Mardy, I appreciate the quality of your writing. Amazing. I love the Dan Fogelberg song. I heard a story about John Wesley years ago. Wesley drew large crowds to his meetings and someone asked him why. He reportedly said: “I put John Wesley on fire and people come to watch him burn.” I don’t know if it is true.
Thanks for your kind words, Harley. Yes, that Fogelberg song is special, isn't it? I've heard that story about Wesley as well. I did some checking several years ago, and could not find it in any of Wesley’s published writings, journals, letters, or sermons--or in any bios of him. It's probably apocryphal, but what a terrific saying about fervent preaching!
You did it again Mardy dear.............. are you standing over my shoulder watching me? So timely is this week's newsletter. Thank you. Let me marinate my thoughts...I'll get back to you later...the sun just came up here. and........ Happy Father's Day...
I recognized John Wesley. I'm pretty sure I've commented before that my dad was Jewish, my mom was Southern Baptist. They chose to raise their children Methodist. I've since gone away from organized religion, altho still a very strong Christian, & I also think I've committed before that I was drawn to the Quakers, for various reasons, one being they have no hierarchy. I try, & often fail, to ask before acting "What would Jesus do?".
And I guessed at the subject matter of next week & your cartoon before seeing your cartoon, based on the word "conscious" in the quote. And the best quote that fits w/ this, or perhaps I should say, doesn't fit w/ this, imo, is:
"The happiest people I know are people who don’t even think about being happy. They just think about being good neighbors, good people. And then happiness sort of sneaks in the back window while they’re busy doing good." — Harold Kushner
Thanks, dj, I appreciate your weighing in. I wish more Christians--especially the evangelicals and the Christian Nationalists--would ask WWJD? That was a good guess about the Thoreau quote. Well done!
As a kid, I attended the Apastolic Gospel Church in the "bottoms" of Columbus Ohio. We were taught that all our good deeds were as filthy rags unless cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Interesting metaphor in that the church was housed in a converted industrial laundry building. The congregation supported a Korean orphanage, took in refugees and conducted a summer camp for inner city poor youth. Members in want were supported by other better situated congregants. All this goodness was spoiled for me when Jm Jones, on a revival circuit from Indianapolis, came and preached. He took some of the congregation back to Indiana, then to California, then to Giana. No church for me any more but I do try to perform one act of kindness each day. What I truly believe from those early Sunday teachings is this,"if you bring light into the world it never goes away".
Thanks, Jamie. Yes, an interesting metaphor, indeed. How interesting that the Jim Jones experience tainted it all for you. I love that saying about "the light"! Thanks for sharing it.
Hi ho Mardy! I've discovered something else about your Sunday morning "kick in the brain" that I like. I find myself anticipating your reader's comments almost as much as your "Quotes" themselves. We seem to be a fertile bunch, and I enjoy being in their company.
Hi Mike. Yes, the "Comments" section has become a nice forum. Most reader comments still come to me in the form of direct e-mails, sadly. Somehow, I've been unable to convince these many long-term subscribers to modify their ways.
Don't giveup. A tool I've been using lately to make progress on something I'm trying to further "What is my part in things going the way they're going?" Often that breaks loose an action item that might make a difference. Thank you for your giving.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” So the beginning of a great novel goes. So might be the commentary on parenthood.
When you have a child one doesn’t become anything. You’re just self with child. And as it appears to be shaping up, it’s almost like being self with self.
Visualize this for a moment….
You receive a letter one day. The paper the envelop is made of is crisp but not harsh and has a lightness about it. The flap on the envelope opens as if it were never glued down. The letter is type written on the same light, crisp bond. The stamped, carboned impressions left by the typewriter are clean and the lines of the text are well centered on the page.
The letter reads…
Congratulations! You have been chosen to receive unto our planet a new person. Make the way ready to welcome this person.
Caution. Because of the newness of this person extreme care must be exercised. The person is programmed to unfold naturally and flourish when given the proper care. Because of the reflective quality of the person you will be qued as to the appropriateness of your responses to the person. Never respond harshly to the person as this will interfere with the natural unfolding process. This process will continue until either you or the person dies.
The new person you’re about to receive will give you years of joy when properly cared for. Remember, you are our planets ambassador to this person. Make the way ready to welcome this person to our planet. Again, congratulations.
