"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish."
- Albert Einstein
My greatest blessing, as well as my greatest curse may be that I think too much!
My muse, when it comes to spiritual thoughts, is a very dear friend with whom I often have deep philosophical discussions that either directly or indirectly relate to spirituality. She is an amazingly talented physical therapist, and has recently been studying to be a Reiki practitioner. For those of you not familiar with Reiki, it is a Japanese holistic health approach based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. It is believed, and I am admittedly naive about all the nuances, that Reiki can be used to manipulate a patients “life force” (even remotely) and thus help the person being treated achieve an improved states of both physical and mental health.
I know this sounds crazy, but I have a very open mind about these things, having grown up in a house where my mother, a life-long Episcopalian, used to periodically talk to spirits and regularly consulted Tarot cards for insight; while my father, a life-long Catholic, fervently believed in ghosts and in praying to spirits of nature. As such, I have always sought to weave my own belief system into the tapestry that makes up the complex and messy thing we call “spirituality”, and so it was following my most recent lunch with my friend.
As Christians, we believe in a “life force” only we know it as that part of God we refer to as the Holy Spirit. We also believe that we can get guidance from the Holy Spirit as to how to live better lives, we do this through the use prayer; we even accept that prayer can have an effect over distance and time! We further believe that by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we become better and happier people, and ultimately achieve a state of complete and eternal happiness we call “heaven”. Is this really so different from what Reiki teaches?
Jesus Christ was a complex mix of God and man that we know about only through the writings of a few people who knew Him. Who is to say that the casting out of the demons, the healing of the lame, the curing of the blind were any different than the much more subtle benefits that Reiki practitioners see in their patients? Who is to say that what Jesus was trying to teach us was simply to get in touch with that part of God that exists in each of us, and stay connected to it, and by doing so live a happier (and healthier?) life?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not by any stretch equating Reiki practitioners with Jesus, but I am saying that we often scoff at, rationalize and dismiss things we cannot begin to understand – but that is not to say that we should not at least try to understand them. The mysteries of God are only mysteries because we limit our minds.
Be open to everything, especially to the power of God to make our lives (and our health) better, if we will approach Him with open hearts and minds.
Peace to you all.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Thursday, April 30, 2009
WWJD ?
What Would Jesus Do!?
God, I get sick of hearing that expression!
How arrogant is it to think that we pitiful, sinful mortals have the same options available to us as those available to the embodiment of our creator!?! How self-righteous is it to think that we could ever come close to meeting the standard set by our savior!?! How petty is it to slap on a bumper sticker, or pin on a button and assume we can begin to understand the innermost thoughts of anyone else, let alone Jesus himself!?!
Jesus was sent to suffer and die a horrible death precisely because we are unable to do what Jesus would do. He was fully human yet fully God. Subject to all the same temptations and weaknesses that make us human, yet with strength of will that allowed him to overcome those temptations and weaknesses in a way that we could never even begin to understand.
But even that misses the mark entirely, because, ultimately, it’s not about what Jesus did or didn’t do. The message of Jesus is one of a God that so loves us that He wanted to understand what we go through in our efforts to be good people. He wanted to understand what is like to suffer the temptations and weaknesses that will always keep us children in His eyes. Like any children, we need a Father to watch over us, and guide us for sure, but most importantly, as children we need to be assured beyond any doubt that we are loved unconditionally. That’s the message of Jesus.
Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.
This I KNOW…not this I “believe” or this I “hope”.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we know that God accepts us for whom we are, and loves us all despite our weaknesses, our doubts and our petty fears and insecurities. It is a love that cannot be earned, and cannot be taken away, no matter what. It is the love of a parent for the child that they bore, that they named, that they raised up and that will forever be their own flesh and blood.
We are the children of an awesome God.
Now…knowing that…the real question is: What Will I Do?
God, I get sick of hearing that expression!
