The Time is Now

03May
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; it is good for the just to sing praises. Praise the Lord with the harp; play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.

Sing for him a new song; sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, on those who wait upon his love, to pluck their lives from death, and to feed them in time of famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, for in his holy Name we put our trust. Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have put our trust in you.

-Psalm 33 Exultate, justi 1-3; 18-22. 


Our daughter had a Jehovah’s Witness in her third-grade class. Rachael. This was a little girl who, at age 8, knew why she was there. There was a simple joy about the child. She was 100% present without being intense. I came to realize when she was at our dinner table, she was the only one present who had zero guile. None, and that permitted the endearing aura of her beliefs to light the room. Rachael’s gifts to this morning’s meditation are two words, guile and witness.


When we have secrets, we carry them about in invisible satchels woven from guile. In them we hide and perpetuate our secrets; nothing dramatic, just enough to make the secrets bearable. It’s what C. S. Lewis called “Vague Guilt.” The rub is, secrets, even the little ones chafe, so the guile has to be repaired, maintained.                  


St Teresa of Avila would remind us that “The path of prayer and union with God entails the shedding of all earthly attachments and guile. Only by embracing simplicity can we hope to draw closer to Him.” “Prayer is an act of love. Words are not needed.” Witness will do. The maintenance of “vague guilt” keeps us from discovering the union with God that God so fervently desires. 


Of course, the truth is that which sets us free. We know this, because the Gospels, St. Paul, and countless theologians and songwriters have told us so. But as Dr. Fieldstone, the counsellor character in the Ted Lasso series correctly points out, “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off!” Sorry, but it is true. That burst of anger is the first blurt of acceptance; it is the sound of truth piercing guile and God rushing in. “Lord, I just couldn’t keep it together. Yes. Please… Thy will be done, Lord. Why did I make this so difficult? I love you so!” This is the voice of grace that created little Rachael’s aura at our dinner table decades ago. It is that place of grace from which we are meant to witness to our fellow human beings. Quoting Ted Lasso again, “Let your light shine, you never know who needs it!” (otherwise known as the short form of Matthew 5:16).


I’m a grandparent and I can speak of these things, but do I live this way? Not really. Two words: vague guilt. Yet today, I can still listen to beloved theologians, Lasso and Lewis, singing in unison, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are!” 


Musical Reflection - Jimmy Buffett - Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On ft. Caroline Jones


Lord, grant me acceptance by your Grace. According to my watch the time is now. The past is dead and gone. Help me to shake it and just nod my head to you. Of your Love, my Savior, I’ll just breathe in, breathe out, and move on. Amen.

PsalmsLetting GoEaster

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