Memorial Day

Thankful for those who have served.

Today, I remember.

I remember SPC Ross McGinnis, who sacrificed his life during Operation Iraqi Freedom so that the other four men in his vehicle could live.

I remember the fact that countless men and women have sacrificed their lives in ways I will never know, yet somehow in the ripples of time, their choices have affected my life and yours as well.

I remember that today, as we celebrate specifically our American servicemen and women for their sacrifices during war, that so many others have given their lives for others' freedom in countless other ways.

I am thankful for those people who chose to give up the greatest gift they have been given so that others might have a fighting chance to live theirs.

We cannot do enough to honor what they have done.

Seniors: Sarah in Historic Ellicott City

I had the pleasure of taking Sarah's outdoor portraits recently, strolling through the historic district of our town before the usual Saturday crowds descended.

Sarah's on her way to study environmental policy, interested in how we can develop a culture of more sustainable housing and community spaces.  She's also quite the photographer herself, currently in the highest level of photography class at school.   Looking forward to seeing her being part of making this world a better place!

Typewriters, Tweets, and Television

The medium is the message.

So said Marshall McLuhan in 1964.

A letter, typewritten, will be different than one handwritten.  Different than a voicemail; different than an email.

Say I were to deliver to you a piece of information: "The current presidential contenders do not like one another."  Were I to speak this sentence to you in person, we would interact: you would offer a response and a conversation would likely ensue.  Instead, I have delivered this information to you somewhat anonymously in printed form.  if you wish to interact with me on this, you'll have to do some work in leaving a comment on this post or emailing me or perhaps remembering to bring it up in our next encounter.

The manner in which we transmit information will unquestionably influence the manner with which we interact with this information.  You will interact with the six o' clock news quite differently than, say, a twitter feed with the same content, delivered by some mix of online personalities.

Today, some fifty years after McLuhan's statement, we have a vast array of communication media and devices that create spaces for interaction once thought impossible.  As we begin to use new media for our messages, the messages themselves will transform and our interactions with said messages will follow suit.  Cultural dialogues and understandings will not be unaffected.  Five-year-olds today, for instance, can often operate a smartphone, but their drawing abilities, in general, have degraded when compared to those of children a decade ago - ask my family members who happen to teach preschool.

Before they could advertise on your Instagram feed...

As technology changes our forms of communication, communication itself will be transformed.  For some, this is an exciting new frontier; others view this as a foreboding wasteland of triviality.  I say, let us pay attention to new forms of communication and how they change our interactions and our selves.  Much of these new forms may well breed new vibrancy, creativity, and connection, but we must be wary of degrading our depth of relationship and true soul-knowledge of one another.  Seek to keep the good and jettison the counter-productive.

Sure, send your friend a Snapchat video.  But then, go on a long hike and listen to their heart.

Chasing Joy

It's easy to choose a job because of the paycheck.  It's easy to seek to be part of an organization for the power or prestige.  Often, we chase these things, assuming they will bring happiness.  Yet here we are in a culture that is seeing a lot of upheaval, loneliness, anxiety, and confusion.

Apple Orchard Falls, VA

A story I recently read described a couple trying to determine their next business venture, looking at their decisions through the usual metrics of profit and marketability and break-even points.  But then the author added a question to the mix:

What brings you the most joy?

If you search back through your memories, what was happening on those most joyous days?  Those days when you felt as though you were right where you needed to be?  Right where God created you to be?

It is a great joy and privilege for me when others entrust me with their story and give me the opportunity to walk with them as they pursue God or pursue career dreams.  It's also a thrill to set a scene for a movie or theatre production, making sure all the details are accurate and alive.

Others I know come alive when talking about education.  Or playing music.  Or writing stories.  Or building a business.  They've found joy in their hobbies and their occupations.

If you're in a joyless place, pause a while.  Listen to your memories.  Go through some picture books.  Ask your parents what you loved as a kid.  Find those things that consistently brought you joy and life over the years.

In looking back, you just might find a path forward.

What brings you the most joy?

Write letters like it's 1937.