This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings. 11.22.24

1. In January, when the deportations begin, I’ll be fearfully interested as I watch how it all unfolds. It will speak volumes about the content of the collective character of the next administration. Will they treat the undocumented immigrants as men and women made in the image and likeness of God or as garbage that needs to be thrown to the curb? 

Campaign rhetoric leans toward the latter. 

If that’s the case, I will probably say something about it. 

And then people I know will get up in my grill arguing that “We’re finally cleansing our country of ‘those people’. If you’re not with the program, leave with them.” 

At that point, I will give myself permission to shake my head in total disgust.

2. “Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness around me.” ~ Sojourner Truth

And all God’s people said Amen. 

I know a whole lot of folks who were devastated by the results of the election. It was and still is a dark time for them. Many gave themselves a time out, licked their wounds, did some intentional self care, and are now ready to at least consider easing back into the fray. When push comes to shove they won’t allow their disappointment to get in the way of God’s call on their lives.” 

Others have caved into the darkness and it is slowly, but surely  sucking the life right out of them. It’s hard to watch. If that’s you, please look for help. 

3. “No man is an island,

Entire of itself;

Every man is a piece of the continent, 

A part of the main…

Any man’s death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.” ~ John Donne 

Donne’s poem, for good reason, is linked in my brain, to the Swahili word Ubuntu which means “I am because you are.” 

The understanding is that when we see each person as having deep value and when together, we contribute towards the common good and the welfare of others, everyone wins. 

We are not isolated islands of humanity. We are not meant to be rugged individualists, bereft of community. We were created to need and care for each other.

4. I feel compelled, in these tumultuous times, to refresh the memory of when and why I said yes to Christ in the first place. 

And since, I have had many conversion experiences (one and done is not my testimony) it behooves me to also refresh and cherish those memories. It’s like being born again, again.

5. If I was the president elect and had the power to weaken our country from the inside out, I’d start by nominating an extremist, clown-show level executive branch team, beholden to special interest groups, ill equipped by virtue of character and experience to serve the country well, and totally committed to never, ever, stand against me. 

Once sworn in, I would demand that they weaponize their particular agency and wage a vicious war against any and all of my perceived enemies. I’d also do whatever I could to bypass the legislative branch of government, ignoring established check and balances norms, and would continue to stack the judiciary with people who would do me no harm. 

I’d also slash taxes on billionaires and corporations and reduce funding for programs aimed at the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

In the aftermath of all this, I’d be delighted if the end result was chaos and instability. Of course, I’d blame that on others. 

Quite obviously, integrity won’t allow me to do such things. My faith would order me to repent if I tried. My love of country would stop me in my tracks. My friends would call me on it. 

Seriously, who would do such things?  And who would be gullible enough to continue to root for that person? 

I’ve met some of the gullible ones. They’re in for a rude surprise. I don’t know when but there will be a time when they’ll realize they’ve been duped and are next in line to be  thrown on the trash heap, discarded and demeaned. Cuz that’s how their guy rolls. 

6. In times of distress rule #1 is to be present to the Presence (of God), in the present moment.  

7. When I meet someone whose ego is supersized it doesn’t take long to ascertain that their conscience is probably undersized. 

8.  ‘When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.’ ~ Dom Helder Camara

Ah, the name callers. They’re in your corner until you ask a question they won’t or cannot answer. Then the gloves come off. 

9. Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently stated: “We are confronted with the urgency of now” and we must make every effort not to be “too late.”

Sadly, we probably are too late regarding some things, but not all things. Embracing  the urgency of ‘now’, like right now, needs to be a priority. Standing up and speaking out is a rather good  way to start. I’m with Dietrich Bonhoeffer who wisely proclaimed that  “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.”

10. “All truth is God’s truth.” ~ Augustine

If you are a regular reader of the Rumblings, you’ve noticed that I quote a wide variety of people, much to the dismay of some whose view of what’s acceptable and what’s not is pretty rigidly set. Richard Rohr really sets them off, as does Rumi and Malcolm X and women theologians.  

Most of those I quote are from the fairly diverse Christian world I inhabit but many aren’t. I’m just attracted to the wisdom of insightful people, even though I might disagree with them. I’m choosing to be a lifelong learner. The goal has never been to be considered learned.

“All truth” is indeed “God’s truth.” 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-22-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 131 – John 9:24-29 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 11.15.24

1. This prayer by Steven Charleston,  former Anglican Bishop of Alaska spoke to me, offering an encouraging way forward.  

“When they hate, may we love. 

When they curse, may we bless. 

When they hurt, we will heal.

We are  a servant of the light. 

We are not afraid of darkness.

