The Chicken and the Pig

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me...What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"

I Can Fly

by R. Kelly

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I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day

Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

If I can see it, then I can be it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it...

The chicken and the pig may be a way to illustrate this teaching, a paradox like so many of the Christ's teachings. This little saying of the chicken and the pig goes like this: In the course of preparing a typical bacon, egg and toast breakfast there is some distinction to be made. For while the chicken gives an egg to the breakfast, the pig makes the total sacrifice. And the Christ challenges us likewise with his passion and death on the Cross. He exhorts one to make a commitment, to pick up ones' cross and follow as disciples.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.  Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”   St. Matthew 24-28
This is the prime condition of a disciple. And a chief mystery of faith is that we may first believe and then see. Belief has not a lot to do with facts or intellect. It is the gift of simple knowing. One just knows or senses deeply within the rightness of a feeling, a person or a relationship with others.

Belief versus Faith

"Do not fear, only believe." --Gospel of Mark 5:36

Suzanne

by Roberta Flack

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... Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
He spent a long time
Watching from a lonely wooden tower

And when He knew for certain
That only drowning men could see Him
He said, "All men shall be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"

But He Himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
He was forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

But you wanna travel with Him
And you wanna travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust Him
For He's touched your perfect body with His mind

Suzanne takes you down
To the place by the river
She's wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army's counters

And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbor
And she shows you where to look
Amid the garbage and the flowers...

Be not afraid; come follow me; do not fear, only believe-- these are the central philosophies of the Christ. Jesus, we learn in the Bible, makes them among his central points. Fear must be overcome with faith firmly planted in its place. While fear may be a valuable response as part of a self-preservation instinct, it can also be destructive, paralyzing, controlling us, preventing our living life as the Spirit might direct, unresponsive to free will. The mature person seeks to learn what is in his and others best interest, and endeavors towards those aims. He or she avoids what is contrary and stands against those ills as they may be able.

Frequently the Bible stories serve as imperatives; they prod, define and refine the mind of the reader, so that we may become believers. In this particular story, Jesus recounts his journey to the foreign community of the Gerasenes, who were not Israelites. While there he heals the mind of a deeply troubled man (Mark 5:19-20). He then implores his followers to overlook those peoples' faults and shortcomings, and urges them to bring the message of hope and belief to them.
Continue with the story. Read Mark chapter 5 verses 21-43.

While many will doubt the words they read of a long ago account, faith asks us to "have ears" as the ancient Israelite did, and to hear the message within the story because it is a parable. Today the emotional state of anxiety and fearfulness seem ever more prevalent.
Many of us seek treatment for anxiety and stress in a doctors office with pills and other medication; while these preparations often do effectively tamp down or mask our sensory impulses towards anxiety and fearfulness, the calm of our own mind though the peace the Christ seeks to impart upon us, is not part of the medical equation. Thus we are less free and more under the influence of the drug or other medication.

While some may require medication and rightly so, there is a degree of calm, a direction for all which may be the fruit of the Spirit descended into our lives. It is the nature of the Spirit to come calling upon all, but not by any force or coercion; Spirit knocks. We either answer or we don't and if not, the Spirit is free and it flies. It will not force its way upon anyone.The Christ brings a message of the possibility of freedom from fear: "Do not be afraid, I am with you always."

What is belief, what is faith? We hear the phrase, 'just have faith!' So what is it? Most of us take for granted that religion is a set or system of beliefs; it is to many strictly concerned with beliefs and the adherence to those beliefs. This however is a rather narrow view; the Spirit comes to free us, not entangle us upon a set of dictum.
Many of the world's religions are not characterized primarily by beliefs at all, but by practice, about appropriate behaviors. So it happens that faith is about relationships, and belief is about ways of doing and being.

One of the most unfortunate aspects of religion, all religion, no religion in particular, is that as a facet of life, it instills a set of beliefs very successfully in many without ever bringing a person to faith. Many are familiar with the story, "I attended as a child, but fell away..."
Since both belief and faith formation are important in the spiritual life, one without the other does not often succeed. As persons of faith, we engage and refine our beliefs within relationships, within communities. So the teaching, "love one another," becomes real; it becomes the imperative in faith.

The Challenge

'No one comes to the Father except though me'--John 14:6

Come To the Water

by John Foley, S.J.

