Shining Spirit

All of you who are frightened and confused,
Come stand here.

Here on the high ground of reason
Here on the rock of faith unshaken
Here where you can see tomorrow.

Without the hype and the spin
Come stand here, for there is room for everyone.
Room for people of every color and culture
Of every memory and story.

Come stand here, in the midst of the madness
Here where others can see us and take hope.
Do not be afraid
But believe in the foundation beneath us:

Justice and mercy, truth and integrity
Common sense and compassion.
We may have moved from them
But they have not moved from us.

Come stand here, in freedom and love
And together we will build the sanctuary
For which so many have longed and so many have prayed.

(A meditation written by Steven Charleston in his book Spirit Wheel: Meditations From An Indigenous Elder, Broadleaf Books, 2023, p. 122)

Thank you, Bishop Charleston!

It was a vicious storm with 80 mile-an-hour winds, waves of stinging rain and nickel-sized hail that turned the asphalt white. When it was over, people ventured out to assess the damage and to make contact with each other. Words were spoken, smiles shared, stories told and somewhere in the mix of it all, there was a touch, a handshake or a pat on the back or a hand laid on a shoulder. It was as if the conversation of concern, compassion and caring was sealed with a touch. When I was a little boy and I did something “naughty” like little boys will do sometimes, it was good to hear my parent or grandparent say; “All is well, everything is okay; you are forgiven.” But it wasn’t enough. “Can I have a hug, Grandma?”

There are hugs of “hello” and hugs of “I forgive you” and hugs of “hang on; it’s going to be okay” but whatever kind of hug it is, a gentle touch or a bear hug, human touch links and connects. Remember the derogatory phrase “touchy, feely”? Well, surprise, surprise! When neighbors or nations lose the capacity to touch or feel, when we build barricades and throw bricks at each other…or bullets…we will never be healed and restored and renewed. The day will come when former enemies look at each other through moist eyes and ask: “Can I have a hug, please?” But in the meantime, God forgive us for all the damage we can and will do to each other.

God, have mercy on your wandering children. Christ, forgive our intentional forgetfulness of your meaning and message. God, can we have a hug, please? And when that hug is truly felt, there is only one remaining to give or receive. And that’s the hardest one.

Grant me, Lord, the gift of quiet today, the grace of silence as I reflect again on the horrors of cruelty and brutality, the acts of abhorrent violence demonstrated yesterday in the attempted assassination of a political figure in our country. Why, Lord, can we not agree or disagree with human civility? What is the source of our hate that drives us beyond conversation or dialogue or negotiation to guns and violence? Is there a way back to human understanding, to graciousness, to compassion? Only in the truth of the message of Jesus do I find that possibility. Only in His Way, His values, His demonstrated life do I find hope for our troubled time. Help us, Lord God, to have the courage to meet each other on that path and to walk side by side into a better time of understanding and common efforts toward peace, both at home and around this world. In the spirit of the one who said: “I am the way…” do I make this prayer. Amen.

A Yellowjacket on the lamp shade, invader but fascinating to a four-year-old. The inevitable. “But it hurts!” she cried as she ran from room to room. Will the running make the pain go away? Is this where we learned the technique? Run! Escape! Lose control to fear and then to confusion, and then to chaos. Run!

“Come to me and I will give you rest…”

“Look,” I said to my child. “Look how clear the water is today. You can see all the way to the bottom
of the pond.” Then, with a giggle, she threw a stone into the water, once calm, now churning and bubbling. Ripples everywhere! “Daddy, I can’t see anymore. Make it clear again.” And all the while, she moved her little hand back and forth in the water in her effort to brush the ripples away. “Let the water rest,” I said. “No,” she countered, trying so hard to smooth the surface. “I must make it clear again.”

“Still waters…restored soul…come to me.”

Moist ground, raw from picks and shovels, covered the grave. A gash in the earth, like a cut trying to heal. He knelt in the wet grass, never noticing a soft rain that fell from dark gray skies. Tears mixed with droplets covered his cheeks. When he struggled to pull a handkerchief from his coat pocket, I reached out to help. No need. His hand reappeared holding a small bottle of amber liquid. Two gulps and then he waited for the rain to stop. But it didn’t. And it won’t.

Run! “Make it go away, daddy.” Hide! Scream! “But it hurts!” Faster! Farther! Run!

“He leads me to still waters; He restores my soul….”

