“Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow.” (Jesse Brown) Where did you learn your values? I learned patriotism when we said “the pledge” each day in grade school. I learned diversity when we sang in Sunday School, “Jesus loves the little children…red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight.” I’ll put out the flag today, because it’s Flag Day, and I’ll continue to appreciate the rainbow. ;-) Jack
FROM BD IN MICHIGAN: Putting up the flag, This is good.
FROM TS IN INDIANA: Thank you for the reminder. I did not remember, nor did I see any other reminder of flag day.====JACK: It's a grand old flag; it's a high flying flag!
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I think you have touched a subject that has a fundamental basis of faith. As children of God, aren't our values determined through the very likeness of the One by whom we are created? Vaules aren't what we value as much as states-of-being that have value. Yet, how is it that so many of us find difficulty in the development of our values? Saul (Paul) persecuted Christians with great zeal because they contradicted his understanding by virtue of what he was taught. He was whole-heartedly following his values of truth and justice in his determination to root out, for him, this abomination. He would have said that he loved God with all his might; and there were these Christians who were defiling the God whom he followed. After his enlightenment, Paul (Saul) continued with the very same zeal as before --- only in a new direction. In other words, he didn't change his values, only the manner of his application of them. I think we are like Paul in this regard. Our values don't change; they are instilled in our souls. Nonetheless, they need to develop and flourish into that which the seed has already designed. Our context (family, culture, society) serves as the soil for their development. To know thyself, and to be true to that, is a very difficult challenge because it most often requires one to "break away" from the crowd that "taught" them --- at least these (Truth, Honesty, Understanding, Fulfillment, and Love) are the values that have been woven into my soul from the "beginning", and which I seek to make manifest in my own sojourn through the desert of this world in which I find myself.
====JACK: When I think of my value system, I remember a book that I was introduced to by my English professor...E. B. White's, "One Man's Meat Is Another Man's Poison." I learned that all value systems aren't the same. I also remember a course that helped shape my "political" views..."American Ideals." I learned that we can have a personal value system, but it's not necessarily the same for everyone. One man's meat etc.====RAY: That statement is true in its generality. Yet, one man's meat just might be his own poison as well. Hence, "to thine own self be true" (directed to me by my English Shakespeare teacher in High School). This suggests that "values" exist within thine true self, and not external to the person. Meaning, no one can "give" you values; they can only help another to cultivate them from within. Don't you think that if each person was truly focused on being accountable for him/herself, that there would be little if any time for attempts to manipulate another person's value-focus to coincide with one's own? The former process requires life-long attention; the latter is a complete avoidance. AND, isn't politics really a version of the latter?====JACK: A value-system doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's person-al. Religious (as well as political and moral) values are also taught (shared). It could be said that they were "in-spired," but that depends on a belief-system.
FROM MAHATMA GANDHI: "Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny."
FROM HONEST JOHN: My sister and I would stand and face East at 11 am on Nov 11...and our Dad would march with the WW1 guys in the July 4th parade...lessons in Patriotism...East Moline was diverse..so I learned about diversity on the playground.====JACK: Every classroom in our grade school had a flag displayed in the front. We, too, would observe Nov 11, as you described. Other "flag" occasions were also remembered. While we did have diversity in the classroom, the stereotypes persisted.
FROM WALMART REV: ...I'll sing “Jesus loves the little children…red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight” right along with you, Jack...don't have a flag to post, however sang our National Anthem and led in prayer before the stock car races last night at the fairgrounds...====JACK: BIG-TIME at the KRA Speedway! Did you sit in the stockcar pits waiting for drivers and pit-crew members to stop by for conversation?
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: we are making flags today at school and having a parade to celebrate flag day. when i learned the pledge it stated, "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". sometimes feel that when the "under god" was added the people forgot about the importance and freedoms connected with diversity and a rainbow world. i think i'll fly my rainbow flag today beside the red, white, and blue.
btw-you also gave me my song of the day! thanks!====JACK: I remember a song: "O who can make a rainbow, I know I can't, can you?" I can't find the lyrics. Do you know it?====MARY: yes. google the lyrics from willy wonka and the chocolate factory. i think that sammy davis, jr also sang it. now i have two songs for the day!====JACK: Good, but not the one I was thinking of.
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: Nice.====JACK: Do you see any flags flying at "the beach?" ====ME: Not yet today, because I have not been out of house. They are flying here as I still have all my red, white and blue toys out from Memorial Day and they last well past the 4th of July. I also bike regularly by the American Legion Yacht Club on Balboa Peninsula where there are always lots of flags. Not only there, but all along the Coast on boats, homes, bridges and businesses.====JACK: I sometimes wonder about the huge flags flying in front of a business...patriotism?...attention getter? We have zoning restrictions covering attention getters, but American flags are excepted. Maybe, I shouldn't be so cynical.
