Prodigal

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Can any amount of peace justify the evil of war?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
The road seems long, with many a winding turn. But near the top, the views make the trip worth it all. I look back at the way I’ve traveled, and the perspective from above shows me how each phase of the journey contributed to my arrival at this wonderful spot. I met obstacles and dangers and disappointments along the way, but with help from you and from other friends and family, I passed through them. Now the view overwhelms me. Above and below, all reflects the wonder and beauty of life – this divinely physical reflection of you.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“I think it would be a wonderful tribute to have a missile or a bomb or a warship named after me.”

[Verily, verily, absolutely not.]

D. Blog: Poem

Prodigal Mother

Had she died?
Was she bed-ridden?
Had she gone to attend to her aging parents?
Or did she help provide care for young grandchildren?
I wonder about the mother who had two sons.

Do you suppose she had watched and prayed
every day for her wandering son to return?
Did she daydream that he would return as a big success?
Or did her mother heart suspect he would face severe hardship?
Did she imagine a return with wife and family?
Did she fear a life of isolation for her son, the Jewish foreigner?
I wonder about the mother who had two sons.

Do you imagine she questioned her husband’s decision
to let the boy go?
Did she want to send to search for him?
Or had she given him up for dead?
Did she foresee a joyous reunion of her boys?
Did she expect a happily ever after someday?
I wonder about the mother who had two sons.

Did she appreciate her elder son for his contributions to the family?
Did she respect him as head-of-the-family-in-waiting?
Did she try to smooth communication between father and son?
Or did she side with one or the other?
When the time came, did she help with preparations for the party?
Did she celebrate for the one returned in shame?
Did she ache with longing for reconciliation and wholeness in the family?
I wonder about this woman who had two sons. Call her Rebekah.

Jesus, Dead or Alive?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

In a war, a ceasefire usually only means time to reload.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
All space and places belong to you, but some places and spaces we dedicate to you. Our minds have trouble recognizing that because you made it, all space is sacred.
Likewise, all time belongs to you, but we only dedicate some time to you. Our minds cannot seem to fathom that all time is holy.
Wherever and whenever you are, that is sacred. We just imagine something called profane.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“A room for 13 in the Jerusalem Holiday Inn for the week of Passover, please.”

[No. Maybe the Motel 6, where they leave the Light on for you...?]

D. Blog: “He Died” or “He Lives”?

Of course, both statements are true. But which one gets the emphasis makes a huge difference. To the millions of Christians who emphasize Jesus’ death, I want to say “Get over it already. Don’t you know He’s alive?” To them I want to say “The cross is not the central theme to the Jesus event. The center is the resurrection.”

What is this morbid fascination/obsession with His death? The obsession extends to how we interpret communion. Mostly we say it is a matter of remembering His death until He comes. Ugh! I say “Remember, He’s alive!” In communion, we re-member His body, then carry His life into the world.

Properly understood, His death is instructive regarding the way the world’s powers react to threats from the divine dominion. But it is the resurrection that reveals which dominion is stronger.

Jesus’ willingness to die that awful death in the interest of that dominion inspires us with its example. His rising inspires us with a hope to serve in the dominion of God, which cannot be defeated. Even if we die in that service, we know our death, like His, can further the dominion, can have transforming power in the world. Death is not the end, just a transition to a different life.

For Jesus, that meant a rising that made His presence known in, among and through His followers. For them, He lived. They had become His new body in the world. They participated in it and acted in His name to make God’s dominion more present on Earth.

Victory

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Everybody seems to want to claim God’s support in a war. I make the claim that God supports my declaration of peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
When morning fog and clouds hide the heights, the landscape is boring and uninspiring.
But, if I go into the fog, then, sure enough, you are there, an awesome presence.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“Take up your king-sized bed and walk.”

[Elvis, maybe, but not Jesus.]

D. Blog: Parable

"A two-edged sword..."

Once there was a church where they talked a great deal about winning, victory and conquering. Its times of worship resembled football pep-rallies. Children marched behind flags and banners into the sanctuary. Brass instruments were a regular featured attraction.

A visitor once remarked that he hadn't noticed a cross anywhere in the building, but he had seen a sword.

Why Did He Die?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

If Jesus justified war, he would have ridden a chariot into Jerusalem.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
I lift my eyes to the hills, because it is a natural impulse, instinctive – like looking to you.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“Sure, I’ll return to rescue you – because you are much more special to me than all those other sinners.”

[Some people act as if He said it. Sorry, He didn't.]

D. Blog: Sin and Sacrifice

“He Died for Our Sins” or “He Died because of Our Sins”

The Greek scripture, including the Gospels, has texts that say Jesus died for our sins. But according to many Bible scholars, none of those texts came from Jesus. Instead they represent one of the several ways early Christians tried to make sense of his death. After all, they seem to have reasoned, if he was Messiah, then Jesus’ death had to mean more than the brutal and paranoid act of Roman security forces in Jerusalem. So, they came up with a theory based on the common practice of atonement sacrifices, and the theory made Jesus the pure human sacrifice to make up for all human sin and free us from the ultimate consequences of sin.

As a theory, it’s neat, easy to understand and remember. But when we test this theory, it does not hold up to closer examination.

It says that God requires sacrifice, that God cannot forgive without sacrifice. It portrays God as sacrificing God’s own son. It contrasts with other scripture, particularly the story of Abraham and Isaac, where God does not require the child’s sacrifice. It ignores Jesus’ portrayal of God as loving father who forgave his prodigal son without any sacrifice. It overlooks the fact that during his ministry Jesus forgave sins, thereby angering his Jewish critics who required sacrifice for forgiveness to occur.

This theoretical explanation of Jesus’ death might be contrasted with another explanation in scripture, that human authorities meant to do away with Jesus, but God raised him up (i.e., God did not accept this sacrifice, either, as atonement for sin).

Do believing sinners really escape the consequences of their sin? Really? Not usually in this life. Beyond this life, I would much rather put my fate in the hands of a loving God such as Jesus described than in the hands of a God who would require sacrifice before granting forgiveness. That is not grace.

