The Pageless Book

Photo above by Janine C. Photo below is Public Domain Courtesy of the National Archives.

The first experience with racism was when I was five or six… but it was not as you might think. I accused a black child of drinking my beverage when I wasn’t looking. My so-called proof was the swirling of my own saliva in my cup. I believed, at that time, that what I was looking at was his ‘blackness’ that had come off from his skin. When I told an adult, I felt the squirming warmth of revenge uncoil in my heart and was satisfied that justice had been done.

Later, when my mother had pointed out that it was my own saliva I was looking at, I felt guilty and foolish. However, for a brief moment hatred had taken seed in me. Now, it would be easy to dismiss this childhood memory as a simple misunderstanding. You shouldn’t. That is how any form of bigotry takes root - from the inability or the unwillingness to understand one another.

And to be completely honest, that isn’t the last time I have had to struggle with my own innate racism, or the racism of others. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard disparaging remarks about African Americans and did nothing. My own cowardice is proceeded only by my arrogance in thinking that I am not racist. No matter how many times I say I am color blind, I still see black and white. No matter how friendly I am towards those who are different than me, there is a part of me that is trying to prove something. And the more sensitive I am about another person’s race or ethnicity, the more I avoid trying to understand them.

February is Black History Month, a month long reminder of the great accomplishments and contributions that African Americans have made despite their struggle against racism in the States. If you haven’t guessed by now, I have a lot of mixed feeling about Black History Month. The fact that we have to attribute a full month to one racial minority is a tribute to how little we understand each other as human beings. That so many other minorities, such as the American Indians, do not have the same distinction also makes my heart uneasy. But it is our history as a species, blighted by so many atrocities, that worries me the most. I’m not entirely sure that we are making progress.

It isn’t enough for individuals to hide their misunderstandings of each other under thin veils of politeness. Race deserves open and honest discourse through which we can come to understand each other. We need to each admit to ourselves our own blind spots and try to broaden our vision. Without that, we are merely ignoring the problem.

Of course none of this is easy. If it were, my parent’s generation would have eliminated racism long before my conception. Its specter still looms over American history, threatening to taint our future and darken our doorstep. I don’t believe that this is a lost cause, but I still have trouble taking anyone who says they are color-blind seriously.

With this in mind, I humbly pray for mutual understanding among all people. God, we are your children; Please make us see!

Photo by William

Holy Moses on a pogo stick - I’ve been hit by the website traffic fairy! The visitors to my site have literally doubled in one day due to Rev. PeaceBang and her brief mention of my site. What a great way to start off the year, eh? I’ll have to return the favor in someway, of course; maybe I’ll have her as the first Minister Interview for my site, so I can grovel and sing her praise proper-like. Er, that is if it’s okay with her…

That isn’t the only thing that happened this week - there was of course New Years Eve. I had four shots of B52, four cape-cods, and a shot of moonshine. Not too bad for someone whose limit is two drinks. However, the masochistic abuse of my liver is not the central purpose of Friday Vibes; there were some great posts this week that didn’t mention me, and I’m more than happy to point them out to you.

Jules from A UU Deist In Texas as written a three part series about his New Years Eve resolutions. While I normally don’t go for the yearly resolutions thing, I found these articles to be inspirational. The first part is regarding aging and health concerns, the second part is about spiritual practice, and the final part muses on his love for music. As someone who’s creeping towards 30, having difficulty finding the time for my own spiritual practice, and grew up around musicians, this series really struck a cord with me… pun not intended.

I’ve mentioned that Rev. Dan Harper is pushing for a conversation on emergent spirituality within Unitarian Universalism. This was his alternative to the traditional end of year review - look forward rather than look behind. Although I’m not sure what I can bring to the table, in regards to the conversation, I feel pretty positive about this idea… which is why I don’t mind mentioning it twice.

Finally, I’d like to point out that The Wild Hunt has done a two part article on the Top Ten Pagan Stories of 2007. It’s an interesting read, and I encourage anyone who has a moment to look it over. Because neo-paganism is looked down upon by the majority of mainstream religious communities, it is often subject to discrimination and ridicule. Seeing the year through the lens of this religion is a real eye-opener as to the status of religious tolerance.

I don’t know about you, but I have had enough of writing about the holidays. For the next few weeks, you can expect me to avoid any mention of them… er, at least until Valentines day.

“The North is to South what the clock is to time,
There’s East and there’s West and there’s everywhere life,
I know I was born and I know that I’ll die,
The in between is mine; I am mine.”
- Pearl Jam, I Am Mine.

Photo by Mats Lindh

I want to wish you all a Happy New Year. By the time you are reading this, I will most likely be quite inebriated - I only wish that I were celebrating with all of you. May peace and love keep you in 2008 and for many years to come.

