Sunday, November 18, 2018





Anyone here ever read the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy series…Let me just say this after this Gospel…
Don’t panic…

“In the series, Don't Panic is a phrase on the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The novel explains that this was partly because the device "looked insanely complicated" to operate, and partly to keep intergalactic travelers from panicking. "It is said that despite its many glaring (and occasionally fatal) inaccuracies, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy itself has outsold the Encyclopedia Galactica because it is slightly cheaper, and because it has the words 'DON'T PANIC' in large, friendly letters on the cover."
Arthur C. Clarke said Douglas Adams' use of "don't panic" was perhaps the best advice that could be given to humanity.
On February 6, 2018 SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket, carrying Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster which had "DON'T PANIC!" written on the screen on the dashboard.”[1] 

Now that’s reassuring
It is also recommended that as one travels through life to always know where one’s towel is…
“Somebody who can stay in control of virtually any situation is somebody who is said to know where his or her towel is. The logic behind this statement is presented in chapter 3 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy thus:
... a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: nonhitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, washcloth, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet-weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”[2]
Okay I have my towel…none of us are panicking. Yet ok then
Well here we are in a time of transition.  The more things stay the same the more they change. As we last saw our savior, he was making a comment about the scribes and how they devour widows.  We listen to how Jesus observed the rich casually give out of their abundance and the poorest of poor give out of her need.  Give out of her faith in God, and perhaps, her faith in the community of God as opposed to the leaders and the practices of the hierarchy of the temple.
In fact, her giving and Jesus teachings stand in sharp contrast to the temple and its practices.
So, after all these wonderful lessons to ponder, as they are just casually walking out of the temple one of his disciples turns and says to Jesus; “Teacher look what stones, and what buildings!”  Now we have the final moment when Jesus does the head to palm thing.
Was no one listening? Fine let me spell it out for you…This building, this place that you have put so much faith in… “there will not be left here a stone upon a stone that will not be destroyed!”  Come on guys its about the people not the building.
A Bit later Jesus is sitting on the mount of olives, about a 30-minute walk from the temple mount, this is the view as it looks today 

 and a few of his disciples ask him to go into detail about the end times.  Exactly when will this happen? 
Jesus began, “Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, ‘I am the one.’ They will deceive a lot of people.  When you hear of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history, and no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines, but these things are nothing compared to what’s coming.”[3] – The message
Chapter 13 is full of apocalyptic language. It is similar in ways to many other Jewish writings using similar images and language. “yet it is helpful to read the passage not so much as a predictive message about the future, but as a word addressing the issues pressing the Markan community at the time of writing. The events depicted in the chapter do not come out of a crystal ball of a divine soothsayer, but are the stuff of the community’s everyday life. The violence of war, the impending ( if not already completed) destruction of the temple, the perilous existence of the church under persecution, the enticing voices of false prophets and false messiahs were urgent concerns for the Christians community, and Mark 13 speaks directly to them”[4]
Mark here is incorporating actual events and telling his followers Don’t panic. “The warnings about false Christs are thought by some scholars to be warnings against others claiming to be the messiah or Christian teachers who claimed to actually be the reincarnation of Jesus. Acts of the Apostles 5:36-37 contains a description given by Gamaliel about Theudas and Judas the Galilean, both also mentioned by Josephus, who also claimed to be leaders of new movements.”[5]
These things were happening then and are happening now.  I mean we can all think of the great doomsday men standing on the street corner holding a sign the end is near…Jesus is coming…look busy!


