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Devotion 10
3.11.22

This past week as I was driving I found myself randomly listening to ‘Jazz Night in America’ with Christian McBride. And it was an interview the musician Rene Marie. I don’t know much about jazz and I had never heard of this artist. But the interview was very interesting. It went well beyond music.

At one point, we learned that Marie was divorced from her husband of 25 years. And she started her music career. She also became involved in a relationship with a married man. She said that this is not a period of her life that she is proud of. She explained how the situation resolved:

“I know that it is something that so many people experience. This push and pull, you know. You want to do the right thing morally but your emotions are so tied up in this person that there’s another part of you that says, ‘I don’t care. I want them at any cost. I just want them in my life.’

“I ended up coming to the right healthy conclusion about things when I realized I was telling myself I love him. It occurred to me if you love someone that means you want the best for them and if they’re already married how can being with them be the best for them? It’s time to let go. You can still love them from afar. This is painful for them and you are the cause of it. You know I was the cause of it and there was no getting around it. That was a huge thing for me.”

From this experience came the song ‘Go Home.’ Here’s the link to Rene Marie singing it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wrm4eTbt47s

To me this is an incredible witness to the wildness of mercy. Marie was able to see what was best for someone she loved. And at great cost to herself, she made that happen. And through that process, she was able to regain her self respect and feel good about herself again. So there ended up being a benefit to her, as well. The way she was able to be merciful to everyone involved in the situation ended up being good for everyone. Not easy, but good. That’s something to remember about mercy. It may not always be easy, but it is always good.

Prayer: Think of a time that you have offered mercy at a cost; a time that you have done something difficult that was good and right. A time that the wildness of mercy coursed through your life. And think of a time that you have received mercy; mercy that came at a cost to someone else. A time when someone made a sacrifice for you. Mercy can be wild. Demanding and overwhelming. But always good. May we be grateful. Amen.

Devotion 9
3.10.22

In these Lenten days when we are thinking about wildness and wilderness, hear these words of Meister Eckhart [c. 1260- c. 1328]:

If I were alone in a desert
and feeling afraid,
I would want a child to be with me.
For then my fear would disappear
and I would be made strong.
This is what life in itself can do
because it is so noble, so full of pleasure
and so powerful.

A child. In the desert. When you are feeling scared, and maybe lost, and maybe hungry and thirsty. A child. Wouldn’t that make things worse?

Yet, with a child in hand, one must be careful not to appear afraid or worried, lest the child become concerned. With a child, the child must be kept occupied, keeping one’s mind off of the circumstances of fear. With a child, perhaps, there is exploring to be done, that leads to water or some kind of food. With a child, words of assurance may be spoken that impact not only the child, but the speaker. With a child.

In a situation where having a child present seems like a burden, a risk, making the situation even more fraught, Eckhart tells us that instead the fear is diffused, allayed. A child makes the situation easier to bear.

This is a beautiful expression of the wildness of mercy. Something that we might expect to add to a problem instead resolves it. Someone we would least expect to be helpful, comes to our rescue. Comfort and assurance provided by an unlikely source. You really do never know.

So, whatever we are going through, whatever is causing fear, dis- ease, worry, in our lives, well, maybe we need to look to someone more vulnerable than we are for the assurance and strength that we need. Because there is a wildness in mercy. And it may come from the last place we would expect.

Prayer: There are situations in life that are disturbing, that make us afraid, that cause stress and worry. Try to think about facing such a situation with a child. Maybe you have a child. Or a grandchild. What might you say? Imagine that you are a child and God, Divine Love, is offering you comfort and assurance. May we know the wildness of Divine mercy dispelling our fears and leading us to joy. Amen.

Lent Devotion Eight
3.9.22

Often when we think about sin, we think about doing bad things. Things like stealing. Committing adultery. Inflicting violence. Sins are things that you are not supposed to do. And when we do those things, we know that we have amends to make to the other parties involved, including perhaps society. There may be consequences and repercussions that we have to face.

And then there is the ‘God’ part; seeking atonement, forgiveness, restoration from God, from Divine Love, from our own sacred center. There is coming back to ourselves. Restoring our own sense of self-worth. We also have to make restitution with ourselves and the image of God within. We have to work to accept ourselves after what we have done.

But, thankfully, and we’ll get to that in a minute, that is not all there is to sin in our faith tradition. In the story of the last judgment, in Matthew chapter 25, we are told that living in a way that is pleasing to God involves not only avoiding doing ‘bad’ things, but it involves making it a point to do good things. So ministry and service and help to others is supposed to be part of our Christian DNA. That is part of the image of God within us.

And when doing good is not part of our natural inclination, we are also acting in conflict with our truest selves. Then we also have repenting to do for, as the Book of Common Prayer says, what we have left undone.

Does this mean that we are to spend every waking moment looking for people in need and serving them? No. We also need to take care of ourselves. And take delight in life and in the natural world. And make space for religious practice.

But there is more to this serving others. To this having a heart for seeing the needs of those around you and in the world. For wanting to make a difference in a way that helps others. When we help other people, it helps us. Serving others, doing good, helps our blood pressure, it effects our serotonin levels, it boosts our immune system and has other positive physical effects. When we help others it also boosts our spirits. We feel a sense of purpose and meaning. We feel useful and needed. These feelings meet our human spiritual needs. Doing things for others also enhances our relationships. We meet new people and become engaged with people at a deeper level and that also nourishes our spirits.

There is that old adage, idle hands are the devil’s playthings. I think the Christian view of sin involves much more than that. It’s not just about not doing anything bad. It is also about seeking out ways that we can do good – for the well-being of others and ourselves. And when we neglect doing the good, not only do others suffer who need our attentions, but we suffer as well. We are not living fully from the Divine image within us, and we are not attending fully to our highest good.

Of course, if you are busy doing good and serving and helping others, you may be less likely to drift into behavior and activity that is harmful to yourself and to others. The ‘bad’ stuff. But that is not the main point of doing good. Reaching out in love to others is simply good – good for the world, good for the soul. And you never know where it may lead! There definitely is a wildness in mercy. And we are all the better for it!

Prayer: Today, may I be open to seeing how I can do some good for someone else. May I work at training my heart to see the needs around me and to sharing as I am able. May I seek out ways to express the Divine Love within me. Amen.