The center of the Universe

          Let's face it, literalism of any kind can cause really big problems.  Lack of understanding, lack of education and not using the brains the good God gave us has caused incredible evil. One need only look at some of religious fanatics in the middle east and around the world. The United States has been no stranger to literal fanatics either.

          When speaking against biblical literalism I have always noted how God speaks to us in ways we can understand - at a given point in human history.  The ancients would be have absolutely no comprehension of particle physics for example. The ancients fully believed that we lived under a dome as described in Genesis.  I mention this today because it is the day in the church's calendar when we honour the holy men of Kepler and Copernicus.  They delivered such seemingly wild and anti-establishment ideas from their intellect and reason. It is shocking that the state of education in the United Sates still yields a good number of people that still believe that the Earth is the center of the universe.  Yes, a mind is a terrible thing to waste!

          The larger issue though is things that we fail to comprehend and so we make it into an evil. How often does this happen? Well in Jesus' time when someone was blind or lame as in today's passage, people would ask whose fault was it? The sin of the person or the sin of the parents? Is this not ridiculous. Would we believe that today?  Moving forward in history though, when you'd think we might be more enlightened. How many nuns would force children to be right handed because being left handed was 'of the devil'. How ignorant.  The list goes on.  What did people say about black people that they simply did not understand or whom they had never experienced before. We still have not emerged fully from the shadow of this racial nightmare.

            Today so many of the right wingnuts who thrive on literalism have been railing against the LGBTQ community. They misquote, cherry pick and take passages in the most literal terms  and far out of context to boot. The ignorance of mankind is sadly not new.

            While Jesus did not speak one or the other about being gay ( maybe because the term would not be invented for another 1800 years? ), he did heal the Centurion's male lover, "pais".  What we should know about Jesus though is that he embraced his humanity.  As God created us, we are inquisitive, capable of learning and thirsty for knowledge of Him and His universe.  When we observe the world, learn and use our brains we are less likely to be arrogant, rude, mean spirited and ignorant. 

         It is astounding that the church, and by that I mean the Roman Church, has stood so firmly against all sorts of education, advancement and learning.  How was Galileo treated? When was he pardoned? Try 1992 !  Like I said, astounding.

         Education, learning and embracing knowledge is a key to our humanity, a key to being fully human and what God created us to be.  If we are on some scale higher than other animals, we will not reach our God given potential by acting like  things that we do not understand are evil, of the devil or some kind of voo-doo. 

Matthew 12:22-32

Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, ‘Can this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons.’ ²He knew what they were thinking and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Gay - be; You - be; it - be, just be.

         Can we be still enough to just be?  I confess that most often I am only content when I am moving along. Not too fast, not crazy busy, but also not too slow. I don't want to be bored.  I know I am capable of listening. I know I can take time  to sit and be. Does it have to be the Triduum to do so? Does it have to be some special occasion for me to just sit and observe, to try and be one with nature, to be one with God? Can I sit and be who God made me to be, a gay man, a happy soul, a loving, comforting, caring soul? Can, can, we do any of these things and just be?

          All too often we get lost in the cacophony of the world whizzing around us.  We take an active part in the insanity that we so often complain of. Our hearts long for unity, purpose and calm. Today's passage from  Sirach offers us some wisdom. 

          Yesterday we took some time to bicycle around a small section of our island.  We eschewed the gym in favor of a more wholesome, natural form of exercise.  Just getting out smelling the fields, the freshly tilled soil, the animals, the sweet fragrances of spring.  Still I felt the need to pause further. I pulled off the road to see bursts of red fronds among the tall grasses of the field. Take time to smell the roses? Take time to see God bursting forth, nature being what it so easily just IS.

           I gives me pause to think of what I am missing when I even casually cruise by in a car as I did just the day before when on a relaxing drive with my husband, hypermiling away in our latest wheels. So casual a ride and yet so much still missed. 

           I learned long ago the expression "knowing what, one knows not, is in a sense , omniscience".  What is it I do not know? Do I even search for the unknown or do I busy myself all day long placating myself with a mere slowing down. Can I stop and just be. Rest. Relax. Just be.

           Can I contemplate God, myself and just existence and love. What more is there, really?

