In case you have not heard the 2009 most fascinating person according to Barbara Walters is Michelle Obama. After watching the Barbara Walter’s special it was interesting to see some seemingly outrageous individuals seem very down to earth and at least two women on the list because of what their husbands did.
O.k. let’s get back to John the Baptizer, one of the most fascinating people in the Bible (just my opinion). His boldness in telling the people what they need to do is admirable; he was able to know that his purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. He instructed the people simply and they continued to come. Was being baptized by John just the popular thing to do at the time or did those being baptized fully understand what was happening and who was coming? Does it matter? What have you done lately just because it was the popular thing?
How does our culture of consumerism play into this idea of “doing the popular thing”? We are bombarded with advertising and marketing telling us what to buy, what we need and what to do, how do we begin to see through all of this and spend time exploring faith? In the second reflection All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten one of the lines is “Share everything”. This line flies in the face of consumerism. This is saying that everything we have we should share. During this holiday season I often catch myself questioning what I want versus what I need. This weekend I decided it was more important to be present with my husband and sleep in late on Sat, and then spend the day with friends doing some wine tasting and conversing. It was a simple day but very refreshing. So what did I accomplish on Sat? Some would say nothing but others would say I shared, played, and laughed with friends, and sometimes that is the best way to spend one’s day. Dustin who was on the Skype conversation Thursday mentioned one of his favorite quotes from Into the Wild was “the most important part of life is to share it.” Taking time to share your life with others can be rewarding in ways we cannot predict.
If you look at the song by Van Morrison you will see his response to his life and how society mocked his work, how he was misunderstood and in some ways how we (society) may not have been supportive of his bold vision. There is much in this song and it makes me curious about Van Morrison’s life and art. Sometimes when our lives get out of control the only thing we can do is to try and break it down into simple pieces.
I hope you take the time to slow down, pause and to appreciate some of the simple things in life and share your life with others. What do you think; please comment?
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