Signed: Interdimentional Being Transfer Service.
Enclosed: “Nutritional Requirements of the New Person” pamphlet #277.
You read the pamphlet.
You dream of giving this new person a better welcome than you got. You are not about to neglect your duty.
You dream of exposing the new person to the best the world has to offer: the arts, science, languages, earth, water, and wind. You see yourself as if watching a film. You see yourself. Heroic, graceful, wise, strong, ever companioned to this most precious fellow passenger.
You dream, then you get up and go to work. Everyone is most happy for you and you feel honored and proud and strong.
You dream, then you get up and go to work and the people around you don’t seem to be as impressed with your new role as they were. They push you for the project that has past it’s deadline.
You go home and minister to the new person but you are tired and you know you’re shirking you duty but there’s nothing you can do about it. And you start to notice that the new person is signaling that your care isn’t up to par and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re tired and there is only eight hours before you have to be back to work again.
Years go by.
The new person is a delight. But you see that having disturbed the natural unfolding has had an effect. And the reflective quality, the letter spoke of, continues to operate.
The new person is amazing! You notice how the process has shaped your own self. The new person and you dance for the sheer joy of the experience. The reflective quality continues to operate. You begin to wonder who is shaping who, and why.
Yep. Autobiographical. Daughter was born in 1984 and son was born in 1986. I wrote this because I was asked to speak at a Father’s Day meeting of the UUA congregation I was a I was a member of. Myself and two other men, fathers.
Hi again…Let’s see if I can add my comments about this week’s topic of ‘Doing Good’ without confusing everyone. ‘Doing good’ directly connects to the previous topic of ‘Charity’ which is also about ‘giving’ isn’t it? I compare both to sharing. For example, if I’m wealthy, then I’m able to ‘share’ a larger part of what I have than someone who is ‘less well off’. That’s obvious. Recently in the news, a person (who shall be nameless) GAVE some people $1,000,000, no strings attached (it was claimed). Did he miss that money? Of course not…If someone earning minimum wage gives a homeless person $10 are both examples considered givers of ‘charity’? In a previous newsletter, I referred to Maimonides’ and his ranking of ‘giving’ in Rambam’s Ladder. I’m still thinking about this and wondering if sharing is the same as charity? If someone ASKS you for help and you give it, is this the same as giving without being asked? That’s something I’ve been mulling over for a few days. And now I’m questioning ‘doing good’ without being asked…twice this week I’ve been told that I’m a good person because I want to help a neighbor in need… I am questioning myself and asking if I’m giving because it makes me feel good and if so, is my giving being done for the wrong reason? (is it selfish because it makes ME feel good and that’s why I’m doing it?) Let me leave it here because this comment is turning into a lecture or mini-course. Just consider it food for thought. I’d love to hear what anyone else wants to say. It might help me clarify my own thinking. Thanks all.
I copied your ranking of giving - loved it - it was new to me- TY again!!
if you give ONLY because it makes you feel good, as in the cartoon, then that's not so good. However, in many many 'surveys' or research papers, or whatever you might find, those who do good end up doing good for themselves, by way of health, physical & mental, & if they're doing so by way of volunteering, quite likely by being socially involved which is often proven to be good for the 'soul' both for the volunteer & for those receiving the benefits of the volunteer agency. And if a person is humble, then that adds to the 'goodness'. Like Mardy said previously, don't be like the hen who cackles upon laying the egg, errr?
hi ya........thanks dj for your reply. it helps me understand my own thinking. I especially like your comment about being 'socially involved'.... would love to hear more from others on this topic.
Thanks for doing Good with another thought provoking post. Happy Father's Day, indeed!
One Bible passage you might find illuminating is James 2:14-26 with a commentary about faith without works is dead.
Building on the mystery person, the Wesleys directly inspired the Booths who founded The Salvation Army, an organization, which is at its core a church, in which the officers (the ones you see in the iconic military-style uniforms), all of whom are ordained ministers, appear to live their faith by their works and encouraging other to do likewise. This church has become among the largest charities in the world and around 15 years ago adopted the tagline "Doing the Most Good." I'm not a huge fan of the tagline, because good is in the eye of the beholder. This could be seen as someone imposing their faith on others through their works, although my nearly decade of involvement with the organization has not revealed this to be the case with their works.
