Saturday, November 27, 2004
November 27, 2004
My whole body is sore, my shoulders, my back, and I am absolutely fatigued. Thanksgiving, Christmas are work days for me. The holidays are the most strenuous time of the year for me. Thanksgiving is filled with meal preparation, with people, and with constant needs. From this time until new years people are needier, demanding, nothing pleases. There is a desperation on the streets, and the scriptures of the past few days for me are reflection of the mood of the times and of endings and beginnings.
Lk. 21:12-19 (24th)
I am surrounded by death. I am often weighed down by the self destructiveness I see out side my door—people shooting up in the alleys, in the doorways late at night; I see 21 year old smok, leaving hospital with an abscess that could kill him because of his cravings for drugs, step, 19, outside my door wanting band aids for all of his scabs that he picks at when he uses speed. Refuses to let me fill anti-biotic because be wants money for drugs and I want give him money. Pick up newsweek, the chronicle and there is endless killing in the war and on our street. Look over the shoulder of an eleven year old when he is playing video games, and his goal is to “kill”, kill and kill to get points.
And so I go overnight to the ocean, and I know that in the endlessness of the ocean is the symbol for God’s eternity and in that eternity is my hope.
Lk. 21:20-28 (25th)
Thanksgiving dawns with me taking a walk on the beach, breakfast at Dennys in preparation for a heller long day. I have lunch at matts and then the dinner on the street.
And so what does the second coming have to do with thanksgiving:
W. B. Yeats wrote a poem entitled The Second Coming” in reflection on the Russian Revolution which he saw as the end of civiliazation;
. . .that twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last
Sloughes toward Bethelehem to be born?
The second coming was not the birth of Christ, but the birth of the totally siniser.
Well the signs are still around us. And one can write as Yeats, but what I think Yeats says to me that unless one really feels evil, really rides the dragons of evil, one can not proclaim the Christian hope. I proclaim the Christian hope because evil surrounds me, has at times enslaved me, and I see its destruction daily, and it is only in the resurrection that I can find meaning, and it is only in the resurrection that life makes sense.
Lk. 21:29-36 (26th and 27th)
Its easy to live in the future or in the past. I have an 87 year old uncle[ who when I go to visit basically talks of his boyhood, and growing up. in his romancizing he leaves out the depression, the war, etc.
It is difficult to live in the present—painful—today I am worn out, worn down with the weight of the neediness that surrounds me, and so it is much easier to live in the future—where everyone is provided for, and beyond that we will walk the streets of gold. And then the present bites u in the ass.
What Jesus is saying is that “today” is now, that in the midst of all the evil that surrounds us—the wars, the violence, man’s continued inhumanity to his fellow humans—that today is today—and Jesus is present, as he was present two thousand years ago. He calls us to not only to see the signs of his presence in our midst, but to be the signs of that presence.
Why do I do do what I do, why do I take threats, anger, and witness evil, live sometimes from minute to minute it is because I am called to be a sign of the kingdoms presence and as each one of us becomes that sign the kingdom draws near. Deo Gratis! Thanks be to God!
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Tuesday, November 23, 2004
November 23, 204
Lk. 21:5-11
The temple was the heart of the idenity of the Jewish people—that is why in preceding verses there was anger by religious leaders—rather it was fear because their very being was threatened.
Jesus speaks to the impermanence of life. This is the final week of the church year—hence readings of foreboding and ending. It is a time of reflection on our own impermanence.
People often asked me what I am planning for this ministry when I am gone. My reply is basically that God will provide what happens, for all is impermance, nothing lasts—only God. Ultimately all we have is our trust in God. Deo Gratis! Thanks be to God!
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Monday, November 22, 2004
November 22, 2004
Lk. 21:1-4
Many times some of the guys will hand me some money, a dollar or two and someone will always asked, “Why do u take money from ur guys, don’t they need it?” Like the widow shows her love for God these guys want to show their appreciation and give back, to not accept their gift would be demeaning.
Throughout the past ten years, in season or out of season, I give what I have. Some times I have more, others not, and I know that when I give what I have that is all that God requires.
This past weekend I was at the School of Americas demonstration in Fort Benning. It is a great witness, but this year I was aware of other feelings and thoughts as well. All along the road to the site are lined tables selling food and wares, there is a constant push for money, and the anger towards the
Bush administration from Christians bordered on hatred. It was like a great carnival. The people there were mostly middle class people, and my question is what happened when they left—where did they take all of this energy to continue the fight? God must just laugh at us, we are quite a show. Deo Gratis! Thanks be to God!
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