A Word from Richard Rohr

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diversity, goodness, Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Having no worthwhile thoughts of my own this morning, I opened Richard Rohr’s book, The Divine Dance. Choosing at random a title from this mountain of creativity, I got just what I needed. The title was “The Delight of Diversity.” (I have loved alliterations for a very long time.) Here’s what I read that I offer to you for today.

“Goodness isn’t sameness. Goodness, to be goodness, needs contrast and tension, not perfect uniformity. If Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God yet clearly different, and we embrace this differentiation, resisting the temptation to blend them into some kind of amorphous blob, then there are at least three shapes to pure goodness. (And, of course, probably more.)” p. 61.

Chew on that for awhile, will you, especially if you are unhappy or frustrated with your “companions on the journey” today. If you can’t delight in the fact that others are diverse rather than just like you, try to love them anyway. Won’t you, please?

Morning Wake-up

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diversity, eerful, love, Macrina Wiederkehr, seven sacred pauses, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, waking up

I’ve been awake and sitting upright for quite awhile now but have not found in my own mind or the printed word any thought uplifting enough to share. I smiled when I turned to Macrina Wiederkehr’s thoughts on what she calls “The Awakening Hour” however, as I found my own often repeated words in hers. “I don’t always enjoy getting up,” she writes, “however, I like being up early. Getting up cheerfully in the morning is a spiritual practice for me. For this reason I set the clock of my heart as well as my alarm clock…Dawn is like medicine and morning is a healing drink that I have to brew in my heart as I brew my coffee.”

Later in her reverie she writes, “It is important that we respect the differences of others. Not everyone lives on my heart’s schedule. Not everyone wakes up good to go. Not everyone wakes up wanting to give praise. Waking up in the morning is a process, just as awakening to the gift of life is a process.” (sevensacredpauses, p. 54-55)

A fanciful reflection, to be sure, but good for us to hear once in awhile so that we can all move into the day as we are able and give thanks for the diversity that makes the world go ’round with love.

Diversity

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Br. Nicholas Bartoli SSJE, celebration, differences, diversity, human, light, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

As we struggle toward unity in our homes, our communities and our world, we are also charged with the responsibility to embrace diversity. From our families to the members of the United Nations (meeting this week in New York City) the task is acceptance and understanding. I was reminded of this today by a post from the Society of St. John the Evangelist that called for appreciation of our uniqueness as a way to celebrate the unity of humanity. Here is the post.

Although we may have plenty of differences, it remains true that the Holy One created human beings as perfectly beautiful and in God’s image, shining like stars with the light of Christ. It’s a light reflected through the prism of this world as a diverse offering pouring forth from within each unique human heart. We pray with God’s help we will bear witness to that light, and instead of creating separation from difference, see diversity as a cause for celebration. (Br. Nicholas Bartoli, SSJE)

The Morning After

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diversity, divine, future, God, grace, innerness, Rainer Maria Rilke, retreat, reveal, Rilke's Book of Hours, spiritual growth, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The weekend just ended brought both old friends and new faces to our tiny “island of grace” (the way I see our small retreat center these days). The privilege of preparing meals for them allowed me observation time of their interactions with one another and the alternation of their movements to and from the conference room – so often peppered with “thank you” or smiles of appreciation for every little thing. I cannot help feeling judgments about people melt from me as I observe the gifts that diversity brings to a retreat where everyone is desirous of spiritual growth. The ways that people dress or speak or choose their food are all overshadowed by the blinding light of their intention toward unity with the Divine (however they perceive the One I call God).

I was prompted to this realization this morning by Rainer Maria Rilke’s thought, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy in a book entitled Rilke’s Book of Hours. I wasn’t looking for anything special as I pulled the book from my side table but here is what I saw upon opening to page 177.

