A strange sense of déjà vu has marked our last few days here in Switzerland, as summer colors explode into the reds, browns, and oranges of autumn, dusk comes more quickly, and crisp, fogy mornings bring keen reminders of the joy of sweaters, warm cups of tea, and a quilts made with love. Nearly a year exactly has passed since we arrived here in Europe, and as we make preparations to return to our homeland we’re engaging in a good process of reflection from a quaint Chalet overlooking the ‘Thunersee” (see above). A few of the thoughts…

What we came for…

In any chapter of life, most of us will attempt to hammer out a set of ‘stated objectives’–quantitative goals that give us some framework for communicating and measuring success. For Sarah and I a year ago, these where 1) volunteer in a non-profit setting, 2) develop our teamwork and vision, and 3) study language (French). As we look back on these carefully outlined objectives, there is a deep sense of…well, not accomplishment as much as progression. We have served this community hard, adopting their values, priorities, goals, and way of life. Our sense of teamwork and vision has definitely progressed–I can say with certainty that we enjoy each other more now than a year ago. The ‘foundation’ of our sense of vision feel much more fleshed out, as our core values, communication patterns, and commitment to each other has been greatly solidified. French: far from fluent, we’re functional. Thanks to my operational role in this community, my competency in discussing car engines, dishwashers, circuit breakers, and fire escape routes is crazy good.

Change…

The growth curve in year-one of a marriage is steep for anyone, right. The (slightly) ironic thing we’re finding, is that rather than changing into something different, we are becoming even more established in who we were all along. No doubt, there’s rough edges to sand down and some basic interpersonal patterns to work out, but at the end of this year, our feeling of ‘net change’ is that our core identity and strengths–together and individually–are what have developed the most.

Leaving a blessing…

As a kid, whenever we would leave someplace–a campsite, restaurant, or grandma’s house–my dad would reference some archaic (and equally sacred) Boy Scout motto about ‘leave no trace’ or leaving something in better condition than you found it. In the context of leaving Switzerland, I suppose it’s the people around us, here in Lausanne, who provide the most accurate measurement of our contribution to this community. For our part, we feel extremely grateful to those with whom we have been privilaged to live, work, and play in this past year. Thank you for opening your hearts and lives to us.

And thank you, dear reader, for offering your listening ear (eye), as we embrace this season of transition. We will continue to fill you in as our road unfolds before us.

Best,

Pete & Sarah Day

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”

Lincoln’s Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.

On this, the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the Obama/Lincoln comparisons are flying thick and fast. Newsweek devoted their November 24, 2008 cover story to the comparison. Unabashedly right-leaning Fox News published an article titled “What would Lincoln do?”, and from the inaugural train ride, his choice of Lincoln’s bible on which to take the oath of presidency, to oft used Lincoln-esk rhetoric Obama openly models himself after this truly “All American” hero.

To be sure, the similarities are striking. Both are men of simple means, both found their way to the US presidency through the ranks of Illinois  state legislature, both are gifted orators, both find themselves at the center of a heated discourse on race, and–most notably–both men find themselves at their nation’s helm in times of daunting crisis.

In my understanding of this American icon–think honesty, humility, hard work, straight talking, and a cool hat–perhaps Lincoln’s greatest asset was his ability to navigate change in times of times that demanded it. Upon a closer examination of Lincoln’ s views on relevant issues of his day–economy, race, social equality–one must note an evolution of thought doubtless influenced by, among other things, the dark circumstance of the Civil War–still America’s most costly military engagement in terms of lives lost. There appears to be a notable absence of entrenched, inflexible thought or ideology, and a ruthless objectivity in discerning bottom line issues and their solutions. In combination with his austere manner, an ability to listen well, keen emotional-intelligence, and a deft moral compass, Lincoln’s rare ability to weigh circumstances and information in order and determine the most beneficial course of action for the nation clearly set him apart. Then, as is certainly the case now, few decisions were clear, honest friends were (only slightly less) difficult to come by, and divided interests threatened to plunge the young union to its ruin.

How far can one really stretch these Obama/Lincoln comparisons? I’m not sure, nor do I care to find out. But here’s to Mr Obama, and his own ability to parse ambiguous circumstances and provide sound leadership through a sobering chapter in the story of our nation.

In an interview with Mother Earth News last year Roger Doiron, instigator of EatTheView.org and founder of its umbrella organization Kitchen Gardens International, spoke to his reasons for launching this campaign.

“It’s an old idea that I felt we needed to dust off and make new again. The White House has had food gardens at many different points and was even home to a herd of sheep in 1917 when President Wilson brought them in to replace the power mowers (see below). In February, I decided to put the idea back on the public agenda by posting it on the Web site OnDayOne.org where people are making different proposals for what the next president should do upon taking office.