How arrogant is it to think that we pitiful, sinful mortals have the same options available to us as those available to the embodiment of our creator!?! How self-righteous is it to think that we could ever come close to meeting the standard set by our savior!?! How petty is it to slap on a bumper sticker, or pin on a button and assume we can begin to understand the innermost thoughts of anyone else, let alone Jesus himself!?!
Jesus was sent to suffer and die a horrible death precisely because we are unable to do what Jesus would do. He was fully human yet fully God. Subject to all the same temptations and weaknesses that make us human, yet with strength of will that allowed him to overcome those temptations and weaknesses in a way that we could never even begin to understand.
But even that misses the mark entirely, because, ultimately, it’s not about what Jesus did or didn’t do. The message of Jesus is one of a God that so loves us that He wanted to understand what we go through in our efforts to be good people. He wanted to understand what is like to suffer the temptations and weaknesses that will always keep us children in His eyes. Like any children, we need a Father to watch over us, and guide us for sure, but most importantly, as children we need to be assured beyond any doubt that we are loved unconditionally. That’s the message of Jesus.
Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.
This I KNOW…not this I “believe” or this I “hope”.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we know that God accepts us for whom we are, and loves us all despite our weaknesses, our doubts and our petty fears and insecurities. It is a love that cannot be earned, and cannot be taken away, no matter what. It is the love of a parent for the child that they bore, that they named, that they raised up and that will forever be their own flesh and blood.
We are the children of an awesome God.
Now…knowing that…the real question is: What Will I Do?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
You Can't Always Get What You Want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want...
- Rolling Stones
I just had a very interesting discussion with a dear friend of mine that ultimately led to her asking me if I thought God answers prayers.
Now any Theology 101 student will tell you that God answers ALL prayers, it’s just that sometimes His answer is "yes", and sometimes it's "no". While that may be a sufficient answer for a class of 6th graders, it just doesn’t cut it with me. Why should it matter a whit to God if my kid scores a goal in his soccer game, or if that woman with the crying baby sits next to someone else on the plane? Why can’t God answer “yes” to all those petty prayers? Does it really make that big a difference in his plan for my life? Is God an adherent to the “Butterfly Effect” ?
For those of you not familiar with it, the “Butterfly Effect” says that the changing of even the tiniest detail (like the killing of a single butterfly) can have devastating unintended consequences on future events. But if that’s the case then the implication would be that God doesn’t answer ANY prayers EVER.
So why doesn’t God answer my fervent prayer to let my kid score a goal in his soccer game? Is it because the parent of the goalie is praying equally hard that his kid not get scored on? Well, if that’s the case then why does God answer his prayer yes, and mine no? Is it because that parent is better than me? Is it because he’s the “right” religion? Could it be that God likes his kid better than mine? What?
I was once told that all prayers can be summed up in one of two phrases: “Thank you!”, or “Please!”. Well, the “Thank you!” is easy enough to understand, and doesn’t require any answer by God, but the “Please!” is much more problematic, and (I think) more complex.
I believe that there are actually two sub-classes of “Please!” prayers. We pray for things we want, or we pray for things we need. The “want” prayers are easy enough to understand - they come from our petty desires and selfishness, and as such I do not believe that God answers them one way or another.
On the other hand, I think that God answers “yes” to ALL our prayers that come out of need. So, do I “need” my kid to score that goal? That’s a simple one, how about this – Do I “need” to have mom hang on to life long enough for my brother to get to her bedside? Or do I “need” for the killing to stop in any one of a hundred places around the globe? So what is it that we actually “need”?
If we expect an answer from God, we have to first reflect on what it is that we are asking Him for. Is it just one of our many personal desires or preferences cloaked in something else? Do I “need” my kid to score because I “want” him to feel good about himself? Do I “need” mom to hang on a while longer because I “want” my brother to have a chance to say goodbye? Do I “need” the killing to stop because I “want” to feel good about the state of the world, or because I “want” the people to feel safe?
Is there anything that we truly “need” that God hasn’t already provided? Or have we just failed to recognize that He said “yes” to our prayer long before we even thought to ask.
