Love Needed.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, 

and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God"

(1 John 4:7)

I recently came across this quotation: "Everyone needs to be loved especially when they don't deserve it." At first glance it seems a graceful offering of wisdom, till I listen a bit more carefully to the oxymoron embedded in the text. It is this - the words "love" and "deserve" do not sit well together.

This reminds me of a story that I came across years ago about an impoverished family living in the Bronx, New York. A single-parent family, the mother worked long hours to provide food and shelter for her children. Though times were tough they managed to stay together, stay in school and, mostly, to stay out of trouble. The youngest though, was more deeply broken by their circumstances than his siblings, and tended to express his pain through rebellion and lashing out. Now, mother had skimped and saved a few dollars here and there over the years and had a small nest-egg put away in a tin to help send one of the children go to college. The youngest found the stash, stole it and spent it on a gun and drugs. He was arrested...

An older sister raged to their mother, "I hate him. I hate him for what he did, for what he has taken from us - your hard work, our dreams. I just hate him." With tears in her eyes, this life-worn, thread-bare mom responded to her daughter, "Don't hate him baby. it is when we are most difficult to love that we need to be loved the most. When we are completely lost we need love to come find us. Don't hate him, love him back to us."

“Love - not dim and blind but so far-seeing that it can glimpse around corners, around bends and twists and illusion; instead of overlooking faults, love sees through them to the secret inside.” 

(Vera Nazarian, Salt of the Air)

I've heard it often enough in our society - he/she deserves what they get. I've seen it in the Alberta redneck culture, if someone is an asshole they deserve to be treated like an asshole. And there seems to be a certain karmic logic to this. As Jesus said, we reap what we sow. Problem is, Love, is all about healing and renewal and life and laughter. That person that we write-off as useless, as "a waste of skin," is a gifted human being that has not realized their own worth. Living the Love that we are means, in part, that we search for, and draw out the Love that is within others, without regard to any sense of worthiness.

God's Love does not discriminate between the deserving, or the undeserving. God's Love, that immense, indescribable power that called the universe into existence, that holds the planets in their orbits, that causes sunshine to sparkle on ocean waves like the glimmer of a million diamonds, that Love that heals hearts, erupts as laughter in children, that delights in the soaring eagle, the playful dolphins, the joy of first-time parents - this immense Love surrounds and fills all that is, all the time. This awesome power that is God's Love seeks out and soaks into the most vilest offender with the same passion and yearning as it does the most enlightened saint.

"Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism..."

(Acts 10.34)

There is a temptation to commodify love, to offer it to the most deserving, those easiest to love. What we would be giving then would not be God's Love, but rather a shallow and poor forgery that seeps from the wounded ego. This love impostor is powerless to make a positive change in our world, is impotent as a healing agent, and can in no way draw our hearts into the sacred heart of Christ. But Love, pure, flowing-from-the-heart-of-God Love, flowing from God through us, this Love - this makes a difference. 

Wherever you work today, wherever your path takes you, try this out:

- instead of giving what is "deserved," offer from your heart what is needed. In so doing you will be the Spirit's agent of healing, a part of the renewal of our world. 

I leave the last word to Paul:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

(1 Corinthians 13)

Grateful for Love

Pastor Bill

Close your eyes

and breathe

out

let

breath

fill you

as you

breathe in

let

love

fill you

Love

is

who

you

are

[First published December 5, 2012]

It's Always Darkest

Darkness and light

day and night

ebony black

brilliant white

'tween blindness and sight

a thread drawn tight

dawn is the land

from which we take flight

Thank you to fellow sojourner Joy LeBlanc for inspiring my thoughts for today's writing. 

There is darkness within; darkness that is sometimes frightening and overwhelming. It almost seems foreign to us, except that it is so terribly familiar. At times we fear it, resent it, run from it. Then there are moments when we submit to it, dive into it, relish it, only to walk into the light and feel shame for the darkness which seems so far away and untrue.

There is light within; light that is sometimes frightening and overwhelming. It almost seems foreign to us, except that it is so terribly familiar. At times we long for it, hope for it, yearn for it. Then there are moments when we submit to it, dive into it, relish it, only to walk into the night and feel a foreigner in a foreign land. 

We are, we humans, creatures of dark and light, day and night. But perhaps - perhaps we are truly creatures of the dawn - of almost day and almost night.

