Peace Be With You

Today's Gospel lesson (John 20:19-31) was the well-known story of Doubting Thomas, but the priest chose to focus attention on the first five verses that were about God's Peace.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

The disciples feared being found by the Jewish leaders, who would not hesitate to imprison or kill them. Today, despite our immensely better circumstances, we are plagued with our own sets of anxieties. The Peace of God remains as relevant as ever.

The priest said that meditation and music bring him peace. I find that breathing exercises, playing an instrument, and listening to an audiobook have a calming influence.

This afternon I went for a walk and felt better...

Trust the Science: Relax

I meditate, most productively when lying down (mindful)

Neuroscience says that downtime (aka "doing nothing") increases productivity. Specifically,

Take a long shower

Play a game without keeping score

Cook a big meal

Take a solo walk

Just sit down.

I've been diligently performing these "activities" over the past year, but the people in the household say that there's been no visible increase in productivity.

Taking a page from global-warming stalwarts who've been saying "snowfalls are now just a thing of the past" for 21 years, I say, be patient.

Trust the science.

Palm Sunday, 2020

2018: marching around the block.

Worshippers normally march at the beginning of Palm Sunday services to commemorate Jesus' triumphant procession into Jerusalem. There are no physical gatherings this year, and everyone must walk alone.

It's just as well we're not outdoors because of the rain. Our Lenten meditations, which end Thursday, on the meaning of life will continue indoors.

We began "meditating" on the subject in a smoke-filled college dorm nearly 50 years ago and to be honest haven't made much progress.

The Right Day

Beach

On the drive down to Santa Cruz the airwaves were filled with what yesterday's results mean for the 2020 election.

Give it a rest, political junkies. You remind me of sports fans who wonder about next year's champion on the morning after the Super Bowl. Let the winners have their moment. Please stop talking about future campaigns. For the sake of your families make Thanksgiving a politics-free zone.

Cocoanut Grove

The Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk overflows with thousands of people during the summer but was deserted this November morning. There were a few workers about; signs needed painting, rides needed fixing, and lavatories needed cleaning.

A few seagulls scavenged without enthusiasm; they seemed to know that the pickings were slim.

One doesn't have to travel to the forest or mountains for a quiet meditative walk.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will do fine if you pick the right day.

Vallombrosa: Placid Amid the Noise and Haste

Despite having lived on the Peninsula for over 30 years, I had never been to the Vallombrosa Center in Menlo Park.

Vallombrosa ("shady glen") was built by E.W. Hopkins, the nephew of San Francisco railroad magnate Mark Hopkins, after the Civil War. Acquired by the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1947, the ten-acre site serves as

an ideal location for groups seeking a quiet and serene setting, with its beautiful grounds, comfortable accommodations, and friendly, helpful staff. It is also a gathering place for friends and neighbors to rest, to worship, to learn and grow.

Before our meeting on Friday, I strolled the buildings and grounds. Given the premium on Peninsula land (Facebook paid $400 million for a 56-acre property on which it will build housing in Menlo Park---simple interpolation puts Vallombrosa's land value at $72 million), a place like this would not be constructed today.

Vallombrosa's unlikely existence is a reminder that not every organization needs to have "highest and best use" as its highest principle.

Out of Kilter

The sauna is out of kilter. The repairs were scheduled to be completed by Valentine's Day, but they look like it will take another week at least.

I need the quiet time, I want the quiet time, I must have the quiet time. The steam room is one of the few places that I can get away. (Is there stuff going on in the world that bothers you as well, dear reader?)

I guess I'm out of kilter, too.

The Journey, Not the Destination

The Chartes labyrinth design

The popular definition of labyrinth is maze. That venerable meaning harks back to Greek mythology, which describes how the Minotaur was trapped in the Labyrinth, a prison with branching paths and dead ends.

There's another ancient meaning which is gaining purchase among enthusiasts worldwide. In a unicursal labyrinth the wanderer traces a meandering but singular path to the center, then exits by retracing the path.

At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.

The traveler doesn't get lost in the unicursal labyrinth; he empties the mind of the world's concerns and "finds" himself in the center, then slowly returns to the world.

(Your humble observer/truth-seeker has walked both labyrinths at Grace Cathedral but has found that the mere act of walking [but yes, I can chew gum at the same time] makes him too distracted to meditate. Labyrinths don't work for me, but perhaps they can work for you, dear reader.)

The $500,000 labyrinth comes with a 300-ft-long fieldstone wall (WSJ Photo)

In America, the land of going overboard, it's possible to spend up to $500,000 constructing a labyrinth on one's property. For homeowners on a budget The Labyrinth Company sells paver-brick kits ($4,000-$28,000) for the back yard.

Happy Trails!

I Really Should Talk to This Guy More Often

Recently I've acquired a touch of asthma. Addressing that bothersome condition has led to an unforeseen benefit: I now meditate in the gym sauna.

10-15 minutes of quiet time in the steam room not only clears the lungs (and pores), it also settles the mind.

Without distractions--especially from electronic devices--I've come up with a new approach to a complicated spreadsheet, a different priority for a committee that I chair, and a couple of thoughts to add to an essay. There haven't been any huge breakthroughs, but I wasn't expecting even little ones.