Walking on water

Mark 6:47-56

          I once knew a woman named Johanna. Johanna was someone that I universally admired and she, by example, taught me a great many things. I know it would not be well accepted by some but I think she actually sowed the seeds of my coming out. It was a slow germination but she sowed the seeds none the less. In any event, she once told me that I could see the silver lining in anything. I guess it was my positive outlook on things which perhaps bordered on denial of facts. No matter what happened in life I could see the positive side of it. Highly spiritual or crazy man? Maybe a crazy man struggling to find peace in spirituality.

            People who are so upbeat or seem to wear rose colored glasses are not always well liked.  People seem quite aware of all the troubles of life. I know quite a few who like to wallow in their problems. There are many times where all we seek is someone to commiserate with. Sharing a problem they say cuts the burden in half (at least).

            I was imagining Jesus then walking on water. Above, perhaps beyond the turmoil of the wind and sea, above life with seemingly none of the concerns that we all seem to face daily. I read a book once called the Gospel According to Biff, it was 'out there' but it was thoroughly enjoyable. In this book Jesus was a world traveller who was exposed to the Eastern religions before his public ministry. This walking on the water seems to fit right into that persona of Jesus.  One thing is for sure to me, when you have Jesus at your side (or carrying you: think footprints in the sand), you fear nothing. With the faith of a mustard seed Psalm 23:4 comes alive for us. No matter what happens, we know we will not be harmed or at least not in a way that threatens our soul. 

            With Jesus at your side you can face anything and be hopeful, even cheerful. Such faith is how the martyrs met their fate willingly and at complete inner peace.  I pray we are never faced with such a mortal test but I do know faith makes it as if we could walk on water.

When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

The material as immaterial

Matthew 6:19-23

           When I was a young Dad, I was a bit of a screamer. I yelled at the kids for doing this or that, for not doing this or that. It wasn't a great way to parent. I often reacted first (and not always in a good way) and then calmed down to speak of the truly important stuff. I hope I am not remembered for my first reaction but by the wisdom that followed. I hope I did not irrevocably harm my kids, now in their 30's. 

            As a youth myself my Pop impressed the importance of people. When I had a car accident at 17 driving home from the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia, his reaction was "Are you ok?" He would say that cars can be replaced but people cannot. From his own life experience he learned how immaterial the material can be. It is a very good way to view the world, appreciate life and people.

            They say life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. When the eyes (and heart and mind) take in life and see good, the world is a much better place for everyone. We all are accustomed to people who seem to only see bad in things going on. I describe those people as 'energy suckers' as opposed to people who are life giving.

             The most important thing in life is not any of the material wealth as this passage relates. It is once again (and always), love. The relationships we live and how we live them is key to where our true treasure lies. It lies within us and we can see it if we chose to. We do not need special glasses to see the love in life. We certainly don't need rose colored glasses either. But with our eyes wide open as well a heart that is open and a mind that is open, we can see the beauty of life, the love of life and the immateriality of material things

             Eyes wide open everyone.

 Addendum.  The process of realizing I am gay and coming out at the age of 50 was quite traumatic. I had to grasp a great deal and assimilate all the information and act in a rational, loving way. Of course the realization that I am gay was quite a bit of news. Another side benefit of this process is realizing what is truly important as this passage today relates. Happiness is not in the material. So here I was, a junior zen master, gay man, newbie. I wanted to meet everyone gay. I wanted to embrace the gay community. At the same time I knew what was truly important. So when I put an ad up looking for a new friend it often had a unique line inserted in the ad. It said "Healthy spirituality preferred". That drove many people away but it attracted a few like minded people who realized that it was ok to be gay and spiritual. I met some truly nice people, none of the jerks that some people lament that they have met on Craigslist or Grindr.  Knowing what is truly important and living your life accordingly is a great gift. In return, I was graced with one person in particular who had a beautiful spirituality of his own. I met my future husband and lover and supporter of a beautiful life together. And the beauty continues. Eyes wide open.

‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness

A re-examining

Matthew 13:47-52

          When anyone reads this passage I can only presume that they think that they are not one of the fish judged as 'bad'. This kind of passage is used to identify and justify whole groups as the ones that are going to be saved. Maybe even, already saved (noses raised). At the same time, it intentionally or not, is used to denigrate whole other groups as 'not saved', not preferred or not being in agreement with what 'we beleive'.

          There is a passage of scripture though in Matthew (15:27) and also in Mark (7:28) in which a woman reminds Jesus that even the dogs eat the scraps set out for the children (of God, presumably). At this statement , Jesus notes the woman's faith and heals her daughter of whatever demon has possessed her. Salvation for one of the 'bad' fish?

           We read scripture and live our lives often seeing the world as we want to see it. We take solace in others opinions especially if it means we are saved or if we don'tt have to think for ourselves. We scarcely note, if at all, that in the process we may be demeaning others or treating them as unworthy. In fact, some people read scripture and will forcefully admit and profess that "they" are not saved, whoever "they" happen to be. The forcefulness of scripture and the way we read it or the way it was interpreted becomes our battle cry and our weapon for self justification and for bashing others. Yet this is the furthest from what Christ intended.

          From careful reading, re-imagining and careful re-examination of translations we feel comfortable with, we may find God's love is much expansive and inclusive that we might have imagined. This kind of effort can be quite challenging in the exam itself and perhaps more so in the execution ( what we are ultimately called to do and how t act). Are you willing to embrace the person you thought was anathema?

