Black and White

“Shades of grey wherever I go; The more I find out the less that I know; Black and white is how it should be; But shades of grey are the colors I see.”  ~Billy Joel, (William Martin Joel) American singer, song-writer, composer (b 1949)

“Jason!?” His mother’s voice could be heard all the way from the kitchen. It wasn’t just the volume and pitch of her voice that he found disconcerting; it was the way in which she inflected his name upward that gave him pause and concern. “JAAY-SON??” her voice came again. “What are you watching?”

Jason was in the family room watching the big screen TV his dad had purchased just so he could watch football and basketball games. His Dad was working late tonight and the 55^th Grammys were on so Jason intended to make full use of this wonderful piece of technology, particularly the surround sound.

“JASON?” His mom’s voice was closer now. He quickly turned the volume to, what he thought was, an acceptable level. Checking the screen he was relieved to see that Adele was on screen. She was wearing a simple black dress. Mom couldn’t object to that, could she? Thankfully, Nicki Minaj and the guy in the Pope outfit were gone. That would have set his mom off in an instant.

His mom whisked into the room. “What are you watching?” she asked, hands fisted on hips. “Just a TV show,” Jason replied lamely. “What TV show?” she persisted. “Just the Grammys,” he said, looking away from her and at the screen.

To his horror, Adele was gone and Lady Gaga had appeared, replete with a low-cut black dress, black fish-net veil, and a gold scepter. It was too late to change the channel by punching the Discovery Channel preset.

“Let me see what you’re watching,” his mother demanded, coming face to face with “the Gaga.”  She stood there staring at the screen. Jason fantasized for a moment that Lady Gaga was staring back at her.

In an instant, his Mom snatched the remote from his hand. A moment later the screen went black and the electronic hum died. “You aren’t watching that trash in my house!” she scolded, tossing the remote onto the couch.

“What do you expect me to do?” he whined. “My homework is all done.”

His mom stared at him for a moment. “Go upstairs and play your video games,” she said finally.

In the early “Westerns” one could always tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys.” Black hats and white hats aside, the good guys were always clean-shaven and well dressed. The bad guys, for the most part, were ill-groomed, slovenly and ill-mannered. This created an over-simplified and stereotypical view of the world.

There are many who still apply this stereotypical approach. We create or adopt our definition of what is good and what is bad. If something or someone fits the “Good” definition it/they are considered acceptable. If our “Good” definition doesn’t fit however, then the person, cause, or thing is deemed “Bad” and we demonize it.  For example, some of the early leaders of the Christian church deemed that women were the source of sin in the world. Therefore, women, as a group, were deemed bad.

As Christian Stewards we are called to view the world in a very different way. None of God’s creation is inherently bad. All of creation is, in fact, a gift. God created Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa) and God created Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (Lady Gaga). Just as Mother Teresa’s “gifts/talents” are products of a loving Creator so are Lady Gaga’s “gifts/talents” products of that same loving Creator. 

The Grammys display to the world much of the great musical talent God has created. No one can argue that Christina Aguilera doesn’t have a great voice, for instance, although there may be other aspects of her lifestyle which are disconcerting.

In this respect, Jason’s Mom missed an opportunity. Rather than dismissing the Grammys as “trash,” this could have been a chance to sit with her son and watch the awards together. In this way she could have pointed out those things which were good, and those things which were questionable or inappropriate.

We too are called, at all times, to point out the goodness of God’s creation, rather than demonize it.

God doesn’t make junk. We make junk out of what God creates.

Dear God: Remind me to first look for your presence in all things.

“May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you and heaven accept you” ~Drake

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM 90SS!

©2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.

“90 Second Stewardship” All rights are reserved. You are welcome and encouraged to forward this e-mail to family and friends provided the”© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” is included along with this message. Organizations, whether for or non profit, are required to receive written approval before reproducing these reflections. If written approval is given the “© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” must be included along with this message.
 

