Earthquakes, Tsunami, and God
God IS in the tsunami - the power that created the universe made tsunamis. The tectonic plates move so that the land masses can float above the earth's core. The earth will not tear itself apart, which it would do if it had a rigid cover over the molten magma. The resulting earthquakes and tsunamis are inevitable. They are not punishment for sin. They are not intended by the creator for anything other than the balance and well being of the earth.
Building on the beach, cutting down banyan trees to build shrimp farms, forgetting the teaching of those who have been through this before, lack of sharing of resources from the rich to the poor. This is where the sin lies. The tsunami is not a punishment - but there are consequences of not paying attention to the creation. Natural disasters are in the eye of the beholder and the sufferer. The suffering and loss are great and terrible and a part of living on this fragile earth, our island home (BCP p. 370).
I grew up on the Oregon coast by the Pacific Ocean. I know this fearsome side of the creation. The creator God is not tame. God does not intervene in the natural order of the universe. That really would cause chaos. But, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we prefer a golden calf to this wild God.
God is also in the suffering and in the assistance. We know the divine in Jesus is the one who comes among us and lives and dies with us, God who enters into life and shows us how to live here on the earth. We are the hands and arms and bodies of this manifestation of God.
God is in and through all, where we live and move and have our being as it says in the Book of Acts. The Hindu Rig-Veda envisions this as Indra’s Net. The net stretches between heaven and earth and all things are held in it. Each being is a jewel in the net. When one feels joy - all feel joy. When one suffers - all suffer. Christians know this connection as the Spirit which is present in the spaces between us - the web that connects us all as one. We have the job of tending the net - the web of creation.
Is there any lesson in this disaster? I believe the lesson of the tsunami and all natural disasters is we are a part of creation, we are NOT special. We can make a big mess of creation, even destroy it, but I don’t think that is the answer.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Friday, January 07, 2005
Walking to the Post Office on a Winter Afternoon
I think I should have put on my long underwear
as the cold air surrounds my Levi-ed legs
but I am already around the corner of the road
and warming in my down parka with its fake fur trim.
I reach the city (if you can call a town of 6500 a city) limits
where a crazy checkerboard
of sidewalks wait in frozen invitation,
with and without parking strips
some shoveled clear of snow
some trampled by other walkers
one who stamped UGG with every step
My shadow stretches out ahead
as the sun warms my back
maybe it is good that I do not have another layer
The post office is jammed with others who have
letters to mail or P.O. boxes to check before
they hop back in one of the idling pickups
in the parking lot and head home for dinner.
Now I turn towards home having mailed my
excuse for a walk letter
I retrace my waffle steps as my shadow
lingers further and further behind
Deer prints criss cross my path
and a few prints of cross country ski boots.
The sun is quickly disappearing over the mountain
so I stay on the high road instead
of taking the river walk with its ouzels and otters.
Quickly now I pass the golf course with its
single skier skating across the fairway
and turn towards our road.
The sun is gone to the other side of the world
and soon the stars and maybe comet Maccholz
will appear in the East
Our home greets me with a blast of warmth
that is not just the wood stove with its load
of Russian Olive and Cottonwood
I think I should have put on my long underwear
as the cold air surrounds my Levi-ed legs
but I am already around the corner of the road
and warming in my down parka with its fake fur trim.
I reach the city (if you can call a town of 6500 a city) limits
where a crazy checkerboard
of sidewalks wait in frozen invitation,
with and without parking strips
some shoveled clear of snow
some trampled by other walkers
one who stamped UGG with every step
My shadow stretches out ahead
as the sun warms my back
maybe it is good that I do not have another layer
The post office is jammed with others who have
letters to mail or P.O. boxes to check before
they hop back in one of the idling pickups
in the parking lot and head home for dinner.
Now I turn towards home having mailed my
excuse for a walk letter
I retrace my waffle steps as my shadow
lingers further and further behind
Deer prints criss cross my path
and a few prints of cross country ski boots.
The sun is quickly disappearing over the mountain
so I stay on the high road instead
of taking the river walk with its ouzels and otters.
Quickly now I pass the golf course with its
single skier skating across the fairway
and turn towards our road.
