With the vast array of devastation caused by wildfires on the left side of the United States and hurricane Ida and resulting treacherous weather throughout the right side of the United States, not to mention ongoing multi-faceted struggles around the entire world, it can be easy to fall prey to a sense of doom, regardless of whether one is experiencing dire need, a direct impact, on the fringes of such impact, or farther removed.
On what is a dreary day, on the feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta, it is good to remember that despite the darkness, God is with us amid all these trials and tribulations. Leading the way, before one might even know it. Providing light and love. Lifting spirits, opening minds, increasing the will to help, and strengthening the bond of human hearts toward one another.
Say to the fearful of heart: Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you.
– Isaiah 35:4
“There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways.”
With lots of rain this past week and existing conditions around the globe, it certainly seems like stormy times continue to be the pattern. Not only that, but it’s like they are holding as if super glue. So why not embrace them?
We know that the perfect storm forms out of what can be predicted or seen combined with what is unforeseen or unplanned. That is why such a storm often catches us off guard; there is an opening. Similarly, anything in life that is mutually beneficial, or truly divine, comes to fruition. And, even in the times when we cannot perceive or name it, there is always something more than what meets the eye, seeking to bear fruit. Always something more working through whatever failings or inadequacies there may be, to spread light and love, and ultimately, to break through, bringing what is good into the world.
During all this storminess, sometimes it can be tempting to look at life through a smaller lens, as if a mathematical equation to be solved. As if you get out of it what you put in, and the sum of all our human efforts creates a whole or complete picture of the end sought from the beginning. Yet, although these philosophies may be true to some extent, there is a lot more that comes into play for any given situation.
Often, in times like these, there is an invitation to see more clearly, and a reminder that while the surface may seem clear cut, Truth is encompassed in the depths and cannot be erased. It draws for us a complete picture, and what is Whole, never lies.
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. – Psalm 85:8
Inside seeking shelter on a very stormy day, I hear the wind howling… beckoning, come and see.
Looking out the window, great and mighty power, the surge before my eyes.
The wind, it whips and stirs. The waves, they’re in a frenzy, crashing down on all, in the way or not.
Rain, it’s driven sideways. I wonder if it minds.
Then, the birds. Something else. Just being birds, but more. Unphased by all the bother. Flying high, swooping low, drifting, diving, floating, gliding, in the winds that blow.
Beauty in the chaos. Stillness in the storm.
Trusting, not resisting.
All, it will be well.
Listening, not withdrawing, but drawing from within.
In a few weeks, my oldest child will be turning the page toward a new chapter in his life, as he graduates. So many years have passed and so much has transpired since his birth, yet it’s still hard to believe that this milestone is already here. As I think about the journey as a parent, I recall moments of feeling joy and pride as well as moments of feeling fear and uncertainty. What an awesome responsibility… what an awesome privilege. But then, isn’t that what love is all about? Being present, holding on, lifting up, letting go, and along the way, being drawn toward the balance that lies between?
In the Gospel according to John, Jesus says:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.” (15:9)
How do we do that?
We remain in love, by choosing to live in Love. When we choose to be present to each other and creation, we are also choosing to be present to God, and God’s love for us. This is the source of joy, and it can only be complete when it is shared and flowing freely among us. So often though, things get in the way, distracting us, and pulling us apart from each other, as well as from God.
When we remain in God’s love though, we can see things for what they are more readily, and withhold the judgment that seeks to lead us against one another rather than bring us together. What an awesome responsibility… what an awesome privilege. But then, isn’t that what love is all about? Being present, holding on, lifting up, letting go, and along the way, being drawn toward the balance that lies between?
Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” — Rumi
They started out a neatly organized bouquet of tulips, bulbs closed and standing upright in a vase, but with time, each came into its own. Still tulips though, and called by name, no matter the style or type of display. Some still upright. Some bending, turning, twisting, as if being called toward something else altogether, but again, all still called by name—side by side—together.
More than humane… a compelling lesson for humanity. Nothing new… it is as it has always been. In opening up, reaching out, and stretching toward another… letting go of “other,” change is made. What is true and meaningful, is more than comprehension. When the peace within one’s heart, reaches out, it permeates from soul to soul, and only then, is it about becoming.
Just as he said to the disciples who met him on the road to Emmaus, Jesus says to us, “You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48). As followers of Jesus, what did they do with that?
Fast forward to today… As disciples of Jesus, what do we do with all to which we have become witnesses? How do we stand with both the crucified and risen Jesus?
When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
After Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb, a large stone was placed in front of the opening to it, and life for those seemingly left behind, although altered, carried on.
Then, the third day…
They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” – Mark 16:3
Envisioning the stone obstructing the way, brings me back to an instance from childhood. I recall one year in particular when there was work being done in our backyard that required excavation. Things were going along smoothly until a large boulder, seemingly immovable, was unearthed.
As a result, everything came to a halt and it stayed that way for a number of days. The contractor’s equipment was insufficient to move such a large object. Eventually, though, special equipment was brought in to move the boulder to the perimeter of the backyard. Now out of the way, the work that had been started was able to be completed.
