Rules of Engagement

Musing today on engagement...no not the type that preceeds marriage, rather the type that exists in our everyday lives. Why is it that we don't seem to be able to engage fully (maybe even sacrificially) anymore? Certainly there are a huge number of things vying for our attention at any given moment. This level of distraction certainly hampers our ability to think deeply and fully about what needs to heppen in our lives. Our distance from meaningful beliefs (following up on Monday's post) is also a part of the equation. Our inability to stand for something means that we do in fact fall for anything. We donate a portion of our time and wealth because we are just too busy and stressed to think we can engage any deeper. Is that really the case, however? Is our lack of significant engagement really a consequence of being overwhelmed? I don't think that fully explains why we do not take full responsibility for our health care decisions and other major life decisions (Advanced Directives, wills, etc). Think about what occurred for the people under the old Soviet regime when it came apart in the late 1980's. Generations had been given everything by the State and had come to expect that this would be the norm. They were actively discouraged if not forbidden to attend a faith community. Thus the only thing in their worldview was the State and what it provided. When the system disbanded, the people had nothing to cling to and were so totally disempowered that they couldn't find the capacity to engage in creating a new system that ran on their power and initative. Russia is still in the midst of this (see recent "elections") more than 20 years later. The rules of engagement require fully empowered and enabled persons who see the need for their acitivity and decision making. How about for us in the U.S. as it comes to oour health and well being? What are the rules of engagement for us? We have been disempowered to care for ourselves. We still believe (to a large extent) that technology and pharmacology can cure every ill - and undo all kinds of poor health choices. We are disengaged because we believe the rhetoric and marketing drivel that says you don't have to be disciplined in your eating or other health behaviors, we can fix you. Full engagement in our health, wellness and wholeness requires a level of truth in advertizing that we are unlikely to see. Even without that though, we need to have leaders who are courageous enough to speak truth to power and help people find their way out of their inertia. Belief in a higher power is one way out of the mess we're in. Daily practice and devotional time can lead to a different life view and world view that is empowering and life giving. This week, as we celebrate Easter and Passover, look to the teachings of the faith of the ages to find a way to fully engage in your life, health, wellness and ultimately wholeness. Peace for the journey, Dan