Shining Spirit

I would like for you to meet a group of new friends. They came to stay a week, maybe ten days. Their arrival was a complete surprise; no notice given. But that’s alright, we can make room in our two bedroom apartment. I say new friends, but I met one of them several years ago in a similar situation. Happily, they don’t require special treatment, they seem to mix together quite well, and if all goes as planned, they might be off to their next unannounced stop in a week.

So, say hello to Paxlovid, Mucinex, Nyquil, Tylenol, Lidocaine, and Benzonatate. Last name: Covid-19. Pax is the one I met before…hasn’t changed a bit, looks just the same. Honestly, I’m glad they’re here. Their visit will be beneficial to me and, I hope, pleasant for them. But there is one thing I’m wondering about: how do you handle unexpected, even uninvited guests who show up at your door? Or, stated a different way: when life changes suddenly, disrupts plans, introduces an element of havoc, dictates when and where you can go…what do you do? Lots of options, some of them good, some not. Once the shock is over and these guests move in, I try to remember a wonderful bit of wisdom from Virginia Satir, renowned family therapist. Something like this: “Life is not what it’s supposed to be. It’s what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” And wouldn’t you know it: I get the same advice when I complain to Jesus. Just live one day at a time, he reminds me. Tomorrow will take care of itself. I’ll stick around and give you some company, if you like.

Always good to know you’ve got a friend to talk to. So, there you have it. I will be hospitable to my friends, but, truthfully, I’ll be glad to see them go. They’re looking for a next stop. Any takers?

Do you think there’s any good reason God made Grackles? Just look at him. Strutting around with his beak up in the air. I’ll bet if he ran for the U.S. Senate he’d get elected. For some reason, we seem to be enamored of people who are out of touch with reality. Maybe Grackles would do as well. But, in all honesty, the Grackle is a pretty smart bird. He knows how to command attention with that big, loud voice. He wears nice shiney feathers and has a sharp eye that sees anything that moves. He knows the value of living in a community because he’s always surrounded by a flock of friends.

I have long been of the opinion that you and I can learn life lessons from just about anything the Lord made. Probably Grackles, too. I think I’ll start a list of all the fine attributes the Grackle brings to the world. Why don’t you do the same thing. After you’re fully awake and in touch with the day, start a list of all the life lessons you can see in a flower or a tree or a mountain or reflections in a pond or just about everything you see today. The exercise will be good for your brain, might even warm your heart, and will certainly make you think about gratitude. There’s a phrase in an old Abba song that says: “I believe in angels; something good in everything I see.” Grackles? Probably.

When I read news reports or stop on a TV news channel, I often feel powerless. I’m one little dot in a universe of complexity. I have no way of influencing the course of human events. Darkness is inevitable. But that’s not right, at least the part about being powerless. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Thank you, Alice Walker. I needed to hear that.

The mistake I make is thinking that my little efforts won’t change anything in the long run. I focus on the outcome and not the effort. “Nothing will change, so why bother.” In other words, my response to danger or evil or threat isn’t enough to make a difference. In that case, I am powerless. Yes, but…

What if you effort joined my effort? What if our effort became part of a bigger collective? My faith reminds me that Jesus wanted to shift the world toward goodness, change the course of human life toward a deeper relationship with The Sacred, which would alter our insatiable need to conquer and control. Could he have done that all by himself; just snapped his fingers and produced the results? What we know is that he chose a different way. He found one person, and then another, and then another, until he had a collection of “I can’t do that” people. Long story short: everybody has the power to affect change when they link arms and walk together.

I am powerless if I believe I am. But, I’m not and you’re not because “greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world.” Because you count in the overall scheme of things, and so do I. Because I believe what He taught long ago. Because I am not alone in the effort: the Spirit is there and you are there. Immediate results? No. Hard road to travel? Yes. Worth the effort? Absolutely.

It has been a few years, but I’ve ridden in cycling groups (Pelatons) like this one in a recent Oro Valley race. It can be just a little scary, elbow to elbow with another rider who wants to get up to the front and who wants to move over into your space. One shouted phrase you’ll often hear in a big group like this one is: “Hold your line!” And that means, don’t swerve or invade someone else’s space because the result would be a catastrophic crash. In a group like this one, when one rider goes down, many riders go down. And just because someone did not hold their line. Hitting the asphalt at 25 miles-per-hour is not something you want to experience.

It occurs to me that “hold your line” is not a bad phrase for the spiritual adventure, too. Be faithful, press on, stay the course, don’t give up…”hold your line.” Faith’s admonition to stay strong is underwritten by the promise: “I will be with you always.” I pray that today, when decisions come or doubt arises, each of us will “hold your line”, stay strong, don’t quit, pedal on!

One of my favorite photos. It is not about a walk through Fall leaves. It is about a walk through life; looking around at wonder after wonder, gasping and laughing and feeling great delight. But, most of all, it is about holding Father’s hand; a strong hand; a gentle hand; one to trust so completely that you forget you’re holding it. A hand, though, that keeps you moving in the right direction: safely and joyfully. A hand that holds a little tighter when you want to wander off or chase falling leaves into potential danger. There is an old hymn of the church that says: “This is my Father’s world…” And it is. And it’s nice to hold hands and walk through it together.