...grace and mess...

Geese fly into our lives at every season. Every new journey, every migration; so it seems. Or, maybe we just notice them at those times. It's been so consistent, for so many years now, that this last visit got us thinking about what it means. When these geese landed on Hess Lake last week, we did a little research on the symbolism of the goose.

They've always been more important to Kathy than to me. I'm drawn to the wolf. So, in deference to the many "animal totem" sites on the net, I'll just focus on what I see in geese and in this woman whom I know, love, am discovering, and falling in love with. Geese are simultaneously full of grace and mess. Geese, I've learned, mate for life and the flock never leaves a fallen comrade completely alone. At least one other goose (a mate or another) will stay behind even if the larger flock needs to move on. They swim and fly with beauty and grace, but you want to watch your step when you tread where they've been walking. Ancient stories (think Brothers Grimm and before) and contemporary bird watchers equate geese with family, mothering, nurturing, leading, following, supernatural sense of direction, guidance, returning to safe places, quest, journey, loyalty, devotion, and protection. Casual observation reveals a balance of peace, fluid motion, solitude without isolation, raucous noise, clumsy take-offs, and to-the-death protection of little ones. I'm really not sure if Kathy's totem animal is the goose and what all that means. But, my life is bathed in grace and colored by mess that I would avoid (both ignorantly and intentionally) had she not flown into my life 38 years ago. And, we're both such goslings still. Amazing! Off we go.

...more alike than not...

My dear conservative, progressive, in-between, and politically agnostic friends, as we await election results, can we see each other's full humanity and find common ground? I believe we can! We love and are loved. We long to know and be known. We want a hopeful future for our children and our earth. We cherish freedom. We need community. We value hard work, innovation, and creativity. We want our loved ones and our neighbors to have a decent, safe, place to live. We want family and friends to be healthy and get all the care they need when they're not. We want every human being to have access to good education, a life-supporting job, and a voice in their own future. We want the right to disagree. We want every other human being to have the same liberty, freedom, and grace we have received. Don't we?

Today, I voted for the people and policies that I think are most likely to bring our shared hopes and dreams to reality. I trust that you will too. But, that's not the end of the story. When this is all said and done, we still have a say and a responsibility. Some of us will be elated. Some of us will be disappointed. But, all of us can make a difference in holding whoever is elected accountable to work together for the common good. The last four years are a painful lesson, to all of us, in the costly consequences of the politics of obstruction. God help us work together these next four years. God help us to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly these next four years. Otherwise, there are no winners in this election.

Regardless of the outcome, may we remember we are more alike than not. May we find Wallenda level balancing skills that empower us to remain both passionate and civil. May we remember that every human being is created in the image of a loving Creator who has endowed each of us with enough creativity to solve insolvable problems; to love the unlovable; to work together for the common good; and to recognize, honor, and empower the exceptionalism of all of our sisters and brothers in our one and only earth.

...wild birds and a large tub of flour...

An oasis of peace and sanity, for me, in our sometimes chaotic life has been pray as you go by the Irish Jesuits. It's a daily, online, guided prayer that brings new life to ancient Hebrew and Christian sacred texts and, for me, a space for shalom.

The other day, October 30th, the scripture reading was from Luke 13:18-21. I heard, for the first time in these verses, an expansive vision of the kingdom, or realm, of G-d. Here's the text from the New Century Version [modified with inclusive language]:

Then Jesus said, "What is God's kingdom like? What can I compare it with? It is like a mustard seed that [someone] plants in [their] garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the wild birds build nests in its branches." Jesus said again, "What can I compare God's kingdom with? It is like yeast that [someone] took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise."

The guide invited me to think about which image strikes me and why. Which affects you? What do you visualize when you hear these words aloud?

As I listened with a peaceful, open, spirit and mind, the image of wild birds building nests in the branches of this wild tree that grew from a tiny seed - wild birds with names like hindu, buddhist, jewish, muslim, christian, and lesser known birds - flew into my mind with no resulting confusion or fear. I have no need to tame this wild kingdom.

If you have ten minutes, this is worth it. Make sure you have quiet, uninterrupted, space.

PAYG 10/30/2012.mp3