Lewis Hines

Lewis Hines

“He arrived at the coal mines, textile mills and industrial factories dressed in a three-piece suit. He wooed those in charge, asking to be let in. He was just a humble Bible salesman, he claimed, who wanted to spread the good word to the laborers inside.  What Lewis Hine actually wanted was to take photos of those laborers — and show the world what it looked like when children were put to work.” Jessica Contrera, “The searing photos that helped end child labor in America,” The Washington Post, September 3, 2018.

This recent article by Jessica Contrera in The Washington Post reminds me how art can change the world. Most of you know the story. Hines was a photographer who went to industries in the early 1900’s and exposed with his camera the horrendous working conditions of  young children working in mines, in factories,  in any business that needed unskilled workers.

Our hearts break when we see these young girls and boys just slightly older than toddlers working long shifts in dangerous conditions. Their faces are dull. There are few smiles. They were in essence slave labor. I love seafood, but almost every time I eat oysters now I see this young girl maybe 6 or 7 years old with her yellow hair pulled back standing on a stool to reach the table to shuck oysters with the older women on either side. If you have ever shucked oysters, you know it is a dirty task with mud all over you and possible cuts from a slip of the oyster knife. It is not an easy job for adults, much less children.  Oyster shells form the floor of the dark room. The young girl’s apron is almost as big as she is. We do not see her face. That might be too much to bear. We do see the faces of the women beside her, maybe relatives. They look older than their presumed age with a hapless life look on their faces.

 Pictures like this changed our country and its labor laws for children. Hines not only shared these dramatic pictures of children doing tasks dangerous often for adults but he interviewed the children and told us their story and their age. Hines’s story with this image is “7-year old Rosie. Regular shucker. Her second year at it. Illiterate. Works all day. Only shucks a few pots a day. Varn & Platt Canning Co. Bluffton, South Carolina, published February,1913.” (Library of Congress Photographs Online Catalog)

Hines’ work is a reminder that art, photography,  music, writing, stories are as powerful as guns and cannons in getting things changed in our world. When I talk with people about how they want to change the world I remind them of how this one person with one camera and maybe a Bible in hand made a difference. We are not all Hines but we have been created with talents that can make differences in others’ lives without the threat of violence just as he did.

We connect to the difference we can make by connecting to the Christ within us. We become the person God created us to be and discern and  share that gift.

Joanna. Joannaseibert.com

Nouwen: Choosing LIfe

Nouwen: choosing life

“The most important question is not "Do I kill?" but "Do I carry a blessing in my heart or a curse?" The bullet that kills is only the final instrument of the hatred that began being nurtured in the heart long before the gun was picked up.”  Henri Nouwen Daily Meditation, Choosing Life, Henri Nouwen Society, August 30, 2018, from Bread for the Journey HarperSanFrancisco 1997.

Remi Walle unsplash

Nouwen reminds us that at the root of most of the factions and killings is a life or events where love left a person’s heart. Those involved in shootings often no longer feel  or perceive love. Sometimes the love is present but because of mental illness they cannot perceive it. Sometimes living in a culture of violence  takes that love away. Sometimes poverty may lead to a loveless life. There are so many factors. Our ministry in the outside world is where ever we are where ever we go to bring love to the people we encounter. This may not be easy, but we do not have a choice if we care about the world we leave for our children and grandchildren. How we treat, how we greet people on the street, at the grocery store, at the gas station, at the food pantry could prevent one act of violence by giving that person a hint that they are loved and valuable.

How do we keep love in our own hearts to share? There are a multitude of ways. We know that love is something that only multiplies if it is given away.

 All of the spiritual exercises and disciplines have been developed over centuries by people trying to connect us to the God of love.

 How do  we keep the God of our understanding as the God of love rather than the angry or wrathful God that some have been led to believe in? My experience is when we stay grateful, when we live a life of gratitude, when we keep realizing what gifts we have been given and how we are cared for even in the most difficult times, love stays with us. For Christians it is the light of Christ living in our hearts.

It also helps to be around others who are sharing love, others where we can so easily see the love, the light of Christ in their hearts. Love is contagious.

Joanna.  Joannaseibert.com   

Charleston:Trees

Trees

“My great grandfather told me this long ago and I never forgot it: trees are the keepers of secrets. The Creator gave them this honor because they are infinitely patient and trustworthy. So if you have a burden on your heart, something that has bothered you for a long time, something you wish you could finally let go, then take it to the tree. You will know the right one when you see it. It will be an old tree with many branches. Go stand beneath it and tell your story. Then when you walk away what you have said will stay there, in the safe-keeping of the old tree, and you will be burdened by it no more.” Bishop Steven Charleston, Facebook page, September 1, 2018

My grandfather and my father introduced me as well to the spirituality of trees. My grandfather took me on nature weeks each week along the Mattaponi River and its marshlands on his farm. My father was a forester and planted millions of trees. I still grieve to see trees cut down.  I often like to imagine what secrets old trees have as I briefly touch them passing by them on visits to others and their homes and businesses.

All of my children spend much more time outdoors than I do. I don’t remember teaching them this. Maybe in some way possibly through genetics my grandfather whom they never knew and my father whom they barely knew taught them. This may not be true, but I will still treasure this in my imagination.

I do know that we meet God in the outdoors so much easier than in most indoor places. Sitting and standing by trees changes the tension in our bodies. Our minds slow down to a slightly lower speed. We are grounded to the earth. We begin to live in the present moment, and we meet the God of our understanding in that present moment. We do not obsess about the past. We may remember our mistakes, but have the desire to move on, trying to learn from them. We surrender to the moment and for a few seconds stop worrying about the future. For a brief moment we become the person God created us to be.

We know from biology class that trees save our lives by changing our carbon dioxide waste into life giving oxygen for us to breathe again. Trees also save our lives mentally and spiritually by being a constant reminder of a God who has provided for us beauty beyond our imagination.

Outside my window is a canopy of trees that have become like old friends. The sun is almost up. I will wait  until sunrise and look out so I can see them in all their glory before beginning this day.

 I give thanks for all who have led me outdoors to the trees. Perhaps I can do the same today for someone else.

Joanna.   Joannaseibert.com