Meditating to Heal

Common Sense

We live in troubled times. Only we can change the direction of society. There is an old song “Our Day Will Come” that promises a better future; well, our time has come; we must rethink everything we have ever learned and bring God into the center of our lives and actions so that our true selves are active and evident to all.

We are called to love our neighbors, welcome the outsider, allow him or her to be a part of the humanity that God created. When we do this, we have no enemies; those we disagree with are just family members with whom we disagree. We love them because they are family and wish them all of the love and blessings freely given to us by God and Grace.

In Romans, we learn that by calling to Abba, Father, we become part of the universal family of God. We are all brothers and sisters. Therefor, our conversations must be deep in our acceptance of reconciliation with each other and recognize that we are no more entitled than our neighbors, and with God’s Love, we can be content with the gifts graciously given by God.

I find that when I recognize that the angels that surround me are messengers from God lively in my prayers, inviting me to be the answer to the crises we face. With God’s help and our striving together, we can and will change society back to a cooperating and loving community, blessed by our Love, our Life, our God.

Meditations on Life

My life is teeming with failures, which often follow high expectations. Recently entering the hospital for lumbar fusion surgery, I was disappointed when problems with my scar tissue ceased the surgery and almost ended my life. My gratitude toward the surgeon and the skill he received from God tells me that life with God is Good, exceptionally good! I am both grateful and blessed with God’s Love. We all experience similar setbacks in our lives.

However, life is not always as simple as loving one another and loving God. we are condemned by our own invention of time. Time means nothing to God; we think we are in control of time, but really, we are like Vladimir and Estragon waiting impatiently on our street corner bench for God(ot). Perhaps it is not possible in one brief moment in time for us to forget our self-importance, our self-privilege, and replace them with true compassion and rejoice in our combined relationship with God.  I remember, God always forgives and redeems us for our transgressions.

We think we are self-made successes; we think our destinies are made by our own hands, only. But we are not truly in control; we are part of the expansive family of God, enjoying and basking in the gifts received   without realizing that we must give thanks for all we are given by the goodness and grace of God.

As Fr. Richard Rohr says: “I am in God, God is in you, you are God, we are in each other.” We are all one of a great manifestation created by God. As a member of a church-wide Bible reading group, I am always amazed at God’s disappointment with humanity and then God’s complete forgiveness. Through our gift of free will, we self-destruct every time we think we are masters of the universe. Both the old and new testaments demonstrate  God’s forgiveness for our mislaid self-importance.

We have an unfortunate habit of accepting leaders filled with the concept that they can be the sole deciders of progress, be they social, political, and yes, even our religious leaders. We follow these leaders faithfully, even if they do not accept others’ views. We are trained by first our parents, then our teachers, and finally, by social rules to follow these leaders without question. I read our Bible and discover that often these leaders are not following God’s intent.  

I meditate on Jesus, who walked the earth as a humble man, never demanding that people must do what he commanded. He commanded nothing; He offered a new way to live, the lighted way of God. All of our leaders seem to be too engrossed in the material demands and overlook the fact that a more spiritual outlook may be needed.

We all, our leaders and ourselves, must open our hearts and realize that we are all a part of the great family of God and what we have are gifts freely given. We must humble ourselves before others, accepting their presence in our world-wide family, sharing God’s precious gifts.

Blessings to all my brothers and sisters.

Strength

We can never be strong alone; we can never walk alone; we need others. In fact, we can never achieve true happiness unless we have each other. As Paul writes to Philemon: “For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.”  We need each other; we are not solitary animals. This is not God’s wish for us. I do not want to succeed or be stronger because I help you. I want to help you because that is what God asks of me. That is why I became a teacher later in life. That is how I grew from the strength and love of my students. I did not ask for it; it did not just happened; it was God’s plan.

I am filled with the manifestation of the Holy Spirit because the good news of all humanity is a blessing from God. We all have knowledge given by Grace; we merely have to

discern the Truth that is at our fingertips. Only God can cure the wounds of mankind; Only God can lead humanity to Truth and Love; however, our love and treatment for each other by working together can reduce the severity of our self-inflicted wounds.

Every step of life begins in the mysticism of God’s eternal Love for us. We turn to God for the countless good works we do for others, because we are invited by God to share our bounties. We are not alone; and, without each other, we are nothing but solitary figures walking aimless in our own pits of depression and anger. We listen for the whispers of God coming from the deserts of our suffering hearts. His breath brings us to life; His breath invites us to community. His breath calls us to unity. His breath invites us to walk in His light and be strengthened by His eternal Love, Wisdom, and Truth.

When we open our houses and open our hearts to the strangers living next to us, we invite God to our tables. We are enriched by the presence of others at our tables, sharing their life stories and how their life stories link with our own. Sitting at our tables, sharing our lives, enriches us beyond all human knowledge and love. Together we are strong. Together we succeed. Together, we do not fear.

God is Love

I live in the house of God, as God lives within my soul, my heart. With God in my heart, I am pure love. I am raised from my troubled world, uplifted by Grace. God brings me a song of love from the desert of my mortal life; I hear the beauty of His creation through loving eyes and loving ears. God invites me into His world; He does not require me to follow. That is the simplicity of life with God.

God gave me a free gift, Jesus. And, through Jesus, God gave me free access to His Grace. I merely have to listen, avoiding the cacophony of life and listen for the shouting whispers of His beloved voice. That brings me the effusive fountain of true Wisdom. I seek this gift; I wait; I meditate and pray. I await patiently, for haste causes me to lose my way.

