Shining Spirit

I need to be reminded, sometimes hourly, without question daily, that life is beautiful.
Symmetry and balance exist. In the finger-snap of a moment,
you float above reality and reflection, stretched long in the
first few flaps of your soft-feathered wings.
You do not fly. That is an effort between gravity and grace.
You rise.
You rise above muted reflections, beyond distortions,
into creation’s sustaining breath. And then you are gone
while I sit on a patch of barren earth, trying to get
a knot out of my shoelaces.

There were a lot of “Happy Mothers’ Day” wishes made yesterday. And rightly so. There are great values associated with this special day on the calendar. Perhaps when you thought about the day, or someone special you honored, great virtues came to mind: love, kindness, caring…it’s a long list. Hang on, Dads! Your day is coming. What a wonderful thing it is to honor the virtues associated with good friendships and loving relationships. Never pass up an opportunity to raise excellent virtues into the spotlight of appreciation and thanksgiving.

In that line of thinking, what about a “Guy Who Drives The Garbage Truck Day”? Or, “The Traffic Guard At The School Crossing Day”? Or, “The Package Delivery Person Who Is Trying To Feed Her Family Day”? I don’t know if there is any inherent virtue in driving a trash-pickup truck, but there is certainly value to the community. Think about all the “unseen” people who make your life easier or more pleasant. Maybe they don’t “deserve” recognition” or a “thank you”, but would it cost me much to say “Thanks!” to the next postal worker behind the counter at my local Post Office? Not much. Would it make her or his day better? Maybe. Better to say it than to pick up your stamps and walk away.

So, I propose the official establishment of the following: “Long Haul Truck Drivers’ Day”, “Grocery Baggers’ Day”, “The Young Man Who Put Air In My Tires At The Tire Store Day”, “Landscape Woman With A Leaf Blower Day”…get it? Let’s be extravagant, over-the-top with our thanks to the often-unseen people around us. Thanksgiving is in the DNA of Christ Followers. We can’t help it. Look at all we have to be thankful for. Pass it around. Check out the third verse in Paul’s letter to the Philippian Christians: “I thank my God every time I remember you…” or to the Ephesians: “…I do not cease to give thanks for you…” or to the Corinthians: “…I give thanks to my God always for you…” One more: “Shining Spirits Who Make Life Beautiful Day”…that’s you. Thanks be to God through Christ, our Lord.

Did you feel the earth shake yesterday, quiver on its axis? An explosion of gratitude, joy and hope will do that. Not to mention the bells, millions of them sounding at the same moment. All of this because we got a glimpse of hope yesterday. The signal was sent and received: the hearts and minds of those electing the new spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church were moved by the wisdom of the Spirit. In this crossroads moment, the Conclave declared that the future of the Church is best placed in the hands of a servant, a man who, for his entire ministry, has been binding up wounds, demonstrating deep compassion, dedicating his ministry to serving the poor and the broken.

Pope Leo XIV is a breath of hope for so many who live in the anxiety of this world, who fear tomorrow, who pray for justice. His unexpected election by his peers is reason to rejoice, for the work of his predecessor will continue. Yesterday can be celebrated for the hope it brings and for the message it sends: Love wins! Love. (period)

God, grant to all our spiritual leaders the will and the way to lead us into a just and merciful world. Thank God for the bells ringing hope to us all. May it be so. Amen.

There has never been a long line to apply for the job of Prophet. It’s hard work. It’s risky. Several new books are out now about our need for 21st century prophets, people with the character, commitment and courage of an Amos or an Isaiah of the Hebrew Scriptures. In faith history, a prophet is not a fortuneteller, not a predictor of things to come. A genuine prophet is a voice of the present moment, a commentator on very contemporary matters. And, spiritual prophets speak what they believe to be the message of God. They address subjects like justice, mercy, fairness and commitment to something greater and more profound than one’s own self-interest. Want to apply?

Take a moment and look up Matthew 10 in the New Testament. Jesus speaks: anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And that raises the question: what is a prophet’s reward; how big is the paycheck? And the answer is “0”. If you want payment for being a prophetic voice about human values, you’re in the wrong line. Prophets speak truth to power, mercy to revenge, and generosity to greed because they are compelled, not because they are compensated.

The need for true prophetic voices is great, but the application line is short. Speak your own mind all you want to, but don’t call it prophecy. Name the issues of the day, but sometimes that is not much more than complaining. Prophets don’t start with their own opinions; they know the heart of God and they shine that light on the shadows of the day.

So, step right up. Inspired by the touch of God’s Spirit, faithful to what we proclaim we believe, conscious of the consequences, and expecting nothing in return, you can be a voice in the wilderness of our contemporary chaos. Speak for God. Say what you know to be true from the message of Christ Jesus. Stand up. Speak up. And…sign up. The line is just over there. It’s the short one.

Footnote: When and where can you reveal the heart of God today? You.