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Let all who thirst,

let them come to the water.

And let all who have nothing,

let them come to the Lord...

And let all who seek,

let them come to the water.

And let all who have nothing,

let them come to the Lord...

And let all who toil,

let them come to the water.

And let all who are weary,

let them come to the Lord...

And let all the poor,

let them come to the water,

Bring the ones who are laden,

bring them all to the Lord:

bring the children without might.

Easy the load and light:

come to the Lord.

While initially the bible verse, 'no one comes to the Father except though me' John 14:6; John 35-37 may be perplexing, daunting or even received with open doubt-- it may be also regarded as a stop sign for some; recalling the general commandment of the Lord God 'to love your neighbor as yourself,' then its significance becomes more clear.

The Christ wishes to make it known that the commandment to love isn't talk, it isn't a pretty phrase; instead it is the teaching to all growing in faith; faith is given in measures by the One Lord, by God the Creator of all. The Christ is saying that if you earnestly follow the teachings, follow the commandments, then you too will like me, ascend to paradise.

Even so many with rational, scientific minds will question, will doubt or reject this saying out of hand. Is this the only way? No. Is it the Christian way? Yes.
May the peace and grace of God's love for mankind be with you and yours. Always. Amen.

Treasures, Doing What We Believe

"Everyone benefits from the sacrifice of gifts that one makes of time, talents and treasure." -- Benedict XVI

It's about putting our faith into action, putting our energies to what matters, being stewards.At its heart the good steward is the good shepherd, caring for ones flock and making provisions for the day to day existence of self and others. It's more than just thinking about material resources.

We believe in the "Giver of Life," our lives as co-creators, that the Lord is the source of infinite abundance. Yet the more we attempt to take, to control, the less we actually have. It's like holding water in our cupped hands and squeezing. It quickly flows away from us.

Only when we relax our grip does the water remain. Doing what we believe involves faith; belief in what we may not yet see, but know deep in our heart; it's making a choice, one small step at a time, to acknowledge our inter-dependence, our inter-being with all of Creation.
Stewardship, then, lies at the heart of the Christian lifestyle. In actuality it's how we live our daily lives which gives evidence of our belief in the Gospel message, in the Good News.

St. Teresa of Avila, mystic and saint, wrote that 'Christ has no body but your own, he has no hands but yours. Yours are the eyes and ears of the Lord through which he is to go about for actions of the Good. Your hands are the hands, like his own, blessing people in the here and now."

For Seekers Everywhere

Will you love Me?

by Carole King

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Tonight you're mine, completely

You give your love so sweetly

Tonight the light of love is in your eyes

But will you love me tomorrow?

Is this a lasting treasure

Or just a moment's pleasure

Can I believe the magic of your sighs

Will you still love me tomorrow?

Tonight with words unspoken

You say that I'm the only one

But will my heart be broken

When the night meets the morning sun?

I'd like to know that your love

Is love I can be sure of

So tell me now and I won't ask again

Will you still love me tomorrow?

Will you still love me tomorrow?

We often pray that we will not suffer the pain of unknowing, the fearsome anxiety which often accompanies such a state. In the classic text, The Cloud of Unknowing* the author contemplates something which may be too large to appreciate on its own; it may be a mysterious element of the world in which we live. Some, like the Cloud author, would suggest that it is the action of the Holy Spirit which brings wisdom to the mind and peace to the soul. 

It challenges us to know what is real, to believe what we may feel or know, but cannot see or prove with absolute certainty. This view makes the intellect more in proportion to the heart, but not exceeding it.It's an example of both illumination and union, not unlike the desires expressed in these modern lyrics above. The Cloud speaks of: "the one moment of understanding," and the song: that I won't ask again--if I knew, could be sure of those words unspoken... 

*O God, all hearts are open to you.

You perceive my desire.

Nothing is hidden from you.

Purify the thoughts of my heart

with the gift of your Spirit

 that I may love you with a

perfect love, and give you 

the praise you deserve.

Amen.

for more of the modern translation

Clothing as Love

I'm In You 

by Peter Frampton

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I don't care where I go
When I'm with you
When I cry, you don't laugh
'Cause you know me

I'm in you, you're in me
I'm in you, you're in me
'Cause you gave me the love
Love that I never had
Yes, you gave me the love
Love that I never had

You and I don't pretend
We make love
I can't feel any more
Than I'm singing, yeah...

