Sabbath Messages > Sabbath Message: March 11, 2006
Good Sabbath
March 11, 2006
Oh it rained last night, and it hailed noisily as Fran and I peeked outside to see what all the noise was, and kids who had never experienced hail, laughed as if it were snow. Southern California is not used to rain let alone snow-though it loves to ski--three drops of rain will cause a traffic tie-up and more will flood our streets. We get about a desert's worth of annual precipitation and are pleased when the winter snow comes down to the 2,000-foot level.
I'll always remember, many years ago, when I had to drive from the San Fernando Valley into Century City--an hour's journey each way and some snow had accumulated on the San Diego Freeway; there were several accidents of people who knew nothing about driving on a slick surface, while kids on the way to UCLA pulled over to have snow-ball frolics; it was crazily So. California.
I remember the first family trip to Aspen where we all learned how to ski and enjoyed each other so much. My wonderful Brother, Lewis, decided that he would ski back in N.J. when he was very young. He was always a fine athlete and without real equipment, he would head down a hill and entertain whoever was watching. If he fell, he would laugh and quickly pick himself up and try it all over again.
Winter, to me, was freezing while ice skating, which eventually drove me to California. My younger son, Mark, started figure skating when he was forty; we were very proud of his courage and eventual skill.
"No one can approach through winter's darkness, a house from whose windows light shines out on the snow, without feeling quieted and heartened....a house means warmth and shelter, light means human company." (Bernard De Voto)
"Teach me Thy way, O Lord,
And lead me in an even path.
With Thee is the fountain of life,
In Thy light do we see light."
(Sabbath Prayers)
God created light to illuminate more than darkness, for each has its purpose.Wisdom lights up the mind's ability to think, for knowledge illuminates the pathways to peace and thoughtfulness, also kindness. Some like to explore darkness to discover what is hidden. I've always preferred discovering the human mind and studying its nature, so maybe I could learn more about God and what His creations possibly were meant to be, as opposed to simply accumulating possessions.
I am sorely tried by Iraq and the trap called power and the divisiveness called religions.
We are tried by our religions as we search for God and the pathway to someplace better than life on earth. We spend billions sending a camera to fly around Mars to see if life could be supported there. And if we found that it can, what would we do next? Maybe ship some convicts there and create a gigantic new Australia; maybe nuclear waste and other garbage so we could use more nuclear power without poisoning ourselves, maybe. I feel that we are poised at the tip of a new era of discovery of energies and efficiencies and cures which were once our dreams.
The question is which will be our destiny, a brilliant future for humankind or its tragic end?
It is up to each of us to demand and elect people who will assist us to the first destination.
sandy