          

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’

Wiaitng in line

Mark 5:21-43

          When Jesus is told that Jairus's daughter has died, I fully expected Jairus to complain. Jesus should not have aided the hemorrhaging woman. I could imagine Jairus complaining that Jesus should have tended to his ill daughter first.

          This is the kind of world we live in now. There is little room for patience. There is an expectation of immediate gratification. Heaven forbid we would relinquish our place 'in line' to let someone else go first, especially if our daughters' life was hanging in the balance.

          I was speaking about Las Vegas with a coworker and she relayed the scenario where she got up from a gambling machine only to have someone else sit down where she'd been and almost immediately hit the jackpot. "That's my money" she retorted.  We have that sense that everything should be in order or in our time, no one else's. 

          Save for those who may see the cosmic wisdom of how things unfold, we often have a keen sense of entitlement, of getting our due in the correct order and not letting anyone "cut" in front of us.

There is little wisdom, no sense that God is in control and just perhaps, maybe even know better. We are never eager and most of the time not even willing to let our faith lay in the hands of anyone else, some cosmic force and certainly not God. 

          In today's passage things may not have played out as people expected but it all turned out ok and the loving hand of God prevailed. There are so many lessons in this passage but that is the one that strikes me today. I hope I will remember that when I get cut off on the highway or someone cuts into the line in front of me. Forget about the cosmic for the moment, let's think practical.

         Do we let God's plan unfold in our everyday ordinary existence? Do we demand our place in line whether it is at work, food shopping or even in church? How do we acknowledge God's plan in our lives in the ordinary things of life?

         

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

No scruples for the scrupulous

John 5:2-18

         There is a story in the news, still playing out, about a man in Colorado who was commissioning a cake from a bakery. All was going well until the customer asked to have several foul anti-gay remarks written atop the cake. The baker refused. The customer sued. This is no doubt payback for several "good Christians" who have decided it is against their faith to make wedding cakes for gay couples. And so it goes. 

          First, and in case no one noticed, this is not a theocracy. We may be approaching an Oligarchic Theocracy but we are a democracy and one that holds separation of church and state as foundational. So, if it is against your religious beliefs to makes cakes for certain groups or any group of people because it is against your religion, don't enter the public domain and offer cakes for sale to the public at large. You simply cannot mix your public service with your personal religious beliefs. The converse however is that a person who denies making a cake because it has derogatory and demeaning statements on it is not based on religion. It is based on yet other standards of law. It is not infringing on someones freedom of expression. If they wish to express such statements, let them make the cake themselves or buy a cake and write such epithets on it themselves.  We really should be requiring a more substantial eduction to people these days. Logic and good thought processes seem to have eluded so many, especially in the far flung right. And so it goes.

          The people that were most upset about Jesus in today's passage were clearly not the one who was cured. Clearly the cured man, the one loved and forgiven for whatever sins he may have committed, the man who walked away carrying his mat, was not upset. He was thrilled beyond measure.  So where's the beef, so to speak?  Jesus cured on a sabbath?  A man carried his mat on the sabbath? Really?? 

           Those that wish to put limitations on God's love ( as if they know or have such right ) almost universally do so by creation of some law that must be adhered to scrupulously without the slightest infraction. In other words, these scrupulous men actually have no scruples at all.

           One of my Deacon buddies who was concerned that the church was too loose and did not enforce all the rubrics said that he felt the rules should be enforced even if it meant there would be a smaller church. It would be a smaller church but a purer church he said. Oyveh!  The"church" is only as small as the population of the planet, no smaller. What this chap means is doctrinal purity and really has almost no connection to the life and love of God's holy people, His church. The arrogance of rule makers and disciplinarians is flaunted by Jesus who summarily dismisses laws and says that HE is the fulfillment of the law. The law is gone. Blasphemers unite, we are free at last for Jesus made it so by his death and resurrection.  It is not the law that rules, it is God's love. Jesus gave us two great (and I mean truly great) commandments that are generic enough so as to stupefy the rules guys and generic enough to challenge the human mind and make conscience our supreme guide. 

             It is s sad testament to the state of affairs in the United States that religion has been hijacked by arbitrary and capricious rules makers, the antithesis of scriptural exegesis and mercy as shown to us today in scripture.  The pseudo zealots of today are as self righteous as any pharisee and feel free to assert their lame and misguided agenda on any who are weak enough to listen. 

             Let us pray for guidance and hope and most of all, the strength to love with all the power and to the extent that God intended it to have. Boundless, all embracing love.

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralysed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ But he answered them, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Take up your mat and walk.” ’ They asked him, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Take it up and walk”?’ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

Re-membering

Galatians 3:23-28

          I have been thinking of my cat. He was rescued (or we were rescued) when he was just a small kitten. He is a joy, he is smart, he is loving and I adore him. I clearly see the love of God's creation in him. I am fascinated sometimes by how he reacts to the birds feeding outside our windows. We feed the birds simply because we love his reaction to the birds. He also knew instinctively how to handle the lone mouse that managed to penetrate our vermin free kingdom. These behaviours of his come without any teaching, they are a natural instinct apparently. There is a common book of knowledge that cats apparently possess.

             I am wondering if there is no such book for humanity. I would say killing is instinctively wrong and engrained in us but so many people of the earth seem to thrive on hate and killing. There is a history and knowledge that we seem too quick to dismiss. There is so much history that we just seem to forget or dismiss.