We will carry on with our work, as stewards of this Earth and of all her children. 

When they divide, we will unite. 

When they rage, we will be calm. 

When they deny, we will affirm.

We will simply be who the Spirit created us to be.”  

2. Random thoughts in the aftermath of the election:

-Somewhere on MAGA’s ‘transition checklist’ is a little something called “Get even with those who betrayed Donald.” Won’t that be fun to watch?!?

-Even though much of what was said wasn’t even remotely truthful, stoking the fires of fear, anger, and grievance was a winning strategy for the MAGA party. My guess is that fear, anger, and grievance, wrapped in more untruth, will also play a consequential role in their governance strategy. God help us all.

-Women are deeply concerned about more ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ types of legislation. They should be.

-NATO is rightfully worried as is Ukraine. Poland is wondering if they’re next.

-Democrats are licking their wounds, the finger pointing has begun, and hard questions about how best to be an impactful minority party are being asked. They know full well that a rapidly withering system of ‘checks and balances’ needs their strong and unified voice. Can they make that happen?

-Putin and other authoritarian leaders are quite obviously delighted with the outcome of the election. That should chill our hearts. 

-Kamala Harris showed us how it’s supposed to be done, ending her campaign with grace, dignity and integrity.

-We appear to have an abundance of folks in our country applying to be the oligarchs of the Western world. Ah, greed. Thou art powerful. 

-The Middle East remains a powder keg and everywhere you look there’s a fuse waiting to be lit.

-Religious folks who are over the top giddy with their excitement and adulation of the president elect appear to be forgetting  that all throughout scripture idol worship is frowned upon. 

-Is anyone else deeply concerned that an overly enthusiastic and gleeful purge of undocumented criminals will prove to be so intoxicating to the purgers that they will make up other reasons to get rid of even more people who had no real choice but to leave their country of origin? 

-“A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.” ~ source unknown

3. Reading through Hebrews last week I came to chapter 11 with its stirring “By faith” role call of faithful men and women who trusted God in the midst of scary uncertainty. That glimpse of faithfulness opens the door to the challenge ch. 12 extends to us.  

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

‘By faith, not sight’ is God’s invitation to those of us who are walking in the shadowlands. Jesus is to be our compass, our true North. The path forward requires the staying power that a long and rigorous journey, filled with obstacles, demands. 

4. When I get angry and afraid, it helps to interrogate both the fear and anger in order to discover what’s real and what’s not. I know that the stuff I’m making up in my head, which gets me all angsty, isn’t helpful. 

5. Stephen Colbert, looking for the silver lining in the election results, sarcastically quipped: “At least there’ll be a peaceful transfer of power.”

It’s sobering to realize that a Harris/Walz election loss was the only thing stopping all hell from breaking loose again.  

6. “This, my dear,

 is the greatest challenge to being alive: 

To witness the injustice of this world, 

and not allow it to consume our light.” – Oxherdboy 

7.  When someone suggests that the president-elect is God’s plan for us, I can only shrug and say – “I think not” and then walk away. 

I’m done arguing with religious fools. 

8. “My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.”~ Pope Francis

The Pope has, for a long time, championed a seamless ethic of life philosophy. I admire his tenacity in the face of strenuous pushbacks. And he’s right, racism and exclusion minimizes the sacredness of human life.

9. “Peace is not just about the absence of conflict; it’s also about the presence of justice. Martin Luther King Jr. even distinguished between ‘the devil’s peace’ and God’s true peace.

 A counterfeit peace exists when people are pacified or distracted or so beat up and tired of fighting that all seems calm. But true peace does not exist until there is justice, restoration, forgiveness. 

Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice. It is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressors free.” ~ Shane Claiborne 

“ …Both the oppressed and the oppressors need to be set free.” Yes, yes, yes.

10. “A fire broke out backstage in a theater. 

The clown came out to warn the public;

they thought it was a joke and applauded.

He repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. 

I think that’s just how the world will come to an end: 

to general applause from twits 

who believe it’s a joke.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard  

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-15-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 130 – John 8:12-18 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 129 – John 7:37-44 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 11.1.24

1. I do have to say that the MAGA rally in New York last weekend was particularly soul sucking and it certainly wasn’t the ‘lovefest’ they say it was. Not even close. 

When we lose civility, when we forget the lessons history teaches, when cultish behavior becomes normative and facism is embraced, we’re in deep trouble. 

Jimmy Kimmel quipped:

“This is the first election where reporters have to ask the candidates ‘Who did you root for when you watched “Saving Private Ryan”?’” 