Come so far when you think
Of last fall
You can't buy what we made
You and I, oh

I'm in you, you're in me
I'm in you, you're in me
'Cause you gave me the love
Love that I never had
Yes, you gave me the love
Love that I never had
You gave me the love
Love that I never had

I don't care where I go
When I'm with you...

While it may be quite true that those who are happiest clothe themselves in the Holy Spirit alone, it's through brief moments of inspiration, that we first make the connection to Spirit and Self.
These contacts over time become more sustainable, they make an opening for a change in consciousness; our reality changes. The eternal qualities of faith, hope and charity become more obvious and relevant. And what remains is real.

Two people in coming together weave a cloth which becomes uniquely their own reality. Whether any one else understands that view or not is immaterial to the lovers. What does matter is that they have this consciousness, this opening and they between them, possess comprehension of it.

A strong weave makes for strength in each of the beloveds. It is not necessarily intellectual; in fact when asked to explain it, often they are lost for words. So they may suffice to say, ' it's just a feeling; we understand it between us.'

The poet Rumi wrote, "Love is the sea where intellect drowns."

Wild, Unbridled Hope

Treat Her Like a Lady

by Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose

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All my friends had to ask me
Somethin' they didn't understand
How I get all the women
In the palms of my hand, now

And I told them, to treat her like a lady
Um-hum all the best you can do
You got to treat her like a lady, she give into you
Ah-hum now who can see, you know what I mean?

I know you heard
That a woman
Will soon take advantage of you...

Let me tell you
My friend
There just ain't no substitute
You 'outta a treat her like a lady
Um-hum, all  the best you can do

You got to treat her like a lady
She give into you,
Now who can see?
You know what I mean

Oh, you've got to love her
Tease her
But most of all you've got to please her

You've got to hold her
Now and want her
And make her feel you'll always need her

You know a woman
Is sentimental
And so easy  to upset
So make her feel
That she's for real
And she give you happiness

Strange  as it seems
You know you can't do a woman mean
So my friends, now there you have it
I said it's the easy simple way
Now if you fail...
Don't blame her if she looks my way...

It's now the official first of summer and there is today, a bright, sunny day. The air seems permeated with a wild, unbridled hope. While it is still the early days of the summertime, we are reminded that all who follow, live under "the book."
The bible reminds us that "Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad." Psalm 118:24. And being that it is from the Psalms, we know that it is meant to be either chanted or sung.

Today is a day to be glad, even as we face disaster and tragedy. Today offers to us new hope. Pray for the well being of those who have risked life and limb, who risk everything that they somehow find the calm and peace in the chaos of their life at just this moment. As a woman said this morning, "Tomorrow the sun will rise again." Words are powerful; they can wound, but they can also heal.

The words of a young blogger inspire me to write today. While I cannot discern the way for her, hers is a young life, growing and blooming. I came across her blog today; her enthusiasm is palpable. She is fully engaged in her work with children who are, by many measures, hopeless. For her however, they are each rays of hope! 

Treat each other well, because as the lyrics say, "There just ain't no substitute."  Today is a day made for you and me, made for us all to feel joy, to hope for a change of circumstance by the miracle of inter-being.

The Face of a Religious China

"Grace means that a life is not assessed for its faults but by a love of God that overwhelms all those faults"  -- Rev. Verity A. Jones

Today, around the world many more are coming to the teaching of the Christ. Forming a community, a Church that stands for all people in solidarity with suffering humanity, and engages peoples of all cultures and religions, is the Church teaching of the Gospels (bible stories). She stands with principle. All peoples the world over, want something to believe in, regardless of their faith heritage, be its origins East or West.

Jesuit Father Myles Sheehan, member of the same Jesuit Christian community as Pope Francis, recounts the Jesuit community experiences since their recent arrival in China. He writes in US Catholic magazine that there were 200 persons attending at a recent prayer meeting; this scene is being repeated every day throughout the country. On Sundays throughout China it occurs in multiplicity. There are now thousands of churches in China, representing all Christian denominations alongside the native faiths of that land.

