Category Archives: The Way of Peace

A snapshot: this moment in my life right now

February 25, 2017Get on your feet, Homelessness, Job search/Job prospects, The Way of PeaceClairvoyance, Faith, historical Jesus, Jesus, Upward mobilityWilliam Tell

Thursday 2017-02-23

Some weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon just after check-in at the mission, I became clairvoyant for a few seconds, and saw many things.

The first insight was that many things I’ve been saying for a long, long time — teachings, theories, hypotheses — are far more factual than I’d ever supposed.

The last thing that came displeased me. It said, “God has a purpose for my being [at the shelter], and I’ll never get away until it’s accomplished.”

What progress I have made since then has come from acting on the “things I’ve been saying for a long, long time.” The Way of Peace was composed in 2010; I don’t know whether I’ve yet posted here all that was composed at time; I’m know there’s still a lot that I have yet to post; but it’s the basic teachings in there, including those already set forth, that I’ve been called to act on.

Yesterday afternoon on the walk back to the shelter, I was using — for the first time in months — techniques perhaps first set forth in “Paying my dues …,” first published in 2013.

The teaching set forth in “Simple,” I have been working to live out. I found the quotation in an e-mail I sent various people in 2007, telling them it epitomized what I believed Jesus actually taught.

Walking my talk, or learning to: that may be what’s keeping me at the shelter. Once I’m walking my talk enough, I may be free.

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How to Wire Your Brain for Happiness

February 9, 2017Get on your feet, Science, The Way of PeaceAwe, Brain chemistry, Chaos overwhelms the poor, Happiness, Meditation, Mindfulness, Neurology, Presence, Psychology, Rick Hanson, The Homeless Blogger, WonderWilliam Tell

(Originally posted 11/09/13.)

A follower sent me the below link; I don’t think I need to comment on the article, but just highly recommend it.

How To Wire Your Brain For Happiness

Well, I will say this much. In “Chaos Overwhelms the Poor” and elsewhere I stress the effects on the brain itself, of chosen spiritual disciplines. This article reinforces that concept, with much good advice.
talk radio, talk show host, on air talent, the homeless blogger

Dilemma

January 11, 2017Get on your feet, Homelessness, Job search/Job prospects, Motivations, Poverty, The Way of PeaceHealing, Infantilism, Jesus, Need, Neediness, Outer darkness, Prayer, Self-love, Stewardship, Your Heart's DesireWilliam Tell

☺Please donate!☺

In a comment on a WaPo article about “Prosperity Gospel” televangelists, someone said:

Jesus taught us to think of others needs before our own.

As of now I dispute that Jesus taught that.

If he did teach that, Jesus was wrong.
Continue reading Dilemma →

14:32

December 31, 2016Homelessness, The Way of PeaceAcceptance, Anger, Bargaining, Choosing feelings, Denial, Depression, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Five stages of grief, Grief, Immortality, On Death and Dying, Resurrection, SacrificeWilliam Tell

Friday, October 6.

I arrived at the shelter where I stay at 14:32. There was no line of people waiting admission. They nominally open the gate at 14:30, but in fact sometimes do at 14:15, 14:00 or even 13:00. When I later asked what time they’d opened today, I was told 14:30. That can’t be factual, though: given current intake procedures, they can’t possibly have processed 30+ persons in two minutes.

Marvin arrived at the same time. I stayed outside to finish a cigarette, and he slipped in in front of me. He got assigned #41, “my” bunk, a bottom bunk. I got assigned the only available remaining bunk, #40, a top bunk and thus much less desirable.

If I had arrived only 30 seconds earlier, I would have been assigned “my” bunk, a bottom bunk, the one much more desirable. I found myself scouring my memory as to anything I could have done to have left church even 30 seconds earlier. I would recognize the mistake of looking only at my last activities before leaving; whereas 30 seconds at any point during the day would have made the difference.

I would recognize that I was “bargaining.”

Continue reading 14:32 →

Forgiving the cosmos

December 24, 2016Bible, Clippings, Justice, National news, OUR BEST POSTS, The Way of PeaceAbomination, Acceptance, Cosmology, Ethics, Here - Now - Can, Presence, Theodicy, Victoria Martens, What IsWilliam Tell

For years, I’ve had a special sensitivity to reports of child abuse.

This one may give you nightmares for the rest of your life.

Victoria Martens

According to the police report, on her 10th birthday, the mother’s boyfriend and his female cousin injected this little girl with drugs “to calm her down.” They proceeded to strangle, torture, rape and dismember her.

While her mother looked on.

Where is God, or what is God, when such an event can occur?

