Distant Rumblings Heard in Middle Earth

         Middle Earth  exists.  I know, I live there.  Middle Earth was the home to Frodo, Bilbo, Sam Wise and  a host of other simple folk  in the Lord Of the Ring Trilogy.   Oblivious to  what was happening in distant countries, the Hobbits found themselves in a life and death struggle with powers  bent on the destruction to  their very way of life,  they didn’t have to go looking for it,  it came to them.  On a similar note….

     I’m currently reading the book Jihadist Idealogy And the War On Terror  by Dr Mary Habek.  I’m 1/3 of the way through it and already I am beginning to understand the confusion  in  the Middle East, what the “jihadists”  believe and some practical long term solutions.   Reading the book actually gives me hope.   I would highly recommend this book as a “primer” to understanding what’s going around the world.   One of the things I appreciate about this book is Dr Habek repeatedly defines the terms and concepts used by  the Jihadists.  Reading the book reminds me of the Saxon Math text books we used for teaching math.  Practical, methodical, and thorough.  By the time you finish you are grounded in the basics.  If you want a basic working knowledge of the movements afoot in the world at large, you owe it to yourself to get a copy. 

Here is a link to getting yourself a copy:

Knowing the Enemy: Jihadist Ideology and the War on Terror

    Here is a book review off  Amazon books Website which might also be helpful . Knowing Who Is and Who Isn’t The Enemy, March 11, 2006

As much as this book is about knowing the enemy, it is as much about knowing who isn’t the enemy. If you came away from any of your previous readings with feelings of intolerance for Muslims in general, then Mary Habeck’s arguments will appeal to you. As an Associate Professor at John’s Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Habeck’s ultimate focus is public policy and statecraft. For her the term “war on terror” fails to sufficiently describe our objectives. She prefers “war on jihadism” or “war on the khawarij.” The Khawarij were a group which tried, unsuccessfully following the death of Muhammad, to hijack Islam and declare war on mainstream Muslims. The similarity between the khawarij and modern jihadis has already been commented on by Muslim scholars, to the irritation of the jihadis. This approach will also illuminate for mainstream Muslims that the U. S. and the other Western democracies are natural allies in saving their religion from its fanatics. But renaming the battle won’t win it. Spreading democracy throughout the Islamic world, and defusing the Palestinian crisis are the principal prescriptions for defusing jihadism. The U. S. cannot go it alone, however, so we have to improve our diplomacy and better engage other democracies to support us in defeating jihadism.

The world of the jihadist is a very strange one, and Habeck instructs us without condescension or wonkism, and with a minimum of Arabic vocabulary. We learn, for instance, that it is intuitive to jihadists that the victory of the Afgan mujahidun “working entirely on their own” against Russian occupation caused the downfall of the Soviet Union. They believed that the United States would similarly collapse following 9/11. Moreover, they are stunned that we did not collapse, since it is a core tenet of their belief.

This book is exceptionally well researched, and includes fifty pages of endnotes. It is readable and accessible to the open-minded and literate reader. It is a multidisciplinary study of a complex subject which has unfortunately lent itself to oversimplification. Whether this is your starting point in learning about “the enemy,” or if you already have been exposed to other authors’ treatments, this book is an absolute must read. If you intend to read only one book on Islam, this is your best choice. And don’t just put it back on the shelf when you’re done. Recommend it, and pass it along.

A Reading From The Book Of Fulghum

         Life is all about perspective.  I read Fulghum’s book a couple of years ago and read  this chapter this morning to  my wife as we had coffee .

     One Portion Of A Minister’s Lot concerns the dying and the dead.  The hospital room, the mortuary, the funeral service, the cemetery.  What I know of such things shapes my life elsewhere in particular ways.  What I know of such things explains why I don’t waste much life time mowing grass or washing cars or raking leaves or making beds or shining shoes or washing dishes.  It explains why I don’t honk at people who are slow to move at green lights.  And why I don’t kill spiders.  There isn’t time or need for all this.  What I know of cemeteries and such also explains why I sometimes visit the Buffalo Tavern.