So I guess it's like the Rolling Stones taugh us so long ago,
"...But if you try sometimes
Well you just might find
You'll get what you need "
Peace.
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want...
- Rolling Stones
I just had a very interesting discussion with a dear friend of mine that ultimately led to her asking me if I thought God answers prayers.
Now any Theology 101 student will tell you that God answers ALL prayers, it’s just that sometimes His answer is "yes", and sometimes it's "no". While that may be a sufficient answer for a class of 6th graders, it just doesn’t cut it with me. Why should it matter a whit to God if my kid scores a goal in his soccer game, or if that woman with the crying baby sits next to someone else on the plane? Why can’t God answer “yes” to all those petty prayers? Does it really make that big a difference in his plan for my life? Is God an adherent to the “Butterfly Effect” ?
For those of you not familiar with it, the “Butterfly Effect” says that the changing of even the tiniest detail (like the killing of a single butterfly) can have devastating unintended consequences on future events. But if that’s the case then the implication would be that God doesn’t answer ANY prayers EVER.
So why doesn’t God answer my fervent prayer to let my kid score a goal in his soccer game? Is it because the parent of the goalie is praying equally hard that his kid not get scored on? Well, if that’s the case then why does God answer his prayer yes, and mine no? Is it because that parent is better than me? Is it because he’s the “right” religion? Could it be that God likes his kid better than mine? What?
I was once told that all prayers can be summed up in one of two phrases: “Thank you!”, or “Please!”. Well, the “Thank you!” is easy enough to understand, and doesn’t require any answer by God, but the “Please!” is much more problematic, and (I think) more complex.
I believe that there are actually two sub-classes of “Please!” prayers. We pray for things we want, or we pray for things we need. The “want” prayers are easy enough to understand - they come from our petty desires and selfishness, and as such I do not believe that God answers them one way or another.
On the other hand, I think that God answers “yes” to ALL our prayers that come out of need. So, do I “need” my kid to score that goal? That’s a simple one, how about this – Do I “need” to have mom hang on to life long enough for my brother to get to her bedside? Or do I “need” for the killing to stop in any one of a hundred places around the globe? So what is it that we actually “need”?
If we expect an answer from God, we have to first reflect on what it is that we are asking Him for. Is it just one of our many personal desires or preferences cloaked in something else? Do I “need” my kid to score because I “want” him to feel good about himself? Do I “need” mom to hang on a while longer because I “want” my brother to have a chance to say goodbye? Do I “need” the killing to stop because I “want” to feel good about the state of the world, or because I “want” the people to feel safe?
Is there anything that we truly “need” that God hasn’t already provided? Or have we just failed to recognize that He said “yes” to our prayer long before we even thought to ask.
So I guess it's like the Rolling Stones taugh us so long ago,
"...But if you try sometimes
Well you just might find
You'll get what you need "
Peace.
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Shadow Knows
"From ghoolies and ghosties and long leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us."
- Scottish Prayer
All of us have one, that face that we keep hidden from all but our closest friends. It is the face that sometimes shows when we lose control. It is our shadow self. It is the part of ourselves where we hide our fears and frustrations, our hate, anger and insecurities. It’s the place where we keep all those things that make us feel small, and ashamed, and weak.
It’s also the place where we keep all those things that make us human.
Our personal development, the way we become the person we are, is a struggle. There’s no way to feel safe unless we learn to face fears. There’s no way to feel emotion without recognizing that some emotions are painful. There’s no way to feel self-assured unless we recognize and overcome our insecurities. It’s the feelings that make us who we are.
Fortunately, few of us become so paralyzed by our shadow side that we cease to function. We find a way to overcome all the ghoolies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties that try to keep us from becoming the people we think we want to be. But those monsters are always hiding in our closet. They are always ready to spring out and grab us by the ankles, to drag us into their clutches when we are most vulnerable.
The problem is that, we need to make ourselves vulnerable. By keeping the closet door of our lives closed and locked, we keep all the demons out, but we also keep out the angels. Because they’re in there too.
