Dying in America - the odds

The Economist put out an interesting infograph that charts the odds of dying in America. While these are general numbers, and one might contest the data, these results are rather interesting to consider.

For all the fear that we have of the "other" when it comes to personal safety, perhaps we ought to be a little more vigilant of our own selves. Of the top 6 results, 4 of them are more self related than other related - heart disease, intentional self harm, walking and choking. 

Beware of thy self...

The Sneeches and Ash Wednesday

The story that came to me at Ash Wednesday is the story of the Sneeches. If you have not seen it, take 12 minutes and do so.

Here is the thing: the more we elevate our differences (stars or no stars) the more we will all be taken advantage of by some system/person/group. It is not until we all discard our differences that we will be able to fight against these powers of exploitation. Thus another level to Ash Wednesday.

On Ash Wednesday Christians gather together with different looking foreheads. Some of us have more foreheads (thank you genetics :) some of us have wrinkles and some of us have hair covering our foreheads. 

Ash Wednesday calls us to gather with all our different foreheads. We all are marked with ashes on our foreheads. We come into worship all different, but we leave worship all marked with the same reminder that we all - despite our differences - are all dust. We are all going to die. We all are going to return to the dust. We all are mortal.

Not thinking in order to think

For two years straight in my life I wore no other shirt other than a white cotton T-shirt (baring a few occasional when I was told to not wear the shirt). I had thirty shirts and wore them all the time. And you know, I never had to think about what I was wearing the next day. Not one moment wondering what looks good, Not one moment wondering what the latest trend is. Not once looking for sales on shirts or having to try on any to see if they fit. 

All that time I was not thinking of those things, it allowed me to think about other things. And it was in the course of those two years that I knew what I was going to study, what I was going to be when I grew up, who I was going to marry. I started the first ecumenical bible study on campus. Became the first non-catholic to work in campus ministry as a sacristan. 

I would not attribute all that to wearing white shirts for two years, but when we ritualize our lives our minds are free to not think about things in order to think about things.

This is an important part of spiritual practices, They free us up to not think in order to think. For instance, some people may find saying a rosary boring and redundant. However, if you do not have to think about the words you are praying, then you are more able to see/hear what God would have for you.

Look at your own life. I am willing to bet that your "best" ideas have come when you are doing something some ritual:

• Driving
• Walking
• Showering
• Brushing your teeth

Lent is upon us. I invite you to begin a disciple so that you might be able to not think in order to think. That you might be able to not see yet see. That you might be able to not hear and yet hear.