My hope that this message of love’s generosity will be heard throughout the world and throughout all religions. This isn’t about competition but about sharing the possibility of God’s kingdom on earth. Strangely, the incident in Boston last Monday may just get us a tad closer.
There is an enormous amount of energy here in Boston, in Massachusetts, in New England--energy and pride. Everyone is the world has heard all the versions of Boston Strong, which the President reiterated it as well. But we in Boston don’t hold a monopoly on this--it’s all to give away. Love has no limit; it doesn’t run out or get used up.
My hope that this message of love’s generosity will be heard throughout the world and throughout all religions. This isn’t about competition but about sharing the possibility of God’s kingdom on earth. Strangely, the incident in Boston last Monday may just get us a tad closer.
0 Comments
It seems reasonable to say that prayer people believe that it is important to pray for the world—world peace, an end to violence, saving environment—those big issues that are on the nightly news. Lately I’ve been praying more seriously for them instead of limiting my prayer for individuals and situations that I am intimately involved with. And lest I forget to do so, I’m reminded every Sunday in church at the conclusion of joys and concerns when Terry asks for prayers for ‘peace in the world, peace in our families and peace in our hearts.’ It’s become a sacred part of the service. I don’t believe that I have to be an expert on current events in order to pray for the world. Not that I’m against being informed, but immersing myself in the news fills me with judgments that detract from my prayer. After all, prayer is about ‘Thy will be done’ not about what the government should do. God’s will is love, which is the context for my prayer for non-violence, for caring for the poor and for the environment, and for world peace. I’m praying that we can come closer to ‘Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.’ I’m hopeful that Pope Francis will bring a spirit of peace and love to our world. He asked for prayers for himself, and being a prayer person, I’m doing just that. He has placed the image of Saint Francis on the front page of the world’s newspapers and that just has to be a good thing. After all St. Francis was calling out and acting out Jesus’ message to feed the poor and care for the earth. And now the voice of Saint Francis is singing out through the voice of Pope Francis. On my way to silence, solitude and simplicity yesterday, a truck with a window sticker, “Obama sucks” passed me on the highway. How do I respond? If I were into road rage I could have passed him, flashing my ‘Obama/Biden’ bumper sticker. Of course I wasn’t going to do that. I don’t want to be upset; I want to respond prayerfully; I want to add positive energy. My first step was to stop the chatter in my head about what such a negative message might mean. I didn’t venture into praying to change his (or her) mind politically. Rather, I started praying that peace surround him; I prayed for a change of heart so that he wouldn’t express his feelings negatively. Positive energy begets positive energy. Peace begets peace. Jesus, born in a stable. Just think about it. Not extravagant, but enough--a worthy message to ponder. My nativity picture may be ‘Renaissance idyllic’; after all, barnyards can be smelly, noisy, and chaotic. I’m not searching for something in between, or some idea of what the ‘right amount’ might be. There’s no answer there. I do know that I’m feeling content and peaceful this Christmas and we hardly bought a present. I made my husband his favorite brownies, and he gave me a book from the put and take. We have family and friends around. We are ‘very grateful’. Orchard House, Concord, MA I really want to write about the field trip my granddaughter and I took today to Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott and her ‘little women’. However, gun control, or rather the lack thereof, is on my mind. You know who I’m thinking about—all those innocent people killed in the Colorado movie theater and all their families and friends. But that’s not all. There’s all of us, citizens of the USA and of the world who hold some the responsibility as well as some of the hope. (I can’t believe that politicians are remaining mute or are only murmuring, so no one will hear them, that our gun laws are adequate.) What’s a Christian to do? Or a Jew or Muslim, or a Buddhist, or just a good person? We’re all the same in this. The Ten Commandments tell us not murder, and most of us are able to follow that one. And I think we’d find general agreement that no one should stand up in a movie theater and fire away. But in not speaking up, are we allowing others to kill? What’s a Christian to do? What am I to do? I have some suggestions for God in spite of the fact that praying for specifics is tricky business (not that it stops me). Praying for peace seems like a safe bet, and although recognizing peace isn’t always easy, I think I know it when I see it. So, at the moment I’m praying that everyday people like myself can’t get a hold of a gun, and I’m praying that our elected officials will speak out against the easy access to guns in this country. I’m calling God’s attention to the issue. “Look God, see what’s happening.” I would love to hear the conversation around the Alcott dining room table about gun control and the right to bear arms. Bronson Alcott wouldn’t shy away from the issue, but we can be pretty sure that he wouldn’t accept the reckless access and use that we have today. Today from the deck. I am on the deck at the cottage praying for my brother-in-law who is dying. Any time now the call will come that he is no longer struggling with COPD. Throughout the last year I have offered up different prayers for him. I’ve prayed for healing, and for wisdom for his doctors and caregivers. I’ve prayed for strength for my sister and my nieces and nephew. I know that these prayers have been answered. I have prayed that the peace of God surround them, a prayer that I know is always answered. I have also prayed that they would feel this peace. I think that has happened although I know better than to think I have control over what that peace might look like to them. Only God knows, although sometimes God gives us a glimpse of what that might be like for others. I’m not afraid of death. In fact, I spend a fair amount of time, as the expression goes, dealing with the death issue. I can visit with the dying because I believe and have come to know that they are surrounded by the peace of God that passes all understanding. I saw this time and time again when I was a spiritual care counselor for hospice.God was always there accompanying the dying into the mystery of the next unknown. However, I don’t have the same certainty about the myriad circumstance surrounding death. Each death is different. God shows no partiality. Recently I attended the funeral of a 57 year old woman who, in the space of a week, went from not feeling well to dying in the hospital. Then there is a friend, also in her late 50’s, who has entered hospice after a six month cancer diagnosis. And what about my mom, who slowly and peacefully went to God at age 101? All very different experiences, and thus different grieving for each of the families. For the loved ones of the dying, the peace of God seems less certain. It may not be apparent the God is with them, but I have to believe God is there in the whirl wind or in the small voice. |
Contact me
bobbifisher.mac@mac.com Archives
August 2023
Categories
All
|