While the Salvation Army serves without discrimination and is generally lifting others up, we all can undoubtedly think of the numerous examples where religious zealots have done their version of "good" by cleansing the world of what they perceive as evil through murder and other sub-homicidal malicious acts. I struggle to see how people who claim to be Christians would murder others in Jesus' name, since I don't understand how that could in any way be considered an example of Jesus' core message of "love your neighbor."
Echoing Arlene's comment and my response to you about the "Charity" post from a couple of weeks ago, works of good should be looked at from the perspective of the receiver and not the giver. When the act of "goodness" is from the giver's perspective, it could result in birdshit philanthropy, where the giver drops off something no longer useful to the giver without regard for what it does for the receiver. As noted in my previous communication, this can be paralyzing and create dependence rather than independence. An economy-wide example of this is all the charity pouring into Haiti that has systematically driven local businesses bankrupt, like the rice farmers who cannot compete with free, and created a country that has difficulty providing for itself.
Leader of the Band has always been special and a favorite for me. It brings tears to my eyes. Thanks for the video link... I used to have you tube link to it, but my link went away... This is perfect. Happy Father's Day, Dr. Mardy.
Thanks for including Thoreau's comment about eschewing someone coming with the intention of doing him good. Wanting to "do good" can be another malady of narcissism. Doing good means simply stepping up when you see a chance to help, and help is in fact needed.
I love the Dalai Lama saying, "My religion is kindness." If you approach someone with kindness, good will follow.
Mardy, I appreciate the quality of your writing. Amazing. I love the Dan Fogelberg song. I heard a story about John Wesley years ago. Wesley drew large crowds to his meetings and someone asked him why. He reportedly said: “I put John Wesley on fire and people come to watch him burn.” I don’t know if it is true.
Thanks for your kind words, Harley. Yes, that Fogelberg song is special, isn't it? I've heard that story about Wesley as well. I did some checking several years ago, and could not find it in any of Wesley’s published writings, journals, letters, or sermons--or in any bios of him. It's probably apocryphal, but what a terrific saying about fervent preaching!
Thank you for the information.
You did it again Mardy dear.............. are you standing over my shoulder watching me? So timely is this week's newsletter. Thank you. Let me marinate my thoughts...I'll get back to you later...the sun just came up here. and........ Happy Father's Day...
Thanks, Arlene. Sometimes I feel like I'm standing over everyone's shoulder! Enjoy your day!
I recognized John Wesley. I'm pretty sure I've commented before that my dad was Jewish, my mom was Southern Baptist. They chose to raise their children Methodist. I've since gone away from organized religion, altho still a very strong Christian, & I also think I've committed before that I was drawn to the Quakers, for various reasons, one being they have no hierarchy. I try, & often fail, to ask before acting "What would Jesus do?".
And I guessed at the subject matter of next week & your cartoon before seeing your cartoon, based on the word "conscious" in the quote. And the best quote that fits w/ this, or perhaps I should say, doesn't fit w/ this, imo, is:
"The happiest people I know are people who don’t even think about being happy. They just think about being good neighbors, good people. And then happiness sort of sneaks in the back window while they’re busy doing good." — Harold Kushner
Thanks, dj, I appreciate your weighing in. I wish more Christians--especially the evangelicals and the Christian Nationalists--would ask WWJD? That was a good guess about the Thoreau quote. Well done!
Dr Mardy,
As a kid, I attended the Apastolic Gospel Church in the "bottoms" of Columbus Ohio. We were taught that all our good deeds were as filthy rags unless cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Interesting metaphor in that the church was housed in a converted industrial laundry building. The congregation supported a Korean orphanage, took in refugees and conducted a summer camp for inner city poor youth. Members in want were supported by other better situated congregants. All this goodness was spoiled for me when Jm Jones, on a revival circuit from Indianapolis, came and preached. He took some of the congregation back to Indiana, then to California, then to Giana. No church for me any more but I do try to perform one act of kindness each day. What I truly believe from those early Sunday teachings is this,"if you bring light into the world it never goes away".