You are the future, the red sky before sunrise over the fields of time. You are the cock’s crow when night is done, you are the dew and the bells of matins, maiden, stranger, mother, death. You create yourself in ever-changing shapes that rise from the stuff of our days – unsung, unmourned, undescribed, like a forest we never knew. You are the deep innerness of all things, the last word that can never be spoken. To each of us you reveal yourself differently: to the ship as coastline, to the shore as a ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Era

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chaplain, diversity, extravagance, joy, judgment, love, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, radiant, royal wedding, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unforgettable, warmth

I had no intention of watching the royal wedding this morning of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, primarily because television coverage began at 5:00 a.m. and secondarily because I was miffed at the extravagance of any dress, regardless of importance, that cost over $130,000. In addition, I was due at the start of a workshop day in our conference hall (across the yard from our house) before 9:00 and I was moving rather slowly, somewhat achy on this very rainy morning at 6:00. I was stopped in my attempt to manage a blog post, however, when I turned on my computer and found the ABC news team reporting the impending arrival of the bride. Seeing the huge, enthusiastic crowds lining the road, cheering, it was no contest; I was hooked.

Sometime later I read a line from the Washington Post that helped me to recognize the pettiness of my earlier reasoning. One of the authors, William Booth or Karla Adam, wrote mid-way through an excellent summary of the event: “Meghan Markle’s Givenchy wedding gown was beautiful. But the woman wearing it was unforgettable.” I couldn’t agree more. What the radiant bride and her equally unforgettable new husband achieved by the ceremony they brought to millions of people worldwide was truly momentous.

While stately and in many ways traditional, the ritual was punctuated with touches never before experienced in a British royal wedding. First, there was Meghan herself: an American actress, bi-racial and divorced, who passed muster to gain the permission of Queen Elizabeth to marry the beloved Harry. As a result, there were several American celebrities – many African American – and music selections that included modern American tunes as well as traditional High Church choir offerings. Two declamatory pieces stood out to me: the offering of petitionary prayers by the Queen’s own chaplain (an African American woman!) and the energetic – one might say “fiery” – sermon by the American Episcopal Presiding Bishop, delivered in the style of an old-fashioned Southern preacher. I smiled when he was at the peak of his bombastic point about the essence of love as the camera panned the crowd of proper Englishmen and women who were perhaps more than a bit challenged by this first African-American leader of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

In spite of all that, I had a feeling of quiet warmth and deep joy that seemed to permeate the event. Although a monumental celebration for the British people, it was surprisingly simple in many ways. It was only the children that processed in with the bride, joined at the halfway point by Prince Charles as escort and welcoming symbol of the royal family. There was no embellishment of the wedding ceremony itself, just the traditional vows, spoken meaningfully as always. And when the final blessing was given, no grand recessional ensued. The couple left by the side door with the bishops and Prince William. Only the congregation remained – silently – as a lovely cello solo gave pause for gratitude.

I am grateful as well to have had the opportunity for a lesson in what is important to recognize about judgments. The country of Great Britain has been changed by today’s event and so was I. I could easily have missed the opportunity to experience this wonderful example of unity in diversity founded in and fueled by love. And in addition I must admit that the dress and its 16-foot train was exquisite.

May God bless Meghan and Harry with a long and meaningful life together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagining God

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Acts of the Apostles, being, Christianity, creation, diversity, divine being, faith, God, humanity, Lord, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today’s lectionary recounting of Paul’s speech to the people of Athens is, for me, the most meaningful text in the Bible book of The Acts of the Apostles. There are many stirring speeches and miraculous deeds in this important record of early Christianity but this inspired oration holds a truth that the world would be wise to consider now. If I were trying to express the deepest truth of a faith worthy of all humanity (to everyone else who professes to believe in a divine being, a “first cause,” not tied to a religion but larger than that, not gender specific, although necessarily personified at times as he, she, or it but also beyond that), I believe I could find no better expression than these words of Paul.

Consider it, read it aloud (replacing the masculine pronoun “he” if it serves you better), and see if you can imagine a world coming together around such a declaration. It might take some letting go of “lesser gods” – or not, if they are compatible with this characterization of a supreme being. It might take some welcome of primitive cultures. We might come to appreciate the diversity of ways to name God, or G-d. Who knows what might happen if we allow ourselves the total freedom to “let go and let God” as we consider the possible unity resulting from consideration of Paul’s inspired text?

