Shining Spirit

Just because you spread your wings doesn’t mean you will fly. The air is waiting for you, but there is some effort needed to soar. The bird sitting on my balcony railing jumped into the air with his wings moving up and down, and he rose gracefully into the morning breeze. The breeze lifted him because he trusted the air and he did his part.

Bit of a similarity there, do you think. Today, if you want to fly, trust the Spirit to lift you as you give yourself to that surrounding and abiding power. Soar, glide, do acrobatic rolls…flap your wings if you want to stay airborne. Live today very intentionally by the wisdom of Jesus, by the sacred Wind we call The Spirit, and by the love of God given to you so that you can give it away.

Leap into life. Flap those wings. Come on! Let’s fly!

If you have Luke 17 handy, take a moment and read the story of the 10 lepers who approached Jesus and asked for help. Go ahead; I’ll wait.

Now, with that story in mind, here are some observations. We know from history that any person diagnosed with Leprosy was isolated from community. They were cast out of the village and left to roam on their own. To be sure that a “clean” citizen knew of a leper’s proximity, the afflicted person was forced to wear or carry a bell to signal their presence and to call out: Unclean! Unclean! as they moved around the outskirts of the village. So, in the story, the 10 lepers call out from a distance. They beg for healing and for mercy.

Here are three things to note about this story:
1. Jesus tells them “Go and show yourselves to the priest.” And as they went they were healed. Not before they went…as they went. They left Jesus still leprous and found their healing as they followed his instructions. Trust comes to mind. How often do I want to have the assurance in hand, the answer given before I take my first step. “We can’t go to the priest, Jesus. Look at us. We have leprosy. Heal us and then we will go.” A pastor friend used to call it “stepping out in faith.”

2. Ten went and one came back. All got the healing but only one was grateful enough to say Thank You. The others were probably celebrating, walking the streets for the first time, shaking hands with their neighbors. But one came back. Gratitude is an essential element in our faith. I wonder if this grateful man even got to the priest? “Then one of them, when he saw he had been healed, turned back.”

3. The one who came back was not a Jew. “He was a Samaritan.” He was a foreigner, a menace, a threat to Jewish welfare. Do you think Jesus is making a point by telling us that the man was a Samaritan? I do, too. That even our enemies need mercy and healing, not rejection and hate. In fact, why “enemy” anyway?

So, three points to ponder. Take a few minutes and let this wonderful story marinate in your mind. Ponder it. I’ll wait.

Years and years ago, someone planted a tree but never saw it grow. It takes time for trees to mature. But, full grown, the tree provided cooling shade for people, animals, for the earth itself. It lived its life authentically. Each year the tree would dress up in a colorful robe of reds and yellows. People came from everywhere go admire the tree’s beauty. Then, when the air grew crisp, the tree, assisted by a friendly northern wind, shook and shook until all the leaves tumbled to the ground. And there it stood, stripped of its colorful leaves, now revealing a marvelous work of art. What artist could create something as stunning as the stark reality that waits just below the surface? What artist, indeed.

Only One.

In a time when we define “Hero” as a political figure who has trouble with truth, an ego-dominated actor, an overpaid professional athlete, a multi-billionaire who doesn’t know what share means, (add your own here), it’s good to remember that once upon a time “hero” meant someone who possessed valor, an understanding of what it means to sacrifice and did it, and the decency not to brag about it. There are more heroes in the world today than you may realize. They live in big cities, on farms, in little towns like Sunnyvale, Texas. Might even be your next-door neighbor. Remember them. They made a difference, in life and in death. “Thank you for your service,” is not a glib phrase. If you say it, mean it. If you hear it, take it personally. To all who today or yesterday served the common good, thank you.

I have a bone to pick with Jiminy Cricket. In the 1940 film Pinocchio, the cricket sang “When You Wish Upon A Star.” Remember the tune and the words? “Makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you.” How about a ham sandwich or a warm coat or a cure for my child’s disease? I was halfway through a TV program last night before I realized that I was watching something bordering on obscene. I was drooling over the walk-through and description of an eight-story townhouse on the Upper West Side in NYC. For sale, by the way. The sleek couple taking me through the place stood on the circular staircase that was continuous from floor one to floor eight. To say it was magnificent would be a gross understatement. If you’re interested, it may still be on the market. Only $85M…that’s Million. When you wish upon a star….anything? Let me tell you one thing I really wish for, and it’s not a 19,000 square foot townhouse in Manhattan. Show me the right star and I will double down on my wish for patience, specific patience, not the generic type. Call me grumpy, but I seem to have less and less patience with folks who unashamedly wear their version of the Christian faith like a lucky charm on a bracelet. It’s as if they are buying stock on the NYSE. An investment. A retirement plan, eternal. But Jesus isn’t selling Whole Life policies. He is, though, offering life on His terms. Some of us…many of us, need to rethink reality. There are basic principles that pertain to accumulating wealth…enough is always just a little more; build bigger barns; cut corners when necessary. And there are basic principles when it comes to aligning yourself with Jesus…by giving you receive; dying to self is birth into life; do unto others.

