Category Archives: Matters of Faith

The Road to Diamond, Day 212: Volunteer Shoots

0
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual

June 28, 2025- The young lady was hesitant at first, picking up a few signs and long traffic cones that were light of weight. I didn’t say anything, figuring she may have back problems or other issues. The fact that she was even there at the Market and was proactive was a boost in itself. Any help I get, especially in the heat, is more than welcome. After seeing this old man lift the tent weights and other items, she decided that she could lift them also. That warmed the heart of the market manager, who had recruited her, a few weeks ago. It is always a joy to see someone display more self-confidence.

When gardening, it is exciting to see plants that had not been intentionally sown spring up and often reveal a mix of species, a hybrid. Purists are bothered by this, but the hybrid has a purpose. It may be more nutritious; more disease-resistant and more suited to changing climate.

New arrivals in an enterprise, in a community, in a nation often bother purists. They have a purpose, however. In the activities in which I have been volunteering, for five years or more, others are showing up, to lend a hand. From the Farmers Market, the Red Cross and Bellemont Baha’i School, to Slow Food and the American Legion, there will be no loss of mission because new faces are taking on the challenge. I will be going on to another calling, towards the end of this year. It will take up the lion’s share of my time, and that is a blessed thing.

The same is true of those who are arising to take on leadership roles, at the community and national levels. Their ideas may not be those espoused by the established order or those ideas to which many have become accustomed, but they may be what are needed for changing times. Yes, there are constants-the virtues, like trustworthiness, honesty, integrity and industry-all based on love. Those are as likely to be found among the new arrivals as among the best of the long-time members of the community or citizens of the nation.

All deserve a hearing.

The Road to Diamond, Day 207: Stalwart

2
Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 23, 2025- My Mondays have predictable bookends-a morning coffee group and a late afternoon in the serving line at a Soup Kitchen. More fluid is being part of a leadership group in the Red Cross’s Sheltering Team. We were prepared to open a shelter in a remote area of the Navajo Nation, fortunately being able to call this off, this morning. Taking its place are several administrative tasks and completion of documents, which will occupy this week and part of next. There are also faith-related activities, again fluid-with some activities being on the wish lists of some friends-in-faith and others fairly regular on our community’s schedule. The former group sometimes can be brought to success; sometimes not-especially if they conflict with prior commitments.

I continue to live for making a difference in whatever community I happen to live. It is also important to cultivate those who can continue the work that has been started. Besides my age, 74, there are also familial and other matters of the heart that might take me from this Home Base, as early as next year.Thus, building Red Cross Sheltering Survey and Staffing teams is a priority. So is recruiting and orienting a camp manager for our area Baha’i retreat property, at Bellemont.

It is not so much my “legacy” that matters, as the fact that life goes on for others, once one leaves a particular place. If that life is not better for those people, when one has left, then how can there be any true feeling of satisfaction? A wise woman, well northeast of here, made a remark that people in her life are not friends, but family. This was in light of a significant recent event in her life. She sees them as stalwart; steadfast.

It is crucial to me, that my large family, both biological and social, know that I am stalwart-as they are to me.

The Road to Diamond, Day 206: Wars and Rumors

4
Posted by on in Assistance, Community, distraction issues, Historical, impediments, Inner Struggles, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 22, 2025- In Episodes 3 & 4 of The Chosen, Season 5, there is much posturing and self-interest playing out among the Jewish priests, the Roman officials, and the apostates from the Plains of Sharon(who are actually fictional characters), none of whom like one another much and are united only in their disdain for Jesus the Christ.

In a gathering of His disciples, Christ speaks of wars, and rumors of wars, as a result of His fate, which He does not divulge to them, beyond saying “I go away and come again unto you.” He goes into detail about the course of events that would follow even the spread of His Faith.

We see posturing and self-interest once again, and again it is primarily in western Asia, again involving the major power in world affairs. Once again, it involves high-ranking clergy, who are also well-heeled, and there is a snippet of “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s”. It is serendipitous that these episodes depicting the Life of Christ should find themselves imitated by current world events, but here we are-and here is where the comparison ends.

