Daily Dose (Mar 4 – 7)

TUESDAY MAR 4 —

A Nigerian woman, a physician at a teaching hospital in the United States, attended a Gordon MacDonald lecture. After, she approached Gordon, to offer kind words of affirmation. She introduced herself using an American name.
“If I may ask,” Gordon inquired, “what’s your African name?”
The woman pronounced her name, several syllables long, with a musical sound to it.
“And what does your name mean?” Gordon asked.
She answered, “It means ‘Child who takes the anger away.'”
When he inquired about its origin, she told him the story.
“My parents had been forbidden by their parents to marry. But they loved each other so much that they defied the family opinions and married anyway. For several years they were ostracized from both their families. Then my mother became pregnant with me. After my birth, and when the grandparents held me in their arms for the first time, the walls of hostility came down. I became the one who swept the anger away. And that’s the name my mother and father gave me.”

This week, we embrace the theme; Let us place love at the center.
To “place love at the center, the center that holds solid as all around it breaks, the solid place that becomes the fort of what is unbreakable in us and the fulcrum of change.” (Dana Brown)
Gratefully, this we know: Fear is not the final answer.
And I talked about another one of my heroes, John Lewis and the light he spilled in our world.
“Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this planet with goodness,” Lewis wrote. “Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.”

WEDNESDAY MAR 5 —

A blessed Lent to all who celebrate this season. And even for those who do not celebrate, it is still an enriching invitation to us all. The invitation to fast from withdrawal or apathy, and to be engaged.
Okay, as a preacher, I will confess that homilies (sermons) can often feel tedious. But there are times, when a homily can re-settle my soul. And on those occasions, I say, Thank You and Amen.
And I’ve been rereading a message (homily) from Pope Francis (Ash Wednesday of 2018) that has been just what I need today.

“We are subject to numerous temptations. Each of us knows the difficulties we have to face. And it is sad to note that, when faced with the ever-varying circumstances of our daily lives, there are voices raised that take advantage of pain and uncertainty; the only thing they aim to do is sow distrust. If the fruit of faith is charity – as Mother Teresa often used to say – then the fruit of distrust is apathy and resignation. Distrust, apathy and resignation: these are demons that deaden and paralyze the soul of a believing people.
Lent is the ideal time to unmask these and other temptations, to allow our hearts to beat once more in tune with the vibrant heart of Jesus. The whole of the Lenten season is imbued with this conviction, which we could say is echoed by three words offered to us in order to rekindle the heart of the believer: pause, see and return.
Pause a little, leave behind the unrest and commotion that fill the soul with bitter feelings which never get us anywhere. Pause from this compulsion to a fast-paced life that scatters, divides and ultimately destroys time with family, with friends, with children, with grandparents, and time as a gift… time with God.
Pause for a little while, refrain from the need to show off and be seen by all, to continually appear on the “noticeboard” that makes us forget the value of intimacy and recollection.
Pause for a little while, refrain from haughty looks, from fleeting and pejorative comments that arise from forgetting tenderness, compassion and reverence for the encounter with others, particularly those who are vulnerable, hurt and even immersed in sin and error.
Pause for a little while, refrain from the urge to want to control everything, know everything, destroy everything; this comes from overlooking gratitude for the gift of life and all the good we receive.
Pause for a little while, refrain from the deafening noise that weakens and confuses our hearing, that makes us forget the fruitful and creative power of silence.
Pause for a little while, refrain from the attitude which promotes sterile and unproductive thoughts that arise from isolation and self-pity, and that cause us to forget going out to encounter others to share their burdens and suffering.
Pause for a little while, refrain from the emptiness of everything that is instantaneous, momentary and fleeting, that deprives us of our roots, our ties, of the value of continuity and the awareness of our ongoing journey.
Pause in order to look and contemplate!

See the gestures that prevent the extinguishing of charity, that keep the flame of faith and hope alive. Look at faces alive with God’s tenderness and goodness working in our midst.
See the face of our families who continue striving, day by day, with great effort, in order to move forward in life, and who, despite many concerns and much hardship, are committed to making their homes a school of love.
See the faces of our children and young people filled with yearning for the future and hope, filled with “tomorrows” and opportunities that demand dedication and protection. Living shoots of love and life that always open up a path in the midst of our selfish and meagre calculations.
See our elderly whose faces are marked by the passage of time, faces that reveal the living memory of our people. Faces that reflect God’s wisdom at work.
See the faces of our sick people and the many who take care of them; faces which in their vulnerability and service remind us that the value of each person can never be reduced to a question of calculation or utility.
See the remorseful faces of so many who try to repair their errors and mistakes, and who from their misfortune and suffering fight to transform their situations and move forward.
See and contemplate the face of Crucified Love, who today from the cross continues to bring us hope, his hand held out to those who feel crucified, who experience in their lives the burden of failure, disappointment and heartbreak.
See and contemplate the real face of Christ crucified out of love for everyone, without exception. For everyone? Yes, for everyone. To see his face is an invitation filled with hope for this Lenten time, in order to defeat the demons of distrust, apathy and resignation. The face that invites us to cry out: “The Kingdom of God is possible!”