     The Buffalo Tavern is, in essence, mongrel America.  Boiled down and stuffed into the Buffalo on a  Saturday night, the fundamental elements achieve a critcal mass around eleven.  The catalyst is the favorite house band, the Dynamic Volcanic Logs.  Eight freaks frozen in the amber vibes of the sixties.  Playing stomp-hell rockabilly with enough fervor to heal the lame and halt.  Mongrel America comes to the Buffalo to drink beer, shoot pool, and dance.  Above all, to dance.  To shake their tails and stomp frogs and get rowdy and holler and sweat and dance.  When it’s Saturday night and the Logs are rocking and the crowd is rolling, there’s no such thing as death.

     One such night the Buffalo was invaded by a motorcycle club, trying hard to look like the Hell’s Angels and doing pretty good at it too.  I don’t think these people were in costume for a movie.  And neither they nor their ladies smelled like soap-and-water was an important part of their lives on anything like a daily basis.  Following along behind them was an Indian-an older man, with braids, beaded vest, army surplus pants, and tennis shoes.  He was really ugly.  Now I’m fairly resourceful with words, and would give you a flashy description of this man’s face if it would help, but there is no way around it-he looked, in a word, ugly.  He sat working on his Budweiser for a long time.  When the Dynamic Logs ripped into a scream-out version of “Jailhouse Rock” he moved.  Shuffled over to one of the motorcycle mommas and invited her to dance.  Most ladies would have refused, but she was amused enough to shrug and get up.

     Well, I’ll not waste words.  This ugly, shuffling Indian ruin could dance.  I mean, he had the moves.  Nothing wild, just effortless action, subtle rhythm, the cool of the master.  He turned his partner every way but loose and made her look good at it.  The floor slowly cleared for them.  The band wound down and out, but the drummer held the beat.  The motorcycle club group rose up and shouted for the band to keep playing.  The band kept playing.  The Indian kept dancing.  the motorcycle momma finally blew a gasket and collapsed in someone’s lap.  The Indian danced alone.  The crowd clapped up the beat.  The Indian danced with a chair.  The crowd went crazy.  The band faded.  the crowd cheered.  The Indian held up his hands for silence as if to make a speech.  Looking at the band and then the crowd, the Indian said, “Well, what’re you waiting for? Let’s DANCE.”

     The band and the crowd went off like a bomb.  People were dancing all through the tables to the back of the room and behind the bar.  People were dancing in the restrooms and around the pool tables.  Dancing for themselves, for the Indian, for God and Mammon.  Dancing in the face of hospital rooms, mortuaries, funeral services, and cemeteries.  And for a while, nobody died.

    “Well,” said the Indian, “what’re you waiting for?  Let’s dance.”

   Excerpt taken from the book All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergartenby Robert Fughum

     “The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength;  yet the span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass….so teach us to number  our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  Psalm 90:10.12

      Thursday and Friday night of this week  we stood in a funeral home receiving line to acknowledge the passing of two more people.   Combine that with my cousin Michelle’s unexpected passing and that makes for a busy month.   So, fellow bloggers and Internet surfers, make sure you are not just sitting on the side lines and watching life pass you by.  The Indian said it best.   “Let’s Dance! “

Musing on Forgiveness

     I hate simplistic “pat” answers to tough situations.  Pity the poor fool who comes to me  with that sort of thing when I am struggling.   A friend of mine (Mandy)  wrote me regarding the loss of my cousin Michelle  (see previous post “A House of Mourning”).  Mandy’s cousin  had recently suffered the loss of her  17 yr old daughter in an auto accident.  In addition to that pain,  the parents of the deceased were divorced and the ex husband was being nasty  to complicate an already painful situation.  (He would not allow his former wife to be a part of the funeral receiving line, was having the body cremated somewhere undisclosed, etc).  My friend is struggling  with a bad attitude towards the ex and wondered if I had any suggestions on forgiveness.

