In a book I am reading it referenced research, done by those who study such things, that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a craft.  
10,000 hours of playing an instrument.  
10,000 hours of making furniture.  
10,000 hours of writing poetry.

All of which leads me to wonder about the other parts of our lives, as well.
What about becoming a compassionate person?
What about learning to treat others the way you would like to be treated so that treating others that way becomes “second nature?”
What about learning to pray well enough and deeply enough that it begins to influence our lives?
Does the same statistic hold true?
10,000 hours which translates into 2 hours per day for a little less than 14 years.

I think we all understand that it requires ongoing practice to master a craft or a skill related to our profession or a hobby which we enjoy.  We even understand that it requires ongoing practice to maintain that skill even once we have mastered it.  But, what about the practice required not just to do what we do, but to become the type of people that we say we want to be?  Thoughtful, respectful, prayerful, faithful, compassionate?  Are these “learned” skills, as well, requiring the same diligent attention as learning to play an instrument or to make a beautiful piece of furniture?

10,000 hours.
2 hours per day for the next 14 years.
I better get started.
 

I hardly know where to begin.
Like so many others I have been following the news about the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old young man who was shot walking home from a convenience store because he was black and happened to be wearing a hooded sweatshirt.  His death is senseless and heart breaking on so many levels.  

But it would be convenient (if that is the correct word) and an abdication of responsibility if the focus continues to be only on the tragic death of a young black man killed by an overzealous neighborhood watch person with a gun.  The very serious question which we need to discuss collectively is between the rights of citizens to own weapons and the right of a young man to walk home safely from the store.  Right now the rights of Mr. Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, are being protected.  The rights of Trayvon Martin (and how many others?) tragically are not.

Maybe the demonstrations that are taking place need to take place not in Sanford or not in New York City, but on the steps of state houses in Florida and New York and in every other state capital across the country, especially those states which have passed laws which permit any individual, whether they have received training or not or whether they are deemed competent or not, to carry a concealed handgun wherever they go. Not just Mr. Zimmerman, but legislators need to be held accountable for their decisions and their actions.

And, in the end…
Maybe all of us need to be held accountable for our part in allowing something like this to happen.

P.S. If you have not see it.  Here is a moving article by the Rev. Jacqueline Lewis, the Sr. Pastor at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City.  https://huff.to/GLOuzA

Here is the news article that got me thinking…
https://nyti.ms/A6yjKr

The truth is there is not much more for me to say other than, why?
Why do we continue to be so afraid of those who appear different or those who speak a different language or who come from a different country?  
The same slurs that were used against the Irish immigrants have been used against Italian immigrants and immigrants from Africa and are now being used against Hispanic immigrants.  Somewhere along the way, in the course of my academic studies, I learned that in ancient languages the word for stranger and the word for enemy was often the same word.  Is that still the case that stranger equals enemy? 

I continue to believe that the most important religious question facing us today is not about how we think about or imagine or talk about God.  It is not about homosexuality or marriage or birth control.  Is is about how we answer the question “Who is my neighbor?”  and, for those of us who take our place in religious traditions, how we help the communities in which we live answer that question.

It was a question that was asked of Jesus 2000 years ago.
And, he responded.
Yet, for some reason, we are still trying to figure out the answer.

Yesterday…
A day early…
I stood on the main street of our Village to watch a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The parade consisted of children and teachers from one of the local nursery schools. Many of children wore something green: green bows, green sweaters, green pants. They carried shamrocks which they had painted and wore green hats which they had made. They walked down to the end of the street and then turned and walked back while passers-by watched and clapped.
Standing next to me, also watching the parade, was a member of our local volunteer fire department.
His family’s background is Irish Catholic.
My family’s background includes Irish Protestant.
Yesterday, we stood side-by-side both clapping in support the children.

That would not have happened when I was a child.
I grew up just outside Pittsburgh, PA.
The immigrants who settled in that part of Pennsylvania were protestants from Scotland and Ireland, not the Irish Catholics who settled in Boston and New York.
Growing up I did not wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.  
If anything, I wore orange, the color worn by Irish protestants.

With all of the bad news in the news each day, we too easily overlook or forget the small, yet invaluable signs of hope that linger there for us to see.  
Forty years ago I would not have stood side-by-side with an Irish Catholic to watch and applaud a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Yesterday, I did.