THE PIZZAONIAN: December 2015

« November 2015 | Main | January 2016 »

12/21/2015

Reflections on Christian "Mercy" - illusion or reality?

The following is offered by Brother Franco

Reflecting on the obvious

Sooner or later, a person of faith must deal with the subject of mercy. It is inevitable. If one is capable of even the slightest introspection, it has to occur to you that there are certain faults that you simply will not let go. And yes, I know we try, but we still fall short. As a result, we remain incomplete and unable to become a truly holy person. Perhaps the Saints are immune from this, but the rest of us are not. As believers, sooner or later, we will need a merciful, forgiving God to allow us to enter the fullness of consciousness.

Mercy is a word that is easy to comprehend intellectually, however to grasp it emotionally from a Christian perspective is very difficult. For one it requires humility. And if we are capable of humility, we would probably not need mercy to begin with. Since that’s not the case, for most of us, how does the concept of mercy apply to us individually?

At first glance, it seems that it really shouldn’t be all that difficult. And in general it is not. However, when you consider mercy from a Christian perspective, particularly the type of mercy that Jesus refers to constantly in the New Testament, you begin to run into serious difficulty.

We hear the adage all the time, “if you’re to receive mercy you must first be merciful.” It sounds simple as an abstract concept but think about what it really means. From a Christian outlook, mercy means mercy to “everyone,” including those who may have offended you or hurt you grievously. That’s the one that gets most of us. To be able to forgive those that have hurt us deeply defines the true Christian from the rest of us.

And if you take it from the perspective of Jesus, that means even those who may choose to torture and kill you.

This sometimes seems so obvious it needs little discussion. Unfortunately, that is exactly the point. The moment of truth may never come for most of us. We will have to be content with the hope that we live up to what is expected of us.

In the meanwhile, we can practice every day by forgiving the little things that people do to us frequently. Maybe mercy is a spiritual muscle that gets stronger each time we forgive those we love as well as the strangers who may offend us in small ways. Perhaps, how we forgive little things may give us some insight on how we might do if we are truly tested. How are you doing?

Brother Franco

Follow us on Twitter

We also recommend GIOVANNIANDFRANCO.COM

Posted at 11:32 AM in FAITH, LIFE, Religion, STUFF | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Christ, Christian, faith, forgiveness, humulity, Jesus, love, mercy

12/16/2015

Hatchet Man - somebody has to do it and I am very good at it

Looking out the window I noticed the sky had grown cloudy. This seemed to make matters worse. It had not been a good day. Working as an undercover hatchet man for a major corporation was not an easy job. Most people would consider what I do as the dirtiest job in the world. Maybe it is, but for better or worse it is my job. And, I am very good at it.

There was a time not too long ago when people like me were not needed. That was a simple world where double dealing, and the double cross was not complicated. Everybody knew who the local son of bitch was and that made their lives easier.

Now it is not so easy. Not only do our employees not know what I do or who I really am, some of them actually consider me their friend. By now, you are asking yourself how can I do this. Easy – most of us migrate to what we are very good at and get well paid for – and as I said before, I am very good at this.

Sooner or later comes the day for each of us when there is no tomorrow. Well my job is to make sure there is no tomorrow for some of our employees. Don’t fret too much over this – most of them deserve it. The rest are borderline cases, and for them that is unfortunate. I might make a mistake once in a while, but it is very unlikely – as I said, I am very good at this.

Today I am attending a finance committee meeting. Two of the members are my targets. I should point out that I am also a member of this committee. It seems obvious to my superiors that my subjects have been misusing funds. Mind you, not in a criminal way, just enough to be costing the company some serious money.

We learned a long-time age that outright accusation was a messing process that often led to law suits. You know how that can be. So if I can determine today what we suspect, there will be a reduction in force announcement in the next few days. And guess who will be reduced. You know, budget considerations and that sort of thing.

How is this for irony? I have been invited to lunch after the meeting by guess who. You got it. What a strange job this is, but as I said I am very good at it.