Best,
Jamie
Thanks, Jamie. Yes, an interesting metaphor, indeed. How interesting that the Jim Jones experience tainted it all for you. I love that saying about "the light"! Thanks for sharing it.
Guyana, sorry.
No problem, I got your meaning.
Hi ho Mardy! I've discovered something else about your Sunday morning "kick in the brain" that I like. I find myself anticipating your reader's comments almost as much as your "Quotes" themselves. We seem to be a fertile bunch, and I enjoy being in their company.
Hi Mike. Yes, the "Comments" section has become a nice forum. Most reader comments still come to me in the form of direct e-mails, sadly. Somehow, I've been unable to convince these many long-term subscribers to modify their ways.
Don't giveup. A tool I've been using lately to make progress on something I'm trying to further "What is my part in things going the way they're going?" Often that breaks loose an action item that might make a difference. Thank you for your giving.
Brent Scott
“Father’s Day “ presentation.
Summit Unitarian Universialist Fellowship
El Cajon, California
6/21/1992
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” So the beginning of a great novel goes. So might be the commentary on parenthood.
When you have a child one doesn’t become anything. You’re just self with child. And as it appears to be shaping up, it’s almost like being self with self.
Visualize this for a moment….
You receive a letter one day. The paper the envelop is made of is crisp but not harsh and has a lightness about it. The flap on the envelope opens as if it were never glued down. The letter is type written on the same light, crisp bond. The stamped, carboned impressions left by the typewriter are clean and the lines of the text are well centered on the page.
The letter reads…
Congratulations! You have been chosen to receive unto our planet a new person. Make the way ready to welcome this person.
Caution. Because of the newness of this person extreme care must be exercised. The person is programmed to unfold naturally and flourish when given the proper care. Because of the reflective quality of the person you will be qued as to the appropriateness of your responses to the person. Never respond harshly to the person as this will interfere with the natural unfolding process. This process will continue until either you or the person dies.
The new person you’re about to receive will give you years of joy when properly cared for. Remember, you are our planets ambassador to this person. Make the way ready to welcome this person to our planet. Again, congratulations.
Signed: Interdimentional Being Transfer Service.
Enclosed: “Nutritional Requirements of the New Person” pamphlet #277.
You read the pamphlet.
You dream of giving this new person a better welcome than you got. You are not about to neglect your duty.
You dream of exposing the new person to the best the world has to offer: the arts, science, languages, earth, water, and wind. You see yourself as if watching a film. You see yourself. Heroic, graceful, wise, strong, ever companioned to this most precious fellow passenger.
You dream, then you get up and go to work. Everyone is most happy for you and you feel honored and proud and strong.
You dream, then you get up and go to work and the people around you don’t seem to be as impressed with your new role as they were. They push you for the project that has past it’s deadline.
You go home and minister to the new person but you are tired and you know you’re shirking you duty but there’s nothing you can do about it. And you start to notice that the new person is signaling that your care isn’t up to par and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re tired and there is only eight hours before you have to be back to work again.
Years go by.
The new person is a delight. But you see that having disturbed the natural unfolding has had an effect. And the reflective quality, the letter spoke of, continues to operate.
The new person is amazing! You notice how the process has shaped your own self. The new person and you dance for the sheer joy of the experience. The reflective quality continues to operate. You begin to wonder who is shaping who, and why.
You ponder. You smile. And you dream.
Thanks for sharing, Brent. Written, I'm sure, upon the birth of your own child, right?
Yep. Autobiographical. Daughter was born in 1984 and son was born in 1986. I wrote this because I was asked to speak at a Father’s Day meeting of the UUA congregation I was a I was a member of. Myself and two other men, fathers.
