David Michael Bruno

In Memory of Senator Kennedy

I recognize that I am late on this. Been busy enough to neglect the blog. But now a brief reflection on Senator Kennedy's death.

Being a Californian, I am about as removed from Massachusetts as a citizen of the United States can get. Yet I have thought about Senator Kennedy pretty regularly since the early 1990s. Around that time I attended a Ligonier Ministries conference in San Diego that included a general session presentation by Cal Thomas (this is worth the read), the conservative syndicated columnist. I do not remember all that he said that day, but I do recall his comments about Senator Kennedy.

Cal Thomas spoke of how Senator Kennedy reached out to many conservatives in friendship, even as he remained staunchly opposed to most conservative policies. And Thomas shared how he reached out to Kennedy, giving him a book on Christian faith. Kennedy was spiritually sensitive and a "seeker." Some time later Kennedy approached Thomas and pulled him aside. He said how he'd been reading the book and wanted to talk more. Thomas relayed how they spent years together discussing faith.

Of course none of us know a person's heart in the end. For many Christians it is difficult to reconcile unrelenting support for policies like abortion with a vital Christian faith. So many of us, though, are filled with contradictions. It too is hard to understand how many politically conservative Christians felt at ease viciously attacking Kennedy with slanders that would make the Apostle Paul blush. Cal Thomas told his audience how much those attacks hurt Kennedy and his wife. Kennedy claimed that there was much in his life that he regretted, and he sought forgiveness for his flaws. Unfortunately it was conservative Christians who were most vocal in refusing to forgive and continuing to chasten.

All the reflections I have read on Kennedy's life by conservatives who knew him praise him as an honorable man, a friend, and a person who (especially later in life) lived selflessly. I hope this is what remains of Kennedy's memory, and not the callous jibes by some conservatives. The United States thrives, not when political differences result in unrelenting personal attack, but when everyone, no matter their views, acts like good citizens.

Educational Advantages

Today is New Student Orientation at Point Loma Nazarene University, where I work. I'm excited.

My work (in the Marketing and Creative Services department) is enjoyable. We're redesigning the school's Web site, which is shaping up to be an epic project. But what gets me most enthused about my job is the opportunity to interact with students and their education. You just cannot deny that college is about the best time of life. It's a shame that most of us have to stop going to college at some point and move on into the "real world" - oh how I hate that lame criticism of college life. I once heard Bill McKibben suggest that college is about as "real" as this world gets. Community. Friendships. Accountability. Education. Vocation. Thoughtfulness. Everything but the food at the caf is "real" on a college campus.

Anyhow, in honor of NSO, and with deference to my good buddy Jon who's doing an amazing job shaking things up at eduFire, I'd like to celebrate the return of students to PLNU by recognizing Nicholas Carr's excellent read of the recent report that was completely blown out of proportion online.

Long live the classroom!

Planting Hope Gala

It's that time of year again for all of you San Diegans interested in supporting the solution to extreme poverty and environmental degradation. The Floresta (a.k.a Plant with Purpose) Plant Hope Gala.

Yes, that was just three links. Here's another opportunity to RSVP on Facebook.

Floresta is celebrating its 25th anniversary of "healing the land and its people." This is sure to be a wonderful event, full of good food, powerful story sharing, and lots of opportunity for the future.

Surf Report (with a bonus Stuff Report)

After one month, I have reached a couple milestones in my attempts to learn to surf. I can no longer remember the exact number of times I’ve paddled out. Likely it has been between fifteen and twenty. Perhaps a few more.

My other accomplishment was a head full of staples. I cracked my noggin open on my board in the shallows near a beach in Encinitas, and it required five staples to patch up. Surfer friends had told me that it was only a matter of time before something on my body got sliced open. (Aside: staples aren’t as bad as stitches. Doesn’t seem like that should be the case, but it is. Staples good. Stitches bad, especially the gross skin tugging feeling when they’re removed.)

The injury kept me out of the water for a couple of weeks. What surprised me most was my eagerness to get back in and have another go at it. A couple times I seriously thought about ditching my doctor’s advice and paddling out with the staples still lodged in my head. I take this as positive, rather than foolish, motivation. Even though surfing is down right hard and it seems like it will take many more months to get the hang of it, the experience has been enjoyable. Sticking with it seems inevitable.

Initially I was making do with two things: a wetsuit and a surfboard. Surfing seemed like a pretty cool hobby for the 100 Thing Challenge guy. Yet I have realized that it will require a few more than just a couple of personal possessions to surf. My wetsuit feels like an electric blanket turned to high in the warmer summer waters. I’ve since bought a wetsuit jacket to wear with board shorts. I’ve added a second pair of board shorts to my clothing. I also have commandeered a storage bin and a water jug, to keep my car trunk from getting wet and to wash the ocean water out of my hair respectively. And I have soft racks for carrying my board on top of my car, though I’ve since learned that if I open a couple of the doors just right and turn the board on its side and push really hard, I can cram it into my car. I probably don’t technically need the racks.

At any rate, seven personal possessions are now devoted to surfing. That kind of seems like a lot to me. I get the sense that it wouldn’t be hard to double that in one weekend surf shop outing. For some reason, ten things seems like a good number for a hobby, even though I don’t really practice what I preach here. I have more than ten camping items. How many items does it take you to enjoy your favorite hobby?

A final thought about surfing and stuff. I am desiring a new surfboard already. Well sort of. I desire to work hard at getting better so that I can ride a smaller, more fun board. The idea of riding something more capable than my current board is one motivation. It’s not the only or the main thought that gets me back in the water each time. But it crosses my mind. And I have to admit that striving for a goal that includes a new personal possession has some appeal. It feels dangerous to me, though. Like it would be possible to start wanting the thing more than what the thing is for.

Happy 75th Wendell Berry

So I had forgotten Wendell Berry's birthday earlier this month. Sorry!

I saw a link to this Grist article from his 70th birthday, in 2004. It's a good read, though it's a little lame that Mark Engler feels it is important to explain away Berry's Christianity. Being a Christian myself, I'll forgive him.

The timing of me running across Engler's article is perfect, having just written a small little chime about technology (see my last post). And it all reminds me of one of my absolute favorite Wendell Berry essays, "Feminism, the Body, and the Machine," which I have read in What Are People For? (North Point Press, 1990), but you can read at the link I've just linked to. It's Berry at his best. Totally worth your time.

Happy birthday. And thanks.