What is becoming clear is that the number of Christians in China is growing. With the incorporation of Hong Kong into China since 1997, including its free prevalence of all faiths, non-native faiths are now taking hold within the mainland. In fact says Sheehan, there are now more regular church attenders in China today than in all of Europe. China saw more than 20,000 Catholic Christian baptisms in 2011 according to the Church in China.The call to love your neighbor is taking hold.

There are also what Sheehan calls "cultural Christians," many young and educated persons who believe but do not belong. They are a growing group, in many ways coming to the forefront of bringing the Good News to all parts of China. They play a significant role in the future of their nation, carrying with them the ideas, values and philosophies of the Christ.

Their growing Church is a place which holds for her guiding principles, an all inclusive, all-encompassing view, without walls or buildings nor ideologies that omit the value of the dignity of a person. In this modern, industrializing world the Church forms a harbor, a counter-force for harmony, and a home.

This Church of China must stand for all; its aims must be lived, not merely proclaimed through work for charitable causes and advocacy for social justice. In other parts of Asia, this mission takes its fulfillment in solidarity with the Minjung of South Korea, the Dalit of India and the Burakumin of Japan, for example.

While the marginalized in Asia are not all Christians, the indigenous faiths of the region share same or similar deep concerns for Asia. As for the Church in Asia, she stands alongside others with a message of not just a church in Asia but the Church in Asia, uniquely representing her community. After all, building community is at the heart of relationships.

What Are We Doing Together, Anyway?

 Signature Of Divine

Lyrics by Needtobreathe Lyrics

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Cathedrals have tried in vain

To show the image of your face

But we are, by your design

The signature of divine

We’ll always sing your name

The fortunes of kings and queens

Are wasted chasing what we’ve seen.

Cause we are, by your reprieve,

The beauty framed by your suffering

We’ll always sing your name

Forever and today

Yahweh, Yahweh

Great is your glory when you go before me

Oh, we sing  Holy, Holy

Your ways are lovely. So high above me

Yahweh...

We gather together to work, to learn, to grow; we gather into communities, towns, universities. People everywhere, they live in groups, they live in families; they cherish their friends and they spend time together, supporting and enjoying their ways and their company. We get sick, we go to hospitals to help us recover.
What all these things have in common, with each of us in our everyday lives, is that inescapable fact that humanity, as a species, seems hard wired for gathering.

 Into groups we collect and revel. Together. It all seems so natural. Why, by working together, supporting and accomplishing worthwhile tasks, what could be better?
The person who lives stalwartly alone, who is friendless, who has very little or no community to speak of, that is a person often pitied and eyed suspiciously. We exclaim, "are they ill? Why are they such loners?"
This all makes simple sense. It seems so natural to gather, to enjoy the company of our brothers and sisters, our loves and loved here on earth.
Yet when the matter turns to things such as the lyrics of the song above, many of us recoil. Why? Well, it seems we don't belong after all. We don't want to belong. For some, reinventing the 'spiritual' wheel is okay.

In fact, it's better than okay. It may be for these persons, the only way to demonstrate their will to 'pull themselves up by the bootstraps.' Many among us think, in spiritual terms, that there are aliens around us, to be avoided at all costs.
Infected with perhaps a strong sense of humanist enlightenment, a person with such notions eschews anything of community within the context of faith.

Yet if a faith community is true, existing for a higher purpose, for the common good, then it is, it must be and it will do something. Let me say this again: Churches, mosques, temples, ashrams and so forth exist because they do something for others.
If they do not, they they exist not for long. Communities survive and thrive because of the activities of each of its constituents. What each of us contributes to the good of all, is the community.

It is this fact that escapes many in the blog-sphere. Simply talking isn't sufficient, nor are kind thoughts or nice words and graphics. Communities must do something, and religious communities continue and persist for this very simple reason!
 Join the collective, engage in acts of social justice. Learn about yourself from another's eyes.
Help a friend. Be a community. "We are, by your design, the signature of divine, and we'll always sing your name."

Follow You, Follow Me

Follow You, Follow Me
by Collins, Banks, Rutherford, Genesis

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Stay with me,

My love I hope you'll always be

Right here by my side if ever I need you
Oh my love

In your arms,
I feel so safe and so secure
Everyday is such a perfect day to spend
Alone with you

I will follow you will you follow me
All the days and nights that we know will be
I will stay with you will you stay with me
Just one single tear in each passing year

With the dawn,
Oh I see so very clearly now
All my fears are drifting by me so slowly now
Fading away

I can say the night is long but you are here
Close at hand, oh I'm better for the smile you give

And while I live
I will follow you will you follow me
All the days and nights that we know will be

I will stay with you will you stay with me
Just one single tear in each passing year there will be...