The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather, it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For ‘in him we live and move and have our being.’ (ACTS 17)

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus Christ, Alive in Our Day

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diversity, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., enlightenment, Jesus, Life Is a Verb, Patti Digh

There are no ordinary days in life if we have the willingness and take the opportunity to look with extraordinary eyes. I am blessed to interact with extraordinary people every day in my work life and  elsewhere. I have become more aware of that fact lately because of a deeply meaningful – as well as often hilarious – book called Life Is A Verb by Patti Digh. I won’t even try to describe the book as it is so unique but I do know that it could be the prompt for a lifetime of journaling if one were serious and consistent enough to commit to it. We, the day and evening groups, are just touching the surface in eight sessions but are finding in our conversations a recognition of similarity among us as well as a welcome diversity that stretches us to new heights of understanding of each other and beyond. It is, in a wonderful way, an experience of enlightenment.

Yesterday, as I was waiting for the evening group to arrive, I had the privilege of encounter with another small band of brothers and sisters. Most of the names and faces were known to me – some for many years – as faithful witnesses and workers for justice and peace in our community. They had gathered at the First Congregational Church, the site of my office, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The ritual was simple and I was grateful for their welcome to join them outside for the ringing of the huge bell in the churchyard. We took turns striking the bell with a large mallet 39 times, Dr. King’s age at the time of his death. Each person then added a statement – as diverse as we are – about Dr. King’s influence and a hope for our country going forward. I was moved and honored to be among such an extraordinarily faithful people.

In today’s gospel, Jesus appears to his disciples in his resurrected body, assuring them that he is a real person, not a ghost. He showed them his hands and feet and asked for food which he ate in the normal way of a human. As I reflect on my experience of the marvelous companions given to me just yesterday, I have a certainty that I have met the face of Jesus, still shining in the bodily persons of those individuals. That is, for me, a true and recognizable awareness of the real and continuing presence of Christ in the world – the Easter mystery revealed in our day.

Alleluia!

 

 

 

 

 

The Early Days

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communion of saints, conversion, diversity, fellowship, friends, gifts, spreading the gospel, St. Paul, St. Timothy, St. Titus, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, zeal

I don’t ever recall the Church celebrating a feast in honor of St. Paul’s companions Timothy and Titus even though they have been known to me as recipients of Paul’s letters. Today I hear them accorded the title of “Saint” which clearly they deserve because of their zeal in spreading the gospel for which they eventually lost their lives. A few things stand out for me after reading commentary and thinking about Paul’s letters to each of them.

1. Commentaries put their death date around the year 95 so although they were early followers of Christ, they were not among the first apostles. Evidence points up the diversity in the early Christian community because Titus was a Greek Gentile whereas Timothy had a Greek father and Jewish mother. An interesting note (for me, at least) was the influence of Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, mentioned in one of Paul’s letters. She was a very early Christian who, I’m guessing, may have had some influence on her grandson’s conversion.
2. Both of these men were close friends of Paul and lent him support personally and as an intermediary in the communities to which Paul sent them. Clearly, Paul’s ministry was bolstered by their support in more ways than one.
3. Not simply missionaries, both of these men became administrators of the communities in which they served. Timothy, known to be very young for his role, was compared in the Franciscan commentary to a modern “harried bishop” and Titus was charged by Paul with “organizing, correcting abuses and appointing presbyter-bishops” on the island of Crete. They certainly knew the meaning of “multi-tasking.”

What all of this points up for me is not only that different gifts are essential for the work to be done, but also that “faith is caught, not taught” by people who exhibit the depth of their own faith to others, and that friends are very important; we cannot persevere without them, even if the relationships are carried on from a distance. (Note the warmth in Paul’s letters for both of these men.)

