Living From the Soul - A Book Review

 Living From the Soul: The Seven Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Sam Torode. Sam Torode Book Arts, 2020.

"The Soul is the highest conception of excellence and truth we can bring forth."

~Elbert Hubbard

In September 1833, Ralph Waldo Emerson embarked on a ship headed to Europe. He left behind three deaths in his life - that of his wife, his beliefs, and his career. Over the course of that journey over the wide ocean, Emerson laid out seven core principles that would guide him throughout his life.

1. Trust Yourself
2. As You Sow, You Will Reap
3. Nothing Outside Can Harm You
4. The Universe Is Inside You
5. Identify With The Infinite
6. Live in the Present
7. Seek God Within

Sam Torode, the author, takes us on a short (79 pages) but deep exploration of the Soul and how it might answer some of Life's BIG questions:

• What do you do when your world falls apart?
• Where can you find peace in the midst of uncertainty?
• Who can you turn to for guidance?

In seven chapters plus a forward, introduction, and appendix, Torode riffs on these principles and questions, supported by some of the world's greatest minds - Joseph Campbell, Lao Tzu, Shakespeare, Dickenson, Jesus, and more. 

You might read this book in one gulp, but I guarantee you'll eventually read it again slowly, maybe journaling and highlighting along the way, and then re-read it as you experience more of life and need the foundation and solace these thoughts and ideas can provide. 5 Stars plus! This is a keeper.

Blessed Reading!

PURCHASE or KU LOAN AT AMAZON: 

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Use a Card Deck to Examine Your Life

Disclosure: The links below (whether the link is associated with an image or text) are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you in advance for your support.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates

Recently, I have been facing an overwhelming set of decisions and tasks in a variety of areas of my life: health, my writing career, an aging house, friends and family struggling with life-altering issues. Some people thrive under that variety and pressure, but at this point, I have trouble answering the questions "What is most important? What do I focus on first?"  Stephen Covey's quote floats in my mind:  "I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." 

So I've been re-exploring HOW to make decisions and create a satisfying, fulfilling life. In my reading, inspiring experts suggest:

"Have your outer world reflect your inner world." - Lisa Congdon and Andreea Niculescu 

         "Follow Your Bliss." - Joseph Campbell 

"Men are not moved by things, but by the view they take of them." - Epictetus

"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." - James Allen

Even the Bible has suggestions:

⦁ Philippians 4:8 (NIV): "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

⦁ Romans 12:2 (NIV): "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

⦁ Proverbs 4:23 (NIV): "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Okay, I got it. What's inside determines your behavior. How do I discern what's actually inside?  A friend's recommendation to the rescue! 

THE LIVE YOUR VALUES DECK 

Click Image to Purchase

VALUES. A DEFINITION... OR TWO  

⦁ Underlying principles or standards, as of behavior, that are considered important or desirable and/or are regarded  highly or esteemed. Each person holds a unique set of values.

⦁ Personal Values: These are principles that an individual holds dear, such as honesty, compassion, integrity, or ambition. They help a person determine their priorities and what they consider to be a fulfilling life.

⦁ Cultural Values: These are shared beliefs within a society or community about what is good, right, or important. They can include things like respect for elders, community solidarity, or individualism, and they often shape social norms and expectations.

⦁ Ethically, values are used to define what is morally right or wrong.

To figure out what's going on inside me, I have tried questionnaires and personality tests and church sermons. 

But this is the first time I have in my hand, in physical form, my 12 Core Values.

I don't usually pitch products in this space, but THIS REALLY HELPED.

⦁ I chose my 12 Values from a very large selection of 73 values, one on the front of each card of the deck, along with a short description of that value.

⦁ On the back of each card is a list of ideas for how to think about the value and suggestions for actions to bring this value more deeply into your life.

⦁ There are two blank cards if you need to add a value that you don't find in the deck. (I did  use one of those.)

⦁ There are three cards that are the "sorting cards": Matters Most, Matters Some, Doesn't Matter

⦁ There's a little booklet that describes how to use the cards, determine your core values, and how to study each in more depth to give you more insight. 

Click to Buy The Card Deck Now

Each card has a lovely illustration to represent the value. The definitions are concise and clear, the ideas and suggestions will give you abundant food for thought. I keep my 12 core values close by so I can use them for meditation, calming my monkey mind, and decision-making. They are a steadying influence in my chaotic world. 