             The former president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was a total Holocaust denier. How is that even possible?  That is a glaring example of our short mindedness.  We seem to be able to think only in the present. If we look at marriage equality, we look only at how things were viewed for the last century or so and then paint the whole issue with that brush. History tells us so much about marriage equality that so many are willing to deny or dismiss. From the work of John Boswell to 'hidden' gay relationships in Hebrew scripture, the message is there. Even simply the knowledge of gay relationships is clearly evident within nature but that knowledge goes out the window and is denied by so many wingnuts. It is all too scary. We seem capable of dismissing anything. I have even heard there are people that think the earth is the center of the universe. Yikes? Massive fail!

              I have frequently noted that the same thing happens when Holy Scripture is looked at only from our present frame of reference. Their words cannot easily be defined by our words, our culture or our philosophies. So much was different, so much needs to be understood. Scripture speaks clearly of women in church leadership, perhaps even Apostolic. These roles existed in Christian scripture yet this is seemingly denied today in the Roman church. The zeal with which an agenda for male domination in God's church is not consistent with God's love or message or history. Joyfully today we remember the Anglican church's first woman Priest, Florence Li Tim-Oi (ordained 1944). But imagine the gap in our collective memory and the denial of God's plan that woman are full participants in His plan between the early church and 1944. Astounding time gap isn't it? Imagine that there are still (men) who would argue against the ordination of women in the Anglican communion. I hate to say it, let us 'forget' the Roman church altogether. This is all about history and remembering and denying the full message of God's love and creation.

              I once heard a funeral sermon where the Priest spoke about remembering the deceased. He emphasized Re-member-ing. That is bringing us all back together. That is what thinking about the person does.  We cannot move forward unless we try to understand and appreciate our past and our history.  In a related note, it seems so counterproductive to cut short eduction and philosophy courses as a mandate to a full and complete education. Education is a lifelong process for sure and for sure, it does not end with the fundamentals of the three R's. If we are to move forward as humanity we need more than that, we need a full education that embraces our history and focuses on thought, history, philosophy. If we do not, we foster denials of who we are and where we come from, we foster ignorance and downright stupidity.

           If there is to be no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, we must embrace who we (all) are, where we (all) have come from and where our brothers and sisters have come from. Respect, knowledge and equality for all.

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Sins and sackcloth

Jonah 3:1-10

         I often say it's all about the journey but I was thinking about a twist on that. Sometimes we are on a journey or a path that could well lead to very bad things.   I can think of a drug addict for example, you can see where that path will lead. Closer to home I could think about my own Dad who drank too much hard liquor and smoked filterless cigarettes for over 5 decades. The result? A massive heart attack and 67 years old. If you think about it, it may have been surprising that it didn't happen sooner.  Someone else I cared a great deal for followed a similar path, bad food habits, cigars, cigarettes, alcohol and an apparent aversion for any exercise and he died of at 53. No surprise really. I suppose you could easily see that unprotected sex could lead to any number of STD's or AIDS. Things don't have to be that dramatic but you can still expect certain outcomes from certain paths.

        So we have expressions like 'turning your life around'. Personally I do not believe that God sends anyone to Hell (if there even is one). I believe we turn our back on God, go down our own path and God respects that choice. In essence, we would send ourselves to hell (and I believe God weeps as we do so). So there is a spiritual journey which may need 'turning around' as well.

        Today's passage is all about turning around and repenting. Maybe a bit early for Lent but it gives us pause to think how important repentance is. I still have trouble with the notion of God destroying  Ninevah but as I mention in the 'sending ourselves to hell' idea, there are actions and paths for which the consequences are quite foreseeable. God may not have had to destroy Ninevah, they may have been doing a fine job themselves. Ninevans may have been destroying themselves by their actions and the results may have been quite foreseeable and God would still weep at their deaths even if from their own choices.

       Again, I don't think things have to be so dramatic. Their are many ways in which we depart from the journey of love we are called to live. Our actions betray our destiny in ways big and small all day, almost every day. This is the purpose of daily introspection, self awareness, self assessment and hopefully repentance.

       Today's passage speaks of ancient civilizations putting on sackcloth and ashes much like Christians do on Ash Wednesday. The idea of repentance being a not wholly original idea at all. As long as humanity exists and has free will, there will be need for repentance. We are not perfect but we are called to a perfect life of love none the less. (or all the more).

        Repentance comes in all shapes and sizes, great and small, involving major life changes and small daily routines. It is up to us to search our soul, our heart and our mind to determine what we are called to do. Sometimes God may tap you on the shoulder and give you an idea. Jonah was asked twice before he answered the call. But be forewarned, I have noted that when we ignore God's call, he may easily come back again tapping you on the shoulder with the equivalent of a two by four.

        Repent thy evil, and not so evil ways.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: ‘By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.’

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Even the hairs on your head

Luke 12:4-12

           There have been several times in my life when I have faced traumatic or life threatening events. Not counting accidents when my life flashed before me, there are two events that stand out. One is when I came out at the ripe age of 50. I had a well established life and family, a wife, children, I was an ordained minister of the Roman church. Part of the trauma was even the mere thought that I was gay. That thought and the increasing possibility and awareness seeping from my subconscious was wreaking havoc on me. No matter what choice I made I knew I would be in trouble so to speak. It seemed like a lose lose situation. In the end, with good therapy and the knowledge that God loved me, I was able to move forward with positive and life giving decisions. One thing I realized at that time was what is truly important. I often joke that I left my wife with nothing more than a Scrabble board and an Armoire of clothes.  I realized then that not even those are things are what is truly important. 

