Dream.

Dream of a time

when heroes ruled

and monsters

threatened the ones

we love.


Dream of a time

when heroes were good

and friendship and love

were allies of

virtue.


Dream of a time

when evil was challenged

and heroes were gods

who followed

their hearts.


Photo Credit: Sagram Chougule.

The Kingdom of God.

                            

"'From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.'"  Matthew 11:12 (NRSV)

This is the way that the world responds to the Good News - to take it by force and violence.

But what is force and violence but fear.

Fear of poverty, fear of starvation, fear of work.....

This is the motivation of the rich and powerful.

They think that they can win by force and violence.

And it was with force and violence that they crucified Jesus.

But death is not the end.

On the third day God resurrected Jesus and raised him to Eternal Life!


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Photo Credit: byb64 Flickr via Compfight cc

Declaration of Love.

I love you.

My heart overflows with love.

I catch a glimpse

of your sparkling smile.

I hear the music

of your resonant voice.

I watch the grace

of your comely body.

My heart overflows with love.

I love you.


Photo Credit: Leo Bartenev.

Creation.

Billions of stars,

Each a mighty sun,

Surrounded by planets,

And circling moons,

Populate the night sky.


Our own planet Earth,

Tiny as it is,

Hosts massive mountains,

Torrential rivers,

Dense jungles,

Oceans deep,

All teeming with life!


Lions and lambs,

Birds of the air,

Tropical fish,

Great whales.....


And humans

To marvel

At this

Wondrous sight.


To worship

The One

Who created

All this.


And to find

At its heart

Its Genesis:

Love.


Photo Credit: nature.com.

Passion.

The deep red rose has always been the symbol of passionate love.

It has the most exquisite perfume of all God's flowers.


Photo Credit: harney.com.

Let Them Live!

                            

What seems foolishness to the worldly-wise is what seems good to God.

Honesty, truthfulness, non-violence, generosity, virtue, mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional love.

These things seem naive and impractical in the world.

But these things are the very things that God requires of us.

To lay down the sword and call on God seems foolhardy even to the most idealistic among us.

And yet this is Jesus' example.

God has ways of solving problems that we do not understand.

He can resolve conflict without harming either side.

But to do this we must let them live.

God punishes no one.

And no one is condemned.

We must live and let live.

God forgives even the most heinous iniquity.

He knows the hidden reasons for their crimes.

And so all are forgiven.

And the lion lies down with the lamb.


Photo Credit: tricky (rick harrison) Flickr via Compfight cc
(The image has been slightly modified.)

Brown Lives Matter.

Your skin is brown.

My skin is pink.

I can see in your eyes

the hurt of your lives.

The pain of daily

oppression and struggle

to stay above water

and continue to breathe.

But brown skin is beauty

and brown lives still matter.

If friendship and brotherhood

still mean

we care.


Photo Credit: Pinterest.