Shining Spirit

A good friend told me recently: “I don’t believe in this religion stuff. No, not me.” Then we went on to talk about cultural changes, ecological issues, the political climate of the day and a range of other topics that had direct bearing on how we live each day. It was a great conversation for someone who didn’t realize that he was dealing with the same ideas and issues Jesus talked about 2,000 years ago. Same topics, different setting. A word of advice to my friend: Don’t institutionalize Jesus and miss the message. That message was highly relevant then, and it certainly is now. That message lives in the street, not just the sanctuary. It upends the world with its brash claims. It is brash enough to say what our hearts know and our brains sometimes reject. It is free to hear, challenging to accept and insistent that it only works when plugged into life, real hands-on life. While that message is comprehensive and universal, two particular ingredients are of utmost urgency. Those ingredients are identified in this quotation from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” Bypass “that religion stuff” if you choose, but don’t miss the message.

Dreams become reality when they move from “what if…?” to “why not…?” to “I will…!”

What if I took the initiative to help my neighbor in her need; knocked on her door, called her on the phone, made the effort. What holds me back? *Well, I am very busy right now. *I don’t know anything about her. *She has never waved or said “hello.” *I might disturb her if I knocked on her door. But…”why not…? Why not step beyond the boundary of my own hesitation, my own reluctance to “get involved?” And since I can’t think of a truly honest reason, “I will…! I will take the first step, knock on her door, see if there is anything I can do to help out; I’ll be her neighbor.

And he did. And she needed help. And they are now friends. And now when he sits in church on Sunday mornings and hears the message: everyone is my neighbor, he thinks of how many times he has been “too busy” or “too tired” or “too cautious” and he offers a prayer of forgiveness.

“I believe that even amid today’s mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow.” The dream persists. “I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream.” As we observe this Martin Luther King, Jr Day, consider the “what if ?” and the “why not?” and the “I will!” And take these words to heart: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Who is my neighbor?, the man asked Jesus long ago. We know the answer in our hearts. It is time to turn dreams into realities…what ifs to why nots to I will. It is time.

Time goes by like a snap and a flash,
but it wasn’t always so.
In the days of the child, when wonder ruled,
Time would stop to say “Hello”,
sit for awhile, share a laugh or two,
wave goodbye ’til the next time through.
Time was always my friend.

And then one day it occurred to me
that something was not the same.
My best friend, Charlie, got sick and died,
a random act with no one to blame.
It was then that I knew, with certainty,
that the very same fate awaited me.
Death would come someday.

And now, after decades have come and gone,
my mirror doesn’t lie.
Who is this man who stares back at me?
And with a longing sigh,
I answered the knock on my front door post.
And guess who just dropped by!
There stood Time and a second man,
someone I didn’t know.
We talked and laughed as old friends will,
until they had to go.

But as he turned to leave my home,
Time reached out and took my hand.
“It’s time, my, friend, for us to go.
Do you understand?”
And in that moment, it was clear to me
that Time and Death were sent to be
my escorts into eternity.

By the way, there’s one thing you might want to know:
I can tell you now it is true…it is so…
The three of us walked hand in hand
across this remarkably beautiful land,
along a path of moonbeams and light
into a realm beyond human sight.

And there was Charlie, waiting for me.
So, don’t be afraid. This is how it will be.

A few thoughts to keep in the back of your mind today:

That last breath you drew, and the next one in line, is not the product of your ingenuity; you didn’t make it. It is a gift, and what do you say when you receive a gift?

Today you will have an opportunity to be curious. Don’t miss the chance to ask a question that might not have an answer. Wonder.

Insight is often stumbled upon. It surprises us more often than fulfilling our expectations. Watch for “a ha!” moments today.

If you believe you’re good enough, you can be. If you believe you’re not, you won’t be.

Finish what you start. Stick to it. Press on to a conclusion. You will feel better about yourself at the end of the day.

Today someone will be kind to you, annoy you, disappoint you, comfort you, perhaps even betray you. In all circumstances, practice the WWJD rule: What would Jesus do?

Have a goal for today. Smile at least three times. Say “hello” when you pass someone. Help at least one person. Give something to someone who needs it. Make up your own goal.

Follow the advice of St. Paul who encourages us to “pray constantly.” Let your life be your prayer. Today is your blank canvas; paint a beautiful picture.

Cardboard boxes are beginning to stack up in the hallway, in the kitchen, in the bedroom as we anticipate a move from Marana back to Oro Valley. Yes, I know. Another move, but we’ve thought it through carefully, looked at the pros and cons, consulted family and friends, sought divine guidance and listened for the Spirit’s input. The result is: Oro Valley, here we come.
Ah, but we have a new system for this move. We used to take a big felt pen and write on all the boxes locations and content. For instance, that big box in the corner, in previous moves, would have been labeled with a big felt marker: “Kitchen: pots and pans” All the moving team had to do is read the hand-written note and then put the box in the designated area. Simple. But not foolproof. That was what happened in previous moves, but this one will be different. New system! Foolproof process. I am color-coding every box. Brilliant. Each box will bear a sticker of a particular color….yellow sticker for Kitchen, red for Bedroom #1, green for Family Room. You get the idea. Now, all the movers have to do is match the color to the location and everything will work fine. No more illegible scribbling; now the simple process of color matching. But, smiled my friend, what if….my foolproof plan is in shambles. What if I get the only color-blind moving crew in Tucson or what if the color chart accidentally falls into the trash can or what if the colored stick-on label falls off the box…like that one over there?

