Brian’s Reflection: Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Hold on to what is good, even if it is a handful of earth.

Hold on to what you believe, even if it is a tree which stands by itself.

Hold on to what you must do, even if it is a long way from here.

Hold on to life, even when it is easier letting go.

Hold on to my hand, even when I have gone away from you.

Pueblo Blessing

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.

I think of what Jesus said about how hard it is for the rich to enter the “Kingdom of Heaven”. Bottom line, it has nothing to do with being rich, intrinsically. What the rich fall victim to, by virtue of their riches, is the incapacity to be compassionate and loving and generous. They can so easily become the slaves of their “goods” … meaning not only the material “stuff”, but the sense of privilege and power that is “their due” . When that happens, you get plutocracy … and in America at the present time, you get the Republican Party in particular … most of whom are Wannabes … they didn’t have wealth and power in the past, but they fancy themselves in their religious arrogance “worthy” of aristocratic status.

I’m pondering the Pueblo Blessing. As with so much of Indian wisdom, it is powerful and it bores in right to the point. I am pondering it’s Wisdom today, and I hope it will engage you. OK, I don’t know a lot about Bill Gates and Warren Buffet … but despite their vast wealth, they seem “simple” to me. Oh, they have vast “goods”, and undoubtedly “complicated” lives. But. They seem to care about others, and they “act on their faith”, i.e., they give and work for the welfare of others.

I hope you will have time to think about the Pueblo Blessing today. Two things I will be thinking about: the ability to hope for the future, and the need for and the blessing and support of friends.

Brian+