Meditating to Heal

                      Early Morning Meditation

Is Jesus alive in us? A difficult question for those who care and for those who do not care. He lived and died over two thousand years ago. Or, did he? A multitude of words have been spoken, written, or just meditated on his existence, purpose, and, above all, reality.

Well, here goes. It doesn’t matter. Much of what comes to us in the Bible is from oral history, inaccurate translations from long-dead languages, and twisted interpretations made by some long-dead people with their own agendas. Do we really think that the words of the Bible and the interpretations come to us without the personal slant of those who wrote it or even preach it today? It would be naïve of us to think that every word written or spoken about the life of Jesus is 100% valid. It can’t be. Just look at the varied interpretations in the four gospels. And, if you really want to be confused, read some of the lost or forbidden gospels in print today, gospels such as the Gospel of Thomas, or the Gospel of Mary. Much of what is written in these is included in the synoptic gospels, but not all, and not with the same emphasis.

So, what does matter. Whether we take the body of the work in its total, or just a sliver of it, let’s say from the Gospel of Matthew, we can learn from it. One of my favorite lessons from Matthew is the Sermon on the Mount. There are two things that are very obvious to those of us who ponder meditatively on it. There was nobody their recording and transcribing the sermon. There were no teleprompters; the words came directly from the lips of Jesus to those in attendance. In addition, Jesus gave this sermon many times, not just once. He gave it so many times that one of his apostles, maybe Matthew, had memorized it, and later wrote it down. But I doubt that Matthew could write more than his name.

So, what can we take from this all-important sermon? What can we not take from it? I will not go down the list of blessed mentioned by Jesus. I have already raised too many hackles on the back of your necks by what I have already written. What we can take from it is the message. God loves all of us. We may be oppressed by those in power, but God comforts us and protects us and Loves us. All who suffer at the hands of the ignorant oppressors, are comforted and blessed by God. God welcomes us with open arms and asks nothing in return. How unselfish is that?

Jesus says toward the end of Matthew 5: Let your light shine before men to allow them to see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. I have meditated much on this simple sentence and have come away with a strong belief that if I, myself, treat people with respect, accept them as equals to myself, live them as I love myself; if I do this toward others, I am glorifying all that is good in this world. I am surpassing those greedy oppressors whose only existence to attain more, more riches on this earth. Only to lose them all upon their passing from this life into the next.

Jesus did not travel with the rich, the connected, the powerful; He traveled with the poor, the sick, the outcasts. His sermon was to introduce a better life, not a life of material wealth, because that life is short-lived at best. He offered a life that mattered.

I was (at times) a moderately successful businessman with good years and bad years; I was well-respected in my business community. I did not steal or abuse those around me and all who entered my business were treated with respect. I was miserable. Then tragedy struck. I was in a very serious, almost life-ending traffic accident and lost my business. After recovery, I returned to college and then began teaching. I began sharing myself with others who needed my talents. I was looking beyond my needs to the needs of my students. As I did with my customers, I treated all my students equally and with respect. I accepted them or who they were; I accepted them for how crude some of the young men were; I accepted them for how much sex was exuded from some of the young women. They were all in my care; in a word, they were all my children to be loved and respected and given the same opportunity.

In effect, without really thinking about it, or for that matter, without the in-depth meditative knowledge that I now possess, I was offering them the true message of the Sermon on the Mount. I was also letting my light shine on them to allow others to see the good works of God and glorifying His name. what I then called treating them fairly, I now see as following my interpretation of The Sermon.

So, let me return to my original question. It does not matter whether Jesus lived two thousand years ago. Although, I believe He did. What does matter is the lessons of his life. I don’t care what lens you view this lesson, whether it is from a Christian, Muslim, or Jewish viewpoint. The message is the same. I believe that by living the life I now live, treating others with love and respect, I am living the life that God wants.

Insufferable Times:

We are on the brink of a different world. One that has been approaching and may now be imminent. In one respect, this is both exciting and challenging, above all challenging. However, it is also fraught with indecision and trepidation. Ignorance and prejudice are invading our everyday lives to the point that for many seem to be acceptable and threateningly normal. These two elements are the midwives of disinformation. We must confront ignorance with knowledge and bigotry with tolerance and persistence. If not, control leaves our hands and is placed in the hands of those who are led by the vices of greed and self-worship. Racism and gender oppression can, will, and must be defeated. 

