was worth a great deal. Couldn't she have accomplished more by not wasting it on a passing gesture, and instead have used the money for making a difference in the lives of the needy?

Jesus responded, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me."

It suddenly dawned on me that Jesus appreciated beauty when it was created as a gesture of love. Be it a musical offering, a work of art, or a piece of writing done in appreciation of God, the talent, time and effort are not wasted. Michaelangelo's four years spent on that scaffolding, painting a ceiling, were given to honor God. Many others have given of a grateful and worshiping heart in other ways. The fact that they produced a work of art while Mother Teresa produced a practical work of kindness, does not make one worth more or less than the other.

I'm glad. I'm glad that the gorgeous architecture, soul-filling music, wondrous art and inspiring music created in  honor of God are offerings that He appreciates. I'm glad that creative people with full and grateful hearts continue to do beautiful things for Him, things that bless the rest of us in ways that the "practical" service never could. They provide such a rich world of devotion, and ways of knowing God that we would otherwise not have.

"Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  Matthew 26:13

A Beautiful Thing

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, left side.  Photo from Wikipedia.

"She has done a beautiful thing for me." ~ Jesus, recorded in Matthew 26:10

I was thirteen when I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I remember walking into the chapel, looking up at the ceiling and simply gawking, as has anyone else who has visited the place. Centuries of over famous Bible characters adorn the frescoed ceiling as Michaelangelo painted them there over the years of 1508-1512. There are no words to describe the colors and the energy of life emanating from the 343 figures depicted high above you. (Be sure to click on the photo, then click again on it and study it a bit, to get a little of the effect.)

The record says that Michaelangelo read and reread the Old Testament while painting the ceiling. Those stories must have sunk deep into his soul. Pope John Paul II stated in 1994, "The Sistine Chapel is precisely – if one may say so – the sanctuary of the theology of the human body. In witnessing to the beauty of man created by God as male and female, it also expresses in a certain way, the hope of a world transfigured, the world inaugurated by the Risen Christ."

Would I have spent four years of my life standing and painting, with my head craned back and my eyes always looking up, up? What is the point of painting a ceiling for four years? How important is a ceiling, especially one that would not be seen by the common person? Why not a sculpture in the town square? (In Michaelangelo's case, it sounds like he didn't have much choice; the pope was adamant that he do the painting, despite the fact that he was a sculptor.) Why make one room in a huge church complex so opulent? Is that not a waste of time and resources? Isn't the point to worship, even if it is in a barn or a warehouse? The human and monetary resources spent on a place like the basilica and its attached chapels in Rome is staggering.

Compare this to the work of Mother Teresa over the years, ministering gently to the poor and outcasts of society. Was this not a greater work?

[to be continued]

Two Shakes of a Lamb's Tail

Image found here

I was working in my office yesterday when my secretary let me know that one of our church pastors wanted to see me for "two shakes of a lamb's tail."  I smiled. This is not the first time Lois has made that request. She came in and sat down with me at my committee table and said, "I just thought I'd drop by and see how you're doing."  We had a good chat, sharing back and forth in ways that were oh-so-good for me, and then she prayed for me and went on her way.

Lois seems to know that "two shakes of a lamb's tail" is just what her parishioners need. That's all the time it takes for her calm spirit and gentle voice to make a difference.

I would hope that everyone would have an encourager who drops by for "two shakes of a lamb's tail" from time to time. It's good for the soul.

If Your Best is Unremarkable

"Parable of the Talents" window from Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Detroit, Michigan

The other day I was thinking about the guy who was given two talents in the story Jesus told. As a refresher, here it is:

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 

The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

I've heard and read the story a gazillion times, but as often happens during my morning Bible reading, the story struck a new chord with me. I started thinking about the guy with two. Two talents, that is.

The master clearly didn't trust him with the most. In fact, he trusted him only with two, whereas he trusted the first guy more. So this guy with two talents had only so much to work with, not even a "full deck," so to speak.

But he did put it to use, and it doubled.

