This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.14.22 

1. There’s a toxic coalition of Trump Republicans, their friends at Fox News, MAGA Evangelicals, Election Deniers, White Supremacists and assorted other like minded folks who are primed and ready to go as low as they need to go during this election season and for that matter, in the aftermath of the election. I seriously doubt that there’s any tactic that they would be reticent not to use. There appears to be no ‘bridge too far’ for them, and there’s nothing that I can see them doing  that would alienate their core constituencies – both secular and religious. 

I don’t want any of this to be true but both my head, heart, and gut are in alignment on all this. This is scary stuff. 

It should be noted that a democracy cannot survive without a thoughtful blend of character driven men and women, on both sides of the aisle, whose primary goal is to genuinely care about the welfare of the entire Republic. In a nation where character is lacking and thoughtfulness mocked, democracy will find itself in deep peril. 

Democracy is on the ballot in November. Vote well my friends. Vote well. 

2. The drawing, by Joe Dator, was of a fictional game show named “Facts Don’t Matter”. The text underneath is priceless, capturing the spirit of our times:

“Sorry Arthur, your answer was actually correct, but Paul shouted his opinion louder so he gets the point. And an extra bonus point also goes to Sue as she was offended by your answer.”

3. “What’s the worth of livin’, if we ain’t livin’ good.” ~ Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

 “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.” ~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu

4. “A leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what’s going on inside him/herself, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership do more harm than good.” ~ Parker Palmer

A leader must know him/herself. In the process of knowing there will some moments of serious internal wrestling. That’s a good thing for it shapes and humbles them. We are all called to some form of leadership. Get to know yourself. Wrestle with your demons. Find your ‘true north’. You’ll be the better for it as will those you help lead.

5. “Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) recently recounted a telling anecdote told from the Republican cloakroom on Jan. 6, 2021, when an unnamed GOP colleague came in and signed papers objecting to the election results. Cheney said the fellow House member muttered: “The things we do for orange Jesus.” ~ Eugene Robinson, WAPO

I shuddered when I read this. No wonder President Biden said that “We are in a fight for the soul of our nation.” 

6. “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: … a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community …

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives …like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people…” Galatians 5, MSG

God’s way is the good way, freeing us to be true to the Divine Image within us. 

I find myself comparing candidates for office based of the fruits the spirit. Try it sometime. It’s not definitive but it’s helpful. I look for whether or not “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” are being manifested in that candidate’s life. 

As the years pass more and more candidates fail to pass the test. One flunked it completely. Twice. He’s itching to try one more time. 

7. I’m reading an informative and challenging book titled “Discernment,” published by Harper One. It’s  based on the writings of Henri Nouwen. It heartened me greatly to read one of the exercises the editors provided at the end of one of the chapters. 

“Nouwen looked back at his life and saw that he had some persistent challenges which he had struggled with for years. He remained a restless, nervous, intense, distracted, and impulse-driven person. Retreats and prayers did not help these struggles to subside. Still, he found freedom in trusting that God loved him, would guide him, and would allow him to offer guidance to others even when these challenges were not removed.”

I resonate with each of Nouwen’s shortcomings and am encouraged that those challenges did not bar him from ministry but rather equipped him to speak honestly and transparently with others who needed guidance. Nouwen was always a work in progress. Oh Lord, may that be true of me. And you. 

8. “Ridicule is the tribute paid to the genius by the mediocrities.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Ridicule has become a defining habit throughout our culture. After all, it’s easy to do and it gets you noticed. Unfortunately, those adept at being mediocre are now coupling it with willful ignorance. That spells trouble. And their tribe is growing. 

I prefer those who practice civility because it is a character driven asset that helps build people up, not tear them down. It also provides a behavioral framework for those times when a tough conversation becomes necessary and hard decisions need to be made. 

9. “… a library is not just a reference service: it is also a place for the vulnerable. From the elderly gentleman whose only remaining human interaction is with library staff, to the isolated young mother who relishes the support and friendship that grows from a Baby Rhyme Time session, to a slow moving 30-something woman collecting her CDs, libraries are a haven in a world where community services are being ground down to nothing. I’ve always known libraries are vital, but now I understand that their worth cannot be measured in books alone.” ~ Angela Clarke

We need libraries. Let’s not allow them to be messed with. Seriously, let’s not let their value be minimized. 

10. Marge Waldschmidt’s writing task was to craft a poem with the word Zip in it. She reads the Rumblings and listens to Anita’s podcast Faith Conversations and one of those things (she thinks) helped inspire this poem. My guess it was the podcast. 😀

And That is Enough

“Zip-open

I peer out of my cocoon.

I see the world.

Should I go out there?

I see sadness,

Doubt,

Hardship,

Disappointment,

Abandonment,

Abuse.

Zip- closed

I want to

Walk away.

Hide.

Avoid.

But,

I am called.

I have a mission.

I must shine my light.

Zip-open

I open my heart.

I share,

I respect,

I listen,

I help,

I smile,

I love.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I open my hands.

I work,

I hug,

I carry,

I pray,

I wave,

I clap.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will  my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I open my mouth.

I console,

I praise,

I joke,

I talk,

I teach,

I reminisce.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will  my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I open my mind.

I learn,

I reflect,

I change,

I listen,

I feel,

I write.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will  my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I am left with only hope.”

—

Hope. I like hope. I can ride that a long way.  And you?