Author: Don

I just got home from a day’s work in a public school. I’ve been working in this public school for nearly 27 years now. We’re a relatively small K-12 with lots of poor kids. Median per capita income in my community is a little over $13,000 a year. We’re way down the list in New York State.

I was reading one of these internet blogs or journals or news sites and the headline “Religious Freedom For All.” I read the article along with another article by Mr. Colson somewhere on the Internet. These folks want to have kids saying prayers and mentioning the name Jesus in their classrooms and some of the folks are indignant that they can’t. I think they think that if we mentioned Jesus more in the schoolhouse and posted the Ten Commandments in the courthouse that somehow everything would be wonderful. They seem to think that what’s wrong with public eduation and society as a whole is that there isn’t enough of their brand of Jesus.

Praying in school is okay with me and I’ll bet Jesus loves it. Jesus was a regular guy, just like one of us. I don’t think they had public schools in his day, but if they did I’ll bet he’d have attended one. He was born in a stable, his folks were kind of like wetbacks. Soon after he was born his folks had to leave their native country and flee because the leaders of his day didn’t want another king in their country. Then after sometime as refugees his Mom and Dad return home and live in Nazareth. It’s kind of a crummy town. It’s a military outpost. I’ve lived on some military bases and they aren’t usually in the best parts of town and most of the enlisted folks who live on or off base live in inexpensive homes. What I’m getting at is Jesus was a poor guy. He opened his public ministry with a statement about coming to liberate the poor. From the 4th chapter of Luke, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.”

That’s a radical message. What do you suppose would happen if we started teaching that sort of stuff in public schools? What would good tidings to the poor be? How about if we start proclaiming that message at the top of our lungs in public schools. How about if we tell the poor kids in Franklinville and elsewhere in these United States what Jesus said about “Love your enemies”. I wonder what would happen if the next time a military recruiter shows up at the school if I started laying a little of what Jesus has to say about, “He who lives by the sword, shall die by it also.” What if I shared what it is written in the 12th Chapter of Romans? “If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Rather, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.”

What if poor kids or even rich kids started really buying into Jesus and started living like the Book of Acts. What if they refused to buy into the war machine, but instead bought into the Jesus message? That would be radical. I think following Jesus is difficult. It’s a counter cultural message, because if you’re really following Jesus you can’t take revenge on the people that irritate you. That is very difficult. Oh well I don’t think that what the Family Research Coucil had in mind. I think they were after a more watered down Jesus message. One where there is flag waving, mom and apple pie.

Imagine what it would be like if more of us started living the message of the gospel. WOW!

Peace

Yesterday I posted the Franciscan Blessing which begins…”May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.” I think a lot about the easy answers. What are they? Why am I driven to live deep within my heart and to hear a voice that few here. This voice or resonance in my heart causes me anguish and joy. The pain of my life is the blessing of my life though most it of the time I miss that.

All around me I’m surround by a world and culture that lives on half truths and superficial relationships. Policy makers of all stripes seem intent on deception, but maybe they are so deceived that they are not aware of the deception. They’re not bad people and the world isn’t bad. Both the people and the world are created by the Almighty. They’re patterned in the image of the most high. “Most High Glorious God enlighten the darkness of my heart”, a simple prayer of St. Francis. Living deep within my heart is the respect for all life. It is jaded at times by peeves and worries, but it continues to burn deep within. I cannot betray it.

I see paradox after paradox being lived out in front of me. Physical vision with spiritual comprehension. Remember, “He who has ears let him hear, he who has eyes let him see.” I thank God that I have ears and eyes that see more than what is right in front of them. Maybe that’s the problem, the people, the governments etc. can’t see beyond what’s right in front of them. Maybe the focal point is the issue. Maybe my discomfort causes me to see beyond. Maybe it is the distance that I need.

I’m reminded of the scene in the movie, “Patch Adams” where the older gentleman in the asylum suggests that Patch look beyond the hand directly in front of him. This awareness comes from my daily contact with Franciscans and others who help me to look beyond. Maybe this awareness is the “night vision goggles” of the spiritual life.

“You will be holy with the holy, kind with the kind, with the chosen you will be chosen, but with the crooked you will show your cunning.For you will bring salvation to a lowly people but make the proud ashamed…”–Psalm 17

Look beyond. Don’t look at what’s right in front of you. Look beyond the easy answers…

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen.

From “Troubadour: A Missionary Magazine”, UK Spring 2005

St. Francis said, “Preach the Gospel everday and use words only when necessary.” That’s part of the legend of Francis. That quote which came to me by way of a friend who was my adult introduction to a Franciscan way of life. I’m reluctant at times to share the Gospel with friends because the Gospel has been given a bad name by “Bible thumpers” who seem more intent on demonstrations of personal piety than actually living out the story.

St. Francis saw himself as brother and sister to all. I wish I was as optimistic as Francis. I live my life at times both at work and at play with no real evidence of good news. I think, “how can I be good news?” to the people I work with, the children I meet everyday. What is it that the people I work and live with each day need the most?

One of the challenging stories in the New Testament is the story of the Good Samaritan. Who are the outcasts at my work and in my life who I’m asked to bathe and care for?

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”–St. Luke, 10:25-37.

I got this link today from a friend and it’s just beautiful. I hope it grounds you as it has me.

Explaining a spiritual experience

This is very beautiful and came from a friend who wanted to contribute something to what I’m trying to do here. I think there are lots of people out there who are getting lost in the maelstrom of everyday living and they are not getting fed. I sense a real hunger in most people for a spiritual experience that’s grounded in their own daily life. St. Francis reminded the people of Gubbio that they were good people. They didn’t have to accept any doctrine or profess anything, they were just inherently good as created by God. He greeted them, Good Morning, Good People! Peace and all Good!

How often do I bless those around me with a greeting like this?

I really don’t know where this blog will go but I’ve had it in my head and heart to have a blog where folks who’d like to celebrate peace and life in the manner of St. Francis and St. Clare could share ideas and maybe some prayers for each other and the world around us.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on the Incarnation in Franciscan Spirituality and the implications that has for person or persons attempting to live out Franciscan values. What does it all mean?

One of my favorite prayers and contemplations comes from Thomas Merton.

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.Nor do I re ally know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

– Thomas Merton, “Thoughts in Solitude”