Sabbath Messages | Sabbath Message: Aug. 14, 2004
Good Sabbath
August 14, 2004 "The joy that was our Julia...a smidge of lustiness, a dollop of
merriment." Julia Childs now cooks for God, an appreciative recipient,
a well spent 91 years.
"Hurricane Charlie routs Florida" as Mother Nature proves her own
lustiness and temperament . Here in San Diego we lament a little fog and
worry about breezes only during fire season.
In Greece they open the Olympics after so much concern over terrorism and
whether everything would be constructed on time. I thought the opening ceremonies
were original and so well staged, joining yesterdays ancient gods and goddesses
with today's technological choreography.
10,500 athletes paraded past thousands of fans, many snapping pictures as
they passed before the cheering crowd...I've seldom heard any national anthem
sung with more energy and pride, a magnificent chorus. The lady in charge
of the gathering was beautiful as we were informed how she had not allowed
herself to give up having the Olympics return to the home base, Greece ,
no matter how much discouragement and failure she had suffered. It made her
face and smile blossom with more glowing beauty!
Energy and will are linked through the mind as it recoils from temporary
defeat - never knowing whether defeat is final or subject to change. Faith
in a kind God assists the process from defeat to triumph.
As I watched the pageantry and today as I write, I thought: here all these
countries, so tiny so large, so important, some still finding themselves,
some allied in hatred against others, some needing charity so much, and always
about 70 of them occupied in wars - always!
I thought: how can they come together each decade, in such harmony, with
their youth so excited and dedicated to training for momentary competition
and victory; how can such exuberant peacefulness come out of the constant
hatred and wars and why can't it be always? God wonders why also, but we
are His creations and if He still wonders, why not us also? Will we assist
each other?
I figure that it is in the divisiveness of politics, for they seem to take
vacations from lies and mischief during the Olympics; but why, each weekend,
do people leave their houses of worship and then embark on the consistency
of hatred, jealousy, and political chicanery? Why can't there be a consistent
Olympian spirit that prevails in all religious beliefs over and above the
memorized homilies to a God that wishes more, that needs more from His children?
Christmas is like this, for that one season, holiness is manifested through
gorgeous music and friendship.
So, there must be more than pride and pageantry, for God needs more and we
need peace and friendship even more so. We spend our political moments attacking
each other - criticizing imperfection, spinning lies out of facts and perhaps - even
the truth. We learn slowly when we are unwilling to learn, when we accept
chicanery as sincerity. We appreciate honesty except when it is the other
candidate; we respect vocabulary except when we think it speaks "above
our heads"; we are busy unlistening, unthinking, racing towards what?
This Sabbath is a fine time to embrace some focused moments of Olympian love
and fun, innocence racing with reality.
sandy
