Category: Posts

Dec. 9, 2022

This season is a time to Seek Christ. It is a time to prepare for the celebration of Christmas so we think about why we even have this holiday marking the birth of a baby over 2000 years ago in a foreign land. Why would this matter to us? It matters to us because we feel that the life and ministry of Jesus show us the fullest human expression of Divine Love. The Christ.

But maybe there are those days when we wonder. Is this anything? Does this really mean anything? Does it make any difference? We still see people around us doing terrible things. We still find ourselves beset with scary thoughts. Life seems like a struggle for many, many people and it appears to be getting worse.

Maybe this Christmas thing is just a capitalist, consumerist Santa scheme that feeds the global corporate world? Of course if you think that, then you probably are not reading this devotion!

I had a kind of crazy experience while I was buying something on line recently. You know these shopping websites often invite you to engage in a chat as you are selecting your purchases. A little box pops up. In the box appears a message like, “How can I help today?“ or “Do you have any questions?” I tend to find these chat boxes annoying.

Well, I was looking into purchasing some shoes from a website. The company is based in Spain though I was on an English version of the website. I mention Spain because to me, as an American, having spent considerable time in Spain, some of the things that go on in Spain are strange and inscrutable. And that is one of the things we love about Spain. So, as I was looking to make a purchase from a Spanish company on an American website, the little chat box popped up. Oh that. I thought, let me see how to close that and get rid of it. It was then that I noticed the message in the chat box. I am telling you, this really happened. Right there in the chat box was a message from David: “Hi! Can I help you with your doubt?”

Right there in the process of buying a pair of shoes, I was confronted with an existential question of moral/religious/philosophical import. Can I help you with your doubt? Well, I would like a lot of help with my doubt, thank you very much. Especially at this time of year. Certain things floor me. Like the destitution around us. Why are there so many poor people in such a rich country? And another thing. I am stunned by the generosity that we see this time of year. People helping others. Donating things. Supporting nonprofits doing important work like the church. There is an incredible outpouring this time of year. But then I have to wonder, why only at Christmas? Why isn’t this going on all year long? Why isn’t this incredible generosity manifesting as justice, which might then eliminate much of the pressing need? Can things really change? David wanted to help me with my doubt. I didn’t know where to begin.

If there is a deeper, spiritual, Christian, meaning to Christmas, if it is really about the Christ, then why are there these problems? So, I have my doubts about Christmas. And many other things.

What really soothes my soul is Love. If I choose to look for the love that is happening all around me, that calms my doubts and fears. If I think back to the many expressions of love and kindness that have graced the living of our days, it is remarkable. People are doing good, kind, nice, helpful, generous things for others all of the time. And it is beautiful. And it is remarkable.

Can I help you with your doubt? That is something we all need from time to time. And one way to respond is to look for love – everywhere, anywhere, in yourself, in others, in the beauty of nature. Look for the love. And there is plenty of it to see especially this time of year!

Prayer

May we be people of love. May we give and receive love freely. And may that help us to live with our doubts. Amen.

Dec. 10, 2022

Ten years ago today was an unforgettable day for the people of Newtown, Connecticut where Sandy Hook Elementary School is located. Ten years ago, on December 10, 2012, 26 people were killed at the school: Twenty children ages 6 and 7 years old and six adult staff members. The shooter also took his own life.

I am sure that every year at this time, the town, the school, the families, are remembering. I imagine that it must be hard to feel merry and bright even these ten years on. I also think that it is Divine Love and healing that has enabled them to go on. To get up. To face another day at school. Another year without one who was beloved. They have been sustained by a power stronger than death.

Somehow, in a situation seemingly saturated with evil, devoid of love, the light of Divine Love cannot be ultimately extinguished. And perhaps it is in such a horrendous situation that the compassion of Christ is felt most deeply.

Christ was not on vacation that day. Not taking a day off. But working overtime.

Yes, we want to work with every fiber of our being to prevent such a heinous incident from happening ever again. That is the Christ within us. Wanting to save others and prevent harm. The Christ in us also seeks to reach out to those who are in deep pain with comfort and compassion.

May we recommit ourselves to creating a world that is safe and supportive of ALL children. Like Jesus, may we welcome all children with acceptance and love. Maybe that would have helped the young man responsible for the shooting at Sandy Hook.

Prayer

We so want to be in a reality where all children are loved and provided for. Where we don’t ever again hear about another mass shooting anywhere. May we remember that with Christ all things are possible even the silencing of guns and the healing of broken hearts. May we continue to work to create the world of God’s dreams. Amen.

Sunday Dec. 11, 2022

This is the third Sunday of Advent. The season is moving along quickly. If you are anything like me, you are feeling even more behind than you usually feel! No, our tree is not up yet. For one thing, or maybe two, we have been distracted by plumbing problems in both of our bathrooms. No, we haven’t had to resort to using the bushes in the backyard or the hose in the side yard to shower – yet. It’s always something, isn’t it?

