Captivity: 21 March 2010

"Untie him and let him go."
( John 11:44)

Now that spring has officially arrived, yard clean-up time is once again upon us. Our clean-up efforts are in full swing here along with beginning to get the flower beds and raised vegetable gardens in some sort of eye-appealing order. After all the snow melted in our yard it was amazing how much "crud" and gravel and chunks of dirt were piled up on the lawn as the result of snow plowing - both the driveway and from the township road plowing. It would be so easy to procrastinate and save the yard work for another day, or week, or month but it does need to be done so that new growth of lawn and plants and flowers can emerge and be suffocated out by lack of sunshine and nature's nutrients. As I looked at the all too many piles of dirt and stones scattered about our yard, the phrase "Set me free" popped into my head. And I ponder being set free.

There may be a great many things that can cause us to feel "bound" or captive. Things like dysfunctional and/or broken relationships, guilt trips, being caught in the trap of thinking we have to live up to someone else's expectations, regrets of past choices, doing certain things merely out of a sense of obligation with no real "heart" in it on our part just because someone or some entity says we have to, and on and on. All these things and attitudes have the potential to suck the life out of us and deter or prevent us from being our true selves - the beloved creations our Sacred Creator intends for us to be.

As Lazarus was raised from the dead and called out of the tomb, he had to have the burial wraps untied to be set free once again; to live new life once again (John 11). What actions can we make to loosen any ties that negatively bind us - in our thoughts, our actions, our relationships and from our relationship with the Divine Presence that is so deeply and lovingly woven into the tapestry of our lives? It may be hard and painful inner work, but just as the blisters from all the raking will heal, the reward of healing and wholeness is well worth the effort.

Peace on the Journey.

Seeking Clearer Vision: 14 March 2010

"So they said to him, 'So how were your eyes opened?'"
John 9:10

While traveling east on one of the county highways into town early this week, an SUV closed in behind me. We were coming up on an intersection and someone in a pickup truck was at the stop sign signaling to make a left turn to head west. He had plenty of time and distance to do so safely before my car reached the intersection. Suddenly a dark flash appeared in my side view mirror and I realized, just as the pickup truck was making the turn, the SUV was passing me! Realizing the very real potential for disaster, I slammed on the breaks in hopes the SUV could get past me and pull back into our east-bound lane without hitting the truck. I was shocked to quickly notice the person driving the SUV had also slammed on the brakes, as did the man in the truck. And for a split second it felt as if we were all in some sort of suspended animation. I hit the accelerator, the SUV quickly pulled back in behind me, the truck complete the turn and headed west. Accident and injury avoided. At the next opportunity the SUV passed me, speeding ahead into town. I found it almost comical, as all traffic was stopped at the second set of signal lights, I was now once again ahead of this same SUV and thought to myself of the SUV driver, "So much for being in such a hurry".

Over the past few days we've been hit with some pretty dense fog, making driving necessarily slow and seeing most any distance very difficult. Again headed into town I was amazed, and pleased, at the care with which other drivers cautiously moved along in their vehicles.

Both these instances causes me to ponder our ways of seeing and relating with others and our world and brings to mind several tough questions to reflect upon.

First of all, what's the rush? Do we have to be the first, the best, the fastest all the time? In the fast-paced frenzy of life can we remember there is also value in slowing down and taking notice of the other and the beauty that surrounds us - both very much gift and blessing?

Do we outwardly proclaim things we do not necessarily live up to? There was a religious "slogan" on the back of the SUV mentioned above and I can't help but wonder in general once again, how often do we attend that one hour of worship service and then live the rest of the week as if we hadn't been in some way inspired to strive to be more caring, compassionate, loving and respectful?

Does it really have to take adverse conditions - in weather, in our lives, in our world - to cause us to recognize our care and concern is warranted with respect to all of life? Can we come out of our own fog of presumptions and move toward a genuinely respectful and generous understanding of others' diversity, beliefs, values, spiritual practices even though they might be different than our own?

Finally, can our eyes, our ears, our hearts be opened to see, hear and feel more clearly the presence of the Sacred Light that forever resides within and around us loving us unconditionally...always?

Peace on the Journey.

Transitioning: 7 March 2010

On Monday, the first day of March, as I was eating lunch and glancing out the window, there he sat. I was sure of it but got up and slowly moved to the window to take a closer look. Sure enough, it was indeed an Eastern bluebird perched on the deck rail. Perhaps they do arrive this early but as long as I've enjoyed watching for the return of migrating birds I've not ever spotted one in our yard before April. As soon as I got to the window, he flew away. Lo and behold, two days later upon arising to the familiar and long-awaited sweet sound of birds chirping near the window, my eyes and spirit were delighted to see three pairs of Eastern bluebirds fluttering around the yard and checking out each of the three now vacant bird houses. Later in the day one pair had claimed the little white one in the tree, flying in and out of it or landing on its perch. They've been back to visit daily. Given the "dryness", "barrenness" of winter I've been writing about, seeing these beautiful birds again turned my thoughts to the onset of spring and the re-emergence of nature's activity, growth and beauty. And I officially declared, to myself, that spring had indeed arrived. Oh yes we know all too well that winter's furry can come again before (and after) the calendar declares it to be spring but...catching these glimpses of springtime life reminds me that dry, desert time - winter's rest - will indeed transition into new growth and life. So too our inner desert times can transform us when we look for the and find the Sacred - even in the most unexpected places.

The story of the woman at the well (John 4:5-42) find Jesus in conversation with a Samaritan woman - a woman who comes to the well in the intense heat of noontime to draw water for the day when no one else from her village is there; when she will not encounter the harsh judgment of others because of her "lifestyle". The gospel tells us the "Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans" (4:9). In fact, the Jews of the time strived to avoid the Samaritans all together and Samaritan women were considered by the Jews as ritually impure. Imagine how isolated the woman must have felt in her everyday life.

This week I pose these questions to ponder:
Has there been a time in life when we have been the woman at the well? Have we ever felt isolated from friends, family, community because of how we live, what we believe, who we associate with? Are there times we have experienced intense thirst for the life-giving water of community, compassion and understanding? And...have we been/are we now open to the signs of the Sacred dwelling in and all around us waiting to comfort, guide, and delightfully surprise us with Divine Love?

Just as winter turns into spring, may our spirits transition toward finding anew the presence of the Sacred One - even in the most unexpected places - in our lives, in others and in our world.

Peace on the Journey.