JUST RIGHT

Hi There !

So, when things turn out

       JUST RIGHT

it's a right turn for sure.

Things like:

      - two perfectly connecting flights 

        and you get to Chicago 

        ahead of schedule

      - that first date that means for sure 

        there's plenty more to come

      - your signature souffle 

        that was perfect at 

        last night's dinner party

      - securing a spectacular contract 

        for your firm

      - scripting a poem that  

        speaks your soul

      - a winning slam dunk 

        in the last two seconds of 

        the championship final

      - restoring that 

        1932 Ford Coupe to a "T"

      So good when things are

             JUST RIGHT



As we widen our focus,

we see the same is true

in our spiritual lives

out here on the street

of everyday living -

our individual part 

and the universal whole 

we share with all.

This, by the important way, 

bares absolutely no resemblance 

to any sort of puritanical or 

perfectionistic arrogance

in our spiritual living. 

They are not at all right.

Rather, and ever so better,

is our oneness in

    God's Work 
           of
   getting things

   JUST RIGHT.



Pardon my Latin, but

"just" and "right"

 are identical twins.

           "Just"  

       from the Latin 

          "Justus' 

            means 

           "Right,"

    as in getting things

       JUST RIGHT.

Our spiritual lives are 

      a continuance 

in this time and place of

            
             God's

           "Justus"

the work of getting things
  
         JUST RIGHT

    
- if "God" is not your 
  accustomed appellation, 
        please insert 
Existence, Reality,, Being,
   Cosmic Energy Field,
or your own particular word for
   The Whole Enchilada -



   
Justice
      .rights wrong

                    rights creation.

            *********




    JUSTICE RIGHTS WRONG



Some times things are not at all right.

Rather, they are dead wrong,

as dead wrong as the 

Pittsburgh Synagogue Slaughter

as dead wrong as the

economic/social imbalance of

          99% to 1%

or the rape of Mother Earth.



Evil is energy gone wrong -

people playing God,

social systems structured 

to the advantage of a selfish few

and the degradation 

of painfully so many,

the abuse of peoples and places.



I don't have the time 

nor competence

to deal fully with 

the problem of evil.

   But God does

and we are invited 

to join in,  

to right the wrong 

in the here and now,

to be part of the ongoing 

redemptive love 

and work of God.

In and with him 

we return good for evil.

Thus, evil is replaced 

with good 
     
      one moment, 

      one person, 

      one place,

       one setting 

at a time.

  "Do not repay evil with evil...
   
   do not be overcome by evil, 

   but overcome evil with good."

    ( Romans 12:17 and 21)

 

In the particulars and practicalities 

of our living we are part of

God's redemptive love

    "Righting Wrong"

until one day things are

      JUST RIGHT

Some Examples:

    - not to break up or back  off 

      when someone close is being 

      wackie or weird - 

      it's called long suffering and

      requires high octane love

   -  to have lunch with the local 

      and consistently avoided nerd

      at work or school

   - to pay day laborers $20 an hour

   - to get out of the way 

     and let the tailgater go

   - to calmly and clearly challenge 

      a "play it safe" pastor

      who just won't address

      social justice issues in sermons

    - to tip big time an inattentive waiter

    - to be proactive in welcoming

      minority folk when they arrive 

      in the area (or religious community )

Yes, "overcome evil with good"

             until things are

            JUST RIGHT.



   


JUSTICE RIGHTS CREATION

   
So far, so good.

And it doesn't stop there or ever.

It just gets exponentially better.

      Our moniker for it is

            Creation

and we're all invited to the party.

We are asked to help get it 

          JUST RIGHT.



To put it in the vernacular,

God has ants in his pants 

and just can't keep

goodness to himself.

God thrills to pour out 

his enthusiastic energy

in ever new, imaginative, 

spectacular creations.

Sticking with the vernacular,

God is like a gourmet chef 

serving up one new excellence 

after plenty before

God is like a toy maker 

bursting forth with 

fascination upon fascination

God is just getting started.

He's on a roll

and he wants us in on 

the exuberance spiraling out

in never to end beauty.



Here's a bit of 

a sampler of possibilities

as we co-create with God,

righting creation:

    - whatever our orientation,

      socializing, mixing it up 

      with folks of other orientations

    - retired folks refusing 

      to "park" it in,

          rather

       re-"tire"-ing

       with a whole new set 

       of  wheels     

       and off they go 

       in new directions of

       care and creativity

       like never before -

           *writing poetry,

           *doing watercolors,

           *building houses 

            for the homeless,
            
           *mentoring teens 

            in dangerous drift,

          * hosting groups for

           inter- generational sharing

    - simplify by shopping

      in thrift stores and thus 

      recycling rather than land fill  

      everything from clothing to a

      vintage Howdy Doody cap

      ( a cap like that would 

       get things going

      next time on the links!!)

    - being practically and

      locally active in politics 

      so that it gets a chance to be 

      what it's meant to be - 

     high minded, warm hearted 

     principles put into practice

    - moving away from the 

      trivia and falseness of so much 

     social media and instead

     calling people by phone, 

     writing them letters, 

     sending them pictures of the kids

   - selecting a career tract 

     that lifts and frees you 

     and lots of others

   - taking a gap year or two 

     to serve in groups like Sojourners, 

     Jesuit Volunteer Corps, L'Arche

    - starting a spirituality group 

      in the spirit of John Wesley's 

      "Ecclesiolae in Ecclesia"

      ( a little church within the church)

      for deeper community and 

      substantive soul share

     -securing farm and forest land preservation.

Between you, justice focused colleagues

and The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth,

you are sure to get creation wonderfully

                JUST RIGHT




Thanks to God and so many of you.

Our little, weekly circle of sharing

here at "frankly speaking"

continues to widen.

Let's daily hold each in God's Love.

May our love, prayers, 

and hopefully this blog,

support us all in vigorously living

our spiritual lives out here on

the street of everyday living,

in whatever country/context it runs 

through.



   Every goodness and blessing.

         Holding you and yours 

          In God's Dear Love,

                John Frank


                      *****


 We happily welcome those new

 to our weekly sharing here.

Thank you for your company.

To get a sense of 

what we are about here,

please do spend a few minutes 

and lots of self with

         - What's Going On Here?

                        and

         - Consider Your Source.

           (right column online) 
                    *****




               

              "frankly speaking"

          spirituality for the street

                         

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                     *****

                

          

                   





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