  Spiritual
This week: Life Before Death Edited by: Sophurky  
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Hi, I'm Sophurky ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book Finding Your Religion, compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountaain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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Life Before Death
What do you hope to accomplish or do before you die? Many of us – well, speaking for myself anyway – would likely refer to our bucket lists to answer that question. Your list might include travel. I would like to go Australia and New Zealand before I die. And Ireland. Maybe England. And definitely back to Hawaii – visit the big Island and stay on a beach on Maui. Or maybe on your list is a desire to do something exciting and adventurous, like sky diving or parasailing or scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef. Some may hope for self-improvement or self-actualization before you die. What do you hope to do before you die – what is one wish you hope to have granted before you breathe your last?
I was moved to ask the question about what you hope to accomplish or do before you die because of something President Jimmy Carter said at a press conference in August, not long after the news that cancer, originally found in his liver, had spread to his brain. Jimmy Carter said that if he had one wish for the rest of his life it would be that he gets to see peace in the Middle East but bemoaned the fact that that goal seems “more dismal than any time I remember in the last 50 years. The only process is practically dormant,” he said, “So I feel very discouraged.” Then he said that he was hoping to outlive one of the many scourges that has caused misery for millions of people in tropical Africa that his Carter Center has worked to eradicate. “I’d like for the last guinea worm to die before I do.”
Carter went on to explain that there are currently only 11 cases of guinea worm disease in the world. That’s a precipitous drop from 3.5 million cases across 21 countries in 1986, when he first set out to conquer the disease through his nonprofit organization the Carter Center. Guinea worm disease is caused by a parasite that people ingest by drinking contaminated water. To combat the spread of this disease, the Carter Center embarked on an educational campaign on the importance of filtering drinking water, as well as the importance of preventing people infected with the worm from submerging their lesions in bodies of water. When Guinea worm has been eradicated, it will be only the second time in human history that a disease has been totally wiped out. The first, smallpox, was eradicated in 1977. And when the last one dies, it will be in large part thanks to Jimmy Carter. He told reporters, “I’m ready for anything and looking forward to a new adventure.” (Info taken from an article on Huffington Post by Anna Almendrala)
My wheels have been turning ever since I read about the press conference. I was struck with how selfless his answers were, and so NOT how I would have answered the question. One commentator suggested that he’s 90 and has lived a full life, and probably done everything he wanted to do and traveled every place he wanted to go, especially since he was a governor and President of the United States. So at age 90 it was easier for him to say something so altruistic. But I don’t think that’s it – my guess is that if his diagnosis had come at 70 or 60 or even 50, the answer would have been the same, or similar. I think his answer has more to say about his character than his age – and is certainly motivated by his faith experience.
Now lest you feel judged or in despair right about now, please know that I didn’t share this to make us feel guilty because our hopes or wish list before we die includes trips or adventure challenges instead of eradicating a terrible disease. The answers we gave are typical responses to the kind of question I posed, and don’t reflect badly on us. But Jimmy Carter’s answers did inspire me to think outside of myself, beyond my own desires and branching out to what I might hope to accomplish or see happen in the world to make it a better place, in addition to checking things off my own personal bucket list. I may not have the resources or stomach to work on eradicating something like the guinea worm, but there are other things I can do, and have done. We all have things we can do, and have done.
So let’s ask the question again – what do you hope to accomplish, or see accomplished, before you die? What would your one wish be – for the world, for humanity, for all of creation? And what might you do to help usher that wish in? Your answers may be the same as when I originally asked the question – or perhaps they have evolved. Share them with me by writing a new static item and sending me the link, or as an email comment. |
Below you'll find some spiritual offerings from other WDC members. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review. I realize I post mostly poems, but that is because it is tough to find other types of spiritual writing on the site. If you have something you would like me to highlight, please do share it with me, thanks!
First a few from some newbies:
And a few more:
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A story of a man that helped save my life. Excerpt from memoir: "Witness to Withness"
#2059684 by drifter  |
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Here is a response to my last newsletter "Spiritual Newsletter (September 16, 2015)" about "Finding Strength in Community:"
From Elfin Dragon-finally published
Community is the very reason the Apostles founded churches wherever they went. Community fosters better spiritual sense in others along with better morals. And like your friend, we do learn to appreciate even the smaller things in life.
    
From Joy 
Great NL, Sophy. 
"I am the same -- valuing spiritual searching over religious certainty." Ditto or me, too.
For difficulties and serious illnesses, it's difficult to surpass the "why me?" thought and take it as a blessing. Most spiritual people, mystics and such, believe that such a difficulty is sent upon those who are the beloved of the Creator to make them advance spiritually.
In Phoebe's case, I too felt like,"Why is this happening to such a perfect family, especially the parents! They certainly didn't deserve this." Yet, thinking about this, as far as for the long run, I can see that there will be lessons in there somewhere, but still, it is so difficult to accept this hardship even for a person like me, looking in from the outside. Then I thought maybe the lesson is there, also, for all of us in WdC, for us to strengthen our spirit of belonging with each other. I hope we continue doing just that, supporting Phoebe and family and one another, through the long haul of this struggle.
Well said Joy - and Amen!
From Save the Turkeys! 
I don't understand death but I have learned to live with him. Thanks for an awesome newsletter!
Thank you for the compliment! 
From Shannon  :
What a beautiful newsletter, Sophy. Simply lovely.
Thank you so much.
From Quick-Quill 
When my father found out he had only 6-9 weeks to live he went very quiet. The usual joking and jovial father withdrew. Then Our church camp meeting came. He and mother went a number of times to the meetings and was prayed for by the ministry. But it was the outpouring of love that I know changed him. People stopped by before and after meeting to share old times. They told him of sermons he'd preached that made an impact in their lives. They told him how something he'd said during a specific time had encouraged them or that he' prayed with them and they received something from God in a special way. His attitude changed after those two weeks. We didn't know until a few weeks later he'd been healed of cancer during that time. He didn't forget the gift of fellowship he'd received.
Wow, an amazing story - thanks for sharing it!
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming! Until next time! Sophurky |
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Spiritual: October 14, 2015 Issue [#7270]
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