Compassion must lead the way, because it proclaims that the pain suffered by the oppressed is to be taken seriously and is not to be accepted as the norm. this oppression is not natural; it is perverted and unacceptable for humanity. We must open our ears, our hearts, listening for the word of God, following the voices that beckon us. May we rediscover our grace, preparing the way for all of God’s creatures to return to compassion and tenderness. Our world may not become Edenic, but we can produce a more tenderhearted world.

Let us be the light in the darkness that surrounds us. We must set aside logic, stop just thinking about it; just be God’s children; just imagine and recreate this old/new world. We might be surprised at what comes. Instead of searching for the light, let us be the light. The first president Bush restated Jesus’ words that we should be the city upon the hill, the light of the world. I believe that we can return to this vision.

We should pray for the grace to see this present world as it is, rather than as God originally created it. We should take up God’s words, accept his invitation to be true disciples, praying, trusting that God is making all things right . . . praying for God’s leadership and assistance.

 

 

 

 

 

Optimism is with us . . . if we allow it

If we agree that there is an instinct for freedom and progress, that there are opportunities for change, then there is a possibility that we can collectively contribute to making our world better. Our world seems to be coming apart at the seams. People are upset and in the streets demonstrating; masses of our population have no idea what is true and what is false. These two diverse views come together when we see that people are waiting for what will eventually come; and it shall come, but maybe not the way we expect.

Talking with people, I find there is an optimism that seems to be contradictory to current events. This optimism will keep us on the path to progress, the path to true freedom. When Christians and other people of faith get back to the foundations and the One we follow, we see that rebirth of these concepts is not only possible, but key to this journey, this pathway. Our faith is especially important and helpful at this critical moment when the health of the very existence of life forms are seriously at risk.

We can see so little. Life unfolds slowly and in stages. When we look at today, at the now, we should practice a posture of compassion: we’re not seeing everything there is to see and understand. There’s always more; there is always something hidden from view that we must allow room to grow, room to mature, developing into something we can grasp and mold to the greater needs. We cannot be selfish; we must be humble enough to accept that others are involved and others need care.

We were created for union, for working together; but this can present a feeling of emptiness. We spend most of our lives projecting and protecting our own small ideas, thinking in a mode of separate self-image. In a world based on ideology, it seems impractical to talk of unit and compromise; but isn’t this what makes us and has made us as the most prosperous and progressive civilization in history. We have lost these concepts.

I pray that our leaders, political, educational, and spiritual can offer a unified message that working together is what works. Then, we might regain the instinct for freedom and progress, regain the objective of making the world, the whole world, a better place to live.

^{Miscellaneous thoughts on New Year’s day:}

^{One of the practices that we as humans have is to make a superabundance of resolutions that we have no real design in keeping. I am only making one this year. With only one, I might have a better chance of working to change my little corner of the world. I will try my best to be much more aware of my surroundings, and how I usually disrespect them. I am not going to become an eco-freak, but I am going to take care on what and how I waste.}

^{From the book of Genesis, God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” The earth feeds us, all 6 billion of us. We have to stop abusing our home. Towards the end of the first chapter of Genesis, God stepped back, looked at his creation, and declared that it was very good.}

^{I wonder how good it is today.}

^{One of my abuses is the use of my car; I am guilty of over using it. I have an eco-friendly car, if there is such a thing. I-95 is a parking lot most hours of most days. I can’t open the window without breathing all the exhaust fumes.}

^{Rather than convince our political leaders that we must increase mass transit, we allow and encourage them to pave over more of the Earth to allow us to drive even more.}

^{Keeping with the idea of driving everywhere, I look on the shoulders of I-95 and see a garbage dump. It seems that many people don’t know that they can keep their garbage in their car and then put in receptacles at rest stops. Or, they may just not care. Our highways are garbage cans for the uncaring; but our city streets are even worse. The trash I see in the gutters characterize a barbaric society.}

^{If we cannot place our garbage in proper waste baskets, it is highly unlikely that we can begin respect the Earth God gave us.}

^{If I take this one step further, if we cannot respect the Earth, how can we respect each other. We are so consumed by our own needs that we place our desires, our comfort ahead of all else. This includes people, animals, and plants; everything that God declared very good.}

^{My prayer this first day of 2018 is that all people take the time to think of others before themselves to allow others to enjoy the life that God has given us.}

Not too Simple!