How can believing the theory of sacrificial atonement lead us to love God? What kind of God could be bought off by a sacrifice?

Judgment, Part 4

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Stay the course – toward peace rather than toward victory.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
We leave the place of sanctuary, but we do not leave you.
We depart from one another, but we do not depart the body.
We go from the time of Sabbath rest, but we do not go from its peace.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“How about a name for our movement? The ‘Brethren’ has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?’

[It didn’t catch on because they couldn’t spell it…]

D. Blog:

Judgment Day’s A Comin’
100 Prep Questions for the Final Exam (Part 4)


(70) If you had life to do over, what three things would you want to change?

(69) What did you do to try to control global warming?

(68) Where is the center of the cosmos?

(67) In what ways did you hear the voice of God?

(66) What gave you hope? Why?

(65) What did you fear? Why?

(64) What celebrity did you admire for his/her spiritual depth?

(63) What idol was most tempting to you?

(62) Next to God, of course, what/who did you worship most?

(61) Can you name three poor people who would call you a friend?

In the End

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

No peace, no gain.


B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
Like a morning cloud in a mountain valley, you sneak into our lives during the night.
When we awake, we think we see you and might even be able to touch you. But it satisfies just to know you are there.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“Guys, we need a symbol, a logo, to identify our movement. What do you think about a cross?”

[Never would have crossed His mind...]

D. Blog: Prophesying the End

“The End is Near” vs. “The End is Here”

Prophecy movements have prophesied a cataclysmic end to worldly affairs since before the time of Jesus. Their prediction schemes and schedules never work out, even though they claim to have biblical support for them. Jews in the time of Jesus, based on their interpretation of Hebrew prophets, looked for a Messiah who would free them from Roman domination and restore the nation of Israel to the glory they imagined it had known centuries before in the time of David. Because they held that supposedly biblically-based belief in how God would act on their behalf, most Jews did not accept a nonviolent Jesus as Messiah, and when he was killed, they continued looking for a triumphant warrior-Messiah.

Christians believe those end times prophesiers missed the Messiah because they misread scripture. God’s dominion does not equate with Israel. God’s Messiah does not need military victory. The demise of proud empire comes not through force of arms. What matters instead of all those misreadings is the Spirit of God at work in the world, not in some future climactic event. The climactic event has already happened, most Christians believe, when Jesus brought the message of God’s dominion coming on Earth and unleashed it at his resurrection. The Jesus event marks the end of the control of worldly empires and the beginning of God’s dominion coming about on Earth.

The images of Armageddon and rapture are symbolic truth for now, not literal projection into the future. A battle is indeed underway between worldly empires and the God’s dominion. When we claim allegiance to God’s dominion, we are “raised” into life with God. When the Spirit of God brings us under God’s dominion, the power of earthly empires to control our lives is at an end. The Spirit of God raises us, elevates our vision so we see that we dwell in another commonwealth that claims our ultimate loyalty. Thus, empire’s power is at an end. Jesus’ resurrection seals that truth. Empire could not end Him.

The end, is, paradoxically, always near, because God’s dominion is always near. The question Christians need to answer is: Have we sworn our allegiance to it here on Earth?

Meeting in Truth

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

The drama of war is overrated. Old men send young men to war. Young men kill each other. Young men kill old people, women and children. Old men profit. Young men return scarred for life. Old men make up justifications for destroying countless lives. Victory – hoorah! Death to tyranny – hoorah! Freedom – hoorah! Democracy – hoorah! Our way of life – huh??

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
We do not always pass like ships in the night.
Sometimes we see the another’s lights. We rejoice in knowing we are not alone on the sea.
Sometimes we come alongside another. We exchange goods and enjoy companionship on the voyage.
It is good – to meet as ships in the night.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“That’s your basic rule of life, is it? My basic rule of life is: if you make lemonade, you must not live around here.”


D. Blog: Passive-aggressive??

Passive-aggressive vs. Nonviolent-destructive

I think “passive-aggressive” as a term minimizes the seriousness of the effects of such behaviors. In truth, these annoying, deceptive, mean-spirited, obstructing acts, whether intentional or unintentional, destroy relationships. They stifle creative growth, damage trust, cause separation and withdrawal, and lead relationship partners to move on to more satisfying relationships.

Such behavior involves a decision to withhold honest communication and often an action, which is not overtly violent, but definitely destructive and not merely aggressive.

They are not passive behaviors. I call them nonviolent behaviors, or non-aggressive behaviors, but passive they are not. And they are more than aggressive. They might be retaliation for perceived wounds, or intentional attacks on a disliked person. They hurt someone, whether intentional or not. And they can destroy the trust necessary for sustaining healthy relationships. Although not violent, they are destructive.

I suggest calling these behaviors “nonviolent-destructive” acts.

In Search of Openness

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

War crimes? Redundancy - war itself is a crime against humanity.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
Open us to your love.
Make us aware of your presence.
Encourage our spirits always.
Inspire us to live in your embrace.
Remind us that we are your children, blessed to live in this world that you love.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"No, sorry neighbor, I can’t help you today. Why don’t you check with the Salvation Army?"

[Nope. He never said that.]

D. Blog: Frank Lloyd Wright

On Seeing a Frank Lloyd Wright House


Why do we accept the monstrous boxes
that collect and store our stuff but numb our spirits?

Perhaps because we watch life’s image in boxes,
and our eyes see nothing of the housing art.

We use no light but the artificial,
no air unfiltered, no space not walled.

Sensing something amiss, we decorate
our private cells with pictures of nature.

Still, we stay behind bricks, blocks and locked doors,
decades after he left the keys within our reach.

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Live together or die together. The global slogan.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
Everything depends on you and your love.
Without you, there is nothing.
I readily accept these terms of existence.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“The first time ever I lay with you….”

[Great song, but did He ever sing?]

D. Blog: Holy/Promised Land

What makes one bit of land any more holy than any other bit of land? The fact that an early Hebrew writer called Canaan the promised land means only that the writer thought so and, presumably, at least some other Hebrews thought so. There they felt at home. There they felt God had guided them. Calling it the promised land was a human conclusion that explained and emphasized their feeling of attachment to the land, that this was their home.

