Shining Spirit

I will meet you in the slow dawning
of the morning,
I will see you as you appear from
the fading darkness,
I will hear you speak my name out
of the exquisite silence,
I will reach out, place my hand
in yours, and feel the
universe tremble.
Your smile will ignite an
explosion of fragrances propelled
by the grand sweeping of
angelic wings.
I will meet you in the slow dawning
of the morning.
I will know you.
You will know me.
And we shall disappear into
endless delight.

O death, where is your sting?

Camera in hand, finger on the trigger, ready in a moment’s notice to capture elusive beauty. I stalked it. I felt it in my bones, a flash of loveliness about to appear very briefly. Be ready. The hummingbird, here in one moment, gone in the next breath. A butterfly fliting from one delicious flower to another. Here and gone on the wind. A cloud formation posing in grandeur, then breaking up into rather common globs in an average sky. A sample of graceful beauty is about to open the door and pass quickly through my life. I will capture it in one click and admire it for weeks to come. If only that horse would get out of the way.

Some things are stately and serene. They invite a response of admiration. The Deer on the trail the other day. Stunning creature. Beauty is expressed in so many ways. The fluffy Kitten rolling across the family room floor, tangled in the ball of green yarn. The evening Sky just before the sun waves a final goodbye. O, the colors! Magnificent! This old world is awash in banners of beauty flapping in the winds of opportunity. I’m ready. Aperture set, sit very still lest the breakthrough of beauty is missed by my fidgeting over trivialities. If only that horse would trot off out of my frame. Beauty is about to appear. As I wait, I feel a rush of gratitude for all the amazing sights and sounds that fill my life with joy. Take a deep breath. Beauty is about to burst open any moment. If only that horse would move.

There he was, snuggled down in the blanket on soft, fresh-cut hay. Did he look into the faces of the curious, the shepherds, his Mom and Dad? Did he wonder about the men dressed in fine robes? They looked different, not like the villagers who also wanted a quick peek at the little boy. But, then, the question can be turned around: what did the foreigners think when they looked down into his eyes? I wonder about several things connected to this remarkable story. And up there, high on my question list is this: What gifts would have been laid at Jesus’s feet if the foreign visitors had been women? The Wise Men brought gifts fitting for a King Who Was A Child, treasures of great value. But I’ll wager that if the visitors had been women, the gifts would have been a new blanket to keep his warm, a new garment or two for traveling home, maybe a collection of items a baby and his family might need. They would have brought gifts to a Child Who Was A King.

How wonderfully diverse we are. Different in our understandings, our expectations, our hopes. When you sit next to someone in worship, remember that he or she does not think or act exactly like you. And, yet, that person is your sister or brother. Your family. We are all related through this child who claims our hearts and souls. Thank you, God, for wise women and men who are drawn by Grace to his birth in the world.

Creation is stunning!

News Flash: The most unusual thing happened today in the village of Bethlehem. A baby was born to a Nazareth couple and the event caused such an uproar that Bethlehem officials found it necessary to close down streets in order to control big crowds. In the late morning, within hours of the birth of a baby boy, an entourage from the East arrived bearing expensive gifts. One of the distinguished visitors said the traveling group had followed a bright star for weeks until it finally stopped over the place where the child was born. This reporter has never seen nor heard of that phenomenon before. Another surprise was the appearance of field shepherds, groups of them, who reported a large cluster of angels in the sky. These angels were instrumental, they reported, in publicizing this otherwise common event. Who the parents are remains a mystery. They do not appear to be wealthy, but it may be significant that when the spectators passed close to the straw bed where the baby slept, they bowed or knelt as if before royalty. If you plan to visit the village, I recommend making overnight plans in one of the neighboring villages since there are no vacant rooms here. No other birth has ever attracted public crowds like the birth of this boy child. Perhaps he is someone great. Surely time will tell. Stay tuned for further developments.

Today may be a walk in the park. Or, it might be climbing a mountain. If not today, then tomorrow or tomorrow. May I remind you of a basic principle of mountain hiking? Never go alone. At least, don’t go alone on those really challenging, often dangerous, trails. I speak from experience, and I promise you it’s no fun getting lost on a rugged trail, running out of water and having to cut through thorny bushes in hiking shorts. So, I say again: never go alone when the going is tough. You need a friend, an experienced opinion, resource, guide, encourager, maybe even a strong back to carry the load, maybe even to carry you if it comes to that. A twisted ankle or a tumble into that cholla cactus can ruin a good hike. It’s nice to have someone with you who can get those cholla needles on your backside.

So the point is this: Never go hiking alone in rugged mountains or on any challenging path. Likewise, don’t try to go it alone when you have to make hard decisions, when fear or sorrow move in, or when you simply “don’t know what to do.” A good friend is an encourager, a steady hand, and a source of wisdom. Good friends are blessings along your way, especially when the way is rocky.

The other day I thought to myself, “who can I invite to go hiking with me next Saturday?” I know lots of people who like to take on a rocky trail. So, I went to my Contacts app, tapped it gently, and it opened to the letter “J”. A name beginning with “J”. Hmm.

Amazing what the sun can do, isn’t it? Example: transform this very ordinary cactus into an art gallery exhibit. At any other hour of the day, it stands in the category of “ordinary.” But once the sun touches it,
it glows. Change the “u” to an “o” and be reminded of what you already know…even the most ordinary, when bathed in Light, becomes and becomes and becomes. The faith taught and demonstrated by Jesus is one of constant becoming. Becoming began in Bethlehem long ago, but it continues right here where I am and exactly where you are at this moment. You are Becoming! We are Becoming! There is a pathway of curious hope leading to Bethlehem, and a pathway of Becoming leading out. Dare to walk it. Follow the Way. Allow the sun to shine on you and the Son to shine through you. Become what you are!

Colors in this season of the year can be stunning.
What a gift to the eye and the soul!
And when there is a reflection, the beauty is doubled.
A shame, isn’t it, that sometimes beauty is treated
with passing curiosity, not experienced as an
encounter with the Sacred. Today I will see
beauty…will I reflect it? Yes, that’s the question?
That’s always the question.