What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems.

JOHN W. GARDNER

Every morning the good folks at gratefulness.org send me a short quote. Some days they are spot on, others not so much. This past week I received the above attributed to John W Gardner.

Upon first read, I thought it naive and overly idealistic. But then, I paused, and thought no, this is actually an honest assessment of your times while pointing to a chance to do something. But life is overwhelming these days, and I’m now old enough to realize that I’m not going to change the world. But I can change some things in my own world.

Here’s what I’m tackling in three spheres -

1. Seek first to Understand. I’m spending time learning about what’s going on in our US American society. This means engaging in conversations, reading, and reflecting with those who see life differently than I do. Yes, I’m spending time outside my bubble. This is hard work. Whether the person is an African American preacher serving an urban congregation or a White working class Trump supporter, listening to their life experience challenges my over-educated white middle class comfort zone.

2. Digging Deeper. There’s a layer underneath the sociological descriptions that reveals some significant shifts. I’m unclear on all this but depth psychology, evolutionary anthropology and the study of religion are one way of getting at all this change. We are in a time of dramatic transformation. I’m not satisfied with “the world is in a technological revolution.” Yes, that’s true, but why and how is that impacting all of us.

3. Conclusions are tentative. It seems that at ever moment, an answer is elusive. I’ll arrive at a point of satisfaction only to have it blown up the next day. This is frustrating, but also indicative of something a foot. However, I am increasingly convinced that the great divide in US America today is between those who have a capacity to engage change and those who resist it. Obviously this is not either-or, it’s a continuum, and I have days where I drift along that line. The wave of change is a Tsunami and we each have a choice. We can attempt to ride the wave or just be plowed over.

Am I grateful for the problems of living in our modern age? Candidly, No. I’d rather it all be easy and without challenge. Really? Even gravity is a challenge we fight every moment of life. To live is to face change and resistance, the question is how we face it. I’ll tag this with another quote from JRR Tolkien

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”