After all this pondering, I find myself conjuring images of these two admirable men as they go about their ministry. I see them arriving by boat, smiling with enthusiasm toward their greeters and exuding love with their every step, writing messages back to Paul of all the happenings of the day or the month and eagerly receiving his response…How grateful I am for their fellowship in the communion of saints to which we all belong!

What Are You Wearing?

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body of Christ, Corinthians, diversity, dress, holy attire, judge, psalm 96, St. Paul, Sunday best, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians contains lines that are quite familiar to most Christians, some recognizable even by a few words, like “Love is patient…” or today’s section, “There are many gifts, but the same spirit…” Paul is talking about spiritual gifts and the value of diversity for the benefit of the community (1COR 12:4-11). My attention was diverted from reflection on that topic, however, by a line in the psalm that preceded Paul’s words. It sounds rather silly but may make sense in the end. Let’s see.

The line in Psalm 96 says: “Worship the Lord in holy attire.” It’s a praise psalm with all sorts of images and imperatives for the ways we ought to worship God but that line reminded me of how we always got dressed up on Sundays to go to Church. Some of us still do and others complain about the “attire” – generally of young people – who appear in all sorts of what their elders consider as totally improper dress. I always say to those who offer that opinion that “at least they’re here.”

My point that arose from the line in the psalm juxtaposed with Paul’s words is not about what’s right or wrong but rather how we judge people by the clothes they wear. Teens are judged by the brand of their jeans (now best if they look like they’ve been through a paper shredder), adults by the name on their exercise outfits, women celebrities by the peepholes in their gowns and the rest of us by any number of regional or other fads that appear and disappear somehow that is beyond my comprehension. Paul doesn’t speak of the ability to intuit what is correct attire; he’s more interested in spiritual gifts. What he does add to this stream of thought, however, is that diversity is a good thing and we need it to broaden the consciousness of the community.

So hurrah for those unfazed by fads, people who wear what they wear either to be comfortable or to make a statement. Blessings on those who wear what they wear with dignity even if their lot is necessity and their clothes are well-worn and not of their choosing. May we never judge by what we see but always look deeper for “the manifestation of the Spirit…given for some benefit” and may we always celebrate the diversity of all the members in the body of Christ.

All of Creation Sings!

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Book of Hours, creation, diversity, holiness, inscape, nature, New Seeds of Contemplation, saints, sanctity, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, wonder of creation

Today is my last day in California. The work of our committee is complete for now; today I will be at the beach with my brother and sister-in-law – a rare blessing! Tomorrow I will repeat my airy trek across the country, but in reverse, and I presume I will again marvel at God’s grandeur. Everywhere I look, here or from the plane or upon my return to New York State I am aware of the diversity and wonder of creation. As I opened my computer this morning there was an image of Pope Francis and an advertisement for his encyclical, On Care for Our Common Home, about the environment. All of the above prompts me to quote in its entirety a piece from Thomas Merton’s book, New Seeds of Contemplation, that just happens to appear as a Monday morning reflection in his Book of Hours.

The forms and individual characters of living and growing things, of inanimate beings, of animals and flowers and all nature, constitute their holiness in the sight of God. Their inscape is their sanctity. It is the imprint of His wisdom and His reality in them. The special clumsy beauty of this particular colt on this day in this field under these clouds is a holiness consecrated to God by His own creative wisdom and it declares the glory of God. The pale flowers of the dogwood outside this window are saints. The little yellow flowers that nobody notices on the edge of the road are saints looking up into the face of God. This leaf has its own texture and its own pattern of veins and its own holy shape, and the bass and trout hiding in the deep pools of the river are canonized by their beauty and their strength. The lakes hidden among the hills are saints, and the sea too is a saint who praises God without interruption in her majestic dance. The great, gashed, half-naked mountain is another of God’s saints. There is no other like him. He is alone in his own character; nothing else in the world ever did or ever will imitate God in quite the same way. That is his sanctity. But what about you? What about me?

(I will not have an opportunity to post tomorrow but, God willing, will be back to it on Wednesday.)