When I am at home with God, that is holy, that is the place God has promised me. When I am at home with my family, that is holy, that is the place God has promised me. When I am at home with my neighbors, that is holy, that is the place God has promised me. I live then in the land of promise, where I find acceptance, welcome, warmth and opportunity to live fully.

I give thanks that I have arrived at home, the holy place where I know peace within, with neighbors, and with God. There is no place like home, nothing more like a promise fulfilled, nothing more holy than where I have landed.

Like a Child?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

A moment without peace is hell.


B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
Life is good, glorious, wonderful, stupendous, marvelous, amazing, miraculous, fabulous, beautiful, incredible, mind-boggling, awesome.
Like you are.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“Paper, of course.”

[Papyrus maybe? Don't think so. But obviously a "green" person.]

D. Blog: A Parable

"Unless you become like children..."

The kingdom of God is like the case of a boy turning the crank to make ice cream while his father and uncles stand and talk. His uncles discuss the ingredients and the mechanics of making homemade ice cream. His father predicts how long it will take for the ice cream to harden. The boy just keeps turning, even beyond the point where his arm muscles hurt, all the while whispering to himself: "I can hardly wait. Boy, is this ice cream going to taste g-o-o-d!"

One Church?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Of the making of peace, let there be no end.


B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
Centering on you becomes difficult when we simply follow religious tradition, but never when we follow the spirit within us.
The traditions connect us to the past and to some of our contemporaries, but not necessarily to you.
Help us understand these differences.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"It must be 110 degrees in the shade. But it’s a dry heat."

[He might ask what's a degree...]

D. Blog: About One Church

One Body, Many Parts
One Church, Many Branches

Joseph Ratzinger, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, caused a recent stir when he stated that Christ established only one church. He implied, perhaps even declared, according to many commentators, that other branches of the church are illegitimate.

Even before making himself Pope (as Matthew Fox sees it), Joseph Ratzinger was big on illegitimacy – theological then, ecclesiological now – and led a number of lifelong Catholics to see him as the current Grand Inquisitor.

I tried to imagine Jesus’ response to this sort of thing…

“One church, of course, centered around me, not around Rome or you, Peter.”

“Remember, Peter, that my followers will not need you to tell them what to think or do. They have me for that.”

“One church, Peter? Of course. Lots of parts, though. And I don’t expect you to control it. I’ll do that. You just feed my sheep.”

“You know, Peter, my church won’t depend on you, but on the kind of faith you exhibited in trusting me as the holy one sent by God.”

“Peter, steadfastness under pressure was never your strong point, was it? Infallibility won’t apply to you.”

“It seems to me, Peter, that you like to talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? Do you recall your dream of an inclusive community, for instance? How are you doing on that?”

“You know, Peter, if you try to run the whole church, please don’t do it from Rome. Those trappings of power and wealth make me want to puke.”

“After what you’ve been eating and drinking, Peter, I don’t have any faith in your ‘gut feelings.’”

Judgment, Part 3

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

What kind of deception is it to justify killing innocent people by calling it collateral damage?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
I imagine we humans surprise you sometimes.
I feel certain we sadden you with our cruelty and the ways we dishonor life.
But I also imagine we give you pleasure when we are generous, compassionate and loving.
I imagine you like it when we show creativity and humor and playfulness.
I imagine we are both less and more than you imagined when we arose on Earth, just as we are both less and more than we imagine we can be.
Strengthen us to strive for the more, for it leads us to you.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"Is there a doctor in the house?"

[Yeah, right...]

D. Blog:

Judgment Day's A-Comin' (Part 3)
100 Prep Questions for the Final Exam

(80) Who were the people you told you loved?

(79) Who were the people to whom you demonstrated love?

(78) What was the most amazing natural wonder you ever saw?

(77) To what people not like you did you offer hospitality in your home?

(76) Who was the most accepting and forgiving person you ever knew?

(75) After its multi-billion-year gestation period in Divinity’s womb, how did your life justify Divinity’s expectations?

(74) How do you explain the suffering you endured in life?

(73) What was the most pairs of shoes you ever had? Why?

(72) How did you express your creativity in life?

(71) What was your greatest satisfaction in life? Why?

Open and Affirming

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

If God wanted us to go to war, we would not bleed so easily.


B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
All is grace – what I see, hear, taste, smell, touch, feel.
All is blessing – what I love, despise, enjoy, admire, reject, seek.
All is gift – talent, intelligence, beauty, strength, weakness, vulnerability.
All is yours. Thank you for sharing it with me. It’s absolutely marvelous.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“I feel your pain.”

[Not in so many words...]

D. Blog: Open and Affirming

I think an Open and Affirming congregation allows for much freer conversation and other interaction among its membership. I imagine the effect is similar to that produced by the practice of mutual confession among old time Methodists. People feel they don’t have as much to hide, that some of those normally hidden/closeted things won’t matter to people here. If our homosexual members find open acceptance here, others can expect to find acceptance without judgment, condemnation or shaming for most of the potentially negative things about us. We’re much more likely to be accepted and, if necessary, forgiven.

If in our society GLBT folks can be open and accepted among a group of Christians, what other things would people feel they need to keep hidden lest they face rejection or condemnation? As a pacifist, I find it very liberating to worship in an open and affirming congregation. Even when I belonged to a tradition that espoused the Christian pacifist position, I sometimes had people judge/condemn me for openly advocating pacifism. In this Open and Affirming faith community, I have experienced none of that. So, even as a 99% straight male, I feel much greater acceptance in communion with GLBT sisters and brothers.

Say Love, Not War

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

“There was no war today.”
[Statement in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando; I wish it didn’t occur in a fictional work.]

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
What if I live this day as if it is a gift from you, and that I must open it now?
This is not merely imagination at work.
This is the profound reality: today is a gift, one of a kind, priceless, full of surprises and delights.
I cannot thank you enough.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."

[I know He didn't say it, but...]

