“…………..and you say all those folks back there are foolish?”

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Lenten Journey – Day 19
Biblical Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Open Invitation to Join Terri from

Cloaked Monk

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11-Mar-12: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

 

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written,”I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.

22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,

23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

 

 

“…………..and you say all those folks back there are foolish?”

 

 

“Ohsee, meesee, mysee–we just bees so silly-willy-nilly, all fallen down!”

So did Stumpy and Littley and Spottedy and all friends hugged in rest.

“Oh, now ye be stopped; now ye be all whopped out, “did Old Crow caw to crown

Those healing and panting friends with love from above for holding in breast.

 

“Oh, but wesee beesee so most foolsee-woolsee, can’t you see, Old Caw?”

“Whysee usees, sent to quest, climb, crawl to east for light, Light, LIGHT?”

“Why, know ye not?  Have ye not seen?  Have ye not been? Have ye not held that Paw?”

“Ye most lovely crittery ones walk in proof ye hold none wise but The One of Might!”

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SKIPPING A ROPE ALL THE WAY TO THE STALL

 

 

Over the past two weeks, we have learned many truths from some unexpected critterly relationships and encounters on the way to Bethlehem.  We have heard them talking in their own languages, with their own unique points of view.  We have sung with them, been startled by them, marched along them, crawled with them, flew with them, called out to whoever would listen with them.  We have been sweeping clean our own Advent path with a lot of help from our critter friends.

 

N ow we will be meeting up with some beings who are mostly human, but not entirely, thank goodness.  We will listen to them in their own idioms.  We will cry and laugh and dance and crawl and mourn and regret and sigh and then jump up high in many showers of  new light along with these folk.  For, you see, we are created in such a peculiar way that we just do not learn or prepare or rejoice very effectively until our hearts and minds have been drilled by points of light fired like shafts by others into our souls.  Come, let us prepare together!

 

So grab your walking sticks and a travel pack.  Scrub the mists from your eyes, so that you may see clearly what has been inside you always.  Throw a little water over your head, so that you may be clean when meeting these wonderful “other folk”.  Carry a little oil, pack a little water, store up a little grain “against that day foretold since before the creation.”  Take my hand, pilgrim.  

 

SATURDAY: SOLO VS. GROUP RE: INNER PEACE

Waking up on this weekend morning with only four-legged family members around, I realized how totally satisfying that was.  I actually liked the state of mind I was in, how I felt both physically and mentally.  I was well on the way to a successful morning meditation period.  Afterwards, I started planning this post, bouncing back and forth in time between a few childhood memories, many young-ish adult memories, and now.  Thankfully, for several years now, I have not edged over into minor angst when trying to understand why I have been most comfortable AND productive in my life when “alone”.  (Actually, that is when I feel least alone!)  Yet, because of my overly-developed verbal side, I have continuously been labeled a “people person”.  So, go figure.

Okay, first of all, my overly-developed intuitiveness shows me WAY TOO MUCH about other people.  For most of my life.  I became internally agitated by what I was picking up and allowed other folks’ stuff to tip me off center.  Thankfully, joining a wonderful, give-and-take, free-for-all Bible study group that is willing to process anything and everything has gradually built up quite a bit of spiritual “muscle” with which to successfully digest of that stuff from other folks.

So, it really was no accident that last week’s query about “the group home” should prompt such a rich harvest in my Truth Garden.  And yesterday’s immersion in all those folks waiting for the Homecoming Parade, whereupon I was rejoiced by portions of the natural world reflected in many of their eyes, was most encouraging.  I was able to zero right in on postive, productive “stuff” from those other folks, even though there were thousands of vibes bouncing around in my brain regarding their many quirks and much pettiness.

So, solo or in group, inner peace burrows in, making itself at home, allowing me to skip along on my journey to the Truth Mountain.  This mountain shelters Truth in such a nourshing manner that Truth is arrayed in only Blessing-Colors, with all the old hurtful fake truths scaled away by the bright lights of Inspiration, Wisdom, Peace.

FRIDAY: HOMECOMING PARADE & POETRY WALKING

Saw police roadblocks indicating approaching local homecoming parade, parked, walking, looking, humming:

“Folksies, folksies everywhere, not a meditation in sight;

But clouds and sunbeams reflected in eyeballs

Still manage to inspire:

Dreamsies, Will-Yes-I-Willses, Yes-I-Cansies, hmmmmm-ummm-goodsies.”