Dawn - a time of promise, the herald of day, the complete unfolding of night from its evening birthing.

Is this not the path of our being - dawn follows the darkness which is birthed from the dusk which overtook the brilliance of day, which is the love child of the dawn sky? Cycles and circles and beginnings and endings.

There is darkness within - and I would be incomplete without it in this very human journey. Without this darkness I would not learn compassion; I would not know the sweet ringing of hope's bell tolling when night seems endless. Without this darkness I would be a pond where the love of my heart wants to be an ocean. Without this darkness I would be height and width but lacking depth; two dimensions in a three-dimensional universe.

To speak of the Light is to know its twin, and to embrace one is to dance with the other. I for one am a creature of the dawn, full of promise, an explorer between two worlds.

"darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters...

and God said, 'let there be light...'"

(Genesis 1)

and there was dawn of the first day of creation.

Darkness and light

One day there will be only light,

and I will have learned of its glory from the shadows of night's long embrace,

and I will forever breathe in gratitude that the journey of my soul in this flesh

walked the dawn and dusk

in our Creator's wake.

If you have known the darkness you have my compassion.

Accept the darkness; dance in the light

Pax,

Pastor Bill

[First published November 28, 2012.]

Don't Doubt It

“Our doubts are traitors, 

and make us lose the good we oft might win,

by fearing to attempt.” 

(William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure)

My thoughts are both my own worst enemy and my best friend.  When they echo the deepest truth and wisdom of my heart, my thoughts lead me to reach beyond, far beyond, the feeble limits imposed by my doubts. When guided by my heart (or maybe it's my soul) I am impassioned to acts of courage and compassion that cause me to smile in joy for wonder of the person who God has created me to be.

There are days, however, when my mind is not so centered and the Spirit of God whispering encouragement in my ear is but a faint voice lost to the wind. Then doubts do assail me, and the voice I hear is full of condemnation and judgment. I am a small and selfish creature under the harsh words of this voice and the horizon seems one of great limitations and little hope.

“I seek strength, not to be greater than another, 

but to fight my greatest enemy, 

the doubts within myself” 

(P.C. Cast)

I'm not really sure from where the dark voice speaks, but I have come to recognize its sound and to seek to pay it little heed. If I am to be the gift to this world that I trust my Creator made me to be, it will require that I discipline myself to listen to the gentle voice of Love and not the piercing words of self-doubt. 

I continue to be amazed by the potential within humanity, planted within each of us, to be bring life and healing to our earth, to renew community, to create wonders of art, science, music... to express the image of God in ever new and beautiful ways. And yet, still we struggle, fighting each other, fighting ourselves, fighting Love. Too often we listen to that dark voice of judgment and doubt and in so doing we relinquish our true power - the power to remake our world through kindness, grace and compassion. 

I encourage you this day to trust the Spirit's gentle nudging of your heart. When you hear words of condemnation, of doubt, of judgment - acknowledge them and then put them aside. They are not true for you. This is true: YOU are beautiful, and amazingly gifted and YOU are in this world  because God made you as a gift to humanity. Let nothing hold you back from being all that Love would have you be.

I leave the last word to Isaiah:

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

 “This is the way, walk in it,” 

when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left"

(Isaiah 30.21)

Whispering encouragement,

Pastor Bill

Listen

a

gentle breeze

stirs

your heart

its

voice

calls

love

and

be

loved

Breathe

Recognizing Abundance

"To live a pure unselfish life,

 one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance."

(Buddha)

I stopped for a moment today to think about, and to give thanks for, the abundance that surrounds me. At first it was awareness of physical threads in the tapestry - good food, warm clothing, a home, a car, a phone... basic North American material goods. However, as I stepped back from the weaving I began to see the deeper, richer tones that color the abundance of my life. Underneath the obvious shadings of my physical needs are the vibrant, and sometimes subtle hues of the heart's abundance. There is an abundance of love in my life - love given and love received. The threads of this love are woven into the warp of my relationships with family and friends, neighbors and strangers. And what an abundance it is - no matter how much love pours from the soul I never run out. In fact, the abundance of love just continues to grow.

And then there is the abundance of forgiveness and grace. I fall a thousand times, and a thousand times forgiveness wraps its blanket of compassion and renewal around me, raising me up to learn and grow and begin again. No matter how foolish I am forgiveness seeks me out like a lover pining for her mate.