D. Blog: You Call This A War?

Some months ago, we in the US heard a lot of discussion about whether the conditions in Iraq could be described as a “civil war” (now there’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one!). Whatever happened to that discussion? I think we need some further conversation, expansion and clarification, for what we usually hear now is that the US wages a war in Iraq and seeks to get out of it without losing face.

It doesn’t look like a war, not according to any definition of war that makes sense to me. Any “war” ended four years ago, when W’s assertion of “mission accomplished” seemed accurate, in terms of waging an actual war. The defeat of Saddam Hussein’s army and his subsequent capture ended everything that resembled a war between military forces.

Since then, we have seen an occupation of Iraq by foreign powers, principally the US, trying to establish order, with the stated intent of helping a new Iraqi government take over, promoting democracy in the region, and minimizing the conditions that breed terrorism.

Unfortunately, to most people in the region, this situation looks and feels like a foreign imposition, including a puppet government that dares not displease the occupying forces, and a coalition grab for control of precious oil reserves.

Thus, we have insurgency (the frequent term of choice to describe the conflict). The people of Iraq are not at war with the US. They do, pretty overwhelmingly, according to polls, want the occupation to end. Except for a small minority of terrorist actors, this insurgency is not “at war” with the US. They just want US forces to leave so they can determine their own future.

My point? In this country, we should stop using war language to describe our presence in Iraq. The continued use of this language wrongly encourages and bolsters patriotic feelings of current US policy and presence in Iraq. Politicians and backers of the occupation policy should stop deceiving people with war language into thinking our troops are being put at risk to protect the citizens of the US and we should therefore support the military in this war effort. Stop the farce that US military presence in Iraq helps in the conflict with terrorists. It simply gives them more motivation.

Finally, terrorists (so-called Jihadists) should also be called to account for claiming what they do is Jihad. They do not conduct a holy war against “blasphemous infidels.” They slaughter and carry out mayhem against their co-religionists. Not Jihad or war, just murder, criminal gangsterism wearing an ugly mask that makes a mockery of their religion.

Humility

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Where's the detox center or 12-step program for those addicted to violence?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
It rained.
So simply stated.
It rained.
So natural an occurrence.
It rained.
So complex to explain.
It rained.
So incredibly amazing an event.
It rained.
So rare in this universe.
No wonder "primitive" peoples danced in honor of rain.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"Blessed are you when you are obnoxious, arrogant and violent to people of other religions."

[Despite our witness, He never said it.]

D. Blog: Wind's Song (a haiku)

The wind whispers
And trees stand to give their
Sustained ripple of applause.

Playing in the Dirt

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

If peace could come through spears, rifles, or bombs, well, it would have arrived long ago, wouldn't it?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
When I was young, a man I respected as a mentor wrote that you are present in a clod of dirt. At the time, I thought it an odd notion.
Now I share his perspective and appreciate his insight. Incarnation means you enter our world, all of it.
The presumption that we as humans, or as Christians, have a special place or an exclusive claim that connects us to you reflects a childish self-absorption and a lack of humility before your awesome, all-pervasive presence in your universe.
I marvel. I bow in wonder. My spirit rises to greet you, even though I am but a bit of dust.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"Can you hear me now?"

[To the crowds? Not in English!]

D. Blog: Cold Mountain

It’s at least 5 degrees cooler here on the Blue Ridge Parkway, at 2000 feet greater elevation than our house. I marvel that a 30-minute drive brings me to this Cold Mountain View (not an overlook – the mountain rises another 1500 feet above the viewing spot) from the Parkway.

When I read Charles Frazier’s novel and then saw the movie, I didn’t know Cold Mountain really exists. I thought it might be a fictitious place. Now I live in its neighborhood (how cool is that?) and I have an even greater appreciation for the novel and what went into the writing of it. It all seems more real, because the mountain certainly is.

I had intended to bring a book along and finish reading it in this spot. I left it at home, and that’s okay, because now I will see what I can read in these surroundings…

The mountain’s quiet dignity will make it difficult for humans to demean it, but I know we will try. We refuse to learn that, really, it’s not about us. Someday a “developer” will have a scheme to build huge houses on the slopes of Cold Mountain. That disrespectful proposal with its tempting dollar signs might blind enough people to try to push ahead with the desecration of Cold Mountain. But perhaps we will have our priorities in proper order…

I don’t know where the Blue Ridge Mountains end and the Great Smokey Mountains begin. I hear that we live near where the two ranges meet. That might be so, but to me it’s all a great merging of peaks and valleys, one ridge after another for as far as I can see. I love to see the variety. On a clear day, the views are breathtaking. More often, there is the tell-tale “blue” or “smoke” that put a slight haze to the view. At other times, I see the myriad ways clouds will alter what I see – whether shading from above or hiding the peaks or sneaking into the valleys.

No doubt, you have seen or heard of fall color? Looking across at Cold Mountain offers a great vantage point, and from this spot I’d swear the copyright on autumn leaves was issued right here along the Parkway.

New Day, New Age

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

It is never peace that comes via war, only surrender and domination – usually a formula for revenge.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
I love mornings, rising when it’s still dark and then seeing the gradual emerging of the light, hearing birds as they greet the new day as if it might be their last – full of songs of praise and gratitude.

I love the daytime, so much movement, activity, creativity and interaction, hunting and gathering the necessities of life – with an occasional luxury – enjoying the fruits of our activity.

I love the night, when the sun’s light has faded in the sky and we seek shelter from the cold and dark, and find it in the warmth and bright faces of family and friends, and the comfort and love of enfolding arms, including yours.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“Mine is a new age movement, absolutely.”

[Perhaps something very close to it, but He didn't say this.]

D. Blog/Parable:

"Beyond the measure of the mind..."

A young scholar decided never to speak or write of God. "After all," she reasoned, "words are but symbols made by humans, and no limited human words can describe a real divinity."

At the height of her academic career, she ceased speaking or writing at all. "Logically," she had concluded, "communication with words always fails. Their use results either in misunderstanding or lies."

Years later, when she lay dying in a home for the "incompetent," another patient kissed her forehead. He told a nurse that the woman had smiled.

