My mother passed away the morning of January 11, 2023. She was 90 years old, a pioneer of hospitality, “million watt smile (Cal Ross)”, artistic, generous, loving and sometimes a bit OCD. I loved her as a person of opinion and integrity. Thank you for you care and concern over the decades. I will miss my mom!!!
I’ve been challenged by a recent article in Christianity Today. The subject was Sabbath – what does a day of rest mean.
In simple terms: as part of a creation story in the middle and near East, the king would create his kingdom. When the creating was done – the labour was finished – the king then went about ruling the kingdom. The rest was in the ability to enjoy the finished project. When the infrastructure was completed, you begin to reign.
Which is somewhat opposite to many views of the Sabbath. Prominent is the idea of leisure – escaping the current situation to dismiss responsibility. Or the idea of sleep and inactivity. Or perhaps even becoming deeply “selfish” and abandoning the world around to find yourself.
If I read this interpretation rightly, what you are building during the week should be that which provides you the most enjoyable activity on the Sabbath. To work righteously, to be merciful, to love justice then requires on the Sabbath a way to see that work of creation come to the enjoyment of those work hours by reigning within those areas. Settling in to the creation and loving it!
Will that look like work? To those around you – probably! To yourself = not at all.
I am a newly re-minted librarian this past while. I’m enjoying a return to the librarianship field.
In 1986 I graduated with a Master of Library Science. At that time the discussion was about whether the title should include the word “Information”. Those thinking ahead were prophetic. In our current world we are about the task of being literate about information. The library was originally the warehouse of “books”, then also included other media. In deference to the increasing amount of books, reference librarians helped to point out where in the warehouse a book could be found. The art of reference librarianship was to be able to point out credible and useful sources for a searcher.
As the world moved into a digital age the proliferation of published (public) works became overwhelming. The masters of information began a tedious task of helping people to know which information to choose. The titles of misinformation, disinformation and fake news arose.
But one of the tenets of librarianship was under attack. The library was to provide access to the world of information. This has largely been taken over, in a digital age, by information/archival servers such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and a host of others. As with the music industry a half century ago, the book world had to adjust.
The librarian elite responded with “information literacy”. The cry discerned in the listening was – “tell me what to read/see/hear”. As a start, the searcher was to discern their subject/desire of information. Clarify this and then search out information sources effectively and efficiently. The information must be evaluated critically before incorporating this information into his or her knowledge base and value system. A final caveat is that, in the information search, there are economic, legal and social issues that surround the use of information. Thus the searcher must use information ethically and legally. [This is a paraphrase of standards on information literacy competency as put forth by the Association of College and Research Libraries]
Which brings us to the statement that information literacy is censorship. In the broadest sense of the word. Don’t use information to oppress the poor, don’t use information to find loopholes, don’t use information to undermine a righteous society. Step with me one step further. If we know there are lies out there (and many euphemisms to describe them), information literacy requires a truth base to decide what the lies are. Plainly put, a truth base then censors un-truth.
Information literacy is censorship. And that’s OK.
I’ve just finished reading Rod Wilson’s book – Thank you, I’m sorry, Tell me more.
After a few days on contemplation has me thinking.
These title words can change your world. At the same time there is a niggling thought in the back of my head.
My mother taught us to use these words. Some times it was to deal with my own stupidity – and I needed to back up and revisit the things I had done. These were instructional moments. My use of these words were not always motivated by gratitude, remorse or even desire to know the other.
And that’s where I’m struggling. My mind goes to my mother to instruct me on the use of these words. But, where does my mind go in terms of the words my father put into my life? [A thought that is forming in my mind is that mom taught me from a mode of working with others who had various power positions (empathy). I wonder if my dad taught me how to live with power (humility).]
Not sure I even know what to say on Dad’s phrases at this point, but here are a few phrases (I’ve paraphrased to suit my own approaches).
1. Give more than you get
2. You’re not greater than anyone else
3. Peace is work
That is a start. Do you have any phrases your father used that have affected your life?