And then there is wonder at the magnificence of life. The morning sun refracting off of the unbroken snow of our front yard - a thousand diamonds of sparkling brilliance. Unbelievable! Or the dog lying in that warm sunlight, eyes closed, soaking in the goodness of life, breathing deep; a raven drifting by lazily overhead; a ladybug crawling up the window, oblivious to winter outside. Life is amazing and endless and when I stop for just a moment to actually take it in... the abundance of life's magnificence overwhelms me. 

" I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

(John 10.10)

The weaving grows larger, and the threads grow ever richer in color and hue the longer I contemplate God's abundant presence in our world. So long as I view life from the lenses of gratitude and service I see abundance everywhere I turn. When I am feeling sorry for myself, however, feeling a bit like a victim, then have I left my sacred home, then have I wandered from the heart, and all thought of abundance is abandoned for the lie of scarcity, the source of humanity's great sorrow.

Yet, abundant is the cry of God's love to return to His heart, to be nourished in Love, to again perceive the world as an amazing opportunity to use our gifts to make even one person's day just a bit brighter, a little kinder,  to let the tears of compassion and the kindred joy of laughter flow.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of lights

with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

(James 1.17)

Abundance is a refreshing pool that endlessly, eternally replenishes itself. And the source of this wondrous abundance? Well, it all comes from Love of course, from God, from the Creator of all that is. That being so, the outpouring of love, forgiveness, goodness, kindness, and all expressions of God's heart will flow ceaselessly throughout creation.  Our role is simply to open our hands to receive. When it seems that lack is all that we know, it is not God's outpouring that has stopped, it is only our willingness to hold that which is be-gifted to us. 

Take a moment today to be aware of the abundance that pours over your life. Give thanks for that abundance and enter your day allowing it to pour through you to touch all whom you encounter.

I leave the last word to Paul:

"Now to God who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to God be glory..."

(Ephesians 3.20)

Pax,

Pastor Bill

Breathe

deeply

out

and in

giving

thanks

love

surrounds

you

forever

[First published November 15, 2012]

Just Once ...

"Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you."

(Ephesians 4.32 - The Message)

Like all of North America I have been inundated with media coverage of the U.S. presidential election in the last few weeks (months, years...). With significant economic and social challenges on the plate it would seem to me that it would be in the best interest of American politicians (as well as Canadian) to work together, to pool resources, to encourage each other - to face these challenges with the strength of the whole community. 

What happens instead? Our leaders go at each other as though they were facing their most bitter enemy and their only agenda was to defame them. It makes my heart ache to see our leaders tear into each other with such animosity and disrespect. In Canada it happens during election campaigns and then continues throughout the term of office with mutual bashing in Question Period, through comments to the media - whenever "dialogue" regarding opposing parties occurs.

"Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."

(Philippians 2:3 The Message"-- )

Just once, I would like to hear an election candidate speak well of their fellow candidates for office. What a relief it would be to hear Gov. Romney say that he appreciates the work of Mr. Obama, and seeks to be a partner with him in serving Americans. Just once, it would be a joy to hear the president comment that Mr. Romney was a gift to the office he serves and a welcome addition to the White House, should he be elected. When and how did serving the common good become a "no holds barred" all-out fight to have the biggest ego?

Tragically, this is how some of our leaders act, and they do it in front of our children, our youth, and our young adults. This is unacceptable. As humans, as children of God, made in God's amazing image, we have the capacity to love each other, build each other up, and in so doing, to create healthy, life-giving communities. Those who chose to lead are called to lives that reflect the best of humanity, that inspire us to grow, to become, to realize Christ's love in and through us. And some of our politicians do engage their work in this way; not all seek to kick sand and throw stones. I know some men and women who lead with honor, whose deep care for their communities brings out the best in those whom they meet. Problem is, they are not the ones who get the media coverage.

So maybe I ask too much. Perhaps the change will need to begin in our homes. If our leaders won't stand up to the challenge then we will do so at a grassroots level. Here's how: speak well of everyone. When you cannot speak well of someone - bite your tongue. Do not gossip. Look for every opportunity to encourage and build each other up. If someone gets the job you want - celebrate with them. When another wins the trophy - share in their glory. If we do this in front of our children, youth and young adults there is hope for our race. In the end, a word of encouragement goes much further to build a beautiful world than volumes of criticism and judgment ever could.

