Journal of Sacred Work

Days 86-90 - "Because Genius is Not Enough..." The Courage of Partnerships

  "The boss wants to see you." Those words chill hearts. I learned that fear whenever an elementary teacher said, "The principal wants to see you." Such fear never inspired my best. 

   Leaders seen as "bosses" can generate tension that triggers paralysis instead of movement. If we "brace" for difficult encounters we may short-circuit our highest humanity.  

   Genius must marry bravery to birth success. Why? “Because genius is not enough. It takes courage to change people’s hearts,” Peter Farrelly wrote in the screenplay for "The Green Book." 

   Radical Loving Care calls leaders to reimagine difficult conversations as sacred communions. Jesus' Love is the living water of genius & the bread is the courage that makes Love manifest.

   How does that inspire better performance? We are all children of God. Love requires replacing vertical, fear-based, boss-employee models with circular, love-based partnerships.  

   A partnership of trust values each adult. The healthcare leader is still coach, can change "players" & also understands that she or he is neither a direct caregiver nor more important. Each partner has a crucial role & each patient needs the whole team. 

   No one respects a boss who bullies employees out of jobs.

   "Because genius is not enough" partners respect leaders with the courage to change the team. To do this, they enable peak patient care by creating the best human experience for all, not just for the bosses. 

-Erie Chapman 

Leadership diagram: Erie Chapman

Days 89-90 With Open Arms

Let there be peace, welfare and righteousness in every part of the world. 

Let confidence and friendship prevail, for the good of all humanity. 

Let the people inspire their leaders, helping them to seek peace by peaceful means,

helping them, urging them to build a better world.

A world with a home for everybody, a world with food and work for everybody, a world with spiritual freedom for everybody;

Let those who have the power of money be motivated by selfless compassion allowing wealth to become a tool for good.

Let those who have political power deal respectfully with the resources of our planet, respecting and maintaining creation.

Let industry serve humanity and let technology support the sacredness of life.

Let us as ordinary people, meet those unlike ourselves with the open arms and hands of God, in friendship and love.

Let us remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others

who through their vision of a better humanity enrich us all.

Through this day and everyday, let us be a willing partner in a world of justice and peace for all.

  

-Adapted from “Healing the Whole” by Hagen Hasselbalch in Prayers For Healing

Shared by Liz Sorensen Wessel

Drawing by ~liz

Days 79-83 - Stand Up to America's Bully

 Bullying behavior has always been so widespread that unless you were sheltered you saw it in school. Were you so terrorized that you dodge this subject today?

   I fought bullies in the 6th grade that ridiculed my younger sister (born with dwarfism.) Instead of helping my friends watched. I became a lawyer in part to protect the vulnerable.

   As a CEO our culture drove out intimidators. Now our foundation advises other CEOs on how to do the same. 

   When Atticus Finch faced a lynch mob in To Kill A Mockingbird we saw a truth: Courage against bullies is more uncommon than bullies themselves. When his daughter, Scott, spoke up we saw something else: a single loving voice can quiet the fears of a hundred.  

   Sadly, bullies populate the ranks in too many hospitals. Radical Loving Care trains the best leaders to drive out the worst. The job is as daunting as it was on the playground.

   The problem worsened two years ago. Historians agree that America, leader of the free world, is now led by the most powerful bully in our history. It is the immorality of bullying that stains the soul not the illegality. 

   You may have fallen silent by forgetting that the way to stand up to Trump is to attack his behavior not his policies. Whether or not you favor his positions you can use your integrity to attack his. 

   Tell people, "I oppose Trump's bullying." When you see the same behavior at work call it out & tell HR.

   Your failure to speak up respectfully supports bullying...& breaks off pieces of your soul. 

   Integrity discovers her depth not in gentle breezes but amid storms. Faith, hope & love strengthen in crossfire not calm. 

   Remember Jesus' example. Stand strong against bullying by living love, not fear. 

Reverend Erie Chapman

Photo: Screenshot from To Kill A Mockingbird

Days 82-83 Clouds

I was caught up in the busyness of the workday and missed getting outdoors for a change in scenery and a chance to re-energize.  At days end, I exited the building accompanied by my friend Dina and we were suddenly overcome by the beauty of huge billowing clouds.

Dina pulled out her phone and began snapping photos of the bright white flowerings amid the bluest blue. I cautioned her to move out of the middle of the street. We parted ways both grateful to witness this splendor amid an otherwise seemingly ordinary day. Yet, the moment took us to a majestic realm and invites one to contemplate, what could possibly be ordinary in being alive?

Driving home, I was awe struck by nature’s glory revealing Herself in a symphony of color amidst the traffic filled roadways of S.CA. Once home, I stood mesmerized watching God's painting unfold before my eyes.

This year in S. CA we have experienced an unusually cool and rainy winter bringing with it fantastic cloud formations. Nostalgically, I remember my teen years living in Vermont surrounded in nature’s Beauty. I loved clouds best as I watched them float and metamorphoses across a vast translucent sky. I think Michael Angelo must have looked heavenward often to receive such inspiration.