The sun is gone to the other side of the world
and soon the stars and maybe comet Maccholz
will appear in the East
Our home greets me with a blast of warmth
that is not just the wood stove with its load
of Russian Olive and Cottonwood
Thursday, January 06, 2005
1 EPIPHANY
“Then Peter began to speak to them: 'I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all.” Acts 10:34-36
The background for this speech is the early Christians are having a dispute. This one is about whether gentiles have to be circumcised before they can be baptized. To us this may not seem like it would be problem but for Jewish Christians it was as a horrible thing if males were not circumcised. They would literally feel sick to be associating with such people. The gentiles could not be insiders in the church because they were such outsiders in the early Christian's minds. Peter felt this way and Paul had been trying to convince him that it was not important. The story that comes before Peter’s speech is his journey to changing his mind.(Acts 10:1-36)
All who stand in awe of the mystery beyond our knowing and do what is right are acceptable in that mystery. And the odd thing about God, even those who don’t stand in awe and don’t do what is right are accepted. Peter had it right - God shows no partiality.
The church has been having disputes and debates and even wars over who is right about who is in and who is out and what God thinks. In the end of each fight what becomes clear is that wherever there is justice, mercy, and a willingness to walk in the path of Love we will find the Holy One. The current debate in the church is about whether our day’s outsiders, gay, lesbian and transgender persons will be accepted without having to conform to someone else’s ideas. Like the gentiles of the early church - will they be accepted as full members with all the rights and rites of everyone else? This story of Peter and the Centurion gives us the answer.
In an old poem by Edwin Markham, he puts it this way
He drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout
But Love and I had wit to win
We drew a circle that took him in.
God’s circle is Love, or as we call its embodiment, Jesus Christ. No one is out - all are in. We can relax into knowing that we are always loved - no matter what we have done or are doing, no matter where we are in our life journey, no matter what other's opinions are of us. We are free to share that love and witness it to others. We can stand up for how God wants the world to be - a place where all are cared for. We can share our resources with others. We can be a place where all are welcome. We can stand up for those who are on the margins, those who suffer from prejudice or injustice.We can be a place where those who are imprisoned by their life history or addictions or abuse can find freedom. We can let go of fear and step out in Love. We can reflect the way that God would have us live because we know that we are beloved of the one who created the universe and that we are supposed to be here in this time and this place.
This Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. Matthew tells us the story of how Jesus went down into Egypt and has now returned. Like Moses and the chosen people emerging from the waters of the Red Sea - Jesus emerges from the waters of baptism about to enter the wilderness. The voice from the heavens proclaims him Son, Beloved, in whom God is well pleased. God is delighted with him - he is the one who will lead the people into freedom - out of bondage from injustice, out of bondage to all things that keep people from becoming who God has created them to be. Jesus can lead us because he is the one who lives fully into who God created him to be - not any threat nor even death will cause him to change how he lives his life. He hangs out with all sorts of people, not just the “good” people but also tax collectors, prostitutes, the religious and the non-religious, rich and poor, whoever comes to him. He invites all to share with him in God's way of life. In fact, the early church was called that - the Way. He does not call us to worship him - he calls us to follow him and as the psalmist says “Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing” Psalm 89:1a.
“Then Peter began to speak to them: 'I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all.” Acts 10:34-36
The background for this speech is the early Christians are having a dispute. This one is about whether gentiles have to be circumcised before they can be baptized. To us this may not seem like it would be problem but for Jewish Christians it was as a horrible thing if males were not circumcised. They would literally feel sick to be associating with such people. The gentiles could not be insiders in the church because they were such outsiders in the early Christian's minds. Peter felt this way and Paul had been trying to convince him that it was not important. The story that comes before Peter’s speech is his journey to changing his mind.(Acts 10:1-36)
All who stand in awe of the mystery beyond our knowing and do what is right are acceptable in that mystery. And the odd thing about God, even those who don’t stand in awe and don’t do what is right are accepted. Peter had it right - God shows no partiality.
The church has been having disputes and debates and even wars over who is right about who is in and who is out and what God thinks. In the end of each fight what becomes clear is that wherever there is justice, mercy, and a willingness to walk in the path of Love we will find the Holy One. The current debate in the church is about whether our day’s outsiders, gay, lesbian and transgender persons will be accepted without having to conform to someone else’s ideas. Like the gentiles of the early church - will they be accepted as full members with all the rights and rites of everyone else? This story of Peter and the Centurion gives us the answer.
In an old poem by Edwin Markham, he puts it this way
He drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout
But Love and I had wit to win
We drew a circle that took him in.
