Barkings Of An Old Dog

A rearguard action by a rump of hardline conservatives

Today, being a fairly average day, will see around 160,000 people die, most from preventable diseases and malnutrition. It will see slightly more people born, and most will not have access to decent health care, clean water or food that you or I would eat. Or they will die from violence and the effects of hatred.

In other parts of the world, people are dying of loneliness and isolation and despair.

And in Tanzania they battle over what is and isn’t acceptable and who can vote who out of the circle and who is a True Anglican and how to read the Bible?

I am a Christian. I recognize that Christ can transform lives and that leading a life in which we call Jesus Lord will not be a single path. Heck, I don’t even agree with everyone in our Bible study at church. We get into arguments about scripture all the time. But it’s ok. After the arguments, there’s work to do.

I like authors like Borg and Spong and Geza Vermes and Tony Campolo and Mark Buchanan and J. Denny Weaver and guess what…. they all don’t agree. I think the important thing is to live genuine lives as we feel called by the Holy Spirit and in the Way of Jesus.

Last week, in the Washington Post there was an ad by Starbucks that had the start “Today I could” and about 50 blank lines… isn’t that the call of Christian living? Isn’t that the assignment today? Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Fill out as many of those lines as we can…. today I could….

And every day at the end, we can sit down with our list and see where we failed, where we chose the easier path, where we elected to turn away from that person who was hurting and lonely and hungry. Heck, most days we ignore the list completely, don’t we? We can’t pause to let someone get into traffic ahead of us, to help the person who has to put a couple of items back when they check out of the grocery store, to give and give generously to those who are in true need or to call that person who recently lost a spouse at church.

And so we have failed today to fully live out our call as disciples. Failed, and, if you’re like me, failed badly… but tomorrow we get to try again. Life’s too short to fight these battles like in Tanzania. There’s work to be done.

One of my favorite movies is Dead Poet’s Society and there’s a scene in there where the teacher takes his students out into the hall and shows them pictures of classes from the past. and he says:

[talking about the people in the old awards pictures] They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they’re destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. [the students lean in] Listen, you hear it? [whispers in a raspy voice] - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.

And that’s what Jesus calls us to do, I think. Make our lives extraordinary. Make them like Jesus. And they’ve spent all this time, energy, and money - for what?

Today, being a fairly average day, will see around 160,000 people die, most from preventable diseases and malnutrition. Millions suffer from loneliness and isolation… So you fighters for the truth out there, get busy, surely you have more important things to do… don’t you? Don’t you?

And from this posting,

It was believed that the Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, is leading a rearguard action by a rump of hardline conservatives.

Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

As my priest sometimes reminds me, most of this should be looked at as entertainment and not taken too seriously…

Thirty-five years ago the phone rang, and my life changed forever. The words were a blur… snowstorm… shoveling… your father.. sleep… ambulance… come home…

Thirty-five years…. and so I honor him today with this haiku by Murakami Kijo:

First autumn morning:
the mirror I stare into
shows my father’s face.

I miss you, Dad.