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A church down the street from our house sells Christmas trees and wreaths in its parking lot every year. They always place a mini nativity decoration in front of their sale trailer--to try to "Keep the Christ in Christmas" I suppose.
Each year I chuckle when I drive by and notice the holy family huddled in front of the Airstream trailer. It is a vision that raises all sorts of amusing questions in one's mind. Most of my questions, in all likelihood, being fairly offensive to some.
This said, I believe that God has a very keen sense of humor and may very well enjoy a laugh from the thoughts that come to my mind.
Below are just a few of my questions and thoughts....if you feel inspired, add some of your own in the comments field.
- O.K., I understand that there was no room at the inn. But, wouldn't an Airstream be at least a little more comfortable than a manger?
- The humble beginnings of the King of Kings is charming enough.....but, an Airstream trailer? Come on. Humble is one thing, white trash is another.
- What did the Magi bring---a six pack, beef jerky and a propane tank?
- Maybe the holy family would have blended better with a different wardrobe selection--perhaps cut off shorts and flip flops.
Is there an afterlife that resembles, in any way, the images of heaven many of the major world religions have painted for us? I don't know and it really is not all that important to me.
It will be a wonderful surprise if utopia awaits and all of my friends and family who died before me are waiting to greet me the day I pass to the other side. In the meantime, I have chosen to live the best life I know how to live in the here and now.
But, most of us still can't help but wonder what happens to us after we die. Like I said, I don't know if a "formal heaven" awaits, but I do know that those of us who live full lives don't just disappear. I have proof.
There are plenty who are probably skeptical of this declaration of alleged proof, but here it is.
My maternal grandmother died almost three years ago and I still think of her every day. A part of her is still living within me, my sisters, my mom and other members of our family. All of the good parts of her, as well as her imperfections...she is not gone.
Still skeptical? One of the most common gifts my grandmother would give was banana bread. She would give banana breads to different members of the family (sometimes me), bring loaves to family gatherings and give loaves to neighbors as thank you gifts.
Banana bread fit her perfectly. As a young woman of The Depression, a yummy treat created by not wasting something that has gone bad (overripe bananas) fit her approach to life like a glove.
So how do I know that we do continue to live after we die?
Since my grandmother died, I have yet to make it through a banana bread baking session of my own without a few laughs, a few tears and thankfulness that my grandmother helped to teach me how to bake.
Perhaps things come into our lives when we need them most. After a relative dry spell from exposure to or involvement in the arts, two different programs have recently made their way into my life. The interesting thing is, although these two different initiatives are not formally related at all, the spirit of the efforts are quite similar-both view art as a medium for connection, healing and opportunity.
First, The Opportunity Shop founded by Amanda Englert and Laura Shaeffer. The Opportunity Shop is "a transitory, experimental space for new art in Hyde Park" and will consist of temporary gallery and performance spaces within vacant urban buildings in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Although there is much about the Op Shop that is growing, developing and transforming, I believe an important aspect of the effort is utilizing art as a medium to bring the community together.
Also, to provide an opportunity to artists who may not have had ample opportunity to show their works. Information and performance schedules can be found at www.theopshop.org.
(Top) Window of the Op Shop's current location--1613 East 55th Street, Chicago
(Bottom) Shot of part of the space--11/28/09
(Top) Some of The Op Shop's many truly wonderful and interesting pieces
(Bottom) Amanda Englert and in the background Mary King. Amanda is one of the founders of The Op Shop and Mary is an exhibiting artist.
The second program that has recently come to the forefront of my awareness is the Global Alliance for Africa's Therapeutic Arts Program. The purpose of this program is to provide art therapy programs for at risk children within African communities. Currently, numerous art therapy professionals are providing extensive support and training to the communities within which they are operating. Ultimately, the goal is for the program to be self-sustaining and perhaps for there to be a trade craft element which would provide economic opportunity for the communities.
On December 5, 2009 a house concert and soup night was held at the home of Cathy and Bruce Moon to raise money for the cause. Cathy Moon is the Director of the Therapeutic Arts Program at the Art Institute of Chicago. She will be returning to Africa this summer.
More information about this program can be found at www.globalallianceafrica.org.
(Top) Jim Cubit, Mark Wilson and Bruce Moon--house concert to raise money for the Global Alliance for Africa's Therapeutic Arts Program.
(Bottom)East African artwork for sale at the event
(Top) Cathy Moon and Laurie Cubit
(Bottom) Global Alliance for Africa's Therapeutic Arts Program participants
Our society is constantly talking about the importance of community, family and teams. Our neighborhoods, churches, clubs, our global community. Our family and friends. Our work teams, organizational teams, even athletic teams.
“The sum is greater than the whole.” “Two heads are better than one.” Constantly we profess to value, above all else, our connectedness to our loved ones, to those we respect and to the community at large.
However, as a society we nearly worship the individual.
Individualism is so import to us that we strive with focused determination to “be true to ourselves.”
Consumer product companies sell all kinds of products that allow us to distinguish ourselves from others…to express our individual personalities. Psychologists have found that the sound of our own name is the most pleasing sound there is to our ears.
There is little wonder many of us feel conflicted much of the time. Many of us profess that others are more important than ourselves and we work tirelessly to prove this to ourselves and to the world at large.
BUT, we want things our way. Giving up a piece of ourselves borders on a mortal sin within American society. We are petrified of losing ourselves. We are horrified by the thought of selling out.
The conflict comes from the fact that we know that we must give up a piece of ourselves to have successful relationships. We must, to some extent, give way to the whole to make relationships, organizations and societies work. Any of us who are married or have children might be especially aware of this giving of ourselves as without it, it is impossible to have a successful marriage or to raise well adjusted children.
Think about a recent conflict you experienced at work, within your church or within your family. The conflict most certainly resulted from either a misunderstanding and/or the clash of different sets of opinions, needs or positions.
Relationships, organizations and societies typically remain in tact as long as there is enough commonality. As long as the parties involved are willing to lay enough of themselves “on the altar of the whole” --relationships, organizations and societies stay together. When the differences become more important or more numerous than the value of the commonalities….relationships, organizations and societies break apart.
Each of us has to constantly make these judgments. We generally will overlook small disagreements within our marriages, with our co-workers and with our society at large. We are often even willing to overlook very large differences of opinion. However, at various points in our lives we each have to make “Will I Stay or Will I Go?” decisions.
We ask ourselves, “In this specific case, am I willing to lay enough of myself on the altar of the whole to continue my participation in this relationship, this organization or even this society?”
A church down the street from our house sells Christmas trees and wreaths in its parking lot every year. They always place a mini nativity decoration in front of their sale trailer--to try to "Keep the Christ in Christmas" I suppose.