           Another more recent event was the discovery of a particularly nastily placed aneurysm on my aorta. Ripening with each passing day and at the point where it required attention, I became keenly aware that I could meet my maker at any moment. Even with the surgery, scheduled for 8 hours with the most skilled of surgeons in a major university setting, I could be meeting my maker. It makes one, again, realize what is truly important. You are not so gently reminded how fragile life is and what is really counts in life.

           In today's passage I am reminded of all of this. It is amazing what we fear, the silliest of things really. Most things, while perhaps truly practical in this world are of minimal importance in the grand schema of things. 

           What really counts is love in it's broadest terms. Did I love? Do I love? Am I loved? The resounding answer to that last question is yes, even the hairs on your head.  God so loves each one of us, each of us so purpose built so to speak.  A person who nurtures and cuts a Bonsai does so with extreme patience, each cut meticulous, specially designed, planned and executed.  Each one of us was conceived by God, specially designed, planned and executed. Our existence and who we are is no accident, it is crucial to God's plan. 

             

‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

‘And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.’

Gay love

Song of Solomon 2:10-13

            Does anyone recognize what this passage is speaking to? I mislead you you a bit. It's not about gay love, it's about love. How many people will read this passage and say, 'this is how I feel' about my beloved. Gender will have no place in it. In fact, you may be in love with God. Your relationship with God may be so profound that you could have penned this song to God.

            So how does it feel to be in love?  Whatever troubles have occurred, whatever came before, it is lost in the present, in the presence of love. Leave the past behind, what matters is the now and our future. 

            You may have lived day to day, merely surviving and all of a sudden your eyes are open to the joys of the world. You see flowers. You hear birds singing. Life seems to be bursting forth all around you with optimism and possibility. Life seems sweet. Is that a description of love? I think so.

I certainly feel that way about my life, my husband, my God.

            And if you are living in that 'mere existence' of living, this affords you a glimpse of what can be like. It holds hope that "it gets better'.  This 'song' sings to the truth of life. It does not specify love of a man and a woman. It speaks to relationship and it is not gender limited and it is not restricted to humanity but also to our relationship with God. The truth of humanity is relationship and love, t is what we are called to and it is when we are at our best. 

            Blessed are those that smell the flowers, hear the birds and love to the full.

            

My beloved speaks and says to me:

‘Arise, my love, my fair one,

   and come away; 

for now the winter is past,

   the rain is over and gone. 

The flowers appear on the earth;

   the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtle-dove

   is heard in our land. 

The fig tree puts forth its figs,

   and the vines are in blossom;

   they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one,

   and come away.

Martin Luther King Junior: gay icon

   








           It is said that one of last frontiers of civil rights is the liberation of the gay community and marriage equality. I find so many similarities between the struggle of the black community and that of the gay community. Of course there are also notable differences but the struggle seems remarkably similar. One example would be our own President. How long ago was it illegal in so many states for his parents to have gotten married? It was actually a crime for a black man and a white woman to get married. In similar fashion it was religion and notably narrow readings of scripture and misinterpretations of scripture that were used to bolster the policy of segregation and laws that marginalized and codified the denigration and separation of God's children.

           As I listened and thought on all that Martin Luther King Junior said and did, I know I am looking at a modern Saint. Perhaps he still would not muster enough 'votes' to pass the gauntlet of the Roman system but a holy and blessed man he was and he should be remembered and honored as such.

           A notable example of his inclusiveness was the leadership and fellowship with Bayard Rustin. Bayard Rustin was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, pacifism and non-violence and gay rights. Dr. King was way ahead of his time, perhaps even our time but certainly not ahead of God's time. God's love and inclusiveness is all embracing and timeless. Dr. King heard God's voice of freedom, inclusiveness, righteousness and love in his heart and carried the torch for all of us, not just blacks or whites but gays and straights, for everyone who has been marginalized and socially stigmatized.

            On "MLK day" we had an opportunity to recall a fight for freedom and  a calling to continue that fight today in marriage equality, gay rights, trans rights and freedom from oppression for all peoples.

            I picked this quote of Dr, Martin Luther King Junior because it so typifies the enemy of God's inclusive love. Read it over again. See the hand of the far right wingnuts and misguided religious zealots who use the Bible as a weapon to bash people in their misquotations and cherry picked passages.  We must be ever vigilant to fight as Christian soldiers of love with all the principles Dr. King stood for.

There's no place like home

Mark 3:7-19

          I have said several times to people that I am a boring gay. I don't do drugs, pot or otherwise, I don't drink to any significant degree, I don't sleep around and I would much rather be home with my man and our cat. I can hardly wait to get home after work. How could it get better than this? We love each others' company, we are relaxed and we are deliriously happy. Today we sat in front of a fire and hung out after a really good workout this morning. When Dorothy proclaimed "there's no place like home", we feel it is absolutely true.

          It is with interest then that I read today's passage and after it is all said and done, what does Jesus do?  He went home. Sit down, kick off the sandals, let Mom prepare a nice meal, home. Ah, there's no place like home.