Going Postal

“Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant's revolving door.” ~Albert Camus, French author, journalist and philosopher (1913-1960)

The USPS Office at the corner of Washington Boulevard and 10^th Avenue is located in the center of an ancient strip mall. Its very appearance made me distinctly uncomfortable.

My supervisor had directed me here because “it is never busy.” Now I could see why. At this point, it didn’t matter where it was or what it looked like. My 12-year-old pickup was laden with mismatched pasteboard boxes filled with stuffed #10 envelopes.   The 1100-piece Christmas mailing had to go out “pronto.” Here I was, so here it would be dropped off.

Staring at the boxes for a moment, I decided the best course of action was to go inside first and find out what I needed to do. I didn’t relish the idea of schlepping the boxes inside then putting all these envelopes down a mail chute handful by handful. So I carefully locked the truck with a sigh and headed inside.

When I entered the lobby, to my surprise, there were only two people in line.  In suburban post offices during the Christmas season, it would not have been unusual to encounter a line of 10 to 20 people. My brief euphoria dissipated, however, when I realized that the sole postal clerk appeared to be behind bullet-proof glass.

Stepping into line, I mentally rehearsed the question(s) I would asked when it was finally my turn. In this moment of “unawareness,” a voice from behind me startled me. “Excuse me sir, can I help you?” Turning, I found myself facing a young, diminutive African-American woman. Her blue postal uniform appeared at least a size too large. “Excuse me?” I asked. “Can I help you?” she responded again with a smile.

I quickly, though not very succinctly, explained what I was trying to accomplish. “So do you just want me to bring the boxes to the counter or do you want me to put the envelopes down the mail chute?”

“You can just bring them to that door over there,” she said pointing in the direction of a nearby door which led into the back. “Can I get you a cart?” Her last question surprised me. My experience with governmental bureaucracy has jaded me over the years. During my past encounters, it always seemed I was standing in the wrong line, had not filled out the necessary form, or had filled out the wrong form. Her proactive response had caught me unawares. “I’ll get you a cart,” she said disappearing into the back before I could respond.

The young woman returned in moments. “Do you want me to go out and bring your boxes in for you?” Again, I was surprised. “No, that’s OK,” I stammered. “I can do it.”

Hastening to my truck, I quickly loaded the boxes into the cart. Relocking the truck, I headed back across the parking lot and into the building. The young woman had just finished helping another customer as I entered. She smiled and took control of the cart. “Would you like your boxes back?” For the third time I was surprised.

“No, that’s OK. There are more where those came from.” She smiled one last time, turned and disappeared into the back room.

As I left the Post Office and head back to my truck, the day seemed brighter somehow.

All too often, our lives are conditioned by the way in which we are treated by others. Our days are marred by freeway encounters and harsh words exchanged between family members, fellow employees, and sometimes complete strangers.

As a result, we tend to focus on avoidance rather than commitment. When people recount uncomfortable incidents in their lives, they often emphasize their own lack of blame. Expressions like: “I didn’t do anything wrong” or “I don’t know what his problem was” are common.

In a world where avoidance becomes the primary objective, we often lose sight of our own tremendous capacity to do good and to have a positive influence on the lives of others. Just as evil often begets evil, so too does good often beget good.

During the Christmas season, in a Post Office, I readily expected to be treated badly, or at best indifferently. That expectation jaded any encounter I might have had. On the other hand, the helpful cheery little postal clerk, who undoubtedly was overworked, broke a potentially bad cycle.

As stewards of our relationships with others, we are not called to avoid confrontations; rather we are called to break cycles of negativity by our capacity to do good. We are not called to be blameless bystanders; rather we are called to be fearless do-gooders. Be of good cheer!

Dear God: Show me how I can make a difference in the world.

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man or women by their deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” ~Saint Basil, Greek Bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, Asia (329-379)

©2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.
“90 Second Stewardship”  All rights are reserved. You are welcome and encouraged to forward this e-mail to family and friends provided the”© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” is included along with this message. Organizations, whether for or non profit, are required to receive written approval before reproducing these reflections. If written approval is given the “© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” must be included along with this message.

