The latest book I have read was entitled Nimitz class. It is a well written spy novel involving a successful mission to destroy a US aircraft carrier with over 6000 military personnel aboard. The mission was accomplished by a submarine belonging to an unknown nation firing an underwater missile carrying a nuclear weapon. Eventually the US tracks down the sub identifies it and destroys it, but never reveals the cause of the destruction of the aircraft carrier, nor does the US reveal the destruction of the sub. In the process of the book we also destroy three other similar subs belonging to a different nation. All very exciting and I enjoyed it immensely.

This disturbs me that as a person dedicated to non-violence in my personal life and as an instrument of national policy I found myself greatly enjoying this novel which glorifies the use of violence, military force, and covert operations. The novel is really a blatant piece of propaganda for the military, particularly advocating the expansion of the US Navy.

If this was exceptional it would not be so disturbing, but I know that I have enjoyed many other best sellers full of violence and was addicted to the last “24” series on TV. I couldn’t miss a single episode, video taping the shows we could not watch at the time they were broadcast. Jack Bauer’s unhesitant use of extreme violence, often deadly force, and total unwillingness to act within boundaries established to protect basic human rights is outrageous. The show also supports the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim attitude that continues to plague our country. Within the context of the show it is all justified by need to act outside the rules in order to combat extreme terrorist threats and corruption at the highest levels of government. I recognize that this show also is a piece of propaganda to justify extreme measures (i.e. the Patriot Act and beyond that) that threaten to turn our country into an oppressive totalitarian nation, instead of a democracy in which individual liberties are valued.

I have to ask myself what is in me that so enjoys reading about (and watching) the very violence that I reject on ethical grounds.

I also am very distressed because I am certain that the glorification of force and violence in literature, movies, television, and video games contributes to the growing violence in our society, and the growing willingness to act as a nation in violent and aggressive ways.

I find the news reports of the violence between Israel and Lebanon to be very disturbing. I understand that Israel has a right to defend itself, but the response to the kidnapping of their soldiers has been totally disproportionate, and of course their massive response has brought a heavy response from Hezbollah, and so the escalation continues. There needs to be restraint on both sides, and some reaching out to find reconciliation, or at least an agreement to live peacefully as enemies.

I remember cheering for Israel during the six days war, they were the underdog fighting for their very existence, but today I can see much more clearly the Palestinian's side and how they have been misused by Israel. The separation barrier has caused much suffering for the Palestinians, destroying their homes, separating them from their farmlands or olive groves or other opportunities for employment on the other side of the wall. How can we have cheered for the coming down of the wall between east and west Berlin and not see that this is the same issue.

A wall across the southern boarder of our country will not deal with our problems either. Robert Frost said "Something there is that doesn't like a wall, that sends the frozen ground swell under, scattering boulders in the sun."

I thought that the General Assembly peacemaking and international issues committee did a very good job in improving the resolution about the middle east that was passed by the 2004 Assembly, saying that we should use our investments and the leverage they give us with companies who provide materials to those on both sides of the conflict to work for peace, not to provide war materials. I tried to say this at the interfaith dinner last week to a Muslim who was very much a pro-Palestinian sympathizer, but all he could say was that we were cowards for backing off of our previously more one sided criticism for Israel. He wouldn't concede that there were two sides to the situation, all he could see was that the Palestinians were being done an injustice, and that justified anything they did against Israel.

As long as neither side is willing to consider the other's point of view the conflict will continue to escalate.

I asked yesterday what you have been reading, and would love to hear your answers before I go on vacation since we always make a trip to the bookstore before leaving for the beach.

Here is what I have been reading:
Non Fiction
I read both of Malcolm Gladwell’s new books, The Tipping Point and Blink. I found both fascinating and important books. For anyone trying to make changes in our society The Tipping Point should be required reading, paying close attention to the concepts of Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen.

I also read Jack Rogers’ (former moderator of the PCUSA) recent book Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality . He subtitles the book, “Explode the Myths, Heal the Church” and tries to speak to the whole of our Church on a very contentious issue. He talks about his own change of heart on the issue of same sex relationships and looks at the whole matter of Biblical interpretation before looking specifically at the dozen passages that seem to deal with same sex relationships.

Downtown by Pete Hamill. You will like it if you are interested in Urban History or New York City in particular. I found some parts more interesting than others.

