Fighting Injustice

"And so the poor continue to hope, while injustice is bound and gagged." Job 5:16

We fought injustice wherever we found it, no matter how large, or how small, and we fought injustice to preserve our own humanity.

Nelson Mandela

My '2x4' weekend is half done

Its a long weekend and Tues morning I'm off to a Leadership Development course for the week. Yvonne is away in Regina with two of her girlfriends, and I am at home, alone with tons to do before I leave. Lately, I've hit a whole new level in my 'multitasking' and my mind and spirit are weary. You might say, 'mega multitasking'. But then again, who would say something like that? In any case, you get my drift!

It has been another long winter but for me, the spring always brings with it inspiration! These days, I don't feel like I have the same level of fitness I did say, this time last year. So, let's put the multitasking on hold, and for four days I'm doing two cardio workouts per day. That's my '2x4' weekend!

So, its the evening of day two and I'm half way. Now what?


I had a good run in the morning. The sun was bright and warm, but the wind had a damp bite to it. Thanks to some good gear I have (not new but good), I was able to be comfortable temperature wise, but my legs got heavy from the middle point onward. The last small but long hill was a killer. As I use this running as training for my participation in the annual Ride for Refugee (http://www.rideforrefugees.com), I pulled memory images of refugees I've met over the years. I called to mind the fact that they can't quit the journey, so, I am not going to quit either!

[Rest]

In the early evening, I hit the trails on my off-road bike and even though it was still sunny, the North wind had power and bite. The idea was to ride easy, get a little lactic acid out of the muscles, but the wind and the soft trails made the ride more challenging than I expected. Sections of the trail were still soft from the spring thaw and I saw some snow, hiding in gullies away from the suns rays.

It was neat to observe the wildlife going about their spring chores too. A beaver was startled as I approached, several ground hogs scurried for cover and lots of birds sang me along the track. Taking it all in, the trail, the wildlife, the setting sun, is half the pleasure for me!

At the end of the day I have that sense of satisfaction that comes with pushing myself and seeing how I respond physically and mentally. Today, I did okay.

Tonight I'll do a little stretching, a lot of resting and see what tomorrow brings.

Things don't change that much ...

God was executed by people painfully like us, in a society very similar to our own ... by a corrupt church, a timid politician, and a fickle proletariat led by professional agitators.

- Dorothy L. Sayers,
The Man Born to Be King (1943)


Note: The proletariat (from Latin prollees, "offspring") is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. Originally it was identified as those people who had no wealth other than their sons. The term was initially used in a derogatory sense, until Karl Marx used it as a sociological term to refer to the working class. From Wikipedia.

St. Augustine

Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.

St. Augustine

‘Regard others as better than yourselves’

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.

- Philippians 2:3-7

I read this verse today while scanning the sojourners blog and it 'hit me' again. You see, I have a lot of writing and corresponding to do today and, I realize the my attitude aint a whole like like Jesus'. Sometimes I feel like I've taken on the 'role of a slave' -- but can I really take on the 'attitude of a slave'?

I know I need to get my 'tude' adjusted before I start my writing.

Comments anyone?

Economic Recovery

I red this on the Sojourners Blog recently. Its a quote from my friend, Brian McLaren, taken from a larger article on "Mobilization", an initiative to end poverty. He's looking at the illness in the US economy. Take a read ...

So our economy is in the emergency room, and the doctors are doing triage but they still haven’t reached a full diagnosis of the disease — or better said, the complex of diseases — with which our economy is afflicted. We, as people of faith in the God who proclaims good news to the poor, have every reason to suspect that a key element in our as-yet undiagnosed economic disorder is a failure to properly care for the poor.

We, people who believe in the God who identifies with the least of these, have every reason to believe that if you want to check the health of the economy, you begin by checking the blood pressure of the poor. If you want to treat our economic illness, you begin with those most weakened by poverty. If you want to measure improving health, you check the vital signs of the poor.

I'm with Brian, and a host of people from our generation and those who have gone before us. That is, the way we respond to the "least of these" in our world, is an accurate barometer on the health of our economy and our culture.

What say ye?

Problems? What problems?

"Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them."

-Albert Einstein

Leadership Intelligence

I came across this the other day and its another "wow".

Humility: Knowing the danger of getting educated beyond your intelligence.

That makes me think ... hmmm?
What say ye?

Leadership Quote

"People who want to appear cleaver use their memory -- people who want to get things done, make lists".

I read this the other day and wow, it hit me. I tend to depend on my memory, for lots of things - not calendar, but lots of other "mental lists". Right now, I've got lots of important information rolling around in my head ... moving toward some decisions.

Conclusion: I've made some lists. I will make more, paper first - then onto my computer.