Yes, we can find humor in it but imagine believing the messiah was coming at any moment.  That Jesus could appear in a minute and anticipating that… then how do you know which one is true when 5 or six show up? It must have been confusing and hard for the early believers. The romans were desecrating the temple before it was destroyed and they community had witnessed all of that.
So, Jesus is saying Don’t panic all these things will be…what will be will be...be present to the here and now. Be present to each other and stay spiritually focused.
Well isn’t that our Challenge today? How do we stay spiritually focused in the face of disaster?  How do we pause and put this all in God’s hands?
Our very nature as humans is, we want to be in control.  For example, we like to design our environments to suit us. At any given time on TV we can find a home make over show. We always are looking towards the next cooler gadget that will make our life easier.  Ok Google turn down the lights.
How many here thought the lights might actually dim?
There is nothing wrong with making our lives better, our homes more comfortable, our environment, well, ours! But then something happens.  Suddenly we do not have control and our response becomes panic, confusion, dismay, anger, pain, fear, isolation.
Now I am not talking about loosing a key or even having a cold.  How do we respond in the face of trauma?  Friends and families are being affected by fires allover our state. One friend of mine who was evacuated in Ventura county commentated “come one California either you are shooting at us or burning us out?” he could hear the gunfire at the borderline from his yard.
People in Santa Rosa hearts started racing as soon as they smelled the smoke. Anytime I smell smoke I ask is that a fire or a fireplace? I catch myself stopping.
Trauma is a hard thing and it stays with us. It will lie buried deep inside our selves till something like the smell of smoke triggers it.  Everyone remembers where they were on 9/11.  The shock was something awful.
“The immediate psychological effects were not limited to Ground Zero, the Pentagon or Shanksville, Penn. Elevated emotions reverberated throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. Many of us experienced what could be called sub-threshold symptoms—not enough distress to diagnose clinical disorder but sufficient to temporarily interfere with functioning. We felt angry, jittery, afraid and sad. We had difficulties concentrating and sleeping.”[6]
This is the immediate response of many people in the area to the fires.  This is the immediate response some have to a shooting no matter where it is.  This is the response some have when we here rhetoric of hate and condemnation.
Don’t panic, or more appropriately, try not to.
Breathe into your inner sacred space.  Find refuge with a friend, a loved one a confidant you can talk to.  Seek out counselors, or support groups. If you are in the midst of anything that is causing you to experience some level of trauma pray.
There is refuge in the stillness of Gods loving spirit.  There is comfort to be found in God’s loving community. I had a discussion recently on what to do when someone says I do not want your thoughts and prayers.  In the midst of tragedy and trauma a woman who lost her son was crying out.
Sandy Orfanos son had survived the shooting in Las Vegas only to die at the shooting at the borderline bar.
 “‘I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts. I want gun control,’ Susan Orfanos said on local TV.

‘And I hope to God nobody else sends me any more prayers,’ she said, vigorously shaking her head. She emphasized each word, demanding: ‘No more guns.’”[7] I can’t blame her for her anger. Yet I was asked what do oyu do in response to her statement. I pray. I do not have to tell her I am praying.  I do not have to send a message of thought and prayers. But I pray.  I believe in lifting prayers and it helps me not feel so helpless but then…
I have said this before in the face of trauma beyond our comprehension go with that first Christian response lift prayers but then… as things shift back to daily life seek out action.  What can we do? It is hard it seems meaningless or insignificant, but anything can help.  Donate blood, donate food, see if you can volunteer at a local shelter. I recently read comment on the Good Samaritan it is actually a quote from Margaret Thatcher; “no one would remember the Good Samaritan if he only had Good intentions” now she goes on to say he had money as well, but we all have currency. It does not need to be cash.
First, we pray and then we are called to act upon our intentions.
John Dorhauer wrote two years ago;
“At the end of a full year of open dialogue that engaged covenant partners across the full life of the denomination, the United Church of Christ Board affirmed a Purpose, Vision, and Mission statement for the denomination.
If you haven’t seen them yet, here they are:
Purpose:
To love our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and our neighbor as ourselves.
Vision:
United in Christ’s love, a just world for all.
Mission:
United in Spirit, inspired by God’s grace we welcome all, love all, and seek justice for all.
How beautiful is this? Love and justice are clearly seen by us as our missional imperatives. These commitments of offering a redeeming, transformative love to all, and in that love working to establish a just peace for all: this fully expresses why it is we were called into being…
The United Church of Christ Board would like to invite every setting of the denomination to begin prayerfully discerning this: in your setting for ministry, how do you and your worship family live out their call to build a just world for all?
I have the privilege of witnessing week in and week out how our local churches fulfill this mission. Even before we had the language that captured our mission impulse, we were bearing witness to the power of love to change the world.

