Shining Spirit

Yesterday, on the spur of a quick moment, I decided to leave the bike in the storage room and go for a walk instead. So, about 6 a.m. I stepped onto the asphalt of The Loop, a 137 mile biking-walking path that circles the entire city of Tucson. No, I’m not about to tell you that I walked the whole way, only two, but in that two-mile jaunt I discovered something I knew as a child. Touching the earth can be a moving experience.

For the first mile or so, I stayed on the asphalt. It is recently laid on the ground, so it’s bright and shiny with plenty of yellow lines to mark lanes and turns. Signs give directions and milage to the next significant point. It was quite pleasant, until… Everything changed when the landscape flattened out and the bare, raw earth appeared on both sides. Uneven, rocky in places, the earth was quite a shambles compared to the manicured beauty of the asphalt track. On impulse, I stepped off the track and onto a magic carpet. I was hooked with the first step. I think it was the sound, the crunch of boot on gravel. No, it must have been the ups and downs of the not-so-smooth ground. No, it was the little blue wildflowers unseen from the pathway. No, it was the result of stepping off the “expected” and onto a kind of unknown. With each crunchy step, the earth said good morning and welcome and how are you today and enjoy your walk. I really like the ground better than the path. It is alive and gracious…and talkative.

Created by God and labeled as “Good!” the planet lives and breathes just like us. It produces our food and provides all the resources we need to live happily ever after. There are a dozen very good reasons to treat the earth with respect and gentleness, the obvious being that we can’t live without it. When you walk today, whether to a destination or just for recreational fun, step off the paved predictable and listen to that marvelous sound of life touching life. The earth is your best friend, and mine, too. Thanks be to God for this little grain of sand we call home. It’s the best we have, so let’s treat it like a member of the family. It is exactly that.

If I were to ask: “Will you dance with me?”
since today is anniversary number sixty-three,
just how agreeable would you be
to dancing with a bald, old man like me?

When I look back, do you know what I see?
A path we’ve forged, you and me,
as we grew together and learned how to be
a wife, a husband, then parents of three.

I don’t think I’d change any days in our past.
We knew from the start we would make this last.
Of course, we’ve been supported by a wonderful cast
of friends and family and people we’ve known,

and it’s no secret that we’ve been shown
examples of patience as we have grown
into the beautiful person you are today
and the old bald guy who forgets to say:
Thank you, my love, for each lovely day
that you have created along the way.

Now, if I were to ask: Will you dance with me?
since it is anniversary number sixty-three,
would you join me as we honor our past,
but, please, my love, don’t dance too fast.

(In celebration of our marriage vows sixty-three years ago today.)

"Well, Stanley, what do you think about the new guy?
He sits up there all by himself.  Never looks back this way. 
He's an odd bird."
"Oh, I don't know.  He seems like a pleasant sort.  Maybe he's
just shy.  He only flew in last Tuesday."
"Well, I think there's something suspicious here.  Doesn't speak.
Prefers to sit by himself.  Apparently likes to eat alone; he's 
never joined the flock for afternoon snacks.  I flapped my
wing at him yesterday and he looked the other way.  
Yeah, there's something suspicious here."
"Listen, Clyde, don't go making up "maybe" stories
about the bird.  You can do more damage than good that way."
"Damage!  I'm not going to damage the bird.  But, I am going to
tell him that our flock is known for its friendliness and that
if he doesn't shape-up, he can go roost somewhere else."
"And that's being friendly, Clyde?  You have a strange
definition of 'friendly.'  Maybe he's just lonely.  You know, 
new place, new flock, new routines.  Let's give him
a friendly squawk, maybe invite him to go
fishing with us, offer him a spot here on our limb."
"I don't know, Stanley.  We'd have to give up our prime
places right here on this limb.  We'd have to move over
to make room for this...stranger."
"Now you've got it, Clyde!  We move over, eventually
he joins us, and, just like that, he's not a stranger anymore.
By the way, do you remember when Homer and I made room
for you when you flew in?"
"Yeah, I do.  Lonely, huh?  You think that's why he's like he is?
I guess being lonely can make you do strange things."
"Right again, Clyde.  Sometimes 'strange' just means 'different'." 

