“Unless the seed dies”

Today I finally got around to putting bird food in the bird feeder. Although the snow is melting the bird feeder was an instant hit for the sparrows. It is looking like this weekend we might see some 50 degree weather but the prediction for next week is for more cold. We do have some sun, however,and with a heater I may be able to get some plants going in the sun room. If I seem eager for spring, I am. With the little fasting I am doing in Lent and the sun more often shinning, I am starting to feel more blessed. The “cloud of death” still hangs around but it is easier to face with sun and fasting.

My research efforts and my love of good quotes and history keep me always discovering something new in life and able to look deeper into the moment. But research, eternal quotes and history do not seem too popular these days. I have a number of persons rather than challenge my research, quotes and historical information just discard them, attack me sometimes and simply ignore the message.

Last semester a Marquette University graduate student did a five part multimedia presentation call Keeping the Faith: Bob Graf. The various segments by words, sound, music, pictures and video portray my efforts to follow my conscience from the days of the Milwaukee 14 till our efforts today to have Marquette Be Faith to the Gospel and End the Teaching of War and Killing on Campus. When I send it out to people I add this warning: do not make much of the messenger but listen to the message. I hesitate to share it since I do think people find that hard these days. The media and the messenger become the message and the message becomes ignored.

How do we communicate effectively in an age big on media and personality but low on message? I know some persons in key leadership position, even in the Catholic Church, are big on personality and using the media but very shadow in message. I am not naming names.

My guess is that a powerful message is like a seed; it must be buried first in the dirt and die before it can rise. How many want to be messengers with a message that is down and dirty and can mean death and suffering before new life is born. Avoiding conflicts seems to be the ‘norm’ we seek yet without creative conflicts there are conflicts of violence and separation.

President Obama and some of his allies announced today they are kicking Russia out of the Big Eight talks, when the most powerful countries come together to discuss economics and polices. They are doing this to punish Russia from accepting the vote of Crimea to rejoin Russia. The talks were to be held in Russia this year and now will in Brussels –without participation of Russia.

Now how in the world can this action by Western countries improve communications and cooperation with Russia? This reaction to something, some say would have eventually happened, will only lead to divide counties more and more. The way to communication and cooperation is communication and cooperation not isolation and division.

My son, David, endured an over seven hour surgery in hospital in Madison. His wife and my oldest grandson, Carson, were with him all day from 9am to 10pm. I,a worried Father, could only wait, pray and check my texts from my daughter-in-law. All is well and he is finally in a hospital room was the last text at 10pm.

To get well my son must suffer; for the seed to grow it must be buried and die; to struggle for the truth we must pay attention to the message over the messenger; to communicate and cooperate we must endure conflicts. As winter drags on the message is clear: struggle and suffering is the way to spring.

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