        Sirach 42:15-45

I will now call to mind the works of the Lord,

   and will declare what I have seen.

By the word of the Lord his works are made;

   and all his creatures do his will. 

The sun looks down on everything with its light,

   and the work of the Lord is full of his glory. 

The Lord has not empowered even his holy ones

   to recount all his marvellous works,

which the Lord the Almighty has established

   so that the universe may stand firm in his glory. 

He searches out the abyss and the human heart;

   he understands their innermost secrets.

For the Most High knows all that may be known;

   he sees from of old the things that are to come. 

He discloses what has been and what is to be,

   and he reveals the traces of hidden things. 

No thought escapes him,

   and nothing is hidden from him. 

He has set in order the splendours of his wisdom;

   he is from all eternity one and the same.

Nothing can be added or taken away,

   and he needs no one to be his counsellor. 

How desirable are all his works,

   and how sparkling they are to see!

All these things live and remain for ever;

   each creature is preserved to meet a particular need. 

All things come in pairs, one opposite to the other,

   and he has made nothing incomplete. 

Each supplements the virtues of the other.

   Who could ever tire of seeing his glory? 

Every little bit of queer

            It must have been a science fiction tale but the idea of the Earth as a jail came up.  The earth was a dumping ground for all the misfits. All the groups that couldn't get along with their own kind were sent to our magnificent blue orb. Yes the earth was all the same because it consisted of a set of peoples that were all different.  The outcasts. The misfits. The queer ones.

           I've been letting that term roll around in my head lately. Queer folk, not Queer As Folk, that interesting TV series (2000-2005).  We had discussed this at length in our gay spirituality group some years back too, we are all queer. Queer. QUEER. No longer a term of degradation but a term of pride. Now a days it might be easily noted that it is a term of recognition of the differences we all have. We are all queer in one way or another, all different with exetricities, personal habits, talents, history, genetic makeup, orientation(s). I suppose there is no limit to what makes each one of us queer.  We may have ideas based on so called societal 'norms' but it really extends in every aspect of our being.

          This week has seen several friends and acquaintances having to deal with family illnesses and parental death.  Every person handles it differently. One is introverted and silent, walling off everyone concerned. Effectively walling off help in the process. Someone dealing with the fact that his Mom died on Mothers day morning. This is a guy whom I consider a brother. And while I know he is not a biologic brother we now share the death of our mothers on auspicious days, mine having died on my birthday ( followed by my brother on the same day several years later).  I could try to play one upmanship couldn't I ?  In our differences though, he black, me white, he young, me old, etc., etc., there is an opportunity for love and support. I could use my queerness and my similarities to hold him in my heart, if not my arms, to show my caring and concern and not leave someone out in the cold focusing on the differences between us. 

           I do believe we are all queer,  now more than ever. I also believe we have similarities that should never be dismissed. We are all human. We are all children of God. We are all called to help each other while recognizing and yes, celebrating our differences. Could we argue which color of the rainbow is best?  I may like blue but lets celebrate the entire rainbow and all our queerness. Can our queerness be used to celebrate and support rather than separate and segregate?

                               

Ezekiel 36:22-27

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.

Jesus: going down to the depths

          We celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, ascending to the Father. It is the basis of our faith, the resurrection of Jesus. That singular act, nay, that living act is what gives us hope, makes us royal heirs and grants us eternal life. Heavy stuff. 

           Equally as heavy is the life Jesus lived as a human. This is a source of even more hope. 

Jesus,  "The Way" , showed us how to live as a real flesh and blood human. Jesus showed us what we are capable of in fulfilling our destiny. Always filled with love but Jesus was quite the rebel.  Railing against the status quo. Doing dangerous and unheard of things. Challenging the Temple elite, speaking with a Samaritan woman! Jesus broke so many "rules". Jesus befriended some of the worst people imaginable for the time, lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes and the like.  It seemed his loving open arms had no limits. Why he even cured the "pais" of the Roman Centurion. That is, the homosexual lover of someone occupying his very own country. What's with that? When will the 'insanity' of Jesus' love stop? How far will Jesus go?