Well, the meeting is about to start. I have to go. As I said before you just never know if someone like me works for your company. I understand that there are quite a few of us around. Who knows - maybe you and I might know each other.

Brother Pio

Brother Pio is a pseudonym to protect the identity of the “Hatchet Man.”

Posted at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: consider, employee, friend, good, hatchet, man, migrate, paid, paid, sky

12/14/2015

To be or not to be? Your choice, maybe

We are bombarded by supposedly knowing gurus on how to live the good life. How or why they should know more than I know is a nagging question that I always ask.

Nevertheless, they have a platform, and I do not. That gives them a decided edge by today’s standards in the creditability column.

They all seem to have a secret on how to unlock your inner self. That has always confused me since I am still struggling with trying to unlock my outer self. One thing gurus all have in common is the notion that you have a destiny. Realize your destiny and suddenly the heavens respond to you, and your life becomes a huge success.

I wonder if that is what Adolph Hitler thought? Forgive my cynicism but we do have to be careful that this destiny approach is nothing more than our egos looking for a way to indulge our wildest desires. Many an despotic egomaniac has been let out of the cage because they were convinced the call of destiny was being heard.

I am sure most of us would like to believe that destiny has picked a special place in history for us to fulfill. It is very comforting in this veil of tears to believe that some noble purpose is tying to make sense of this chaos called life. But what if it isn’t, and how do we know the difference?

The answer does not come easy. It is our intent to explore these questions. What we promise not to do is offer a Pollyanna solution that always gives you the answer, but leaves out the process on how to find your way.

What I believe I know is this: You have to act to learn. You have to take time from action to analyze what you have learned. You have to develop a level of humility that allows change to take place - all easily said and hard to achieve. This will be our journey. Is there an answer? Let’ see if we can find out.

Brother Giovanni for “The Pizzaonian” a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network.

Posted at 03:58 PM in ART, CREATIVITY, FAITH, LIFE, RELATIONSHIPS, Religion, STUFF | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: "The Pizzaonian", brother giovanni, destiny, ego, existentialism, faith, free, fulfillment, life, new, oprah syndrome, search, self, success, truth

12/10/2015

"Boots of the ground and limited war" Where the few pay the price for the many

December 7 remembers the anniversary of an event that changed the course of the world forever. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the United States declared war on Germany and Japan the next day, life for everyone who is alive today was influenced by that event.

The idea of a whole world at war is an alien concept today. Now the destructive military power of the world’s nations is so great that world wars are no longer considered a viable solution. Unfortunately, what we put in its place is the current concept of limited war.

It seems a major difference between a world at war, and limited war is simply allowing those who wear the uniform the privilege of suffering and dying more slowly over a longer period of time.

When you have an all-volunteer army where this burden is carried by the few rather than the many it is very easy for the rest of us to allow military adventurism to exist.

One thing that marked World War II was the people of the United States virtually all sacrificed, if not always equally, certainly to some extent. Everyone paid a price for the cost of the war and our final victory.

Today we choose have the burden of war carried by the selective few. The concept of a volunteer army has literally removed most Americans from the reality of war. “Limited wars” allow you to do that.

Today when we speak of war, for most of our citizens, it is an abstract concept that usually means someone else’s sons and daughters will go do the fighting and dying. How easy it is to engage in war when you do not have to pay the price.

One way our society compensates for this is by making sure we “honor our veterans.” Thank God we do, but there are times when it seems to me this “sloganeering” of praise for those who wear the uniform is a way of massaging our guilt for not sharing in the life-and-death reality of what war really is.

There is not much hope this will change soon. We are all too ready to let someone else fight and die for us. So the next time you hear some of our political leaders calling for more “boots on the ground” - think twice and remember the cost the very few pay while the rest of us continue with our normal lives.

Brother Giovanni

Posted at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: 1941, army, concept, leaders, limited war, political, price, volunteer, war, world war, world war

12/09/2015

Brother Giovanni's Journal - observations from a Pizzaonian cave dweller

Site of the Pizzaonian Spelunker's cave site, Pizzaonia

BROTHER GIOVANNI’S JOURNAL……………..

