Right now the old codger’s gimpy body’s giving him the message that he ain’t getting any younger. Sitting here sipping iced tea as he tries to recuperate from his latest gardening escapade in the growing near summer heat, it’s also occuring to him that reading the giant-sized font and headings for his last few columns might lead some readers to believe that Armageddon’s coming, if not already here. Hey, the codger doesn’t write the headlines, though you’ve got to admit they’re kind of catchy.
Getting to more serious stuff, we’ve been trying to explore in these last few weeks something called faith, and why it’s probably a good thing, if honestly held and embraced, particularly right now, Armageddon alarms or not.
I know faith’s kind of an abstract term. Does it call for us to just accept stuff, whether it’s “what’s Caesar’s?” or supposedly “curated” religious dogma; or does it demand that we as human beings look for and embrace goodness, purity of heart, justice, truth and the capacity for love of that and those around us in this brief life we share?
I’m thinking from a Christian perspective at least, that Pope Leo’s kind of on point on that issue.
Christian faith calls on us to open ourselves, not close ourselves off. If we find ourselves resisting that message, maybe we ought to look inside and ask why we feel that way.
In fact, the codger’d argue that we can’t ever honestly see God, the creator, Jehovah, that thing or being greater than any of us, unless we open ourselves to love and acceptance. If we find ourselves scoffing and calling that message naive, take a look at what He actually repeatedly said … and … what He actually did… for us all.
Why the heck would He want to communicate with someone, anyone … whose hearts, minds and souls are filled to overflowing with thoughts of revenge, anger, hate, fear and/or any kind of lust for physical things (or other humans beings)? Kinda common sense if you think about it.
And, if our hearts are quietly, humbly, lovingly open, maybe we can actually see Him and maybe even listen to him, and yep, maybe even hear him when He tells us what He asks of us.
What’s a good time to start? The old codger’s sure no expert here, but he’d offer that any time we’ve got a quiet moment wouldn’t be a bad time.
But, those folks who put their lives on the line repeatedly in the years after He gave His for us a couple of thousand years ago might be some good folks to pay attention to. They listened to Him when He told them that if they had faith, He’d be miraculously present through a simple mixture of flour and water baked into bread. Whoa… What the hey!
But, they listened. They believed. And to celebrate the 200th anniversary of their settling and gathering here in this part of the Mississippi valley, last weekend they walked with Him in faith through the streets of Perryville, holding Him up for all of us to see. And if we were really, really quiet, in our hearts and minds, so that we could actually listen to Him … those folks who were there in heart and mind and soul, might have truly heard Him speak to us! Did you happen to be there?
Kinda brings a chill to you if you think about it. Yep, might have been a good time for us to start that walk.
Sitting here trying to sort out his aches and pains, listening to the birds and sipping iced tea as the breeze shifts the leaves of the spreading River Tree, the old one can’t help feeling that turning away from hate and fear and beginning a walk of faith with Him might be a good start for a whole mess of us.