I'm sure that whatever your circumstances, this deck of Values will guide you to become "a product of your decisions" in a positive way with decisions based on a firm foundation of personal and cultural values. With that foundation, you have every chance to live a satisfying and fulfilling life. 

Blessings on Your Day!

              

     Click to Buy The Card Deck Now

 

Current Lessons from Revelation

In a post back in March [Reflection on Revelation], I shared the interpretation Marcus Borg offers for the Book of Revelation, one based in historical and cultural context, with a comment that Revelation provides some insight into domination systems in the world as illustrated by the Roman Empire over 60 years after the death of Jesus. A friend in my Christian Fellowship lent me a book of another interpretation published in 1983 which is also based firmly in historical and cultural context.

Pheme Perkins, The Book of Revelation, Collegeville Bible Commentary, New Testament 11. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1983

This short treatise is only 87 pages long, but includes the text of Revelation at the top of each page while below, the author discusses that content. The  layout is easy to follow and the content fascinating. In his book Perkins offers this observation on how the Roman Empire presented itself in its conquered countries, and it struck me as being relevant to our situation today in the US. 

The self-glorifying and even self-divinizing inscriptions and proclamations of the imperial rulers presented the empire as beneficient. So does the literature written by those who benefited from the opportunities given by imperial expansion. We have seen that those local, civic authorities who sought favor with the empire joined the proclamation of benefits of the empire through the various cultic activities in honor of the emperor. Clearly, the local citizenry did not have a universally agreed upon assessment of the empire.[Italics mine]. Pg 57.

Our current administration and the administration of Rome offer a similar message: the imperial administration is here for the good of the people, in modern parlance, to make America great... again. Imperial Rome had no need to make itself great again, because it already was. [ASIDE: I personally feel that the US has always been great. Flawed of course, but grounded on a constitution, and a strong system of processes, law, and checks and balances that make it great.] In both cases, all of the people who have something to gain from the position of the administration join their voices to the chorus. And as in Rome, the US citizenry does not agree upon the truth in the message being propagated.  

This is where Bible study is helpful, if considered in the historical and cultural context in which it was written. The Book of Revelation was written for the Jesus sect of Jews who had by this time separated from the Jewish community and called themselves Christians. Their land was occupied by leaders who wanted to dominate the people and the land. Rome had been successful, so the underclass in Palestine felt the "boot" of imperial rule with great strength and little mercy. In the US -at this writing-, the "boot" has also struck with little compassion. In Rome, many were in such awe of the Empire that no one thought it could be beaten. The underclass of Palestine had little recourse except rebellion, mostly unsuccessful.  In the US, there are many who are working daily through the court system, on the ground with targeted groups, and through constant communcation through government channels to push back and use whatever system checks and balances are available.

Revelation reminds us that Domination is a quest that is still sought by people in any regime of any time, and it is our call, as descendents of the Jesus sect, to be attentive, and "wise as serpents [sometimes misquoted as foxes, but sends the same message] and innocent as doves" [having no self-serving agenda] (Matthew 10:16). If there is something or someone within our reach that is under threat from the harm domination can inflict, then we are called to speak up, to act, to step into the light. 

This is not easy by any means, and I have struggled with how to respond, how to prepare. But a focus on those issues within your reach and your passion will help you make wise choices while working without a self-serving agenda. A note: if your self-serving agenda includes the fact that you are one of the "targeted" and the agenda will in fact serve the good of targeted others, move forward.  To see some examples of how others have done this, watch the movies "Spotlight" about the uncovering of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, and "The Toxic Town" about mothers fighting back against the power structure that covered up toxic waste in their town. I know that here in North Carolina, our Governor and Attorney General are working as buffers while the Federal government reshapes. 

Are there other examples of people in your sphere who are working to protect rights, the rule of law, and compassion as a way of life? Share in the comments, please. I'd love to hear more. As Krista Tippett suggests (Taking in the Good) , we all need to "take in the good."

Blessings on your day.

Taking in the Good

 I've heard several comments about hope over the years: 

• Hope is the most dangerous thing in a human; 
• Hope can be a driving force, a source of strength, and a beacon of light in the darkest times; 
• People with higher levels of hope tend to have better mental health outcomes and a higher quality of life.