In recent weeks, I have seen this love in action…
·         In a communion service held at the wall separating the US from Mexico where over 85 UCC members gathered from all across the country;
·         On the Dakota lands where tribal leaders and pastors led young activists to the front lines at the Standing Rock reservation on horseback and gave them a sense of pride, purpose, and identity;
·         In a 400 year old church in Barnstable MA where the worship space also serves as the town hall gathering place and a long time relationship with a sister church in Sri Lanka calls them to service a half a globe away;
·         At Holy Covenant UCC in Charlotte NC where I met one of the couples that successfully challenged the state’s laws criminalizing clergy for performing same gender weddings;
·         At the Samoan Church of Hawaii on the west shore of Oahu where every Sunday the faithful gather to sing their praises to the Creator;
·         With a group of clergy in Vermont who spent three days in the early fall processing the manifestation and impact of white privilege and making deeper commitments to becoming allies for racial equity.
What an honor to serve in this way and to bear witness to our ongoing commitment to build a just world for all. We are truly united in spirit and inspired by grace, and therefore welcome all, love all and seek justice for all.
We are the United Church of Christ.”[8]
I have seen this Church step up with food, with baskets for the fire victims, with a drive for habitat, with scarves and hats for the homeless.
There will be famine and war and rumor of war…don’t panic. There will be traumatic events…Don’t panic!
There will be people in shock and terror or suffering from trauma and it may be you.
Pause, Pray and then act…act to be Jesus’ hands and feet in this world and work to see the vision fulfilled of a Just World for all.




[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrases_from_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Don't_Panic
[2] Ditto
[3] Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2003. Mark 13:5-8
[4] Brueggemann, Walter, and Charles B. Cousar. Texts for Preaching. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993. Pg. 593
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_13
[6] http://time.com/4474573/911-september-11-trauma/
[7] https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/09/thousand-oaks-parents-i-dont-want-prayers-i-dont-want-thoughts-i-want-gun-control/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1d03732d7957
[8] http://www.ucc.org/congregations_weekly_a_just_world_for_all

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Of Scribes and Widows and a penny or two! Mark 12:38-44