God’s circle is Love, or as we call its embodiment, Jesus Christ. No one is out - all are in. We can relax into knowing that we are always loved - no matter what we have done or are doing, no matter where we are in our life journey, no matter what other's opinions are of us. We are free to share that love and witness it to others. We can stand up for how God wants the world to be - a place where all are cared for. We can share our resources with others. We can be a place where all are welcome. We can stand up for those who are on the margins, those who suffer from prejudice or injustice.We can be a place where those who are imprisoned by their life history or addictions or abuse can find freedom. We can let go of fear and step out in Love. We can reflect the way that God would have us live because we know that we are beloved of the one who created the universe and that we are supposed to be here in this time and this place.
This Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. Matthew tells us the story of how Jesus went down into Egypt and has now returned. Like Moses and the chosen people emerging from the waters of the Red Sea - Jesus emerges from the waters of baptism about to enter the wilderness. The voice from the heavens proclaims him Son, Beloved, in whom God is well pleased. God is delighted with him - he is the one who will lead the people into freedom - out of bondage from injustice, out of bondage to all things that keep people from becoming who God has created them to be. Jesus can lead us because he is the one who lives fully into who God created him to be - not any threat nor even death will cause him to change how he lives his life. He hangs out with all sorts of people, not just the “good” people but also tax collectors, prostitutes, the religious and the non-religious, rich and poor, whoever comes to him. He invites all to share with him in God's way of life. In fact, the early church was called that - the Way. He does not call us to worship him - he calls us to follow him and as the psalmist says “Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing” Psalm 89:1a.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
CHRISTMAS 2 - random thoughts.
In the cycle of readings for the Episcopal Church this Sunday is the story of the Flight to Egypt except the lectionary leaves out verses 16-18, Herod's slaughter of all boys under age 2. This is a particularly glaring omission to me this week. During the week the world witnessed one of the greatest natural disasters of history, 120,000 people died (as of today) and damage to property and livelihoods beyond counting. A great percentage of the dead are children - a modern day slaughter of innocents. The earth is constructed to shift the underlying plates to maintain balance so in a way you could say that the creator caused the earthquake and tsunami but the theology of the Incarnation - God born,living and dying as Jesus the Christ - tells of God who enters into human life and suffers with us. Even in the earliest days of Jesus' life he lives in times of danger and suffering. To me the slaughter of the tsunami is partly due to a natural catastrophe but there is an element of Herod too. Many of the areas that were destroyed ignored the posssibility of tsunami and built on the shoreline to attract tourists. Many areas cut down the natural flora and destroyed reefs, that could have slowed the waves, to build shrimp farms so we can have inexpensive shrimp for our parties. Many places forgot the stories of the elders that say when there is an earthquake the waves will follow - go to higher ground. There is one island where most all survived because they remembered the wisdom of their foremothers and forefathers - when they felt the earthquake they all went to the hills. There could have been warning systems set up but money was not found for that. One hotel had its own warning system and all there were saved.
So where is God in all of this? Some are saying it is God's punishment on those who were partying and having a holiday at the beach during Christmas, or because it is a place where gays and lesbians are free to be together and have fun. (see Fred Phelps site for this particular bit of Herod-like thinking). That is NOT my Christianity, that is not the message of Jesus, God with us. To me, God is present in the woman who lived inland and cooked up all she had in her house, put it on a cart and wheeled it down to the shore and began feeding whoever showed up. God is in the tourists who sprang into action using their skills as EMTs or doctors or whatever, and their resources to begin immediate aid. God is in the columnists who shamed the US government into committing more aid than the paltrey $15 million drop in the bucket first offered. A country that spends $30 billion on diet products each year, a country that spends $30 million every 4 hours in a war in Iraq - can do better. Countries around the world contributed to aid and individual generosity is even more impressive. Already money is flowing through religious and private organizations into programs that are in place and organized to assist people The Episcopal Relief and Development program is set up through the Anglican Communion and its local churches throughtout the area of the Indian Ocean. $250,000 went out immediately and more to follow as donations are made.
The tragedy is beyond my ability to take in and yet I have hope that it will bring us together as humans on this planet - our island Earth. It will still be terrible for all who are suffering but we will not be left on the side of Herod - a king who sees only threats to his power and reacts creating more suffering and loss. Hopefully, we will be on the side of the One who calls us to see each other as family, sisters and brothers, the One born in the midst of times of terror. Nathan Nettleton in Australia says it better than any in A Christmas Tsunami.
