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Posted by Frederic Brussat on April 21, 2014

On April 11, 2014, the New America Foundation held a program titled "Locked Up and Locked Out: Securing a Second Chance at Economic Citizenship for Ex-Offenders." Monica Potts was on a panel which responded to some of the details in her cover story for The American Prospect titled "Is There Hope for the Survivors of the Drug Wars?" It is a chilling report on the helplessness and hopelessness of mostly African-American population who have been hard hit by the law-and-order zeal which sent many youth to prison for possessing a small amount of marijuana.

The United States imprisons more of its population than any other country in the world at rates unmatched in modern history. Adding up all the costs, the U.S. will spend $80 billion to keep 2 million people in prison. Once branded as a criminal, these mostly poor blacks face a perilous future. Every year, 650,000 Americans (a population that is 90 percent male, more than half black or Latino, and on the average only 34 years old) are released from prison with dreams of climbing the economic ladder as thousands have done before them. But in these grim times with few jobs available, these ex-offenders are left high and dry.

As the notes from this conference state . . .

The Many Sides to Regret

Posted by Frederic Brussat on April 9, 2014

In a snappy and thought-provoking article in the New Republic, Judith Shulevitz, the magazine's science editor, points to the now familiar parade of politicians, business figures, and celebrities making public statements of regret for their wrong-doings. But she points out that this is usually an evasion of the truth we want to hear:

"Regret is what we feel when we realize we have hurt ourselves – damaged our careers, tarnished our reputations, limited our options. Regret is not remorse, which is what we feel when we've hurt others … It's remorse that we want from our public figures after they misbehave, and remorse that they'll almost never admit to."

In her further probe of this subject . . .

The U.N. Report on Climate Change Is a Call to Action for Spiritual Activists

Posted by Frederic Brussat on April 7, 2014

The recently released UN report "Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability" makes it clear that the effects of global warming are already here with food shortages, droughts, and violent weather patterns taking place around the world. According to the U.S. Environmental Agency, global emissions increased by about 1.5 times from 1990 through 2008.

Although we call this planet home we have continued to defile the land, water, and air. In this century we have already seen the chaos this climate change can bring: high temperatures in Europe, forests burning down in the United States, droughts in Australia, and rampaging floods in Thailand. Unless something is done soon we face ever more global catastrophes.

Many frightened, angry and disappointed people . . .

What It Takes to Say "Yes" to Life

Posted by Frederic Brussat on April 4, 2014

We are big fans of Victor M. Parachin, author of Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds and Eleven Modern Mystics and the Secrets of a Happy, Holy Life. In his blog dharmaroundup.com, he shares the following story:

"Musician John Lennon says that he first began falling in love with Yoko Ono when he viewed an exhibition of her art at her gallery in London. One of the exhibits required a viewer to climb to the top of a shaky ladder in a dimly lit room. At the top of the ladder was a telescope. Peering through it, a visitor had to make out the faint, barely perceptible letters of a single word.

Though the word was small . . .

Book Clubs as Transfusion Centers

Posted by Frederic Brussat on March 31, 2014

In an article in The New York Times, writer James Atlas points out that there are about 5 million Americans participating in some kind of book club. They meet in living rooms, in local libraries, in bars, and online. Goodreads.com claims to have 25 million members and was recently sold to Amazon. There are book clubs for seniors, youth, co-workers, and only men or only women.

One of the most appealing things about book clubs is that they sometimes generate aha! moments when the group coalesces and are united in tribute to a truth expressed in the book being discussed. Other times, dialogue can break down when someone hogs center stage or a needy person goes off topic and shares his/her troubles. That is why some groups are now hiring professional group facilitators. Another new development is seeing authors taking the role of master-of-ceremonies or moderator for a fee. Naturally, in this age of celebrity, groups are eager to have such creative people in their midst and thankful for the publicity.

We are pleased to see . . .

Needed: Sacred Spaces Everywhere

Posted by Frederic Brussat on March 26, 2014

In an article in The New York Times by Andrew Keh, we read about the meditation room recently opened in the Barclays Center, a Brooklyn sports arena where the Nets play. Very few fans know it even exists and those interviewed about it are baffled about its purpose. Bruce Ratner, the developer of the arena, said of the space at its dedication ceremony: "Among this busyness and this craziness, you do need some time that you come and just relax and see words like 'love,' 'rejoice,' 'forgive,' and remember why we're here." He was referring to the inspiration quotations on the walls. The space is about the size of a living room and seats 40 people on chairs.

When I was a young Lutheran pastor . . .

In Praise of Failures and Mediocrities

Posted by Frederic Brussat on March 3, 2014

It's possible to stumble upon as essay on the Internet that shakes you to the core. That's what happened when I came across "In Praise of Bad Art (And Bad Saints)" on the Faith and Theology website run by Ben Myers, a writer, teacher, and theologian in Australia. He comments on how terrible it was to watch a bad community production of a Shakespeare play. But then he switches gears and claps loudly for their valiant efforts. Why?

"I am, you see, a great believer in bad art. In every arena of human creativity, one needs a multitude of failures and mediocrities. They are the condition for the emergence of that rare thing, the artistic genius. Without all the dull painters and all the mediocre art schools, there could have been no Chagall and no Picasso."

There is no need for harsh . . .

Making TV a Part of Our Lives

Posted by Frederic Brussat on February 17, 2014

The gifted comedian Sid Caesar died at the age 91 on February 12, 2014, in Beverly Hills, California. He changed things around in our suburban home during the early 1950s when television was just an infant. When only 10% of American households had a TV set, the Brussats were one of the lucky families. Soon we were no longer crowding around the radio for entertainment.

When I was eight . . .

Creativity Becomes an Academic Discipline

Posted by Frederic Brussat on February 11, 2014

In a spiffy article in The New York Times, "Creativity Becomes an Academic Discipline," Laura Pappano writes about a new phenomenon."Creative" has been the most used buzzword in LinkedIn profiles two years running; this social media site is used by individuals to build and manage their professional networks. In 2010, an I.B.M. survey of 1500 chief executives found that they viewed creativity as the factor most crucial for success.

That is why creative studies . . .

In Life and Business: Learning to Be Ethical

Posted by Frederic Brussat on January 22, 2014

In the NYTimes.com, Alina Tugend writes about a new website www.EthicalSystems.org which will bring together research and resources on business ethics, a subject that is receiving more attention these days in the wake of scandals at Enron, Worldcom, and other places. Jonathan Haidt, a professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business, is one of the major figures behind this website. He feels there is the need for "a more psychologically realistic approach to business ethics."

One way to do this . . .

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