Walter Cronkite

" And that's the way it is."

Warmth and respect flood America's emotions with news of Walter Cronkite's passing yesterday.

For decades he held the unsought title of "The most trusted man in America."

CBS evening news anchor for many years, Uncle Walter's integrity, humility, and affable manner endeared him to a nation. He set a high journalism standard, pretty much forgotten today - except for a few media such as The Chrsitian Science Monitor.

(OK, I'm prejudiced -- but the Monitor is one of the few remaining media that speaks with integrity and caring.)

Cronkite is a legend, an icon, a father-figure. He will be missed.

How many shades of green in infinity?

A busy stream in Vancouver's rain forest

Are there an infininte number of shades of green?

Joan and I took a before-dinner walk in West Vancouver’s “Canyon.”

The trail begins in the city, and works its way into rain forest. No kidding. A soggy, damp and most beautiful rain forest. Stumps, trees, branches – become a fashion show for as many shades of green as possible. Moss and/or lichens cover everything in jade. Just for variety, one forested hillside is layered with dark ivy. Another with bright ferns. The trail is natural mulch.

Everything is green! Everything.

There had been a recent heavy storm. Already cleanup crews had cut newly fallen logs and pulled them from the path. Washed out paths had warning tape across them, with signs pointing to hastily constructed detours.

We met lots of people – many walking, or running, with their dogs. Dogs are so good-natured, thrilled to be invited to go anywhere their people are going.

After a couple of hours, Joan answered my unasked question, “Yes, there is a purpose to this walk. Only a little further.”

Hidden between the mountains and the rainforest -- Capilano Dam. Vancouver’s water supply.

Off to the east pine-covered mountains perched patiently under low clouds. You had the feeling their tops were in the sunshine.

At eye level, hikers leaned on the railings to view the cataract that plunged magnificently, apparently from beneath our very feet.

Mist rises from beneath our very feet

The dam is manmade, and serves its purpose well. But the magnificent mountains, the incredible rain forest, even the "idea" for a dam to store drinking water. These things make us ask with the psalmist, “What is man that You even take notice of him?”

Listening, not judging

My friend, Kathy, teaches classes for business people to learn to communicate effectively. She has been learning to listen for inspired ideas, to let God as Mind help her prepare for the classes.

In each class there is usually somebody who isn’t happy about having to be there. And she finds it tempting to make a quick judgment about this type of person as a “loud mouth,” a “bully,” or “anti social.”

When this happens, she finds herself spending way too much time fretting about these annoying personalities. Eventually she reminds herself that these classes belong to God. That He/She brings the people who are to be blessed.

The interesting thing is that the difficult people always come around to understand how they can be part of the solution in their companies, instead of being part of the problem.

And my friend has realized that God as Truth hasn’t given her the responsibility of judging His/Her children. She has watched time and again as these men and women begin to take an honest look at how their behavior and language affects others; she has seen softening and a willingness to change replace harshness and anger. She knows she doesn’t cause these changes.

She has come to realize that God as Truth doesn’t burden her with a responsibility to spend her time judging people and then having to worry about them. Her job is to provide an atmosphere that allows people to feel safe among their colleagues. And she has found that she can trust God to reveal the good that is inherently within them.

Assuming responsibilities God hasn’t given us, makes us feel uncomfortable, and then we wonder why. That’s the time to really listen for what the Bible refers to as that “still small voice” of Truth.

I’ve found that God does care, and is very helpful – if we really want to know what to do next and the best way to do it. And – oh yes, this is a big one – if we are willing to completely drop our own preconceptions about how and what we should be doing. Then we are ready to listen.

Real humility knows no limits

Humility. It’s not what most people think -- that if you are meek, people will take advantage of you. Whatever else that is, that is not humility.

Genuine humility has been better described as knowing you really need to lean on God if you are going to get the job done.

Here’s the story of a man who sacrificed his schooling as a boy by working in the fields to help his family. As a result, he never learned to read.

Now, he has found the humility at age 70 to return to school where, as a beloved member of his first grade class, yes, he is learning to read.




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