I really believe in the symbolic power of the White House as “America’s House.” Productive home gardens made sense before, and they make sense again given the global challenges we’re against. Sure, there are other projects that could be showcased and perhaps should be showcased, but this is a good way to start because it’s an idea that a lot of people can embrace. Gardens aren’t red state or blue state, but cross over political, social and economic boundaries.”

At the risk of being pegged as a total hippie, I give mad props to Mr. Doiron and the EatTheView.org folk. In my mind the issues raised and recommended solution strikes at two highly pertinant topics in time. The EatTheView.org campaign speaks t0 an emphatically more far reaching discussion than home gardening and opens the door for dialogue about a much needed shift in mind-set from some quite harmful draconian, self-indulged, excess or consumer oriented ways of thinking (and living) to some ways of living that are far more healthy, peaceful, fulfilling, and better for our children. Not to mention that whatever part of me appreciates whitty prose and impassioned theater loves the sheer irony and deep symbolism behind the suggestion of a simple vegitable garden on the doorstep of an international icon of unrelenting unilateral influence.

The solution offered–plant a garden–is empowering in its very nature. Unlike so many other global issues facing our society, such as climate change, human trafficking, or accountability in government, growing some veg for yourself is a very tangible, accessible action step available to anyone with so much as a flower pot at their dispossal. As the realities of economic recession begin to sink in and American’s are tightening their belts–not so unlike embattled 1940′s America– it’s these small, timely movements promoting sybolism and empowerment that can help to generate the kind of solidarity and creative thinking we’ll need to weather the storm.

::The Onion:: January 27, 2009 | Issue 45•05

A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies.  On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s road side–that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highways.

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar, it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs re-structuring.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Riverside Church, NY, April 4, 1967

Perched atop the baked-clay roof tiles of our (temporary) residence–a 14th Century villa operated by JEM St Paul-Trios Chateaux –watching the sun set over the Rhône River valley, I couldn’t help but notice these twin towers (see above) framed against the firey skyline. My curiosity was perked to do a little research on these neighboring giants.

A ten-or-so minute internet search yielded a fascinating Front Line article entitled Why the French Love Nuclear Energy (pub.2007), some info on EU emissions targets (8% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012…sweet), and a handful of blogs and websites generally bashing each other over the head with gobs of numbers supporting their side of the pros/cons of nuclear energy discussion.

I have two questions regarding the development of nuclear power as a viable source of clean, sustainable energy.

1. Functionality vs. History. History show that too often, popular thought goes something like “If it gets the job done now, it acceptable. Period.” There’s no question that nuclear energy outperforms (at least on paper) fossil fuel alternatives by nearly every measure. Does what we do know about its benefits outweigh what we don’t yet know about long-term costs? I honestly don’t know, but based on what information I am aware of this appears to be a tough call from any angle.

2. Taking Ownership. It seems to me that our consumption issues are unavoidably situated at the root of our forcasted global energy crisis. Regardless of your preferred method of energy production, I believe this is a vital element of any potential solution. Though the jury is still out on this particular case, Germany is making valiant efforts (even Hillary thinks so) to connect-the-dots between energy efficiency/sustainability and the end consumer with massive subsides and tax exemptions for private solar-pannel instillation,  commercial wind-power development, and bio fuel ‘blending’ costs. It seems to me that on a societal level, any physical movement toward energy efficiency must be made hand-in-hand with an increased sense ownership–individially and as a community–of both the problem and the solution.

These are a few of my thoughts, and I’m eager to follow this topic in greater depth as I recognize its ever increasing relevance and the potential (“… “) for some big changes to come from the White House in the near future. Your thoughts?

A couple days after taking the above shot, I happened to pick up a book called “The Starfish and the Spider–The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations”, by Ori Brafman & Rod Beckstrom. Their premise is essentially that highly centralized organizations relying on top-down decision making are often far less effective at enacting social change than more decentralized organizations or networks which rely heavily on the involvement and ideological ownership of its members. In their own words,

“If you cut off a spider’s head, it dies; but if you cut off a starfish’s leg, it grows a new one, and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Traditional top-down organizations are like spiders, but now starfish organizations are changing the face of business in the world.”

Brafman & Beckstrom build their case around the ‘starfish-like’ examples of Wikipedia, Al Qaeda, Skype, music share-ware that introduced the demise of the “big 6″ record labels in the US, and the abolitionist movement. In each case, a culture is created around a particular issue (i.e. slavery, religious jihad, file sharing, freedom of information, etc) which gains momentum through efforts of its memberships until it reaches a critical mass or ‘tipping point’ when it becomes a culturally acceptable norm. What this book may lack in authorship it makes up in the merit of its central idea: decentralized organizations are vital to the establishment of lasting social change.