I want to share the story of a humble priest…some of us read a little bit about him in book study Father Charles Coughlin he was an early supporter of Franklin Roosevelt's new deal.  In 1926, Coughlin began his radio broadcasts on station WJR, in response to cross burnings by the Ku Klux Klan on the grounds of his church. The KKK was near the peak of its membership and power in Detroit.
In January 1930, Coughlin began a series of attacks against socialism and Soviet Communism, which was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church. He also criticized capitalists in America whose greed had made communist ideology attractive to many Americans.[10] He warned, "Let not the workingman be able to say that he is driven into the ranks of socialism by the inordinate and grasping greed of the manufacturer."[11] Having gained a reputation as an outspoken anti-communist, in July 1930 Coughlin was given star billing as a witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
For a few years, the American public responded strongly: "Contributions which have flooded into his bank account as a result of these talks run into thousands of dollars weekly." This literally built the shrine. 
The tower built out of cement has a giant crucifix upon it. He is quoted as saying it is a cross the KKK couldn’t burn.
He eventually slowly drifted his stances into more and more antisemitic language and was eventually reprimanded and told to stick to being a parish priest and nothing more, which he did till his retirement.
Coughlin was mentioned in a verse of Woody Guthrie's pro-interventionist song "Lindbergh": "Yonder comes Father Coughlin, wearin' the silver chain, Cash on the stomach and Hitler on the brain." Not the greatest light to be remembered in…
Today's Gospel set the scribes in similar light I would say
Walter Brueggemann reminds us that; “A single scribe, like the one who asked about the first commandment, might be commended (12:28-34), but the habitual behavior of the scribes as a group comes in for severe criticism. Their pretentious practices-strolling about in long robes, seeking public acclaim, taking the best seats at the synagogues and local banquets, lengthy prayers-mask their ruthless exploitation of poor people, widows, who in a male-dominated society are left without defense. Jesus' denunciation of the scribes is reminiscent of the prophets who attack religious leaders for similar practices (for example, Isa. 10:1-2; Zech. 7:10).”[1]
The scribes here, with their ostentatious robes and prayers and their insistence on being first have lost their tether to the demands of God. Mark's Jesus has already told us that whoever wants to be first must be last and servant of all (10:35), Jesus’ argument against the scribes here is well documented in Marks gospel.
Mark uses rather dark imagery here “by saying that they "gobble up" or "devour" the house of the widow. Mark tends to pair together technical words that help associate disparate passages in his gospel. He does this with the tearing of the heavens and the tearing of the veil of the temple. He also uses the same word to describe the young man who flees in the garden and who sits on the empty tomb in chapter 16.
Mark uses the word devour in a similar way. In 4:4 it refers to the birds who "gobble up" the seed that the sower has thrown on the ground in the parable of the sower. These birds are interpreted by Jesus as Satan.”[2] I cannot help but believe that for Mark, this is very intentional, and it is very poetic and subtle. He does not hurl insult but instead weaves in a slight that only a contemporary reader or a careful reader today may catch.
Now for us this story is divided into two parts the scribes and the widow however as one commentator points out
“Sometimes the headings in English Bibles hinder us from seeing necessary connections.
The break between Mark 12:40 and Mark 12:41 with captions such as “The Widow’s Offering” or “A Poor Widow’s Contribution” or “An Act of Faithfulness” prompt readers to read 12:41-44 as a separate, distinct story from what precedes.
But this was more than a story about faithful giving. Yes, this widow “put in everything she had.” Yes, this woman, in this act of giving, acts unselfishly (even if unwisely). Yes, this unnamed character did what she thought she needed to do.
Furthermore, Jesus made the act of giving the point of his teaching. While he may not have concluded the observation by saying, “So, should you give all of your possessions,” he did seem to imply such an idea with his comparison to those who gave only some of their abundance. Yet, the story seems to be about more than that. Rather, this was a story -- especially in Mark’s narrative order -- that exposed the religious leaders for their hypocrisy. And, it may just expose us all!”[3]
I am going to let you in on a little-known secret. Many of us pastors fear exposure. Throughout seminary and in many conversations since with fellow clergy there is this under lying fear that at some point someone is going to say, “You fraud, you do not belong her get out!” Because we are human, because we know we fail, I know I fail. But you see that is the difference between the good scribe and the scribes mark is criticizing here.
The scribes here place themselves on a pedestal, lift themselves up as the example of how to live and more than that proclaim no one is better more righteous more holy than them.  Yes, they are literally holier than thou! 
“They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny
Summers by the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest!”
The scribes and Jesus were in tension throughout Mark’s Gospel. This tension was established right in the beginning of Mark’s story. A group of people classified Jesus’ teaching as possessing an “authority” the scribes they knew didn’t have. Oftentimes the scribes mistrusted Jesus’ various activities. In return, Jesus and his disciples questioned the influence of scribal teaching. At one point, the disciples, without Jesus’ around, argued with scribes over an ailing child. As his mission continued, Jesus recognized their antagonism, predicting that they would “reject” him and, eventually, “condemn him to death.” So, Jesus’ public critique, in 12:38-40, fit into the larger pattern of conflict that Mark portrays. Within this portrayal, the only exception to the theme was the one individual scribe who agreed with Jesus over the greatest commandment to love God and neighbor.[4]
“We'd like to identify ourselves with the widow of verses 41-44, but most of us North American Christians are the scribes of verses 38-40. Even when we live simply, we enjoy products and infrastructures whose provision devours the lives of the poor in the world. And no length of prayers can hide us and our love of what we have and what we've accomplished.”[5]
I believe this reality is staring us in the face today.  Our accusers are in the fellowship hall. The artists from around the globe who handmade items are being sold. Being sold at fair value. Which honestly is rarely the case.
“Serrv International is a nonprofit dedicated to fighting global poverty through fair and ethical trade.
Poverty remains a terrible reality for many of our world's citizens. While it exists everywhere, it's most severe in developing countries, where more than 700 million people—half of them children—live on less than $1.90 a day.
