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We're cat sitting for a neighbor again, and found her cat had walked through tar at some point yesterday. The other cat-sitting neighbor says the roofs are being patched, and this cat does have a history of getting on the roof. We spent some time soaking the cat's paws in sudsy water (using Dawn, as recommended by the vet tech), and then peeling and cutting away tar. As i showered afterwards, resenting the heavy weight of worry (that Christine carries more heavier than i), i realized that other than the worry, it had been a lovely companionable time with Christine. Caring for critters so deeply is one of the things i adore about her.
The other cat-sitting neighbor knows the cat owner better than we and says we just shouldn't mention this to her. We trust their friendship, although i find myself thinking of the joke with the punchline, "Well, Grandma's on the roof playing with a bird."
In other cat news, i think Edward is licking a spot bald on his back. Oh, Edward!
--==∞==--
During worship yesterday there was an interesting thread of Ministry, a reflection on the query, "How are love and unity maintained among us?" and a question of who is part of the "Beloved community." My meditations on blood-as-transforming-fire, were stirred a bit into deeper metaphor. I thought of my grade school biology and how veins return "oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart." I wondered about the cells that were "downstream" in the network as opposed to the ones upstream where the oxygen-rich blood flows. I recall the capillary network, but what struck me was that "oxygen-rich" and "oxygen-poor" are likely statistical measures. Blood is composed of discrete units, just like "The Meeting" is composed of people. It's convenient to think of "The Meeting" as a thing that can act, just like thinking of the blood carrying oxygen. But the actual process is discreet, cell to cell, i suspect. So i suspect oxygen-poor blood *may* be made up of some cells that have a full oxygen load. Wikipedia is no help here.
The insight is an importance in not judging the load your neighbor carries or the load you yourself carry: some folks' capacities will be used earlier, some later. Another insight is the importance of the individual discrete relationships.
Actually, this morning i don't find the blood metaphor as compelling as i did yesterday. There is some importance in recognizing inclusion in the beloved community is not a function where "The Meeting" decides inclusion or exclusion. It's a relationship built up of discrete networked relationships, and as an individual it's important for one to relate to individuals as well as to the whole and the process of the group.
[Subtext here is a particular person. On one hand, this person has a very deep concern for a particular poor community in Haiti. This person wants to have The Meeting take on this concern, and has spoken as a prophet, calling us all on our wealth and comfort. On the other hand, independent of Quaker process, this strong-willed single-minded individual would be a challenge to work with. In the context of Quaker process, though, this person just doesn't get the concept of submission to group discernment at all, and thinks of unity as "getting others to agree."]
--==∞==--
I've been pondering what is triggering the new organization energy. I do think claiming to be well is a significant element. The sense of the new year helps. But also, I think I now have a better sense of priorities and what needs reminders vs organic organization.
The other cat-sitting neighbor knows the cat owner better than we and says we just shouldn't mention this to her. We trust their friendship, although i find myself thinking of the joke with the punchline, "Well, Grandma's on the roof playing with a bird."
In other cat news, i think Edward is licking a spot bald on his back. Oh, Edward!
--==∞==--
During worship yesterday there was an interesting thread of Ministry, a reflection on the query, "How are love and unity maintained among us?" and a question of who is part of the "Beloved community." My meditations on blood-as-transforming-fire, were stirred a bit into deeper metaphor. I thought of my grade school biology and how veins return "oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart." I wondered about the cells that were "downstream" in the network as opposed to the ones upstream where the oxygen-rich blood flows. I recall the capillary network, but what struck me was that "oxygen-rich" and "oxygen-poor" are likely statistical measures. Blood is composed of discrete units, just like "The Meeting" is composed of people. It's convenient to think of "The Meeting" as a thing that can act, just like thinking of the blood carrying oxygen. But the actual process is discreet, cell to cell, i suspect. So i suspect oxygen-poor blood *may* be made up of some cells that have a full oxygen load. Wikipedia is no help here.
The insight is an importance in not judging the load your neighbor carries or the load you yourself carry: some folks' capacities will be used earlier, some later. Another insight is the importance of the individual discrete relationships.
Actually, this morning i don't find the blood metaphor as compelling as i did yesterday. There is some importance in recognizing inclusion in the beloved community is not a function where "The Meeting" decides inclusion or exclusion. It's a relationship built up of discrete networked relationships, and as an individual it's important for one to relate to individuals as well as to the whole and the process of the group.
[Subtext here is a particular person. On one hand, this person has a very deep concern for a particular poor community in Haiti. This person wants to have The Meeting take on this concern, and has spoken as a prophet, calling us all on our wealth and comfort. On the other hand, independent of Quaker process, this strong-willed single-minded individual would be a challenge to work with. In the context of Quaker process, though, this person just doesn't get the concept of submission to group discernment at all, and thinks of unity as "getting others to agree."]
--==∞==--
I've been pondering what is triggering the new organization energy. I do think claiming to be well is a significant element. The sense of the new year helps. But also, I think I now have a better sense of priorities and what needs reminders vs organic organization.
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