One Nation Under God

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God indivisible, and with liberty and justice for all.”

-1954 United States of America Pledge of Allegiance

I grew up in an Air Force family.  My father was an officer who served in World War II and the Korean War.  I was ten when he retired, but his military service and the generation of both of my parents influenced our daily lives.  However, I was also a child of the sixties and seventies when there was "flower power," the Vietnam War, and Watergate.    The free spirit of the sixties, women entering the corporate professional workforce, and the disenchantment with government influenced my choices.  I didn't fully understand the reason for my parents' dedication to discipline, sacrifice, and respect, but I had learned to be organized and hardworking.

My mother was especially dedicated to rituals whether as a family, church, or service in the military.  At that time it did not set well with me because I am in many ways different than my mother.  This was partially due to the effect of the changes of women’s roles in society and my intuitive theoretical personality, which was so different from my mother’s sensory-based personality.   My parents never discussed the "why" but simply "did."  I wanted to know the "why."

As I have aged, I now understand the why.  The rituals, the discipline, and the sacrifice were necessary to bring together the United States to defeat a horrendous enemy.  For my parents it was essential to be "one nation under God, indivisible."  They believed they would prevail in righteousness and justice with sacrifice by all.   They had to be disciplined to succeed.   Rituals, including kneeling in prayer, saluting the flag, standing at attention at the playing of taps when the flag was lowered bound the nation together.   My parents could not explain the theological concepts of God to me that I write about, but through rituals they dedicated themselves to God and a higher purpose.

Today there is disagreement on whether God should be included in the pledge of allegiance.  But God is love, God is righteousness, God is justice and God grants free will.   Those are our fundamental American values.   We are one nation under God.

Everybody Knows Your Name

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

and they're always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see,

our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows

Your name.

- Lyrics from the Cheers theme.

Every morning before work I drop by Panera to get an iced coffee and breakfast.  Jenn is a small young woman with lots of energy that calls out my name when I enter Panera even when I place my order at the kiosk instead of the register.  She knows I'm selling my house and she always asks how is it going and encourages me.  Mark and Brittany prepare my breakfast and as I stand by the counter we discuss the weather and how our weekends went as well as our cats and family.  I commented to them one day coming to Panera early in the morning is like entering the bar Cheers.  Mark laughed and called out "Norm!" even though he is too young to have watched Cheers when it first aired.

I was talking to my sister-in-law Jan about my daily interaction at Panera and my comment to Mark and Brittany about Cheers.  She said the show Cheers was like a great community church.  Everybody loves you despite your idiosyncrasies and faults, is glad to see you, and knows your name.  When I think of all the characters from Cheers, I smile.  Great art and writing including television shows can make us think and bring us together as a community.  The show Cheers reminds us of what is important - each other.   I don't watch reality shows or crime shows because I believe they are superficial and overly dramatic.   Unfortunately they are influencing our perception of what it is to be human.  It is like asking if the chicken comes before the egg.  Are we becoming what we watch or is what we watch reflective of our reality? When does one start and the other stop?  

Intuitively I know what I watch and observe on television and in my everyday life influences my perception of others and therefore, my behavior.   It is wonderful that shows like Cheers, great churches, and people like Jenn, Mark and Brittany can bring us together and remind us of the importance of community where "Everybody knows your name.”

Ad majorem dei Glorium

“Ad majorem dei Glorium.  For the Greater Glory of God.”

-       Society of Jesus (Jesuit) Motto.

In 2013, as part of a creative exercise to create a Times magazine cover representing Saint Louis University in twenty years, I drew the Sword of Ignatius of Loyola balanced by righteousness and justice.  I included a quote from Matthew in the Bible - "Think not that I came to send you peace, I came not to send you peace, but a sword."  This quote from the Bible is about putting God first (who is love) or brother will be set against brother.   I believed Saint Louis University's mission was to change the world through the education of the whole person to promote justice and righteousness in the world.   I included on the Time Magazine cover the following under the title:

"Sharpened Sword"

Discerning intellect

Inwardly reflective

Outwardly focused

Disciplined in action

Bound by love and service

Unified in purpose

“Ad majorem dei Glorium”  

(For the Greater Glory of God)

I have learned that leading means exercising self-discipline to follow Jesus, but to know that I am sinful and that only through grace and forgiveness by God and others can I grow in the Kingdom of God.  Each one of us is granted gifts, but we must follow the lead of Jesus when using them.  I'm not sure if God is asking me to lead through symbols or asking something else of me, but no matter what I do, I have chosen to follow God.