It’s hard to say who in the current state of affairs really sees himself as the protagonist, actually saving humanity from a great evil. There is a lot of fulmination about this or that “Great Satan”- primarily the advocate for a system of values that is at variance with those values that confer power and wealth upon said “protagonist”. The West sees those who propose top-down stringency, an almost medieval code of conduct and a stated willingness to abolish the Jewish State as inimical to its interests. On the opposite side are a gaggle of authoritarians, not all of whom are necessarily proposing the oppression of women and only some of whom are anti-Semitic, but all of whom are opposed to the concept of individual freedom. The latter are confused by the present American leadership, which essentially seems more concerned with imposing what it sees as business-like efficiency on the government system than it is with coddling dictators.

My take? There will not be any peace until the various forces place a spiritual foundation under all their actions. That means giving up a focus on their own material and political power, and being concerned instead with what will truly help the common people to level up themselves. Human nature, not the air, water and soil of the planet, is what needs a great shaking-just as it did in the time of Jesus.

The Road to Diamond, Day 203: The Whip

0
Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 19, 2025- There is no good outcome for oppression. This is the larger message of Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865, when the enslaved of Texas learned of their Emancipation, two years after it was granted.

In the second episode of Season 5, of the series “The Chosen”, the scene of Jesus the Christ upending the Passover Market, from outrage at the presence of commerce on the grounds of the Temple shows Him using a whip, along with knocking over tables and tearing apart animals’ cages.

This is well-known New Testament account, seemingly at variance with Christ’s message of love. He would go on, in what was left of His ministry, to explain to the people about His actions, in the context of His greater message. Some would understand; most would not-initially.

Historically, those who use violence, when punishing children or in enforcing the law, point to the actions of various Old Testament figures, or to Christ vs. the money changers, or to Mohammad’s defensive actions against those who were attacking Him, as justification for their own behaviour. None of us, however, are Messengers of God. We don’t have any business falling back on Scripture to justify our own actions-usually directed towards those who are more vulnerable-or malleable.

Children need to be directed, guided, and corrected, but never made to lose heart. More and more parents are living as nonviolent exemplars. As for enforcing the law, this can be and is done every day, in a firm but nonviolent manner, by the vast majority of peace officers in this country, and in many others. There is never an excuse for the beating of civilians, just as there is never an excuse for throwing chunks of concrete, fireworks or fistfuls of rocks down on police officers, or anyone else. There is, likewise, no excuse for acts of hate against those who differ from oneself.

There is no good outcome for oppression.

The Road to Diamond, Day 201: Disappearances

4
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, distraction issues, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 17,2025- Hiking Buddy and I sought a small First Nations ruin, about halfway along a trail between White Spar Road and Copper Basin, on Prescott’s west side. We kept on the trail, until a service road appeared. I recalled reading that the road would pass by a spur trail to the ruins, so we walked a bit up the road. Feeling that we may have gone too far, and missed the spur, we turned back and were going to get back on the main trail. Funny thing, the trail markers, which were there ten minutes before, were now nowhere to be seen.

I had this happen to me once before, several years ago, on a trail near Tucson. As I was alone at that time, I took the time to carefully go back and forth, finding the trail had seemed to have moved a bit to the east, from where I had been walking it, a few minutes before. Today was a bit hotter and more humid, and I will not put another person at risk of heat-related illness, so we walked the service road back to the main road, and on to Sportage. The trails can, and do, seem to disappear-as “woo-woo” as that sounds.

I have had things disappear, only to resurface as long as a week later, and in a place where I had not been. I have had recent conversations with others who have mentioned the same turn of events. Maybe this is a feature of absent-mindedness on our part, or maybe there are forces that we don’t comprehend, putting us to the test-in terms of patience, awareness of surroundings or even essential faith. I’ve had beings appear out of nowhere, resembling humans or animals, fulfilling a purpose-either good or ill, then disappearing almost in front of my eyes.