The Lord of Hosts calls, reminds, implores that we come to know:

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.  

1 Corinthians

 be not afraid; I am with you always.
--Luke 4; John 14

Shepherd me O God

Psalm 23
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Shepherd me O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life God is my shepherd, so nothing shall I want, I rest in the meadows of faithfulness and love, I walk by the quiet waters of peace.

Gently you raise me and heal my weary soul, you lead me by pathways of righteousness and truth, my spirit shall sing the music of your name.
 
Though I shall wander the valley of death, I fear no evil, for you are at my side, your rod and your staff,
my comfort and my hope. 

You have set me a banquet of love in the face of hatred, crowning me with love beyond my power to hold. 

Surely your kindness and mercy follow me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of my God for evermore.

Music and adapted lyrics by Marty Haugen, GIA Music Publishers 1986

Moon Dances

Moon Dance

By VanMorrison

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Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I'm trying to please to the calling
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low
You know the night's magic
Seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight
Seems to shine in your blush...

Can I just have one a' more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with a' you, my love?

Today I stopped by the local Saturday Farmer's Market. Not that I go there too often. I have been a few times, but I felt uncomfortable there. Why should I? It's just a little grocery shopping. Well, it is a little; the last two years I have been working to integrate this little Saturday affair. It seemed to me that some people are more represented there than others. Yet our local community is far more diverse both socially and economically.

As a matter of justice, I decided that I would not sell or buy there until it integrated. There are just too many in our community who could benefit from the market to give a blind eye to justice, an integral element of charity. It came to me then on a Labor day weekend of 2009 as I walked the market that I would talk about that to everyone until it changed, and I have for the past two years talked about the market. A lot. I talk about that market with vendors, with buyers, with people of faith, with politicians, neighbors, friends and co-workers. I am just not too proud to have this thing running blindly every week here. Every one deserves good food!


What's the issue? Food politics. It seems that for those who have high incomes, access to the market is possibly a whim. They pick and choose where to buy. This is a relatively tight, small group in our community. So the Saturday market has pressed on, quite successfully, growing by leaps and bounds, fed by the largesse of that small, tight community. Others are shut out due to various social factors like wrong job, no job, low education, mental handicaps, childhood, age, misfortune, illness and so on. Yet every person must eat and every person possesses the dignity of a creature of God. The wealthy as God's creature deserve good food and clean water as do those less fortunate. The dignity of a human person demands that each and every person living exist in a state that is observant to the basic needs of life, and afford one the means to obtain relief for those needs.

So now the nitty-gritty: it's Food Stamps, and poor people. These persons characteristically have had limited means to participate in the benefits of this particular market until now. It was announced recently that the market will  accept Food Stamps, and Debit Cards. So today I went and checked it out. Indeed the vendors were aware of this change. Some welcomed it and the possibility of new customers. After all money is green, regardless of the source. And as the French saying goes, 'money has no smell.'

Also I checked out the local Co-op grocery nearby and the Strawberry health store too. They both take Food Stamps. Funny, it's not on their door. I hope that will change soon. So I made a purchase at these places, but still I don't think I'll become a regular. I like food from my own garden just as well. Tonight I'll celebrate the 'country way' with a little Moon Dance of my own. It is spring after all; the moon is nearly full.

Angels Call Her Name

She Talks To Angels

by the Black Crowes

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Oh, yeah, she talks to angels

After you meet her family

She paints her eyes as black as night now

Pulls those shades down tight

Yeah, she gives a smile when the pain comes

The pain gonna make everything alright

Refrain:

She says she talks to angels

Says they call her out by her name

Oh, yeah, she talks to angels

Says they call her out by her name...

She keeps a lock of hair in her pocket

She wears a cross around her neck

Yes, the hair is from a little boy

And the cross is from someone

she has not met

Not yet 

 

Says she talks to angels 

Says they all know her name

Oh yeah, she talks to angels

Says they call her out by her name

She don't know no love

None that I ever seen

And to her that ain't nothin'

But to me,it means

Means everything

...Don't you know that they

Call her out by her name?