When you wish upon a star….which one, Jiminy? Anything, you say? Justice? Kindness? Mercy? Cheapening Christ comes as the result of picking the wrong star…the one that reflects one’s own self image.

Grumpy, I know.

I wrote recently about the delicate art of making choices, particularly choices generated by fear or disappointment. Something happens, some event, opens the door to fear or anxiety, and we have to decide how to express our thoughts and feelings. There are two basic choices: Respond or React. Either will determine how we act, speak and feel. For instance, React is usually packed with emotion; it has energy about it. Respond, on the other hand, carries with it a sense of thoughtful consideration. Responding has energy, too, but different from reacting.

When I read the New Testament, I get a sense that Jesus advocated Responding, taught his disciples how to face challenges and opportunities, and lived the principle himself. Reacting is often spur-of-the-moment, emotion loaded. Responding comes closer to the principles that Jesus taught: thoughtfulness, reason, justice, compassion; the list goes on. The Apostle Paul carried the same thought to all the churches under his supervision. You can hear it in his letter to the various congregations.

Just yesterday I got an email that led me back to personal choices, the way we live, and what we do when things don’t go our way. The writer said we can “throw our hands up in the air,” he called it Reacting. Or, we can “roll up our sleeves,” the second option, Responding. Reacting might be the initial reaction to a bad situation, but it’s Responding that makes a difference. “Throw your hands up in the air” or “roll up your sleeves”, think, reason, make a plan, make a difference.

So when disappointment knocks on your door, remember you have a choice: Slam the door in his face, scream and shout, throw your hands up in the air. Or, roll up your sleeves and make a difference.

It’s up to you. Your choice.

There is a remarkable story in the Christian scriptures about an empty tomb. No, not that one. Not the Easter tomb. We might call this the Lazarus tomb, because that’s where the man was buried by his sisters, Mary and Martha. Probably hewn out of a large stone, sealed with another stone rolled over the opening, the tomb was the final stopping place for people of importance.

Informed of the death of Lazarus, Jesus went to the tomb and was greeted by the sisters: So, where have you been! Why weren’t you here when he was sick and now you arrive after he’s been dead for almost a week. Where were you when we needed you? Jesus consoles them, explains that it’s not too late, that he will take care of the situation. And then he orders the stone sealing the tomb be pushed back. “Lazarus, come out!” Again the sisters express themselves: Come out! He’s been dead for days and you know what the smell of decay is like.

To their dismay, an understatement, the still-wrapped body of Lazarus comes stumbling out of the tomb. One final thing needs to be done. Those death-wrappings need to come off so Lazarus can live freely again. Now, here’s something that can slip by in the story, something seemingly insignificant. Jesus said: Unbind him and set him free. He didn’t say: stumble over here, Lazarus, and I will unbind you and you will be free. He didn’t say that. Jesus looked at those witnessing this unbelievable event and said: Unbind him and set him free. You do it! You and you and you. Touch the death cloths, remove the shroud, release him, set him free. You do it.

I’m just wondering who I will meet today, a person still wrapped in the grave clothes of anger or fear or despair. And I’m wondering if I will have the compassion or the courage to “unbind” him or her, to set them free. That will happen only if I see the other’s pain, be conscious of it, and act with the power of God’s spirit.

I’m wondering that about you, too.

Hear these wise words, both general and particular, from the late Buddhist master of contemplative spirituality, Thich Nhat Hanh: “An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.”

This is a general truth that can be a foundational pillar for life. It is also a particular truth when storms arise and the sea threatens. Pair this wisdom up with 1 John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world,” and you’re set for any day and any circumstance.

May peace live within you today and all your tomorrows.

Sunrise at 30,000 feet.
Whether you are on the ground or six miles up in the air,
sunrises can be spectacular. On this very important day
in our nation’s history, we pray for light to make clear
the path we should take, hope for the welfare of all people,
and courage to press on in efforts to secure justice
grounded in the God-inspired value of all human beings.
God be our light.

We are a couple of days away from a national day of decision. Perhaps more so than in previous presidential elections, we are going to determine the future of the nation. Every citizen should vote thoughtfully, thinking of the common good before personal preferences.

Biblical historians tell us that the earliest Christians faced major challenges, too. Sometimes within a congregation there was discord and division, and it took wise counsel to hold things together. The Apostle Paul gave some good advice when he wrote a letter to the church in Ephesus and reminded them that “There is one body and one Spirit…make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” (Ephesians 4). If you are a follower of the Jesus Way, this expression of faith we call Christianity, you have an obligation to be a peace maker, to be a proponent of unity in the midst of discord. This is who we are. This is in our spiritual DNA, and Paul’s spiritual advice extends beyond the life of a congregation into the community and culture. We, of all people, must demonstrate the life and message of Jesus. His life principles and practices were universal, world oriented, not religiously restricted. No matter what political position we support, we walk The Way of Jesus as a first commitment.

Lord God, king of the universe, help me see light in all darkness, hope when life looks challenging. Help me find the courage to live the faith commitment that I profess. I will honor you by my intentional efforts to create unity, to bind us all together in peace, and to work in the spirit of Jesus toward a future that blesses and benefits this nation and all your precious creation. Amen