A Secret Identity

Little did they know the ragtag orphan was heir to a small fortune.  Wouldn't they have treated him better?  

One of them did know, and made it his business that no one else would ever find out.  He failed, of course, and having gained a family and a fortune, Oliver Twist "lived happily ever after," or so the classic Dickens tale goes.

Makes me wonder, though, how many times have we met Jesus on the way, only to treat him according to the edicts of prejudice and circumstance, rather than recognizing him for who he (or she!) is?  Would we treat Jesus better if we knew it was him?

Do not forget to show hospitality to the stranger, 

for in doing so some have entertained angels without realizing it.

Are You a Winner?

Have you ever asked the “lottery questions?”  

A couple of weeks back the Mega-Millions jackpot got up to over $600 million.  Can you imagine that kind of money?  We couldn’t resist, and bought a ticket...and then we asked the lottery questions.  It was fun to imagine life as a gazillionaire.  What would we do if we won all that money?  What would we change?  What would stay the same?  

We’ve all heard the stories of winners.  And asking the “what if” question is very different than having to ask the “what NOW?” question!  But it’s really not a bad exercise to ask the questions--in fact it’s actually an exercise in stewardship, isn’t it?  To ask ourselves “what would I do if I won the lottery?” is really to ask “What about my life is good--for what am I grateful?” and “Where do my priorities lie?”  So if your answer to the first question--what would you DO--is “change everything,” well that ought to tell you something.  And if the first thing you’d spend your newfound millions on is just more stuff, that will tell you something too.

So what WOULD you do?  If you suddenly had access to unlimited financial resources, what would you do?  How would your life change?  What would stay the same?

As for me and my partner Ben~Andy, well, we figured not much would change at all if we won.  Neither of us would change what we do, because we have been blessed with work that is fulfilling and helps others.  We wouldn’t buy a lot of “stuff” because we don’t want more “stuff” to worry about and because we already have WAY more “stuff” than we need.  At the end of the conversation, we realized that we were already winners.

But then, they didn’t pick our numbers.  And I wonder how our answers to the lottery question might change if they ever did…

Hey Mister!

Her voice called to me from under the eave in front of Starbucks. 

"Hey mister!  Got a cigarette?"

It had rained all night and, from the looks of things, the sidewalk had been her bed.  A cigarette?  Are you kidding me?  How about a decent meal, a hot shower, clean clothes, a place to live?  How about wholeness, healing, a life?

She wanted a cigarette.

What you want and what you need are not always the same thing, are they?

Lord, the next time I cry out in want, show me what I need.  And help me to give to others without judging them. Amen.

Our new addiction

It's our new obsession. The newspapers are overflowing with it. Everyone is talking about it. Many can't stop thinking about it. WORRY.

There is no doubt that these are troubling times. There seems to be more to worry about than there used to be. In some ways, that's true.

But fundamentally, what has changed? What is different now from last month...last year...last century? It's as if those terrorist-guided airliners poked a hole in our balloon, and we've been on the deflate ever since.

Or maybe it's just been our over-inflated egos that have taken a leak. You know, those voices that told us that we could do whatever we wanted...not for the advancement of the human condition, but for our personal gain. Call it hubris. It's on the decline...we hope.

But worry won't fix it, not now, not ever. What WILL make a difference is if we pay attention to what some might call a real "come to Jesus" moment.

Slim Pickins

The religious landscape here in Southern California, unlike the physical landscape, often seem less than satisfying. Either one must buy in, lock stock and barrell, to a right-wing interpretive method (which is no method at all) and succumb to near total emotionalism, or just stay away.

Is there room for thoughtful reflection AND heartfelt devotion?

Wait and See...

The elevation of Benedict XVI has created quite a bit of conversation. Should be interesting to see what the Spirit does with this new leader. Whether you agree with his positions on things in the past or not, this is a new day. Perhaps it is still possible for human beings to transcend their own ideologies and work for the greater good.

Bold Leadership

Our thoughts and prayers are with our sisters and brothers in the Roman Catholic community. The death of John Paul II marks the passing of a great leader. We are sorrowful for the loss, grateful for the legacy and hopeful in the resurrection. "Thanks be to God who gives us victory over death through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The media attention and outpouring of emotion over the death of the Pope gives me pause to again consider the boldness of Martin Luther. In our day and age, it's really nothing to offer criticism of leadership...but even so, as this recent death underscores the far-reaching nature of the Roman Pontiff's influence, imagine what it must have been like to stand up against this leadership when its influence was even broader, and reached not only across national boundaries, but right into the individual conscience of the people! Luther was excommunicated by the leadership that was seen as having power over his salvation! Few view the pope as having this kind of power today...but in Luther's day it was another story.

Hats off to those moved by the Spirit to stand for the truth, no matter what the consequences! Let our conscience be held captive to the word of God!

Prayers for all

The death of Terri Schiavo will not mean the end of the conversation (nor does it mean the end for her!). We believe her baptism sealed God's promise to her. Pehaps, as our moral and ethical conversations continue over end-of-life decisions...the right to die...the right to live...we can find some comfort in these words: "Whether I live or whether I die, I do so unto the Lord."

Our thoughts and prayers are with those most closely related to this particular case...and with all those who face death at this hour.