Yes, there are angels in our shadow self as well. Even though it's sometimes hard to recognize them as angels, they are there. They are angels that want to bring us great gifts, if only we will let them. Angels that will bring us hope, and peace and, most precious of all, love.
We need to recognize that these are gifts, freely given to us. Gifts which we cannot earn, that we may or may not feel worthy of, and that are beyond our ability to control. They may come to us early or late, like a soft summer breeze, or like a thunderbolt from the sky. They may come to us from a direction that we least expect it. They may be gifts that we don’t even recognize immediately as gifts. Our job then is to always be ready for them.
We need to keep that closet door open, and know that oftentimes it will be a demon that will come out. We have to be ready for that, to fight that demon, and force it back into the closet. But never shut the door, because every so often, if you’re really patient and keep facing that closet, an angel will come to the door holding something. The truly happy person is the one who is ready and waiting when that angel comes, the one who accepts their gift, and then, without even knowing what it is, opens it.
May you all find a way to quiet your demons, and may all your lives be filled with angels bearing gifts.
- Scottish Prayer
All of us have one, that face that we keep hidden from all but our closest friends. It is the face that sometimes shows when we lose control. It is our shadow self. It is the part of ourselves where we hide our fears and frustrations, our hate, anger and insecurities. It’s the place where we keep all those things that make us feel small, and ashamed, and weak.
It’s also the place where we keep all those things that make us human.
Our personal development, the way we become the person we are, is a struggle. There’s no way to feel safe unless we learn to face fears. There’s no way to feel emotion without recognizing that some emotions are painful. There’s no way to feel self-assured unless we recognize and overcome our insecurities. It’s the feelings that make us who we are.
Fortunately, few of us become so paralyzed by our shadow side that we cease to function. We find a way to overcome all the ghoolies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties that try to keep us from becoming the people we think we want to be. But those monsters are always hiding in our closet. They are always ready to spring out and grab us by the ankles, to drag us into their clutches when we are most vulnerable.
The problem is that, we need to make ourselves vulnerable. By keeping the closet door of our lives closed and locked, we keep all the demons out, but we also keep out the angels. Because they’re in there too.
Yes, there are angels in our shadow self as well. Even though it's sometimes hard to recognize them as angels, they are there. They are angels that want to bring us great gifts, if only we will let them. Angels that will bring us hope, and peace and, most precious of all, love.
We need to recognize that these are gifts, freely given to us. Gifts which we cannot earn, that we may or may not feel worthy of, and that are beyond our ability to control. They may come to us early or late, like a soft summer breeze, or like a thunderbolt from the sky. They may come to us from a direction that we least expect it. They may be gifts that we don’t even recognize immediately as gifts. Our job then is to always be ready for them.
We need to keep that closet door open, and know that oftentimes it will be a demon that will come out. We have to be ready for that, to fight that demon, and force it back into the closet. But never shut the door, because every so often, if you’re really patient and keep facing that closet, an angel will come to the door holding something. The truly happy person is the one who is ready and waiting when that angel comes, the one who accepts their gift, and then, without even knowing what it is, opens it.
May you all find a way to quiet your demons, and may all your lives be filled with angels bearing gifts.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
What would Jesus do?
“...What if God’s like one of us? Just a slob like one of us? Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home?...” - Joan Osbourne
It’s an interesting philosophical exercise to reflect on how Jesus would react to, and exist in the present day western society. I’m not convinced, as some of my church friends are, that he would be the angry, vengeful, old-testament God, turning over tables at the temple, and publicly rebuking sinners. I actually believe Joan Osbourne got it right, he would be just like one of us… only different.
Jesus was, aside from the most important aspect of his persona, a mensch. It’s a beautifully Yiddish word that is used to refer to a person having admirable characteristics, such as fortitude and firmness of purpose, one who radiates a kind of fundamental decency.
