The Gift of Orion

 

The one who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,  -- Amos 5:8

 

I remember going outside in the twilight and looking up at the stars when I was a child. There were so many of them! We didn’t have a lot of street lights, so they were quite visible. I remember seeing those little diamond-bright lights. It was magical, even as it still is in my memories.

I don’t remember when I learned to find the Big Dipper, but it was my go-to constellation for several years when I went sky-watching in my backyard. Then, suddenly, I started studying constellations as a summer project. I got books on astronomy and tried to memorize the various constellations. Now and then, I could find the Big Dipper again, along with Cassiopea. But the big deal was finding Orion, the hunter, with his hourglass/rectangular shape and belt of three bright stars in a row. From then on, Orion was my guy, my go-to constellation, and often the one that drew my eye when I looked up. Why? I don’t quite know, but I recognize him as something there to tell me that some things are eternal and can be relied on to be there.

Funny, Amos reminds me that God made Orion. It becomes a symbol of God’s eternal presence in the sky for me to see, even when the street lights fade out so many other stars and constellations. Orion may have had different names, but he has been around in the sky for who knows how many millennia. Ancient Egyptians knew him, as did Greeks and Romans. The word for Orion in Amos is kesil,  meaning “the fool,” and the Muslim name for the constellation in the Middle Ages was al-jabbar, “the giant.” Sumerians called it Uruana, or “light of heaven.” When I look at Orion, I am aware of the millions of eyes that have sought him out over the ages and felt connected to him throughout history.

I know God is eternal, created Orion, and always present. I was taught that since my earliest days of Sunday School. Still, on my daily pre-dawn walks, I found comfort in seeing that constellation in the sky above me. I was aware of God, but it was like God knew a little visual affirmation was welcome. Even now, if I go out in the evening for something, my eye always looks for Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mitaka, the three stars of the belt, and then for Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Saiph, and Rigel. Then I thank God for the reminder.

Are there constellations, stars, natural things like rivers, mountains, trees, or lightning that remind you of God whenever you see them? Is it reassuring, or is it simply a reminder? There are times when I see kittens, and they remind me of God and God’s love. Silly, maybe, but reminders never seem to hurt. Puppies often do the same thing as my river back home and that pine tree on Monument Hill that I used to love to sit under. Here in the desert, Orion works that way for me.

Hopefully, one day I will be able to thank God in person for all the blessings I’ve been given – including kittens, my river, and Orion. There are other things, too, like good friends, happy memories, gifts, and grace, but for now, I’ll be genuinely grateful for my shortlist.

 Originally published on Episcopal Café as part of Episcopal Journal, Saturday, July 30, 2022. 

Teasing and Tickling

 

The weather has been hot, which is nothing unusual here in Arizona this time of year. The humidity has been uncomfortable. Okay, 90% is humid and miserable for those back home, especially when the thermometer hovers above 90 degrees F. For us, though, we are more used to lack of humidity – anything from 7-10%. Right now, in the early evening, it is 20%, but at six o'clock this morning, it was more like 30-35% at 90 degrees. In short, it was very uncomfortable. The weather reports keep saying we'll have rain in this corner of the Valley of the Sun, but so far, we've had only a few 30-second rainstorms.

It's like the weather is teasing us, sending us humidity. Still, no rain comes to alleviate a severe drought that is emptying our rivers and lakes. It is really getting serious here. On the other side of the Valley (50 miles away or so), and even up north in the mountains, they're getting enough rain to cause minor inconveniences or even serious flooding. In one town up north, flooding left 44 people who could not be reported safe for about 24 hours. Luckily, all were found alive and well.

Teasing is seldom a totally nice thing. Families do it, usually with love and mutual enjoyment. Still, there are times when even the closest of siblings get on each other's nerves with what seems funny to the teaser, but not always to the recipient. Teasing can lead to bullying, which is never a good thing, whether from a sibling, a person in authority, a teacher, a priest or other clergy, or even a classmate or co-worker. We seem to live in a culture where bullying is decried publicly but is allowed privately to go on unchecked. We seem helpless to do anything about it. Yet, many acts of mass violence seem rooted in someone's experiences of being bullied until they take it upon themselves to turn the tables. How many fatalities have we had this year already because of situations like that?

There is another form of teasing, though. Did you ever try tickling trout or noodling catfish? It's usually done in reasonably calm water and requires slow, almost imperceptible movements. The fingers start at the base of the tail and slowly tickle the fish along the belly until the fisherman reaches the head. Then the fish is nabbed by the gills and lifted from the water. The fish seems to enjoy the tickling part as it puts them in a seeming trance until they suddenly find themselves out of the water and in someone's cooler.