So many questions in this journey of faith, what are our answers and what is God's answer?
In the cycle of readings for the Episcopal Church this Sunday is the story of the Flight to Egypt except the lectionary leaves out verses 16-18, Herod's slaughter of all boys under age 2. This is a particularly glaring omission to me this week. During the week the world witnessed one of the greatest natural disasters of history, 120,000 people died (as of today) and damage to property and livelihoods beyond counting. A great percentage of the dead are children - a modern day slaughter of innocents. The earth is constructed to shift the underlying plates to maintain balance so in a way you could say that the creator caused the earthquake and tsunami but the theology of the Incarnation - God born,living and dying as Jesus the Christ - tells of God who enters into human life and suffers with us. Even in the earliest days of Jesus' life he lives in times of danger and suffering. To me the slaughter of the tsunami is partly due to a natural catastrophe but there is an element of Herod too. Many of the areas that were destroyed ignored the posssibility of tsunami and built on the shoreline to attract tourists. Many areas cut down the natural flora and destroyed reefs, that could have slowed the waves, to build shrimp farms so we can have inexpensive shrimp for our parties. Many places forgot the stories of the elders that say when there is an earthquake the waves will follow - go to higher ground. There is one island where most all survived because they remembered the wisdom of their foremothers and forefathers - when they felt the earthquake they all went to the hills. There could have been warning systems set up but money was not found for that. One hotel had its own warning system and all there were saved.
So where is God in all of this? Some are saying it is God's punishment on those who were partying and having a holiday at the beach during Christmas, or because it is a place where gays and lesbians are free to be together and have fun. (see Fred Phelps site for this particular bit of Herod-like thinking). That is NOT my Christianity, that is not the message of Jesus, God with us. To me, God is present in the woman who lived inland and cooked up all she had in her house, put it on a cart and wheeled it down to the shore and began feeding whoever showed up. God is in the tourists who sprang into action using their skills as EMTs or doctors or whatever, and their resources to begin immediate aid. God is in the columnists who shamed the US government into committing more aid than the paltrey $15 million drop in the bucket first offered. A country that spends $30 billion on diet products each year, a country that spends $30 million every 4 hours in a war in Iraq - can do better. Countries around the world contributed to aid and individual generosity is even more impressive. Already money is flowing through religious and private organizations into programs that are in place and organized to assist people The Episcopal Relief and Development program is set up through the Anglican Communion and its local churches throughtout the area of the Indian Ocean. $250,000 went out immediately and more to follow as donations are made.
The tragedy is beyond my ability to take in and yet I have hope that it will bring us together as humans on this planet - our island Earth. It will still be terrible for all who are suffering but we will not be left on the side of Herod - a king who sees only threats to his power and reacts creating more suffering and loss. Hopefully, we will be on the side of the One who calls us to see each other as family, sisters and brothers, the One born in the midst of times of terror. Nathan Nettleton in Australia says it better than any in A Christmas Tsunami.
So many questions in this journey of faith, what are our answers and what is God's answer?
Friday, December 24, 2004
CHRISTMAS 2004
Some years I am brimming over with Christmas cheer - the friends, the family, the presents, the love - overflowing. This year for some reason - there is a tinge of sadness and melancholy in the midst of it all. Maybe I have been listening to the news too much or hearing of too many events that I cannot do anything about. Maybe it is because a good friend died on St. Nicholas Day. Maybe is it the mess in Iraq.
I don’t feel ready for Christmas even though all the presents are purchased and some are even opened (Jim and I had a bit of early Christmas today). But ready or not - here it is! Tonight we gather to hear the story and live again the miracle of God being born in our midst. God who loves us and joins us in our human journey - birth, life, death. All the wonder and suffering that it is to be human. Emmanuel - God with us. With us and for us. The beginning of our journey, the journey itself and the end of our journey - in whom we live and move and have our being. As St. Patrick says, “Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of friend and stranger.”
