Personification

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justice, Lord, Lynn Bauman, mercy, psalm98, the general dance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

In the traditional translations of Psalm 98 we read today that “the Lord comes to rule the world with justice.” That could make us shiver and evoke images of what may become a category 3 or 4 hurricane in Florida and other places to our south this weekend. It seems that we – some of us at least – usually tend toward the negative interpretation of God’s entry into the world. The word “wrath” comes to mind in this situation. Even for some who define God as Love, there’s almost a knee-jerk reaction at moments like that. It seems strange, does it not?

Today, not only did I read on at the usccb.org website to find: “Let the rivers clap their hands and the mountains shout with them for joy before the Lord, for he comes to rule the earth.” How can we suppress a smile at those images? I found (not surprisingly) an even more picturesque version in Lynn Bauman’s modern translation that is similar up to verse 9 where hills and valleys are clapping and and waves are dancing and people singing, but goes on to conclude what should assuage all our fears of reprisal for our failings. Listen:

Let hills and valleys join in song to offer hospitality to the Holy One, who comes to right our every wrong. This God will weigh the worth of everything that was, and is, and ever shall be so mercy can be known in full, and justice here be balanced with compassion. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, (p. 247)

That all sounds good to me, an invitation maybe to go out and join in what Thomas Merton calls “the general dance!”

Friday

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Kathleen Deignan, The Sign of Jonas, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, Thomas Merton: A Book of Hours

I pick up a long-ignored Book of Hours* now to find a match to the silence all around. The birds have already had their “hour” of waking and presently are busy with the day. The sun is up and shining in silent glory and I sit in gratitude with Thomas Merton’s spirit, imaging him on the grounds of the Abbey of Gethsemani writing the following: Thank God for the hill, the sky, the morning sun, the manna on the ground which every morning renews our lives. (The Sign of Jonas, p. 327)

*Thomas Merton, A Book of Hours, edited by Kathleen Deignan

Consider This…

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neighbors, prophets, speaking truth to power, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Here’s a jolting sentence from the Society of St. John the Evangelist. It seems, in one sentence, to place a challenge before us that is something we should all be considering now, especially if we live in the United States of America. It could be a call, however, that resounds throughout the world, judging from news reports and images of how people are being treated by their “neighbors.” I suggest that all of us sit quietly, close our eyes and watch the images that float through our consciousness if our stated intention is to take a virtual trip through the world of this moment. How would we answer? What would we do?

Prophet: To fail to understand that we are called to be prophets who speak truth to power is to fail to understand what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God. (Br. James Koester, SSJE)

Unforgettable Testimony

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St. Augustine of Hippo, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

On this feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, I am always ready to read (and sometimes proliferate to my immediate world!) what I hold as his best message to the world of what God is like. Perhaps you have seen his words elsewhere – or maybe at a previous time right here. Please bear with me one more time as I use Augustine’s words to express what it might be like to be totally consumed by the love of God while still living on earth.

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and now I burn for your peace.

Time Flies…

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courage, feel, live, meet people, never too late, see, sunrise, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time, timing

This morning when I woke the sky was still in the process of lighting up. According to my phone, I still had at least 25 minutes before the alarm would sound to wake me. I settled down to wait or doze…but something in me said ten minutes later that it was time for my day to begin. How fortunate an impetus! When I opened my eyes and looked out my windows in both directions – east and south – I was treated to a lovely wash of color, soft in pinkish-orange light, that lasted less than two minutes before fading into the monochrome glimmer that spells d-a-y. What a gift of perfect timing! Something not to be missed, I thought.

I’ve had several conversations already this week about the speed of the summer and how time seems to be passing too quickly. This morning convinced me once again that time is a precious commodity not to be squandered. Deciding to explore a bit, I typed “quotes about time” into the subject line on my phone. I read some familiar things, but there was a quote that seemed the perfect start for this day. It was from Eric Roth, from his screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. See what you think.

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late, or in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There is no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

What could be a more perfect “thought for the day?” Let’s live it!

Monday

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acceptance, change, opportunities, seasons, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time passing, trust

Here come the geese flying south. They make quite a racket, even if there are only a few of them heading for the river at the border of our property. Soon I will know again – if I’m driving north on Interstate Route 81 for some reason – the thrill and danger of seeing hundreds (yes, literally hundreds of them) and trying to count as I drive. It is a fruitless activity of course; I usually give up quickly and just let the amazement of their “V” formation take my attention and gratitude as they cross the vast expanse of sky over the cornfields. It’s one of those late August signals of seasonal change – some would all it delight – like waking up to a temperature of 48 degrees F. and waiting for the sun to take us to 75 by mid-afternoon.