            To the ends of the earth my friends, to the ends of the earth. There are no limits to Jesus' love and by extension so neither should we (have any limits). Something jumped out to me from this passage. It not only speaks of Jesus ascending, it also speaks of Jesus DE-scending. Did Jesus go to the depths of hell before he rose? Was this a little side trip before heading home to Abba, Father?

            I once read a book called Good Goats. One of the suggestions is that if indeed Hell exists at all, that there might actually be redemption beyond death. Did Jesus go to the depths of Hell to give hope even to the condemned? Is this where Mother Theresa gets the idea of embracing the worst of the worst in a  rat infested, disease ridden Calcutta?  Is this why Pope John Paul embraced the man who tried to kill him? If we think of the worst of the worst, the most condemned of our society today, could we embrace them, hold them and love them as Jesus has shown us? Can we do so without judgment? Can we love as a parent would love their own child? 

        Can we realize that in all of God's creations, God loves "them" at least as much as God loves us? That God would, has and does go to any length to secure our hope, freedom and salvation from the tyranny of sin and hopelessness? 

Ephesians 4:1-16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,

‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;

   he gave gifts to his people.’ 

(When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Hurricanes that can break you

          Growing up I recall a few hurricanes that came rolling through our area. As a child we were taught that when it got very calm outside we should remain indoors because it was the eye of the storm passing over.  Turbulence would soon re-emerge and we should remain protected. It seemed so odd to have that oasis of peace in the midst of a raging hurricane. 

           One of the most turbulent times in my life was when I began to realize I was gay.  I could not even utter the words to myself. I had hints and a great amount of fear.  I tried to maintain calm and my spiritual training helped a great deal. Still I saw a sea of hurt, turmoil and intense mental anguish all around me. I know what it is like to think that suicide might be an option.  Every turn seems full of negative possibilities. 

          Around this time, in the midst of therapy and prayer, I reached out for more guidance and for role models that might know what it was I was going through. It is thus that I began to see the hero of Bishop Gene Robinson.  He too had gone through a storm of sorts, much worse than mine. His book In the Eye of the Storm was very calming to me.

           I wonder what allows us to have any semblance of calm in the midst of life's adversities.  Had it not been for role models and my deep faith, I might easily have succumbed to the evil temptation that suicide was a viable answer for me.  The fact was, while I could see the turbulence all around me in a way I may never be able to fully explain, it would have been much worse had I not the faith in Christ.

           So the Apostles are terrified at the storm and Jesus remains totally calm ( asleep even! ) in the midst of the storm.  Jesus commands even the winds, the storm around them. Can we command the storms too? I would dare say yes in Christ's name. 

            If faith does not take away the storms, faith at the very least puts things into perspective. You realize what is truly important and what is smoke and mirrors around us.  Hurricanes, personal or otherwise are pretty extreme examples of life's ill winds. Can we see stop our spinning in the much simpler things that befall us on a daily basis? What is truly important? What really matters and can we put the nonsense aside knowing what truly matters?

Matthew 8:18-27

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’ 

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’

Plenty of meat here

         Today's reading encompasses some of my favorite passages. There is so much meat in these lines that counters so much of the dribble foisted on us by the Roman church. While we also remember a doctor of the church today as well, I am quick to point out the folly of historical bias (read: tradition) and policy preferences of that Church based on human decisions rather than scripture or the Spirit.

         So let's hit the ground running. I've written about this previously ( years ago actually ). The first story here is a Roman centurion and his "pais". Yes, pais is the original word not servant. While servant is a really nice word it none the less does a miserable job of conveying who this 'servant' was. A "pais" was more than a servant, it was more like a young lover which would be quite normal for a Roman officer. What is stranger, that the Roman church has subverted the translation by dumbing down the translation to suit their own desires? Or how truly astonishing it is that a Roman Centurion seek out this itinerant Jewish preacher to heal his young lover. Jesus knows who he is, he is at least an officer of the occupying army! Jesus also knows what a "pais" is and yet, Jesus recognizes the Centurion's  faith and cures the young lover. The messages about Jesus come thundering through to me!  Jesus is a rebel of the highest order, a forgiver and healer.  What has the church done to this message of involving tacit approval of a same sex relationship?