This is not a carefully crafted presentation of colorful flowers. No floral designer made this, unless, of course, you consider Life’s Maker as the original flower arranger. The striking beauty
of this bouquet is not its orderly appearance. It is the realization that beauty often
grows out of chaos. Tangles of stems and leaves provide the backdrop for luscious colors
and textures. And diversity! O, yes. Would the photo have nearly the
impact if all the colors were the same or if the varied
colors were lined up in precise rows?
Not for me.
Behold, a living example of your life and mine. This is reality. Each
flower is important for the whole. Although, the purple flower on
the left is 0.0236 inches out of line.
I’ll fix it.

My Lord and My God, thank you for the beautiful rain that moistens your creation and reminds us of your providence. May all who travel on slick streets find their destinations safely. Is there some way, Lord, that this beautiful rain might soften our hearts and water our souls toward peace and understanding? May flowers bloom in the dryness of our surroundings. May your gift of rain wash away all the animosity and anguish that flowers when we live day after day in the aridity that thrives in the absence of Spirit. Rain upon us, Christ of Life. Bathe us with the tears of your own anguish as we struggle to live as sisters and brothers in the paradise of your love. Praise God from whom all blessings flow…yes, especially the rain.

Amen.

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s Monday again. I used to live in a world of relative predictability. That world consisted of building a life: house, job, climb the ladder. You know the list. In that world, Monday followed Sunday and preceded Tuesday. I used to carry an appointment book and actually write in it with a pencil. Now I sync my appointments to my calendar by using the third app on the second page of my “smart phone.” If I misplace my “phone”, as I sometimes do, my life stops. I don’t know who I am or where I’m supposed to be. Fortunately, my wife has an app called “Find Me”…it’s a long story. These days, when I am required to fill out some endless form for some bureaucratic requirement, and I come to the little box labeled “Occupation,” I just write: What’s that? I live on the planet “Retirement.” Bingo tonight, by the way.

Is there a point to all this? Yes. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s Monday again. That means that later this morning, like every Monday, my wife and I will leave our apartment, go down to the clubhouse, mingle in the community, eat a donut and wash it down with corporate coffee. I’ll sit next to my friend, Oscar, and I’ll ask him about his weekend, and he’ll answer: “14”. And I’ll say: Forgot your hearing aids, didn’t you? And he’ll say: “Sometime in August.” We have amazing conversations. I’ll find a quiet corner, eat my donut and drink my facsimile coffee and just enjoy humming a persistent tune. My wife will walk by and say: Are you going to answer your phone?

Is there a point to all this? Yes. I’m getting there. I live among some of the most interesting, funniest, and wisest people on the planet. And a couple of oddballs. They are my friends. Isn’t it special to have friends who make the sun shine on a cloudy day, who wear mis-matched sox and do it on purpose? Isn’t it fine to feel grateful that today is another Monday. Doesn’t it feel good to feel grateful? Is there a point to all this? Yes, I just made it. Have a wonderful Monday. Enjoy your donut. Be grateful.

May the first words I speak today, and the last ones tonight, be: Thank you!

May I see beyond myself into the suffering of another, into the pain that could be mine but is no less severe because it isn’t.

May I accept the offer of forgiveness and then extend it to someone else.

May I discover one thing new, let go of one thing no longer needed, and feel good about both.

May I look ahead this morning, and back over the day tonight, and may I see the same scene from both directions: the two of us walking side by side. The Christ of my day; the Christ of my life. Let it be so. Amen.

What do these things have in common?
Chickens at home on the roost
Cows coming across the pasture toward home
A farmer reaping what he sowed.

Consequences.

Maybe if we sing the hymns louder
preach the sermons longer
form a new committee
commission a task force
hold a convention.

Maybe if we tried harder
prayed longer
I know! Let’s have a picnic
or a retreat or a rally.
We’ve got to do something!

Here’s an idea: Let’s read
Amos 5. Amos, the prophet?
Amos in the OId Testament?
That’s him! Obscure, grumpy
old Amos. Read it more than once.

Finally, come to grips with this
prophetic-biblical reality: It’s never
been about you or me. It has always
been about us. Social implications
ignored gets us to exactly where we are.

Sorry, Amos. We did it again.

The little red sports car calls my name! I’ve always wanted one, always dreamed of one, never owned one. The toy model I hold in my hand is as close as I will come. If only I could will myself to be smaller, even tiny so I could drive by her house, honk the horn and wave.

I weigh too much. I know it. It’s not something I can hide. In my middle years, my middle was different. O what I would give to be a 34″ waist again. If only I could will myself to be smaller, resurrect those pants folded in the cardboard box. I promise, I would never eat a donut again.

There’s a little voice that follows me around, not always welcome but always present. It doesn’t snicker or chide or accuse; it points out reality. It waits for one of my “if only…” moments, and then says: “This is now. Live it.” The voice is right. Wishing doesn’t make things happen.

And then, in a particularly thoughtful moment, I remembered times when I contradicted the voice, times when I succeeded in making myself smaller, less than I am: that time I knowingly settled for the easy way when it meant violating values. I became a smaller man. Or, that time when I ignored my neighbor’s plea for help; looked the other way. I became a smaller man. Or, that time when I knowingly worked against justice or mercy or kindness; sought revenge; demanded retribution. And I became a smaller man.

I have the hardest time remembering to live by a deeper nature; beyond self into servant; in this moment instead of the barren land of “if only…” I am me. I am now. I will not be a smaller man.