Namaste.

This morning, I went to check my stats for the Pageless Book, and saw that Santa Claus came a bit early. The number of RSS subscribers to my feed increased by five fold over the course of one day. I now have a serious case of the warm fuzzies for my readers; thank you for showing that you care. I’ll be busy for the next couple of days, but I’ll be sure to keep you all in my thoughts. Have a Happy Holiday

Namaste.

Photo by Sharon Mollerus

Is this yet another regular feature on The Pageless Book? Oh, yes it is. “Friday Vibes” is commentary on three or four blog posts that I feel my readers may be interested in. For this first edition of “Friday Vibes,” I have decided to get into the holiday spirit. I do not know what it is, but I no longer feel as grinch-ish. I am sure it’s just a temporary condition and I’ll be back to my old self soon - heart size and all. Until then, I’d like to point out three excellent articles concerning Christmas that fellow bloggers published this week.

The Holiday Season… How to make it Authentic

If you are like me, and despise the materialistic or commercial elements of the holiday season, then perhaps you would like to look at the article “The Holiday Season…. How to Make it Authentic.” Jennifer, from Goodness Gracious, confronts the inherent problems with Old Saint Nick and gift giving. By suggesting alternative solutions and asking her readers to think about what is truly important to their Christmas, she provides us with tools with which we can rewrite our holiday traditions.

I like this article not only because it appeals to adult sensibilities, but also to my inner child as well. Jennifer shows that Christmas does not need to be all about the gifts, yet shows how we can keep the childlike spirit of Christmas alive. All you have to do is ask what it is about Christmas that is important and down play elements that are not as important. It just takes a little imagination.

Coming Home for Christmas (after de-conversion)

Richard, from De-Conversion, wrote an excellent essay about what Christmas means from an Atheist’s point of view. “Coming Home for Christmas (after de-conversion)” evokes images and impressions of childhood, drawing a sharp comparison between the understanding of the world as an adult with the beliefs we hold as a child. His musings on the subject of Christmas are bitter-sweet, deeply personal, and not exactly what some religious folks might expect from an Atheist.

I have to admit to identifying strongly with this article. Feeling regularly at odds with this holiday myself, I appreciate how hard it is to participate in Christmas without accepting it’s full meaning. Reading this article gave me some perspective and insight into my own feelings regarding Christmas.

A Yule Ritual

Finally, I want to offer something a little bit *different* concerning the holiday season. Posted over at The Sacred Paths is a Wiccan Yule Ritual, and I urge you to take a moment to read it. I really enjoy the Wiccan take on the holidays; something about the rituals and the symbols they associate with the Solstices and Equinoxes speaks to me in a way that the Christian celebrations never have. I might even have to suggest incorporating some Wiccan elements into my own holiday celebration. If you are looking into new traditions for your family, this is a great place to start.

Photo by foundphotoslj

A Jewish man was beaten in the New York Subway yesterday for saying “Happy Chanukah” in response to a group of Christians saying “Merry Christmas.” A Muslim college student came to the man’s aid and helped fight off his attackers. You can see the Associated Press news report HERE.

It puts religion in perspective, doesn’t it? All three - Jewish, Christian, and Muslim - worship the same God, yet each group is guilty of religious hatred against the others. This is why I feel so strongly about Religious Tolerance. It pains me to hear of something like this happening.

The good news is that someone had heart enough to help this man fend off their attackers. Let not the irony that it was a Muslim man who came to his aid go unnoticed. God bless both men - and I continue to pray for religious tolerance among all religions.

Namaste.

Today I learned something fairly shocking; my employer is holding the annual Christmas Party at a church. Just about every co-worker I’ve spoken to has regarded this as a bad move on our employer’s part - and not just the non-Christians. Many of my peers say that they will not be attending this year, in part due to its location. This situation has me seriously thinking about the role spirituality plays in the workplace.

It should be obvious what is and isn’t acceptable in regards to religion in the workplace. Any employer sponsored events or causes should be sensitive to the spiritual beliefs of their employees. Holding your yearly holiday party at a church is just one example of what isn’t acceptable. Nor are donations to religious organizations being made in the company’s name, management led prayer, or office nativity scenes acceptable. Unfortunately, an employee has little recourse besides resignation, which isn’t always practical.

We cannot rely on our employers to be sensitive to our spiritual beliefs, but we can at least be sensitive to the spiritual beliefs of others. Eight hours a day, about half of the time we are awake, we spend at work. It’s unrealistic to expect employees to check their spirituality at the office door, but it is fair to expect that their religion should not interfere with their ability to work. Spiritual practices can be a great form of stress reduction, which is sorely needed in the work environment, yet can be a source of conflict if not handled appropriately. How do we go about striking a balance? Is adding a spiritual element to your work day even worth the risk?

