We are what God made us. We think we are weak and flawed, but that is only because society says we are. Let’s put away all the harsh words, all the slander, anger, and bitterness, and remember that our dislike and hatred for another hurts us more than it hurts those we think we hate. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes: “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” Can we at least try this first step to true friendship?
Spring is right around the corner. Spring, the rebirth of nature, the restart of God’s creation, the creation that never stops creating, is the time when we awaken to God’s perfection and realize that the Earth comes alive all around us. As we look around us this early Spring let’s remember that God makes His home within us, not out there in some distant heaven. If we open our hearts, our families, our communities, and our nations to this love that lives with us, that forms the very essence of our being, our life and our times would be greatly improved. Our life would be as simple as the joy of children playing together.
When we are young, our dreams are full of fantasies. Then the wool is pulled over our eyes and the fantasies are gone. We lose the ability to pray for one another in our dreams. We lose the ability to relearn this task. It should not be a task; it should be an effort of love. But we fear this perhaps because it makes us look weak. But it does not; it strengthens us. Together, it builds a foundation of love that no one can beat. For the structure is strong. It allows us to build on it; on a face that our creator can begin to call each of us by name. And remind us that we are valued and cherished. . . not by a country or a territory or an institution, but by a beloved Being, created by a loving God., given to two loving parents and nurtured by them and raised in God’s image. There is a traditional Scottish blessing It calms our souls. And brings us together as children of God:
Deep peace of the running wave to you, Deep peace of the flowing air to you, Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, Deep peace of the shining stars to you, Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
I think about these simple words from Psalm 37: “Our steps are made firm by the Lord when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.“ And I realize how prophetic they really are for our lives. When we take the time to pray for others, our simple prayers unite our shared beliefs with how we live and serve together in the unity of God’s infinite goodness and shining light. When we open ourselves to others and share our weaknesses, admit our pain and suffering to our community, we become joined together in God’s beloved community, and when we turn to God and pray, bringing our pains, bringing our concerns, God sees the strength and love of a strong loving community sharing the concerns and successes of life on earth. This is the life that Jesus taught us to live; live in a community of love, generously sharing both successes and humbly sharing pain and suffering, allowing spiritual growth and eternal love to provide for all. Jesus taught that El Olam, the Eternal God was ever present.
I look at the world and wonder, on a daily basis, if only. Then I asked myself if only what? What am I looking for? There is so much out there that could change. Look at the person on the street making a home where I fear to go. And I used the word fear because I’ve never been there. Jesus went there. Unafraid! He lived with the poor. He lived with the sick. He believed that in them. He knew he had to live with those people. Those people. My people. My brothers, my sisters, truly less fortunate than me. Like Jesus, I know who’s out there who needs help. But I fear going there. If only. Two very powerful words. Teo words that dare us. To go where we don’t want to go. If we could shine some light on that passage, we might try; however, it is the darkness of the nights and our ignorance and the madness of those areas that we refer to as “if only” that scare us. Scare us away from working with those that need our help, that we know who we are out there, waiting. . . just waiting for us to turn and see. If only. Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
I was raised in a wealthy family, but not how you think. My father took a train to work every morning (we owned no car). My mother arose at four AM every morning to work in a bakery across the street from our third-floor apartment in which we lived. My sister and I walked to school every day carrying our deluxe lunches of lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches. My father always told us before he left for work that God loves and protects us, and we should not be afraid of anything as we go to school. It was a code we were taught to live by. That was over 70 years ago. I have had a very good life, a sometimes-rough life, but a good life. My wife and I (together 57 years) live quietly, enjoy our children and grandchildren and occasionally get the chance to travel. My father was correct, God does not expect us to go it alone. Every time I fell, God was behind me to help me get back on my feet. With love of both God, my wife, and a lot of hard work, we gave life with lots of love to a healthy family hopefully raised in the old-fashioned way. As we begin a new year, we see our world as a very scary dangerous world. I see the headlines and there are no safe places to hide from those who want to do harm to whomever is in the way. New Orleans, Arizona, Virginia; individuals or groups have the intent to do harm to innocent people everywhere. My only defense is an offense, and that is to have love and peace in my heart and on my lips at all times, and to know that Love casts out all fears. So, trust God. You are not alone. God loves you.
I awoke this morning with the blood of God flowing through the veins in my body. If you ask me how I know, I will tell you that I live with the goodness that God has blessed me with allowing me to live for the better part of almost 82 years on this small orb we call Earth in the atmosphere somewhere in the vast milky way God created billions of years ago. After I thanked God for allowing me one more day, I kissed my wife, told her I loved her, and bounded out of bed (slowly creaked my ancient bones) to face the new day. Let’s face facts, our lives are difficult; we face some troubling times in our lives, but we make our way through these times. My grandmother always said that the tunnel may be dark, and it may be long, but there is always light at the end of that tunnel, and that light is God, and if you add one more letter “O” to God, which is :Good; and we know that God is Good., we are born of God; we are born of Good; therefore, we are all born with the strength of Good, the strength of God.
Meditating to Heal 
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