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I recently got an email from the Red Cross asking for donations of clothing, etc. After the information about when they would be picking up in our neighborhood, there was the following description of the work of the Red Cross:

Every day the Red Cross assists people who’ve lost their homes due to fire, floods, and other emergencies. We are all powerless against the forces of nature, of war, of life-threatening accidents or of diseases. Through the Red Cross, we are all empowered to change lives. Thank you for your support as the Red Cross embarks on this new initiative to further provide service in our community.

Powerless. That word caught my eye. Powerless over the forces of nature? Powerless over war? Powerless over life threatening accidents? Powerless over disease? This is a far too apathetic view of life for me. I think human beings have been given a lot of power and there are many ways that we can influence all of these things. We are not simply hapless victims.

Scientists tell us that many of the weather related problems that are experienced today are indications of global climate change which humans are definitely able to influence and impact. We are not powerless.

World leaders, diplomats, church leaders and others have the ability to guide situations of conflict and seek peaceful solutions. Humans have created war. People perpetuate war. There is much room for human influence when it comes to war. We cannot say that we are powerless over war.

And what about life threatening accidents? Yes, many tragedies occur that are accidents pure and simple. But many things also happen that could be prevented such as deaths from drunk driving. Or operating faulty equipment. Or failing to take proper safety precautions. Or not changing the battery in a smoke alarm. There are so many ways that life threatening accidents can be prevented or certainly diminished. We are not totally powerless over such occurrences.

Now we turn to disease. Yes, people get random illnesses and diseases that cannot be accounted for. It happens all the time. But medical science is helping us to understand the many ways that we can prevent disease and health problems involving diet, exercise, and healthy habits. When someone who has smoked cigarettes for decades gets lung cancer, it is sad, but can we say that the person was powerless over the disease? No.

Terrible tragedies occur. Things happen that we have no control over. Yesterday I mentioned our son’s friend that was hit by two cars and killed. That is a heartbreaking catastrophe. But there are many ways that we can exert our power as individuals and as a society to foster life and well-being. As the Red Cross says, “we are all empowered to change lives.” We do not need to accept powerlessness. In fact, our faith teaches us that we should not accept powerlessness. Our faith tradition promotes proactive agency and involvement. We all have power. A lot of power. This Lenten season is a time to think about how we can use that power for good in the world.

Prayer: We pray for all those who suffer the ravages of war and weather, disease and devastation. May we reach out to those who are suffering with love and compassion. Help us to recognize our power to change the world, to work for good, and to take care of ourselves and one another. May we love ourselves, each other, and the world as we are loved by God. May we care for each other as God’s precious family. Amen.

Last night Pat McLean was killed crossing Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach. Pat was a friend of our son, Malcolm. They were on a recreation soccer team together years ago and both went to St. Petersburg High School. They were seniors. Malcolm saw Pat at school Friday and then he woke up then next morning to a message that Pat had been killed. Of course, this is heart breaking for Pat’s family and loved ones and friends.

Tragedies like this happen in the course of life. It is awful for those involved. And an abrupt death is usually much harder on the family and friends than a lingering death. There is no time for good byes, for resolving unfinished business, for making amends. Again, not so much a problem for those who die, but perhaps very difficult for those left behind.

The Lenten season as we devote ourselves to spiritual growth, we can think about how we are living our lives, conducting our relationships, and taking care of things. The saying reminds us, Live each day as if it were your last. While that may sound morbid to some, it is really a concept filled with love.

If you live each day as your last, you will apologize where needed and contribute to needed reconciliation. Then hurt feelings are not left behind. Loved ones are not left with unresolved issues. What a gift to those you care about. If you live each day as your last, you will be more judicious about what you get upset about thinking: “This is my last day on earth, do I really want to make an issue out of this? Does this really matter that much?” Again, that thoughtfulness could truly mean a lot to those you love. If you think of this day as your last, you will want to take advantage of the opportunity to express love and gratitude to those who are important to you. There are also the practicalities. Are your “affairs” in order? Finances? End of life wishes? Death and burial plans? Wills? Things well organized and easily accessible such as insurance policies, banking statements, and other legal documents? This is another important way we can show love to our families and friends. It will make things so much easier for them especially if they are stunned by grief.

We can also think about what we love and what has meaning for us. Do we spend our days, our time, and our money, in ways that reflect what is important to us and what we care about? If this turned out to be your last day on this earth, would you still chose to spend it watching old episodes of Full House? Would you write that letter to a friend? Would you do a crossword puzzle? Would you go out to lunch with your pastor? Would you plant that tree? Would you clean the bathroom? Would you finish that painting? Maybe. Maybe not. But I think that we want to invest our lives in what truly has meaning for us. That is a legacy worth leaving our loved ones.

