December 7, 2016

• Looking for Purpose

  Pine needles gathered beneath the boughs
  Pine patterned water washed bundles
  Tossed into tessellations under trees
  What use these brown and brittle needles?
  Exist for my curious contemplation
  Or a bed for bunnies and baby deer
  Can’t they have simply occurred
  For the amusement of the Almighty?

  So often we have to know what the purpose is for objects. Perhaps it is because I went to the opening of the Student/Faculty Art Show and over heard more than a few people pondering, "What IS it? What does it do?" That mind set requires everything to have a job. If an object exists it must have some useful and utilitarian purpose. That spills over onto people. We reduce people from humans to cogs in the machine. If a part is broken you remove it and replace it with a piece that works. When something is damaged the most cost effective and expedient remedy is to get another one. Forget about the intangibles - knowledge, experience, loyalty, and devotion. Put aside the humanity of the workers and don't look too closely. Many times management tries to fool themselves into believing that all people are interchangeable. They want to pretend that there are no repercussions and no detriment to anyone who is "replaced".

  There is a Scotch pine just outside the back door to my building. I pass it daily. I happened to look down to see that the recent rain had moved the pine needles into very artistic swirls and ribbons. All the needles were lined up and they snaked their way around and around the trunk. I hear a lot about "being", being in the moment, being present, being calm, being still... What if our purpose isn't to love and serve God? What if our main purpose is to simply be and in being become tiny masterpieces to be admired by our Creator? What if....

  • 6:05 am
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