Continue reading Forgiving the cosmos →

I really have nothing better to do

December 22, 2016Audition files, Career goals, Motivations, OUR BEST POSTS, The Way of Peacedollar store, Evangelism, On air talent, Peacemaking, Radio talk show, Shalom, Talk show host, The Homeless Blogger, The Way of Peace, VocationWilliam Tell

(Originally posted 10/12/13.)

(Transcribed from a letter to my mother dated 25 September 2007.)

This conversation yesterday with a co-worker astonished me.

“Peaches” is a 42-year old, very short woman, certainly a grandmother and very likely great-grandmother, who has about half her teeth. She works principally as a cashier, and is a really good worker and co-worker. She constantly teases me by pretending to flirt with me.

I was stocking the trash bags shelves, and became aware that she was in quite a pickle. Her shift was over, and she had appointments she had to keep at a certain time across town; but she also had assembled this bag full of items she needed to buy at once and before leaving the store. And the line at the cash register was quite long. (Long lines at cash register are a constant, intractable problem at this store.)

I told her facetiously, “Just go down there and push ’em all out.” She said, “No, that would be unmannerly, and that’s not like me.” (Conduct that can be called “unmannerly” is a big, big issue in this community, and a big issue for me personally since I see so much of it and find it offensive.) She went on: “Now, I like your manners. You speak to the customers …”
Continue reading I really have nothing better to do →

The Parable of the Talents

December 1, 2016Bible, Get on your feet, Justice, OUR BEST POSTS, Poverty, Squalor, The Way of PeaceMatthew 25, Parable of the Talents, Poverty, Squalor, Stewardship, Talent, The Homeless BloggerWilliam Tell

(Originally posted 10/08/13.)

Matthew 25:

14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24 “Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

26 “But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’[”]

On the one hand, I don’t believe Jesus ever said these words. (Link) On the other hand, I firmly believe in the principles expressed, and will have occasion to refer to this text many times.
talk show host, on air talent, radio talk show, the homeless blogger >

* Changing what I want

November 12, 2016Get on your feet, Homelessness, Job search/Job prospects, Motivations, OUR BEST POSTS, The Way of PeaceChoosing desires, Choosing feelings, Choosing thoughts, Disappointment, Discipline, First things first, Free will, Self-love, Wants vs. needsWilliam Tell

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Last week I was turned away from the shelter three times: Sunday night, Wednesday night and Thursday night.

Under current conditions, to be sure I get a bunk, I must show up no later than 14:15. It’s not just a matter of being on time, but of getting near the front of the line. And that’s iffy in itself, given that there’s always a bum rush when the gate opens at 14:30.

Accordingly, I must wrap up my activities at church at 13:30 and leave out no later than 13:45. But the way my day goes, it’s normally 13:00 before I have opportunity to do anything for job search. That leaves me half an hour. Can’t do much in half an hour. It’s been a daily disappointment that I don’t even get off the e-mail to J___ M___, my contact at S&K.

What I want ain’t getting done. May be time to change what I want — Continue reading * Changing what I want →

* Light Inside: A Hallowe’en Message

October 27, 2016Bible, Get on your feet, OUR BEST POSTS, The Way of PeaceDiscipleship, Evangelism, Hallowe'en, Jack O'Lantern, Jesus, Nitzotz, Prayer, Presence, Samhein, The Homeless Blogger, TractWilliam Tell

(Below appears a tract I passed out with the Hallowe’en candy in 2007. “Chaos overwhelms the poor” describes that neighborhood. Originally posted here 10/26/13. Reblogged 10/31/24.)

Light Inside

Hallowe’en is the night before a Christian holiday. The name of the holiday is “All Saints’ Day.” Years ago, they called it “All Hallows’ Day,” and the night before, “All Hallows’ Evening.”

Continue reading * Light Inside: A Hallowe’en Message →

* Risk and faith

October 8, 2016Get on your feet, OUR BEST POSTS, The Way of PeaceAuras, Faith, Neediness, Power, Risk, Self-sabotage, Takers v. MakersWilliam Tell

12:30 Wednesday 2016-10-05

A learning opportunity that may seem trivial.

I’ve been pondering a lot lately why people, myself included, balk at owning their personal power. It has seemed to me that a major factor is fear of disappointment: owning personal power means a duty to take initiatives, to act on arbitrary decisions, and face the risk that what one hoped for may not obtain.

Yesterday morning when I turned my phone on, there were three voice mails, one from my invalid oldest brother and two from prospective employers wanting to set interviews. Given the way things are for me on Tuesdays, I was unable to return any of the calls. I wanted to do so today.

Continue reading * Risk and faith →