I believe that we are caught up in the throes of a renewed awakening, a period of sustained cultural and political transformation during which our ways of seeing the world, understanding ourselves, and expressing faith are on the cusp of change.

Intense change will end what most of us believe or assume to be true. The monumental transformation in our society has created a creates the double-edged monster of decline, what must follow is renewal. God did not promise that nothing would harm us; She promised to be with us and guide us regardless of the perils we face. And we do face immense perils in our society and the world today.

I do not agree with what our leaders are doing in Washington; this includes members of both political parties. I want to be fair to all people and their beliefs. My father was a staunch Republican, absolutely have no use for the Democrats. As a youth, I agreed with him. Then came reality. I am what some would call an independent, having voted for people on both sides of the aisle. I matured in the 1960s with the political and social unrest brought on by the Vietnam War, the fight for civil rights for all people, and the ERA for women. The 1960s was a period of intense and hateful divisions in our country.

We then went into a period of relative calm. Our leaders joined forces to enact true improvements for the citizens of this country. Then, as in all history, we as a people became complacent, just as did the ancient Israelis 2500 years ago. The 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and now the 2010s brought chaos in the cultural and political lives of the country.  We, the people, have forgotten that we are the government; we have allowed special interest groups to rule us.

We must return to what our values based on our faith, not money; and, I am not centering on any one religion. I have read the holy books of most religions in the world and as a general rule, I have found that all teach the same basic message: Love God, Love our neighbors (including strangers), and Love ourselves. Welcome those who are in need or need a place to eat and sleep.

This seems to be such a simple message; but it is a message that we have long forgotten. It is critical that we reverse the downward slope we are traversing, before it is too late. We shirk our responsibilities to others and care only for ourselves. I heard a religious person from Detroit say that we cannot blame the politicians for our woes. They are only doing what they know how to do . . . protect themselves. This is a perfect example of how we act and react towards each other. We voted for these politicians; well, not really; only 51% of us voted; the rest of us did not care to vote.

I know I have gone way off the title of this, but I will return to it. Our lives depend on us following very simple rules that can be extremely difficult if we allow them to be. We must Love God, Love ourselves, and love our fellow man. We must also demonstrate this Love daily. If we do not, we will find it almost impossible to experience the profound transformation needed.

I have always believed in the KISS principle. Keep it simple, stupid. I despise the word stupid; after all, I am an educator and do not believe that people are stupid. However, in this case, I will overrule my own unofficial conduct and us this term, because I believe that unless we recognize what we must do, the minimum we must do, we will fail as a society, as a world society.

 

 

There are merely three days before we greet a new year and face new problems, or maybe old problems that seem to have magnified. It is time to take a step backwards and seek patience, guidance, and the freedom to release our tainted minds, loosen our controls over those things we view to be certitudes. A time for change should begin with a time to seek greater guidance in our lives. When we pray for this guidance, we are already being guided by God; the desire for guidance is this first step to easing our pre-determined controls that have made us edgy in the old year. When we seek guidance, God is with us, helping us to find the correct way.

As we face this change, this new beginning, let us pause to receive the Joy of this past Advent season, remembering what brought us to this time of year. Look at our families; be thankful for all the blessing received by and for those closest to us. Look around for any words of kindness, any generosity, any acts of charity.

Linda and I had the occasion to join others in a celebration of communal loving kindness. The Table at St. George’s Episcopal Church is a vital ministry for those in need in the Fredericksburg area. There are many congregational and client volunteers who work unselfishly to bring much needed food to our neighbors. The celebration last night was to thank those who diligently work behind the scenes to bring this ministry to life. A handful of people give their time to individually bag food donations from such businesses and Panera, and Wawa. These donations fill a gap in what we can purchase; they come to us in bulk and must be separated, discarding any spoiled food, and then individually wrapped for presentation at The Table. Hours of tedious work are required each week. This handful of volunteers are a blessing, and a joy to be with.

We also have another group of volunteers that rises very early on Christmas morning, congregate at St. George’s, and prepare Christmas packages for the homeless families who must live in one-room motels to keep their children off the streets. This year, these volunteers delivered over 200 food packages to our neighbors living in motels in Fredericksburg.