  "Ad majorem dei Glorium"

The Tree of Knowledge

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.”

- Genesis 2:17 (NKJV)

This week I watched on the PBS News Hour a report stating that since 2007, there has been a significant drop-off by Americans of all races and ages that identify with a religion.  The drop off in religious affiliation was greatest amongst Millennials.   The News Hour also reported that this trend pertained to all developed nations including Europeans.

When Adam and Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, it symbolized the initiation of human individuality and self-will.  Adam and Eve saw their nakedness and were no longer "clothed in God's Glory."  They could no longer experience through wordless thought and spirituality the presence and oneness with the eternal God.   The purpose of many religions including Christianity is to once again experience oneness and eternity by reconnecting with God.

Western scientific thought has brought us many gifts of discovery, but it also has focused on measuring phenomenon with technology while not acknowledging that the more we know, what we do not know is greater.  God has a reason for this paradox; not knowing requires us to have faith.  Faith promotes imagination, possibilities, and hope.   God knew humans would eat from the Tree of Knowledge, but knew that we would need reconciliation with him to once again experience the oneness and eternal.  

The Cat in the Hat

This week I received a card in the mail from a friend from Saint Louis University.  I had to smile - on the front of the card was Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat.  The Cat had a broad smile as he tipped his hat walking jauntily down a path.  It reminded me of Pastor Randy's sermon in January on the Zoad in the Road and decision making.

"The Zoad In The Road”: 

Did I ever tell you about the young Zoad?
Who came to a sign at the fork of the road?
He looked one way and the other way too -
the Zoad had to make up his mind what to do.
Well, the Zoad scratched his head, and his chin, and his pants.
And he said to himself, "I’ll be taking a chance.
If I go to Place One, that place may be hot
So how will I know if I like it or not.
On the other hand, though, I’ll feel such a fool
If I go to Place Two and find it’s too cool
In that case I may catch a chill and turn blue.
So Place One may be best and not Place Two.
Play safe," cried the Zoad, "I’ll play safe, I’m no dunce.
I’ll simply start off to both places at once."
And that’s how the Zoad who would not take a chance
Went no place at all with a split in his pants.
-Dr Seuss

The same day I received the card, at work I had posted at my desk the Mission Statement from Saint Louis University - "The Pursuit of Truth for the Greater Glory of God and for the Service of Humanity.  I knew that I had accomplished everything I needed to in my current position for my employer and myself.  I realized my gift is to process messages and to write.  I also have a gift for organization and process thinking.  I naturally lead, but I also need to time to contemplate, write, and garden in order to process messages. I decided write a description and resume for my dream job and send it to Saint Louis University with my link to Sacred Souls and to let them decide if and how they can use my gifts.  

The Arbor in the Dream Garden

Last year I started my Sacred Souls blog in March with an entry title The Road not Taken in reference to my favorite poem by Robert Frost.  I was at a crossroads and I needed to start down a path so I began writing down my thoughts that had been accumulating for twenty years about God and humanity. This week I realized again I am at a crossroads.

The hair salon I use, called the Louve, displays artwork of local artists.  This month a series of beautiful watercolors painted by Susan Winter filled the salon. Her painting of an arbor in country garden on a hill reminded me of a garden spot that has special meaning to me.  As I initially walked around the salon I realized that the watercolors depicted my dream home.   On Saturday I returned to the Louve and purchased five watercolors – the arbor in the garden, Iris, a cat on a chair in a garden, a young boy with a dog, and a little girl with a Teddy bear looking out the window with a snow scene.   None of the watercolors depicted a house, but had all the elements of what I wanted in a home – my Christmas House.   I realized this week that in my heart that what address I am at doesn’t matter only that I am surrounded by the love of family and pets and that is what is most important to me.  God has given me many blessings and gifts but I have never had a family and everything else comes second to that dream.  I will be fifty-five in October and the dream seems impossible, but I have faith that God answers our innermost dreams whether it is on Earth or in Heaven.