JOURNAL OF AN ALIEN STREET
PRIEST
Fr. River Sims
November 2000
"The Shadow of Reality"
Recently, following a Eucharist celebrated in a less Liturgical tradition than my own, I consumed the remaining consecrated elements in the pastor's office. I just could not bear to see them being poured out. My friend the pastor joked: "That's the CathoLic in you." I repLied: "Damn straight."
Since I was a boy of nine years old at a Methodist altar, those elements of bread and wine have been for me a Shadow of ReaLity, the reaLity of God's presence, and so the way I treat those elements is, in some very real sense, the way in which I treat God. If seen as "nothing more than" bread and wine, to be tossed away once communion is over, the dangerous analogy is seeing God as only one compartment of one's life, to be disposed of until the next "God time" conres, rattmr than seeing God as a reality that surrounds us at every moment - wherever we are, whatever we're doing - a reality that is a fundamental part of the fabric of daily life.
When we~begin to see God in the midst of all of life, when we begin to experience God as the permeating reality in all that surrounds us, then we begin to grasp that the most tangible form of God's reality is people. ConverseLy, when we fail to see God in people, it's much easier to treat them as disposable objects, just like the bread and wine that we discard as "only symbols" that have outlived their usefulness.
Mother Teresa once wrote: "If sometimes poor people have to die of starvation, it is not because God didn't care for them, but because you and I didn't give, were not instruments of love in the hands of God; because we did not recognize him, when once more Christ came in distressing disguise."
The Living shadow of God's reaLity comes to us in so many disguises, sometimes "distressing," sometimes mundane: the sixteen year old boy who is torn up over a friend's near fatal accident on a football field, the young girl weeping over being snubbed by those she thought were her friends, the twenty year old kid from a small town embarrassed by his nervousness when taking a city bus for the first time; thedifficult runaway who verbally abuses and physically exhausts you; the exhausted CEO stressed out in traffic.
Ultimately, when we see the shadow of God's reality in all things, not just blessed bread and wine, then our attitude becomes one of treasuring all of life - all of God's magnificent, tattered, glorious, wounded creation - as sacred and of infinite worth.
WEEKLY PEACE ACTION
Again we offer four weekly suggestions that you might consider in your own journey for social justice and peace.
Week 1: Read one of the biographies available of Dorothy Day or watch the video of "Entertaining Angels" and remember Dorothy's birthday on November 27th.
Week 2: Write a thoughtful, nonjudgmental letter to the editor on the problem of homelessness in your city.
Week 3: Read one of the Old Testament prophets and meditate on what resonance youexperience between that prophet's time and our own.
Week 4: Consider whether there is a cheaper, more environmentally friendly way to commute to work and, if there is, use it for a week and give the money you save to Ternenos or some other group that serves the homeless.
STREET ARTIST
Matt Pope, a freshman at San Francisco State University, will be our new street artist. Matt will be spending ten hours a week on the street working with our kids through the medium of art. Matt likes to skateboard, surf, attend punk rock concerts and just hang out. Sounds like a perfect fit, doesn't it?
Presently we also have three students from the University of San Francisco Heather, Paranass and Nancy - spending several hours a week with us as part of their Art and the Common Good studies. They will be preparing our Advent devotional booklet from the art and writings of the kids.
THANKSGIVING MASS & DINNER
Temenos will celebrate a Thanksgiving mass and serve a special dinner on Wednesday, November 21st, at 6:30 p.m., in Hemlock Alley. Fr. River will be spending November 22nd through the 27th in San Diego with friends.
PUNK CONCERT FUNDRAISER
The date of the concert fundraiser for Temenos has been changed to November 18th, 8 p.m. The event will feature four punk rock bands and will take place at the Gilman Center in Berkeley (824 Gilman Street). If you like good music you are invited; even if you don't like good music you are invited.
WE ARE THANKFUL
As we always say, we at Temenos are beggars, dependent on the gifts of others to continue this work. We are grateful to all who have been generous with us this past month. Their names will be listed in next month's newsletter. Please remember, with the weather turning colder and the rains coming, our needs increase.