Dear All of Us,
There aren't too many of us left.
We're a vanishing breed.
Most of us have aged out/died.
And most people don't want
to know about it anyway.
They find the whole thing
somewhere between
ridiculous to scarry to dreadful.
Now promise not to run off.
It's this
I am an ordained exorcist.
It was one of the
four minor orders
Porter, Lector,
Exorcist, Acolyte,
on the way to
priestly ordination years ago.
They are no longer observed.
In a way they, though,
the good order of exorcist
is very much current and
good it is in the observance.
There are all sorts of exorcists
and needs to be.
In a way we all are exorcists.
We have a heck of a lot of
wrong to be righted,
of evil to be exorcized.
It's systemic, it relational,
it's personal, physical,
ecological, social, corporate,
religious, governmental.
It's critical that we see it,
say it, not settle for it,
that we excise it.
Evil of any sort
is a lack of
God Right Reality.
It's critical that we
EXERCISE
God's Love
to clear/clean it out,
replace that lack with
God Good Order
God Right Reality
and
Fresh Fullness.
That's what Jesus did
and still wants to do
through us,
his disciples,
The Body of Christ.
It's a holy work out.
Because evil of any sort is
that deficit of good,
of God's good order
in creation,
we work to right the wrong,
to repair and renew the damaged,
to heal wounds.
Doctors, parents, social workers,
teachers, pastors, policy makers,
scientists, writers, publishers,
environmentalist, therapists,
attorneys, repair persons,
restorers, arbitration people,
peacemakers, police officers,
AA members, foster parents
and nice, just regular folks
like you and i hope me -
all sorts exercising good
to making whole and healthy.
Each excises evil
exercising good.
We all do in our way and place.
A white family welcomes
and befriends a black family
in an all-white neighborhood.
Neighbors clear a trashed lot
and grow a community garden.
A group of residence
in a senior citizens community
work hard to incorporate the
community's "odd balls,"
the "fuddy duddys,"
into what's going on.
Parents organize
supplemental learning sessions
when the school system
denies access to a full
and truthful curriculum
in history, literature, the arts,
science, social studies.
In like manner, groups establish
a lending library when
the local one is
weaponized
and diminished,
victim to the area's
restrictive culture war.
Families keep parents
at home and cared for
in years of declining health.
A politician risks
votes and office
to champion
social justice legislation.
We completely forgive
a deep hurt.
The family is patient
with the one of them
who just can't get on
their own two feet - ever!
Gossip stops
at our hearing
and we urge the same
of the gossiper.
We continue helping
the needful asker
who never thanks.
We risk a friendship
in challenging a manifestly
immoral business practice.
We put our money
where are morals are
and stretch to help
a food pantry survive.
We work to move our church
from the comfortable pew
to the streets of
community service.
We put ourselves
under the guidance of
The Holy Spirit,
accepting the wisdom
to know when and what
to do or not,
never getting
"holier than thou"
about working to transform
bad to good.
We are motivated
and energized
by God's Goodness,
never being propelled
by self-righteousness.
In one way and many we
seam the tear,
clean the fowl,
straighten the crocked,
make whole the holes
of lack and need.
Given the bedevilment
in the Middle East just now,
we vigorously support an
immediate cease fire between
Israel and Hamas
and the development,
no matter the cost,
of a workable, just solution
to the evils on both sides.
We light a fire under
religious leaders to stop
playing it footsie and
take a stand for a
global spiritual determination
to finally move past
the Shoot Outs between the
Hatfield's and McCoys among us
and Live God's Love
in justice and peace.
Each excises evil
exercising good.
It's hard work, but then,
exercise is good for you,
none more so than the
"wholely" work out
of
God Good
EXERCISE
******
So glad we all are
here together
at
frankly speaking
spirituality for the street
johnfrankshares.blogspot.com
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Looking forward to
being together here
next week
Love to all
John Frank
