I love all of this, the history, the caterpillar, the dancing Jesus, which Dominic crossan did a class on, I love how when Jesus resssurects he brings us all with him, and the horror and devastation of wars and death since cain🤯
Thanks for this post and—ach!—had I seen it sooner, we’d be sitting in Sherman Street church sanctuary listening to you and Jamie converse. Let us know IF it is, by chance, being recorded. Onward—
I really enjoy your writing. You recognize that the world is a troubled place but you do not let it consume you and you look for the good in life and people. It dismays me to watch us, humanity, continue to struggle with the same demons that have plagued us for all of our history but I know that there are many that summon the will day in and day out to demand that their better selves prevail. I don’t know you other than through a few bits of your writing but I sense that you are among those that make that effort. Your strength I imagine is grounded in your relationship with your God. I have never been able to make the leap necessary to become a believer and I am ok with that. I am comfortable with my finiteness but I have had to construct a moral framework
I inadvertently hit send before finishing my thought. I was going to say that I have had to construct a moral framework without faith in a God. I have done so by deciding and accepting that my purpose is to do what I can to leave this place (physically and psychologically)in as good or better shape than I found it for those that follow. I do that, in part by looking for positive examples in the lives of others and by looking in the mirror often and asking myself whether, if there were a God with an interest in the fate of humanity, I could defend my actions before it with a clear conscience. I do not always get an answer back that I like but I persist in an effort to move incrementally toward better. Thank you for providing another place for me to look for for a positive example.
Thank you for your timely mention of the ANZACs Jeff. We are currently preparing for our annual ANZAC Day services in our communities (small and large) across Aotearoa New Zealand. These are held each year on 25 April and are our opportunity to commemorate those who have been involved in conflict and to hold out hope for peace (which is a challenging hope to have in today’s world).
At the end of our service we finish with the Ode of Remembrance from Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen, in both Te Reo and English:
E kore rātou e kaumātuatia
Pēnei i a tātou kua mahue nei
E kore hoki rātou e ngoikore
Ahakoa pehea i ngā āhuatanga o te wā
I te hekenga atu o te rā
Tae noa ki te aranga mai i te ata
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Love the dancing Jesus. Thank you for sharing all of this. Beautiful. This part felt like a prayer to me… “We will have to be lifted by love—and perhaps we might dance, but only because Jesus did so first, and then held us by hand and called us to join him.” May we be lifted by Love…a prayer for all beings, everywhere. Blessings to you and yours 🙏❤️
Thank you for the travelogue! I love the dancing Jesus!
I love all of this, the history, the caterpillar, the dancing Jesus, which Dominic crossan did a class on, I love how when Jesus resssurects he brings us all with him, and the horror and devastation of wars and death since cain🤯
You are a brilliant writer and an amazing soul🙌
Thanks for this post and—ach!—had I seen it sooner, we’d be sitting in Sherman Street church sanctuary listening to you and Jamie converse. Let us know IF it is, by chance, being recorded. Onward—
I apologize for the short notice! Unfortunately, it was not recorded.
Thank you for all your writing, but particularly thank you for this and inviting so many of us on your journey.
Jesus’s ways are different than the world’s, thank God.
Thank you for your words as always, friend!
I really enjoy your writing. You recognize that the world is a troubled place but you do not let it consume you and you look for the good in life and people. It dismays me to watch us, humanity, continue to struggle with the same demons that have plagued us for all of our history but I know that there are many that summon the will day in and day out to demand that their better selves prevail. I don’t know you other than through a few bits of your writing but I sense that you are among those that make that effort. Your strength I imagine is grounded in your relationship with your God. I have never been able to make the leap necessary to become a believer and I am ok with that. I am comfortable with my finiteness but I have had to construct a moral framework
I inadvertently hit send before finishing my thought. I was going to say that I have had to construct a moral framework without faith in a God. I have done so by deciding and accepting that my purpose is to do what I can to leave this place (physically and psychologically)in as good or better shape than I found it for those that follow. I do that, in part by looking for positive examples in the lives of others and by looking in the mirror often and asking myself whether, if there were a God with an interest in the fate of humanity, I could defend my actions before it with a clear conscience. I do not always get an answer back that I like but I persist in an effort to move incrementally toward better. Thank you for providing another place for me to look for for a positive example.
Peace,
Arthur Bode
Thank you for your timely mention of the ANZACs Jeff. We are currently preparing for our annual ANZAC Day services in our communities (small and large) across Aotearoa New Zealand. These are held each year on 25 April and are our opportunity to commemorate those who have been involved in conflict and to hold out hope for peace (which is a challenging hope to have in today’s world).
At the end of our service we finish with the Ode of Remembrance from Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen, in both Te Reo and English:
E kore rātou e kaumātuatia
Pēnei i a tātou kua mahue nei
E kore hoki rātou e ngoikore
Ahakoa pehea i ngā āhuatanga o te wā
I te hekenga atu o te rā
Tae noa ki te aranga mai i te ata
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.
We will remember them.
Love the dancing Jesus. Thank you for sharing all of this. Beautiful. This part felt like a prayer to me… “We will have to be lifted by love—and perhaps we might dance, but only because Jesus did so first, and then held us by hand and called us to join him.” May we be lifted by Love…a prayer for all beings, everywhere. Blessings to you and yours 🙏❤️