The American Heritge Dictionary defines HOPE as "The longing or desire for something accompanied by the belief in the possibility of its occurrence."

One of the books my therapist recently gave me to study was Krista Tippett's Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living. She has a whole chapter on Hope as one of five virtues-- raw materials we humans can use to become wise. Here is something I learned for Krista's book to help me escape the "breaking news" and fill it with "fixing news."

"Hope is distinct, in my mind, from optimism or idealism. It has nothing to do with wishing. It references reality at every turn and reveres truth. It lives open-eyed and wholehearted within the darkness that is woven ineluctably into the light of life and sometimes seems to overcome it. (pg.232)

Hope inspires goodness to reveal itself. Hope takes goodness seriously, treats it as a data point, takes it in. This is a virtue for living in and of itself: taking in the good… (pg.259)

Our world is abundant with quiet hidden lives of beauty and courage and goodness. There are millions of people at any given moment, young and old, giving themselves over to service, risking hope, and all the while ennobling us all. To take such goodness in and let it matter - to let it define our take on reality as much as headlines of violence - is a choice we can make to live by the light in the darkness, to be brave and free… Taking in the good whenever and wherever we find it, gives us new eyes for seeing and living.” (pg. 265)

May you take in the good today. 

Thomas Jefferson on the Jefferson Bible

It has been almost 2 years since I last posted, and I have in my planning schedule a stockpile of ideas to carry me through this year. For 2025, I am re-committing to this blog for my own spiritual health. Hope you will join me. 

Back in March 2024 my Christian Fellowship was deep into Karen Armstrong's book The Case for God, specifically Chapter 9: The Enlightenment.  Which doesn't seem to be very "enlightened" for the plethora of descriptions of God and Christianity that arose during that time. Clearly a discussion for another blog.

The Jefferson Bible

What did arise in conversation was the Jefferson Bible. This document was printed by the Government Printing Office and handed out to every new member of Congress between 1904/5 to 1957. Between then and now, several private citizens and organizations have occasionally revived the practice. In 2013, for example, the American Humanist Association distributed a free copy to every member of Congress and Barack Obama. (Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible#Publication_history )

This past week, I've been reading a book I picked up in Williamsburg, VA : BECOMING JEFFERSON: My Life as a Founding Father by Bill Barker. 

Background: Mr. Barker is an actor and loves history. He began his career as an historical interpreter in 1980 when a friend noted that he looked like Thomas Jefferson and asked if he would portray Jefferson at Independence Hall for photo ops and celebrations. And he did... for over a decade at events across the country. He came to Colonial Williamsburg in 1993, and what had been a summer gig became a full-time vocation, due in large extent to Mr. Barker's urging and dedication. To do his job, he has read everything he can of Jefferson's writings, both public and personal, as well as the many histories written about Jefferson. He has portrayed Jefferson in Colonial Williamsburg for over 25 years and is now retired. My husband and I have had the very good fortune to see him many times over the years when we vacationed in Williamsburg. 

Given his extensive and intimate familiarity with Jefferson, I think he can give us a good perspective on the "Jefferson Bible" and how Jefferson might have reacted to it. 

Mr. Barker writes:

Another victim of "twistifications" (a word coined by Jefferson) of historical fact is what has become known as the "Jefferson Bible." Mr. Jefferson did not write his own version of the Bible... The project is the result of Jefferson's study of translations of the four Gospels in Greek, Latin, French, and English to compile the life and words of Jesus by way of the eyewitness accounts in the Gospels. Jefferson began his study in the first years of his presidency, and later titled it "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth." Jefferson's purpose was for his better understanding of the teachings of Jesus... It did not denigrate the moral lessons taught by Jesus. Rather it was an effort to get at what Jesus actually said. [Becoming Jefferson, pg. 159.

I do love the word "twistifications," don't you? Given this background of what lay behind Jefferson's motivation, I appreciate how Barker answers anyone who asks him (as Jefferson) "Tell me about your Bible."