Luck?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

On the wings of a snow white dove: PEACE!

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
We celebrate the light, for it allows us to see.
We celebrate the light, for it warms our bodies and our spirits.
We celebrate the light, for it dispels shadows and the terrors they hold.
We celebrate the light, for it brightens even the coldness that envelopes us.
We celebrate the light, for it fosters hope and joy.
We celebrate the light that permeates your creation.
Amen


C. Unquoting Jesus:

“Anybody got a Light?”

[Close, but no cigar??]

D. Blog: What’s Luck Got To Do With It?

Friday the 13th

Did anything bad happen to you yesterday? My day went smoothly. No mishaps. No major disappointments. The same for my whole extended family, as far as I know. It was for me, in fact, quite a lucky day. I had a home improvement project started a month ahead of schedule. Whoever heard of such a thing?! Wonderful! Such good luck. We got some much-needed rain, but not so much as to interfere with most activities. I attended a fantastic evening event with great food and wonderful sharing among 30 open and affirming people. Even Nick, the young man doing the work on our house, got great news: he received the last of the permits he and his wife need so they can move into their new house and out of his grandmother’s basement!

What a silly superstition! Why would anyone think any day is consistently less lucky than any other date on the calendar? Somebody decided to call it unlucky, and for some reason the idea stuck. Now the media remind us of it every time a Friday the 13th comes around. Or, is it possible Jesus was crucified on a 13th? Well, but we didn’t have that calendar then… Besides, the church calls that a good Friday. Doesn’t work. No religious connection to make us call it an unlucky day.

No, this is a day God has made, so rejoice in it. Don’t get alarmed about this superstition.

I saw a list that somebody had compiled of unfortunate and tragic events that happen to have fallen on Friday the 13th. I noticed that 90% of them resulted directly from human ignorance, violence or depravity. In other words, we make most of our own “unlucky” events. They usually do not just happen. Somebody should compile similar lists for other dates on the calendar. I wonder what they would discover...

In other cultures that follow a different calendar, perhaps they recognize a Terrible Tuesday the 27th. No matter. The question remains: “What’s Luck Go To Do With It?”

Judgment, Part 2

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Counting on 72 virgins in the aftermath of a suicide bombing is a monumental and tragic delusion; teaching this speculative, sex-laden, twisted religious notion to teenage males as if it is divine truth is despicable.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
My heart belongs to you, Mommy and Daddy.
Through you, I know how to love others and love myself.
Knowing you forgive me, I can forgive myself and others.
It’s really quite a simple and elegant system.
I can forgive and love because I know myself to be forgiven and loved by you.
Brilliant!
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“We never did it that way before.”

[Some church folks recite this text all the time, but He never said it.]

D. Blog: Judgment

Judgment Day’s A Comin’
100 Prep Questions for the Final Exam (Part 2 - for Part 1, see 7-7-07 post)

(90) What percentage of your income did you give to charity?

(89) What was your favorite game? Why?

(88) What was your prejudice against non-human life?

(87) How would it change your views if you learned that angels are beings from another part of the universe?

(86) How do play and laughter relate to spiritual health?

(85) What makes you think the Divinity will recognize your voice?

(84) What was your favorite religious joke?

(83) What was your favorite sport? Why?

(82) How many prisoners did you befriend?

(81) What was praiseworthy/blameworthy about your country?

How Sick Are We?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Vengeance cannot bring peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
You have entered our spirit lives without fanfare.
You enter our wounded, vulnerable spirits as a healing, soothing presence.
You minimize, even sacrifice, your presence so that our spirit might thrive.
But you return again and again to bring our spirits into the eternal sphere.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

“I don’t want anybody putting words in my mouth.”

[Yeah, like it would have made any difference.]


D. Blog: SICKO

What does it profit a nation to dominate the whole world, if it loses its soul?

Michael Moore’s latest movie does a great service to the US public by portraying, in a relatively calm, personal, reasonable and largely unemotional way, the serious problems with the US healthcare “system.” I want to say “industry” or “business” rather than “system,” because it seems to me those words more accurately reflect what we deal with when we need healthcare.

Too much of the “system” focuses on profit, not caring for people’s health needs. In a capitalist economy, profit matters above all else. We want to believe that other values impinge upon and limit the profit motive, but in a corporate setting, ultimately too often they do not. Profit matters more than peace. Profit matters more than truth. Profit matters more than justice. Profit matters more than children. Profit matters more than democracy or freedom - except freedom to do business. Profit matters more than human rights. Profit matters more than families, even employee families. Profit matters more than people. Period. Corporations have to create profit and then more profit, and then more profit - or else they will disappoint their shareholders and “the market.”

I understand that corporations do many positive things. I also understand that preserving a positive public image influences profitability. Profit is their supreme value.

I wonder whether part of the U.S. image problem in the world doesn’t relate to the perception that as a nation we have made profit our primary goal, to the degree that SICKO illustrates in just the one area of healthcare?

The corporate economy going global, naturally, also seems to value profit above all else. Profit appears to be the god worshipped in the “new world order,” the “global economy” that seeks to control our lives.

I can understand why people the world over rebel against this false god that demands human sacrifice to satisfy its ravenous appetite. I understand that someone like Michael Moore had to make a movie like SICKO to reveal the very bad wizard who appears too frequently when people seek help for their healthcare needs.

What Do We Deserve?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Did you hear? A Martian peace delegation was denied entry into the U.S. because of terrorism fears.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
Jesus did not deserve to die.
Soldiers do not deserve to die.
Children do not deserve to die.
Iraquis do not deserve to die.
Sudanese do not deserve to die.
Murder victims do not deserve to die.
Accident victims do not deserve to die.
People killed in natural disasters do not deserve to die.
Victims of torture or starvation do not deserve to die.
Homeless people do not deserve to die.
Gang members to not deserve to die.
People of other religions or ethnicity do not deserve to die.

"Thou shalt not kill," because no one deserves to die.

Even if I am old and have lived a wonderful life, I do not deserve to die.
But I shall die, because death is natural and has nothing to do with what I may deserve.
If I have life, logically, I will die. I cannot have one without the other. I do not deserve either.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"I'm afraid we have to stop seeing each other, Ms. Magdalene. People are beginning to talk."