The scene looked something like this: Jesus is standing in an open area not far from a lake. Around him his disciples gather and surrounding this little group are hundreds and hundreds of people from all the villages and towns nearby. This is the end of the feeding 5,000 people story in Matthew’s Gospel. People are up and milling around as Jesus huddles with his friends. From the hum of many voices in conversation, one voice catches your attention, not because it is louder than the rest, but because there is passion and a sense of urgency. The one voice rises above the others: “I’m not asking you to do this. I am telling you to get into that boat, cross the lake and I will meet you on the other side. I will remain here for a little while.” But his friends were worried that the crowd might demand more of Jesus and because Jesus is tired from all the healing activity and because he has just learned of John the Baptizer’s murder by order of the Roman political establishment.

Jesus just wants to be alone, deeply alone with his Father. Once more the disciples say they want to stay and help Jesus through this tiring time. “No,” he responds to their unanimous declaration. “No, I insist that you use that boat and leave this place.” It’s not a request, it’s an order. The urgency heard in his insistence is because he knows that he needs to be alone with Yahweh. Too much pressure at the moment. Too much confusion. Too many uncertainties.

That describes us, too, doesn’t it? When times get very tense, everything insists on being a priority, we get tired, a little confused. What to do? Run from the chaos? Pretend it’s not real? Ignore it and maybe it will go away. No, hear the words in your heart. “I insist that you come sit with me in the quiet. Put down your bag of worries and fears, then sit down with me in the quiet. Let’s talk.”

Very good advice. Don’t rationalize your way out of it. Don’t make excuses? Don’t pretend you’ve got it under control. Just do what the Spirit tell you. A quiet place. No people around. Sit down with God and speak truth. Then listen with your brain and your heart. I’m not suggesting. I insist.

Have you noticed the tops of our stately Saguaros? Little buds pop out, then they open revealing bright white flowers and then the final delight. The pinkish-red fruit appears and the birds turn somersaults of joy. It’s the cycle of life. I find it curiously ironic that the source of the delicious fruit is a prickly, thorn bearing desert giant. A round of applause, please, for the sharp needle Saguaro and their yummy red blossoms. And a word of gratitude, too, to the Author of life who brings all things into existence and provides our “daily bread.” The next time you see a flower-top Saguaro, say hello. But, no hugs.

You’ve heard of “flying under the radar”? “Out of sight, out of mind” kind of thing. There are some radar screens that I certainly want to avoid…the one in the State Trooper’s car, because that might mean a speeding ticket, or the screen that belongs to the I.R.S. Audit is a frightful word.

My guess is that Jesus wanted to be under the Roman radar in the early days of his adult life. Probably under the radar that belonged to the religious authorities of his day. During the time of recruiting helpers, days of planning and preparing for the announcement of the Kingdom of God present and active, it would have been nice to avoid distractions. But it didn’t work out that way. No, the Roman radar and the Religious radar picked him up rather quickly. And that was because he spoke about and demonstrated the power and vitality of the Kingdom or Reign of God. Once let loose, the Gospel, the good news, the transformative power of God shakes the rafters and rattles foundations. It is a “living” Word. Even now.

People who are sincere, who walk in the footsteps of Jesus, who put life into traditional words, who live what they say; people who do the Gospel instead of just thinking about it, become a blip on the radar screen of others who are intimidated or convicted by eternal truth. Remember that line in the movie: “Build it and they will come”? Change the words to “Live it…” and they will respond eagerly to hope and healing inherent in the Gospel of Jesus. But it’s also possible that some will show up with empty crosses. There will come a moment when the low-flying bird has to rise above the relative protection of grasses and bushes. It’s not possible for him to skim the surface all his life. And when he rises above the tree tops he will be vulnerable. But if he’s going to be a bird, he has to fly. Christians, inevitably, cause change. When helplessness turns to hope, when those in poverty are welcomed into the plenty that exists, when courage takes over from cowering, things change. And here come the crosses, crafted and carried by greed and self-serving power.