***

People referred to me as "talented" as I grew up. I was actually "gifted," rather than talented.  Not gifted in terms of being super-smart, but "gifted" in that I had benefits many others didn't have: a comfortable home larger than those of my local friends, piano and flute and organ lessons, the opportunity to sing in choirs and play in my high school band, invitations to speak and lead and teach that came along because I was a foreign kid, the daughter of the hospital CEO. When you have a chance to put your abilities to work, no matter how mediocre they may be, those abilities grow into talents.

Somewhere along the line, I got the idea that I had to be best at what I did as my "talent." Not good, but best. I was the best hymn player of the kids my age. I was the best among my peers at taking leadership and making something happen. I was the best among my peers at being comfortable in presenting to a gathering of people. Considering I grew up in a small church and circle of friends, being best wasn't hard to accomplish. And considering my particular talents were a good fit for a missionary station atmosphere, it made me feel valuable.

Accompanying Gretchen when I was 17.

Then I got to high school, a 60-student boarding school in Singapore. To me, coming from a one-room school, this was a huge school. Nevertheless, I quickly matched any of the other students in playing the piano for religious services, and in being comfortable in a leadership role.

And then talent night came along.

Without fanfare, in the music department's practice rooms in the basement of our dorm, students had been preparing. I was going to accompany a little ditty for my friend who was singing a song I'd not heard before: "Five foot two, eyes of blue, and oh, what those five foot could do..."  On my way out of the practice rooms about a week before the talent show I walked through the chapel and found a senior boy practicing a Tchaikowsky or Rachmaninoff piece--the memory has dimmed in my hoary old head by now--with huge crashing chords that my little hands could never reach.  It was magnificent. Beautiful. Crushing.

I ran upstairs and cried and blustered, trying to find my less-than-articulate 15-year old path through the dismay, realizing that I was not and would not be Best. I could be good and I could be useful, but there would always be others with more talent than I. I needed to figure out how to be valuable and important in this new-to-me context. A few of my friends were there to witness my inelegant mini-tantrum, and I cringe to think of how that memory has gone down with them. (They are still my friends, thankfully. If they drop by, I half-expect them to comment on this post with "Oh, I remember that!")

My friend and I cheerfully rolled out our Five Foot Two song with such amateurishness as only 15-year olds can serve up. The guy with the grand piece won the talent night. And I have gone on to have a meaningful and productive life. Teenagers manage to survive these things. But the incident and the lesson still drift through my head from time to time.

***

You see, what struck me most of all as I read this parable again, was the equality of reward. One servant was entrusted with a great deal of money, and doubled it. The second servant was entrusted with a less remarkable amount, and doubled it. And they both got the exact same reward from the Master.

Rembrandt, "The Parable of the Talents," c. 1652

There's a lot that tells us, in the pecking order of this world, that we must be superlative. Left and right, people are striving to be the best, to be the winners, to get the awards. "If you're not winning, you're a loser," says one t-shirt I've seen. The logic of all these messages is flawed. And yet the prevailing message of the culture is focused on being the best, being the winner, doing and being the most.

That's why I loved the message of the parable of the talents, as I read it this time. The servants didn't have to be remarkable. They just had to use what they were entrusted with, and they both won the exact same reward, with the exact same words of affirmation, praise and welcome. It's a counter-cultural message.

And that's one of the many things I love about the kingdom of God.

Naturally Gourmet

At my young women's Bible study group that I host in my home, Michelle recently brought in a cookbook with her to show to one of the other women. It caught my eye. Naturally Gourmet offers up vegan recipes, and is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've ever seen in terms of colorful photography and simple layout.

One thing led to another, and someone suggested we share a supper where each woman brought a different dish made from Naturally Gourmet. Michelle assigned out the recipes, and we were off!  Our special meal together took place a couple of evenings ago.

Pita wraps by Kimmie and Laura

The hummus in these wraps (for which they used flatbread instead of pita bread) was delicious!

Cabbage and cilantro salad with pine nuts by Anna

I had made this one earlier, and my family couldn't quit eating it!  I think it's the combination of lime juice and cilantro and toasted pine nuts--yes, I know pine nuts are as expensive as gold--that made it so tasty.

Spanikopita by Donna

This recipe uses tofu instead of feta cheese, and I thought it was very good.  I'm going to have a shot at making this myself at some point.