I leave the last word to musician Roger Dawson:

"Treat everyone you meet as though they are the most important person you'll meet today.”

Pax,

Pastor Bill

Light

shines

from

your heart

Will

you

conceal it

or

let

it 

shine

and change

the world

You

are

loved

Breathe

 [First published November 6, 2012]

Diamonds in the Dirt

"The more the diamond is cut the brighter it sparkles; and in what seems hard dealing, there God has no end in view but to perfect His people. "

(Thomas Guthrie)

This week I took in a completely delicious performance of the stage play, "Jake's Gift" at the Daysland Palace Theatre. The story is set in France where WW2 vets were returning for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. One of the three characters (all acted by one woman) was a crusty old Canadian veteran who has returned to Juno Beach for the first time in 60 years; he returns to visit the grave of his brother who died in the war. The vet is bent over, shaky and employs rather colorful language as he converses with an impetuous 10-year-old girl.

Within the first few minutes of the conversation, adequately salted with expletives and various profanities, a patron nearby began to comment on the character's use of course language. "Oh my... tch, tch... oh, the language..." and so on. It was a bit like being in a surround-sound theatre - sound from the stage and sound from behind! This person was so distracted by their judgment of the kind of language being used that they were missing a beautiful story of grief and healing and hope. 

There are times we do not see the diamonds for the dirt. The lenses through which we view our world can obscure the beauty that lies before us. We will judge someone, write them off, pigeon-hole them in stereotypes and in so doing we miss the gift, the beauty, the wonder that is hidden within. 

"Jake's Gift" is not a story about profanity, it is a love story about an old man reconnecting with life. It is about a young girl's innocence causing a wounded soldier to remember who he is. How sad to miss this because our sense of morality, or whatever lens we happen to be wearing, obscures our vision. I think though, that the patron behind me must have changed lenses during the performance as they were drawn into the story. Instead of judgment I heard laughter and the silence of tears being shed. 

Each of us is, to varying degrees, composed of diamonds and dirt. Knowing this, perhaps our best work in this life is to be a miner - digging deep for the diamond in the rough that lies beneath the surface of life in those we encounter.

Take your glasses off, look deep into the soil of this world and see what God sees - glittering beauty waiting to be found. 

Dig deep!

I leave the last word to John:

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge rightly with your head and your heart"

(John 7.24)

Heading down the mine shaft with you,

Pastor Bill

Three deep breaths

in

out

then look

and

see

Beauty

awaits

inside you

inside

me

smile

and

breathe

[First published October 31, 2012]

Music in Your Soul!

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

(Aldous Huxley)

Sitting in my living room at home, my feet up on a footstool, I can be instantly transported to a path through the woods in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina; all it takes is a song. "A New Soul" by Yael Naim plays and suddenly I smell the flowers and hear the sounds of Brasstown N.C. - such is the power of music. 

Music works its way into the cracks of our being like water seeping into the soil. It fills empty places we didn't even know we had, giving voice to the un-voicable of humanity's passions, pains and hopes. The power of music calls the masses to stand against tyranny; the gentleness of music soothes a crying baby to sleep. I stand is awe of music as it courses through my being, caressing my soul, enlivening my thoughts, making my very un-dancing body jump up to dance.

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-

 like food or water."

(Ray Charles)

If we want to reach into the hearts of children and youth, music opens that door; those suffering with dementia will come alive when familiar music strums their thoughts; some cultures use music to heal emotional and spiritual wounds. And our Christian Scriptures allude to music and singing over 300 times... 

"Whenever the bad depression from God tormented Saul, David got out his harp and played. That would calm Saul down, and he would feel better as the moodiness lifted."

(1 Samuel 16.23 - The Message)

What songs make you feel good, alive, hopeful, strong, healed, renewed, playful, joyful, thoughtful, melancholy? If you get a moment tell me about a song that is particularly meaningful for you.

Music is for all of us, not just those who sing, or play an instrument; when God made you He planted music within your soul. Take time today to listen to a piece of music that stirs you and for just a moment - let there be nothing but you and that song.

I leave the last word to Moses:

"The Lord is my strength and song"

(Exodus 15.2)

Singing with you,

Pastor Bill

Slow down

and breathe

just

be

listen

a song plays

you

hear it

in

your

heart

Ah music

you

stir

me

[First published October 24, 2012]