Thinking about each day as our last is a way to frame living out love for our families, for friends, and for the world. It’s a way to think about what really matters. It is a way to cherish each day as the gift and treasure that it is. It is a way to encourage the light of Christ to shine through us out into the world while we are here in the world.

Prayer: So often we get caught up in things that don’t really matter. We may postpone doing what we know we should be doing to take care of ourselves, our relationships, and the world. We may focus our attention and our energy on things which don’t really matter. Out of love for those we care about and out of gratitude for the gift of this precious life, we pray for the grace to live each and every day to its fullest. Jesus never let an opportunity pass by to do what is good and right and true. May we let him guide us. Amen.

Roundup is a toxic weed killer. It is touted because to use it, you spray the top of the plant, and the plant is killed down to the roots. The plant spreads the toxins through its system and the whole thing dies.

While I am explaining the workings of Roundup, I am not promoting its use. Those toxins are then in the air, on the ground, and in the earth which can have other damaging effects. I try to avoid using Roundup if at all possible.

But there is the issue of toxins. We are told that toxins build up in our bodies; throughout our flesh and blood and tissue. Evidently, we need to get rid of those toxins to be healthy. The toxins come from the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat as well as other sources. We may even be taking in the toxin Roundup someway somehow! If it kills a plant, it certainly cannot be good for us.

A health practitioner was talking with me recently about toxins and the need to rid the body of toxins. Articles in magazines, newsletters, and on websites talk about cleansing the body of toxins. All things considered, I am a very healthy eater. I am vegetarian. I try to limit my consumption of eggs and dairy. I seldom consume processed food. I buy fruits and vegetables and tofu, and I try to buy organic much of the time. I do a lot of cooking involving a lot of chopping even to the point of getting tendonitis! So I can’t say that I am taking in a lot of toxins through my food. Through air and water, some, perhaps, but not much.

So does that mean I am clean, pure, unpolluted? Hardly. In the gospels we are told that Jesus said it is not what goes into the body that pollutes it but what comes out of the body that pollutes it. Well, there I have plenty of impurities; things I have said and done that are far less than pure and unselfish. Things that are hurtful. Attitudes that are damaging to others and myself.

Lent is a time for us to round up our toxins and purify, cleanse, and evict them. It is a time to forgive ourselves and others for toxic behavior in the past. It is a time to clean the slate, so to speak. This is a time to let go of what is holding us back, including regrets and past failures and mistakes. We cannot rewrite the past, but we can construct a new future. In this Lenten season, may we detoxify of what truly defiles us.

Prayer: We pray for a pure heart. A heart ready, willing, and open to be filled with Divine Love and that alone. May we have the courage to clean out the toxins from our hearts and our lives so that God’s love may live in us, bring us health and wholeness, and through us, bless the world. Amen.

Who knew that a python could find its way home? Experiments done with Burmese pythons in the Everglades have provided evidence that when a python is removed from its home territory it returns. Apparently one snake traveled 22 miles over the course of 9 months to return to where it was captured. [See the Tampa Bay Times, “Pythons’ homing skills leave scientists amazed” by Craig Pittman, March 19, 2014]

There are other animals that also make heroic journeys to return “home.” Salmon traverse the river of their birth upstream to lay eggs. Sea turtles swim hundreds of miles to return to the beaches of their birth to lay their eggs. Monarch butterflies make incredible journeys as do many birds in their migration patterns. Many animal species have this instinctual ability to return home.

In this Lenten season, we are thinking about growing closer to God and about growing in our spiritual journey. The stories in our scriptures tell us that we come from God. Our tradition also teaches that we return to God. So our pilgrimage in this life is really one of returning to God; making our way back to God. This is much like other animal species. Though our journey may not be geographical, yet, we, too, are returning home.

Unlike the python or the monarch butterfly, we do not have pure instinct to guide us on a direct path. Our spiritual journey back to God may take many twists and turns. We may very well get waylaid. We may take detours. Maybe many detours. And while we are in the midst of sorting out our way to back to God, God may very well find us, even if we did not know we were wandering! In the end, we all make our way home to God because there is no escaping the infinite scope of divine love.

This Lenten season is a good opportunity to take some time to reflect on where you are in your journey. How are you making your way back to God?

Prayer: We are grateful that we come from Love and return to Love. In between, we make our spiritual pilgrimage on this earth. We give thanks for the journey and all that we learn along the way. There are many who offer us help along the way. That is a blessing. May we trust love as our “homing” signal and seek to turn our lives ever more surely to the path of love. Jesus came from God and returned to God. May he be our guide. Amen.