Tomato Florentine soup by me

Ah, tomato Florentine soup, made with cashew milk!  This has some really nice textures, with the onions, diced tomatoes and spinach, and was full of flavor.

Curried lentils and rice by Katie

We make rice and curry with lentils, why not mix it all together?  I like curry in so many venues, including this one!

Pear pie by Kristin

Kristin pointed out that the pie turned out a bit soupy, and as we ate, we discussed ways of addressing this. I'm not sure that we came up with a good solution. Since I'm not the most talented of cooks, I'd leave it up to you to solve the situation. It was tasty, though!

Date bars by Michelle

This one tasted just plain healthy! Dates always remind me of getting date shakes at the roadside fruit market on the way to Palm Springs, California, and of eating a date when my family visited Jericho during the summer I was eighteen. I had just a tiny bite, since I've been off sugar for a year. I am always amused that health nut people will avoid refined sugar but eat dates and honey. It seems to me that sugar is sugar, even if it's healthier sugar. But I'll save those musings for another time...

Sixth Grade Girl Games, Part 2

Found on the internet

[Note: I've worked on this post a while, and am not sure it does just what I want it to, but after working it over for some days, I just need to send it on its way and move on.]

The truth is this: for some adults, the "sixth grade girl games" persist. I have long observed the adult version, seen the benefits as well as the offenses of it, and have wondered about it. My disclaimer, right up front, is that I'm describing the dynamic below simplistically in order for us to look at it and think about it.

First, let's establish the fact that we all need friends. Interactions with others make us different people than we would be if left to ourselves. Friends enrich our lives. We share ideas, support one another, and sometimes rub the rough edges off each other. We have close friends, and others who are good acquaintances. Research says that the average person has only 2 very close friends (down from three in 1985). One in four has no confidante at all.

Many people have friends that are "onesies," for lack of a better term.  There's a close friend here, and a close friend or two there, but no core group. Others prefer a group that frequently does things together. This, I think, is where the "sixth grade girl games" may become an issue for some adults. When you operate within a small and insular circle of close friends, a dynamic can emerge that it doesn't appear with a "onesies" approach to friendship.

Like "sixth grade girls," adults may also use their friendship groups to seek validation. They know what the count is, who is in and who is out. The loyalty factor is in strong play, because disloyalty would break the circle. Their sense of social success and security comes from the tightness of their bonds, the degree to which they stick up for each other when one feels internally or externally threatened, and the degree to which all members of the group are included in the major gatherings. Loyalty brings rewards (you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours) and disloyalty brings punishment.

Additionally, adults in a group are as good as "sixth grade girls" at conveying to each other whether their actions and appearance are acceptable or not. Those who don't fit in may be pushed to the margins. Whether this is a social teaching tactic or a punishment isn't clear to me. But if you are a bit socially awkward, it's going to happen. Furthermore, if you are on the outside and want to break into such a group of friends, you'll need to spend some time watching their culture and proving yourself. It's not easy.

All of this is done in very adult ways, you understand, sometimes with a degree of snobbery and elitism. The social pressures and group culture are strong. Additionally, if the group of friends work together, the potential for political pressure is even stronger. I won't speak up in opposition to you, because I might need you to support my project or area in the future. If you are being threatened, I must advocate for you if I want you to advocate or vote for me in the future.

The thing that bothers me about adult "sixth grade girl games" is the limiting factor. If I don't belong to the group, I am limited in my ability to make friends in that group. If I do belong to the group, I'm limited in my freedom to think "outside the group," to disagree with them to anyone outside the group, or to make close "onesies" friends outside the group. Even if it would not be seen as disloyal, the dynamic of the group doesn't allow time to really foster other relationships.

My take on all this? It all boils down to the advice with which my dad sent me off to boarding school when I was fourteen years old: Make as many friends as you can. Don't limit yourself. (He also tied that to dating in my teenage years, which was actually helpful, at least for me.)  Get to know all kinds of people. Seek to enrich each of your varied friends somehow.

I think that we are actually more healthy when we don't limit ourselves to just one friend, or even to a close and insular circle of friends who are much like us. There's a rich variety of people to know out there. We're probably happiest in knowing others if we can accept them just they are and assume their freedom and ability to determine their own lives, and seek the same respect and freedom for ourselves.