This third Sunday of Advent, we light the candle on the Advent wreath that represents joy. Joy to the world. Tidings of comfort and joy. With so much to do, so much pressure, so much stress, and so much pain in our lives and in the world around us, can we muster joy?

The gospels tell us that the presence of Christ brings joy. Period. This does not appear to be contingent upon outward circumstances. That’s happiness. Happiness depends on current conditions. But joy is something that is given. And it’s on the inside not dependent on the outside. And it is contagious. Infectious. We spread it and share it and others catch it from us and we get it from others. It’s not about getting what you want. Or even having what you need. It’s an inner state that emanates out to others and the world. Regardless of the circumstances. So that even at a very sad time, such as the death of a loved one, we can still experience joy as a fundamental state of being.

As a child, I had a Christmas book called Take Joy by Tasha Tudor. Just the title is a reminder that joy is being given to us. We don’t even have to seek it. We just have to accept and acknowledge it.

Today, light your third Advent candle and take joy.

Prayer

May we remember that even when things are difficult we are being given joy, at all times, in all circumstances. May we receive this precious gift infusing our reality regardless of the challenges we are facing. And may we freely share it with others. Amen.

Monday Dec. 12, 2022

Today is the most important day of the year at the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. This is the saint day for the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and one of the most venerated Marys in Catholicism. The story involves the appearance of Mary to the indigenous peasant Juan Diego on the hills outside of Mexico City in 1531. Eventually Mary enables Juan Diego to convince the bishop to build a church on the site where she visited Juan Diego. There is a huge shrine there today and it is well worth visiting if you are in Mexico City.

This Mary is known not only for being pregnant but for appearing as an indigenous figure to an indigenous person. This put the Spanish Catholic hierarchy in Mexico on notice. Catholicism was accepted but it would be on Mexico’s terms helping to make the Catholic Church truly universal and particular not just a European export.

And this is how we are invited to think about the Christ, present in every age, in every context: In a way that is contextualized and suitable to local conditions. It is not just about a Westernized version of a Palestinian Jewish figure. Christ is for all times and all places and all peoples the embodiment of Divine Love.

When we look at nature, the diversity is astounding. So why should we be surprised that the spirit of the Divine embodied in humanity would not also reflect the diversity of the human species? Christ is within every culture and also beyond every culture.

To me, part of the power of the Virgin of Guadalupe is that her story is about freeing Christ from being bound to any particular culture. So, with our sisters and brothers in the southern region of North America, let us celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe and how she truly bears Christ to the whole world.

Prayer

The Christ spirit of universal Divine Love can be manifest in all cultures and all peoples. We give thanks for the many ways that Christ is made known to us as human beings. With our neighbors in Mexico, we give thanks for the way the Virgin of Guadalupe extends the universal, unconditional love of God. Amen.

Tuesday Dec. 13, 2022 One day as we were walking along on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, it became quite warm. The day had begun on the cold side. But the sun had come out and it was balmy. We were on a road walking through the countryside. Cornfields on either side of the road. Every so often a house. Once in a while even a car! There were certainly more walkers than cars on this road. Several times we had passed two women, friends walking together, from Sweden. They were in their late 60’s or early 70’s. They spoke English. At one point, I was walking alone. Up ahead on the road, I saw one of the Swedish women, stopped, in the middle of the road, with her backpack on the road beside her, and she was, well, mostly disrobed. Down to the ‘unders’ as our three year old grandson calls them. This wasn’t the typical layering and taking off an outer layer or two. I slowed my pace, wanting to give her time to get dressed before I over took her. Unconcernedly, she had undressed and then dressed in different clothing. In the middle of the road albeit not heavily trafficked. By the time I met up with her, she was once again fully clothed, she had her backpack on, and she had resumed walking. Then she began to explain that she had just changed her clothes. It had gotten hotter than she expected and she needed to make a change. As she put it, “I was wrongly dressed.” So, there and then, in the middle of the road, she took to remedying that. To taking off the warmer clothes and replacing them with an outfit more appropriate to hotter temperatures. Now, she was comfortable and ready to continue walking for the rest of the day. I cannot forget the explanation, “I was wrongly dressed.” What if we were to see how we were somehow in the wrong. And then addressed ourselves to fixing the situation. Immediately. Then and there. I was wrongly dressed. She immediately changed her clothes. What if we took to addressing our wrongs immediately. Right then and there. A course correction. Advent used to be called the ‘little Lent’ because it was a time of repentance. The liturgical color for Advent can be purple, the color associated with repentance. So, this Advent season, what can we stop and fix? Right now. No excuses, delusions, or distractions. What have we been wrong about? And how can we fix it? Prayer In this Advent season as we are Seeking Christ, may we remember that Christ Jesus offered new life to people on the spot – through healing, forgiveness, and the casting out of evil. Christ invites us to course correct – any time, anywhere. Without fear or shame. Amen.