2. “Every bombed village 

is my hometown 

every dead child 

is my child, 

every grieving mother

is my mother, 

every crying father 

is my father, 

these people 

they are all ours, 

they belong to us 

and we belong to them. 

They are not “other” to us. 

They are all ours 

and we are theirs.” ~ James Baldwin

Baldwin, I believe, found the heart of Jesus. I bet we can do that too.

3.  Retired Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder said: “I’m no Solomon, but here’s my proverb for the day: “Power, privilege, and pride without character, conscience, and compassion equals corruption, chaos, and catastrophe.” 

It’s a no-brainer to stand against politicians who habitually bring  corruption, chaos, and lack of character to the table. I feel compelled to speak out. It’s what I’ve been taught people of ‘faith’ do. 

In the face of such ‘danger’ I often wonder how anyone can stay quiet? 

Do I pray for those politicians?

I do pray (admittedly not as often as I could) for the MAGA guy, in particular, to be seized by the power and glory of God, to fall to his knees, to repent of his sins and then to humbly begin to make amends for harm done. 

Could that happen? Sure, it could. However, I’m not holding my breath. I hope it does because the actual act of repenting sins and making amends would be good for him. 

And it should keep him busy and quiet for quite a long time. That would be great for the rest of us. 

4.  So, on November 5th, it’ll be as if the whole world is waiting for a biopsy to come back.” ~ source unknown

I confess to being a little antsy. There are so many unknowns, so much that lacks clarity. Here’s what I’m leaning into:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus…” ~ Philippians 4

The world around us might be in turmoil but in the Kingdom of God there’s no worry or instability. Lean into God’s Kingdom agenda and keep leaning.

5. Genocide is biblical. 

Loving your enemies is biblical. 

But only one is Christlike. 

Slavery is biblical. 

Chain-Breaking is biblical. 

But only one is Christlike.

Patriarchy is biblical. 

Counter-cultural elevation of women is biblical. 

But only one is Christ like. 

Retributive violence is biblical.

Grace-filled restoration is biblical. 

But only one is Christ like.

Segregation is biblical. 

Unity is biblical.

But only one is Christlike. 

Christ transforms, not the Bible. Be wary of those who know one but not the other. ~Jordan Harrell 

Take aways? 

Bible reading and study is a very good thing but discernment is necessary. 

Pay attention when Christ-likeness shows itself. 

Don’t lift the Biblical text out of its context, attempting to make it say what it doesn’t say. 

6. “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 

The dividing line between goodness and evil is razor thin. Anyone with even a smidgeon of a  prophetic voice and a conscience struggles with speaking out against evil for it requires dealing with their own ‘stuff’ first.

7. I confuse some people. Heck, I confuse myself sometimes.  

In particular, folks who lean to the far right politically are suspect of someone like me who leans left politically and who also claims to be a follower of Jesus. How can that be? After all, in their world Jesus leans to the right and absolutely adores all things MAGA. And then someone like me comes around and says “not so fast.” It doesn’t compute. 

And when I quote someone who’s not part of their tribe they don’t know what to do with it. It’s someone like Richard Rohr (who I held at arms length for far too long) for instance,  who cuts against the grain of their beliefs when he writes: 

“Christianity is a lifestyle—a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established “religion” (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain in most of Christian history, and still believe that Jesus is one’s “personal Lord and Savior” or continue to receive Sacraments in good standing. The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on Earth is too great.”

 8. “Visionaries, prophets, and Jesus have all warned us that this journey that we are on will be beset by troubles. In this life, you will have trouble. How we handle that trouble is our witness to future generations.” ~ Barbara Holmes, Center for Action and Contemplation. RIP

How blessed we are to live in such interesting, troubling times. Could it be that God chose us specifically “for a time such as this?”

9. How then shall we pray? This works.

“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” 

Then silence. 

Be present to the very Presence (of God).

Listen. 

Respond.

Finally, an Amen.”

10, As we enter the path of transformation, the most valuable thing we have working in our favor is our yearning. Some spiritual teachers will even say that the yearning you feel for God is actually coming from the opposite direction; it is in fact, God‘s yearning for you.” ~ Cynthia Bourgeault

God yearns for me. 

That’s both sobering 

and life giving.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-01-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 128 – John 6:35-40 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.25.24

1. The countdown has begun for what astute people say is ‘the most consequential election of our lifetime.” They’re right.

Get ready, however, to ‘embrace the suck’ because Tropical Storm Donald is primed and ready to wreak havoc on everyone and everything whether he wins or loses. 

That’s what he’s saying. 

That’s who he is. 

That’s his promise. 

That’s what his version of ‘faith’ requires. 

And it’s what the ‘Bible Trumpers’, who believe he is ordained by God for this moment, will demand. 