In Micah, I learn to do justice, love blindly, and walk humbly with God. Walk humbly! This is such an easy phrase. This is such an impossible task. I find it a natural thing to do justice and love blindly. I am no better or worse than my neighbor next door or my neighbor on the other side of the world. I offer all people peace, love, and blessings. But to walk humbly is a challenge.

I am now a retired college professor; I began as a street kid in Newark, New Jersey in the 1940s. I worked hard, overcame many struggles, and with the help of God and a loving wife, I finally achieved the goal that God intended all along. Looking back over my 77 years, I take pride in how far I have come. This pride, if allowed, will subdue humility always. Each morning as I meditate on the goodness and lovingness given to me by God through Jesus Christ, I pray to walk humbly for the rest of my days. I thank God for His gifts, and I ask Jesus to help me walk in his sandals. I feel the gift of forgiveness, which cures, redeems, and renews my spirit.

I offer this prayer above with the tenderness with which I am blessed.

Inner Turmoil

Follow Leaders or follow God

Follow the law or follow the commandments

I follow Faith over laws

The wise child follows God

I begin with the Holy Spirit

Water is a necessity for my life

Jesus is the water

I worship not in church but alone

When I confess, I we expose my deepest feelings,

My deepest hurts, my deepest love

With God within, I do not fear

I walk not ride through life

When I am of Grace, I pray for tolerant and patient

When I answer softly, my eyes are of God.

My Cry

I cry in my desert solitude,

stripped naked by need;

I humble myself

before God,

before others.

I pray;

I pray.

In my desert

a small voice,

uplifting,

humbling,

calling me,

answering my cry,

my cry of need,

my cry for help.

I turn my head,

listening,

watching,

expecting,

what?

But an image

appearing before me,

also naked by need,

the need for love;

it asks me to have love,

and asks me to have mercy.

I pray for its presence

to stay with me,

to nurture me.

I hear a whisper,

a tiny, soft, soft whisper.

I am always with you.

I am always with you.

Leonard Ravenhill said, “A sinning man will stop praying, and a praying man will stop sinning.”

 Sometimes I wonder if we have not reverted to the Biblical place of Tarshish. Let met explain; Tarshish is the mystical place of uncertain location; we are wandering in the desert, searching for that which is within us. We search for the long arms of God, not realizing that they are short and within us.

Once we realize this, we raise our voices in joy because we have found His lighted path. We are in His grace. Even though we are quarantined in our lives, we embrace each other spiritually, possessing the sweet kisses of God, as He envelops us with Love and Tenderness. As we embrace each other, even spiritually, we pass through the Holy Gates of God’s true heaven, inheriting His goodness.

Even though the Psalmist warns us that the unprincipled leaders will punish us for our good deeds, we are revitalized by our meekness, service, and love toward the poor and needy. God blesses us with the inheritance of His eternal comfort. Unknown to the those reprobates with their Praetorian guards is the understanding that by living in God’s world, walking His path, and serving His beloved people, we are living in the passionate life of Christ, which the wicked can never know.

 

 

 

I try to hide from Her, but every time I look for something new, something I really do not need or should have, I run right into her, face to face. My searches always end laying in Her lap. I have not lost Her; I just keep finding Her.

She says to me, “Keep My words, you remember, the ones to live by.” “If you do, I will forgive all you have done wrong to Me.” She is so good to me. She gives me all I need to succeed. All She asks is to love Her.

She asks me to be unpretentious; when I am, I draw Her closer to me. My sister’s name is Wisdom, but some call Her Athena. I do not mean intellectual wisdom; I mean wisdom of the Heart The closer I get to Her, the easier it is to find God. all God asks is that I keep His words in my heart, and He will clear away all of my wrongdoings, allowing me to be sincere and open-hearted with my fellow sojourners in life.

I fear no more, because both he good and the bad in my life brings me centered in my search for Jesus; my prayers bring a closer relationship to God. Sister Wisdom teaches me to be meek in my dealings with others; this leads to a restful soul and heart in my life with Christ.

My sister’s name is Wisdom; She brings me closer to God.

We are God’s covenant;

we are one with Him . . .

with God,

offering justice to all.

We share His covenant

with all people,

all birds,

all animals,

all insects,

all of the Earth . . .

and its fruit.

We are God’s covenant;

our power is our faith;

our faith begets His blessing;

we keep His commandments;

we go;

we see;

we hear;

we tell;

we share.

We are God’s covenant;

we choose compassion;

we choose understanding.

We reject anger;

we reject ignorance.

We worship by

lifting up others,

by serving others.

We talk with God,

through our deeds

and our prayers;

We talk with God

through our worship.

We are God’s covenant.

Let it Be:

I study Michelangelo’s painting; the first thing I notice is that the fingers of God and man are not touching, which is fitting, because I am made in His image; I am not God. However, when he offers His spiritual hand, I cannot ignore it; I must grasp His loving caress. I am clothed in His Love.

God challenges me to love, as He loves. He tells me, “Here I am. Love Me.” God is my insight into the new dawn of Love. I gain insight by following His path, the one that lights my way. I walk my faith into eternity, because God paves the way.

I love music. One of my favorite groups of the 1960s and 1970s was the Beatles. I missed the first six months of their being in America, because I was service in the USMC. But in 1970, Paul McCartney introduced a song call “Let it Be.” The first line and the line of the chorus is, “When I find myself in a time of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me.” In the song, the words, “Whisper words of wisdom, Let it be, let it be.”

Mother Mary and Wisdom. What can be clearer in this song of faith. Whisper means there must be silence. In silence, in my quietude, I  am attentive, attentive for God’s word, be it from Mother Mary, or Jesus himself. God’s Wisdom only comes when I am silent. God’s words can only be felt in silence.

Although I am only made in His image, I am part of His creation. I am His creation, so I listen, and I love.