[Not!]

D: Blog: Biltmore House

First impression – identifying with my simple-living forebears, I think Biltmore typifies the extravagant luxury and self-indulgence of a spoiled young heir to more money than he knew what to do with in a responsible way. The pretentious European-style palace seems totally out of place in the mountains of southern Appalachia. The unknown cost of the monument to a bloated life-style still reflects in ticket prices that make it difficult for middle-class families to enter the grounds of the famous estate.

Second impression – George Vanderbilt spent his money wisely, not wastefully. His extensive lands, amazing house, and fantastic museum-like décor represent the very best – in technology, in building materials, in architecture, in landscape design, in gardens, in forest restoration and management, in the hundreds of works of art preserved and displayed for millions of visitors. Expensive, yes, but done well and with the public in mind. The value of experiencing Vanderbilt’s house and estate surpasses by far what families can experience for comparably or higher priced tickets to any theme park.

Lasting impression – Vanderbilt’s spending, intended initially to create a self-sustaining estate, established something of much greater value: a priceless asset for the community. From jobs it provides area residents, to training, to support of education, arts and crafts, to income from tourists, to forming a strong tax base as a local, family-owned corporation, to providing a regional source of identity and pride. Biltmore cannot be equaled or replaced on the American scene, much less on the physical and economic and social landscape of Asheville and Western North Carolina.

Luxury does not impress me. I despise wasteful, frivolous living and spending. I resent the self-importance and the sense of entitlement one sees too often in very rich people. The impression I carry from George Vanderbilt’s legacy conveys none of that. Instead, I have sincere admiration, respect and appreciation for what he and his descendants have done.

Why Do You Fear?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Governments might try to persuade us that going to war is in our interest. At best, the arguments are propaganda. In essence, they are lies. The maxim says the first casualty in war is truth. Other early casualties are journalists, artists and pacifists, because they tell the truth.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
He said "Fear not."
You say "Fear not."
They say "Be very afraid."
The saying goes "Those who make you afraid control you."
He said "Love casts out all fear."
I like what you/He say.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"Along came a Samaritan, who happened to be gay..."

[Very unlikely that He said it. But today??]

D. Blog: A Fable

"Through the Valley of the Shadow..."

In a forest there once lived four birds: a chicken, an
ostrich, an eagle and an owl. In this forest, it had always been
light. But one day the light began to recede. As the darkness
grew thicker, the birds were very frightened.

In their fear, each of them responded differently. The chicken
ran around as if its head had been cut off, seeming to go in every
direction at once in hopes of escaping the darkness. The ostrich buried its head in the ground, seeking thereby to find security from the darkness. The eagle flew off in pursuit of the fading light, thinking it could by virtue of its strength and speed elude the darkness.

************

How should we end this little fable?

Perhaps: "And the owl simply perched on a branch, looking to the light beyond the darkness and calling, 'Who, who.'"

or: "When the second twilight began, the owl started to collect some twigs for a fire."

or: ??

What's In A Name?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
1912: "TITANIC SINKS; 1500 DIE - Administration official suspects terrorists directed iceberg into path of luxury liner."
2007: "VICTORY IN WAR ON TERROR - Administration says terrorists can no longer rely on icebergs to kill wealthy citizens of the coalition."

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,
Light shines through the leaves.
A bagworm tries catching it in its web.
The light doesn't care.
It shines.

I have eyes to see.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"How wise could Solomon be? Most men have trouble keeping one wife happy. 900 sounds extremely foolish. I think 72 is probably the limit, but what do I know?"

[Yeah, right...]

D. Blog: Hyphenated Names

Memo
To: All Staff, particularly clerical
From: Customers with hyphenated names
Date: July 9, 2007
Priority: URGENT (to avoid irritating customers)
Re: Guidelines for handling hyphenated names

1. A hyphen ( - ) is not an apostrophe ( ‘ ). Do not confuse them. The hyphen indicates a connection (in names, family connection). The apostrophe indicates something missing (as in “isn’t” instead of “is not”) or a possessive (“Mary’s virginity” instead of “Mary has virginity”). When the customer says “hyphen,” use a hyphen, never an apostrophe.

2. The hyphenated name is the whole, connected last (usually) name (as in Catherine Zeta-Jones). Common courtesy requires you to use the person’s complete last name. If you would call the actress “Ms. Jones,” she would not know you were addressing her, or would consider you an uninformed boor.

3. If the person signs documents with the hyphenated name, that is the legal name. If the name on the check has a hyphen, that is the legal name. If the name on the business card has a hyphen, that is the legal name. If the name on the Social Security Card has a hyphen, that is the legal name. Do not presume that the presence of that little hyphen means you can ignore it or separate the conjoined names (let no one tear asunder such a name). You do not have the right or authority to change or “correct” a customer’s legal name to what you think it should be.

4. If we send a bill to the Asheville Citizen, they have every right not to pay that bill. The legal name is Asheville Citizen-Times, with the hyphen connecting both earlier names in the local newspaper publishing history. If your daughter sends a letter of application to Webb University, she probably will not gain admission. It is puzzling that people who normally know not to separate Citizen from Times, Gardner from Webb, Winston from Salem, Randolph from Macon or Times from Dispatch, think they may make such a separation in the case of a person’s last name. See what happens to your fund appeal letter to Ms. Zeta-Jones to support your cause of protecting endangered species if it begins “Dear Ms. Jones.”

5. As for filing/alphabetizing, the rule is simple. Zeta-Jones gets filed under “Z”, the first letter of the full last name.

6. When addressing someone, use the full last name, as in Mr. Day-Lewis, Mr. & Mrs. Day-Lewis, Mr. Daniel Day-Lewis and Mrs. Rebecca Day-Lewis, but not Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Day-Lewis. The Day-Lewis example only illustrates how addressing works when the couple shares the same hyphenated name. In reality, Daniel’s wife’s name is Rebecca Miller, so in addressing them as a specific couple, use Mr. Day-Lewis and Mrs. Miller, or Mr. Daniel Day-Lewis and Mrs. Rebecca Miller.

