frankly speaking: FOXY

Dear All Of Us,

Our local supermarket carries
the FOXY line of produce.
They also get pretty "foxy"
in their marketing of
all their other produce.

Now as you already know,
I am severely challenged
when it comes to math.
But even I figured my way free
of the "foxy"sign over
the bell peppers yesterday:

      TEN FOR $10.00

They actually are $1.00 each
whether you buy ten or not.
The sign suggests to
the hurried and harried consumer
that you get a savings
if you buy ten and that is not true.
What is true is that
they get "foxy" with the truth
in hopes of getting the shopper
to buy larger amounts that enlarge
their volume and profits.

                FOXY

Well, enough about
a numerically challenged senior citizen
and the perils of produce shopping
(and NO, I do not collect coupons
and keep other shoppers
on line for a full lunch hour
while I dole out those coupons
in multiples of many
at the checkout line.
How could anyone
think such a thing??!!).

OK, OK, please pardon the play
( but I did enjoy it!!).

Much more important is the way
all sorts today play with the truth,
get fraudulently "foxy" with it.
That undermines
the perception of reality
and all we base on that perception
is jeopardized.
That negatively impacts everything
from our spiritual life
to the integrity and stability
of our civilization.

Think of that new high rise
in San Francisco, the one
that is starting to tip over
because it has a faulty base.
A solid base is essential
for way more than buildings.
Truth is just that for us
individually and collectively -
a solid base.
Without it we collapse.
Finance, law, commerce, politics,
governance, religion, education,
environmental concerns, mental health,
getting along with your mother-in-law,
our very spiritual lives
and just about everything else stand or fall
depending on whether or not
they are based on

TRUTH

Truth is simply what actually is

   and is so.

It is reality.
Fudge it and we falter and then fall.
And such we are today as so many
in social media, hate groups, advertisers,
politicians, church and governmental leaders,
adversarial nations,
financial and commercial chiefs,
twist and tweet the truth into falsehood.
They fracture the truth into
"alternate facts" that are not at all factual
but do seek to alter the actual facts,
to alter truth itself,
rendering it baseless.
Such simply pulls the rug of reality out
from underneath our living,
individually and collectively.

It is in this context today that we seek
to live an authentic spiritual life
as individuals and as a people.
That calls for heaping portions of
clarity, honesty and courage
in truth seeking and saying.
It means being counter cultural,
and that costs in more than just money.
But what a return.

     * "The truth will make you free."
Jesus

(John 8:32)


* "That which is false troubles the heart,
   but truth brings joyous tranquility."
   Rumi

   (Sufi Mystic)


* "Truth: the body of...
real things, events and facts:
   Actuality"

   Merriam-Webster

          ( Truth is what is Real and Actual )



                     TRUTH

FREE
   TRANQUIL
REAL
                                     ACTUAL


WHAT A RETURN

A trajectory to the fullness of Truth
is mapped for us by
Bernard of Clairvaux,
medieval monk, mystic,
cartographer of the soul.
It is entitled

    "The Three Steps of Truth."

So, as truth sojourners and seekers,
let's pray and ponder over it.
Let's see how we can experience it
out here on the street
of everyday living.

* how will this movement,
   these steps to truth,
   be operative at home and at work,

* what lifestyle does it indicate,

* what earth care does it involve,

* how do we truly companion
   all with whom we share
   the road of daily life,

* how do we gather in
   for real, actual community,

* what spiritual attitudes and practices
   highlight the way forward in truth,

* what kind of
   "clarity, honesty and courage"
will it take to be counter cultural
and open the way til we all merge in

Honest Oneness

Actually

Really

TRULY





   THE THREE STEPS OF TRUTH


   Bernard of Clairvaux

These are the three steps of truth.
We climb to the first step by the toil of humility,
to the second by the deep feelings of compassion,
and to the third by the ecstasy of contemplation.

On the first step we experience the severity of truth,
on the second its tenderness,
on the third its purity.

Reason brings us to the first as we judge ourselves;
compassion brings us to the second
when we have mercy on others;
on the third the purity of truth sweeps us up
to the sight of things invisible."

   edited by M. Basil Pennington

What a masterful way to Truth.
May we all step up to it
and out fox the "foxys,"
those trying to trip up the truth.
We'll have great company
along the way with Jesus.
He knows all about

"...the way, the truth and the life."

              ( John 14:6 ).

   Holding All In
God's Dear Love,
   Truly So

   John Frank

*****

Many of us continue to share

"frankly speaking"

with others by word of mouth
and through social media.
It is a big help and
truly appreciated.

We are fortunate to have
new participants
joining us each week.
This week we are pleased
to have first time participation
from Nicaragua.
Your company is appreciated
and you are most welcome.
To get our drift here,
please do take a bit of time on

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

   and

CONSIDER YOUR SOURCE

right column

*****

   "frankly speaking"

spirituality for the street

* is posted each Friday at
johnfrankshares.blogspot.com
   ( bookmark for ease of access )

* is available automatically
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right column

* past postings available at
Blog Archive
   right column

   Thank You

****************************************************************************

Friday, March 22, 2019

FOXY