Time to Return to the Desert

I read a line from Benedict XVI that stays with me.  It is this: "The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast."  

Lent begins this Wednesday with its being Ash Wednesday.  Another Pope, our present one, has appealed to all people to make this day a special Day of Fasting for Peace.  This is his heartfelt response to the situation in Ukraine as it falls into open conflict.  Francis is clear that we all stand before God, "who is the God of peace and not of war; who is Father of all, not just of some; who wants us to be brothers and not enemies".  So he asks us to dedicate ourselves "intensely to prayer and fasting (asking the Queen of Peace to) preserve the world from the madness of war". 

To finish the trifecta, John Paul II shared that "war is always a defeat for humanity".  

What a powerful introduction to Lent 2022.  This is a time to return to the desert which, metaphorically, is part of who we are.    

The desert is dry and may look to have no life but that is the mirage, for the desert is full of life and is life giving, with its silence, wonder and beauty.  It is a place that inspires us with awe and puts us in touch with the deeper realities of life.  It is where we can come in touch with a spirituality that equips us for life.  Our desert is not a faraway place.  Rather it is very near.  It is where our life is dry and in need of nourishment.  There, in our vulnerability, we can find new life, reclaim vigor and purpose, and become stronger in faith. 

In confidence, let us go to the desert.   

Face the fear and do it anyway.

 

This past Sunday, Luke's gospel presented Part II of the Sermon on the Plain, where Jesus is the teacher of a universal ethic, featuring the Golden Ethic - "Do to others as you would have them do to you".  This turns all of life around.  It is revolutionary stuff, but the real revolution begins within each of us.  Christianity is not an ideology but a spirituality, living an ethic of love.  It is a love that is truly revolutionary for it has real consequences in standing up for the dignity of all humanity and for a just world for all.  So we are called to the revolution of love, the revolution of the gospel.  

"Fear, uncertainty – themes of these extraordinary times. 

We do our daily tasks, we meet with friends, and what happens?

 The person next to me has Covid and I step into the unknown.

Another business closes; another job is lost, and what happens?

 Real people suffer and they step into the unknown.

Wars are being played out, new ones threaten on the horizon, innocent people go hungry and what happens?

 The world is a more unsafe place and we step into the unknown. 

So the list could go on but no need to follow through until the end,

as maybe we not have the time.  Who needs to be depressed? 

We get the picture. 

Truth is that it does not have to be this way. 

The gospel turns everything around. 

Life could be different for all of us. 

Do we get that?

 Or do we still need to follow the unrighteous games of our world? 

Don’t be overcome by fear. 

Dare to be different; dare to embrace the gospel. 

Face our fears and let’s do it anyway.  

A challenge to the human heart is to be lived. 

We are called to take risks, to live in new and unexpected ways.

This is not human!  Hmmm!!!

Imitatio Deo.  Expect nothing in return. 

Love; do good; bless; pray. 

It is as simple and as difficult as that." 

Blessed are the Vulnerable

A simple symbol of solidarity in vulnerability sits on my desk.  Can you see it?

Let me speak as one who has been vulnerable of late.  I assure you that I share from my experience, from what I know of myself, and am speaking primarily to me. I share as I pray it sheds some further enlightenment on the life we live together in these extraordinary times. 

 “Blessed are the vulnerable, for they will receive much

-a fertile time for enriching their humanity; 

-a new and deeper perspective on life;

-the unrequited kindnesses, thoughts and prayers of others. 

 Woe to us when hiding our vulnerability, when being held back by it. 

Remember it’s as simple as, we are naturally frightened to be vulnerable, as we may surrender control; enter the unwanted and the unknown; lose what we value.   Who cares in the end?

The fact is the opposite happens for we shall appreciate

-more deeply who we are;

-what truly matters;

-with new eyes the basic goodness of others.   

We see that we are limited and that is okay.

We see that every person / every life situation has a redeeming side. 

It takes vulnerability to see that. 

 So we receive so, so much.

We know ever deeper that we are all loved by God as we are. 

It is that simple; it is that difficult.” 

Christmas is all year round

A friend leaves supplies at my door while I am in isolation.  

An experience, of a time I spent isolating due to Covid, that should never be lost nor underestimated, is enjoying the kindness and generosity of others. 

It is a simple story with a simple message.  Living on my own and stuck in my room, I wondered how I would get food while isolating.  Without even asking, the answer came.  Good people stepped forward and generously provided.  Their natural kindness reminded me of Christmas.  

Truth is one can't isolate alone.  I live alone but not in isolation.  Even in isolation, one is not alone.  This is a circuitous argument that makes a basic point about life.  As John Donne said, "No man is an island".  

Every year, I proclaim how much I love Christmas, I know it is not about gifts and trees, music and decorations.  That may all be nice but they are not essentially touching on the heart of Christmas.  

What I share each Christmas is that I grew up with it in my family.  It was fun and exciting.  It was about going to church and family coming together.  It was so important to my family.  Much more and deeper, I later realized it touched on the goodness of humanity, telling us that we could be good to each other at least once a year, and so why can't we do that every day of the year?  Why not?  Why can't we simply be good and kind to each other all the time and so make Christmas happen all year round?  The world would be a happier place.  

Truth is isolation raised yet again this question for me.  If we can be good and kind now, why not all the time?  So we can celebrate Christmas every day of the year.  Christmas matters not just on one day but every day, for the goodness and kindness of people are enduring.  No matter what, Christmas comes each year to assure us that God is with us every day, not just one day of the year.  

So Ho! Ho! Ho! in February and every month of the year.