At Serrv, we work to fight poverty and improve lives through handwork. Behind every fair-trade handcraft, we sell, there's a story of positive change. And after nearly 70 years, we've seen what trading fair can do. Marginalized artisans and farmers who are empowered by sustainable employment, fair wages and safe working conditions find security and dignity in their work. They create stronger and healthier communities. They send their children to school. They hand down traditions of cultural craft.
History & Impact
One of the first fair trade organizations in the United States, Serrv was established in 1949 to help displaced refugees trade their handcrafts for income after the Second World War. As a founding member of both the World Fair Trade Organization and the Fair-Trade Federation, we've steadily increased our impact in the fight against global poverty. Today we employ and empower nearly 8,000 artisans and farmers in 24 countries.”[6]
I know this sounds like a commercial for our fair-trade fair but, what I am trying to do is draw in the lesson we are supposed to be paying attention too.  It is not about the gifts…It is not about the shopping experience…it is about working to create a fair and just world…
Each and every item in there was hand made by an artist, crafts person, skilled labor that is getting a fair wage for the art they create.  These are not sweat shops…these are not factory mass produced appropriations of someone’s culture. These are items made one at a time with love care and pride that allow people to provide for their families.  They create out of their need to survive we shop because in our abundance we can help monetarily but also spiritually.
One of my favorite items from fair trade is my terracotta candle holder that is inscribed upon it “I am Dipali Rani Paul. My father is the late Sachindra Chandra Paul. From my childhood I was inspired by seeing my father’s devotion to his work with terracotta.  I am dedicated to keeping up my father’s reputation. Today on his blessing I live on making terracotta goods. The trade keeps us alive.”
As we look at the story Jesus uses the example of the widow to continue his condemnation of the Scribes for she has nothing left to give but her last two coins. She stands in direct contrast to the scribes who seek praise who seek honor and glory. The widow gives out of her want.  She supports the church out of her need. Trusting that God will support her.
Notice id did not say trusting the Church would support her. Walter Brueggemann again asks a few poignant questions. “Does the story explicitly praise the widow’s actions?
“And sitting opposite the Treasury, he was gazing at how the crowd threw their change into the Treasury. And lots of wealthy people put in lots. Then there came a single destitute widow-woman: and she threw in two tiny. [coins], a farthing.
And summoning his disciples, he told them, ‘Amen I tell you: this widow, the destitute woman, threw more than all who threw [money] into the Treasury. You see, they all threw [in] from their surplus. But everything she, from her poverty, threw [in] everything she had, her whole life.'”[7]
I have heard sermons about giving out of our abundance just as the widow gave out of her need but, the question asked does the story explicitly praise the widow’s actions?  I must answer no…her actions are used to condemn the others, to condemn the scribes who devour widows’ houses.
The questions go on; “Why would she be commended for giving to a Temple whose destruction was at hand? Does she not rather serve as a concrete example of how innocent people are victimized by the Temple authorities? Jesus’ comments about the widow are really a lament about her plight and continue the denunciation of the scribes, who instead of caring for this woman as the law directed them to do are robbing her of her last dime.”[8]
When it comes to applying this today, how do you judge someone's intentions? How do you know a long prayer is for appearance rather than genuine piety? How do oyu know when someone is giving out of surplus or out of need?  Who are we to judge anyway? I do not think these are the questions we should be asking instead, what seems clear is Mark's intention to reevaluate value. In the Kingdom of God, what is valued and important is different from that of the human kingdom(s).
You see in this short story; the offering of the rich people is rendered unimportant or insignificant. It is budgeted there appears to be no effort or thought behind it. Yet, A poor widow, who gives everything she has, Jesus holds up as an example. Does this mean everyone should give everything they have? Maybe.
Remember much of Marks writing is about God’s Kingdom. When we view this part of the Gospel through this lense we see that Jesus is saying: where you put your money will show your allegiance. In other words, if you think it really belongs to Caesar, then go ahead and give it to him. Or if you think your money should be going to an institution that is hypocritical and ignoring its own commandments or better yet ignoring the greatest commandments. Love of God and Love of Neighbor then go ahead and throw your money away.
“This text isn't necessarily saying that everyone needs always to give everything. Instead, the widow has decided that her money, what little of it she had, belonged to God. This text, then, consistent with Mark's overall agenda, is about perspective and reevaluation. Those things that are valued in the kingdom of God differ from that in wider society.”[9]
The woman can represent those who see past the church’s failings, see past the buildings and the worship and the coffee hours. She sees and trusts in a church that represents God and God’s Kingdom here on earth.
“The things that are valued in the Kingdom of God differ from the human realm. Should we give our money to fund a new air-conditioning unit for the church? Should we give money so that our name goes on a plaque inside the door as a cornerstone giver? Are those the things valued in the kingdom? Or, should money be given to relief organization? Food pantries? Homeless shelters?”[10]
This is why we are a 5 by 5 church.  Yes, our money goes to the practical stuff but more importantly our money goes to our Churches wider mission. We are both practical that we need to keep up our place of worship we need a place to gather as community and yet… we need to reach out and serve our neighbors in need.
Finally, what may be more of an interesting challenge is well as they say “Time is money. What if, for us today, it is our time that is analogous to the widow? Helping those in need, doing something constructive with all of our resources, not just our money, might be a better way to embody this text than simply filling out a direct-deposit slip”[11] 
Talk about a penny for your thoughts…
This is a dualistic lesson it condemns the high and mighty and yet says to the high and mighty there is a better way… a different way it says though you have abundance you can still be on the right path.  I pray htat this community continues its wonderful journey of finding ways to meet the needs and the call of the community around us.
May we each find our own path to walk the way of Christ and to bring about Gods kingdom here and now amen.