Today’s observations are from a revered Pizzaonian, the Pizzaonian spelunker. I will admit that observations of your modern world from an ancient cave dweller might no longer seem relevant. However, as the Spelunker said, “What difference does it make since the world they live in is equally irrelevant.”

With that in mind I said to the Spelunker, “why not?” - enjoy!

Brother Giovanni

…………………………………………

While meditating in my cave the other day these thoughts about your world occurred to me. I would like to share them with you.

Most people now live in a world where never has so much been written or said about so little – spoken words, no matter how elegant, are merely sounds, unless they bring some meaning - it is the difference between feasting on potato chips or real food.

The information you receive today is now so subversive and ubiquitous that you have little time to stop and figure out what is being said or seen with any conscious intent. And, much of what you hear and see is expertly delivered and intended to influence and motivate you to act according to the motives of the messenger. I wonder if you still have a conscious choice, or are you merely a puppet on a string.

You are hopelessly addicted to noise and activity. It is why you have become so susceptible to being influenced by anyone with the resources and aim to do so. Donald Trump is an obvious example.

If you are not sure this is true try this: Spend one week away from all sources of information other than a good book of your choosing - a book that you would not normally read. At the end of the week see if there is a difference in the way you feel. You might be amazed. (For those with the courage to do so, a cave of your choice is an excellent location for this experiment.)

One caveat: This is not for everyone. If you have been infected by the now endemic information virus known as “musthavi informationi”* do not try the above. It could be very dangerous. It is possible that you could return to normal consciousness by being exposed to very small doses of silence carried out over a period of time. However, we must emphasize that nothing should be done until you have consulted with your doctor.

If you ever portalize to Pizzaonia, stop by the cave and say hello. Please leave your smart phones and tablets at home!

The Pizzaonian Spelunker

* “Musthavi informationi” is not a recognized disease by the American Medical Association

*These remarks are the exclusive opinion of the Pizzaonian Spelunker and do not reflect in any way the opinions of the Pizzaonian Monasteries

Posted at 10:35 PM in CREATIVITY, Current Affairs, Journalism, LIFE, politics, STUFF | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: addiction, brother giovanni, communication, free, google, life, noise, pizzaonian spelunker, pizzaonian.com, reality, twitter, world

12/08/2015

The United States in decline? It might be just what we need to reclaim our glory.

Just imagine the United States becoming a participating partner in world affairs rather than its most dominant player.

What if we lost our vision of empire and concentrated on what we can be in the world - a powerful and influential partner, rather than the ruler. How much easier it would be on all of us.

This so-called decline period as stated repeatedly by our Republican presidential candidates could be the opportunity to restore our greatness with a new, dynamic model.

We could become not only the beacon of democracy; we could be the ideal of what greatness can be in the brand new, emerging world.

Now that is something to look forward to.

Brother Giovanni

*President Thomas Jefferson extended Washington's ideas in his March 4, 1801 inaugural address: "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.

Follow us on Twitter

Posted at 11:48 AM in Current Affairs, politics, STUFF | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: election2016, empire, History, life, politics, President, Thomas Jefferson, United States

12/05/2015

Climate change revisited - pending tragedy or hoax? The solution needs to come soon.

Pizzaonian National Flag, courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator

An idea revistied from September 2012 - How things seldom change - and the beat goes on and on - this time from Paris --

One of the most amazing things I encountered on my recent portalization to the United States was the total indifference to climate change. You would think when you consider the dire consequences of what climate change could bring about, it might get more attention.

Each day you read or hear about the beginning of significant environmental changes that could have dire effects. Is anything done about it? Instead, it becomes another wedge that the polarized political factions, now endemic in this country, use as a weapon against each other.

The most bizarre aspect of what seems to be happening in the world's greatest democracy is that events seem to have transcended anyone’s ability to do anything about them.