        Hmmmmm  ,after hearing about the situation, I found myself not liking the “ex” either.   I found myself having new questions about forgiveness and wanted to do two thing.   First,  share my reply to Mandy , and secondly, ask you the reader for your thoughts, especially those of you who have had to work through forgiveness in tougher situations.  Thank you in advance.  Now here is my reply:

     Dear  Mandy,

      You raised a hard issue with the situation regarding your cousin and her ex.  I found myself getting mad at him myself and I don’t even know your cousin.  I ran the situation by another person whose perspective I highly respect (he is also a Christian)  I didn’t give any names, not even who told me about the situation….just a friend asking for input and what did he think.  You know what he said?   He was finding himself mad @ the ex too after hearing the specifics…don’t think that helps any, but wanted you to know I did give it some thought since you asked.  Having said all of that, I do have a couple of additional thoughts.

1.  I honestly think it is easier to forgive someone who wrongs me personally than someone who wrongs a loved one of mine.  There is this sense of disloyalty in me when I think I am supposed to let the offender off the hook by forgiving them.

2.  Secondly, it is one thing to forgive someone who has wronged me (or a loved one) if they are asking for forgiveness, or if there is at least this sense they know they’ve been wrong.  but when the offending party is still continuing to act in mean, unkind, downright nasty ways,  and then to think I’m called to forgive them anyway  It seems to be yet another hurtle to overcome.

3.  Thirdly, what is forgiveness?  If we think in terms of an emotion, I don’t think we’ve quite got it, because at this point in my life, I believe I can “forgive” someone with an act of my will and yet my emotions may be still struggling with “liking” the other person.  Forgiveness (at least as how I understand it @ this point in my life) is releasing someone from a debt they owe me for a wrong they have committed.  It has less to do with feelings and more to do with an act of my will.  (I can forgive someone, but that doesn’t mean I instantly have the warm fuzzes for them)

4.  Forgiveness is as much for my benefit as for the other person.  We’ve all heard stories about someone’s anger, bitternerss and unforgiveness being internalized, resulting in ulsers, headaches, cancer, and a generally bitter person to be around.  So I would forgive another as much for myself as for them. (Even though yes I know as a Christian I am called to forgive)

5.  Isn’t there a verse somewhere in the good book about forgiving our enemies? (Even doing good to them)  Just the fact that Scripture mentions they are an enemy says to me, they must still be a scumbag in the first place  (sort of like your cousin’s ex)

6.  I am being very careful not to give you any “trite” platitues…because I HATE IT when people do that with me.  Better to acknowledge when we have something tough we are chewing on and seeking some input.  

       Let me know your thoughts!  DM

   

Help for when you feel lonely and “Clingy”

     If you find yourself reading this post…read the comments @ the end of it.  That is where the good stuff is.  DM

This will be very short. I NEED your participation on this post.
Most of the time my life is packed; Work, e-bay, parenting, husband, orchardist, correspondence, etc. I don’t have this problem .I love down time.
Currently, due to the weather, I am not working. I’m spending hours on the computer, experiencing periods of loneliness and feeling emotionally needy. My wife and I have a great marriage. We talk all the time about stuff.there are only so many needs she can meet…so that isn’t the issue….But I still battle with this inner poverty….do you have any suggestions??????????? I don’t want to be a clinger, I don’t want to be a emotional sponge….what are some real suggestions you use when you feel this way?…I am not going to give any suggestions..because that’s the problem…A “clinging person tends to suck the energy out of a relationship…you can only spend so much time w/ them…talk to me. give it to me straight. I promise I won’t “cling” I suspect many people self medicate or do other non-healthy things to quench these feelings.

Do you ever wrestle with this sort of thing?

How often?

Have you noticed a pattern?

What are some good, practical ways to keep from being “clingy”?