[1] Brueggemann, Walter, and Charles B. Cousar. Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary, Based on the NRSV. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993. Pg. 584
[2] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1418
[3] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2662
[4] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2662
[5] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=441
[6] https://www.serrv.org/category/about-us
[7] King, Nicholas. The Bible: A Study Bible. Buxhall, Stowmarket, Suffolk: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.
[8] Brueggemann, Walter, and Charles B. Cousar. Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary, Based on the NRSV. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993. Pg. 584
[9] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1418
[10] Ditto
[11] Ditto

Sunday, November 4, 2018

For the Love of neighbor - Mark 12: 28-34




The two greatest commandments of all time…as I write this I am feeling angry, sad, fearful and at the same time I am at peace, full of Joy and full of love of our God. 
This past week has been hard with the shooting at the synagogue “Eleven lives were taken Saturday (October 27th) morning. Two other worshipers were injured and four officers also were injured. Among those killed: Middle-aged brothers, an elderly husband and wife and a grandmother nearing 100. Many of them had gathered for a naming ceremony, which marks the beginning of a baby's journey in the Jewish faith.
Those killed were Daniel Stein, 71; Joyce Feinberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; brothers Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and David Rosenthal 54; husband and wife Bernice Simon, 84 and Sylvan Simon, 86; Melvin Wax, 88; and Irving Younger, 69.”[1]
It is important to say the names and honor those who have passed…Love your neighbor as yourself…
“Before his life was so senselessly taken this past Saturday during the anti-Semitic terrorist act at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Jerry Rabinowitz, M.D., spent much of it adhering to the mitzvah calling on him to care for the sick around him and never to stand idly by the blood of his fellow. In a Facebook post made shortly after his death, ACT UP New York volunteer Michael Kerr memorialized Dr. Rabinowitz, detailing the compassion with which the doctor cared for people living with HIV in Pittsburgh at a time when many physicians either refused to accept them as patients or treated them with a toxic mixture of fear and judgment.

