Thursday, January 9, 2020
UNDERSTAND
Dear All Of Us,
How do you understand
evil and pain?
The kind that happens when
a thirteen year old girl
trying to escape
the horrors and violence
in El Salvador
is gang raped into pregnancy.
The kind that happens
when tornados and earthquakes devastate.
The kind that happens when
a gentle old lady writhes in pain
on her death bed.
The kind that happens when
a teenage boy is told
he is not welcome in a church
because he is gay.
The kind that happens as
this planet is plundered and polluted into peril.
The kind that happens
when no matter how hard you work
you just can't support your family.
The kind that happens when
your spouse gives
body and preference
to another.
The kind that happens when
media and political people
spew hate talk and lies
that polarize and fracture.
The kind that happens when
anxiety and depression
force a person into
a hell hole of dark despair.
How do you understand
evil and pain?
That's what I puzzle,
what I try to understand,
but I just can't.
Paradoxically this
plays off against
what I do and
don't understand
about God.
Please stay tuned!!
I do understand
that none of us
can ever or even come close
to figuring out the fullness,
The Love Mystery,
Who is God.
But happily
I do realize that
what we can't intellectually understand
we can deeply experience.
It's like a baby
being greatly loved
by its mother.
Not much rational understanding involved,
but what an incorporation and experience it is.
By comparison, though we don't intellectually understand
all that much about God,
we sure can accept the experience
of immersion and enfoldment
in God and in God's beautiful,
cosmic, evolving creation.
I understand that God,
the Energy of All That Is,
is incarnate in creation,
Being Itself holding all in being :
people, place, spirit,
elements, occurrence
-embryonic life to an
Olympic gold medalist,
-a Spring sprout
to Shakespeare,
-specks of matter
to mighty mountains.
I don't understand how,
but I do understand so.
What I don't understand is this.
Given God's goodness,
how is it that
evil and pain
plague us
and all creation?
Yes indeed, and for sure,
that's a question as old as
the first mosquito bite and
Cain's murder
of his brother Abel.
I just can't figure out
the mix of good and evil,
the mix of God, creation,
chaos, delight and pain -
can't figure it out
but sure do experience it
as does all creation.
I don't understand how,
but I do understand so.
In no way am I alone
with this inability.
It's a universal puzzlement.
And that's important
to know as we try
to live our spiritual lives
in good times and bad times,
with things understandable
and not at all so,
out here on
the street of everyday
occurrence and experience.
There's more mystery than not.
To experience it is one thing,
to attempt to fathom
it is quite another.
All kinds of think sorts
over the span
of human experience
have had a try
at explaining
the mystery
of good and evil.
Sure, some have
come up with
helpful insights,
but no one nails it,
no one can figure it out.
Creation is evolving.
That's beautiful
and good.
But it still hurts
to birth a baby.
WHY?
In our spiritual lives
many of us are trying
to accept the life invite
of Jesus become The Christ.
That very Jesus experienced
all sorts of good and evil
in his day and way,
just as we do in ours.
Our spiritual lives
are a living out of this
Jesus become The Christ,
and of God's evolving creation,
and both in our way and place.
We experience
good and evil
as we grow,
groan and glow
with all into All.
I don't understand how,
but I do understand so.
In our meditation and prayer
as we ponder all this,
more in our heart than in our head,
we are steadied and assured by
The Spirit:
I consider that the sufferings
of this present time
are not worth comparing
with the glory about
to be revealed to us...
for creation was subjected
to futility...in hope that
the creation itself will be
set free from
the bondage to decay...
We know that
the whole creation
has been groaning
in labor pains until now...
We know that all things
work together for good
for those who love God,
and are called
according to his purpose.
Portions of Romans 8: 8, 20 ,21, 22
*****
Then I saw a new heaven
and a new earth...
(God) will wipe away every tear
from their eyes.
Death will be no more,
mourning and crying and pain
will be no more,
for the first things
have passed away
"See, I am making all things new.
Portions of Revelation 21: 1, 4, 5
*****
We actually understand
just a bit
of the mystery of
good and evil
as we grow into ALL,
and yet into ALL
we do grow!
I don't understand how,
but I do understand so.
Right after I die, when God
and I have had our hugs
and settled into some
good wine and cheese,
I'm going to lead off with
"So, why mosquitos?"
Thanks for your good company.
God loves you and so do I !!
John Frank
*****
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and it is great to have your company!!
Welcome!!
******
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with friends and colleagues.
It's the main way we connect with
new folks as we gather here each week.
*****
"frankly speaking"
spirituality for the street
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See you all next week!!!!
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