morning thoughts (the lost chronicle)

The sun will be up soonand the day will begin, I am asking myself agan, "who are you and what are you doing here?" It seems almost simple to answer as i walk through the brambles, the sharp thorns cutting my legs as i go. It even seems easy here, in the early morning at the kibbutz. But who are we really? what are we really doing here? why is it such a difficult question at home where things become practiced? what does it take to know no matter where you are or what you are doing. Sitting in the ancient bathouse on a toilet that is at least 1300 years old, the greek in me says, "hay this is pretty comfortable, i could use this." It makes me think however, how often do i get sucked in by that very kind of thinking. toilets aren't bad, if fact they are one of my favorite inventions. think of what life would be like in a city of a million people if there were no toilets. i know right. i also realize that the hellenistic way of life lead to where i was the toilet. Rome, because of its depraived society, was destroyed by farmers with sticks and rocks. it would be like if Uganda conquered the United States. i also see the difference in the world views and even now by looking at the ruins you can tell what they valued. in the jewish cities, you find large houses with many chambers extending off a common court yard, narrow roads, and every synagogue has a school. in the Roman cities you find all these decadent buildings, theaters, arenas, public spas, shopping centers. they have wide roads paved with cut stones and drains, and gymnasiums which you would attend naked because man is the measure of all things. In the Jewish ruins it is clear that family was the ceter, that they desired community above all else, and sometimes hundreds lived in the same house. In the Roman ruins self was the center, pleasure and finding what was right for you was what guided their liveseach having their own big house. as i am asking myself, i ask you to ask with me, what would my ruins tell the world? breakfast is starting but i will leave you with this, "big is the gate and wide is the road that leads to destruction, but narrow is the road that leads to life."

Tben

P.S. Brooke I still love you


this is the one that was lost