Pause, see and return. Return to the house of your Father. Return without fear to those outstretched, eager arms of your Father, who is rich in mercy (cf. Eph 2:4), who awaits you.
Return without fear, for this is the favourable time to come home, to the home of my Father and your Father (cf. Jn 20:17). It is the time for allowing one’s heart to be touched… Persisting on the path of evil only gives rise to disappointment and sadness. True life is something quite distinct and our heart indeed knows this. God does not tire, nor will he tire, of holding out his hand (cf. Misericordiae Vultus, 19).
Return without fear, to join in the celebration of those who are forgiven.
Return without fear, to experience the healing and reconciling tenderness of God. Let the Lord heal the wounds of sin and fulfil the prophecy made to our fathers: “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek 36: 26).
Pause, see and return!”
(Pope Francis, Basilica of Santa Sabina, Ash Wednesday, 14 February 2018, Holy Mass, Blessing and Imposition of the Ashes)

THURSDAY MAR 6 — I do remember the times when a much younger Terry saw Lent as the constraint (obligation?) to give up something I’d rather not give up, say chocolate, or Scotch, for the month. Which is all well and good. But looking back, there was a part of me that believed the payoff was in the giving up (somehow rewarded for being deprived).
It is true, there is indispensable power in saying, “No”.
However, what I missed with my narrow focus, was the transformative power of saying, “Yes”. In other words, the power of being (and invitation to be) invested and engaged. Literally being embodied, and at home in my own skin.
Bottom line; I choose to fast from (say No to) hurry and panic, because I choose to feast on (say Yes to) the power of pause.
I choose to…
Fast from apathy and withdrawal, and feast on the gift of presence.
Fast from self-pity, and feast on compassionate connection.
Fast from ill temper, and feast on the refuge of peace.
Fast from resentment, and feast on gratitude and contentment.
Fast from despair, and feast on the light of hope.
Fast from cynicism, and feast on the gift of joy.
Fast from panic, and feast on the restorative gift of sanctuary.
Fast from hurtful words, and feast on the healing power of gentleness and kindness.

Yes. And Amen. And let us not forget… One step at a time. One day at a time.
This isn’t a race or a contest or a beauty pageant.
And gratefully, we are on this journey together.

On our journey this Lenten season, I want us to carry with us Laura Jean Truman’s prayer:
“Keep our anger from becoming meanness.
Keep our sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.
Keep our hearts soft enough to keep breaking.
Keep our outrage turned towards justice, not cruelty.
Remind us that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.
Keep us fiercely kind.”

FRIDAY MAR 7 — Lent is a season for fasting. Or emptying. Which is not a bad thing to do, when our mind, heart and spirit can be (or feel) chock-a-block. Yes, cluttered. And muddled. I do know the feeling.
And we’ve all had moments looking at the boxes of stuff—piles that fill our garage (and closets)—and wonder (often out loud), “Why can’t I let some go of some of this?”

Granted, there are some who are wired to clean. As if they were born with the spiritual gift of meticulous. Just sayin’
But again, let us remember that fasting is not emptying just for sake of emptying.
Here’s the deal: When we empty (when we let go), we make space.
And that space, is a gift—a healing, cleansing, restorative gift.
We make space for paying attention.
We make space for the awareness of God’s presence.
We make space for apologies and course-corrections in our life.
We make space to be embraced by grace.
We make space for being at home with “this” self, which allows us to be fully engaged in “this” life.
We make space for gratitude which fuels generosity and empathy.
And when we let go of a too-narrow focus about fasting (only saying No), we make space for the transformative power of saying, “Yes”.
In other words, the power of being (and invitation to be) invested.
I often forget that I get to choose how the story ends.
Ahhh yes, I do sometimes forget. Which is making me smile real big, as I am remembering a Hafiz poem called “I sometimes forget”, that does my heart good.

“I sometimes forget
that I was created for Joy.
My mind is too busy.
My heart is too heavy
for me to remember
that I have been
Called to dance
the sacred dance of life.
I was created to smile.
To Love.
To be lifted up
and lift up others.
O’ Sacred One
untangle my feet
from all that ensnares.
Free my soul
that we might
Dance
And that our dancing
might be contagious.”
Hafiz

Going into our weekend, let’s give Laura Jean Truman the last word, “It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon. This is what we do here—feel it all, say it all, repent of our complicity, dismantle old systems, try to discover new ways of being, learn from the marginalized, listen to the Spirit, learn how to be very still when we want to move and learn how to get up and shake the dust when we want to curl up and not respond.”

Onward together my friends.

Prayer for our week…
I was grateful to see this “breath practice” from Cole Arthur Riley. It is perfect for Lent.
Inhale: I will not be silenced by fear.
Exhale: A quivering voice is still sacred.
Inhale: God, my soul trembles.
Exhale: Steady me in your arms.
Inhale: I will meet this fear with rest.
Exhale: God, steady me in your arms.
(Cole Arthur Riley, Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human)

Photo… “Dear Terry, As my brother‘s life nears its end  on earth, this early look of spring lifts my heart.” Mary Ann Seiwerath (Gig Harbor, WA)… Thank you Mary Ann, and prayers for your brother and your family… I’m so grateful for your photos, please send them to tdh@terryhershey.com