"In the old days, for HIV patients in Pittsburgh, [Dr. Rabinowitz] was to one to go to," Kerr wrote. "Basically before there was effective treatment for fighting HIV itself, he was known in the community for keeping us alive the longest. He often held our hands (without rubber gloves) and always always hugged us as we left his office. . . . [T]hank you Dr. Rabinowitiz [sic] for having always been there during the most terrifying and frightening time of my life. You will be remembered by me always."”[2]
“He was taken to my hospital and he’s shouting, ‘I want to kill all the Jews’,” Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, president of Allegheny General Hospital and a member of the Tree of Life Synagogue, told ABC. “The first three people who took care of him were Jewish” …
Another nurse, whose father is a rabbi, “came in from a mass casualty drill and took care of this gentleman.
“We are here to take care of sick people. We’re not here to judge you. We’re not here to ask ‘Do you have insurance or do you not have insurance?’ We’re here to take care of people who need our help,” he said.
Cohen says he and Bowers had a brief conversation at the hospital.
“When I stopped in, I asked him how he was doing. Was he in pain? And he said, ‘No. He was fine,'” Cohen said.
Cohen says Bowers then asked him who he was.
“I said I’m Dr. Cohen, president of the hospital. Then I turned around and left,” he said. “The FBI agent who was guarding him said, ‘I don’t know if I could have done that.’ And I said, ‘If you were in my shoes, I’m sure you could.”
This how we love our Neighbor as ourself…

 “A gunman who killed two people at a Kroger supermarket in Jeffersontown, Ky., on Wednesday (October 24th) tried to enter a predominantly black church minutes before the attack, the police said on Thursday.”[3] “A church member sitting in the parking lot saw the suspect banging on and pulling the door, trying to get inside, the affiliate reported.
"To think that an hour and a half earlier, we had 70 people in the church," church administrator Billy Williams told the affiliate. "But by the time he came through, all doors were locked, and there were probably eight or 10 still in the building."[4]
Again, we must say the names, those who were shot were Vickie Lee Jones, 67, and Maurice E. Stallard, 69, our hearts go out to their friends and family.
“Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf said the shooting has shattered a community that values its sense of family.
"We are kindred spirits no matter our walk of life or how we worship or what we look like. We take pride in that," he said.”[5]
We are kindred spirit and holding this up in the face of tragedy and hatred is exactly how we love our neighbor
I just read a story of a man who works with a religious non profit that is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist church called no more deaths. I have walked with no more deaths.  They work out in the hottest and most cruel part of the dessert.
“The mission of No More Deaths is to end death and suffering in the Mexico–US borderlands through civil initiative: people of conscience working openly and in community to uphold fundamental human rights. Our work embraces the Faith-Based Principles for Immigration Reform and focuses on the following themes:
Direct aid that extends the right to provide humanitarian assistance
Witnessing and responding
Consciousness raising
Global movement building
Encouraging humane immigration policy…
AID IN THE DESERT
No More Deaths maintains a year-round humanitarian presence in the deserts of southwestern Arizona. We work in the remote corridors into which migration has been pushed, where people are walking 30 to 80 miles. Volunteers hike the trails and leave water, food, socks, blankets, and other supplies. Under the direction of our medical team, volunteers provide emergency first-aid treatment to individuals in distress.”[6]
Our government has raided their offices and arresting nine employees and they arrested a “35-year-old college instructor, with a doctorate in geography and a history of academic and humanitarian work along the border, was found in a building known locally as “the Barn,” in the company of two young undocumented men from Mexico.
Accused of supplying the men with food, water, clothing, and a place to sleep…”[7]
Love your neighbor as yourself…Despite what our government may be doing…This organization in the past was given the same respect as the red cross…providing humanitarian aid…now our government chooses to treat them as criminals
Love your neighbor as yourself
There once was a great philosopher who has my sentiments worded better than I can myself…
“There's a local paper rolled up in a rubber band
One more sad story's one more than I can stand
Just once how I'd like to see the headline say
"Not much to print today, can't find nothin' bad to say", because
Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'ed, nobody burned a single buildin' down
Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today”[8]
God bless Anne Murray
Sometimes I feel like the young man who came to Jesus a few weeks ago and asked; “what more can I do?”… he walked away feeling sad and rejected...we can feel so powerless so overwhelmed
In times like these it is sometimes hard to love God…I am sure there are some family and friends of those people who are down right angry with God…you know that is okay too God can take it…God can take our anger, God can take our pain, God can take our dismay.  God can take it and take it and take it again. And then, when we can give no more away, when we are exhausted, and all angered out, when we have wrenched out every drop of pain to the point we have nothing left to give
God fills us back up.  God renews us. Gods spirit surrounds us protects us and holds onto us till we remember that we belong to God…Till we can sing todays psalm again