Efficiently Ineffective

“Technology…the knack of so arranging the world that we don’t have to experience it.” ~Max Frisch, Swiss playwright and novelist  (1911-1991)

The traffic signal glowed red as I coasted to a stop. South bound on Western Avenue, I was facing the Interstate 10 overpass.  Cars were lining up to turn onto the down ramps, but I was headed on into south/central LA.  It was daylight, though the sun had yet to make its appearance.

Glancing to my left, I noticed a large shiny black SUV idling next to me. The female driver had just finished applying an extra layer of lip gloss. She checked her image in the visor mirror then flipped it back into position. Retrieving her cell phone, she absentmindedly thumbed through her emails, occasionally glancing nervously at the traffic signal. During this flurry of activity she remained expressionless.

In the back seat sat two school-aged children, both well-dressed. They were staring at the corner of the SUV roof. It was easy to deduce that the vehicle was equipped with a video screen, and they were watching a recorded cartoon or a children’s show. Neither smiled nor even seemed to blink.

Movement to my right captured my attention. Turning, I caught sight of an old Schwinn bicycle coasting to a stop on the sidewalk. Seated on the bike was grandfatherly-looking black man, his tight curly hair peppered with gray. I couldn’t help but notice the bright glittery pink hand bag clamped in the spring loaded carrier over the back wheel of the bike.

Seated on the crossbar, in front of the old gentleman, was a young girl. It was obvious she was his granddaughter. The granddaughter was dressed in a worn, but impeccably clean, blue and white checked skirt of the Catholic School uniform variety. A pink book bag, which matched the purse, was carefully slung over her shoulder. She rode the crossbar sidesaddle, holding onto the center of the handlebars with both hands. This did not prevent her from carrying on an animated conversation with the man I supposed to be her grandfather.

I mused for a moment over what their circumstances might be. Particularly the circumstances that necessitated her grandfather taking her to school on an old bicycle. It didn’t seem to matter though, as they laughed and chatted to one another.

The sound of a horn brought me out of my moment of contemplation. The light had changed to green and as I pulled through the intersection I watched the “SUV Family” scoot away and disappear down a ramp to the eastbound 10, the two children still staring into oblivion.

I glanced into the rearview mirror and saw the grandfather begin to pedal the bike along the sidewalk arduously, but with great care, the two of them still chatting away.

No, I will never know the circumstances of those two families. But from all appearances, the grandfather and his granddaughter were far better off.

Just because we are living efficiently, it doesn’t mean we are living our lives effectively. We have been blessed with a great many wonderful conveniences which make our lives easier. Nicer cars, phones with cutting-edge technology, more efficient appliances all help to make our lives easier, but are they making our lives better? How can it be, with all the time-saving devices in the world today, we consistently seem to have less time for one another?

Author Fr. Richard Leonard once identified “technology” as one of the “7 Addictions.” The more we have, the more we seem to need. Like any other addiction, it provides us with a false sense of security. This does not mean that technology is inherently bad. But at the end of the day, “who owns who?”

When things go horribly wrong, as they did last week in a school in a sleepy town in Connecticut, we turn to human relationships for solace, not to technology.

I am not suggesting that life circumstances which require a man to take his granddaughter to school on a secondhand bicycle are a good thing.  And yet, stripped of technological conveniences, unable to call her, text her, or email her, he could still share his life with her. That relationship is priceless.

Dear God: Remind me always that there is a difference between sending a message and having a conversation.

“The drive toward complex technical achievement offers a clue as to why the U.S. is good at space gadgetry and bad at slum problems.” ~John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist (1908-2006)

©2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.