          Let's move on to another point. Jesus is in Peter's house (Peter, first 'Pope' if you will, even if that term had not been invented yet) Peter who would deny Jesus three times and left in charge of the church when Jesus ascends. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law. If Peter has a mother in law, Peter is married. Yet, do the Romans allow married priests? Yet another perversion. The exceptions are rare and exist but the policy of married priests is totally fabricated out of an agenda. That is, male domination, euro-centricity, etc.  It is sadly comical that such a policy is one of the contributing factors of the church's current sex scandals. 

         Two of my favorite topics.  I'll leave it to you to do further research. What are we to do though?  If the truth is not born out in the churches, what are we to do as faithful. We must speak up, be counter cultural as Jesus was and witness to alternative lives born of love and true faith.

Matthew 8:5-17

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, in terrible distress.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ The centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.’ And the servant was healed in that hour.

When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed by demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’

The Gay calling

          In today's passage from scripiture I see the calling of Moses. You might be familiar with the term. Although perhaps a bit outdated now, the term for someone entering the priesthood would be that "he heard the calling" or "he had the calling". It can't help but think how we are all called.

          If you can think back to the sixties when everyone was trying  find themselves, the real question was who am I and what are my gifts? What am I supposed to do with my life? The question to me translates roughly to who am I as a person (that God made so carefully) and how can I cooperate with God's plan. How am I to gift myself to the world as God planned? When you look at it that way, it seems pretty heavy.  I think we all have that innate knowledge that we are someone unique and special.  Inside we know that there is some gift or talent that will make us happy and that cooperates with some master plan even when we no idea what that big plan might be.

            While we like to think of people having callings to something like the priesthood or as a physician, we might fail to recognize other callings that we all have. The answer is just as important to each and every one of us. 

           I thought I had "the calling" to ministry and while it hasn't gone quite as I thought it would, I practice my faith and witness as best I can. But the biggest calling I didn't realize until I was about 50 years old. I realized I am gay. This 'discovery' , acknowledgement to myself and embracing it has been one of the happiest most fulfilling things in my life.  In cooperating in this way, the way God made me, I am fulfilled and have been so blessed in a spouse, in the people around me and the opportunity to witness to other gay people how they too are called to be gay and holy.  Your wholeness in every way is part of your being holy.  Wow. 

              Your calling is a cooperation of the plans God has for you which is part of what makes you - you! Failure to cooperate is often seen in people who are never happy, always seeking the next 'thing' spiritually or materially. The key is to find out as much as you can about yourself. Be fully human. Be fully alive. Be you.  Once you do all that, congratulations! You have 'the calling!'

             

        

Exodus 3:1-12

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’

Plain speak'n

        In the course of my job and ministry as a Deacon, I have witnessed and listened to many people. There are several that come to mind that have had extraordinarily brutal things happen to them or a family member.  Like many horrific things, they go beyond our ability to reason. We simply cannot understand why such a thing would happen to such nice people. ( May I suggest a good read: When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner‎ ). Anyway the anguish seems almost monumental.  When it happens it is difficult to ask God why.  Why all powerful God did you let this happen to my son,  husband or whomever? I know that it comes with the territory of free will. If we want free will we cannot have God intervening in everything. I also think we bring many of these things on ourselves, not individually, but societally. In any event discussion with God is nixed. The person has a justifiable anger and God is the target. 

        One of the things I tell people in whatever state they find themselves in, talk to God as he would find you. If you need to , tell, God you are mad as hell. This goes to speaking plainly.  God knows what is in your heart and Jesus certainly knows the anguish of the human condition, of losing a friend, of having to say goodbye to people you adore and love.  This goes to the heart of speaking plainly.

      So many people sugar coat, bend the truth or give broad smiles at all the right moments except when they are alone. God sees it all, God knows it all, God wants to hear from you good, bad or indifferent.  

      Many so called believers these days praise God on Sunday and are some of the most hateful ignorant people I have ever seen. It reminds me of some plain speaking I saw on a church sign recently. I would imagine if Jesus returned today he might a bit of plain speaking to do some people and some of the faithful might have some 'splaining' to do  as Ricky Ricardo might say.

          Whether you are speaking to God, a therapist or anyone else, honesty and plain speaking is key. I'm not taking about rude 'honesty' or judgemental' honesty or arrogant 'honesty'. Plain speaking honesty with God always works. I am sure God would appreciate hearing from each one of us.