          No matter what "lifestyle" a gay person may embrace ( or anyone else, gay or straight), we all come from a family that gives us the notion or holds high the image of a home and a family life. To the gay community that was always denied, dismissed or downright prohibited. Such a life some people would say, is not for us. But just like Jesus and everyone else, we long for a place to call home, hang our hat, feel comfortable and in most cases share the joys of a relationship. Just like Jesus did. What his home life later on amounted to, well that's a question for another reflection. At the time, it's home to Mom because as we know, there's no place like home.

Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.

He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Then he went home;

Intent on saying thank you

Hebrews 6:17-7:10

           In yesterday's passage a man was told to give away everything he owns. Today's passage speaks of tithing, or giving 10% to God. Pretty good negotiation if that's what is. I believe it says something about how rigid ( or not ) the 'word of God' is, especially when it is translated through a human medium.    

          At a family gathering years ago I recall hearing someone say that they had been called out in their church. The preacher simply announced from the pulpit who was not meeting their tithe to God. And we know it wasn't actually God, it was the pastor. I suppose the next step would be announce other such imperfections, lack of judgement or sins committed by the faithful. Why not let everyone in the community know that Mr Jones blew through a stop sign. How about announcing from the pulpit that Mr. Smith ( or Mrs. Smith ) had been found coming out of house of ill repute or was having an affair?  Why not announce the kids who lied to their parents or any one a million possible sins. How horrible. That vision of God and his 'love' is the farthest from anything I believe or have experienced.

               I believe in the unchangeable character of His purpose which is love and that we are heirs to the kingdom as beloved children of God. Yes, even as we sin and are imperfect. So how do we handle the commandments and this quite clear concept of tithing?

              Is this where God (or some pastor) intervenes if we give a penny less than our tithe or we are weak and sin in some small fashion just once? That would seem more like a bookkeeper / vengeful God. Again, as far from what I perceive, have experienced or believe. So what makes us worthy and what are we to do?  

             How about to simply to your best? God is the only true arbiter of where your heart is and what your intent is. God is the one who forgives our failings. Is it our intent to cheat God out of a tithe?  What is the intent of the tithe?? A joyful giving back to God is how I see it. It is not an obligation so much as it is a willing thank you and there are myriad ways to say thank you. Who would be so blessed as we are and turn around and say screw you to God? Only the insane, only the deluded.

              There was a time when I could not afford two pennies. Should I have been chastised for my sin of falling into the trap of worldliness?  Now adays I have turned my life around financially and I am able to give and save. Perhaps I might want to give more than 10%. It's whatever is in your heart. You have to feel it.  You would need to grasp just how much God has given you and how many wonderful things and people has brought into your life. Then, giving becomes easy. It is a solid thank you.

            I have always noted the problems with translations and intent. Perhaps we could simply find a way to help others in a way that we feel is consistent with what we have been graced with. Just thinking about our graces is a thanksgiving prayer to God which no doubt he smiles at. The next step is something more tangible.

      

In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.

This ‘King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him’; and to him Abraham apportioned ‘one-tenth of everything’. His name, in the first place, means ‘king of righteousness’; next he is also king of Salem, that is, ‘king of peace’. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest for ever.

See how great he is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils. And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to collect tithes from the people, that is, from their kindred, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man, who does not belong to their ancestry, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case, tithes are received by those who are mortal; in the other, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Divesting

Mark 10:17-21

            I am feeling absolutely gluey this morning, like I was dipped in Elmer's glue and it's drying. I am struggling to get going. I will resist the desire to crawl back into bed and head off to the gym. I always feel better after exercise. Always. 

             But let me return my focus to the word of God. "sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me" That's pretty strong. Perhaps I should be glad I am not at the point where I have mastered all the commandments yet! Yet I cannot help but think if Jesus was speaking literally. Today the church recalls Antony who had become wealthy by inheriting a large estate. He heard these same words and came to the conclusion that he should divest himself of all his worldly goods and follow The Way which Antony did. I found even the little snippet of his life's history quite inspiring. Am I to give away whatever monies I have accumulated? Right now I am feverishly trying to accumulate money for retirement and have no desire to be a pauper in my old age. Perhaps I can do as God has also commanded, that is to tithe - or perhaps attempt to tithe. Will that suffice? Or perhaps I can simply make an earnest attempt to be less worldly? I am keenly aware of how possessions often wind up owning you. I have preached and written about resisting the Madison Avenue paradigm of having the latest and greatest of anything. I know first hand that it is none of the worldly things or possessions that make us happy. I have been truly blessed and it has nothing at all to do with cars, clothes, money or sex, all of which I actually have been blessed with.

               So I am sitting there at the gym, totally bothered by these darn ear plugs that either won't stay in my ear or won't stay in a position that allows me to hear the music which is driving my exercise routine. I am sure many would love to have such a simple problem, eh? This is the intersection of 'selling what you own and following Christ' and  following what Madison Avenue or other people find happiness in. I actually looked for a pair of 'on the ear' earphones, they seem to be quite popular now. I was amazed at the variety and I was stunned that they have a popularity rivalling the latest and greatest pair of 'kicks'. Not only can the cost mega bucks, you can spend even more accessorizing these ear phones. Uh-mazing. Do I really need any earphones at all to work out at the gym? I mean, the rhythm of the music may be helpful but could I spend that time (already set aside) to meditate, couldn't I?  Is the gym actually a place I can make the decision to follow the world vs. follow Christ? In a small way I think the answer is yes. Do I think we must divest ourselves of earplugs and earphones to follow Jesus? No, don't be ridiculous. That kind of thought leads to preachers who might say earphones are from the devil! But at the same time, let us not discount the fact that wherever we are we can choose to follow Jesus. We may not have to get rid of our ear buds but we can make wherever we are a place to listen to God, love others and make the decision NOT to follow what everyone else is doing or what everyone else is buying into. 

