Aftermath

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America, election, Election Day, more perfect union, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

While rancor is far from defeated and people all over our country are either celebrating wins or lamenting defeats in yesterday’s elections, I woke up to a clear sky (not a cloud to be seen!) and total silence which allowed me a big sigh that Election Day 2018 is over and now we need to deal with the results. This is the day each year on which I am generally most grateful to be a citizen of the USA. Regardless of the rhetoric and the results, there have been no catastrophic events that signal the end of our way of life. While concerns remain and distress about governance must continue to be addressed, the responsibilities of participation must be acknowledged and accepted so that we all stand up and move forward toward the fullness of life that is possible as we strive for “a more perfect union.” May it be so in our lifetime!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Message: Clear and Direct

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America, beatitudes, books, Christian Scriptures, clothe, false accusation, Hebrew Scriptures, hungry, Isaiah, Lectionary, light, malicious speech, oppressed, oppression, share, shelter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I carried a satchel full of books with me this week, texts that we have considered already and others that will inspire our conversation over the next two days. I always feel comfortable in the company of books; just having them in the room with me is sometimes enough. This morning, however, as I read the lectionary texts for today, I was again reminded of the timelessness of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. The messages fairly jump off the page in their similarity (Isaiah and Matthew’s Beatitudes) and appropriateness for this moment in the history of the United States of America. The messages of how we are to become light in this world are unmistakable. We should all read them aloud and often. The prophet Isaiah says this:

Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your wound shall quickly be healed…If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted, then light shall rise for you from the darkness and the gloom shall become for you like midday. (IS 58: 7-10)

How can we miss the import of these words? What is our willingness quotient and how might we respond? The message is more urgent than ever now. How can we ignore it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Are You Carrying?

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America, Carry the Load, flags, freedom, Memorial Day, serving our country, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Last night on the NBC Evening News there was a clip about an organization and month-long event called Carry the Load. It was initiated by a retired Navy Seal whose purpose is to remember those who have served our country in the military or as first responders in emergencies. This year over 15,000 people participated in some way in a trek that covered 2,000 miles over 27 days. When asked “Who are you carrying?” (rather than “Why are you doing this?”) each of these diverse people told of a family member or group of which they were a part during a conflict somewhere in the world. Most jarring for me was the young man who said he was carrying his grandfather who had served in Vietnam. It reminded me that my contemporaries have over 40 years of memory of that dark time in our history. For some who survived, the load is still heavy. For those whose loved ones never came home, it is the same.

Many of us will have picnics or other gatherings today which will rekindle the bonds of family or friendship. We will welcome the summer season (although in the midst of disastrous weather in some parts of the country) and hope for some “slower” time in the next few months. We will see American flags and feel the gratitude that comes from living in a land of freedom. I will think of my father who served in North Africa and Sicily during World War II and told only stories of camaraderie – never of the war itself and who was proud to have served his country. It is my privilege to carry him (not a heavy load) and many others, remembering the stated purpose of this day and praying for a time when peace will be achieved everywhere in the world.

Who are you carrying today?