Dear Josie,
Thanks!
I like your friends' idea of establishing a Religious Disorder.
Not too much disorder, but "just enough."
"All things in moderation, including excess."
As you may know, Carnival is a Christian feast.
The name derives from the Latin "Carne vale" meaning "Farewell flesh!"
During the festive run-up to Mardi Gras (the day before Ash Wednesday when Lent begins) Christians deliberately over-indulged "food, drink and romance" to "sicken themselves" so they could coast through the rigors of Lent.
Think of it as a 40 day hangover.
Think of it as a 40 day hangover.
Ah... The genius of Christianity!
Such balanced accommodation of pagan forebears!
What determination to "give the devil his due!"
Such balanced accommodation of pagan forebears!
What determination to "give the devil his due!"
***
Next time we're together, let's chew on "education."
Pax tecum
Alan
On Sun, Dec 15, 2013 at 11:53 AM, Josie M wrote:
Hey Alan: Thanks so much for all this. My first encounter with Thoreau's WALKING was as I was preparing to head off to Maryknoll … Dave read it to a group I was tagging along with on a winter hike … it is to this day one of my favorites of Thoreau's writings.Your idea for a school is fabulous. When "in formation" up in Ossining back in the Fall of 1996, our little band of 14 chatted in good spirit about starting our own Religious Disorder. We were going to have Spiritual Misdirectors. It is still an underground organization. Then post-Maryknoll some of us who got out and got into education began talking about our own school. WE were going to have a bus from Bolivia to drive the school around.In truth, I feel I'm in mission now doing my very varied days subbing in the Durham public school system. Especially now playing around in the fields of EC. I wish I had the energy to be your beauracratic navigator on the US side of things. Alas, I do not. But I'm delighted to chew over ideas with you.Holiday cheer to you and all those you love, josie
On Dec 15, 2013, at 11:30 AM, Alan Archibald <alanarchibaldo@gmail.com> wrote:Dear Josie,
Thank you!
I just found a draft email which I wrote you a long time ago.It may have been sent, but if not, you can access it at http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/12/nature- deficit-disorder-and- sauntering.html I hope the spirit of Christmas is seeping into your life in ways both big and small.Pax vobiscumAlan
On Fri, Dec 13, 2013 at 8:01 PM, Josie McNeil <riojosie@gmail.com> wrote:
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Kofi Annan" <connect@theelders.org>Subject: What Nelson Mandela taught usDate: December 12, 2013 8:00:47 AM ESTTo: "josie m">Reply-To: connect@theelders.org
Dear friends,I last met with Nelson Mandela, together with my fellow Elders, three years ago in Johannesburg. This week we returned to South Africa to say farewell to our founder, dear friend and guiding voice.Many of you have offered moving tributes to Madiba’s courage and humanity, describing how he has influenced and inspired you. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts and messages with us.For me, his most important lesson was that he never sought power for the sake of power. Time and again, he invested his authority in strong, democratic institutions that would actually outlast any individual leader. Even founding The Elders was an expression of his belief in an idea that was larger than himself.I believe that we can honour him best not by searching for ‘the new Mandela’, but by realising our own potential – as men, as women, as citizens – to build the just, equal societies that he fought for.Best wishes,Kofi AnnanWhat does Nelson Mandela mean to you?
Tributes from the Elders
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