John 16:23-28

On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 

‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.’

Jonathan & David : Same sex Biblical love story

          The term homosexual did not come into existence until about 1869, quite a few years after this passage was written. It seems only modern man has a penchant for tightly defining and placing everything and everyone into cubbyholes.  While some would have you believe that gay loving relationships are a modern perversion, here is a text right from scripture that gives witness to a loving committed same sex relationship. Far from sex and lust and tawdry 'lifestyles', here we have an example of genuine love.

           This is one of passages that my husband and I used in our wedding ceremony several years ago.  It was a ceremony of Judeo-Christian origin, celebration and consecration. We have taken our vows to love each other as seriously as any other couple, perhaps more so.  I love him and he loves me. My family is his family and his family is mine. It harkens to yet another great gay love story in scripture, that of Ruth and Naomi. We (the gay community) did not just make this stuff up or switch some words around to support our cause or agenda. 

          The idea or ideal of two becoming one and finding a soul mate is right out of Genesis, it is a God given aspect of our being, our existence.  It would seem only in modern times do we have the arrogance to dismiss history and stupidity to try and define humanity in neat little boxes that supposedly has never changed or varied.  

        Today I celebrate couples and love and the grace of God who blesses us and keeps us. I celebrate myself and my husband and the love we share, foster and witness in our daily lives.  Thank you God for the gift of each other and our willingness to embrace a love long sought.     

1 Samuel 18

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.  And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

Wing 'man'

          I am with you always, to the end of the age. I truly love and truly beleieve that God is with us always. So much happens to us in this life both good and bad, and God is with us every step of the way. Comfort, love and understanding.  But then there is that last part, to the end of the age.’

         I am certain there are people out there who fixate on that. When indeed is the end of the age? How long do I have? I know many people have tried to figure it out. Of course it's there so what does it mean? Is it to be taken literally? What did the writer intend in placing it there? What were the original texts and what might they really mean? Is there a possible alternative meaning than the seemingly obvious?

         With not much else to go on, it almost seems like a test.  You can sit there thinking about 'the end times' and totally miss the note that God is always with you. Talk about distraction. That is really something to think about!

          As I am pretty much on the road today, I thought it might be a good time to let my mind wander to 'things that have happened in my life' and what it meant to have God by my side. In many cases God held me up instead of me keeling over. In some instances God actually elevated me and held me high. Sometimes God wept with me, understanding the loss of a loved one oh too well himself. Sometimes God laughed with me, sometimes at me and sometimes shook his head in disbeleief at me

         One thing is certain though, God is always at my side. My wing man

Matthew 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

He's my Daddy and he loves me.

              When you are witnessing to people about Christ, whether it's in some formal way or by your daily life, you really want it to be eloquent and straightforward.  I'm not one for the loud and in your face style I've witnessed at train stations where a preachers screams "You're a sinner" and "repent!"

               The question then is how to get across the message that you are a beloved child of God, that everyone is a beloved child of God.  Jesus was the best, from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. But we really didn't need this one passage to convince us of that.   No, if you are given the gift of preaching, you should do that. If you have not been so gifted, live your life as a witness so that others will see that in your living, in what you do every day, your bear witness to the love and peace of Christ.

           When I was a bit younger and was still teaching religion classes in my parish I had a way in which I tried to highlight for these children how much they are loved. It worked for me and still does. What I would do is ask each child in my class their name. The'd say Johnny, or Bill, or Heather  or some such. I would then ask them, "are you sure?" I would get the "duh!" Yes, that's my name!  I would explain to these kids that as sure as they know that teir name is Johnny or Sally or Bill, that they should be equally as quick and sure that when someone asks "does God love me?" the answer should be a snappy and resounding "yes!".  There should never be even a small amount of doubt in the answer just like there was no hesitation and doubt when I asked for their name. 

         Did my small exercise work? That I do not know for certain. I am not even certain where I got the idea from. Perhaps it was from inside my own gut. I know the answer to both  with lightening speed.  I know it so much so that the comfort of God's love for me has seen me through a great deal of adversity, even when I was perhaps not deserving of it by my actions. I knew I was always loved. I know I am loved.