“90 Second Stewardship” is a reflection on being a Christian Steward in a secular and sometimes harsh world. This reflection is written by Deacon James E. Carper, Director of Marketing and Development at Holy Name of Jesus School in south/central Los Angeles. All rights are reserved. You are welcome and encouraged to forward this e-mail to family and friends provided the”© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” is included along with this message. Organizations, whether for or non profit, are required to receive written approval before reproducing these reflections. If written approval is given the “© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” must be included along with this message.

Holyday Celebration

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~Socrates, Greek philosopher (BC 469–399)

Mary Elizabeth was the first to notice. It was hard not to. The glowing form was unmistakable. The question was what to do about it. She knew the Associate, Father John, was probably in the confessional. Arriving at the “large black box,” she knocked quietly, but insistently. “Father John, Father John!” she said in an escalating stage whisper. “Come quickly!”

Father John, a gaunt, young priest in wire-rimmed glasses appeared at the door of the confessional. “What is it, Mary Elizabeth? I was doing my morning prayer.” “Come quickly!” she said again. “You have to see this.”

Father John followed Mary Elizabeth across the narthex and into the sanctuary. “Look!” she exclaimed, pointing at the center aisle. As he stared at the sight before him, Father John’s eyes widened. There before him, moving slowly down the long center aisle of St. Bartholomew’s, was the glowing form of a person, its arms were outstretched, palms up. It only took a moment for Father John to recognize the figure of Christ.

Mary Elizabeth was shaking his arm. “What do we do, Father?” Father John took a last quick look and, leaving Mary Elizabeth behind, turned and bolted out the side door of the church into the parking lot. He was headed for the Rectory and the pastor’s office.  

Father Matthew was seated quietly at his desk, reading the morning paper when Father John burst into his office. Father Matthew looked up at him over the top of his glasses. “Aren’t you suppose to be hearing confessions right now?” he asked, looking back at his paper.

“You are not going to believe this!” Father John blurted out. “Oh, not much surprises me anymore,” replied Father Matthew calmly, still looking at his paper. “Well this just might,” retorted an exasperated Father John.

He quickly recounted his story to the Pastor. Father Matthew’s only response was, “Are you sure?” Father John finished with a flourish, “Father Matthew, Jesus Christ himself is walking down the center aisle of our church. WHAT DO WE DO?”

Father Mathew jumped to his feet, dropping his paper and losing his glasses in the process. “Go to your office, Father John!” “What?” Father John asked. “I said go to your office. Undoubtedly, after Jesus finishes in the church he will come here.” “And when he does make sure of one thing and one thing only…”

Father Matthew paused for a moment at if to emphasize the gravity of his words: “LOOK BUSY!”

Our modern society has come to equate “busyness” with value. If I am busy doing something, I must be of value. This false sense of worth has been exacerbated by the recent employment crisis in our country. If I’m working (busy), I am of value. Father Matthew wanted to look busy for the Lord. To show there was merit in his being in the position he was in, that he was worthy or deserving.

What he failed to realize was that God loves us without qualification, whether we are extremely busy or at rest.  We are all truly equal in God’s eyes.

During the Christmas Season, we prepare for the “Second Coming” by celebrating the first. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves so busy “doing Christmas” that we neglect to actually celebrate it.  In modern times, “celebrate” has come to mean, to “party,” often to the point of inebriation. It is easy to forget that the celebration of a religious holiday, Christian or otherwise, is, in and of itself a preparation.

As good stewards of our time on earth, we are called to take time to celebrate. Celebration literally means “to observe with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.” Celebrating Christmas (or Easter or Passover) is not so much the event itself (the holiday), but the preparation for the bigger event – the coming of the Messiah.

This year, take some time to make “the holiday” a Holy Day.

 Dear God: May I never be too busy to spend time with you.

“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The questions is: What are we busy about?” ~Henry David Thoreau, American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist (1817–1862)

©2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.
“90 Second Stewardship” All rights are reserved. You are welcome and encouraged to forward this e-mail to family and friends provided the”© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” is included along with this message. Organizations, whether for or non profit, are required to receive written approval before reproducing these reflections. If written approval is given the “© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” must be included along with this message.