So what’s the connection between anti-capitalist graffiti and starfish? I’m not quite sure. But what I do see around me–framed by a global recession– is a culture of over-consumption, greed, excess, and selfishness that may be in need of a few less spiders and a few more starfish…if you know what I mean. Around the globe working class men, women, and families are holding their breath, waiting to see what new stimulus package, bailout plan, or tax exemptions their governments will roll out to ease ‘the pinch’. I suppose these are necessarily pieces of the solution that can and should be administered, but are hardly a long-term fix for the corrosive values that have propelled us into recession.

In the long-run, I’m convinced that each of us shares a certain responsibility not only for being aware and informed about the norms shaping our societies but also active in living/speaking out in such a way that denounces the unhealthy values and endorses bold, creative alternatives. This is a time and season, a window of opportunity, in which ‘alternatives’ are the order of the day. Humor me for a minute: What if values like generosity, hospitality, simplicity, vision, healthy living, and hope where adopted and administered by an ever-increasing fraction of our western society? What would it take to get this ball rolling? Instead of being tossed around by circumstances shaped by morally void values, it seems to me that individuals and communities should be able to decide on a set of common values and act on them in such a way that they are repositioned from victims to influencers in their society. Pretty wild, hu.

So thank you rebellious, disenfranchised, jobless, Mohawk wearing, ganja smoking young anti-capitalist. You’ve encouraged me to look a little farther outside the box…

Happy holidays to you friends, family, and fans!

Today I’m writing you from the sleepy little village of Montricher, about 30k West of Lausanne, where Sarah and I are spending the better part of our Christmas vacation. Some friends graciously offered us the use of their cozy little apartment while they are out of town. We welcomed the brief window in which to get away from Lausanne ville, YWAM base life, and do some ’08 reflecting and ’09 dreaming.

In my mind Montricher is representative of so many fast-disappearing places around the world…quaint, rural, simple, and sometimes a little backward. From what I’ve gathered the population of 739 is employed fairly evenly between the agriculture industry (that means cows here), and the City of Montricher. In fact our host. Eric, is himself employed as a forester on the wooded hillside into which the town is tucked. Forestry here in Switzerland is no joke, as the job description falls somewhere between that of a lumberjack, park ranger, game warden, firefighter, tour guide, gardener, and Boy Scout troop leader.

Daniel, Sarah’s brother, joined us in Stuttgart (Germany) for a Christmas celebration with the Duerr Family and returned with us to Montricher, from which we’ve been making periodic excursions to Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, and the surrounding countryside.

<!–[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]–> “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
Nelson Mandela

How do you feel when you’re around self-assured individuals? Often I find there is a sort of contagious confidence or security exuded by such people…a sort of unspoken permission to relax, throw pretense to the wind, and be yourself.

A recent lecture on “Multiculturalism” started me thinking on this topic. Bráulia Riberio–a Brazilian missionary–shared her recent revelation that shifting her focus from pioneering new projects and initiative in the Amazon interior to empowering locals, the work was accomplished far more effectively. With basic training and resources, the tribes with whom she had established relationship were far more effective than herself in navigating treacherous jungles and administering projects in remote villages. This is Global Development 101, right.

On a personal level, in my lifetime I hope to have an impact more far reaching than the limited work of my own two hands (and I do work these hands hard) or the finite number of opportunities I will have to directly administer change. With each passing year of my young life I become more deeply convinced of two things: First, I’m amazed at how much (potential) influence I wield–both by the coincidence of my nationality, race, opportunities, and gender, and by virtue of my unique personality, design, and giftings. Second, I’m humbled by my own frailty and limitations…and I say this not as a fearful cynic, but as a healthy young person with big dreams and a full bag of tools.

We hear the term ‘legacy’ thrown around a lot. Cliches aside, leaving a legacy is significant because it refers to the ability to influence future generations outside the reach of one’s physical lifespan. See Alfred Nobel.

What does ‘empowering’ look like as a lifestyle? I will not attempt to answer this question now, but it’s worth noting that I’ve had little success encouraging anyone out of my personal insecurity, judgment, and defensiveness. There’s some basic level of self confidence necessary, and a developed ability to recognize and call out people’s strengths and potential before their shortcomings.

In the context of family, community, societies, or generations this idea of an ‘empowering’ lifestyle is really exciting to me. The great leaders in history have been men and women confident in their identity, tenacious in their pursuit of dreams,  passionate in their communication, and generous in their commitment to empower those around them.

**Or as the honorable Dave T. says.. “Great men and women know themselves; they are tenacious in their pursuit of truth and justice, they are passionate in their hearts and speak and write clearly, and they are committed to what is best for those around them. “…thanks Dave.

Your thoughts? Have you experience ‘empowerment’ from a different angle? What does the lifestyle look like?