The Second

I am re-reading for at least the 4 th time The Four Loves , by C. S. Lewis.   Once again I met the chapter on Affection, bathing in the warm embrace of this love’s character, happily recalling times in my past where Affection held me close, but sometimes aching from memories when Affection seemed sorely absent.   This love wears a humble shape while yet causing relationships to glow from within.   But without missing a beat, Lewis draws the painful figures of misused Affection, and of the hurt brought on when this love turns dark.   As he does with each of the loves, Lewis shows in detail that Affection “…having become a god, becomes a demon. [1] ”   In current culture the relationship bond between a man and woman sits at center of our vision of the good, full, and happy life.   For as long as I can remember every influence held out hope for me to find the one special person, the “soul mate,” the one who would somehow make everything make sense.  ...

As I begin this entry it is the Saturday before Forgiveness Sunday.  In other words, Lent starts in full on Monday.  So what?  We have had Lent in years before, and here we go again.  Why isn’t this just another instance of “been there, done that?”  It could be just such an experience.  In fact, it might be worth counting the number of things in the day-to-day routine that fall under the label “been there done that.”  Wake up, fall out of bead, shower, dress, eat, drink coffee, read, pray, drive to work, work (and its many routines), and so on.  Come to think of it, it might be easier to ask what is NOT subject to “been there done that.” So many things pass quickly by, make impact—ever so slightly—and disappear escaping notice.  Just like “been there done that.”  Not merely dismissive, the phrase pulls down a dark mood, and with it a dry humor that makes palatable that dark hue.  The darkness of it says, in effect, “that bores me...

I have a respectable collection of books, more than a dozen, on leadership; not a huge selection, but solid.   All use, or depend on, examples of high profile personalities, which serves twin purposes to be both clear and motivating.   And each author grounds his message in basic, real, principles of personal integrity, especially of humility.   It’s all good stuff to read, reminding me why I read them: those prominent pursuits in life, with their versions of high profile and high impact leaders, can often feel empty.   But like an antidote for this creeping emptiness, those authors on my shelf provide the inside stories where commitment to, and struggle for, integrity plays out to happy ends.   And this encourages me to engage in similar struggles.   “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these thi...