A FEW MORE THAN
FOOR WORDS
Dear All of Us,
So good for all of us
to be here together.
Really, really GOOD!
Going to have
a try at posting
"frankly speaking"
on Wednesday evenings
instead of early
Thursday mornings.
In all honesty,
I hope to sleep better
Wednesday evenings
and later Thursday mornings.
Reactions/suggestions
welcome.
About this posting:
A previously shared
experience
is referenced.
It is an apt,
yet painful,
metaphor
to fix our focus.
That focus is frightful.
That focus is faithful.
For all the heavy lifting
this posting involves,
may we be refreshed in
the joyous goodness
of our postscript.
Thanks!
*****
Dear All of Us,
I had just celebrated
the noon Mass
and stopped at our
local paper store.
A man garbed me,
put a gun in my face
and told me
to shut up.
He shoved me
to the back of the store.
Another man
was pistol whipping
the owner.
There we were,
a middle aged woman,
Doctor Jones,
the traumatized owner,
me a priest, and
little ten year old Bobby.
Bobby had come to buy
combo packets of
baseball cards
and bubble gum.
He stood there
and wet his pants
all over the floor.
FRIGHTFUL
Bobby showed it.
We all felt it.
That sad scene
is for me an icon
of what we all
face and feel
these days.
As a people
we are in peril.
Some of us show it.
All of us feel it.
FRIGHTFUL
The world wide
pandemic is
far from finished
with us.
Millions miss that.
Millions won't miss
the consequences.
The Chinese are
arming for war -
creating numerous
new missile silos,
expanding naval power
and sea reach, plus, plus...
Wall Street is
a lane of delusion.
Eventually a pin
will prick the bubble
of overreach
and millions will be
short changed.
Mass media pumps
lethal misinformation.
Phony conspiracy theories
pollute truth, confuse
minds and hearts.
Donald Trump peddles
The Big Lie
and calls the January 6th.
insurrectionists "patriots".
It's a culture war
morphing to a blow out
of who knows what
dimensions and dangers.
"To be a democracy,
or not to be a democracy,
sure is the question"
and the answer is
anything but clear.
The Russians
and others taunt
and jeopardize
a fragile cyber system.
World and corporate leaders
dither and demure
as climate crisis devastates.
Institutional religion implodes.
Less than half of U.S. citizens
are even nominally left,
with more and
more leaving -
a spiritual drought.
Where do we go?
FRIGHTFUL
How live a
"spirituality for the street"
in this stretch of
frightful history?
We respond by being
FAITHFUL
We settle into God,
FAITHFUL
to God being
FAITHFUL
to us.
As uneasy as we all are,
we live trust.
We ban together
and really live
The Gospels.
"And when
two or three
of you
are together
because of me,
you can be sure
that I'll be there."
Matthew 18:20
The Message
That's powerful company
we can trust.
FAITHFUL
to
FAITHFUL
We trade in a lot of
ritual, feel good,
institutional religion,
for actual and genuine
Soul Centered Spirit Life.
"But there's also this,
it's not too late -
God's personal Message!-
Come back to me
and really mean it!
Come fasting and weeping,
sorry for your sins!'
Change your life,
not just your cloths.
Come back to God,
your God"
Joel 2: 12-13
The Message
Metanoia
A chance for
essential change,
real change,
rock real
centered in
The Center
FAITH-FULL
to
FAITH-FULL
We relocate
values, life style,
behavior,
Soul Stance.
We move in
with Jesus.
"I've loved you
the way my Father
has loved me.
Make yourself
at home
in my love."
John 15:9
The Message
That's way more
than a motel stay.
It's all the way in
moved into
God Loved
Union
FAITHFUL
to
FAITHFUL
We do a heads up
a hard hear
"But since
I picked you
to live
on God's terms
and no longer
on the world's terms,
the world is going
to hate you."
John 15:19
The Message
No Comfy Casual
Christianity
for us
Picked by Jesus
and paying for it
living on terms
anchored in
God's Realness.
FAITHFUL
to
FAITHFUL
We see straight
down the street
"I've told you
these things
to prepare you for
rough times ahead."
John 16:1
The Message
Rough road ahead
We're not going
to get
an easy go
so we go
FAITHFUL
to
FAITHFUL
Blessed Assurance
is way more than
a Sunday hymn.
"I've told you
all this so that
trusting me,
you will be
unshakable
and assured,
deeply at peace.
In this godless world
you will continue
to experience difficulties.
But take heart!
I've conquered the world."
John 16: 33
The Message
All this is raw real.
I live in Washington, D.C.
January 6th. was a terror.
We came within an inch
of our
democratic process
being destroyed,
of bloodshed ensuing
across the nation,
and world order
being jeopardized.
I was literally
on the street
- Connecticut Avenue -
the later afternoon
of the 6th.
when a black,
government SUV
went racing downtown.
Something was wrong.
A few minutes later
came the emergency
warning on the cellphone.
The Mayor had declared
a curfew.
Got home and
on the computer.
Heard and saw
the violent storming
of the Capital,
forcing a halt as
Congress was attempting
to certify the
presidential election.
Our whole family
quickly came
to our home
for safety
and stayed all night.
We feared a
government take over
and consequent violence.
The streets were not safe.
I did what I could
to steady my family.
I accepted the strength
and peace Jesus promises.
That night was
FRIGHTFUL
The way we are headed
the chance of more such is
FRIGHTFUL
Some of us show it.
We all feel it.
The only way forward
is to face
Frightful
and be
FAITHFUL
"...trusting me
you will be
unshakable
and assured,
deeply at peace."
Reporting from Washington
and
The Scriptures,
John Frank
******
FYI
As it turned out,
the two robbers
got what they could
as quickly as they could
and beat a hasty retreat.
The police said a priest
in full clerical garb
walking in on their robbery
threw them off.
The police mentioned
that they were dangerous,
violent, drug addicts
known to them.
The store owner
had to go to the ER
and eventually recovered.
We all were
basket cases for days.
The store owner's wife
came quickly.
She gave little Bobby
the complete
supply of those combo
bubble gum/baseball card
packets.
******
A Heart Felt
WECOME
to all.
This week we had
our first ever visit
from
Morocco
How wonderful
"frankly speaking"
spirituality for the street
POSTED
early Thursday mornings
east coast USA time
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******
I love being able to share
with you all
every week.
Thank You!
My goal is
to clarify
and
to encourage
as together
we live out
our spiritual lives
here on the street
of everyday living. -
"spirituality for the street"
POST SCRIPT
New to my living is
Oliver Martin Minnich
aka
"Ollie"
He is a wonder.
Bright, Active, Relational
A Love
Since there have been requests
for a picture
- and am I ever happy to oblige -
Well, Enjoy!!