7. If in doubt, ask.

8. Do not separate a hyphenated name, ever.

Creativity

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
If God declares peace with Earth, who are we to disturb that peace?

B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
Those who do not marvel at the rhythm of day and night must be blind.
Those whose spirits do not rise at the bird's wake-up song must be deaf.
Those who do not thrill at the appearance of crocus and daffodil in spring have not experienced the truth of resurrection.
Those who cannot revel in the cleansing summer rain have lost touch with what matters in life.
We dwell in the midst of glory.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"Oops!"

[Not even in Aramaic, perhaps?]

D. Blog/Parable:

“When God began to create…”


Once there was a renowned artist who opened a special gallery. Everyone wanted to come to the gallery, because it was celebrated for the vast scope of creative energy on display.

Some people came for the spectacle. They wanted to be part of the action, to mingle with celebrities and “important” people. Looking at the paintings, they saw the surface images and noticed the coloration. Some pictures they liked and some they didn’t like. They left satisfied.

Art critics and historians came, too. They wanted material for new textbooks, especially showing the development of the artist’s style. The paintings came under intense scrutiny as the scholars studied them from different angles and compared them with the work of other artists. These observers also paid close attention to one another and how they might each interpret these paintings. With some reservations, of course, they also left satisfied and gave qualified approval of the gallery.

Still others came with pencils and notepads in hand. Spending hours in the gallery, they basked in the images as the lighting gave special brilliance to the paintings. They made notes and sketches in their notepads, and anticipated how they might express the glory of what they felt there. They were more than satisfied, though, for the great artist came and sat beside them, asked to see their sketches, and encouraged their creative efforts by autographing their books and inviting them to a Creativity Carnival.

Judgment

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
We know a lot about war, not very much about establishing justice and peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
It's my lucky day! 7-7-7
Probably a good day to get married.
Probably a good day to play the lottery.
Probably a good day to make a sale.
Probably a good day to ask for a date.
Probably a good day to enjoy the gift of life.
Probably a good day to spend some time with friends and family.
Luck has little to do with it.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:
"Mom, I can’t help it if I’m a know-it-all."
[Easy to imagine, I know, but no English].

D. Blog: Prep Questions for Judgment Day

Judgment Day’s A Comin’
100 Prep Questions for the Final Exam

(100) How many of your friends did not practice your religion?

(99) Which holiday from another religious tradition did you appreciate most? Why?

(98) If you opposed abortion, what did you do to support unwed mothers and their children?

(97) If you supported the right to abortion, what did you do to prevent teenage pregnancies and “abortions of convenience?”

(96) How do you react to the fact that, because of scripture, for centuries most Christians held a literal belief in the existence of unicorns?

(95) How much time each day did you spend, on average, in silence?

(94) What three things did you appreciate about a religion other than yours?

(93) Which of the traditions of your religion did you think could be discarded? Why?

(92) What did you consider to be the greatest failing of organized religion? Why?

(91) What did you consider to be the greatest contribution of organized religion? Why?

Mountain Landscape

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
The peace of God passes all understanding, but that doesn't mean we only try to understand war.

B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
Other landscapes have their charm and appeal - the beach views of the ocean's rhythmic waves and vast expanse, theprairie broad and so flat as to make any height stand out, the flowing river to rmeind of change, movement, journey. But my soul takes delight especially in mountain splendor, the way sun and cloud and sky play upon these majestic heights. No human art can do justice to their glory.
Amen

PS: Ugly buildings against a mountain backdrop - what were they thinking??

C. Unquoting Jesus:
"Personally, I put my faith in a free market economy."
[Yeah, that'll be the day.]

D. Blog: Smog
I used to enjoy places like High Knob in Gambrill State Park (MD), for there, high up the hill (or mountain), on sunny days I could gaze for miles. A bird’s eye view, except in colors of blues and greens and browns, with occasional whites of farms and buildings, villages and water towers.
Now, unless it’s a sunny day after a good rain, the view only depresses me, as it must depress many other people, who stay away in droves. If all the additional whites were not enough, the white hazy air makes me crazy. What sort of perspective can I gain when all I see is this smoky haze? Fog on the mountain is bad enough, as if God were limiting access to the divine. When it’s smog on the mountain, that seems worse still, as if we choose to see with cataracts in front of our eyes.
And when we avoid the heights because we know the hazy and limited vision will bring us to despair? That is surely a choice to pretend the problem doesn’t exist, to avoid seeing the eye doctor, to decide the cure is worse than the disease. Repentance is no longer in our vocabulary. Nor is hubris. Too bad.

Finding Peace

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
What if…
… our love for peace determines a place in heaven?
… making peace marks the sign of true greatness?
… seeking peace indicates maturity?
… a bleeding heart is the mark of real humanity?
… a weapon represents childish games?
… flowers only bloom in peace time?
… war is unheard of on other planets?

B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
I see your glory wherever I turn.
I hear your glory whenever I waken.
I smell your glory if I pay attention.
I taste your glory in so simple a thing as an apple.
I touch your glory on my fingertips or with a barefoot step.
I breathe your glory until I die.
I feel your glory in a handshake, a hug, a kiss, sex.
I know your glory in the arts, including scriptures.
I meet your glory in contemplation and prayer.
You are glory.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:
"Yes, Judas, I guess you could say that Joseph invested in grain futures."
[Probably not said by Jesus]

D. Blog: The "Cancer" Word

The “C” Word
The doctor said: “cancer.”

“Cancer” word, to her;
“Cancer” worried was I.

“Cancer” wayed in her?
“Cancer” weighed on me.

“Cancer” whiled with her?
“Cancer” wild in me.

“Cancer” ward for her?
“Cancer” warred with me.

But we are C.O.s.
No war engages us,
So we’ve won in the arena that matters.

And the other?
It is well; morning comes; light shines.
Music and memories linger longer than a body knows.

See? Si.

A Peaceful Fourth

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
Fortunately, God’s peace does not depend on the US government. Unfortunately, in the short term, world peace probably does.

