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<div>Thanks John for your reflection on the times, insightful and disturbing! I'd sum it all up with what we used to say fairly frequently to one another and the world: "Trust the Mystery and Build the Earth!". Trust the overall evolution of life and work like Hell till your dying day!</div>
<div>Grace and peace,</div>
<div>Carl(eton) Stock</div>
<div>St. Louis, MO</div>
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<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: John C via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net><br>
To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net><br>
Cc: John C <jpc2025@outlook.com><br>
Sent: Wed, Aug 28, 2019 6:50 pm<br>
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Spirit of the 20's<br>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal">Thanks, Ellie.</div>
<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal">John and Lynda Cock</div>
<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"> </div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">From: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">Dialogue <dialogue-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of Ellie Stock via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net><br clear="none">
<b>Reply-To: </b>Colleague Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net><br clear="none">
<b>Date: </b>Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 6:09 PM<br clear="none">
<b>To: </b>"oe@lists.wedgeblade.net" <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net>, "oe@wedgeblade.net" <oe@wedgeblade.net>, "dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net" <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net><br clear="none">
<b>Cc: </b>"Elliestock@aol.com" <elliestock@aol.com><br clear="none">
<b>Subject: </b>Re: [Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Spirit of the 20's</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Hi John,</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Thanks for this thoughtful piece--still pondering...</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We continue to work with many others at the local level in our communities, and local, regional, national, and global levels through the church and other NGOS, specifically
on issues related to the environment, racial justice/white privilege, immigration, root causes of poverty/hunger, indigenous rights--trying connect as many dots/movements as possible--hoping and trusting that all such work from every corner of the globe will
eventually create a groundswell of action and change.</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes, it is just overwhelming. My mantra is to work toward the vision of what needs to be, rather than focusing on being against whatever/whomever we don't
like. Not always easy. It just may take millions of people to take to the streets to change the tide, before it is too late--for us, our grandchildren or to the seventh generation.</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Looking forward to reading responses from folks.</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ellie Stock :)</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">elliestock@aol.com </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br clear="none">
From: John Epps via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net><br clear="none">
To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe@wedgeblade.net><br clear="none">
Cc: John Epps <jlepps39@gmail.com><br clear="none">
Sent: Wed, Aug 28, 2019 4:36 pm<br clear="none">
Subject: [Oe List ...] Spirit of the 20's</span></div>
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<div align="center" class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 106%;"><b><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 14pt;">The Spirit of the 20’s<br clear="none">
</span></b><i><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 10pt;">John Epps, August 2019</span></i><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">The categories for determining the spirit of a decade supposedly come from Kierkegaard: An External Situation creates an
Internal Crisis which raises an Existential Question from which we try to Escape. I’ve used them in trying to assess the situation since the 60’s. Here we go again:</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><b><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">The Prevailing Spirit:</span></b><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;"><br clear="none">
Our External Situation is best characterized as one of <b>THREAT</b>. Economically, health care costs are rising astronomically, the move away from fossil fuels and the trade war with China have put markets in turmoil and talk of recession is in the air. Politically,
we have cut off alliances and find Russia, N. Korea, and Iran all upgrading their nuclear capabilities. USA Congress seems unable to act. Culturally, we are besieged with increased numbers of immigrants and mass shootings now appear commonplace. And encompassing
all this chaos is the Earth’s environment which appears to be undergoing dangerous changes due to global warming.</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">All this has generated or contributed to an Internal Crisis of
<b>FEAR</b>. We increasingly fear those who differ from us, whether by race, gender identification, nationality, or ideology. Everything different seems a threat, and we fear the changes already in progress. Compromise seems weak, and we’re increasingly in
a black or white situation: agree or fight. </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">The Existential Question in this situation is
<b>HOW CAN WE SURVIVE?</b> With the environment collapsing and threats at every turn, what can we do? Problems seem too big to tackle, and local action, while effective, remains local while the issues are larger. Institutions we developed to address larger
issues appear paralyzed: CONGRESS, UN, NATO, NAFTA, ASEAN, Treaties with Iran and the Paris Accords for Climate all appear ineffective in providing remedies. Attempts to inact gun control legislation, despite agreement from both parties, cannot move through
Congress. </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">We Escape through
<b>BLAMESTORMING</b>; we look for scapegoats for each issue, then cast them as enemies toward which hatred is the only suitable relation. We demonize NRA, GOP, “Moscow Mitch,” Trump, Kim, Putin, Refugees, Democrats, Immigrants, Socialists, and many others.
Extreme hostility takes the guise of radical nationalism attempting to band “us” against “them” or in too many cases, mass shootings aimed at eliminating “them.”
</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><b><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">Towards an Authentic Response:<br clear="none">
</span></b><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">This is where we meet the question of God today: wrestling with the question of responding to threats to our existence.
</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">Local action may be the most we can do, and since that makes a difference, should be pursued with vigor. Maybe, over time,
the mass changes needed can come from local people. </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">The threats are real. The status quo cannot and will not survive. The future is really open and unpredictable. We can, however,
have a hand in inventing it.</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0850077423MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="line-height: 106%; font-size: 12pt;">Your comments, additions, corrections, and insights are most welcome. </span></div>
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