Yet, He was all about the relationship with God, he didn’t sweat the earthly stuff. He rendered unto Caesar what was Caesar’s and he didn’t heal everybody, just a few. He raised the dead not for his own glory, but to show that even death held no power over God. He turned water into wine not because folks were thirsty, but in order to illustrate and emphasize a message. He fed 5000 on crumbs not because they were hungry, but because he wanted to show his followers that they needed to have faith in the power of God to do what seemed impossible. Fundamentally, it wasn’t about Him, it was about the message he brought. The message that there is an all knowing, all powerful God who created us, sustains us, and loves us unconditionally, and asks that we show the fortitude, and firmness of purpose to carry out those trivial tasks that he sometimes asks of us in small, quiet ways. Jesus understood, and wanted us to understand that God isn't always "magical" but often works small miracles through poor, simple slobs like one of us. His only request is that we be faithful to Him, and decent to one another, not for our own sake, or for His sake, but because it’s the right thing to do.
So, what if God’s like one of us? What would Jesus be like if he walked among us?
I think he’d be the kid in school who’s not a great athlete, but who makes every practice, always gives 100% and does the little things to help the team, and would thus have the respect of the “jocks”. He’s the kid who isn’t a “moter head”, but has their respect because he seems genuinely interested in their obsession with all things car, and would listen to them. He wouldn’t be a “stoner”, “thrasher”, “greaser”, “goth”, or “nerd” but they would consider him “cool” because he doesn’t hate them, fear them or judge them, he just accepts them the way they are. He wouldn’t be the guy all the girls are throwing themselves at, but they would all like him “…as a friend…”.
He’d be the guy at work who you could always count on to get his work done well, and on time. He’d be the person you could tell things to in confidence, and be sure they would stay confidential. He’d give you honest answers in a compassionate way. He’d be the guy everyone likes, but no one thinks to invite out for drinks after work.
At church, he’d be sitting towards the back, really listening to the sermon, and trying to learn something from it, maybe he’d be invited to teach Sunday School because he seems to have a unique way of connecting with kids in a loving way. The consensus would be that it was too bad he wasn’t married because he’d be such a great dad.
On the bus home, he’d be the guy who quietly reads the paper, who always seems content, but not overjoyed, who greets everyone who meets his gaze a smile and a sincere “how are you?” and then listened to the answer, he’d be the guy who gives up his seat to the old lady getting on the bus, so she could sit closer to the door.
Yep, he’d be just a slob like one of us…just a stranger on the bus…trying to make his way home. As are we all.
Peace to you all.
It’s an interesting philosophical exercise to reflect on how Jesus would react to, and exist in the present day western society. I’m not convinced, as some of my church friends are, that he would be the angry, vengeful, old-testament God, turning over tables at the temple, and publicly rebuking sinners. I actually believe Joan Osbourne got it right, he would be just like one of us… only different.
Jesus was, aside from the most important aspect of his persona, a mensch. It’s a beautifully Yiddish word that is used to refer to a person having admirable characteristics, such as fortitude and firmness of purpose, one who radiates a kind of fundamental decency.
Yet, He was all about the relationship with God, he didn’t sweat the earthly stuff. He rendered unto Caesar what was Caesar’s and he didn’t heal everybody, just a few. He raised the dead not for his own glory, but to show that even death held no power over God. He turned water into wine not because folks were thirsty, but in order to illustrate and emphasize a message. He fed 5000 on crumbs not because they were hungry, but because he wanted to show his followers that they needed to have faith in the power of God to do what seemed impossible. Fundamentally, it wasn’t about Him, it was about the message he brought. The message that there is an all knowing, all powerful God who created us, sustains us, and loves us unconditionally, and asks that we show the fortitude, and firmness of purpose to carry out those trivial tasks that he sometimes asks of us in small, quiet ways. Jesus understood, and wanted us to understand that God isn't always "magical" but often works small miracles through poor, simple slobs like one of us. His only request is that we be faithful to Him, and decent to one another, not for our own sake, or for His sake, but because it’s the right thing to do.
So, what if God’s like one of us? What would Jesus be like if he walked among us?