Little things such as this may go unnoticed by the masses, but they are the vital tasks that need requires. These volunteers are gifts from God.

Our challenges for the new year will still be present; however, with our recognition that we must be diligent in our efforts, be thankful for our volunteers, and by all means take the time to thank God for his blessings, and his support in our efforts to bring love and kindness to our neighbors. We celebrate this relationship.

 

The term mend brings many ideas to life. The obvious thought is to repair, or when speaking of people, to heal. However, if we go a little further outside the lines of conformity, we can think of mending as rejuvenating, putting on something new. One of the readings from James reminds me that when a person was suffering in biblical times, people would gather around, pray over the one who was sick, then anoint him with oil, purifying him with the presence of the Lord.

This is an interesting custom that we no longer practice. It could be that we no longer have the time to gather when a person is suffering, or it could be that it being a Jewish practice, the Christian community rejects this practice. Or, it could be that we lack the faith to travel down this ancient road; we no longer have the faith that God heals. All too often, we run to a clinic to get a magic pill to heal us, overlooking God’s plans for us.

I am pointing my fingers at me. At my age, and after all that has happened to my body, I rush to my family GP to be cured, when I know that the cure I receive is only for my physical side . . . only!

One thing that certain Christian faiths do is the practice of laying on of hands. I have been the recipient of a laying on of hands ceremony. The first time was a prayer by the congregation at our church in New Jersey as we said goodbye to them after being a part of the congregation for 34 years. The experience was very moving, but I was not in the frame of mind to appreciate the true meaning behind it. I merely accepted their wishes for a safe future.

The second time was orchestrated by my wife and my personal trainer. They suckered me into attending a prayer service at a church in Spotsylvania County; it was a Wednesday evening prayer service. After the regular participants shared their needs and were prayed over, my trainer spoke, announcing a guest who needed prayers . . . me. Not wanting to embarrass anyone, I agreed. And was brought to tears.

Since then, I have become a prayer minister at my church, laying on of hands to those who join my prayer circle Sunday mornings. The presence of God in the prayer corner, when we are praying together for grace, is always apparent. We can feel God’s presence, as we turn our attention from ourselves to reflect on the Goodness, Love, and Compassion of our Lord. In a word, we are both healed; we are both mended in the presence of God. It is a most enchanted moment for both of us. It is not new; it just seems that way.

 

Renewal during Advent

I had an interesting experience yesterday; I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right wrist. If that’s not bad enough four days before Christmas, the I had to be at the hospitably 6:00 AM.

I thought I was handling the situation perfectly, until the nurse took my blood pressure. I normally have a blood pressure near 115/65; yes, I do exercise regularly. I am normally a very relaxed person, who does not allow the day-to-day annoyances to bother me. Well, when she took my blood pressure, the reading was 152/98. Very high! She explained that just the fact that I was having surgery will increase the rate, due to anticipation. Oh! How cool a customer I am.

From check-in through the time when I finally was wheeled into the operating room, my faith in humanity, jaded as it sometimes is, was fully renewed. Linda and I were greeted by smiling faces and warm greetings. The nursing staff was totally professional, very pleasant, and desired only to make me as comfortable as possible. The anesthesiologist and the surgeon were pleasant and efficient, and the surgery went as planned. During the recovery and discharge, I was treated with the greatest respect, competence, and above all gentleness and smiles galore.

It is a wonder how a concept, such as renewal, appears and becomes a most important factor in our lives.

I have had a wonderful life! I have experienced business failure and many medical issues, but I have always had people around me who were supportive, loving, and understanding. It is the greatest gift that a person can receive. As I ponder the life I have had, I can see many times when my faith was shattered (temporarily) only to by those around me, even if faith was not the issue.

My wife, Linda, who always says that she finds it difficult to pray, is a living prayer. Daily, she renews my faith in the Love and Goodness that God graces our lives with. What she has done for me for the fifty years we have been married, she is now doing for those struggling with their lives in Fredericksburg. Through her kindness and loving nature, she helps renew the faith and lives of others.

I stress this, because what Linda offers, what the nurses and profession staff and Spotsy hospital give on a daily basis is what we all endeavor to find. We need the love and support of all the people we meet, and when we experience it, we discover that our lives have been renewed, allowing us to continue our journeys, maybe not with ease, but definitely made easier by those around us.

