Successful Change lends to Opening The Heart

Things are looking just a tad different since I got out of California. I never thought I’d be anywhere near Tulsa, Oklahoma, but as they say, “God smiles when you make plans.” I’m shocked that Oklahoma is so very Kool compared to over-done “Cali“. It’s far from perfect, but very surprising.

I’m witnessing the effects of the policies and greed of the last 10-20 years. Huge Korporate farms caused huge numbers of Midwesterners in small towns throughout Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas to migrate to urban cities on both coasts. Some changed as a result. Others brought their resentment and fear with them and made urban life just a tad more toxic than it already was.

But this isn’t about finger pointing—because there is far too much blame to go around. No, this is about discovering that the new changes we’ll all have to make in the future just may be more racially inclusive than we imagine. Those who are preparing to leave the malnourished environments that urban America will increasingly become (as the economy declines and crime rises) are people who wear all manner of “labels”. Lesbian commune builders, new young black farmers, white permaculturists, Buddhist village creators, and Native American returnees will be opening aware hands and welcoming you.

Here in Oklahoma I see how economic struggle has forced many whites to be open to anybody with skills who wants to come here and better the economy by creating more jobs. Black Oklahomans seem respond by taking a more tolerant and accepting attitude in turn.

So, who for those who want to leave the no-win of life in the urban hood and move out to the land (once they’ve created the skills necessary to live anywhere), they are going to be surprised to find that they aren’t alone, and that some of the kindest hands that reach out to them … will be white, red … yellow … brown … pink … etc….

God has funny ways of opening our stubborn hearts. I came across this website as an example: Ryan Is Hungry

Want “Power”?

Okay, so the value system of this country is the 7 Deadly Sins, right? (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, Sloth). “Yeah … America is Number 1” and all that self-centered, power hungry crap.

So seeing how demonic those paths are … why do we need, “Power” and … what kind of power do we need in our current time?

Jung said that, “The need for power is the need for love.” I’ve always wondered why so many people run around trying to be “powerful” … or trying to be “Alpha Males” or Alpha Females” … appearing “powerful” … when all they’re really seeking is love. So why not go straight at it?  Be honest about it …

The theologian Mathew Fox wrote: “Sin is misplaced love.” All the weird and strange things that people do throughout each day … seeking attention … and missing what the really need and deeply desire.

Sin also distances us from God. That’s also the description of Hell … “distance from God.”

So yes, we live in a highly dysfunctional world, filled with addictions that open up portals for demons to enter and run our lives into ditches. And yes, in this “postmodern, alienated, technocratic world,” our existential dilemma creates terror and its coexisting trait of anger (fear) … and all the while, all we need to do  is step out of pride, humble ourselves to God’s will, and begin the process of being Gateways of God’s mature love to the world … and all our problems will be solved.

Is It Racism or Economics?

  Interesting program on KQED the other night about white privilege.  The commentator was white and he was addressing a white audience.

“We love to talk racism because it makes us look like better people.  But many people of color don’t care what we think of them — they care about our money.  We can talk about racism all day and it won’t change things because it’s the distribution of wealth that is at the heart of discrimination, inequity, and the dehumanization of other human beings.”

That little “our money” part was a bit irritating because another white guy, Karl Marx pointed out that wealth is built on the backs of the working class. Now I’m no communist… but I know we ain’t been getting no where near a fair deal on the compensation for out labor.  Other than that, it was a powerful statement. (See: website) The decision to migrate back to the land is threefold:

1. Urban America and its values are killing us as a people
2. “Main Steam” will never be a fair playing field. We need to “come ye apart” and create groups rooms for healing, Black Think Tanks, land based wealth, and envirnments suitable to weather any future economic storm.
3. We need to calm down to the point where we’re creating our own communities, (again), our own new myths instead of buying into “myths” that the Korporate Kulture keeps giving us (e.g. “Thug Kulture”, membership in the new “Permanent Criminal Class“, and the idea that we just can’t do no betta.)

I’m not downing Christianity in any way, but the idea of throwing up our arms and just saying … “Oh dis heah is da last days and der jus ain’t nothin we can do about it cus Jesus is comin” is bunk.  Republicans and Owning Class America is playing us (and most others) left, right, and center while they fill their pockets with our tax dollars.

The time is ripe to move to the country, buy some of that very inexpensive land (preferably with fresh water on it), raise some chickens, grow vegetables that you’ll know are fresh and healthy, do more than just survive–flourish!