Hope from History in Times of Change

One need not be a church goer to be comforted by the words of one Pope's message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations - Vatican News Even one without faith can understand this message, especially if one accepts a few likelihoods: That there was once before a great economic crisis (as always eventually happens with money and debt) and that the one who first understood the truth of the crisis AND then taught this truth to those around him, grew so trusted and loved, that his story was recorded, and being true in all regards, stood the test of time, and is now written in the Bible as the story of the life and teachings of that man That God is a synonym for the cosmos or existence (especially the earth and the sun) and that we humans are the "inevitable result" of time (or "evolution") and that the powerful emotion of Love is inherent in all babies, and therefore all adults as well That stress from unexpected change triggers freeze->flight/fight impulses which we then consciously attempt to understand, and that truth not being at hand, the result being that we are afraid for our lives or futures, and this fear paralyses people and causes them to lose hope and to fall into despair And that the teacher, who we call Jesus, who, knowing that there was no way to teach people when they were frightened and sharing that fear, kept in mind that people are, at heart, community minded and loving, and so, not being able to teach them directly, instead strove to connect with them and by talking with them in calm voices (speaking only truth), and reassuring them that everything would be okay, and used the analogy of the uncertainty one faces when crossing the sea; and shared that by thanking others (Gratitude), knowing that there was abundant food since there was the sea and the food that had already been planted, and the inherent "good" in people, thus had no fear at all of shortage (Encouragement), and then told them some simple things that they could do to address the crisis despite their uncertainty (Courage), and that his faith that everything would be okay spread and as the people spoke together, their bonds grew stronger, and when one spoke out of tiredness or fear (Fatigue), they were supported by their friends and family members (and if necessary, talked with, first one-on-one, and then, if still necessary, in a small and private group) And now that Pope Francis, understanding these historical likelihoods, and the truths that they speak, and feeling called by everyone in the world to help, is encouraging everyone to support one another, and to become like a member of a family-community and help their family-community members in any way they can At this moment in time, the call is for us to * help support all in our personal network of trust, especially by asking those we know what they need at that moment (ex. a friend, encouragement, hope, a plumber, some medicines, etc.) to * strive to grow that network by speaking kindly and lovingly with one another and sharing only absolute truth, in reaching out to old friends, and reaching out to new neighbors, to * attend to the needs of the greater community at whole (for example -- checking on the vulnerable and asking what they need; -- donating time as a volunteer, in hospitals or food banks; -- donating blood, calling to get an appointment; -- drop of medical supplies at the post office; -- sewing face masks (check for the 2-layer insert pattern) -- sharing encouraging thoughts -- asking what people in your network need -- identifying one's own vocation and ways to help, for example: ......for teachers, making fun YouTube lessons ..... for gardeners, making "gardening for the beginner" lessons ..... etc One need not be a church goer to be comforted by the words of one; or to share that truth, hope, and encouragement with others 20200325100000 Aaron Wayne Wissner ###

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Background: I experience the Catholic Church as a child through a teen, going to a small rural church, but not participating in the ritual of the Catechism. Being very mathematically minded, I wondered often about the messages taught, and of what seemed like in might be possible, and what would not. I did not have faith in a conscious afterlife, nor that there was an individual who created all that is. Yet, I found the teachings of Jesus very interesting, and have no real doubts that the life of this historical Jesus were true. Having come aware of the economic bubble at some point I recognized that religions arose following these, as there was one person who led from an era of debt bondage, eventually ending in a refusal to pay, and of course the person who was the most clearly explained why. I think of Jesus, Gautama Buddha, and others as those who saw the hardship of this on people, in a time of excessive income inequity, and which required these individuals be integrated into the current religious beliefs. The works of Daniel Quinn especially Ishmael (novel) help to explain the big picture of civilization to the present. Given that the global 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic has let to only the essential economy, we can now see that it is another time of change, and perhaps even Noogenesis, but in this time of change, people are fearful and need hope, so drawing from the story of the life of Jesus is a wonderful hopeful place to give people ways to understand the change. 20200325182600 Aaron Wayne Wissner