Jack’s Winning Words 2/23/21

“Optimism shouldn’t be seen as opposed to pessimism, but in conversation with it.  Your optimism will never be as powerful as it is in that exact moment when you want to give it up.”    (Amanda Gorman)  To me, the most impressive part of the Biden presidential inauguration was Gorman’s reading of her poem, The Hill We Climb.  22 years old – so poised.  We have a BIG hill to climb in this divided America.  I’m optimistic about the future of America because young people such as Amanda offer hope! 

 ;-) Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  if all we ever talk about is race, we will never get past color, will we? no one has a bad deal in this country bc of race. there is ample opportunity, every conceivable program... when does personal responsibility enter into one’s life equation?  the democrats are perpetuating an “underclass” for political gain. trump had the highest minority employment ever. this is not about personality, it is about people’s lives... lots of lives were better for awhile there.

===JACK:  We can cease talking about racism when racism is over.  It showed itself in the recent Presidential election.  Confederate flags, Proud Boys, nooses aand the like were evident.  It would be nice if we could concentrate on equality, and we can when it exists.  Meanwhile...===LIZ:  some people are racists, since the beginning of time... do you think most people are racist? are all races racist? ===JACK:  some people are racists, since the beginning of time... do you think most people are racist? are all races racist?  some people are racists, since the beginning of time... ===JACK:  some people are racists, since the beginning of time... 

 FROM WILLMAR REV:  Interesting times, to say the least...time will tell...the stirring in the mixing bowl as begun with new and old called-for ingredients and the oven has been turned on...shouldn’t be too much longer for us all to taste the newly prepared Biden baked goods! 0;-)===JACK:  I'm wondering if there are any African-Americans in your community.  I  suppose that there are some Indigenous Americans.  Is there prejudice against them?  And, if so, how does your church react to this?===REV:  As mentioned previously, in our city of 20,000 residents we have a few thousand Somalis intergraded and working in our community . . . they have purchased a closed grade school and converted it into their Mosque . . .  before this, we had a few thousand Hispanics migrate from Texas to work the fields during the season, only to decide to stay here in Willmar year around as the benefits suited them better in Minnesota than in Texas . . . in my estimation, we just have a token amount of an African American population . . . there are few families who have adopted black children (a family adopting three in our AG Church) and who have grown up and married interactionally . . . not found as a problem in our area and are warmly welcomed within our community. 0;-) ===JACK:  Many Minnesota communities seem to have Somalians living in them.  The difference is not only color, but culture and religion, too.  I'm glad to know that yopur preaching has made a difference.

FROM SF IN FL:  Amanda is an amazing young woman. So bright and inspiring. ...JACK:  A recent cover story of TIME magazine shows that in this world it helps to be pretty and well-dressed.  But, upon reading the article, you will see that there is more to Amanda than meets the eye,

FROM JU IN NC:  Yesterday I joined you in your walk with Jesus by taking a bike ride with Him.  Enjoyed both of your company!   Pessimism is a glass sitting in the cabinet.  Optimism is the glass in hand filled to the brim.===JACK:  I'm trying to imagine Jesus riding on a bike.  How would He keep his robe from getting caught in the spokes?  ...or, maybe He was wearing shorts.  Can you imagine Jesus wearing shorts?

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  she is a rather amazing person and she sure did a great job at Biden's inauguration.===JACK:  But what has she done for us lately?  I'm for more great things to come from Amanda...Not only her words, but her deeds.  I see her as a "comer."   

FFROM BB IN CHGO:    Amen!  I felt similarly that her recitation before the Superbowl was powerful and meaningful.  Did you enjoy the President’s eulogy/speech yesterday?  I thought it was poignant no matter that he’s spoken of the “empty chair” before.  Most of us have experienced that sense of missing someone deeply and I like that he is connecting to our basic humanity.===JACK:  It seems as though we might be turning a corner and reintroducing civility to our country.  It's about time!

FROM NANCY RUTH:  DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF HER POEM? IF SO, WILL YOU  PLEASE E-MAIL  A COPY OF IT TO ME.  THANKS.  HER THOUGHTS WERE RIGHT ON TARGET, AND DELIVERED WITH SUCH POISE AND GRACE I WANTED TO STAND UP AND SHOUT,   “HOORAY FOR OUR YOUTH!!!!  THE FUTURE IS IN GOOD HANDS!  BOO, TRUMPSTERS.  THEY CAN’T BEGIN TO COMPETEWITH THIS KIND OF QUALITY.  GOOD WW.===JACK:   The poem is rather long, but Google has a transcript of it...and even a recording her saying it as she did on Jan 20. 

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  Whether you are generally an optimistic person or a pessimist directly impacts your daily life. Someone probably already said this, but I’ll attribute t to myself here – “What you see depends upon how you look at things.”  It can be a dark and gloomy world for those trapped in an pessimistic outlook on life, just as it can be perpetually sunny and bright for the optimists of the world. I suspect that most walk right on that thin line between the two, sometimes seeing the dark side of things and sometimes the bright side. One can hope that the bright side wins out most of the time, such that you are seen by others as having a “sunny disposition”.===JACK:  I like that line...What you see depends upon how you look at things.  There was a place in the movie, "No Time For Sergeants where Andy Griffith looked at a woman officere, and could only see an officer.  It was not in his mind that a woman could be an officer.