CONSPIRE

Dear All of Us,

So, how about all these conspiracy theories from the crazies making us crazy??
You know, attacks in Europe on 5G cell towers because they are emitting 
Covid-19 infections. Will someone ever be able to come up with a vaccine  
for that and allied illnesses of the head?
If not, before we know it the media will buzz with warnings that anyone who has two Skippy peanut butter sandwiches in a row will develop a four to five foot long monkey tale? How's that for swing from the trees??
Then we'll see the spooks spike more insanity saying that every other person who visits the birth place of Howdy Doody in Ozone Park, Queens will develop 
a face full of freckles.  O"Zoned Out" rageous. (Yah, that takes a bit of work!!).                                                                                                                                                  
OK, I admit it. I'm having fun with this.  But then it's altogether possible 
that in a former life I kept them loose and real as the court jester.

Whatever I am or was, in the craziness of our culture just now 
we all need to loosen up and take a deep breath, to breath in and out
the real and the good. Instead of sniffing out conspiracy theories
and other pollutants like fear and anger, we really need to share 
the very Breath of Life, The Holy Spirit and do that together. We

                                      CONSPIRE 

                                     
The word from the Latin means just that:  
                                     con = with 
                                     spiritus = breath, spirit, wind.
We breathe together, share  a spirit.

                    
Margaret McFarland and Fred Rogers did that every week 
for over twenty years right there in "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood". 
She was a preeminent child psychologist. He a gentle, creative pastor.
Together they worked out the approach, manner and content of every program. 
They breathed life and love into each other, shared a wonder filled spirit. 
Together they shared that spirit with millions of children, 
breathing life and love into them. 
                                        
                                     CONSPIRE
    
    Underpinning all of Margaret's mentoring and Fred's creativity 
              were two fundamentals as they conspired:
                        
                       Attitude isn't taught. It's caught. 
                            
                             Show what you love.

That's what was in the air there in "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood".
                                         
                                     CONSPIRE

May it be the air we breath together in the neighborhood of our here and now.
It will resuscitate people overwhelmed by the atmosphere of fear.
It will refresh people choking in the pollution and haze of uncertainty.
It will renew people out of breath because of constant, unending adjustments.

Our neighborhood needs the good and real, not in proposition or platitude,
but in person - in you, me. all of us together "showing" what we love,
living that approach, that "attitude" toward all.

                   
                  ATTITUDE ISN'T TAUGHT. IT'S CAUGHT



Our now neighborhood needs us actually living and breathing 
the eight attitudes of Jesus on how to be blessed,
have and share bliss and happiness.
Happy are those who...
      - keep it simple and open to God (poor)
      - in loss are open to fullness (mourn)
      - gentle to enrichment (meek)
      - find that right sure is (righteousness)
      - experience forbearance given and received (mercy)
      - clean it up inside and see clearly outside - God inside and out (purity)
      - help put the pieces together and be pretty together yourself (peace)
      - take it on the chin for God's sake (persecuted)
                                Matthew 5:3-11

These kinds of attitudes on how to be (be attitudes) 
are what others need, and need to catch from us in this troubled time.

Attitude is how we approach. It's our trajectory, stance, the angle of our living.
Little kids and puppy dogs get it right away. The rest of us take a bit longer, 
but we all catch on, we catch it the way a sail catches the wind (spiritus). 
No explanations needed. We breathe it together, we breathe into each other. We


                                    CONSPIRE
              
          " Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead."
                 
              " Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."
                                                                          Philippians 2:3 and 5

                               "That's the attitude."
That's how we want to approach, every person, place and particle in all creation.
We can't teach it, but others sure will catch it if we live and breath it.
                                 
