CONSIDER THE LILIESWhat do they mean?
“Hate the sin, love the sinner”!
...the people who insist
they are doing what they do
because God wants it done...
because they say
the Bible tells them so.
Where does all that hate come from?
...and why is love so difficult to see?
When I asked a preacher once
after he had finished his fiery sermon
why he was angry... was it the world
or God or me that made him mad...
he asked if I had read about Jesus
and the money changers in the temple--
how Jesus turned over their tables
and whipped them... and as he said
loud “WHIPPED...” little patches of foam
slipped from the corners of his mouth...
I went home and looked it up...
that place where Jesus got mad,
and sure enough there it was.
“And Jesus went into the temple
of God, and cast out all of them
that sold and bought in the temple,
and overthrew the tables of the
moneychangers, and the seats
of them that sold doves”...
O.K... All right! I get that part...
We all know what it’s like to be disgusted
by mixed messages and inconsistencies
that happen especially in holy places...
when the door keepers proclaim
God is Good and
doors, minds, and hearts are open
as they quietly mostly but sometimes
with great force slam the gates.
I’m guessing mostly what happened
was that he just had a bad day
and got discouraged like all of us
do sometimes when people,
even the ones who should know,
apparently haven’t been listening.
...But what I want to know is why
all the things he said about love
and tolerance, and beauty and peace
should be derailed over a few doves
if that’s what it was... I’m guessing
it wasn’t the doves.
1 comment:
"In the beauty of the lilies"...so much is aching to be born...so much that has the power to transfigure into holiness even the most wretched of human experiences. Judith and girls are here before moving back to Alaska. Their two years in Virginia are over, Brent retires in March, but Judith and girls are moving this summer so they can have the experience of being in their schools for the full school year. So...I dragged them to Liberty Island and we explored a statue created by an Alacian sculpture during the lifetime and immigration of their great, great grandparents, and to Ellis Island to re-exaimine our history and the way our lives were transfigured by the incredibly brave ancestors who left everything familiar to begin a new life in "America". What an amazing event in human history and what an amazing experiment is the United States in the history of humankind. There is nothing like it, we are extraordinary, a nation of immigrants who pull together to carve out a life that is a tapestry of human endeavor and global culture. I love Ellis Island and all it represents. Such courage, such hope, pumped into the blood, muscle, and heart of an ever-emerging nation. Talk about fireworks, there's a lot to celebrate! But(t) then there is the "Tea Party".
Bob
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