Sad and scary isn’t it. Such is the fruit of vengeance.

Vote wisely. I’m all in on Harris/Walz because they’re all in on democracy and I don’t think the other team is. If they lose, they will lose with dignity. If they win, liberty and justice will be well served. They are not perfect and I’m not fully aligned with all they say and do but I do believe they are trying hard to do what’s right and honorable. And I do believe that, if elected, that they will listen to and respect opposing points of view.  

A big plus is that Harris, unlike her opponent, speaks clearly, using complete sentences. Seriously, that’s a big deal to me. And unlike her MAGA opponent she doesn’t take 10 minutes talking about Arnold Palmer’s genitalia. Whew, that was an awkward moment. 

Win or lose, I’m committed to inhabiting whatever space God lays before me. And in that space I will endeavor to continue to stand against evil and on behalf of all that is good. That’s what ‘Kingdom of God’ folks do. No election can change that.  Right? 

If you’ve never done so, perhaps now is the time to tell family and friends who you are voting for. If you’ve already done that, remind them again. A simple declarative sentence is all that is needed. “I’m voting for _______________.”  That’s it. 

If you get an immature, shaming response, ignore it and if you can’t ignore it, delete it. Immature, shaming  people don’t want to have a discussion, only an argument. Walk away. Above all stand tall and brave in the power of your convictions. But make sure people know what they are.

The power of your simple, non-argumentative testimony might be the very thing that helps someone make a wiser, ballot box choice 

2. Then Jesus said unto the sick:  “You better have insurance.” 

Then Jesus said unto the stranger: “Are you here legally?”

Then Jesus said unto the hungry: “My taxes better not be paying for these loaves and fishes.”

Then Jesus said unto the poor: “This is your own fault.” 

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Rev. Benjamin Cremer reminds us of what the real Jesus doesn’t embrace. 

3. “In Christian monastic fixed-hour prayer … the sacred pause at first light is called lauds … Brother David Steindl-Rast distills the holy message of lauds to the notion that each sunrise, each new beginning, is a never-ending gift. In turn, in response to this unasked-for benevolence, our reciprocity is to ask ourselves, “What gift might I bring to this day?” ~ Center for Action and Contemplation, Barbara Mahany

4. “You either quit or keep going. 

Both hurt. 

Choose wisely.” ~ source unknown 

5. As Trump danced on stage for 30 awkward minutes a couple of weeks ago, I wondered if Putin went to bed, with a big smile on his face, thinking: 

“I never thought it would be this easy.”

6. As the world threatens to break apart weird religious types, sketchy politicians, wannabe authoritarians, durn fools, and ever ready scam artists show up and begin messing with our heads and weaponizing our fear.

Could it be our #1 task is to refuse to let them rent space in our heart and head? 

7. “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.” ~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu

We are made to be right side up people in an upside down world, inviting everyone (and I mean everyone) to come taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

8. “A leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what’s going on inside him/herself, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership do more harm than good.” ~ Parker Palmer

A good leader needs to know him/herself. He/she takes the time to do some serious soul searching. That’s a good and necessary process. It shapes and defines a person.

We are all called to some form of leadership. Get to know yourself. Wrestle with your demons. Find your ‘true north’. You and those you interact with will be the better for it.

9. “The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true.” ~ Galadriel, “Lord of the Rings”

As long as the Company is true hope remains. Never underestimate what a loyal, committed band of people can do. Better yet, be part of one. 

10. “I’ve been forced to explain homosexuality to my kids age three and four because their uncle is gay. This incredibly difficult and traumatic experience went as follows: 

Child: Why does Uncle Bob go everywhere with Pete? 

Me: Because they’re in love just like mom and daddy are. 

Child: Oh. Can I have a biscuit? 

We’re all scarred for life. 

Scarred, I tell you!” ~ Skeptical Kitten

Common sense, a caring heart, simple age appropriate answers and a lack of hysteria can make all the difference when discussing hot button issues. 

If someone shows me a glaring lack of common sense, an unkind heart, and a genuinely scary way of being, I know a good discussion is probably out of the question. 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 10-25-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 127 – John 6:25-29 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.18.24

1. We’ve decided to  “chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We build all manner of walls and fences around ourselves and then wonder why we feel so alone.” ~ Barack Obama

Walls and fences? 

I’m on the lookout for bridges. On the other side there’s people to meet, good things to do, and ideas to be explored.

2. “Are they here legally?” That’s a modern version of “Who is my neighbor?” Both are questions used to determine if we have justification to mistreat and harm others.”~ prophetic imagination

The ‘hate’ towards immigrants is beyond the pale these days isn’t it? A fire has been lit and someone (guess who) keeps fanning the flames. Imagine what his presidency would look like this time around. I shudder when I think about it.