There was a time, in the present iteration of Creation, when there was nothing tangible, when there were no visible entities. Energy can still manifest in unseen ways. Today may have been one of those manifestations.

The Road to Diamond, Day 200: Worn Velcro and Frayed Tempers

7
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 16,2025- The cuff on my trusty Blood Pressure Monitor has been giving way, nearly each time I use it, over the past two weeks. The velcro has lasted fifteen years, through countless travels across the continent and across the globe. I have used it in my Home Bases, first in Phoenix and then in Prescott; in Chula Vista, Northglenn (CO)), and Saugus; aboard a Navy Destroyer, on a Tiger Cruise and on a picnic bench in Pie Town (NM); in South Florida and southeast Alaska . It has been faithful in Canada, across western Europe, in South Korea and in the Philippines. Now, I have a back-up monitor, with a new cuff. Life goes on.

It is the hot part of the year, close to 100 F, here in Prescott and 115-6, in Phoenix. Thankfully, I need not go outside for extended periods of time, at least not after 10 a.m. or before 5 p.m. Soon, the rains will come, and the air will be a bit sweeter. Life goes on.

The nation made it through the weekend, with its varying rallies-either questioning authority or mildly validating it. Attempts at violence, by those at either end of the political spectrum, received their just condemnation-and where they resulted in death, arrest and arraignment. Heat and humidity are no excuse for killing one’s political opponents, throwing concrete or engaging in a fire fight, in the midst of innocent people. Life will go on.

The fruits of ignorance, oppression and intransigence are now coming ripe, both here and in western Asia. Those who have lived by the sword are now finding out what that brings. Those who dwell in a blinkered dreamland, based on a skewed interpretation of Scripture, are finding that others have a very different take on the same Scripture and that there is simply no room for basing an ever more heightened threat of nuclear holocaust on that Word of God. Life trembles, but goes on.

Tempers are far too frayed, and only the stern voices of the People-in every country so afflicted-can bring leaders to the table, and the cool waters of sensibility to bear on their insistent passions. Life must go on.

The Road to Diamond, Day 196: Clarity

12
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, Inner Struggles, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 12, 2025- Angela sang a mix of love songs and reflective ballads, in the corner of Gypsy’s Bakery, where I stopped for a while to enjoy a light lunch. Gypsy’s is just one of several delightful spots that are within walking distance of Home Base I, making it as easy to take a meal out as it is to prepare my own. Angela’s music was an unexpected and soothing bonus.

I had a modest mission besides: Getting a back-up medical monitoring device, as my old one may be just wearing out, after fifteen years. I feel perfectly well, and want to keep it that way. With a potential addition to our family to consider, I need to be “in fighting trim”.

There are tempests swirling around, in other parts of the country and across the globe. These could be mitigated by clear communication, but the trend, for many years, has been to play close to the vest, and to talk in riddles. Another trend has been for people to approach one another like bulls in a china shop, or cannons aimed at mosquitos. Clarity, ahead of action, is the only way to avoid the miscommunication that has led us to our two current impasses, one domestic, the other international.

Some will say that the world is too complex for clarity. Well, we see what obfuscation has brought us: 249 dead in a plane crash in India; mass destruction in Iran; increasing tendency to pre-empt dissent, by merely arresting the possible dissenter(s) ahead of time. Obfuscation comes from ambition gone sideways; as does repression; as does vengeance.

I pray for all those in Israel, Iran, India and across our country, that there is safety and that there is a return to sanity-as well as clarity.

The Road to Diamond, Day 194: On Silent Wings

0
Posted by on in animal and plant life, children, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

June 10, 2025- At the close of an online meeting of friends, marking the Strawberry Moon, one sister lauded a young man who had traveled to the border of Tibet and had laid a vase in the ground. This practice of interring ceramic vases in significant places has gone on for nearly a decade, inspired by the words of a Nepalese monk. The vases are found all over the globe.

The sister spoke of an owl, which graces the skies of her home in Alberta, “flying on silent wings”, and likened the young man’s journey to that of the great raptor-quiet, graceful and with mission.