Personally, I think spirituality in the work place is fine, as long as you keep your fellow co-workers in mind. It’s very easy to tell you what not to do, like so many other articles on this subject, but I find its more important to give you ideas of what you can do. This list is by no mean comprehensive, but it should give you a good basis from which to develop your own ideas on how to integrate your spiritual life with your work.

• Spiritual Quotes: Displaying inspirational quotes at your desk or your locker. You should focus on quotes that can be accepted by just about anyone, or quotes that focus on your relationship with the Divine. A good example of an appropriate quote. is Corinthians I 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” The quote does not have to be a religious quote, either. For example, a good number of my favorite inspirational quotes are from the written works of Albert Einstein.
• Jewelry: Christians tend not to think that wearing a holy symbol to work is that big of a deal, in western culture. Jews, Muslims, and Neo-Pagans, however, would beg to differ. While few people think twice about wearing a cross necklace, wearing any other holy symbol is a sure way to draw uncomfortable attention and questions to yourself. Wearing a holy symbol underneath your clothing is a perfectly acceptable option, but is not a perfect solution. Each person will have to decide for themselves if wearing a visible holy symbol is appropriate for their circumstance. Personally, I have found that most folks are more understanding than what you would first assume.
• Knickknacks: Worry stones, small sculptures, and other small reminders of your faith and spirituality. Sometimes, it’s the small things that wordlessly offer a pick-me-up in the middle of the day that make all the difference.
• Holy Texts: This can, in some circumstances, be difficult. As with Jewelery, this has to be decided on a case by case basis. I have found, however, that most people avoid bothering anyone else about what they are reading.
• Prayer/Meditation: While praying aloud or chanting a mantra may not be appropriate in an office setting, silent prayer or meditation often can provide much needed stress relief in the middle of the day. No one needs to know that you are in silent prayer or meditation, just be willing to put up with occasional interruptions; inevitably, they will occur.
• Blessings: If you work in customer service, you know that occasionally you will come across a customer who closes every conversation with “God Bless You.” There is nothing that anyone can say about you returning in kind. Otherwise, taking a moment to intentionally and sincerely thank your customer isn’t just a good spiritual practice, but good customer service.
• Discussion: As with several of the ideas I present here, open discussion concerning your religion or spiritual practice requires some judgment on your part. However, if you can be genuinely open to hearing about another person’s spiritual life, discussing religion can open you to a new level of camaraderie with your co-workers.

I hope this article has been informative. If you should have any other ideas of how to integrate spirituality into your work day or wish to disagree with any of the points I make, I would love to hear from you. Do you have a story regarding your spirituality in your workplace? I’d like to hear about that as well. As always - Namaste.

It’s confession time again for yours truly. This time ‘round, I’m venting about Christmas. Here’s a big surprise - I don’t like it. I haven’t looked forward to the Christmas season for a long time. It isn’t due to the religious implications of this time of year. I can handle hearing about the birth of Christ; I actually find it to be rather inspirational. No, the reason I despise Christmas is the intrusion of this holiday on every aspect of our society for a period of a month and a half.

From between Black Friday and New Years Eve, there is this unrealistic expectation that everyone should be in good cheer. We’re suppose to maintain this attitude while listening to the same repetitive music in every public venue and spending copious amounts of money on gifts. To make matters worse, everyone in the whole country is competing for the same gifts, leading to traffic jams, over worked sales clerks, irate customers, and fist fights over toys that will most likely be broken before the end of January. Even if you had managed to get your Christmas shopping done early, you still have to deal with the influx of Christmas commercials, mindless news casts covering the Christmas rush, massive decorating projects, sending out Christmas cards, and wrapping the presents for Christmas day.

Is it any wonder that there’s a Christmas Resistance Movement? Buy Nothing Day? Call me a scrooge if you must, but I think Christmas is a waste of time, money, and energy. There’s nothing spiritual about these material things and nothing special about this one day out of the year.

My wife is attempting to break me out of my funk in regarding to this holiday season. She has offered me an alternative that I’m seriously thinking about implementing; a new family tradition. This tradition would de-emphasize the importance of gift giving and reinforce Christmas as a celebration of family. That is, after all, what the story of Jesus’s birth is about; the completion of one man and one woman by the inclusion of a child. Nothing could be more special.

So I’m left with thinking about the possibilities of what this new tradition would include. It should be fairly obvious what I believe should be left out… Is it too much to ask that a spiritual holiday be about spirituality? I want to hear your ideas on what the Christmas season should be and how it could be.