ABOUT
My name is Norman Viss. I am retired after living in various places around the world and working in the areas of church, theology, social work, life coaching, business and volunteer activities.
JUST
"Just" can mean "simply".
"I'm just sitting on the bench."
"Just" also means "justice".
We want a just outcome for all involved.
BEING
"Being" is simply existing, or being aware of the present moment. Just being.
"Being" also refers to the essence of things.
The essence of being is being just.
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We all want to just be
(we just want to rest in who we are) -
and be just.
The purpose of this site is to explore this longing from various perspectives and help us both be and be just.
So scroll down, choose a topic that interests you, and click through for the thread.
Explore and interact!
COMMUNITY
Community is about connection and belonging. None of us can survive or thrive alone. We all need each other. Our individualistic society has estranged us from community; it will be a long, hard, but necessary task to learn to live in community again. Click here for more.
JUSTICE
"Justice" is a complex concept.
Helen Keller said that "justice is the sense of responsiblity for each other's welfare". I like that perspective, although I would include the welfare of creation in that sense of responsibility.
Click here for more.
APOKATASTASIS
"Apokatastasis" is the Greek word for "restoration". It refers to the understanding of the message of the Bible and the work of Jesus that all things will one day be restored. We will explore the biblical and philosophical basis for such a hope as well as its practical implications. Click here for more.
My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.
Desmond Tutu
Hope is not the same thing as optimism; it is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something is worth doing regardless of how it turns out.
Vaclev Havel
LAMENT
We Americans are movers and shakers, we get things done, we always succeed. We don't have time to lament. Nor do we want to lament - to lament means that something has gone wrong. There is plenty to lament these days - we would do well to learn how. Click here for more.
ECO-REALISM
"The future will in fact experience collapses, catastrophes, and extinctions for which our faith in current efforts at activism, sustainability and technology is unfounded. It is neither pessimism or doomism to admit this." Given a doom scenario, how are we to think and what are we to do? Click here for more.
ENVIRONMENT
The environment is a system in which all forms of life interact with each other and with the physical world. Our well-being and suvival depend on an environment where natural resources and ecosystems remain sustainable and resilient. Click here for more.
POLITICS
Politics is the process by which groups of people organize themselves and decide how to take care of each other. Politics is also hot and divisive in our time.
Click here for more.
CLASSIC ROCK
Since I discovered rock 'n' roll in my teen-age years it has been able to move me deeply. It is one place I turn when I need to feel or express emotions deeply. Classic rock is rooted in the context of the 60s and 70s, and I find much of it still relevant for today. Click here for more.
ANCIENT WISDOM
Timeless wisdom has been passed down by cultures through the centuries (millenia). This wisdom can come from indigenous people who have been driven from their lands or cultures that still survive after millenia. Ancient wisdom has much to teach us. Click here for more.
CLIMATE CHANGE
"Human-induced climate change is an ethical, social justice and religious issue." Climate pollution "poses a significant threat to future generations, the poor and the vulnerable." I believe this is a true statement. Click here for more.
THEOLOGY
Theology is the study of or our reflection on God and God's relation to the cosmos. In the Middle Ages, theology was called the "queen of sciences". Whether you think it (still) is or not, join us in exploring who God (or god) is and his/her relation to creation. Click here for more.
Listen In
My daughter Sarah Rapier and I have a podcast called "Listen In: Father and Daughter Talk About Life".
Click on the image to check it out!
Wisdom comes when you stop looking for it and start living the life the creator intended for you.
Hopi Wisdom