Today in certain circles there is a fascination with angels, and honestly I don't get it. While in the Torah angels are mentioned frequently and easily, they are traditionally messengers of either divine or human, terrestrial origins. In the Christian scriptures, they perform pretty much the same function. In other words, they are    G-d's messengers. Now if you're going to get into a thing with    these little messengers, it seems to me that there must be the development of a whole lot of faith.
Faith, plain and simple, it needs to be. Frankly who else but a faithful person would take heed of a little voice stirring in the ear, in the heart, tugging ever so much that something be done, that something would occur? Many of us would say, "Outta here! Get out whatever you are, and what ever you got to say...!" Without faith, why pay attention to the little messengers at all?

The Bible tells us they are G-d's persistent assistants; their activity continues, unceasing. But never do they force themselves. If your ears are closed, so be it. Closed it is; they move on. There are lots of other messages to deliver. It seems according to tradition, that for those who are listening, an angel's presence lasts little longer than the time it takes to deliver their message, be it seconds, days, or years, and then they are gone.

Psalm 8:5-7 speaks to us a bit more about them in the day to day existence of men:

"What is man, that you are mindful of him? Or the son of man, that you visit him? You have made him a little less than the angels, you have crowned him with glory and honor. And you have set him over the works of your hands."

Jumping in

Into the Fire

 by Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band

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The sky was falling and streaked with blood
I heard you calling me then you disappeared into the dust
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire

Refrain:

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

You gave your love to see in fields of red and autumn brown
You gave your love to me and lay your young body down
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need you near but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire

It was dark, too dark to see, you held me in the light you gave
You lay your hand on me
Then walked into the darkness of your smoky grave
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your love give us love

We all have hopes; we all dream. For some our hopes become aspirations; for others hope becomes a bitter reminder of what we do not yet possess. Springsteen writes in this song that even after the devastation, even after the fire there is still faith, hope and love. He writes it almost like a psalm: may your hope give us love; may your strength give us strength; may your faith give us faith.

What's more he writes, 'Even when it's too dark to see; you gave your love to see...' There's those beatitudes again: I was sick and you cared for me; I was weak and you held me up; I was hungry and you fed me; I was naked and you clothed me. Give me strength always to forge on--into the fire of life and of love. Amen.

Love, Stronger Than Pride

Love Stronger Than Pride

by Sade Adu, 1988

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I still really love you

Love is stronger than pride

I still really love you

`Sitting here wasting my time

would be like

waiting for the sun to rise

It's all too clear

things come and go

Sitting here waiting for you

would be like waiting for winter

It's gonna be cold

There may even

be snow
 
I still really love you

Love is stronger than pride...

Nothing Can Come Between Us
by Sade Adu, 1988
Listen Here

Always hope you'll remember
We'll never really learn the meaning of it all
What we have is strong and tender
So hold on...


Hold on
It truly is a good thing
And I always wanted you
to know...
It's ever lasting...


It's about faith
It's about trust

For those who choose to remain in the way of faith, conventional wisdom in the light appears foolish; the opposite may, however, also be true: in the glare of conventional wisdom, the love story that is the Christ becomes foolishness. Most people live conventional lives. They do not see a role as artists, seers or poets; they do not heed a call as co-Creators. Accepting this as our role, we, as it is said, 'take up our cross', living a life that is quite often counter cultural. It is a life that values creation and all things made, natural to the world; a life of love and spirit. The disciple John writes, "Do not work for the food that perishes." (John 6:27)

So like the words written above by the artist Sade, where we find our heart, there is where our treasures lie. Intimately, the words direct us perhaps to another place, one not originally intended, but still we arrive-- and it is the right place-- even if we had not known it before. Sometimes, we're just obstinate, until faith intervenes. We are reminded that in love we do, we really do live in a community. There is someone nearby to ask, to call, to rely upon.

Yet to receive, we need to ask and to ask exposes us as part of a community. If we seek only to receive and not to give, "sitting here waiting for you... wasting my time..." because you will not, or perhaps refuse to, ever return the gift, then the words of the Christ would have a very different meaning. A gift would not be a gift. Who would there be to receive it? Who would have gifts at all? Only when givers are also willing to be receivers does the community come alive; only then does the community animate with faith, with love, with trust. I still really love you. Love is stronger than pride.