Slow down. Stop. You can’t outrun the pain.

She stands on the corner of my desk, holding a candle to the sky, waiting for light to come. Isn’t that what we are called to do? Lift our hands to the sky, our hearts, our faces. It’s called Faith. I urge you to lift your hands and your heart to the heavens today. Make time to actually stand with your arms and hands extended to God. Light will come in due time, at the right moment. Be persistent. And, once receiving the Light, carry it courageously, compassionately, carefully. We are entrusted with light from Light. Thanks be to God for the gift. Amen.

What are you going to celebrate today? Yes, celebrate! Turn cartwheels! Dance! Sing! Maybe just dancing and singing. Most of my friends probably shouldn’t do cartwheels. But I still ask: What are you going to celebrate today? A person? A memory? A plan? Sing so the last row can hear you; smile until your face hurts. Celebration is in our nature, for we have been claimed by Christ, blessed in so many ways, given mission and ministry to do for Him, and assured of abiding Presence. See! Good reason to celebrate! But, no cartwheels, please.

Where will your flight take you today? Appointments? Meetings? Coffee with a friend? Errands? Here’s a fact: You will never be alone, and I don’t mean all the other travelers you will meet. You possess and are possessed by The Companion who whispers to your heart: “You are loved so that you can love. You are blessed so that you can bless.” Listen carefully and live this day

“It doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

It’s an anonymous quotation that showed up in a little book of quotes and sayings. It’s worth a second look.

People who demand perfection often live in a world of disappointment. And that’s because perfection is rarely found in friendships, families, spouses or one’s own self. How many kids have been driven to despair by parents who try to compensate for their own frailties by insisting that their child be perfect. There’s a powerful line in a Gregory Alan Isakov song that says: “If it weren’t for second chances, we’d all be alone.”

I hope your friends are perfect, your spouse is perfect, your apple pies, your memory, the state of your house, your children, that report you wrote, your golf game and your understanding of quantum physics are all perfect. If not, settle for wonderful.

Another song lyric comes to mind: “O Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way!” Willie Nelson? That person in your mirror: God thinks that person is wonderful. Perfect? Well…

Finally, treat other people today as if they are wonderful, because they are. Don’t demand perfection of them or yourself. It won’t work. “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…” (Romans 12:18) They are wonderful, and so are you.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Those words are from Psalm 118 in the Hebrew Bible. Sometimes we say them rather glibly; casually most of the time; rarely with tears in our eyes. I live in a region of the country where July temperatures for the next few days are forecast to be 110 to 115 degrees. This (!) is the day? In other parts of the world, massive flooding is erasing whole cities from the planet. This (?) The stats are two years old, but illustrative: in 2022, 6 children died every day in the U.S. from abuse or neglect. This. Do we realize that every day, a gift-wrapped package arrives at our doors. Beautiful wrapping paper, elegant bow on the top…and we treat it casually, selfishly, disrespectfully. If you are reading this on Sunday morning, you might be getting ready to attend a service of worship at your church, and it’s just possible that the Pastor will stand and say, as part of the Call to Worship: “This is the day….” My prayer for all of us today is that we hear those words with humble hearts, not hard ones; that we hold the gift gently and appreciatively; that we come to grips with this truth: we don’t make them, we just use them. And how we do that says a lot about how we regard the Giver.

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will…..?

After-thought: In the box you will find not only the gift of this day, but also apparel to wear. Imagine that! One size fits all! “Put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Every day is the day.

I think I have mentioned the name Nan Merrill before. She was a distinguished writer, a retreat leader, involved in prison ministry. Among those important callings, she found time to re-cast all 150 Psalms of the Hebrew Scriptures into expressions of poetic praise. Compare these words of Psalm 1 to the ones in your own Bible and you will understand the wonderful gift she possessed and shared with the world.

“Blessed are those who walk hand in hand with goodness, who stand beside virtue, who sit in the seat of truth; for their delight is in the Spirit of Love, and in Love’s heart they dwell day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, that yield fruit in due season, and their leaves flourish; in all they do, they give life…”

God, help me today to be conscious of opportunities in which I can be a life giver. I do not want to detract from life, not simply perpetuate the present. I want to give life: hope where it is needed, forgiveness and joy where they would bring wholeness, love in the dry and parched places of life. Take my hand and walk with me, Lord, through this day. Amen