Regardless of our life situation, amid our worlds heartache and grief, in moments of joy and peace, Beauty is
present in all things.

Liz Sorensen Wessel
Photos by ~liz

Days 77-81 - New Tracks in the Snow

    The snowy slope beckons you to a fifth joyful trip. You align your sled with well-worn path. 

   "Wait!" your friend shouts through the winter wind. "Let's make new tracks - be pioneers!"

   Why would your friend would offer such a silly idea? 

   The old tracks are always easier. That is why it is so difficult for most to shatter old patterns even if those patterns bring mediocre results.

   New solutions are only found on new pathways.

   Consider inventors, artists & revolutionary leaders including Jesus.

   One pattern etched into our psyche is hatred of enemies. Jesus was attacked as dangerous partly because he disdained the ancient doctrine of an "eye for an eye..." & proposed a new track to heaven, "Love one another."

   Radical loving care challenges primitive instincts. "Attack enemies," we are told. No wonder Trump is popular with some. Asked on an evangelical radio show to name his favorite Bible verse Trump bypassed Jesus' gospel in favor the simplicity of primitive instincts.

   "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth...!" Trump trumpeted. 

   Old patterns, including hatred, die hard because they seem easy. Why try Love? It is difficult, challenging & the only path worth taking. 

  -Erie Chapman      

New Yorker Cartoon by John O'Brien

Days 75-76 Simple Offerings

“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely.” ~Clarissa Pinkola Estes

What comes to mind when you think of "stretching out to mend a part of the world" that is in need of healing...

Many thoughts, images and feelings come to mind. This photograph of my grandson, taken at age 5, lifts my spirit. His bouquet of dandelions was one of the most priceless gifts I've ever received. An offering simple, yet so loving. 

We live in a such a complex world yet even the smallest act of kindness carries within it great potential and can have a profound impact beyond our ever knowing.

Liz Sorensen Wessel
Photo Cyrus Wessel by ~liz

 

 

 

Days 70-74 - ""A New Gentleness

   When my younger sister was creating this painting in a beginner class she was not expecting a masterpiece. Born a "Little Person" she was probably not expecting her life would be exceptional either. Instead, she beat her expectations in both cases. 

   We are blank canvases at birth, equipped with human tools but completely naive. Handed a short body Martha grew tall in spirit, profoundly gentle & beloved by thousands.

   She can teach us the difference between pity & compassion. Pitiers look down on others as "less then" & thus demean themselves. Compassion seeks to understand other's difficulties & honors differences.

   People with illnesses or special needs do not seek pity. We all want understanding & respect. 

  While ministering to the sick in the 13th century St. Francis confessed that he disliked caring for people with leprosy because their disease made him "uncomfortable." He overcame this by discovering a "new gentleness." 

   Jean Vanier is a modern day saint who cares for people with disabilities through his worldwide ministry. What he learned is what all great caregivers recognize: We all have "disabilities," some visible & some not.

   Braiding our disabilities with those of others creates level ground. 

   Pitiers imply they are stronger than the sick & disabled. I was unintentionally guilty of this long ago when, over-worried, I asked Martha how she was doing. "Don't feel badly for me," she said, "I love my life." 

   Indeed she does. Her life is a masterpiece & so, to me, is her painting. I look at the smallest boat sailing into the distance & wonder if it symbolizes her: small but sailing the ocean with the same strength as others & better able to withstand storms than any tall people I know. 

-Erie Chapman

Painting by Martha Chapman

Listen to the PBS "On Being" podcast about Jean Vanier. It may change your life. 

Days 68-69 Bravery

Note: This reflection is offered by Guest Contributor, Terry Chapman

Bravery has always been revered in all cultures though they may differ in their form and behaviors. The most obvious bit of bravery would be a mountain climber who takes the telling first step up their “Everest”. Contrast that with the brave action of a fireman who races into a burning building to save a person’s life. The soldier heading bravely into combat for the first time is another. How about the person facing a severe illness who stays positive and works toward healing with or without a care giver?

Still another less obvious demonstration of bravery is when someone faces a terminal possibility from cancer or other devastating form of disease.  I have a close friend who recently suffered a stroke which caused a clot in his brain. I have encouraged and visited him many times in the four months since the stroke and he has never complained, but has steadfastly faced his condition; works very hard in PT; speaks in a positive manner to all, and receives visitors every day with his usual grace! 

An altogether different kind of bravery takes place when someone loses a child and bravely greets family members and friends at the service at such a heart-rending time. I was recently privileged to attend that service and be present with those dear church friends. I will never forget how nobly they celebrated their son’s life!

 All these different acts display bravery of a high order. Who among us can ignore such splendid human nobility?  Who among us will not at some time need their loving care?  Caregivers and receivers of care, for physical or mental or spiritual suffering and some of our best citizens set the bar high for all of us as do family members. We benefit from their faithful, loving care in health facilities, and other community organizations such as churches, YMCA’s, and in homes throughout America and our world.