          Other than that small gift I tried to give those children so long ago, my eloquence I hope will be spoken loudly in the actions of my life and the love I have shared. I have no desire to be someone I am not. I am blessed to be just whom God made me to be. 

          How do you witness? ( this is a 'go out and do' exercise, no a tell me exercise )

Matthew 22:41-46

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ‘What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 

“The Lord said to my Lord,

‘Sit at my right hand,

   until I put your enemies under your feet’ ”? 

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Mary on a half shell

         This would be the truncated version of today's (apparently obligatory) reading from Leviticus. There are chunks of stuff there in Leviticus. It is truly astounding how people have chosen that text for batter passages when there is so much more there that really makes everyone look quite hypocritical.

         Anyway, I am driving down one of our million farm roads here on this picturesque island and I see a statue of Mary and cannot help but make some comments about 'Mary on the half shell'. My husband is not familiar with this kind of commentary at all. It evolves into a commentary (again) about the Roman church and their practises involving all sorts of statues.  He's having trouble containing himself as I regale him with stories about religiosity and apparent statue worship. He loses it almost completely when I get into burying statues of Joseph upside down in your yard to guarantee that your property sells.

         If there is a medium ground to be found in this lecture on how we can possibly use statues as sources of mediation and prayer it is lost on how far flung the worship practises of the Roman church have gone in 'almost' defying' chunks of concrete and idol worship. 

       What part of this passage from Leviticus is lost on the Roman church, on anyone who sees fit to transfer devotion to Christ on a relative or follower of Christ so as to elevate that person to the same level as Christ himself? It is a curious phenomena that we have been clearly been warned of.

        Having said that and I feel justified in saying say especially since I've already risked my eternal soul by "attempting to marry another gentleman" (poking fun at the Romans again).  In all honesty there is merit in solemn Marian respect, worship is another thing though. 

       I have always noted what strength there was in Mary. More than strength really, it is strength of faith, guts, maybe even ballzy. Here is a young Jewish girl betrothed to an older obviously Jewish man. Visions of Lazer Wolf and Tzietel might come to mind.  Asked to carry the God child while in this social situation is precarius at best. What she is almost asking for is certain a broken engagement and a good possibility of being stoned to death.  The faith of this young girl is astounding and certainly can be emulated. Elevated to almost dietific status? Mais non!  

         Whoever said 'everything in moderation' would have a field day here.  We tread dangerously in glorifying objects close to God but that are not in fact God.  Guides, aids, objet d'art but not rising to the status of worship.  We tread this fine line with Saints. Examples of holy living, graced lives and ones to be emulated but not worshiped and certainly not as an intercessory to God.  No intermediary to God is necessary, not Mary nor anyone else.

Leviticus 26:1-2

You shall make for yourselves no idols and erect no carved images or pillars, and you shall not place figured stones in your land, to worship at them; for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

Legal, non-resident alien

           If you read the scriptures each day, as I try to do, you might be getting a bit weary of Leviticus. Heck, Leviticus is wearying to just the most casual of readers what with all the laws and strictures, abominations such as they are and apparent daily stonings of wrongdoers.  What we've been hearing a great deal about though is aliens and all sorts of 'laws' pertaining to how to treat them. I wrote a bit about that just the other day (29/4/16).

         What strikes me now is that there must have been a lot of these aliens around. I mean, people must have moved around a great deal.  Whether for trade, political unrest, famine or whatever - there seems to have been a lot of travel.

          This week is my fourth anniversary and we spent our honeymoon in France, a magical place for numerous reasons. We were warned that the French were rude and obnoxious. We found no such thing. In our experience the French were lovely, engaging, friendly and welcomed us with open arms. But frankly we are quite the couple. As cute as two peas in a pod. Uh-dorable.

            I wonder why such a difference in experience between us and some other people we know.   Well I think I have something there. When you travel, do you travel like you are in a zoo or do you engage people?  Some people look at foreigners and go to other countries to see them ( who ever they are ). There are other people who go to experience a culture. Meet people, experience their lives, eat with them, share their joys; actually live among the people. I believe my husband and I are the latter. When we enter a patisserie, we inhale the aroma, we smile, we say hello, good day, Bonjour!  In my broken French I make an effort to acknowledge the magnificent aroma and that the pastries look divine.  We are courteous. We want to know the people and see the sights. We want to understand the sights, whether we are in Banff, Brussels or Botswana. We are legal, non-resident aliens and we are charming and the French were charming to us.

