By Parker J. Palmer
"As long as I draw breath, I want to be part of the solution." So says newly minted octogenarian Parker J. Palmer in On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old. Palmer's passion for better days shines through this series of essays (some old, some new). He looks back. He looks ahead. He never waffles or wavers. Palmer is delightfully honest as he assesses himself and our times.
Like age, the brilliance of Palmer's book crept up on me. I grew to appreciate this book the more I got into it:
Amen to his thoughts on public discourse:
Only by discussing our differences openly, honestly, and with civility can we honor the intentions of the framers of the Constitution who gave us the first system of government that regards conflict not as the enemy of a good social order but as the engine of a better social order--if we hold out our conflicts creatively. (124)
Gratitude for his willingness to share his struggles with depression.Palmer unhesitatingly sprinkles this dark period of his history throughout On the Brink of Everything. In doing so he models the openness, transparency, and quest to which he calls us throughout his book.
Amen to his distinction between job and vocation. The misunderstanding of the latter keeps from from surviving the loss of the former upon retirement. There are good words here for those approaching the retirement hurdle. (85)
Thanks for his wisdom and insight with respect to "The Accidental Author." As one who wants to sharpen the writing craft, these were invaluable words.
Palmer may be at his most culturally prophetic when it comes to racism and the toxicity of the current presidential administration. With respect to racism, he's quick to point out that he is not working penance over a guilt trip. He does, however, acknowledge "the inner roots of a social pathology that, if it goes unconfessed and unaddressed, will make" white middle class America a part of the problem not the solution. His ongoing frustration with our 45th President -- character and policies -- is no secret. We'll leave it at that.
While I appreciated so much of what Palmer addressed regarding white privilege and the rancid lingering effects of racism, I felt the author tended to generalizations with respect to "the privileged white class," and voters who elected Trump. That said, he calls out the "good old days" for what they are:
I urge those of you who cling to your dream of the 'good old days"--good for you anyway--to take a nice long name and dream on, dream on. The rest of us will stay awake and help midwife the rebirth of America, hoping that our national nausea in this moment is just another symptom that our country is pregnant with change. (p. 137)
Thoughts to ponder:
1. Embracing human frailty: Palmer is fond of quoting Thomas Merton who wrote, "Being human is harder than being holy." I think I know where he is coming from, though I disagree. Being holy is being fully human (that's Jesus' way). Still, I appreciate how frustrating that can be. Like Palmer I often want to give people the boot, or to borrow the line he does from "painter Walter Sickert, who once told an annoying guest, 'You must come again when you have less time.'" (149)
2. The hidden wholeness: Twice Parker Palmer quotes Thomas Merton: "There is in all visible things . . . a hidden wholeness." Palmer sees this hidden wholeness in the paradox of autumn, "diminishment and beauty, darkness and light, death and life." (167). I agree with both sages, but the Scriptures points me past the picture to the source: "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16 ESV). Palmer's reflections lead me to believe he does not share that view.
3. Anger and forgiveness: I appreciate the line he shared from Anne Lamott: "Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die." (120). "Repressed anger is dangerous, a weapon we aim at ourselves that sooner or later injures others. But anger harnessed as an energy that animates social action on behalf of new life for all is redemptive." (120)
Palmer is at his most honest and (is this too strong) inept when it comes to death:
"If there's been a definitive statement on the matter, I didn't get the memo."
"The most important thing we can do to prepare for death is to show up as our true selves as often as we can while we have life."
"I don't know exactly where we go when we die, but the BWCA (aka God's Country) strikes me as the ultimate tourist destination."
"I'm certain of two things: when we die, our bodies return to the earth, and earth knows how to turn death into new life. . . . It matters not to be whether I am resurrected in a loon . . . a sun-glazed pine, a wildfire . . . or the Northern Lights and stars that lie beyond them. It's all good and it's all gold. . ." (180-1)
I find it interesting that Palmer, for all his angst with a broken world and all his efforts to right it, is content to say his piece and peace out as simply as a fleeting vapor. Palmer often gives a nod to his Christian roots. He rightly (in my mind) considers the applications of the incarnation for entering into a world wrought with troubles. He considers the implications of incarnation for getting into the mess of this world, but not for getting out of it. I'm not talking about an escapism, I want no part of that. But if God is concerned for entering into the fray does that not speak to an "incarnate" existential reality beyond the fray, one in which we too may participate?
Parker's quest, which we witness for 200 pages, suggests there is more to the end of our days than an extinguished candle and a whiff of smoke. He doesn't lead me there.
I appreciate Parker J. Palmer. His book, Let Your Life Speak, is one of my all-time favorites. On the Brink of Everything may not rank with it in my opinion, but this is good; these are words of one who has lived well, served well, and thought well. Sure, I don't agree with all he has written, but Palmer is the kind of "old guy" I want speaking into my life.