To be authentic, to be honest with ourselves and with God, we have to rise to the calling of Truth, Compassion, and Courage. We were made to risk flight. Radar or not, here we come.

I love the old hymns of the church. They hold memories that are special. Is it the tune or the words that I remember so fondly? And my answer to myself is: probably the tune that I can hum without effort. Try it right now. Hum the sound of Rock of Ages. Don’t try to dredge up every word correctly. It’s the tune that we carry in our hearts.

One of my ongoing writing projects, started about five years ago, is to honor the old, traditional hymn tunes with new lyrics, words that might be a little more contemporary in meaning and reference. I choose only hymns that are in the Public Domain, not ones under Copyright, and I do not publish them for public use. The re-written lyrics are only for us as expressions of praise and gratitude to God. So, having said that, I invite you to begin this day with a song of praise. Use the tune of Rock of Ages, but change the words to these:

Sing a song of grateful joy
for this tiny infant boy
born of Mary long ago,
born to magnify and show
God’s incarnate presence here
overcoming hate and fear.

Loving Spirit, smile divine,
move among us as a sign
that your kingdom shall prevail,
that your Word will never fail
that our hope, best placed in You,
justifies and makes things new.

Christ of God, Eternal Son,
guide me til the conflict’s done
when all evil and disgrace
changed by your redeeming grace
shall be justice known by all.
Send me, Lord. I hear your call.

Sing to this new day with humility and gratitude. And remember that you are blessed for a reason, and that is to be a blessing to someone else.

Gracious Creator and Sustainer, Source of our life and our hope, we come to this day of solemn remembering with both joy and sorrow in our hearts. Our joy is in your abiding presence as you help us shape the future of this nation; a future that tells all peoples and nations of the world that we will work and sacrifice for justice for all people, for peace among nations, for integrity in our relationships. Guide us, Lord, toward these important elements, the character of this nation. Our sorrow this day is heavy upon our hearts because we remember the sacrifices made in past years by men and women who stood for those same national and personal characteristics. Our loved ones, family members, neighbors who gave their very lives in service to a country they believed to be a light among nations. We honor them with our prayers and with the efforts we can bring to the establishment of a just peace among all peoples of the earth. God, we pray that they may rest in eternal peace, knowing that their lives were not spent in vain, knowing that we who remain to continue the struggle do so with deep gratitude and a firm commitment to the highest principles of human existence. May our remembering this day produce renewed efforts to live, on behalf of these women and men, lives that are exemplary in every way. This we pray from the depths of our hearts. Amen.

This is a day like no other.
It is not yesterday, not tomorrow.
The breath you just drew keeps
you alive…and this one…and this one.
Take nothing for granted.
Receive everything as gift.
Savor the flower instead of sniffing.
See the person beside you instead of looking.
Mean what you say, say what you mean.
Join the dance, even if in your mind.
This is a day like no other.
Don’t let it go by unnoticed.
It won’t come this way again.

Press on with open minds,
open hearts and open arms.
Receive. See. Rejoice.

The next time you take a bite of that wonderful grilled salmon, say a word of appreciation for the fisherman and the hard work he or she endured in order to put that fish on your plate. While you’re at it, think gratefully about all those little fishing boats that fight rough seas. But even more, remember that you and I would never have our delicious seafood without fishermen, boats and that little invisible thing that controls the entire process. It is the unseen but absolutely critical rudder that guides the boat that holds the fishermen who catch the salmon that fills the plate before us.

Small sailing boats to enormous cruise ships, it’s the rudder that guides the boat. And the rudder is never seen. It stays submerged in the water. And you can’t leave port without one. So it is with a rudder-less life, no mechanism to guide thought and action. We call the life-rudder by many names: values, principles, relationship. Yes, relationship with the life and teachings of one who claims your absolute allegiance, who calls out the highest good. Today, spend a few minutes thinking about the rudder in your life. What guides you through the rapids and the smooth waters? What motivates, challenges?

I encourage you to consider that the best rudder for a personal life is not a “what” but a “who.” Guided by the wonder and the wisdom of The Spirit, you and I can brave any sea and find our way to home port. We all have rudders. What or who guides your actions in this good day?