Sometimes when you think you have the perfect plan, you don’t. Moving, it seems, requires a modest amount of patience, determination, and readable handwriting. I guess it never hurts to include humility, too. Now where did I put that big felt-tip marker?

Let me describe what my desk looks like. Draw your own conclusions. To my right is a small photograph of the Pacific Ocean surf pounding against a tall, weathered cliff that juts out into the ocean, a little flashlight because sometimes I have to get up in the middle of the night, a miniature stapler because I can’t seem to keep pages of things together, an old-style calendar/date book where I make cryptic notes about the day’s events, a pad of sticky notes waiting for the next brilliant idea, one writing pen and one pencil, two flash drives sitting at the ready near my laptop, a small ceramic jar holding an assortment of pens and pencils, a business card from someone I must contact when I remember, two paperback books that are marked and underlined throughout, a large pad of lined paper that contains yesterday’s best thoughts, one charging wire for some electronic gadget, a lamp, a small replica of a Texas Horned Frog, and a framed picture of my beautiful wife who smiles at me everyday.

To the casual observer, my desk is a mess. It is disorderly and needs dusting. But, I understand the purpose of each item, the placement of the various necessities and my system of strategic alignment. The point?

I’m not sure there is one, except maybe to say that each of us sees the world in a different way. And my way is not necessarily better than your way, nor yours than mine. It’s just a shame, I think, when someone looks at my desk and says: “My, what a mess!” So, let’s make a deal. I won’t comment on your desk, evaluate, analyze or critique if you will give me the same consideration. In all things, let’s be tolerant, gracious, and accepting of each other’s preferences. About more things than the state of one’s desk. About politics and religion and personal values. I like my desk and you like your desk. So, keep your hands off my stapler. Did I mention my empty coffee cup? You be you and I’ll be me and by Grace we will become a “we.” Let’s work on it.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many people you talked to, engaged in conversation. It’s how you talked to them. It doesn’t matter how many acts of kindness you did during that day. It’s about sincerity and compassion; about motivation. Life is not about scorekeeping; it’s about promise-keeping. You and I were taught as children to keep promises; hollow agreements are not promises; shallow commitment is not commitment.

I’ve put up a few shelves in my life, extra shelving in a closet or in the garage. And I have never used Scotch Tape to secure the shelf to the wall. Find the wooden support behind the drywall, locate the center point, measure twice/cut once, then sink the wood screw through the support, through the drywall and into the framing. If you simply attach the new shelf to the drywall, watch out. You need an anchor point to hold the shelf up, and that piece of framing, unseen but present, is the promise. Strike a bargain with that framing, a mutual agreement, and you’ve got a sturdy shelf.

Consider that your spiritual life is not about how many nice things you do, but how you do those things; the reason behind the doing; the motivation that prompts the moment. And I suggest that the motivation is directly related to promises made…the one you made with Christ as Source and Guide of life, and the one(s) Christ made with you about presence and meaning and purpose. Mutual agreement to be kept as practice and principle. When I was a kid, more than once I heard grownups say: “Ok, we’ve got a deal. Let’s shake on it.” That’s a promise, and a promise is foundational to faith.

I’ll bet you’ve had this thought: “He or She always does that task so effortlessly. I wish I could do that with even half his or her talent.” When I have thought that (and you, too) I’ve compared myself to the other person, their skill level, their experience, their training. I focus on my deficiencies compared to their accomplishments. Here’s a plan for the new year…no more comparisons to the other person. I’m going to shift the focus back to my own experience. Did I do better this time as compared to the last time I tried to…. Am I making progress compared to my previous experience? Is the cake as good or better than the last one I made? Is there positive growth in my writing, or painting, or knitting…whatever the task? Am I improving, getting better, developing?

Maybe life would be more satisfying or happier if I stopped judging myself on the standards of someone else’s accomplishments. You and I both have gifts and skills that can bless the world…but not in exactly the same way my neighbor might do it. So, be grateful for little steps forward. Small steps of growth and personal development add up and help us become who we are meant to be. Press on with gratitude for the gifts you’ve been given and use them for blessing.

Three quotations that are worthy of thought…and maybe a chuckle:

“The afternoon knows what the morning ever suspected.” Robert Frost

“Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.” W. Disney

“I’ve reached the age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me.” (?)

I’ll own all three…how about you? Be open today…be wise…be you. The world needs you.

This day may I be
a Light in someone’s darkness,
a Consoling Presence in someone’s sorrow,
a Word of Kindness in someone’s despair,
a Song in someone’s silence,
a Voice of Justice in someone’s oppression,
a Hand in someone’s need.

If any of these,
then the day will have been well spent.
God, give me the opportunity and
the courage to be even one.

Amen