           The notion of going to the beat of your own drummer is key in a world that is so materialistic. Perhaps for some of us, until we master all the commandments, the goal is to divest ourselves of the notion that we must buy into material goods for happiness. Let us not let our 'things' own us for it is God who truly owns us and no one else.  

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’

The power of love

1 John 4:7-12

          I recall as a young man saying to someone that I loved them but I was not in love with them. Such a fine distinction I was able to come up with. I find it a little comical now though the nature of love is so broad and expansive it really isn't a funny subject except in how we deal with love. God may very well view as infants  (no matter what our age) as we try so immaturely to love and divine the ways of love, to divine the ways of His love.

           Love is such a nebulous and fascinating subject. Love is perhaps the essence of our existence and it is perhaps our one try goal in life. That is, to love ourselves (accept whom God made us to be) and to love others. In trying to comprehend the ways and depth of love though we can make in seem incredibly complex and make novice mistakes as only we humans perhaps can do.

           One of my most memorable labyrinth walks was a regression of my life to the point before I was conceived by my parents to when I was conceived in the mind of God. The center of the labyrinth then became an immensely powerful place where I met the mind and creative love of God. Perhaps that's redundant. I was overwhelmed, shaking and crying.  

            Love is overwhelming. Love is all encompassing and simply more than we can take in and understand and yet we know it and it is palpable. I cannot adequately explain the number of times I am overwhelmed by the love of my husband and the love God showed me in gracing me with his presence and love. There are many times I feel so loved in our relationship that I could cry tears of happiness and joy. 

            If only for today, it may be a treasure to try to be cognizant of the love around us and the fantastic array that God places around us and in our lives. It makes for humbling thankfulness, great joy and a zest for life. 

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

In Your Face

Mark 1:29-45

               I'm feeling bold today.  How many times do we think that everything is cool, we just don't want to acknowledge the elephant in the room? Someone might say, I don't mind if people are gay - I just don't want to see it. You can see people of all ages (hetero people) showing simple signs of affection, holding, hands, a simple kiss, a simple "heh, honey" said in a food store while shopping; all these are ok until it's 2 men or two women. Screech! Halt! That's sooo disgusting. Do they have to do that in public? Don't let me fool you though, I'm not just talking being gay. It's all of life.  So when I read today's passage and I read about Peter's mother-in-law, I have to laugh. That's right Peter, the first Pope, the man whom Jesus handed the keys to - he was married. 

             So what happened in the Roman Catholic church? I thought celibacy was a gift and a mandated 'state of grace' for Roman clergy? (aside from converting clergy who were already married. That's ok). It's so in your face that Peter was married and now they can't. Well, many Popes and priests were married and many 'on the side' as well. It's laughable. While celibacy may be a special gift, it is not a gift to all. It cannot be mandated and it should never be a tool for the church to say that, basically, you are not called because you cannot remain celibate. So there it is, out and proud, Peter was married - to a woman!

              This morning I opened my computer only to find Gay Clergy Trading cards. What a hoot. How,  'in your face!' Gay clergy have been around forever, hiding amidst deniers and people who say being gay is "intrinsically disordered" while having a more than normal percentage of gay clergy within their own ranks.  Let's face it, so much of what the Roman church teaches is not of God per se, it's made up and defies logic and is wrong for everyone to see.  Sometimes, often times, the lunacy and hypocrisy is just so in your face. From blaming gays for clergy abuse, to 'celebate clergy, to 'annulments' instead of divorce to rampant 'birth control of the faithful and people who routinely 'live in sin'. Most of it is hypocritical BS, and the faithful know it! 

          So for today I am going to stick my toes in the water of everything that is 'in your face' and love it. I may even let my feet get pruney in those waters. There are so many elephants in the room, so much BS, let's spend a day acknowledging and facing some of it and really enjoying it. Don't you think God laughs at us? Let's laugh at ourselves a bit and in the process raise our conscienceless.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. 

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

His beloved disciple: impossible love, possible?

Mark 1:14-28

           It's interesting how you know facts and you have read things many times but all of sudden you see something differently or the pieces seem to come together. Here we have Jesus recruiting his first disciples, two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew and James and John.  Wait, James and John? John as the 'beloved disciple', "the disciple whom Jesus loved"?

            I recall these two brothers getting into a bit of a problem when their mother asks Jesus if the 'boys' can sit at his right and left hand when they go to heaven. So their Mom was alive, John's mother was alive. Interesting tidbit except that I also note specifically that when Jesus was dying on the cross he turned to his own mother and said that she she should behold her son John. Further, Jesus tells John this Mary is to be his 'mother'. Interesting scenarios.

             This has shades of Ruth and Naomi. So often 'marriages' and committed relationships are cast by the joining of families and bonds that transcend earthly authority. We can recall the scripture passage from Ruth (1:16), Wherever you go I shall go. Wherever you live so shall I live.

Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God too. This is what Biblical love and Biblical commitment was ( and still is ).  In today's passage we see the same commitment perhaps as seen through Jesus and John. As Jesus is departing this world he affirms and commits the family together, John as son ( in-law? ) to Mary and Mary as mother ( in-law? ) to John.  I don't think I would be so bold as to say this except that it jumped out at me that John already has a mother and she is mentioned in scripture too. I may have added to the idea that Cana was a wedding feast for John and Jesus but it was more of a possibility. With this revelation to me I am thinking the evidence may be mounting.

                Before I get some hate mail, what difference does it make if Jesus was married to John? Would this diminish his message? His divinity? the value and extent of his love?  If anything it show just how human Jesus was. Jesus was just like us in every way, willingly and openly. He suffered willingly and openly too - for us. How powerful and how humbling to us.

                 If you are gay, this 'revelation' may be what helps you realize how much has been denied you in organized religion, false translations and from churches with agenda that are neither Godly or scripturally sound. 

                 Let us give thanks for the possibility of Jesus married to his 'beloved disciple'.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, throwing him into convulsions and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Maintain our humility, proceed in love.

Philippians 2:1-4

              There is an Native American expression that tries to convey the evil of being judgemental, it says that before we judge someone, we should first walk a mile in their moccasins. That's clearly not an exact quote but you get the idea. The notion of not being judgemental is not necessarily a Christian one but it is a universal one. In judging others to build ourselves higher, we actually diminish ourselves with a truly false sense of quality.  We are never to judge. As Pope Francis stated, "who am I to judge?" How beautiful.

              I recall that my mother had a similar journey to me although she died way too soon to know. As a good and faithful Catholic woman, she was tormented by the fact that she had sought a divorce from her husband.  Not only was there internal torment, there was judgement and abuse at the hands of the 'holy women' of the church.  She was marginalized and kicked to the curb as unworthy, sinful and not in line with Catholic doctrine. She was anathema to many. She was a hero to her children.

              Little did my mother know that her sweet young son fought his own internal torment even if it took decades to identify in a coherent way; even if it took decades to formulate and say aloud to himself. I too was anathema and struggled to be a good and faithful servant while knowing that God was on my side and that God loved me no matter what. I not only failed to realize that I was gay but I failed to separate the punitive and wrong hearted doctrines of my faith from the love and charity of my creator. I sought the former, found an uneasy bond and then found complete joy in the latter.

                I find a great deal of anger in my heart at times for the Roman church and the actions of the humans that run it or people who profess their allegiance to it. This would then be a form of confession for my own judgement of them.  We all are human and prone to sin by emulating worldly paradigms instead of the love and peace of God. The church would be no different even if I choose to think they should be better. Even if they proclaim themselves to be better. We are all human. The Roman church is in reality no better and especially, no better loved than anyone else. We are all loved equally.

               Our journeys cannot progress lamenting the past or wallowing in self pity for being wronged or by laying blame for this or that. We must cast others journey's aside because after all, it is their journey. We must not judge any one's journey and we must appreciate the difficulty they must have while always continuing on our own. 

                I pray that we find encouragement in Christ and in the love of God, certainly not in someone else's stumble or fall. We are all certain to fall at one point or another, in one way or another. Let us maintain our humility and proceed in love.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

On respect for each person

John 1:1-7,19-20,29-34

          I may have noted this before but my parents were divorced, my Dad moving out when I was 5 years old.  Before you let loose any Awww's, let me assure you it was a great thing. It certainly was good for each of them and it was good for us kids who no longer had to witness the hostility, anger and act as non combatants or collateral damage in the middle of a war. Best of all, my parents were actually very good people, always went out of their way to love us as if 'the other' was somehow not. I know that I feel I got more loving than most of my friends coming from non 'broken' homes.  One of things that my Dad did for me was he'd buy me books that he thought might interest me or help me in some formative way. I still remember each of them from Johnathan Livingston Seagull to A Remarkable Medicine Has Been Overlooked and The Power of your Subconscious Mind. I love my Dad even though he has been gone now for twenty years.

             In the last book i'd note that I was initiated into the thought that we are many times what we are told or worse, what we tell ourselves. Our subconscious mind listens all to well to what is being said, whether it's a bad parent saying 'you're a stupid kid' or a bad teacher who informs student 'you're good for nothing. 'You'll never amount to anything'. Of course we listen to many voices but we do listen to repetitive messages from outside and within. Oh how very much I wish we could all realize how much we are loved, how much value we hold just by ourselves and just how special God created us when he initialled envisioned our coming into existence. 

           In today's passage we have a story in which John was quite clear about who he was himself. That is, not Messiah. He did know who he was, his role and his value. When Jesus comes along and is baptized, God proclaims who Jesus is and his worth. He is God's beloved son 'in whom he is well pleased'. Whenever I taught religion and in my personal relationships to this day, I always try to show respect and instill the feeling that everyone has a unique self worth as imagined and then created by God. I always thought how wonderful it would be if I could get the children in my class to realize just how loved they are, how special they are, how gifted they are.

           It is with intense sadness that I see people demeaned, marginalized or whose character is besmirched simply for accepting their God created qualities. Of special interest to me are the kids who are gay and have to deal with the torment of classmates, the rejection of parents and family members.  How can we not weep at how Leelah Alcorn was treated by her parents and just as worse, their "religion".  I am sure God weeps in heaven for all of us and welcomed Leelah with open arms and a warm embrace. 