This renewal is one of the many gifts God gives us. I pray that I can keep my experiences in mind, allowing me to offer this same blessing to others . . . continuously.

Embracing during Advent

A question arises: how can we embrace the true meaning of Advent without alienating those who believe in a different manner as us. We sometimes find it difficult to embrace what Desmond Tutu says: “Ubuntu … speaks of the very essence of being human. … It is to say, ‘My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours.’ We belong in a bundle of life. We say, ‘A person is a person through other persons.’” 

We cannot accept the Love of God if we try to prevent others from experiencing this same Love, no matter what our official name for God is. This is the time of year when we must embrace this idea, embrace others, and move forward to a position of acceptance. This is what the message of Jesus is; this is what the message of Advent is.

If our faith cannot lead us into embracing each other, then our faith is paper thin. It is merely a testimonial to our lifeless beliefs. If God is truly Love, then we must love each other as He loves us. I am a hugger; I believe that as God hugs us, we must hug each other to give each other comfort. And, yes, I do hug other men. Why not? Women hug each other without people sneering; men should be able to do the same. If people object to men hugging, we, that’s their problem.

I thank God for giving us this time of year, this time of Advent, to remind us how close we really are. I don’t worry about how a person looks, what religion he practices, how intelligent he is, or how much money he has. God certainly doesn’t care; so, it is so wrong for me to care. What I care about is that the person in front of me is on a path, a journey of his own, facing sometimes insurmountable difficulties. Perhaps if he does not return my happy greeting, he may be in a period of personal trauma. My kind words, my hug, could make all the difference to him at this particular moment, this particular time.

God is where we come from, and God is where we will end up. By extension, the following is also true. If Love is where we are from, and Love is where we are going to end up, then why should we not express that love in our everyday lives.

I have had three different encounters over the last two days. I had a fireplace technician come to my home yesterday to clean my gas fireplace. It is the original fireplace, probable 10 – 15 years old. No parts available. I agreed to buy a new one, and the workmen installed it yesterday; no appointment a month or two away. Really, six days before Christmas. Expensive, but a nice Christmas gift. We also got to know each other as the work was proceeding. When the men were finished, I had three new friends.

Later in the day, I had a service clean my leaf-filled gutters. It took if a very short time to clean them; he reduced the price, and we spoke of power washing the house in the spring. As we were speaking, I brought coffee outside (a nice 55 degrees) and I gained a new friend.

The last visit was me to one of my doctors. It was more of a chat than an examination. We shared grandchildren photos and spoke of our family plans for Christmas. I told him how bless my wife and I are, since our son will be home for Christmas for the first time in about eight years, maybe longer. He is no longer my doctor; he is my friend.

In all three instances, we embraced each other, figuratively, and enjoyed being together as equals. Financially we are not; but that does not matter. We are in this life together, and we must embrace each other.

We cannot embrace God and Heaven, without allowing others to do the same.

Happy Christmas to all.

In the 1970s, Debby Boone sang a song called “You Light up my Life.” Shortly after, stars, such as Johnny Mathis and Kenny Rogers followed suit; Rogers’ version is my personal favorite.

As we approach Christmas, we are again nearing the light; only this light is much more brilliant than anything a songwriter could compose. Christian liturgy teaches us that a candle is a gift consuming itself, reminding us of the prayer of faith. We have vigils imploring intercession. The Paschal Candle is symbolism of the risen Christ Jesus. The biblical readings and prayers at the Easter Vigil reminds us of God’s presence.

Light is very important to us a people of faith. It is our duty to keep this light burning within us, showing our true nature to those we meet, as we progress through our daily drudgery. We must turn this daily drudgery into a walk of faithful gratitude. Gratitude for those around us, no matter how cranky they may seem on a particular morning.

As we project this light to our friends, family, and coworkers, we not only lighten our lives, we lighten theirs also. The kindness projected by this inner light awakens a similar light within those we meet. We may not realize it immediate, and for that fact, others may not appreciate it immediately. As we continue to offer this light to others, the aura, the eminence of this light grows in importance. People look forward to greeting you, because they know that they will be received in kindness.

Advent is so much more than preparing for Christmas. It is a time to remember who we are, who our fellow men and women are, and how we stand together in our Love for God, ourselves, and all others . . . family, friends, and strangers.