I’m continually saddened by the number of people who claim faith but keep looking for loopholes so they don’t have to actually live it out. 

Stephen Colbert suggests that “ … either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.” 

3. Irenaeus, writing toward the end of the second century, said “ Christ became what we are in order to enable us to become what He is.” 

The more I look at the person and work of Jesus, the more  I am blown away by his ability to not major in the minors and to make the main thing the main thing. 

4. ”I used to think they 

believed his lies.

That’s not it.

They know he’s lying 

and they don’t care. 

He hates who they hate, 

that’s enough.” ~ source unknown

Who are they? I’m particularly interested in the ones who brazenly maintain that their faith is what compels them to behave so badly. I’m now referring to them as  “Bible Trumpers”. 

Are they Christians? I think at one time they held a deep affection for Christ and the Word of God but then they got seduced by a rather troubled  personality who openly and proudly defies the person and work of Jesus. So saying they’re  a follower of Jesus’ becomes very problematic.

Oh, I still pray for them. I wish them a happy birthday and inquire about their kids but I no longer count on them for anything substantive. The Jesus they proclaim is not even close to the Jesus I want to emulate.

5. “We grow spiritually by passing beyond some perfect Order, through an often painful and seemingly unnecessary Disorder to an enlightened Reorder … Apparently, God enjoys doing this because it never stops happening …” ~ Richard Rohr 

Going through a season of disorder isn’t necessarily fun but it sets the table for what God wants ultimately to do with and through us. Reordering is always a bit scary but it helps us to adjust what needs adjusting so we can start breathing in all the better things God has for us. 

6.  “It is said that before entering the sea the river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,from the peaks of the mountains and the long winding road, crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more

than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.” ~ Khalil Gibran

I’ve posted Gibran’s poem before and probably will again. It is so beautiful, so layered, and so worth contemplating. In our world there is a growing number of people who want to go back to the good old days (which for many, many  weren’t very good at all). But we can’t go back. It’s really not possible. In our own way “we must become the ocean.” 

On those very rare days that I’m smart, I look around and say: “I wonder what God is up to now.”And when I discover it, then I join in. I become, in a mystical sense, the ocean. I go with God’s flow and rhythm.” Those are my happiest days.

7. “Studying history will sometimes disturb you. Studying history will sometimes upset you. Studying history will sometimes make you furious. If studying history always makes you feel proud and happy, you probably aren’t studying history.” ~ source unknown

The study of history is disruptive, challenging our assumptions about what really happened back in the day and it rocks our world a bit. That’s a good thing.

8. “MAGA Republicans are now lying about the federal response to recent hurricanes. And they lied about Haitian migrants bringing chaos and disease to Springfield, Ohio. Both disinformation efforts are flat-out lies, and both are designed to demonize immigrants. Immigration was the issue Trump was so eager to run on that he demanded Republican lawmakers reject the strong border bill a bipartisan group of lawmakers had hammered out.” ~ Heather Cox Richardson

The New York Times reports that “when the former president endorses violence and proposes using the government to attack his enemies, many of his supporters assume it’s just an act.”

It’s not. They’ve put blinders on. 

Someday, people will study these turbulent times in our country and they will conclude that ‘sin’ ran rampant and that too many who could have done something to stop the nonsense didn’t make the effort. Instead, they shrugged their shoulders and joined the chorus of those who, with great emphasis, embraced the lies and vilified the innocent.

9. As I grow older, I aspire to be a sage elder, someone who desires to be a willing listener, a perceptive mentor and a wise and interesting companion. Let me know if you actually see that happening.  

10. Hurricane season, in Florida, for sure, measures your psychological, physical, and spiritual stamina. This is our  second go around in a month. It stretched us especially hard because it came on the heels of two weeks of COVID. Yes, I’m whining a bit . My privileged self does that now and again. 

Mea culpa, mea culpa,  

mea maxima culpa. OK, I’m better now. 

Thanks for your love, prayers, and messages of concern. The Sun Coast was slammed hard and is still cleaning up and trying to figure out what snowbird season looks like now. Disorder has descended (reread Rumble #5) and prayers for hard hit business owners and residents are appreciated.  

We are so grateful for the friends who opened their home to us and we are sad for those in our specific housing community  where significant damage was done to about 200 homes. Not all were insured and those that were don’t have platinum coverage. Such is the state of insurance protections in Florida. 

My prayer is a simple one. “Lord, here I am. Melt me, mold me, use me.”

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

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