"I beg your pardon. I trust I am not so presumptuous as to write a Bible. What you are perhaps referring to is my scholarly investigation of what Jesus was known to have said."  Many people will say, "What do you mean by 'what he was known to have said'? It's all in the Bible." To which I then answer, "Which one? the Catholic Bible or the Protestant Bible? The teachings of Jesus have been published in many different versions, translations, and languages. And Jesus himself did not write down his own words."  (Becoming Jefferson, pg. 160)

Jefferson wrote to Richard Rush in May 1813:  "The subject of religion, a subject on which I have ever been most scrupulously reserved. I have considered it a matter between every man and his maker, in which no other, and far less the public, had a right to intermeddle." (Becoming Jefferson, pg. 160)

Kurt Smith, a younger interpreter, has assumed the role of Jefferson with skill and dedication, and shows us Jefferson's perspectives from his earlier years in government. But I am especially grateful for Bill Barker's magnificent legacy to give us a perspective on Jefferson and on the religion of one of our Founding Fathers. 

I feel in touch with Jefferson's approach. I want to soak up everything I can about Jesus, this charismatic, itinerant preacher who taught his followers "The Way" within Judaism in a manner that generated an entirely new religion within two centuries of his death. I've been on a lifelong journey with this... and I feel I'm just getting started. 

Choices

It seems that in November, I was regularly confronted with the idea of choices. Two weeks ago I heard a sermon by Rev. Robin Renteria in which she asked:
How many choices take you away from what you really care about? How many take you toward what you really care about, what you value? How many choices are merely distractions. Or avoidance? Or denial?

I gave a seminar on issues in aging to our Pastoral Associates at church and spent another day at an eldercare resources fair sponsored by a local organization. At both, I spoke to people about maintaining independence as we age. One of the characteristics of independence is that we can make our own choices. As we grow into our elder years, we have choices about how we will live, who will help us if we become infirm, and what setting will give us the best lifestyle and care options. But I learned that choices are a slippery thing. If you choose no course of action, something may happen (a fall, a disease, a condition) that will close down options quickly and make the decision for you. The choices we make affect not just us, but also others around us. As much as we cry for independence of choice, choice is a very dependent action.

I’m in the process of choosing now. In what activities shall I engage for the next 10 years? What will be my daily life rhythm in the near future? What does my current behavior tell me about what I value, and do I want to make any changes? My choices will set a path, close out some options, open up others. Choice makes life easier and more difficult at the same time.

My counselor often said that making the first, major decision is the hardest part. To stay in a marriage or not. To sell a house or not. To move to assisted living or not. Once you have made that choice, the path becomes somewhat easier because the options you have become clearer. The path after the major decision has an immediate direction that can move you forward. Without that first decision, you are stuck, immobile.

The Bible not only shows us that God makes many choices, but also gives us advice on our own choices. So in your choices today, choose any of these verses for inspiration.

Proverbs 8:10
Choose my [Wisdom’s] instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;

Proverbs 16:16
How much better to get wisdom than gold;
To choose understanding rather than silver.

Joshua 24:15
“...Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Luke 10:41-42 Visiting Mary and Martha
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (This is just the end. Read the lead-up from 29:2 through Chapter 30. Powerful stuff!)
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendents may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him and holding fast to him; for that means life to you...

Blessings on your choices!

Reacting to Hardship

I have a story to share that I heard this week. I had just finished my workout at Curves (a small, franchise exercise gym for women for my out-of-U.S. readers). This particular Curves is in a small shopping center with about 15 other stores. We've been having lovely weather, not yet the Southern sweltering summer heat and no rain. The shopping center management decided to re-surface the parking lot, so over a week, a section of the lot was blocked off each day for the trucks to do their work.

One of the gym instructors shared that just the day before, a woman (a regular gym patron) came into the gym ready to do her workout. "I had to walk all the way from the bank!" she declared with extreme exasperation. Mind you, the bank is maybe the length of a tennis court away, maybe a court and a half. The instructor said simply, "Perhaps you can consider the walk your warm-up." At which the woman glared at the instructor and moved off, her irritation all over her body and proceeded to do a 30-minute cardio workout.

As the instructor said, "I was amazed. I mean, she was coming in to exercise after all."

So, question for the day. We're all trying to live as good Christians. What do you do in a situation like this, where the emotion is coming in waves and someone makes a comment that doesn't seem to make sense? There's a gut reaction in me that wants to state firmly, "Can you hear yourself and how illogical that comment is?" Do we ignore it (obviously she's having a bad day), wade in (I need to find out what's bothering her), or commiserate (yes, what a pain this re-surface work is)?