B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
Sometimes I feel so old. Not so much physically as emotionally. I feel tired of human ignorance, human cruelty, human depravity, human selfishness, human violence, human stubbornness. Tired of sin, I suppose. It’s not so much that I feel we need repentance and forgiveness, although they would help no doubt. More, though, that we need to be awakened to the waste of our ways, the misuse of our lives, the squandering of the marvelous gift you bestow upon us when we take our first breath.
So, tired and old though I may feel at times, I remain immeasurably and eternally grateful that you allow me the privilege of experiencing life.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:
“Be all you can be – join the insurgency against Rome.”
[Nope, He wasn't that kind of revolutionary]

D. Blog: Unpatriotic at McDonald's?
You Call This Efficient??

I know our nation receives kudos for our efficiency, but sometimes I wonder…

At McDonald’s, for instance. High efficiency fast food, right? Food preparation and delivery like an assembly line, right?

Have you ever noticed, though, the line-up of cars in the “drive-through” lane? It never ceases to amaze me that efficient Americans will wait 20 minutes creeping through that line, when they could walk inside and get their food in less than five minutes.

Is that too fast for their taste, I wonder? Or are there other options on the menu of explanations?

- Don’t want to put on shoes and/or shirt?
- Can’t give up that costly cigarette? (That would be inefficient).
- Afraid their health-conscious friends might recognize them going into McDonald’s?
- Afraid their adult friends will observe them ordering the Scooby-doo kids’ meal?
- Can’t afford to miss a lap of the 400-mile NASCAR race on the radio?
- Hasn’t heard this song since, oh, I don’t know, the third time through the CD since she got in the drive-through lane?
- Afraid they might lose weight by walking – what’s the point of a Big Mac if you walk off the fat just getting it?

I just don’t like the inefficiency of waiting in a drive-through lane to get fast food. It detracts from our national reputation, and I wonder, around our national holiday, whether we should recognize it for what it is: unpatriotic.

Crying to God

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
Peace does not produce suffering.

B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
I greet you in the morning fog-light, for you usher in the new day of my short life.
I greet you in the warmth of the mid-day sun, for you bless my life with love and creativity.
I greet you in the cool of the evening, for you provide the means by which I can process the events of my life.
I greet you when the day passes, for you measure my days and in the end welcome me into your presence.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:
“They will call me the Prince of War, win or lose.”
[Never said anything like it.]

D. Blog: A Parable
"I have heard their cry..."

A conference gathers to meet in a large auditorium. Speakers on the platform cannot be heard without a powerful microphone. Even a large choir needs a sound system in order to be heard properly.

But the cry of an infant is heard clearly throughout the vast hall.

[Thanks to Alice for the observation that led to this parable].

Up the Mountain

A. Unabashed Pacifist:
No peace, no gain.

B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
Sometimes, like the mountains, you are shrouded in mystery or hidden from view.
Sometimes you appear, like the mountains, awesome, grand and beautiful.
Sometimes, like the mountains, you seem bold, imposing and intimidating.
Sometimes, like the mountains, you are simply there: present, uplifting, worthy of our respect and appreciation.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:
“Send me 1000 shekels and I will personally pray for your healing.”
[No way He said anything like this.]

D. Blog: Walking as Spiritual Discipline
In her book, Walking in This World, creativity guru Julia Cameron says that ideas and insights come to us as we walk, so she recommends taking a leisurely walk at least once a week to stay creative. Walking is a natural means of maintaining and enhancing spiritual balance, she has learned.

Similarly, Kosuke Koyama writes in his book, Three Mile an Hour God, that when we walk, “God invites us in the direction of depth rather than distance” – or speed. In the depths, God speaks to us.

We are born for walking (assuming no unfortunate physical impairment). Walking we learn naturally, as opposed to other modes of transit. Two-legged walking marks us as human, and doing it keeps us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy.

Without the distractions of mechanical travel - which involves steering, braking, watching for pedestrians and other vehicles, traffic hazards and regulations – I am free to observe, to ponder, to simply put one foot in front of the other, and to receive the Spirit’s guidance.

My feet feel Earth beneath them, restoring my connection to Earth, grounding me and reminding me of my roots. I become familiar with my path and at times enter a Zen-like state of meditation or the “zone” where I know my oneness with the universe. Walking removes, at least temporarily, the driven quality from our lives, the compulsive striving. We center into our spirit.

Walking, I can greet other walkers, sharing a bond I almost never experience with other mechanized travelers. My mind need not feel the pressure of multi-tasking, of reaching a destination speedily and safely. Walking is the goal. Any “achievement” comes in the process, not at the end of my walk. The journeying matters.

Cameron and Koyama both indicate that walking frees us from the idolatry of productivity and efficiency, linking us instead to God’s own creativity that lies within us. Walk for a fuller life, that is the message.

One final observation: I never reach a mountaintop without having to walk.

Presents

A. Unabashed Pacifist:


Whoever says peace is boring isn’t paying attention - and lacks both imagination and compassion.


B. Unabashed Christian:
Holy One,
I lift my eyes to the hills because it is a natural impulse, instinctive – like looking to you.
Amen


C. Unquoting Jesus:
“Here, Peter, try on these red shoes. I want to see how they look on you. Chic, very chic. But not very practical for fishing.”
[No, He didn't say it, but I think it would have been in His version of Common Sense]



D. Blog: Happy Birthday


Birthday Present

What to do for a birthday present?
I would like to toy with the words:
be present on the day of birth,
present the birthed one to the day,
make the day of birth a present,
move the birth into the present day.
They all contain a playful gift, I think.

But our feelings betray us on the occasion.
Too full, too many, too stirred.
Laughter helps defuse the reminders of expanding past
and shrinking future. Awful day…
Maybe some thing or celebration
wraps that anxiety, hides it in smiling bow.
Or not. Best hope a notion to seize the day.

Tears of joy we also quell, and do so, sadly.
For this one, unique in all of time and space,
shares the spark of life with me. We are
together blessed by this.
Fully present, can we be, to an awe-full day?