Anyway, met up with a seldom-seen good old friend, lots of laughs, lots of encouragement, lots wiser about the power of serendipity right in your face after refusing to be irritated by interruptions.

And all of this only 1/4 block from last week’s White Hair Walking episode.  See, this senior citizen getting wiser stuff is for real.

“Oh, Happy Day…….”

 

THURSDAY: CLAIMING CALMING POETRY

This senior citizen (walking with white hair? THAT senior citizen!) unhesitatingly, vigorously, GLEEFULLY, claimed the calming, indeed restorative power of poetry this morning after spending the past 24 hours seeking at least temporary solutions for one of the many (many, many, many) local fellow citizens who cannot resist the urge to TELL ME ALL THE GORY DETAILS (completely unsolicited!).  Coupled with my sometimes-unwelcome “gift” in discernment, this proved yesterday to be emotionally fatiguing.  So this a.m., I walked around waking up with java and four-legged ones like this:

“Yada, yada, yada, Tweedle-Dee-Dee and Tweedle Dee Dum knocked me off the wall:

I splatted all over and spilled by XXX rated guts.

Twinkle, twinkle little star, guess what I made by ex-do last night in the moonlight?

Are you still listening, still there….hello? hello? Oh, shoot, I’m going to cry”, said digitized voice way too early.

 

“Oh, really, oh no, oh my goodness gracious–Oh no, no, no, no, NO!

How awful for you, yes I’m listening, I said, yes, yes, YES!

Are you really sure you want to tell me this, yes this, this, this, THAT!

Oh, I have another call coming in, I MUST take it, so sorry, sorr-urr-reeeeee, clickety clack”, said my yesterday-growing-older-quickly self.

 

SEE WHY I FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW?  I am more than ready to be an outrageous, improper senior citizen again.

Why?  Because I actually do care, actually came up with 4 useful/somewhat successful manuevers about yesterday a.m. phone call, and actually am newly energized.

See the power of aged wisdom?

SATURDAY: IN-LAWS AND WHITE HAIR

Some of you may think the two nouns in the title of today’s post are synonymous, while others may be convinced the first brings on the second!

But I am here to tell you, inlaws are one of the chief sources of my inspiration in these, my official white-haired days!

If I were sitting in the park with the NYC AGAINST WALLSTREET protesters, my mind would wander to past conflicts resolved more-than-satisfactorily with in-laws!

When I indulged in a short jog in the forest this a.m., my mind wandered to the various comments some in-laws about my outdoor activities.

As I played with my canine family members this a.m.–you guessed it–my mind wandered to comments from in-laws about my relationship with said four-legged loved ones.

So, now it should not be difficult for you to see how past encounters with in-laws (especially those resulting in my “letting go” of my kneed-jerk defense mechanism) helped me to deal so well with the stranger-encounter described in my “White Hair Walking” post earlier this week.   My white hair is an outward and visible sign of the number of years required to grow wisdom inside the ol’ head.  It reminds me of many successes and challenges, spurring me on to deal with even more “strange encounters” in such a way as to build even more wisdom.  This kind of wisdom brings understanding at a deep enough spiritual level to change a troublesome road into a victorious path to PEACE!

WEDNESDAY: White Hair Pondering the Weird

Giving thanks to God that I am now comfortable being “weird” as a senior citizen.  So pleased I don’t fit statistical “norms” (who in the heck wants to be “normal”?)  It has taken too much hard work to get to this point just to be plain old vanilla “normal”.

But my brain-tickler for today is:  Why is my happy-to-be-eccentric self so intimidating to others that they might secretly wish I were in a “group home”?  Why is my “serving the community and being healthy walking and picking up roadside litter (much of it for recycling)” self somewhat threatenting to many around me?

Do they think I am scamming, somehow?  Could I suddently flip-out and dance, or sing, or speak blessings on all who pass?  WHAT? WHAT?

Okay, so if I am touching a long-forgotten spot in passerby’s psyches, could this not be a GOOD THING?

Alright, already–you’ve caught me red-handed:  maybe I DO want to make people stop and think!

But, honestly, I really do think cleaning up public spaces,recycleing, walking for exercise, leaving the vehicle in the driveway as much as possible, exhibiting public peace and joy in Creation are good ways to live.

I often feel each white hair was produced developing much of the above!

Besides, folks, my hair is not WHITE:  it is PLATINUM!