Hi again…Let’s see if I can add my comments about this week’s topic of ‘Doing Good’ without confusing everyone. ‘Doing good’ directly connects to the previous topic of ‘Charity’ which is also about ‘giving’ isn’t it? I compare both to sharing. For example, if I’m wealthy, then I’m able to ‘share’ a larger part of what I have than someone who is ‘less well off’. That’s obvious. Recently in the news, a person (who shall be nameless) GAVE some people $1,000,000, no strings attached (it was claimed). Did he miss that money? Of course not…If someone earning minimum wage gives a homeless person $10 are both examples considered givers of ‘charity’? In a previous newsletter, I referred to Maimonides’ and his ranking of ‘giving’ in Rambam’s Ladder. I’m still thinking about this and wondering if sharing is the same as charity? If someone ASKS you for help and you give it, is this the same as giving without being asked? That’s something I’ve been mulling over for a few days. And now I’m questioning ‘doing good’ without being asked…twice this week I’ve been told that I’m a good person because I want to help a neighbor in need… I am questioning myself and asking if I’m giving because it makes me feel good and if so, is my giving being done for the wrong reason? (is it selfish because it makes ME feel good and that’s why I’m doing it?) Let me leave it here because this comment is turning into a lecture or mini-course. Just consider it food for thought. I’d love to hear what anyone else wants to say. It might help me clarify my own thinking. Thanks all.
I copied your ranking of giving - loved it - it was new to me- TY again!!
if you give ONLY because it makes you feel good, as in the cartoon, then that's not so good. However, in many many 'surveys' or research papers, or whatever you might find, those who do good end up doing good for themselves, by way of health, physical & mental, & if they're doing so by way of volunteering, quite likely by being socially involved which is often proven to be good for the 'soul' both for the volunteer & for those receiving the benefits of the volunteer agency. And if a person is humble, then that adds to the 'goodness'. Like Mardy said previously, don't be like the hen who cackles upon laying the egg, errr?
hi ya........thanks dj for your reply. it helps me understand my own thinking. I especially like your comment about being 'socially involved'.... would love to hear more from others on this topic.
Thanks for weighing in on the topic, Arlene. I believe you are giving for the right reason--because it makes you feel good to be doing good.
Thanks for doing Good with another thought provoking post. Happy Father's Day, indeed!
One Bible passage you might find illuminating is James 2:14-26 with a commentary about faith without works is dead.
Building on the mystery person, the Wesleys directly inspired the Booths who founded The Salvation Army, an organization, which is at its core a church, in which the officers (the ones you see in the iconic military-style uniforms), all of whom are ordained ministers, appear to live their faith by their works and encouraging other to do likewise. This church has become among the largest charities in the world and around 15 years ago adopted the tagline "Doing the Most Good." I'm not a huge fan of the tagline, because good is in the eye of the beholder. This could be seen as someone imposing their faith on others through their works, although my nearly decade of involvement with the organization has not revealed this to be the case with their works.
While the Salvation Army serves without discrimination and is generally lifting others up, we all can undoubtedly think of the numerous examples where religious zealots have done their version of "good" by cleansing the world of what they perceive as evil through murder and other sub-homicidal malicious acts. I struggle to see how people who claim to be Christians would murder others in Jesus' name, since I don't understand how that could in any way be considered an example of Jesus' core message of "love your neighbor."
Echoing Arlene's comment and my response to you about the "Charity" post from a couple of weeks ago, works of good should be looked at from the perspective of the receiver and not the giver. When the act of "goodness" is from the giver's perspective, it could result in birdshit philanthropy, where the giver drops off something no longer useful to the giver without regard for what it does for the receiver. As noted in my previous communication, this can be paralyzing and create dependence rather than independence. An economy-wide example of this is all the charity pouring into Haiti that has systematically driven local businesses bankrupt, like the rice farmers who cannot compete with free, and created a country that has difficulty providing for itself.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Bill. I was not aware of the Wesley-Salvation Army connection.
Leader of the Band has always been special and a favorite for me. It brings tears to my eyes. Thanks for the video link... I used to have you tube link to it, but my link went away... This is perfect. Happy Father's Day, Dr. Mardy.
Thanks, Roger. It is a very special song, isn't it? A Happy Father's Day to you as well.
Thanks for including Thoreau's comment about eschewing someone coming with the intention of doing him good. Wanting to "do good" can be another malady of narcissism. Doing good means simply stepping up when you see a chance to help, and help is in fact needed.
I love the Dalai Lama saying, "My religion is kindness." If you approach someone with kindness, good will follow.
Thanks, Blayney, the Thoreau quote was essential to the piece, I think. A necessary reminder that "doing good" can occasionally be done very badly.
Doing good is indeed a joy and do-gooder not so much. Looking forward to more on that! Thank you for all the good you do for us! Many happy readers...