(Hymnal #370)
John Shea says the signs of Christmas remind us that regardless of the state of our lives and the world - the promise of hope is always there. The star - stars are the most amazing things - I love to go out on a winter night and see the universe - I feel like I could almost fall off the world into the brightness. Yesterday I went out before dawn and saw a man made star tracking across the sky - for 4 minutes I watched (in my down robe and a blanket wrapped around me) as the Space Station trekked its way from NW to NE - two astronauts - one from Russian and one from the US - an amazing sign for someone who grew up when Russia was our enemy and fear ruled in our country. Now we journey through the universe together - who would have thought it could happen? At Jesus birth - the star marked the place where love could bring strangers together - Magi - scientists of their day, from another religious tradition, beautifully dressed with lovely gifts, shepherds - looked down upon by “nice” people - scruffy and somewhat scary, living in the fields with their sheep, a rough crowd, Angels - messengers from another realm of creation, singing with the songs of the universe, dancing in from the stars. Joseph - following his dreams, Mary - young girl whose heart was open to the will of God. All these people who would never be found together except by a miracle and the star shows us the way in the darkest of nights.
The tree - evergreen. No matter how cold the winter - its branches hold the promise of new life and green springtime. Wildlife gathers for shelter under its branches, cones provide food, and we bring them into our homes and churches to remember that even in the coldest of times - life continues.
The baby - born in less than ideal surroundings - typical of the birth of many children around the world. Babies come regardless of circumstance - rich or poor, in a hospital or in a manger, always with the same message - that God has not yet given up on us. And this particular birth makes all births holy - filled with the promise that love can overcome everything else and that the arc of justice bends towards earth - this child who will live into the fullness of who he was created to be - who shows us the way to live into the fullness of who we are created to be - who reminds of the fact that angels sang at our birth too - with our own special song. Can we hear it? In moments of despair and moments of joy - listen. Listen to the Angels singing sweetly over the earth - you are my beloved child and with you I am well pleased.
My favorite Christmas story is of a man who was having a terrible time in his life - he was probably going to lose his job, he had just had a big fight with his spouse, his daughter was in Iraq. It was not a good time for him. He decided to go out for a walk. As he walked through the falling snow - damp cold sifting down the back of his neck - head down, trudging along. The stores were alight with Christmas - bright icicles of tiny white lights, multi-colored strands of fat bulbs, gifts displayed in tinsel and a riot of red, green, blue, and silver. He saw none of it - so immersed was he in his troubles and the bad news of the world. Out of the corner of his downcast eyes he saw a manger scene, something about it made him stop. It was a big full-sized one - the figures gathered around - a fearsome angel, scruffy shepherds, Magi in all their royal garb, cattle, sheep, camels, and of course Joseph and Mary. Suddenly he became aware that there was no Christ Child in this scene - instead all the figures were gazing out with that sappy look adults reserve for babies - that aaahhh - isn’t that a wonderful child look. But instead of looking at a baby they were all looking at him. He was the beloved child - he is the one for which the whole world is waiting. He was filled with the love of that moment. His life had not changed but his world had.
In the words of another hymn by Christina Rossetti (Hymnal #84)
Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine;
love was born at Christmas: star and angels gave the sign.
Love shall be our token; love be yours and love be mine
love to God and neighbor, love for plea and gift and sign.
Look around for the signs of hope and have a Merry Christmas!!!
Some years I am brimming over with Christmas cheer - the friends, the family, the presents, the love - overflowing. This year for some reason - there is a tinge of sadness and melancholy in the midst of it all. Maybe I have been listening to the news too much or hearing of too many events that I cannot do anything about. Maybe it is because a good friend died on St. Nicholas Day. Maybe is it the mess in Iraq.
I don’t feel ready for Christmas even though all the presents are purchased and some are even opened (Jim and I had a bit of early Christmas today). But ready or not - here it is! Tonight we gather to hear the story and live again the miracle of God being born in our midst. God who loves us and joins us in our human journey - birth, life, death. All the wonder and suffering that it is to be human. Emmanuel - God with us. With us and for us. The beginning of our journey, the journey itself and the end of our journey - in whom we live and move and have our being. As St. Patrick says, “Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of friend and stranger.”
(Hymnal #370)
John Shea says the signs of Christmas remind us that regardless of the state of our lives and the world - the promise of hope is always there. The star - stars are the most amazing things - I love to go out on a winter night and see the universe - I feel like I could almost fall off the world into the brightness. Yesterday I went out before dawn and saw a man made star tracking across the sky - for 4 minutes I watched (in my down robe and a blanket wrapped around me) as the Space Station trekked its way from NW to NE - two astronauts - one from Russian and one from the US - an amazing sign for someone who grew up when Russia was our enemy and fear ruled in our country. Now we journey through the universe together - who would have thought it could happen? At Jesus birth - the star marked the place where love could bring strangers together - Magi - scientists of their day, from another religious tradition, beautifully dressed with lovely gifts, shepherds - looked down upon by “nice” people - scruffy and somewhat scary, living in the fields with their sheep, a rough crowd, Angels - messengers from another realm of creation, singing with the songs of the universe, dancing in from the stars. Joseph - following his dreams, Mary - young girl whose heart was open to the will of God. All these people who would never be found together except by a miracle and the star shows us the way in the darkest of nights.