Is a country on the decline when its leaders value having power more than using that power for the common good? When you have to use your power, for the general welfare, you have to risk the possibility of losing it, something pedestrian politicians are loath to do.

Of course, climate change is bigger than any one country; however, the United States with it unique status is still in a position to lead and probably have the rest of the world follow, even if reluctantly. While our leaders seem ready to lead, industry continues to drag its feet.

They say that events produce the great leaders who are needed to solve the problems of their time. Can we say that about this time? The answer remains in question. Naysayers will say they have had times like this before and this in not new. Are they right?

It seems that each generation should carefully evaluate what is simply a variation of a theme or is, in reality, a new event without precedence. Our survival may be depend on knowing the difference.

The question remains: Does the United States have the political leaders with the courage to lead? Or have they bred a system that corrupts its exceptional leaders early in their political careers simply to stay in power? If so, the future for the people of this world indeed looks grim.

Sister Veronica, commenting from the United States for the “The Pizzaonian”, a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network.

Posted at 12:43 PM in Current Affairs, LIFE, politics, STUFF | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: climate, climate change, courage, disaster, elections, good, leadership, life, pizzaonia, pizzaonian, politics, science, sister veronica, weather

12/01/2015

"Just imagine where your economy would be if you only bought what you needed."

Brother Giovanni’s Journal - Conjectures of a recovering dilettante

Our Readers Forum

The following editorial opinion is from one of our readers, Brother Pio, a portalized American who maintains a keen interest in American politics.

Please note: All letters are published as received with no editing. All opinions expressed are those of the writer and may or may not reflect the editorial opinion of “The Pizzaonian.”

“Fowling our nest and other such stuff”

Are spirituall values and the need to continue to grow an economy mutually exclusive?

Maybe it’s time we all start to face an essential fact about spiritual values and free enterprise. No, I’m not a socialist or coming from the left; I'm just trying to think through a problem that seems to me that is becoming more obvious with each passing generation.

Let’s start with one basic fact - free enterprise or capitalism as we know it in your Western democracies depends on growth. Growth means new customers with money in their pockets so the economy can keep expanding. It has always been assumed that economic growth is never-ending – no matter how much we grow, no matter how far you go; you will always be able to accommodate it, assimilate it and materially prosper from its continuing market creation.

Well has anyone looked around lately and seen what your expanding growth has done to the world both politically and environmentally. There does seem to be some conflict being caused by this never-ending growth. Maybe it’s time you figured out what’s wrong.

I was listening the other day to a conversation about spiritual values and how they create a better and more fulfilled life when you are able to accommodate these values into your belief system. One thing about spiritual values is they are very conservative in their nature, at least in terms of how they expect frugality from those who incorporate them as part of their lifestyles.

The only excess that seems to be part of most spiritual value systems is in asking you to love your neighbor and respect your environment. This does not always mean spending money on products that you don’t need or want. How do you reconcile these conflicting belief systems?

Just imagine where your economy would be if you only bought what you needed. It would just be a matter of time until you would all be sleeping underneath a freeway.

Maybe it is time for all of us who hold our spiritual values in high esteem to take a second look on how that plays out within the demands of a free market's need for continuing expansion. How do we continue to expand the economy without endangering the culture the economy depends on for its continued prosperity?

Again, to be clear, free enterprise is in our opinion absolutely necessary for a democracy. Granted, there is nothing democratic about an unregulated free economy. However, your politics usually take care of that. What bothers us as we said in the beginning is your need to expand and grow the economy without taking into account how to deal with the deleterious effects of that expansion.

Are not many of the western democracies like families who live and spend way beyond their means both economically and environmentally - without a penny held in reserve for the likely day of reckoning?

We all need to get serious about what we believe and reconcile the obvious inconsistencies in our value systems before the havoc this causes become irreversible. What else is new? People have been saying this since we came out of the caves. Only catastrophe gets our attention. Too bad, it really does not need to be this way.

Brother Pio