Tom Adams
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Last week’s post made the case that paying attention to Black History Month is more important than ever. And it is important for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, or politics. This week I will explore some of the many types of learning opportunities, and what I am learning from a couple of examples.
February and Black History Month have arrived. Given the polarized condition of race relations in America, paying attention to the gifts and opportunities that this annual celebration feels more important than ever to me. The next four posts will focus on some aspects of learning and understanding Black History, and an exploration of what we individually and collectively might learn and do to advance “liberty and justice for all.”
Last week’s post celebrated the wedding anniversary of Bill and Lois Wilson, co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (Bill) and Al-Anon Family Groups (Lois). We looked at their life and legacy from the point of view of our national aspirations of “liberty and justice for all”. We explored how many people today are free from the hell of alcohol, drugs, and other addictions because of the Twelve Step movement the Wilsons and others pioneered.
Last week we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. My post invited us to reflect on progress and reversals in America’s ongoing struggle to reach our stated aspiration of “liberty and justice for all.” This week I will celebrate the marriage of Bill and Lois Wilson which took place on January 24, 1918, and honor their contribution to “liberty and justice for all.”
Yesterday our nation celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year the federal holiday coincided with Dr. King’s actual birthday, January 15, 1929. In five years, it will be one hundred years since Dr. King was born and fifty-six years since he was killed on April 4, 1968, in Memphis TN working for labor rights for sanitation workers.
Reflecting on one year ending and another beginning gets me thinking about the practice of courage. I am keenly aware of how easy it is to keep doing the same activities and how hard it is to change. It doesn’t really matter whether I enjoy or get benefits from a...
Every once in awhile I leave my tiny Island home and take a boat across a narrow channel of the Salish Sea to the City. I like to joke that in about 5 minutes time in the City I see more people than I am likely to see for perhaps a whole year on my Island home. It takes me a while to get accustomed to the sounds and to the speed at which life moves around and through me.
Yesterday, Christians celebrated Christmas, the birth of Jesus. As a Christian, for me, this means that the Creator chose to become human, and ultimately, our teacher and uniter.
Last week, I wrote about developing the habit of awe and wonder. I connected this habit with the celebration of Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice. Today I am looking at the Christian belief in Jesus and his birth on Christmas, and the possibility of a time of awe and wonder for all who choose it.
This morning I was up early and read Richard Rohr’s daily meditation, Richard Rohr is a Franciscan friar, ecumenical teacher and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation. Today’s meditation is entitled The Spiritual Practice of Awe. The meditation draws from the book This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley.
Tom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.