Speaking of Spirit

When it feels as if all that we love is falling apart, it is difficult to see a silver lining.  The despair this brings causes fear. Fear leads us to unconscionable situations, where all manner of horrors live. William Sloan Coffin, Jr., minister, peace and civil rights activist said, "The opposite of love is not hate; the opposite of love is fear."   Hate is something learned through fear.  Fear comes first.  For example, as a child, I feared falling from high places. After seeing images of people falling, being told over and over to get away from the edge and finally, having someone in our community fall from a height that crippled him, I learned to hate high places. This hate grew into a phobia that nearly crippled me. Fortunately, I learned to retrain my brain to understand that high places can be dangerous if I am not in a safe position. In other words, I don't hang by one hand from a cliff edge. (I still don't like to be up high, but I am not afraid like...

Photo Credit: (c) 2014 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas " I will break their hearts of stone,  Give them hearts for love alone." - Dan Schutte The words above are from one of my favorite hymns, Here I am Lord , which we sang at my ordination several years ago.  This hymn is about answering the call of Spirit to serve others.  In the chorus, we sing, "Here I am, Lord...I have heard you calling in the night." This is based on the Bible stories in which Isaiah and Samuel, at different times, answer the call to serve their brothers and sisters. We are all called to serve. Each of us has special gifts that are meant to be shared with the world. Our gifts are many and varied - compassion, music, healing, art, writing, speaking, raising children, raising crops - the list is endless. What is important is that we understand that we are called to serve others with these gifts. To turn our backs on this call is to turn our backs on all that we hold sacred. Some of us turn ...

  By Marcusmoseley (Own work)  via Wikimedia Commons Blessed, Holy Source of All, once again we are shocked by the violence - senseless violence. Once again, we call to you to mend our broken hearts - our broken lives. Once again, we search our beings for hope -  for forgiveness. Blessed One,  help us to look at the true cause for this insanity. Help us to see into the heart of such unspeakable evil. Help us to face the demons of our making and stop  that which seem unstoppable. Holy Parent, teach us to stand against those in power that refuse to make the changes needed. Teach us to stand strong against those who live in hate with the world. Teach us to stand in loving-kindness, even when all around us run away. Great Spirit, hold those in South Carolina close to your Heart. Hold those who have suffered from hate and violence in your Love. And, hold us all in your Grace so that we can do what needs to be done  to end this insan...