I wonder – are there times when God uses the same kind of technique to more or less move us along or at least get us to a place where we are quiet enough to listen to what we are being told? Does the Spirit use her feathers to gently soothe us into a state where we are open to suggestions and directions? Sometimes, whispering in the ears doesn't work, and we are too busy to pay attention. So if we find a quiet pool in which to swim, maybe that's the best time to get us in the mood to listen.

These days, quiet pools are often very few and far between, or they suit alligators and other predators searching for easy dinners. Even at night, when we try to compose ourselves to sleep, the hum of a mosquito or the constant rattling of windows from passing cars with extra-loud bass speakers get in the way. We seem to fall asleep immediately from exhaustion or lie twitching or turning when sleep seems to have gone on vacation.

Suppose we could just get to the point where we can lie there, maybe add a few prayers to our daily quota, or contemplate something we have heard or read. In that case, God (and the Spirit) have a chance to get a word in edgewise, even if they have to tickle us into a kind of trance. No tickling of the feet should be required.

We must learn to tease our minds and bodies into a place where we are open to what is around us and what thoughts come to us. Little ideas that come to us during our busy times are still in the brain, and maybe we need to noodle them into our calmer consciousness.

Not long ago, I was trying to sleep when I remembered thinking earlier in the day that maybe I could return to knitting prayer shawls as a ministry rather than merely a way to keep my hands busy or, as the old saying goes, off the streets and out of the bars (even my Southern Baptist relatives use that saying!). The knitting is calming, soothing, and relaxing. It is also creating something for someone else who may need the comfort and feeling of being hugged when needed, even if no human arms are present at the time. I have begun knitting again for other people and finding joy in it, even if I don't know for whom each item is intended or how I will know it's needed.

The challenge is, what can we do to find our own quiet pools and places to let ourselves feel safe and relaxed enough to let God in? It's a challenge that can improve our relationship with God and release our bodies from tension and anxiety simultaneously.

Come to think of it, the sound of rain on the tin roof would do that for me too. I wonder when I'll hear it again. (Deep sigh.)

Originally published on Episcopal Café as part of Episcopal Journal, Saturday, July 16, 2022.

Celebrating What

 Thank goodness the 4th of July is over for another year. There haven’t been any fireworks booming, banging, and hissing for a few nights, and the cats have returned to their usual selves. I feel sorry for them when they get upset – which is infrequently. I can’t explain why the noise is temporary and why we set fireworks on particular events. Heaven, help me; sometimes, I can’t figure that out either.

I can’t say that this July 4th was a particularly joyous one. With all the political jiggery going on, the day we celebrate having rights we won by defeating the British seems like a mockery. Come to think of it, many of our religious liberties are being dictated to us by people who disagree with us on what religion is and which one is the most correct. 

I notice that rights are being determined by theo-political groups who pride themselves on being firm believers in their version of the “true religion.” Many of these groups pride themselves on demanding freedom of religion for their beliefs, yet, they do not wish to allow it for any other group who dissents from that position. I find it a bit strange that some groups are very much anti-abortion because, to them, abortion is murder. Yet, the same groups are often very vocal about their right to own assault weapons which are military weapons. Some religious groups believe that life begins at conception, even though the embryo is non-viable on its own at that stage. In contrast, others believe life begins at the first breath outside the womb. Who’s right? And who has the right to demand their position is the only true and correct one?

I am a Christian by choice and Episcopalian by conviction. I don’t believe my church has all the answers to every question, but it teaches me that faith in God’s grace and Jesus’s teachings are paramount. I believe in diversity because I’ve been taught that all people are children of God, whether or not they use that name or understand God the same way I do or even look the same way I do. I don’t think God will be upset with me because I love the history, traditions, and struggles the church has gone through and continues to work through to this day. 

I find beauty and strength in other faiths as well as my own. To me, Buddhist Zen gardens and meditations are like contemplative and centering prayer in my own tradition. Jewish history and traditions are among the cornerstones of my own Christianity, and we use the writings found in the Tanakh in our own Bibles. The Five Pillars of Islam are like our Ten Commandments, basic rules for living which include worshipping God and caring for others. Native Americans revere creation, the lives and traditions of their ancestors, and strive to walk in beauty throughout their lives. In my opinion, my own Christianity is expanded and enriched by acknowledging the gifts other faiths bring to the table. Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s what my faith and my heart tell me.

I don’t want everybody in the universe to be Episcopalian (although it would be lovely if we all sang out of the same hymnbooks!). Neither do I want everybody to be Roman Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Native American, Hindu, Animist, Evangelical, or any other single belief system. 

