Shining Spirit

Not long ago I heard a soft tapping on my apartment door and when I opened it, there stood my friend Harry. He held the cross in his hand, which surprised me because Harry is Jewish and a cross does not fit into his theology. Harry is an artist with cut glass. I’ve seen some very high quality pieces in his apartment down the hall. He said: “I made this for you.” Imagine that. Now the cross hangs on the desk lamp where I see it everyday against the backdrop of warm light. For a Christian, the cross has deep meaning. Light, too. But the symbol of light spans religious boundaries. Today is the first day of an eight-day Jewish celebration called Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, a very important few days for Jews around the world. In my faith tradition, Jesus said: “I am the light of the world.” Light is a common denominator. The sun shines on all of us without regard for location, language, heritage or history. For me, light shines through the cross. For Harry, light is the backdrop for religious festival and celebration. It seems to me that if we looked hard enough, we would always find the commonality in our diversity, the sameness that unites people and nations that seem so different. I’m grateful for my friend’s thoughtfulness, for friendships that are not restricted by boundaries, for the blue, cut-glass cross that hangs on my desk lamp, and for light that falls on us all. May the light of the Advent candles and the light of the Menorah remind us of who we are. Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah to all.

Decorations make the season dazzle! Within my view as I write these words, I see brilliant red poinsettias; Christmas angels sharing the top shelf of the bookcase; a little, red Christmas bear wearing a bright green sweater; a small, white Christmas tree on which hang stars of various colors and a special ornament. It’s in the shape of a black dog, a memory of Maggie who loved the season as much as I do. Have you decorated your home for the season? May I suggest a few special decorations you might consider? How about Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control? And where do you buy these? You don’t. They actually come as a gift, and they are more than decorations. They are life qualities that reside deep within even when the poinsettias are gone and the decorations are put away. In fact, to possess these gifts and to let them live within you is an honor to the one who gives them. To receive them, just kneel before the manger and look upon the presence of God. O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

A Holiday Thought

He lives in a box most of the year. Maybe that’s why he’s not smiling. I can’t blame him. I’d be a little grumpy, too. But I know some people who do the same thing, some who never come out of their box at all. So sad, because the light is so beautiful. The lights of Christmas penetrate even the darkest places. THE Light is an invitation to new hope, new joy, new purpose. Maybe our job is to lift some of those box lids with kind words and loving actions, and invite someone out of darkness and isolation. That’s exactly what THE Light did. A joyful possibility in this holy season.

Isn’t it wonderful that life is composed of so many shapes and colors and textures and fragrances? We are blessed to be part of such diversity. Say “thank you” to a leaf tomorrow. And to the Leaf Maker.

There is a verse in Psalm 17 that goes like this: “God, show us your unfailing love in wonderful ways.” That’s my request, too. And then my heart and my brain connect and I suddenly realize that I’m standing right in the middle of the answer. All around me are sights and senses, fragrances and textures, relationships that bring me joy and encouragement. I’m asking for something I already have. And that little voice in my head says: “Wake up!” Don’t sleep walk through this good day. At least set aside a little time to see and experience the “unfailing love in wonderful ways.” Have a wonder-filled Monday. This could be the best day of your life. God, show us your unfailing love in wonderful ways. And a song, carried on the mountain breeze, fills the valley. The lyrics are simple: I have. I do. I will. Thanks be to God for the wonderful ways unfailing love has been, is, and will be shown to everyone who “wakes up” to the Wonder. This day is a special gift just for you. Unwrap it!

Every life has contradictions.
Somewhere between the “yes” and the “no”
in the midst of “maybe” and “perhaps”
there lives an infamous note of discord
that takes sinister delight in pitting
word against word,
confounding fact with fiction,
creating intersections of impasse,
and “No Way Out” boulevards of bluster
and bravado.

To live in the world of “either-or”
is to feather discord’s nest. The
distance between opposites is
measured by the relics of sincere
people who tried to walk through
the quicksand of compromise.

Every life has contradictions.
But the rent is too high in that neighborhood.
Talking “at” is different than talking “with”
and hearing is not the same as listening.
Caution to you who have answers but do
not know the questions, whose ignorance is
confused with intelligence, who cry “Fear!”
into the darkness of prejudice and watch
as we throw off the cloak of Principle
in order to play in the sandbox of
our own self-interest.

Contradictions, conceived by the lust
of political power or religious rigidity,
may define the moment, but they also
gerrymander justice and truth in order
to enjoy the collision of minds determined
to dominate or destroy.

Sometimes the road is long and lonely, and it feels like I’m all alone. But one of faith’s basic, core ideas denies that. True, no other person is in sight, yet there is an intuitive, instinctual companionship that prompts me to turn the pedals and keep the bike moving. A mind game? No, a heart reality. Explainable? No, experiential. I was riding the other day on a long stretch, all by myself, when another rider came up behind me very quietly. I only knew he was there when he said: “Behind you”, a courtesy alert. Behind, beside, above, below…with. Keep pedaling. You’re not alone.

Do you think human feet have stood on this magnificent piece of the Earth? Is there somewhere remaining that has never been the site of a footprint? These sacred locations in nature are often called Thin Places, a coming together of two realms or dimensions. It’s like heaven and earth overlapping so that there is created an exceptional moment of awareness. But, then, every piece of earth has the potential to be a Thin Place. When Spirit touches Spirit, a new depth of awareness is reached, and, most often, life is never the same again. I’ve discovered that you can’t plan an encounter with a Thin Place; it just happens. It is a “gift” moment to be deeply appreciated and remembered often. Be on the lookout today. This just might be your day.