Fiction: I have read all of these this spring and summer and recommend each one.
The Life of Pi
The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls (actually a memoir, not fiction, but it reads like a first person novel)
Me & Emma, by Elizabeth Flock
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Right now I am almost done with the latest novel by Fannie Flagg (Author of Fried Green Tomatoes which was made into a major movie). This one is entitled Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven. When Aunt Elmer has a conversation with God one of God’s revelations echoes the thesis of The Tipping Point. I don’t have the book here to give you an accurate quote but he says that the world is on the brink of a new age of peace. When the time is right for an idea, God says, change can come very quickly.

The Life of Pi is a coming of age, survival story rich in detail concerning animal behavior. I have seen it displayed as both Adult and Youth fiction, I enjoyed it.

The Glass Castle and Me & Emma are both stories of young girls suffering through terrible childhoods marked by extreme deprivation and abuse, both emotional and physical. The Glass Castle is a memoir while Me and Emma is fiction. Me and Emma has a surprising twist at the end. While for me it was unexpected when revealed it was not surprising, I had had passing thoughts about the possibility several times during reading it.

The Kite Runner has been out and on best sellers lists for some time. I thought it was set in present day Afghanistan and it seemed that I had read more than I wanted to about our invasion of that nation. Actually it ends before the American invasion, and provides a window into Afghan history. Although this is an important background and side benefit the reasons I became engrossed in the story have to do with excellent character development and complex and ironic relationships among the main characters. I am very glad I grabbed it in an Airport Bookstore waiting to come home from the General Assembly.

Yesterday was the first day of our new Farmer’s market at the Church and what a successful day it was. The state Agricultural department did a great job of publicizing the opening, they had distributed fliers in all of the state buildings near the Church, they had several workers from the department on hand including three in costumes as an ear of corn, a large carrot and a huge cucumber. The commissioner of the department made a purchase and posed with the costumed vegetatles. An astounding number of people came out to buy from the two farmers, and the farmers had a great variety of produce. Both had home made jams (the strawberry rhubarb from the organic farm was great). I bought fresh baby potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes, pickling size cucumbers and sugar snap peas. The one farmer who had corn sold every ear.

One farm is completely organic, the other is not certified, but claims to use minimum pesticides only on the crops most vulnerable to insect damage. It is all fresh and certified Connecticut grown. I haven’t cooked the peas yet, but tasted everything else and found it delicious

I took a load of pictures and put a number of them on the Church’s web site. http://www.firstpreshartford.org/farmer.htm

What good books have you been reading? You can click on comment below and send me your list (If you don’t have a blogspot account check anonymous to enter a comment, or just send me an email). I have read some very interesting things this summer, I’ll put together a list later in the week.

Every month as part of my report to the session I tell them how many home visits, how many hospital visits, how many one on one contacts I have made in the previous month and then report that I participated in so many (usually over two dozen) meetings, some more interesting than others.

One I went to this weekend was among the more interesting. There were two major Islamic conventions meeting in town over the weekend, the Islamic Circle of North America and the Muslim American Society. Kathleen was invited to attend the Interfaith Dinner and I attended as her guest. Kathleen’s invitation came from Dr. Reza Mansoor, a cardiac surgeon at Hartford Hospital and by Abdul, a summer student in her Clinical Pastoral Training program at the Hospital who is director of the Islamic ministries certificate program at Hartford Seminary. It turned out that the Master of Ceremonies was Dr. Ali Antar, a professor at Central Connecticut State University who I know through the Peace movement.

The main speakers were Heidi Hadsell, the Presbyterian President of Hartford Seminary, and Dr. Ingrid Mattson and Yeheskel Landau, both of whom are professors at the Seminary whom I have met on other occasions. All the speakers were interesting as they talked about Interfaith Understanding and the table conversation was interesting as well. Heidi challenged the group to go beyond talk and do something together to address the problems of our city. A committee will be carrying this idea forward; they seemed to be talking in terms of social service such as soup kitchens. No one mentioned that the Interfaith Coalition on Equity and Justice already embraced Christians, Jews and Muslims and was working on addressing the underlying causes of poverty and oppression in Hartford and the greater Hartford area.

I unilaterally declared Monday July 3 a staff holiday for our Office Manager and myself (the only staff who normally work on Monday) so Ruth could have a long weekend and I could have two days off in a row. We ate lobsters on Monday for a New England Fourth of July meal, and some wonderful smoked pork ribs for a southern Fourth celebration on Tuesday.

Saturday Kathleen and Alice Evans and I went to the Presbyterian Promise Board meeting in Waterford followed by a picnic at the home of Cheryl Molina, former PresPromise board co-Chair who lives on the Niantic River. Beautiful setting and good company!