Imagine the crown jewels of Great Britain. Wouldn’t they be boring if they were all diamonds or all pearls? What if every tree were the same size, shape, and shade of green? What if all rocks were the same size or composed of the same mineral? Wouldn’t it be boring if every day were sunny with no rain or snow for a change? What about if everyone had to wear the same color of clothes, say sky blue pink, as my Mama would say? Even if everyone spoke the same language, like English, we still would have misunderstandings because we don’t all understand life the same way and have our own interpretation of what a specific word means (not to mention idioms and spellings). 

I know many problems to overcome, and in my heart, I despair at many of the decisions made these days. Even when there were only two people in the Garden of Eden, they still didn’t agree on everything. But maybe if we all paid attention to basics like being kind to one another, treating others with respect, and honoring the earth and all it gives us, things would be better?  

I hope next time the Fourth of July rolls around, things will be better, brighter, and more geared toward equality and justice, as the Founding Fathers hoped. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to pray, try to respect others the way I would like to be respected and work to help others feel safe, equal, and accepted. And may next year be quieter so that the animals aren’t frightened and lost because humans have to make a lot of noise that sounds like war to celebrate freedom and peace.

Originally published on Episcopal Café as part of Episcopal Journal, Saturday, July 9, 2022.

Uncomfortable Words

 

'Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, "My master is delayed," and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Matthew 24:45-51

'Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, "My master is delayed," and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Matthew 24:45-51

When I read today's Daily Office gospel reading, it was familiar in its opening. Jesus talks about fig trees and how when summer comes, the fruit ripens. That brings memories of Mama's fig preserves, made from the fruit of a large tree at my aunt and uncle's farm, brought home and carefully prepared and canned. I loved those preserves.

Then I get to the second coming and how no one knows when it will happen. Not even Jesus himself knew, but surely the time would come, and some would rise to heaven while others would be left behind. Some denominations wrap a great deal of their theology around this, but I don't really think about this very much. There are many more important things to contemplate. I will try to be ready, but I'm not going to stress about it or look for signs and wonders that are said to precede it.

Next comes the part quoted above. I've been reading the Bible for years, but this was the first time this passage truly brought me up short. For some reason, I could not read the word "slave" but found myself substituting "employee" or "co-worker" instead. I know the translation I read referred to the customs of the first century A.D. I can accept that as I try to read the scriptures through the eyes and ears of those times. I can do it most of the time, but not this time. So why is it different now?

I grew up in the South, where slavery was a historical fact, and we couldn't change that history no matter what we wanted to or even could. My teens saw the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, and I saw the riots and gradual dismantling of customs and beliefs I grew up with. The church I had chosen (or where God had called me to be) began adjusting just as society and the times changed. It was good to hear sermons about all of us being equal in God's sight instead of the "us vs. them" I had often heard in my childhood. It took me a long time to stop seeing myself as a flawed sinner who seemed far from God's grace and love and began to see myself as who I was. Then it was time for me to see others in the same light. We were all God's beloved children, who would have seen our pictures proudly stuck on the doors of God's refrigerator.

Lately, there's been a lot more emphasis on seeing all people as human beings, equal in rights and status. Oh, we still have rich and poor, sick and well, those for whom learning is difficult and those who always seek more and more education. We still have people with different skin colors and cultural traditions. It isn't uncommon to walk through a grocery store and hear people speaking in native tongues we don't understand. We hopefully realize that the world is a much smaller place than it used to be, and what happens on the other side of the globe affects us whether we think it should (or would) or not.

Our language is changing as our views change. For many, the King James English of the Bible is almost as foreign as the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek, in which it was first put down on paper. Even more modern translations use phrases we may not like, but we need to read them to understand the culture from which the stories, sayings, and teachings came.

Slavery still exists today, and that's a known fact. We hear stories of the sex trade, kidnapped children forced to work instead of being allowed to be children, and teens are recruited into cults and gangs to increase their numbers and solidify their power. Women are still fighting for the right to choose how their body is used. Non-Caucasians struggle to be free of hate speech and fear of being beaten or killed simply because of their skin color or origin. LGBTQ+ want to be able to be open about who they are and who they love. The world wants to be free of warfare and pillage, and people want to live in peace and tranquility instead of terror and desperation.

I know I have to read the word "slave" in this passage, but my mind rejects it even as I realize that slavery is real and present. I can wish, hope, and pray for a time when people will read "slavery" and ask what that means. I doubt I will live long enough to see the total eradication of slavery, but I can pray to see more steps in the right direction. In God's sight, we are all equal. The sooner we realize that the better off we will be, at least IMVHO.

Originally published on Episcopal Café as part of Episcopal Journal, Saturday, July 2, 2022.