                          
                             SHOW WHAT YOU LOVE
         

         The "attitude that Jesus had", and we want to have, 
         is to be the sexiest lover ever, red hot, full bore, passion plus. 
         We want to be loving full time, "All Out" because we're "All in".
         Together we 
                                     CONSPIRE

by showing what we love and loving the socks off, passionately caring for, 
going deep with everybody and everything: 
babies, ancient of days like me, those fat, those skinny, 
summer roses, a fine wine paired with a noble cheese, nerds, lookers, 
a Van Gough, the beach, a scientific discovery, a Susan Howatch novel,        
horseback riding, a mountain vista, that cranky boss, singing a song, 
sinking deep into scripture, helping the hurting - ALL ALWAYS!!


Love is what we fall into. We get lost in it. It's union.
It's the energy of the universe and whatever is beyond that. 
It's the Fullness, the Mystery we call God.
                                      
                                     "God is love." 
                                                         I John 4:8  

And Jesus, that Love Incarnate, shows us how to live and breath it, to show it.
                 " You shall love the Lord your God 
                   with all your heart, 
                   with all your soul, 
                   with all your mind. 
                   This is the greatest and first commandment. 
                   And the second is like it: 
                   You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 
                   On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets"
                                                                              Matthew 22: 37- 40

Yes, "ALL OUT" because we are "ALL IN".

In these days, and probably years, of Pan Problem we are like a team 
on the field of life playing football. All of a sudden football is gone 
and we are forced to play soccer. The field is the same, we are the same, 
but what's going on and how we go about it has thrown us for a loop. 
Right now people are stumbling, fumbling all over the place. 
Our attitude and love, our willingness to 
    
                                    CONSPIRE

is vital to a people that has had the wind knocked out of them. 
So, we share and show what we love, we live that attitude.

  - we go for broke with God, accept God as God is 
    and not as we want God to be, let God have us, 
    are completely passive to God and at the same time
    are passionately vigorous in our embrace of the embrace 
    as we are enfolded one in One.

  - we reverence and love all our neighbors - every particle, place and person
    in all of God's Presence and Creation. 

  - we love ourselves with that same completeness and passion, 
    joining in God's love of us.

With that attitude we show what we love in unending,
immediate, practical and personal ways.
Depending on local circumstances:

  -we ware a mask away from home 
   (even though it will hide our ferocious good looks!!)
  
 - we practice social distancing, but when possible,
   acknowledging others with a nod or wave -
   social defying distancing

 - we daily reach out to others by phone, Zoom, email, etc.,
   especially those alone one way or too many -
   Digital Holy Communion

 - we are patient with those closed in with us

 - we enter into love making with God frequently and fully

 - we give genuine attention and affection
    to those with whom we are in place -
    no distancing close up

 - we rearrange our schedule and preferments to favor others -
   stretching in care for union

 - we focus and comment on the times, but in a disciplined manner -
   no obsessive 24/7 fixation dominating our consciousness 

 - we give financial support to those in need.

   I know a young, professional couple working from home.
    They continue to pay the single Latina mother of four 
   who weekly cleans their home, but forego her help 
   and clean their home themselves instead for the safety of all.
    Now that's "Show what you love" 
   and what a blessed attitude on how to be,
   truly a "be attitude"

  - each day we find and share a belly jiggling joke

 - we are careful of our noise level and its impact on our neighbors
   during these close, closed in times

  - we find new and needed ways to show what we love,
    to share an attitude of real and good.


Society is gasping for air. 
There's a lot of death dealing in the air right now.
We don't have time for the crazies 
and their spirit stifling conspiracy theories. 
Out here on the street of Real at the corner of Peril 
we're "ALL IN" to
                              CONSPIRE 

          to breath together the Oxygen of Love.

                            John Frank

                             ******


This past week large numbers of new folks from the USA  
and from Turkmenistan joined in with us. 
Great to be together and share here at

                      "frankly speaking"

                  spirituality for the street

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                     HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

                             ******

                          










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There's a lot of death dealing attitudes in the air right now.

And attitude can only be caught.







  Our neighborhood needs the oxygen of Love Itself, not in talk but by embrace, in person, .