           So with all these people in Leviticus traveling about, the rules are spelled out how to behave. One might think we'd have this travel and courtesy thing down pat after  a few thousand years.  But alas, 'Americans' ( US citizens, I mean ) often have an arrogance, a built in  superiority complex that I don't know where it comes from. These type people should read history books and read scripture more.  We are all children of the same God no matter what we call him....or her.

         Sometimes I think the problems of the world would be solved if we travelled more, tried to understand each other better and realized we all have gifts to offer. Let's hear more about non-resident aliens. I'd heartily approve. 

Leviticus 25:35-55

If any of your kin fall into difficulty and become dependent on you, you shall support them; they shall live with you as though resident aliens. Do not take interest in advance or otherwise make a profit from them, but fear your God; let them live with you. You shall not lend them your money at interest taken in advance, or provide them food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.

If any who are dependent on you become so impoverished that they sell themselves to you, you shall not make them serve as slaves. They shall remain with you as hired or bound labourers. They shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. Then they and their children with them shall be free from your authority; they shall go back to their own family and return to their ancestral property. For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves are sold. You shall not rule over them with harshness, but shall fear your God. As for the male and female slaves whom you may have, it is from the nations around you that you may acquire male and female slaves. You may also acquire them from among the aliens residing with you, and from their families that are with you, who have been born in your land; and they may be your property. You may keep them as a possession for your children after you, for them to inherit as property. These you may treat as slaves, but as for your fellow Israelites, no one shall rule over the other with harshness.

If resident aliens among you prosper, and if any of your kin fall into difficulty with one of them and sell themselves to an alien, or to a branch of the alien’s family, after they have sold themselves they shall have the right of redemption; one of their brothers may redeem them, or their uncle or their uncle’s son may redeem them, or anyone of their family who is of their own flesh may redeem them; or if they prosper they may redeem themselves. They shall compute with the purchaser the total from the year when they sold themselves to the alien until the jubilee year; the price of the sale shall be applied to the number of years: the time they were with the owner shall be rated as the time of a hired labourer. If many years remain, they shall pay for their redemption in proportion to the purchase price; and if few years remain until the jubilee year, they shall compute thus: according to the years involved they shall make payment for their redemption. As a labourer hired by the year they shall be under the alien’s authority, who shall not, however, rule with harshness over them in your sight. And if they have not been redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children with them shall go free in the jubilee year. For to me the people of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

One sided balancing act

      I'm not sure where I heard this piece of advice but I know it was in my travels yesterday. Someone told me that that the only time we really have is the present. I know this.  I know we can cannot live in the past without missing the present. I know we cannot live in the now if we are always looking toward the future. So now is the time.

      I always looked at living in the moment as a balancing act. You want to live like there is no tomorrow but you certainly have to plan like there will be a tomorrow.  So many people put things off till tomorrow with great plans like the man in Jesus parable today only to find out they are dying or that they wind up getting hit by a bus.  For the most part our concerns apply to the expenditure of money or saving money. 

       There is however one thing we can never be stingy with in the now. We can never put off love.  We can't say 'I'll put off that volunteer work until I can afford to do so'.  We just cannot. We can't say I will work to all hours to the detriment of my family. The family will be missed. No one ever laid on their death bed saying 'I wish I'd spent more time at work'. The needs of love are always right here in the now.  Love cannot wait. Love does not require money, if it does it's called something else but definitely not love.  The great thing is that love is something everyone can afford to give. 

        My mother in law says we make plans, God laughs. The designs of our lives are so intricate and most often far from what we may have thought they'd be. Planning seems senseless. The opportunity to love is always there and always brightens and expands our future. Amassing money for the future without love is cold and empty.  Money can be a wonderful thing but it never can replace love in the heart or love offered freely.

         For today and everyday, keep your eyes wide open and look for the myriad ways to love. The only plan should be to be open to love and the opportunity to love.

Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’