Shining Spirit

I asked the palm tree, “Sir, do you tire of this in the evening of your day?”
“It is an infrequent opportunity to stand in pure light,” he answered,
“intensity surrounded by softness.  Night comes as a gift to all of us: coyote, rabbit, wide-winged hawk.  We have learned to stand very still in the presence of light, to allow it to surround us, penetrate to the core of our simple existence.  Somehow we are enlivened by the vividness.  But, I, too, would ask a question, of you, Sir.”

“Please ask,” I replied.
“All my friends and I have wondered: Why are people more interested in
speeding to the market rather than standing still in a moment like this?
It seems to us that you are moved more by a sense of urgency than by a feeling of inherent curiosity.  Hawk said the other day, ‘I feel sorry for all those people with their heads down, focused so on destination rather than delight.’  Will you help us understand?”

We stood side by side until the sun was gone and the sky was black.  We stood without another word shared.  And then I got in my car and drove home.

Sometimes the deepest love is only

discovered in the deepest cut

No, it’s not a re-start of the Bighorn Fire.
It is a “bow in the clouds”
And you know what that means!
No?  Visit Genesis 9:13
What a wonderful sign in times like these.
Thanks be to God!

It’s too bad face masks can’t filter the frivolous, fractious
words we spill out into the common atmosphere.
Word pollution.  Human surround sound,
muffled at least.

Thank God eyes are not restricted
to peep holes or little slits in
a hooded humanity.
Eyes are doorways
into a living
self.

Wide
eyes.  Crying
eyes.  Darting eyes.
Sleepy eyes.  Fear-filled eyes.
“They will know you by your love”
Yes, but watch the eyes.  Look deeply.

Face masks are a
medical necessity these days.  I get it.
I wear one.  And I can’t see a smile or a sneer,
but I can see your soul.  Without question, the eyes have it.

I wrote recently about wonderful sights observed through my magic window.
I mentioned walkers and bikers and traffic, but I have been reminded
that I overlooked some special folks who live in our community.

They stopped by after hearing about my writing, pecked on my door
and let me know they were not pleased, having been left out
of the list of walkers.  I apologized and told them I would
remedy my oversight.  So here they are in their early
morning glory…Mom, Dad and seven children.
It’s a big family by current cultural norms.
But they are valued in our neighborhood, because they are good
neighbors, pleasant to be around.  They bring a unique outlook
on life.  So, I apologize for not including them.    I’m glad we
don’t all look alike, and think alike, or see the world
in the same way.  I think life is better when
variety is valued.

My wife and I were shadowed on our morning walk today.
The hazy figures would appear and then
suddenly be gone.  Around a bend in the
pathway and here they were waiting for us.

Shadows happen only when we are in the light.  Do
they disappear when no light shines?  Well, I like to
think that they are, in a sense, absorbed back into us
and they never separate from us.  I don’t think you will
find this in any theology books, but I welcome my shadow
as a reminder of the Light, a cue to be grateful for
an abiding Presence.  Sometimes in dark moments, we
may feel alone, even abandoned, but then the Light shines
and there he is, my shadow, my reminder of
community and companionship.

I think it was the old prophet Isaiah who advised the people:
“Come, let us walk in the light…”
And many years later, another voice announced:
“I am the Light of the world…”
You see, it’s all about Light.  It’s the Light that enlivens
the shadow, and it’s the shadow that reminds me
of the Light.  So take notice of your shadow next time
you are out and about, remember how it appeared,
and be grateful for the sacred companionship of
the Light.

Consider that we are in the midst of an horrendous pandemic,
the political world is in shambles,
racial tensions are palpable,
and it is only a short step from anxiety to angst.
Might any or all of this contribute to the Green Board outside a local abandoned facility,
a Green Board expressing anonymous public sentiment?

Here are some of the pressing issues on peoples’ minds:
Build more houses — economics
This too shall pass — hopefulness
Save the trail — ecology
No rezoning — community
Eat wildlife — Survivalism
The USSR will rise — international relations (?)
Josie + Cora — personal
This is shite — a Brit, no doubt.  It rhymes with “height”

But the message written in the biggest letters, signifying its overarching importance:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change” — religion/spirituality
What needs to be added to the Green Board is the line that follows the request for Serenity:  “God grant me the Courage to change the things I can.”
We all want Serenity, but we desperately need the Courage to obtain it.

But Reinhold Niebuhr’s idea isn’t complete without his third and final statement:
“God grant me the Wisdom to know the difference.”
Wisdom is life’s balance found in a spiritual consciousness of The Sacred,
The Other, The Unnamable.

1. It used to be a pile of rocks
2. It didn’t make itself
3.  Somebody had a dream
4. The dream became the design
5. The design shaped the stone
6.  The hand of the artist placed each stone
with precision and patience
7.  Behold, the Mosaic
And it is good
No, make that beautiful

MAY YOUR DAY BE WONDER-FILLED.
LOOK FOR BEAUTY.   LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
BE GLAD.

Serene
Perfectly manicured
Graceful
Sorry, but this isn’t life.
Life is strength and pain, laughter and tears, joy and sadness,
births and deaths, success and failure, health and sickness,
and more.
That’s a far cry from serene and perfectly manicured.
But in spite of everything that happens on this
roller coaster ride, Grace is present.
Grace as Presence
Grace as Love
Grace as Gift
Sufficient Grace that invites our hearts to sing
At least to hum
Come on, you can do it