The tree - evergreen. No matter how cold the winter - its branches hold the promise of new life and green springtime. Wildlife gathers for shelter under its branches, cones provide food, and we bring them into our homes and churches to remember that even in the coldest of times - life continues.
The baby - born in less than ideal surroundings - typical of the birth of many children around the world. Babies come regardless of circumstance - rich or poor, in a hospital or in a manger, always with the same message - that God has not yet given up on us. And this particular birth makes all births holy - filled with the promise that love can overcome everything else and that the arc of justice bends towards earth - this child who will live into the fullness of who he was created to be - who shows us the way to live into the fullness of who we are created to be - who reminds of the fact that angels sang at our birth too - with our own special song. Can we hear it? In moments of despair and moments of joy - listen. Listen to the Angels singing sweetly over the earth - you are my beloved child and with you I am well pleased.
My favorite Christmas story is of a man who was having a terrible time in his life - he was probably going to lose his job, he had just had a big fight with his spouse, his daughter was in Iraq. It was not a good time for him. He decided to go out for a walk. As he walked through the falling snow - damp cold sifting down the back of his neck - head down, trudging along. The stores were alight with Christmas - bright icicles of tiny white lights, multi-colored strands of fat bulbs, gifts displayed in tinsel and a riot of red, green, blue, and silver. He saw none of it - so immersed was he in his troubles and the bad news of the world. Out of the corner of his downcast eyes he saw a manger scene, something about it made him stop. It was a big full-sized one - the figures gathered around - a fearsome angel, scruffy shepherds, Magi in all their royal garb, cattle, sheep, camels, and of course Joseph and Mary. Suddenly he became aware that there was no Christ Child in this scene - instead all the figures were gazing out with that sappy look adults reserve for babies - that aaahhh - isn’t that a wonderful child look. But instead of looking at a baby they were all looking at him. He was the beloved child - he is the one for which the whole world is waiting. He was filled with the love of that moment. His life had not changed but his world had.
In the words of another hymn by Christina Rossetti (Hymnal #84)
Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine;
love was born at Christmas: star and angels gave the sign.
Love shall be our token; love be yours and love be mine
love to God and neighbor, love for plea and gift and sign.
Look around for the signs of hope and have a Merry Christmas!!!
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
"Are you ready for Christmas?" This question seems to have replaced the "How are you?" as the question for this time of year. It seems to require just a simple "yes" or "no" but for me it is a dilemma. As a Christian, an Episcopal priest, a mother, grandmother, wife, etc. it causes me to review all the various layers of Christmas and often paralyzes my response. Yes, I am ready - presents are purchased and mailed (online shopping and shipping makes this easy if I can just get an idea of what people want) and my Christmas letter is written even if it is not printed and mailed yet and may not be even with 12 days of Christmas. Yes and No as a priest - the service bulletins are typed and being printed (I hope) but I do not have more than a few glimmerings of what will be in my sermon. No - as a Christian - I am never ready for the amazing gift of the incarnation - God being born in our midst. Were Mary and Joseph ready? Mary - a young woman (almost a girl, perhaps) - on the road, hoping to find shelter before the baby is born, pregnant - God knows how - and with a promise but not much else. Joseph - old? young? - a wife, pregnant not by him, taking her on a trip because the Emperor does worry about the lives of his subjects or the inconvenience he is causing. Totally not ready for what is to be the first Christmas. Am I ready - ready to have God born in me this night - as we sing in O Little Town of Bethlehem? Is there space in my life for God who is going to be as demanding as a newborn? who reminds me that all people are created in the image of God? (even "those" people), who will call me to seek justice for all people? to live in the world with compassion towards all (interesting that word compassion - in the Hebrew the root is womb of God), to love my neighbor as myself? Am I ready for the outpouring of Love into my life - a love that is not bribed or purchased, but surrounds us and dwells in the spaces between us - in whom we live and move and have our being? No - not ready - but God like some wild child playing tag with us says "ready or not - here I come" and when we are caught we know we are "IT" -- captured by LOVE.
Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine;
love was born at Christmas, star and angels gave the sign.
Love shall be our token; love be yours and love be mine,
love to God and neighbor, love for plea and gift and sign. Christina Rosetti (1830-1894)
Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine;
love was born at Christmas, star and angels gave the sign.
Love shall be our token; love be yours and love be mine,
love to God and neighbor, love for plea and gift and sign. Christina Rosetti (1830-1894)
Saturday, December 18, 2004
How can an obituary capture a life of a friend? Of course it can't. In a few paragraphs a life of over 70 years is sketched in highlights. Each of us has a particular set of memories that only we and the person who has died share. Gail Jones was a fierce fighter for the ability and opportunity of all to carry out the ministry of Christ. She held a vision of all gathered around the table without regard for status in the church or society. And she danced the tango. Of all the stories she and I shared - her dancing most reflects the joy of life that I found in her presence. A well lived life - oh too short for her family and friends. Death is a subject about which a lot has been written. Is there something beyond our time on earth? Or is death the end. Religions and philosophers all have thoughts and beliefs about it. I sort of go with the line of the father in one of Woody Allen's movies - when asked if he worried about "you know, ... after?" the father says -"no, I will be dead!" But if I had to explain where my thinking is at the moment - I would go with "These Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman. (The daemons in his book are an externalized part of the human's spirit embodied in an animal form which changes form until puberty when it becomes fixed in one.)
"When you go out of here, all the particles that make you up will loosen and float apart, just like your daemons did. If you've seen people dying, you know what that looks like. But your daemons aren't just nothing now; they're part of everything. All the atoms that were them, they've gone into the air and the wind and the trees and the earth and all the living things. They'll never vanish. They're just part of everything. And that's exactly what'll happen to you, I swear to you, I promise on my honor. You'll drift apart, it's true, but you'll be out in the open, part of everything alive again." (The Amber Spyglass, page 335)
"The first ghost to leave the world of the dead was Roger. He took a step forward, and turned to look back at Lyra, and laughed in surprise as he found himself turning into the night, the starlight, the air... and then he was gone, leaving behind such a vivid little burst of happiness that Will was reminded of the bubbles in a glass of champagne." (The Amber Spyglass, page 382)
"Even if it means oblivion... I'll welcome it, because it won't be nothing , we'll be alive again in a thousand blades of grass and a million leaves, we'll be falling in the raindrops and blowing in the fresh breeze, we'll be glittering in the dew under the stars and the moon out there in the physical world which is our true home and always was." (The Amber Spyglass, page 336)
"To know that after a spell in the dark we'll come out again to a sweet land like this, to be free of the sky like the birds, well, that's the greatest promise anyone could wish for." (The Amber Spyglass, page 532)
And my favorite poem is When Death Comes by Mary Oliver
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle pox;
when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
Gail definitely did not just visit - she leapt into life like the tango dancer she is -- flinging herself out onto the dance floor of life and asking us all to join in and learn the steps as we did not know until we met her.
From a country western song
Life is a dance
With steps you don't know
Join the dance
Learn as you go!
"When you go out of here, all the particles that make you up will loosen and float apart, just like your daemons did. If you've seen people dying, you know what that looks like. But your daemons aren't just nothing now; they're part of everything. All the atoms that were them, they've gone into the air and the wind and the trees and the earth and all the living things. They'll never vanish. They're just part of everything. And that's exactly what'll happen to you, I swear to you, I promise on my honor. You'll drift apart, it's true, but you'll be out in the open, part of everything alive again." (The Amber Spyglass, page 335)
"The first ghost to leave the world of the dead was Roger. He took a step forward, and turned to look back at Lyra, and laughed in surprise as he found himself turning into the night, the starlight, the air... and then he was gone, leaving behind such a vivid little burst of happiness that Will was reminded of the bubbles in a glass of champagne." (The Amber Spyglass, page 382)
"Even if it means oblivion... I'll welcome it, because it won't be nothing , we'll be alive again in a thousand blades of grass and a million leaves, we'll be falling in the raindrops and blowing in the fresh breeze, we'll be glittering in the dew under the stars and the moon out there in the physical world which is our true home and always was." (The Amber Spyglass, page 336)
"To know that after a spell in the dark we'll come out again to a sweet land like this, to be free of the sky like the birds, well, that's the greatest promise anyone could wish for." (The Amber Spyglass, page 532)
And my favorite poem is When Death Comes by Mary Oliver
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle pox;
when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
Gail definitely did not just visit - she leapt into life like the tango dancer she is -- flinging herself out onto the dance floor of life and asking us all to join in and learn the steps as we did not know until we met her.