In the days and years that followed, when playing or hanging out with siblings or friends, or just looking out across the yard, there was the boulder. Thinking back, it’s interesting that while some things that seemed so large in size during childhood, seem to have shrunken in adulthood, the boulder remained unchanged. It was huge then, and it is huge now. Still an awesome reminder that every situation, even the unexpected or seemingly impossible, can be overcome.
As the second Easter Sunday amidst Covid-19 times approaches, many thoughts and emotions surface around all that has transpired over the course of the past year, and more. In “normal” times, the experiences one encounters can be challenging enough, never mind a pandemic. Yet, despite the challenges and struggles, there is always help. That’s the promise.
When Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome, went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, they expected the stone to be in the way, and they expected that they would need help. What they didn’t know, was that the stone had already been rolled back, and all that was left, was for them to arrive.
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’” – Mark 16:1-7
Savior, he can move the mountains My God is mighty to save He is mighty to save Forever author of Salvation He rose and conquered the grave Jesus conquered the grave – Ben Fielding/Reuben Morgan – Mighty to Save
The world, And its inhabitants, Who are abundantly “living,” Something else. In a shell, On a hill, Away from it all. Yet, Life, Forgotten, Trampled, and hidden. Nothing else. Something else.
Create a clean heart in me, O God; Renew within me a steadfast spirit. – Psalm 51:12
One evening, a long time ago, as a teenager, I was travelling by car with a few friends, when the driver had to jam on the brakes, to avoid an accident. Prior to that moment, there was lots of chatter going on as we drove. However, as the car swerved to stay on the road, narrowly missed a sign that had been to the right of the car, but was now on the left side, and finally screeched to a halt, the noise ceased. In those seconds, it was as if we had shifted into slow motion and were transported into a vacuum, void of all sound. Hearts pounding, we just sat there, recognizing the potential disaster we had escaped. Then, after catching our breaths, we drove on, continuing in silence all the way home. None of us spoke about what had happened.
Throughout life, sometimes events can suddenly thunder into presence of mind, body, and soul. They can do so in such a powerful way that all that is left behind is silence. In chapter 9 of the Gospel according to Mark, the Transfiguration of Jesus is described as both an awesome and frightening experience for the apostles, Peter, James, and John. What transpired, was completely unexpected. In verse 6, Jesus is described as somewhat speechless in terms of how to respond to his companions—“He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.”
Clearly, this event shook the apostles; stopping them in their tracks, and reshaping the manner in which they would receive and respond to what was to come, whether consciously or subconsciously. While it seems fitting that the occurrence would happen on a mountain top, what happened would have been a life altering experience, regardless of where it took place or how it was understood at the time. In the Transfiguration of Jesus, eyes were wide open and seeds were firmly planted.
Oftentimes, the Divine is overlooked, dismissed, forgotten, or left behind simply because it’s easier, more convenient, or perhaps preferred, to believe and hold onto experiences that happen where and how one might expect them to occur. Yet, God is not deterred. On that evening so long ago, I remember being shaken and stirred. I also remember the deafening silence all the way home. And in that, the memory etched… to return, here and there. Only with time, and a lot of it, could I see that God was with us that night.
How patient God is! A reminder of the opportunity that openness to the wisdom of each moment, whether it is here and now, in the past, or yet to come, brings. No matter the locale or the emotions an experience evokes, God is with us, with a desire to take hold, to call us forward, and to help us remember as we do, the wisdom that is all around us.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. – Mk 9:2-10
Flowers and an icicle do not seem to fit together, and yet, they do, or they did yesterday. From a distance, each called attention in its own manner, a splash and depth of color and a long, glass-like spear.
Up close, and from numerous angles, with the light, and contrasted against the background, the delicate nature of each made prominent. There were so many petals, all the same composition, with similar shapes, and tips with greater variation, but coming together as one in each flower.
Then, the icicle, seemingly one big, smooth flow of water, many molecules, frozen… stuck in time. Yet, stepping nearer, not so plain and clear, layers, twists, and turns coming together to create it.
The beauty of nature in all its various forms comes into presence, like life… like love… like God, in both the expected and unexpected ways.
Embracing the moment, quietly, silently, gratefully, and allowing it to saturate one’s being, is the beginning of knowing, exercising, and extending Love. It is true that Love is timeless, and for the times, but in order to carry on toward fruition, Love must be experienced and embodied. For one can only put forth that which resides within. This is why time, and the way in which it is used, or not, is of the essence.
In the midst of whatever season one might find oneself, the benefit of using, spending, making, or taking time to rest in the love of God, wherever and however it suits one best, is never wasted.
Love takes off the masks we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. — James Baldwin
In each moment of challenge, there is the Light, bright and shining.
A couple of days ago, I learned of the passing of a friend. Eileen… the meaning of her name, “bright, shining one,” so true to life. Yet, not in a way that one might think upon reading the words “bright” and “shining,” as if showy or seeking the center of attention. No, far different, in a quiet, and much more powerful way, “bright, and shining one” as in a welcoming, steady glow. A ray of light—exuding warmth and love… a faith-filled, calming presence.
Sometimes, maybe more often than we know, there is the blessing of those around us who reflect life in all its essence—persevering… trusting that in each moment, whether it is challenging or not, there is the Light, bright and shining. Unassuming… not intruding… patiently… peacefully… simply, beautifully present.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; to his wisdom there is no limit. The Lord sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground. – Psalm 147:6
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