I think he’d be the kid in school who’s not a great athlete, but who makes every practice, always gives 100% and does the little things to help the team, and would thus have the respect of the “jocks”. He’s the kid who isn’t a “moter head”, but has their respect because he seems genuinely interested in their obsession with all things car, and would listen to them. He wouldn’t be a “stoner”, “thrasher”, “greaser”, “goth”, or “nerd” but they would consider him “cool” because he doesn’t hate them, fear them or judge them, he just accepts them the way they are. He wouldn’t be the guy all the girls are throwing themselves at, but they would all like him “…as a friend…”.
He’d be the guy at work who you could always count on to get his work done well, and on time. He’d be the person you could tell things to in confidence, and be sure they would stay confidential. He’d give you honest answers in a compassionate way. He’d be the guy everyone likes, but no one thinks to invite out for drinks after work.
At church, he’d be sitting towards the back, really listening to the sermon, and trying to learn something from it, maybe he’d be invited to teach Sunday School because he seems to have a unique way of connecting with kids in a loving way. The consensus would be that it was too bad he wasn’t married because he’d be such a great dad.
On the bus home, he’d be the guy who quietly reads the paper, who always seems content, but not overjoyed, who greets everyone who meets his gaze a smile and a sincere “how are you?” and then listened to the answer, he’d be the guy who gives up his seat to the old lady getting on the bus, so she could sit closer to the door.
Yep, he’d be just a slob like one of us…just a stranger on the bus…trying to make his way home. As are we all.
Peace to you all.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Mom Died
Mom died.
Simple words, far too simple for a lady as complicated as she was. As full of life, as full of mystery, as full of deep and challenging thoughts, as full of secrets.
She gave us all fair warning. She knew life is a fragile, fleeting thing. Even when I was little, we thought more than once that we were going to lose her. The diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, lung ailments, none of it slowed her down, or dampened her enthusiasm for satisfying her eclectic curiosity.
She went places women didn’t go back in the day. More recently, she went places old, sick women didn’t go. She went not to prove anything, but because they were places that were calling to her - Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico. She was astute enough to know when something is truly calling to you. She was brave (foolish?) enough to answer those calls.
She believed in things that often struck people as odd or eccentric. She believed them because she listened to her heart, and her soul, and not just her head. She listened to what they were telling her, and ignored what the rest of the world was saying. It was all just so much noise to her.
She loved with a love that was deep, and full. She heard her soul overflow like a river, and knew he was the one, and sure enough he was. They knew they would be together forever, and so they were. And so they are still.
She lived until she was no longer able to explore the mysteries of this world, and so it came time to explore the mysteries of the next. She didn’t let go, she just kept going on the path that she saw stretching out ahead of her, and stretching back behind.
And now she is out there somewhere, finding new adventures, finding new mysteries to explore, her curiosity free to go places no earthly body could.
God speed, Flora Emma Correa, God speed.
Simple words, far too simple for a lady as complicated as she was. As full of life, as full of mystery, as full of deep and challenging thoughts, as full of secrets.
She gave us all fair warning. She knew life is a fragile, fleeting thing. Even when I was little, we thought more than once that we were going to lose her. The diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, lung ailments, none of it slowed her down, or dampened her enthusiasm for satisfying her eclectic curiosity.
She went places women didn’t go back in the day. More recently, she went places old, sick women didn’t go. She went not to prove anything, but because they were places that were calling to her - Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico. She was astute enough to know when something is truly calling to you. She was brave (foolish?) enough to answer those calls.
She believed in things that often struck people as odd or eccentric. She believed them because she listened to her heart, and her soul, and not just her head. She listened to what they were telling her, and ignored what the rest of the world was saying. It was all just so much noise to her.
She loved with a love that was deep, and full. She heard her soul overflow like a river, and knew he was the one, and sure enough he was. They knew they would be together forever, and so they were. And so they are still.
She lived until she was no longer able to explore the mysteries of this world, and so it came time to explore the mysteries of the next. She didn’t let go, she just kept going on the path that she saw stretching out ahead of her, and stretching back behind.