What would you do? Is there a right way to react? A Christian way?

"The First Rule"

Today I want to share a meditation that my husband shared with me and introduce you to a small, but powerful book, Always We Begin Again: The Benedictine Way of Living by John McQuiston II.

The Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines) carries on a monastic tradition that stems from the origins of the Christian monastic movement in the late third century. They regard Saint Benedict as their founder and guide even though he did not establish a Benedictine Order as such. The monasteries or the order originated in the tradition of community life with its common prayer, reading, and work. John McQuiston II has written a book for "modern" Benedictines outside of a monastic setting, for those who wish to bring the order's values and way of life to everday living.

The First Rule

Attend to these instructions,
listen with the heart and the mind;
they are provided in a spirit of goodwill.
These words are addressed to anyone
who is willing to renounce the delusion
that the meaning of life can be learned;
whoever is ready
to take up the greater weapon
of fidelity to a way of living
that transcends understanding.

The first rule is simply this:

Live this life
and do what ever is done,
in a spirit of Thanksgiving.

Abandon attempts to achieve security, they are futile,
give up the search for wealth, it is demeaning,
quit the search for salvation, it is selfish,
and come to comfortable rest
in the certainty that those who participate in this life
with an attitude of Thanksgiving
will receive its full promise.

May it be so. Amen.

Knowing Right From Wrong

In a courtroom, lawyers sometimes explore whether the defendant knows right from wrong. Is the defendant old enough, mature enough, mentally capable to judge right from wrong? Our Covenant Group has discussed this, too. If we are old enough, mature enough, mentally capable, how do we decide what is right? Let me start today with some foundation and I'll build from there.

I read or heard (and if I find out where, I'll share), that humans may make this important decision using one of three approaches. You may be:

• Rule based. You have a set of rules (example, The Ten Commandments) and the rules are all important. You follow the rules to the letter.
• Rule based with provisos. You have a set of rules, or standards clearly stated, but you apply those rules based on the circumstances. You weigh the standard against the situation, possible outcomes and internal judgments.
• Value based. You hold a value as your standard (examples, Love Your Neighbor, or Justice). All decisions are based on what the value is and how you interpret right behavior considering that value.

You actually may use a mixture of these approaches. I use the second and third approaches, I think. I'm always considering the situation, the people involved, the possible outcomes before I determine what might be the right course of action. The values I hold give me a larger framework to make decisions that will come more from the gut or heart than from my thinking brain.

This author also said (and now I'm thinking this had to be a sermon, but maybe not. Now I'm so deep in, the reference librarian in me has kicked in and I'll have to find out. But we digress...)

This author also said that humans use five factors to decide what will be the right course of action.

1. Harm. Who will be harmed? Will any harm come from my action--to people, to the environment, etc.?
2. Fairness. Will my action have a sense of fair play to it? Will my action bring an outcome that equally apportions benefits (or harm) to the situation?
3. In-Group. Does my decision support my membership in a group with which I identify (family, religion, club)? Do I decide based on the morals and traditions of that group?
4. Hierarchy. Is there an authority or power figure to whom I turn when deciding the rightness of a decision?
5. Purity. Is your decision based on a sense of divine involvement, a holiness of purpose, or divine inspiration?

The observation was made that Unitarian Universalists tend use factors 1 and 2 for judging right from wrong; members of more conservative religions will more likely weigh the last three more heavily in their decisions. But any of the five may be invoked to judge what is "right", and again, we may use a mixture of any of the five to help.

This "factor-scenario" makes a whole lot of sense in considering why we humans have such a tough time agreeing on the right course of action. If I believe God is on my side and you're trying to be fair, there may be light-years between us in motivation and in our abilities to compromise. And as Shelby Foote observed during Ken Burns' series The Civil War, the American War Between the States occurred because we Americans could not come to a compromise.

I know I don't have the answer to the thorny human problem of conflict. But the three approaches and the five factors (very Buddhist) at least shed light on the deep issues that might be working within and among people, countries and governments to throw the Life System off balance.

How do you decide right from wrong? That person in your life with whom you're always at odds. How do they decide, do you think? Does knowing where they're coming from help? Can you work with that knowledge to get some productive communication going? Or are some points of departure in deciding right from wrong too separated to ever find common ground?