Pointer to...Fr Richard Rohr: Unpacking Paradoxes

Just pointing folk over to a new series beginning  on Francisican  Fr Richard Rohr's blog Unpacking Paradoxes.  The Ego's Four Splits, based on his Franciscan Mysticism webcasts,  kicks off  this week. Part 1 - "The split between myself and yourself".  I love his definition of mysticism; one of, if not the best I've heard.

Scaredy Cat's Comfort Zones, Confidence and Catnip

"Shall I? Shan't I?" - Greenpatch Cat deep in thought

I spent a pleasant half hour or so earlier sitting outside on the patio with Greenpatch Cat. Trying to persuade our resident mini-tiger that the outside world is  a friendly place hasn't been the easiest of tasks so far. As we live near a busyish road all of our moggies to date have been semi 'indoors,'  'Outdoors' being a large fenced and wired off section of the patio, with an arbour, platforms to climb, catmint and other greenery, wind chimes and I don't know what else. I remember GP Cat MkI 'Gothcat's ' favourite route out there was up over the kitchen sink and out onto a ramp via the window. It could be more than a little hair-raising at times, especially if you were cooking or busy with the washing up when a hairy streak of nothing with Dracula-style fangs suddenly jumped in front of you!

The latest GP feline's been with us nearly three months and as yet has hardly been out. To be fair to him, getting past the dog doesn't help matters. And we wonder if some of his hangups - about vets and venturing outside  also stem from being run over when he was younger.  Last time Mr GP tried sweeping him up and dumping him outside, he insisted in sitting right outside the doors looking so pathetic that my hairy hubby relented and let him in after a few seconds.

Today, I tried sitting outside with him in the late afternoon sunshine. Hallelujah! After a few minutes he  came over to me to investigate; took a cautious nip of catmint - then rolled in it....verrryyy slowly nosed his way round the enclosure, hid behind the arbour, peeked out, checked the place once more, before coming back over to me and snuggling up against me.  "Hmmmm...?" That last's for both of us. I'm currently musing over some possibilities that could...will  be liable to take me out of my comfort zones. Maybe tonight's episode with Scaredy (oops, nearly typed 'Sacred') Cat might have something to say to me...maybe...Hmmm...?

Talking about faith online/listening skills

My stats show that lately there've been a few visitors to GG from my favourite site Shipoffools. com .  I thought I'd highlight a couple of current discussions: First up Talking about Faith VR v. RL - do we find it easier to talk about our faith online than in 'real life? ' Then, picking up from my musings on digital technology, social media and communication, I began a thread on the place of professional listening skills in initial ministerial formation. Worth a look.

Tea and cucumber sandwiches - Summer is Icumen in 3

Treated myself to a proper straw sunhat yesterday. Well,  I had to keep up appearances, didn't I, after a weekend of gracious living. Daughter came home for a flying visit, insisted on cooking for us: a great chicken, feta and blueberry salad on Friday evening, barbecue on Saturday, Eurovision Song Contest and a box of chocolates in the evening, (Three cheers for the Russian Grannies!). Another high spot  - we took ourselves out for tea and cakes at our favourite cafe by the canal where I'd been with  our TSSF small group only the previous Saturday. Sunshine, real china, good company and the chance to sit in the sunshine watching the swans and ducks drift by. Wonderful. 

Being a glutton for punishment, daughter and her cronies went back to the teashop for yet another tea drinking session at Saturday breakfast time. 

One day I will start that teashop blog.

Pentecost

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.  These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

 “‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
 The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.

   

      Acts 2 (NIV)

Summer is icumen in - 2

 View out  over the Kennet and Avon canal - taken at 9.30 a.m. today.

Technology and social media. Are you listening to me?

image credit: freedigitalphotos.net.renjithkhrishnan

A big thank you to Tractorgirl for drawing my attention to another thought-provoking and challenging TED talk.  Sociologist Sherry Turkle's Connected, but alone? reflects on whether our  increasing use of digital technology and social media, designed as a means of connection, is, paradoxically  hindering authentic and genuine communication with each other.  From Ms Turkle's own site:

Technology promises to let us do anything from anywhere with anyone. But it also drains us as we try to do everything everywhere. We begin to feel overwhelmed and depleted by the lives technology makes possible. We may be free to work from anywhere, but we are also prone to being lonely everywhere. In a surprising twist, relentless connection leads to a new solitude. We turn to new technology to fill the void,but as technology ramps up, our emotional lives ramp down.

Now I'm not one for knocking modern technology; I'm in agreement with many folk, Tractorgirl included, that social and digital media has been a wonderful means of enlarging my horizons beyond my own little corner, and yes, I've also made connections with people online that have later matured into   friendships 'in real life.' The plus side's been covered pretty well elsewhere and I'm not intending to add to that here.

No, what really caught my attention were the assertions of the effect our use of  the media is having on our ability to  just 'be,' by ourselves, alone; to give ourselves space; above all to give that 'safe'  space to others where they're truly heard and accepted. We are, Ms Turkle says, increasingly unable to listen, really listen to each other.

“If we're not able to be alone, we're going to be more lonely. And if we don't teach our children to be alone, they're only going to know how to be lonely.”

“We all really need to listen to each other, including to the boring bits.”

“The feeling that ‘no one is listening to me’ make us want to spend time with machines that seem to care about us.”

(Well, sorry, but if people think that when I'm old and grey I'll satisfy my social, emotional and spiritual needs by talking to a robot, they've another think coming! )

'No one is listening to me.'  That shocked me. Sadly, it didn't surprise me in the least.  I guess I've a vested interest; being involved in spiritual direction where listening skills are key.  As they are in so many of the helping professions.

So where does that leave us?  For myself, it's a timely reminder - if I needed one - of the need that is out there. And for anyone- I'd suggest, take a step,  doesn't need to be a huge project, just a small step will do, to once in a while switch off the laptop/phone/insert device of your choice.  Then call a friend (oops - alright, I'll let you have the phone back as long as you promise not to text or tweet). Speak to that elderly neighbour; the person next to you on the train, in the bus queue, the chap at the supermarket till, the elderly lady walking her dog in the park. And do it with no other agenda other than to offer the other person that precious gift of unhurried  time and space.