Praise the Lord.[a]
Praise the Lord, my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
8     the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
I do not know about you but I feel like I would like to see a bit more of that frustrating the ways of the wicked thing…although in the recent case of the attempted bomber maybe God has because not one bomb has detonated
“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. [One] experiences [oneself] . . . as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of [one’s] consciousness. . .. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. —Albert Einstein”[9]
What we truly need and long for is the presence of God…Especially in times like these.
“We cannot attain the presence of God because we’re already in the presence of God. What’s absent is awareness. Little do we realize that God’s love is maintaining us in existence with every breath we take. As we take another, it means that God is choosing us now and now and now and now. We have nothing to attain or even learn. We do, however, need to unlearn some things.
To become aware of God’s loving presence in our lives, we must accept that human culture is in a mass hypnotic trance. We’re sleepwalkers. All great religious teachers have recognized that we human beings do not naturally see; we have to be taught how to see. Jesus says further, “If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light” (Luke 11:34). Religion is meant to teach us how to see and be present to reality. That’s why the Buddha and Jesus say with one voice, “Be awake.” Jesus talks about “staying watchful” (Matthew 25:13; Luke 12:37; Mark 13: 33-37), and “Buddha” means “I am awake” in Sanskrit.
Prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It is, rather, a stance. It’s a way of living in the Presence, living in awareness of the Presence, and even enjoying the Presence. The contemplative is not just aware of God’s Loving Presence, but trusts, allows, and delights in it.
Faith in God is not just faith to believe in spiritual ideas. It’s to have confidence in Love itself. It’s to have confidence in reality itself. At its core, reality is okay. God is in it. God is revealed in all things, even through the tragic and sad, as the … cross reveals!
All spiritual disciplines have one purpose: to get rid of illusions so we can be more fully present to what is. These disciplines exist so that we can see what is, see who we are, and see what is happening. What is, is love, so much so that even the tragic will be used for purposes of transformation into love. It is God, who is love, giving away God every moment as the reality of our life. Who we are is love, because we are created in God’s image. What is happening is God living in us, with us, and through us as our unique manifestation of love. And each one of us is a bit different because the forms of love are infinite.”[10]
So in these times that feel so surreal let us always remember to stop and place ourselves in the presence of God.  Allow yourself to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Let us Love ourselves as God loves us so that we may be that presence of love to one another. Amen!



[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/10/29/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-what-we-know/1804878002/
[2] http://www.thebody.com/content/81446/honoring-the-love-shown-to-the-hiv-community-by-tr.html?ic=700100&utm_source=TheBody&utm_campaign=faad7be304-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_15_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8008bcedc6-faad7be304-87728293
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/us/louisville-kroger-shooting.html
[4] https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/26/us/kentucky-kroger-shooting/index.html
[5] https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/26/us/kentucky-kroger-shooting/index.html
[6] http://forms.nomoredeaths.org/about-no-more-deaths/
[7] https://theintercept.com/2018/04/30/were-gonna-take-everyone-border-patrol-targets-prominent-humanitarian-group-as-criminal-organization/
[8] Songwriters: Rory Michael Bourke / Charlie Black / Tommy Rocco
A Little Good News lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management, Words & Music A Div Of Big Deal Music LLC, recorded by Anne Murray 1983
[9] Albert Einstein, Condolence letter to Norman Salit (March 4, 1950). Reprinted in The New York Times, March 29, 1972, https://www.nytimes.com/1972/03/29/archives/the-einstein-papers-a-man-of-many-parts-the-einstein-papers-man-of.html.
[10] Richard Rohr’s Daily meditation Oct, 29 2018; Adapted from Richard Rohr: Essential Teachings on Love, ed. Joelle Chase and Judy Traeger (Orbis Books: 2018), 12, 25.