And now she is out there somewhere, finding new adventures, finding new mysteries to explore, her curiosity free to go places no earthly body could.
God speed, Flora Emma Correa, God speed.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Tomb is Empty
Easter mornings, when my brother and sister and I were kids, we would wake up excited.
On Easter sunday mornings, although we would have to make the usual sacrifice of getting on those tight shoes, and putting on a tie and sitting in a church pew for what seemed like ages, on Easter the reward was a hunt for those chocolate eggs that mom and dad had hidden around the house.
Every family has it’s traditional way of ensuring that everybody gets a fair shot at the eggs, and in mine that meant that each of us kids had a room in the house all to ourselves. We would tear the rooms apart, looking for those chocolate treasures, and then gulp them down as fast as we could, so that we wouldn’t have to share, leaving only the empty wrappers on the floor as a reminder of all that sweetness.
After the gorging would come the penance. Off to church we went and, as if the length of the service wasn’t enough, after church on Easter Sunday we would make the rounds of the cemeteries. My family, even though most of them lived fairly close to one another (nothing is never far away, relatively speaking, in New England) seemed to showed an appalling lack of consideration to their future generations by having their corpses interred as far apart as possible.
It’s not like they didn’t get along in life. Mine was a family filled with love for one another, at least as much love as a people of that generation were able to show. Still, they insisted on colonizing cemetaries all over the city of Providence and it’s environs. Like so much seed cast upon the fields. So, Easter became a time of chocolate bunnies and visits to tombs.
Today, as I sat in church, listening to Rev. Dukes (she is a REAL reverend) I was struck by something. A great realization. The work of the Holy Spirit perhaps?
All those visits to cemeteries that we made, and still make today, have reinforced a great truth that I've just been too blind to see. The fact of the matter is that because of Jesus’ great sacrifice, ALL the stones have been rolled away from ALL the tombs. Like Mary Magdeline learned, the ones we go there to seek are not there. They are ALL risen, and are seated at the hand of the Father.
Yes, all the tombs are empty, for the ones we seek are risen…they are risen indeed.
Peace to you all, and a very happy Easter season.
On Easter sunday mornings, although we would have to make the usual sacrifice of getting on those tight shoes, and putting on a tie and sitting in a church pew for what seemed like ages, on Easter the reward was a hunt for those chocolate eggs that mom and dad had hidden around the house.
Every family has it’s traditional way of ensuring that everybody gets a fair shot at the eggs, and in mine that meant that each of us kids had a room in the house all to ourselves. We would tear the rooms apart, looking for those chocolate treasures, and then gulp them down as fast as we could, so that we wouldn’t have to share, leaving only the empty wrappers on the floor as a reminder of all that sweetness.
After the gorging would come the penance. Off to church we went and, as if the length of the service wasn’t enough, after church on Easter Sunday we would make the rounds of the cemeteries. My family, even though most of them lived fairly close to one another (nothing is never far away, relatively speaking, in New England) seemed to showed an appalling lack of consideration to their future generations by having their corpses interred as far apart as possible.
It’s not like they didn’t get along in life. Mine was a family filled with love for one another, at least as much love as a people of that generation were able to show. Still, they insisted on colonizing cemetaries all over the city of Providence and it’s environs. Like so much seed cast upon the fields. So, Easter became a time of chocolate bunnies and visits to tombs.
Today, as I sat in church, listening to Rev. Dukes (she is a REAL reverend) I was struck by something. A great realization. The work of the Holy Spirit perhaps?
All those visits to cemeteries that we made, and still make today, have reinforced a great truth that I've just been too blind to see. The fact of the matter is that because of Jesus’ great sacrifice, ALL the stones have been rolled away from ALL the tombs. Like Mary Magdeline learned, the ones we go there to seek are not there. They are ALL risen, and are seated at the hand of the Father.
Yes, all the tombs are empty, for the ones we seek are risen…they are risen indeed.
Peace to you all, and a very happy Easter season.
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