FROM DMF IN MINNESOTA: Thanks for the reminder to put out the flag.====JACK: Count the ones on the block!
FROM BLAZING OAKS: FLAGS ARE FLYING IN P'BURG, (SMALL TOWN, U.S.A.) AND MINE IS OUT. MY CHERUB CHOIR USED TO SING THAT SONG: "O WHO CAN MAKE A FLOWER (RAINBOW, ETC ETC) I KNOW I CAN'T, CAN YOU? O WHO CAN MAKE A FLOWER (RAINBOW, ETC.) NO ONE BUT GOD, IT'S TRUE. I USED TO HAVE THEM COME UP WITH SOME THINGS THEY COULDN'T MAKE, BUT GOD COULD...GOT SOME INTERESTING ITEMS ! (KITTY-KAT, BEETLE-BUG, DANDELION, AND SO FORTH...) THEY LOVED TO SING IT. LOVED THE WW TODAY..====JACK: I always tried to make church fun for people...young and old. Last year on Father's Day (the pastor was on vacation, so I led the worship), I had the fathers come up with their children for the Children's Message. That was fun. It would have been interesting to have had the kids teach their dads a children's song, like, "O, who can make a flower?".
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: My grandparents and parents made sure us children knew why, how, when and who died, lived and worked for our freedom. The flag was out there everyday and still is at all of our homes. God made us the rainbow and I believe we never should be judged by our colors but by our hearts. ====JACK: As I recall, your flag is displayed 24/7 and lighted at night.====JUDY: That's correct. I lost three of my best friends in Vietnam, plus some uncles in World War II. My brother-in-law is in the Army and my nephew is in Afghanistan...special ops medic. And of course, all of the men and women who died for us and are currently protecting us. This is a great nation under God.. ====JACK: Yes, you have many reasons to fly the flag and to keep it flying.
FROM MY FLORIST: Very nice!
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Same with me.====JACK: I know you to be of the patriotic sort.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Embarrassed to say I did not realize it was flag day until I received your post. I always liked Jesus loves the little children too.====JACK: If you did know it was flag day, what would you do? BTW, perhaps you can quietly hum "Jesus loves the little chiildren." Fun?
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: My flag flies every day. And all night. Believe it or not, there was a rainbow over it one time. Not a lie. I didn't have a camera handy. (Long before cell phones.)====JACK: How do you observe "special" days, if every day is special?====PFC: Why does the flag have to wait for one day a year to be flown?====JACK: It's a free country.
FROM MOLINER JIM: Our Flag hangs every day (in good weather).====JACK: My favorite flag flying picture is the one of the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in 1945.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I couldn't agree more with this.====JACK: Robert Heft, born in Michigan, designed the 50 star flag as a high school art project and received a grade of B-. When the design was accepted by Congress, the grade was changed to an A.
2 comments:
I think you have touched a subject that has a fundamental basis of faith. As children of God, aren't our values determined through the very likeness of the One by whom we are created? Vaules aren't what we value as much as states-of-being that have value. Yet, how is it that so many of us find difficulty in the development of our values? Saul (Paul) persecuted Christians with great zeal because they contradicted his understanding by virtue of what he was taught. He was whole-heartedly following his values of truth and justice in his determination to root out, for him, this abomination. He would have said that he loved God with all his might; and there were these Christians who were defiling the God whom he followed. After his enlightenment, Paul (Saul) continued with the very same zeal as before --- only in a new direction. In other words, he didn't change his values, only the manner of his application of them. I think we are like Paul in this regard. Our values don't change; they are instilled in our souls. Nonetheless, they need to develop and flourish into that which the seed has already designed. Our context (family, culture, society) serves as the soil for their development. To know thyself, and to be true to that, is a very difficult challenge because it most often requires one to "break away" from the crowd that "taught" them --- at least these (Truth, Honesty, Understanding, Fulfillment, and Love) are the values that have been woven into my soul from the "beginning", and which I seek to make manifest in my own sojourn through the desert of this world in which I find myself.
That statement is true in its generality. Yet, one man's meat just might be his own poison as well. Hence, "to thine own self be true" (directed to me by my English Shakespeare teacher in High School). This suggests that "values" exist within thine true self, and not external to the person. Meaning, no one can "give" you values; they can only help another to cultivate them from within. Don't you think that if each person was truly focused on being accountable for him/herself, that there would be little if any time for attempts to manipulate another person's value-focus to coincide with one's own? The former process requires life-long attention; the latter is a complete avoidance. AND, isn't politics really a version of the latter?
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