January

Well, the election is over. I have been praying no one would murder Mr. Obama or his family, and that God will bless America. And that God will continue to bless us, and guide us, in spite of all our faults, and that Mr. Obama will be given extraordinary gifts of fortitude, forbearance, resilience, wisdom and insight. I am filled with hope that we can begin to build a better state department, better foreign policy, and better non-military solutions to peace and justice in the world we live in. I have been reading the Friends' Committee on National Legislation news for quite awhile, and I like what they advocate we do in both domestic and foreign policy. I think what they are suggesting is do-able. I also like the Network people-- a group of nuns who have been working in Washington for 40 years, trying to push for legislative reforms and increased social services for the poor. And Rabbi Lerner, at Tikkun, who is trying to reform and repair the world within the Jewish people and spiritual progressives-- people who are interested in faith-based social justice. And Jim Wallis, at Sojourners, who is also a peace and justice advocate. I am impressed that the efforts and the vision of all these people seem to be coalescing into programs which actually help to move these ideas forward in practical ways. It was totally inspiring to see all those people standing at the mall in Washington, to witness the inauguration. It was amazing to see Americans with so much hope, after years and years of cynicism. The tears and joy on the faces of so many people are awe-inspiring to me. I really pray that Mr. Obama carries these people in his heart, as he goes about the next days and weeks and months, and tries to set up good policies. I hope also that the prayers we say now continue, and continue to sustain these efforts.
I read "Joseph the Provider" by Thomas Mann, this month. It was written in 1943, by a German man, living in California, and broadcasting "voice of America" into Germany. He tells the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt, and the years of famine and plenty, and how Joseph becomes the administrator for pharoah. It is a very good filter for this time, for the economic crisis we are in, and for the questions of how to live a faith-based life in a secular world which is in some ways alien. There is a lot of "mishnah" (Jewish lore) in the story. I found out on Wikipedia that Thomas Mann's wife was the daughter of a rabbi. So she would have carried a lot of the stories which had been passed down in Judaism, concerning Joseph and his brothers, and the relationship with his father Jacob. There is a lot of tenderness in the father-son relationship, which is very moving. And although Joseph understands the Egyptian faith, and is married to an Egyptian wife, he still carries a deep love of his father's transcendent God. Before coming to California, the Manns lived in Kusnacht, Switzerland. That was where Carl Jung was. So Mann was probably deeply interested in Jung's work with myth and archetype, and it fits, why he would write a 4 volume novel about Joseph in Egypt.
This week, the German boy who was our exchange student in 1995, Jan, came to visit. It is an amazing thing, that he comes to see us every few years, and spends time with each of us, getting to know us again. He is very intelligent and insightful, and it is also interesting to hear his opinions of our government, from the German perspective. He is happy so far, with President Obama, and hopes for great things from our new policies. He has always been such a good role model for our sons, and so it is a big gift, when he comes and reinforces our friendship.
I am glad that we had some rain this week-- all the crops need this rain, and the trees look so much happier now. But the day Jan and I drove down Big Sur, although it was cloudy, was a great day-- and we both love Point Lobos, and the way the water and the cliffs are laced together. Jan now has two small daughters (at home with his wife), so I am feeling old and grandmotherly!