The next time someone you know experiences a severe health event, reach out to them by showing you care, often with just your presence at their side on a short visit. Bring them a meal, a book, a music CD, or other craft you can fashion. But your true gift to them will be yourself: your sharing of your time in the midst of their challenge, heartbreak, or simply severe boredom.  None of us need be alone; we are all integral parts of the eternal chain of humankind now and forever linked in all of our journeys—both pleasant and challenging--on planet Earth!

Terry Chapman

Days 62-66 - What is the Soul?

In medicine & leadership scientists & CEOs seek answers to life & death questions. The best learn that the highest wisdom is that our deepest truths are beyond "knowing."

Our soul is apparently "unknowable." We rely on belief instead of scientific evidence. I believe that it exists beyond, & ultimately separate from, the bodies we occupy. Mystically, some credit listening to their unknowable soul as the source of their creativity or success. 

Do you "know" that God planted the seed of Jesus in Mary? Or do you believe that God's "seed" was Love?

When the body is sick, we become reporters: "Why, what, where, when, how?" The more science finds answers the more it demeans the wisdom of unknowing.

When an organization is dysfunctional similar questions arise.

Scientists & leaders seek facts to diagnose & rules for treatment. Some answers produce hard-edged cures.

Yet healing & organizational energy can be as unresponsive to concrete approaches as is love.

"Tell me how to cure my team's dysfunction," leaders ask me.

"Love your staff," I answer.

When the lawyer asked Jesus, "How do I enter heaven," Jesus answered, "Love God & your neighbor."

"Who is my neighbor?" the lawyer asked.

Instead of a concrete answer Jesus told the parable of The Good Samaritan.

In "Bone" Mary Oliver tries "to figure out/ what the soul is,..." For fear you might shun poetry I reprinted only the first & last verses. 

"Understand, I am always trying to figure out
what the soul is,
and where hidden,
and what shape...
...
"...Though I play at the edges of knowing,
truly I know
our part is not knowing,
but looking, and touching, and loving,
which is the way I walked on,
softly,
through the pale-pink morning light."

How does one create great art, inventions or organizations? There are rules & training. But, "Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius," Mozart wrote.

Like Oliver, Mozart stopped asking "Why, what, where, when, how? Instead, he wrote music he heard from Love's unknowable soul. 

-Erie Chapman

Photoart - "The Eternal Madonna & Child" - Erie Chapman - 1978 & 2019

Days 60-61 How The “Poppies” Came To Be

"The hills are alive with the sound of music." Rodgers and Hammerstein

The story of the California poppy’s designation as the state flower in 1903 reveals an arduous struggle with setbacks along the way.

The idea for selecting a state flower was born in 1884 when self-taught and renowned botanists John and Sarah Lemmon attended an exposition in New Orleans in 1884.

As explorers of nature, this couple conducted wilderness surveys, discovered and recorded many specimens unknown to science. When working at the California forestry service, Sarah drew beautiful illustrations of various flora they  encountered and gave botanical talks replete with fascinating lore.

While lecturing on forestry conservation in Chicago, Sarah’s talk inspired discussions about choosing a state and national wildflower. In 1890, the California State Floral Society voted to designate a state flower and the golden poppy won the vote. Sarah, was given the task of persuading the California Legislature to declare a state flower. This proved to be a more difficult task than anticipated but Sarah was a strong advocate and persevered.

In 1895, Sarah Lemmon succeeded in getting a poppy bill introduced on the floor of the state Senate, and it passed almost unanimously.  However, Governor Henry Cage did not believe that “the adoption of a state flower is a proper subject for legislation.”  He intentionally left the bill unsigned on his desk until it expired and then again when a similar bill was introduced in 1899.  

Next, he vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature in 1902. The Assembly made an impassioned plea garnering support to approve the bill over the governor’s veto but sadly the state Senate let the bill die without a vote.  

Finally, the bill passed in 1903, and prior to announcing victory,  two legislators ordered enough poppies to present one to each senator. Unfortunately,  the flowers did not arrive due to a train wreck the night before. Instead they displayed a bunch of poppies when they announced that Gov. Pardee had signed the bill as wild cheers broke out as the ‘Golden Poppy’ was adopted as the State Flower of California.

Sarah Lemmon's efforts were broadly recognized on that memorable day as she celebrated with them . For it was Sarah who tirelessly, in the face of gubernatorial opposition, toured the state, mailed out flyers and corresponded with legislators.

In the words of author Richard Schwartz, “The poppy has struggled to maintain its presence, and its range is severely limited in comparison to its original, naturally ordained range and density.”  

“Every poppy delivers it message of beauty and sustains its place in this world. The next time you pass a poppy, look long into its petaled palace, for in the folds of that flower lies a long, hard, and beautiful history of survival and perfect grace.”

How The “Poppies” Came

 The angels saw one region where

More sunshine lingered than its

share;

And came, with each a heaven-white

 Cup,

To dip the yellow surplus up.

No sooner brimmed with it—behold, 

The cups themselves were turned to

Gold!

And were the lie, upturning still

Their gold for golden skies to fill.

                                                                 By~Sadie B. Metcalfe, 1895

 Liz Sorensen Wessel
Photo of CA poppies, 2/25/2019 by ~liz