I remember hearing when I was much younger about the phenomenon of swifter time passage as we age. Now I know the truth of that feeling. “How did we get to the end of August?” I ask myself as I contemplate the date and the fact of facing another Monday upon awakening. There’s no sense in lamenting the days already gone; they won’t ever be back! Accepting what is and moving on, grateful for what is still to come, is the only way to travel this highway. There may be miracles hidden in the morning mist. We have only to trust until the sun breaks through and sets a clear course of opportunity for the gifts that this Monday holds.

What’s in a Name?

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companionship, Jesus, St. Bartholomew, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, twelve apostles

Some of us were taught the names of the twelve apostles – the closest companions of Jesus during his public life – as they’re listed in the gospels. I get stuck sometimes when running the list but am always sure I could find them again if need be. There are also a couple of texts where we find Jesus calling one or another of these “Twelve” to follow him. What some may not be aware of (and what is rarely noticed) is that the apostle in the list whose feast is today, Bartholomew, is also the one to whom Jesus said “I saw you under the fig tree” whose name is Nathaniel!

Scholars have undoubtedly wrestled with this issue – or found a simple answer to it. I have just never heard any explanation. What it does remind me, however, is that we know very little about the close companions of Jesus but that they were more or less like all of us: faithful but sometimes clueless, obedient to the mission, and even passionate about it, regular folks who were not chosen for their scholarship or IQ but rather by their willingness and ability to follow the one who was unlike any other “Master,” who called them to a ministry of love and service that meant giving their lives to God, whatever that meant.

When the apostles said “Yes” to Jesus, they likely had no idea what it would cost but they gave it anyway. We might say the same thing in our living out of our commitments for the good of humanity and the love of God. Living every day is the only way it works. Opening ourselves and not worrying about becoming famous – or even whether people remember our names – is the way of close companionship with Christ. And that relationship is worth everything.

The Essential

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greatest commandment, love, love God, love your neighbor as yourself, Matthew, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There is never a question for me when the reading from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 22, verses 34-40 shows up in the daily lectionary. The answer to the question that Jesus had been asked by a scholar of the law to test him is all we need to know to order our lives and relationships. At least that’s how it seems to me.

Question: Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?

Answer: You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

Most of us can recite it from memory but do we remember it as we go about our day?

Simple and Straightforward

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civility, ethical reasoning, feelings, Fred Rogers, live together, Mr. Rogers, self-worth, sharing, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tolerance

Brian Johnson had his son, Emerson, on his optimize.me video blog today to share a message about Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Fred Rogers, as most people know, was a great influence for positive thinking for children over 33 years on his television series, Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood, and since then in his books.

So I took a bit of a divergent path into his biography to see what I didn’t know (see “Fred Rogers” on the internet) and found that much of what he taught to children could be helpful for adults today as well. The article I read about him emphasized not only the child’s developing psyche but also “feelings, sense of moral and ethical reasoning, civility, tolerance, sharing and self-worth,” topics that we all might want to spend some time pondering these days…

Brian and Emerson were talking about a Mr. Rogers’ song called “It’s You I Like.” It goes like this:

It’s you I like. It’s not the things you wear/ It’s not the way you do your hair/But it’s you I like. The way you are right now/The way down deep inside you/Not the things that hide you/Not your toys/They’re just beside you./But it’s you I like. Every part of you/Your skin, your eyes, your feelings whether old or new. I hope that you’ll remember/Even when you’re feeling blue/That it’s you I like/It’s you yourself/It’s you/It’s you I like.

Maybe you don’t know the tune but is there someone with whom you might share those lyrics or some similar sentiment today? Why not take a lesson from the children or the man who taught them – and us – so much about how to live together in this world? After all, there’s always someone who might need to hear the words, “It’s you I like; it’s you!”

Snippets

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Cynthia Bourgeault, Fr. Thomas Keating, mystical hope, ordinary awareness, spiritual awareness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It’s very dangerous to pull a couple of sentences out of a book without creating a context for what you want to impart to people. Once in awhile, however, it can seem imperative to do so because what you’re reading is powerful enough to take the chance that someone (at least) will hear it in a way that is worth the effort.

I was reading Chapter three of Cynthia Bourgeault’s book, Mystical Hope, last night. She was talking about Fr. Thomas Keating’s understanding of different levels of awareness – specifically of “ordinary awareness” and “spiritual awareness.” When I finished reading page 52, I wrote in the margin, “Read this aloud.” Please try doing so with what follows.

The only thing blocking the emergence of this whole and wondrous other way of knowing is your over-reliance on your ordinary thinking. If you can just turn that off for a while, then the other will begin to take shape in you, become a reality you can actually experience. And as it does, you will know, in a way you cannot presently know, your absolute belonging and place in the heart of God, and that you are part of this heart forever and cannot possibly fall out of it, no matter what may happen.

If you are even mildly moved by Cynthia’s words, I would urge you to read the book. About 13 years ago it set me on a course that included centering prayer and the hunger that it produced has changed my life. I know this path is not for everyone but I am, it seems, compelled this morning to share this. Therefore, if you’re so inclined, let me know how it goes for you in the next decade of your life.