          Of course it is our job to be the best we can be, acknowledge our gifts and talents and use it all for God's glory. Equally as certain is that we should honour each others journey even if we do not understand it. No religion can have validity if it does not recognize this fact. It is one of the reasons so many people are flocking away from organized religion and why Face Book is filled with so many non-sectarian spiritual bouquets. 

         I pray we are gentler with ourselves and everyone else. People hear and listen to what we say.

           

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

Je Suis Charlie

Galatians 3:23-29, 4:4-7

          Each day I receive an inspirational thought in an e-mail. An acquaintance of mine arranged this and I am forever grateful for an additional tool to start the day on a thoughtful, appreciative and prayerful note. I find that how I start my day is a fairly good barometer of how I will focus, view and handle life during the next 24 hours. That's me. Today's message was "If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance." (Orville Wright, 1871-1948)

           Three things came to my mind with today's passage and this quote. One is simply a sign I saw yesterday,  Je Suis Charlie. It offered solidarity and a message about the recent barbarism and religious lunacy that occurred in France.  What religious fanatics do ( and have done over the centuries ) is shameful, demonic and absolutely has no bearing on any message God wishes to reveal to mankind. Je Suis Charlie was posted in solidarity by a person who posted information, not unlike myself that was often challenging and counter to many accepted beliefs. To promote thought and to question the status quo should not be something that endangers one's life. Yet what happened in Paris shows us the extent to which warped ideologies can infect and inflame people to horrific actions. It is intensely sad that such lessons are still being learned after humanity has lived through similar 'infections' such as the Nazi's, the Inquisition, various Pogrums and the Crusades. Are we destined to never learn from our errors?  The right wingnuts in this country spreading hate, lies and misinformation about the LGBTQ community run the risk of creating similar hateful and misguided actions here. In fact, hate crimes against gays inspired and provoked by these hateful "Evangelicals" and self righteous religious wingnuts occur daily. A simple act of defiance (read: affection, love, companionship) such as hold hands or a simple kiss is enough to incur beatings and even death.

          So here I am each day, writing what I hope are prayerful reflections but often rants against the power elite and status quo. I write sometime challenging notions that might make some people a bit squirmy. Little did I know I was writing many times in the vein of Orville Wright.  Challenging assumptions and hoping to advance knowledge, love, fellowship and faith.  This could get me killed though so I too should say Je suis Charlie!

           My third point and perhaps the most important of all because it based on scripture is today's passage. When Christianity was spreading far from Jerusalem and into cultures quite different from Judaism, certain problems arose. Different cultures among other things requires respect of the other and a desire to learn. One of the problems about that learning process is that different cultures have different views on things and often have much different ways of expressing things. Such is the case when Christianity began to come to Greek areas.  So much was different. Philosophies, ways of expression. The Greeks did not have the foundation of ancient Judaism or their scripture and in fact had their own history and deeply embedded culture.  In many ways this is the age old issue of unknown cultures cultures clashing. Not so different from East and West, Blacks and Whites and many other culture clashes in human history.  What this passage is trying to address is that because of Jesus There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female. If the passage were written today it might easily have read, no gay or straight, no Muslim or Christian or Jew. The passage is trying to focus on the fact that we are all children of God. We all call God "Abba" (read: Daddy). We are all His children.

         As children of God we are called to learn ad grow, but also respect each other and part of the learning is from each other. There is a tension in learning because it does challenge us. But for those who do the challenging, whether it is satirical comic in France, or a blogger sitting on a little island in the Atlantic or Orville Wright, we must not raise our hackles and inspire hate and vengeance in response.

      We are all children of the same God. If we raise our hackles, it should be against fantiscism, hate and fear mongering and to stop violence, brother against brother.

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Not just cookie cutter kitsch!

Romans 12:6-13

          It's said that we are a nation of people that strives for the best. Never to be outdone, we are always looking to one-up, do one better, be the best than we can be. **

          I go to the gym on a regular basis. I not a 'gym rat' or a 'no neck' by any stretch of the imagination, those people in my estimation are trying to be the best 'something'. They are buying into a paradigm that says the best body makes you a better person, more desirable or better looking. None of those goals fit with mine which is to make myself healthier and stronger in that it contributes to me being a better person as part of many other fine attributes.

           I think we are called to be the best person we can be but not to extremus, not one aspect overshadowing another and certainly not at the risk of demeaning others. Discover all of who you are, some of the attributes mentioned in today's passage, love who you are, embrace and share who you are. Those are goals worth working hard for.  When we love who we are we can offer others the great gift that God gave us and that we have unwrapped.

           Today I'd like  to honor Jeanne Manford who started PFLAG. If you don't know what that organization is, I urge you to explore and support it. But who is Jeanne Manford? She is simply a mother who embraced her gay son. She loved him, embraced who he was and celebrated it. Just as we should accept our talents, gifts and abilities, we should accept who we are and embrace it. Gay, Straight, Bi, white, black, Asian, Indian, whomever; embrace who you are. As Lola says in Kinky Boots, "I'm your cocoa butter bitch, not just cookie cutter kitsch! Be who you are and celebrate it, revel in it, love it. 

           You are a gift from God to everyone, not in embracing the whims, attitudes or judgements of society but be being exactly who you are with all your gifts and offering them up to your fellow man and thereby to God.

We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

** for a nation that supposedly strives to be the best we are far from it in almost every way. Lower in education, generosity, caring, forgiveness, and countless other Gospel based goals. We do excell in violence, hate, misinformation and waging war. :(