From a country western song
Life is a dance
With steps you don't know
Join the dance
Learn as you go!
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
A fun quiz to find out which book you are:
Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are a
mystery novel dealing with theology, especially
with catholic vs liberal issues. You search
wisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling that
learning is essential in life.
Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are a
mystery novel dealing with theology, especially
with catholic vs liberal issues. You search
wisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling that
learning is essential in life.
Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
After Election Blues
All over but the scattered challenges - the election has been won by those claiming that they are the most moral and with the electorate agreeing it was one of the strongest motivation for voting. I guess I always thought that being moral had to do with caring for the “least of these” Matthew 25:34-40 not voting narrow self interest. I just don’t get how false piety and lies are moral. When so many are suffering in this country and around the world, we vote on the basis of a definition of moral that leaves children, the planet, those who are poor and hungry, and the marginalized out of the equation. I will play the blues for awhile and then it will be time to go back to the lessons taught by those who have struggled over generations to gain their liberty - support each otherr, organize, study, work, and most important - sing the songs of struggle and hope. I still believe that the arc of justice bends towards the earth and that we can help with every act of our lives.
All over but the scattered challenges - the election has been won by those claiming that they are the most moral and with the electorate agreeing it was one of the strongest motivation for voting. I guess I always thought that being moral had to do with caring for the “least of these” Matthew 25:34-40 not voting narrow self interest. I just don’t get how false piety and lies are moral. When so many are suffering in this country and around the world, we vote on the basis of a definition of moral that leaves children, the planet, those who are poor and hungry, and the marginalized out of the equation. I will play the blues for awhile and then it will be time to go back to the lessons taught by those who have struggled over generations to gain their liberty - support each otherr, organize, study, work, and most important - sing the songs of struggle and hope. I still believe that the arc of justice bends towards the earth and that we can help with every act of our lives.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Listening to the radio this morning I hear many stories about the efforts to keep people from voting. Last week I was at our Fremont County Courthouse in Lander, Wyoming and overheard one of the clerks talking to a voter. It was someone who lived in a distant town - 75 miles away - who was suddenly faced with going to Casper (150 miles the other direction from Lander) for medical treatments. The clerk volunteered to stay after work to meet her at time when she would be driving through Lander so this woman could vote. I asked about her response and the clerk said it is important to make the effort so every one can vote. I have also experienced the clerk going out to a handicapped person's car so that he did not have to make the long trek down to the basement of the courthouse. I wish all the country could experience the commitment to fairness and opportunity that this one woman makes to our democratic system. Maybe it is just that Wyoming is small in population and we are all neighbors in a county larger than Massachusetts, but I hope this is the true heart of our country.
PS - Miracles abound - the Red Sox won. YAY!
PS - Miracles abound - the Red Sox won. YAY!
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Well, I feel a lot safer today - since our glorious government captured that notorious musician Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens. Singer of such famous songs as Peace Train, he certainly threatens my sleep. I heard the news just before turning off NPR last night and I can tell you that I slept more soundly than I have for years. Thank you Tom Ridge, John Ashcroft, and of course, George Bush. I think I will light the candles in my new votives. YIKES!!
More on Yusuf Islam.
More on Yusuf Islam.
Saturday, May 22, 2004
The Bible - I heard something the other day that encapsulated my thinking about this set of books (for it is more than one, written at many different times by many different authors). This person said "It is like our family albums". Pictures, clippings, and mementos of encounters with a common experience. It tries to tell of encounters with the Holy and make sense of the Divine-Human relationship. Like the family album we may have stories about the pictures and know the names of the people we are viewing but there is always a level that cannot be seen or understood because we were not there when the photo was taken or the event occurred. When I read the Bible with this sort of lens - I stop fighting with it and using it like a template. When it contradicts itself, I can see that this is because there were different points of view about events, like when people are interviewed after a wreck and remember totally different versions of the same event. One person said about Revelation - it is like Modern Art - trying to convey ideas through metaphors, feelings, and images - not representational or photographic. When we try to apply scientific, rational principles to works of art or scripture we miss the point and end up analyzing the paint.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)