There are many purposeful journeys being undertaken now. Across the globe, children looking to be born make their way towards the light, in their mother’s safe and loving wombs. The women themselves walk the hard road towards delivery, in most cases supported by loving companions. Those of us who are past the child bearing or child rearing age walk the path of self-reliance, of self-healing, for as long as our minds and hearts allow. Youths who are not yet ready to assume the mantle of adulthood make their way through the morass of discovery.

No matter how we walk, ride or fly; whether we are silent, or noisome, the journey continues. Sometime, it is in fits and starts. Other days, it is smooth and steady. There are those who press on, ever forward. Others, longing for a past that was seldom as idyllic as they imagine, push backwards. To me, those who, like myself, recall a rather happy and fulfilling childhood and adolescence, are not fearful of change. Those whose memories are dark and terrifying want a reset, if for no other reason than to experience some light in their life, which they can associate with childhood innocence, even as their bodies are aging. Then, too, there are those who seek stasis, a period of entropy. Both in physical and metaphysical terms, these are bound to face disappointment. In both the visible and invisible realms of the Universe, nothing stands still.

So it continues, the flight on silent wings.

The Road to Diamond, Day 191: Staying Dry

0
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 7, 2025- I did not immerse myself in the swimming pool at a Red Cross colleague’s gathering, this evening. The main issue was the blazing sun-which I have pledged to avoid directly, as much as possible, in situations where sunscreen is not permitted. The compound does not mix well in swimming pools, though some protection is certainly needed.

It was, overall, a lovely event, with uplifting conversations and great food, including one of the best home-made hamburgers I’ve had in the last thirty years. It was a fine cap to a busy, but satisfying day. Helping the Farmers Market set-up crew, with the last parts of their work, early this morning, got things rolling in the right direction. I went, a few hours later, to a Baha’i session, where a delegate to our National Convention, in April, presented the highlights of his visit. I will have more to say on some aspects of that gathering, periodically throughout the summer.

Baha’ullah refers to “being dry in the ocean”. This generally means to not be unduly affected by the changes and chances of this world, while working to keep self and others safe and focused on what matters. I can most closely adhere to this by taking stock of my actions, day by day-and paying close attention to the words and sentiments of my loved ones. There is no need to change, willy-nilly, in the face of anyone’s demands, but one must be fair and unselfish.

I was glad to have been able to pace myself and accomplish all that was presented throughout the day-and to feel the support of the Divine.

The Road to Diamond, Day 190: Ever Connected

2
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

June 6, 2025- As I sat this morning, contemplating what to do, as a hiking plan was interrupted by unforeseen circumstances, messages came to me from the single most important soul in my life, thus far. I was to firm up both short-term and long-range plans, for service in Prescott and Bellemont and for visiting friends in Europe, come September.

Forty-three years have gone by, since Penny and I committed to each other. That commitment endured a number of challenges, most seriously her hereditary disease, which dogged her all her life, but came on strongest in the 2000s, and eventually took her life. Those close to me know that she and I went through this hellish time together-and I did not flinch.

A friend of Kathy’s and mine, who also lives in the Philippines, wrote that the need of any woman is for her man to stand by her, and not use her as a plaything. Nothing is truer. My primary interest in Kathy is that she realizes her dreams and her own life plan. We both must tend to our respective families first, and if it comes to pass that we have time together, that will be gravy.

Getting back to the promptings of the spirit mentioned above, I have a few days at the turnover between June and July to devote to a group at Bellemont. There will be a lot of Red Cross work, both in person and online, the next two weeks. Slow Food, the Farmers Market and Solid Rock soup kitchen will continue to figure in the mix, throughout the summer.

I will fulfill promises made in 2016 and again last year, to visit friends in Sweden, Croatia and Great Britain, in September, with an initial stop in Iceland. There may be other places during and right after these visits. I have been told to stick to a one-day-at-a-time mentality, and so it will be.

In the end, today was a re-assuring day and a fair number of things were resolved-just no hike. I am ever grateful to all the people in my life, especially to the women, both living and in the ethereal world.