CONNIKA

COSMIC HOPE

 

“Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of all who fall asleep.”

~ 1 Corinthians 15:20

St. Paul seldom leaves the message at the level of “believe this fact about Jesus.” He always moves it to “this is what it says about you!” or “this is what it says about history!” Until we are ourselves pulled into the equation, we find it hard to invest ourselves in a distant religious belief.

Paul normally speaks of “Christ”—which includes us and all of creation—for he never knew Jesus “in the flesh” but only as the eternal Body of Christ. Christ Crucified is all of the hidden, private, tragic pain of history made public and given over to God. Christ Resurrected is all suffering received, loved, and transformed by an All-Caring God. How else could we have any kind of cosmic hope? How else would we not die of sadness for what humanity has done to itself and to one another?

The cross is the standing statement of what we do to one another and to ourselves. The resurrection is the standing statement of what God does to us in return. Today really is our big feast day!

~ Richard Rohr, Easter 2012

(Photo taken here at Summerfield)

TO BE A CHRISTIAN...

To be a Christian means to necessarily be an optimist because we  remember what happened on the third day! We know the final stage of death, Jesus' leap of faith, was not in vain. He was not put to shame, and "God raised him up" (which is the correct way to say it, and not that he rose himself). Most of human life is Holy Saturday, a few days of life are Good Friday, but there only needs to be one single Easter Sunday for us to know the final and eternal pattern. We now live inside of such cosmic hope. 

Jesus trusted enough to outstare the darkness, to outstare the void, to hold out for the resurrection of the forever-awaited "third day,” and not to try to manufacture His own. That is how God stretches and expands the soul, and makes it big enough to include God.

You see, to love fully is to die! (When you fully unite with the other, the separate self is gone.) What is handed over to God is always returned to us transformed into Christ Consciousness. Easter is the eternal third day that we forever await, but today we are content to live in the belly of the whale, in liminal space, in the "in between" that is most of human life. God is creating a Big Space inside of you. Just wait!

Adapted from Radical Grace: Daily Meditations, p. 145

Prayer:
"Faith is a journey into darkness, into not-knowing."   ~ Richard Rohr

(Photo taken here at Summerfield)

 

THE PRODIGAL'S SISTER

Bought a beautiful book at the weekend.  It's called THE PRODIGAL'S SISTER and has gorgeous artwork by Robert Doares.  The story is written in the form of a poem.

"...His face was streaked where sweat ran through the pollen dust, and met his tangled beard.  The garments that he wore for working stank.  And at the middle of his fingers there were blisters on both hands.  Despair Seemed written on his frozen face.  "In vain," he thought.  "He said the race and pace were all in vain.  The hours, the years, the sweat, the plans, my pow'rs - for naught.  Bequests don't come that way."  Then Hahyaneta kissed the gray and brownish coating on his cheek, and said, "Hi, Manny.  You look weak.  Can I get you a drink?"  He shook his head, "No thanks."  "Manon, it took your breath away, what Father said.  I think I understand.  The dread you feel right now - that all your sweat has been in vain - it's true.  And yet it is a gift to know bequests are free, and loaded treasure chests of grace, all hidden in the ground, are never earned, but only found.  And dancing doesn't come that way, and happy parties are not pay.  Day labor is of no avail, the gift of joy is not for sale.  You've labored hard to shun what's bad and now it's hard to just be glad. 

But, Manny, look.  Your Father and the servants and your brother stand inside the door and bid you come.  And listen to the children drum!"  She took his hand: "Come, all is well."  And thus the fetters broke and fell.  He waked as from a life-long trance, and said, "May I please have this dance?"

ENCOUNTER

 
 While walking last Sunday morning, I listened to Radio Nationa's Encounter programme.  It was about Buddhist poetry which often highlights 'in the moment' experiences.  Loved this one about a shooting star...

"Wow!  You saw me." 

THE COMMONER

 
Definition:  occurring often (a common mistake), overused, trite, ordinary, of ordinary qualities, without special rank or position, low-class, vulgar, inferior...  (Oxford English Reference Dictionary)

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"  Galations 3:28

 

THE TRICK IS...

 

"...The trick, to quote a Lent Eucharistic prayer, is to find a way to live in the passing world with our hearts set on a world that will never end."  (from Bishop Alan's blog)

YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID...

 
Family are arriving today so yesterday I set to in making the place all Christmassy.  Setting out the various nativity sets I have got me thinkin' about this wee bubby.  What makes him so special?  There have been lots of folk down through the ages who have uttered wise words, lots who have become martyrs.  Apart from the claims he made about himself I was reminded of his sermon on the mount.  Here was a Jew refining the 'law' given to Moses.  No wonder the Pharisees were a tad upset.  "You have heard it said..." he said, "but I say to you..."

And a photograph of the nativity sets at the window.

 

IN THE GARDEN THIS MORNING & FIVE FROLICKING FRIARBIRDS

"...has spoken like the first bird."   But in this morning's case it wasn't a blackbird, it was five frolicking friarbirds in the firebush.  No it wasn't really, there were two of them in the grevillias.  A beautiful morning with beautiful sounds.  Really did make me wonder what the very first 'morning' looked like?  Could it have possibly looked or sounded any better?

A GREVILLIA FROM THE GARDEN AND MORE FROM RICHARD ON THE ONLY REAL ISSUE IN LIFE

Throughout their history the Israelites experienced the unconditional, unrelenting love of God.  Even when they did not obey the commandments, even when they did not believe that the Lord had new life for them, he gave it to them anyway.  And so they came to see that new life does not depend on their obedience.  Little by little they discovered that worthiness is not the issue.  The only real issue in life is the steadfast love of God.  And the only real difference in people is between those who can believe this and those who cannot.

TRAGEDY UPON DISASTER

 

 I have a wonderful calendar of a year of readings which were put together by Laurence Twaddle, minister of the Church of Scotland in Dunbar, Scotland.  Here is what I read today.  I've never come across the word 'thirled' before but must say it does sound very Scottish.  Love it.  Love it like I love the word 'smeddum' too.  Have you got smeddum?  Do you have enough smeddum to meet the daily demands of modern life?  Fab word. Here's the reading which is more than fab - I don't have a word for it so 'incredible' shall have to do for today.

Tragedy upon disaster:  when Jesus the Messiah does come, the people are so thirled to their historic expectations of the superhero - the dynamic, swashbuckling Errol Flynn type of charismatic conqueror - that they crucify the King whom God had sent to be their salvation.

We discover that the God of the Bible is not some mechanistic deity, abstract, removed, distanced from the blood and tears of the world;  not some vague 'intelligence' or 'mind';  not some notional 'force' within things;  not some great Architect, aloof from his creation;  not a divine watch-maker who builds his intricate design and cares nothing what happens to it.  The God of the Bible, Isaiah affirms, invests his heart in his children.