I asked my friend what should I do to "be heard? to make a difference?" He said "To make a difference we must speak up. The problem is when we speak up we may be ‘canceled.’" I have "lost" several friends in the past year because I refuse to listen to the hot and critical rhetoric used in this past year, so my friends I have lost think I cancel them. No, it’s the ugly unsubstantiated criticism, Words and Attitude I’m canceling. I also will not tolerate the use of invective by anyone, especially someone of some stature making a speech. So just this last weekend at a "retreat" a political someone we all know called another political someone we all know "a dumb son of a bitch." Yep, I just sullied my blog. It gets worse: He still criticizes the ex-Vice President for not fighting the certification of electoral college results. (Remember when War raged inside the Capitol building January 6, 2021 and he talked about a rigged election rather than sending in the National Guard to save our Capitol from outrage and death?) About his remarks…. His supporters say, "If they were reported accurately," the remarks might hurt Republicans. So we might all be misreporting and lying about him saying, "Fauci is ‘full of crap.’" Is he full of crap who is concerned about all of us lining up to end the pandemic and get shots? 6 people out of over 6 million got sick with blood clots that "might" have been caused by the vaccine. Fauci says "wear a mask; get vaccinated." I have been maligned at least twice by asking people to social distance… They reply, "It’s not ordered here in Florida" (Thank you Governor…) … I didn’t say it, "You need a law to protect yourself and others?" After you finish washing this blog out with soap, please read on!
Remember when we used to ask: "What would Jesus do?" Jesus realized how weak we are so he kept coming back after the Resurrection and showing his hurt hands and side. "Here, put your hand in the hole in my side," he said to Thomas. "Here, eat some bread with me." He finally said he had to go to the Father, and St John wrote: "that which we have seen and touched… Word of Life made manifest… we proclaim to you." Yet, we don’t grasp the moment of Grace we are offered. Do I whisper "Lord, I trust in you" or do I mouth ugliness and bad news. The Nation is crumbling and maybe we deserve it. We who don’t seek the good news need to step back and say, "What can I do?" My friend wants me to criticize Biden for "allowing" the surge at the border and I say, "It’s been surging for years." Nope, it’s Biden’s fault" Life in filthy mud is awful and life in the United States looks a lot better. Chuck and I have taken "tours" through many foreign islands and i have been sad at the dirt and mud. Our streets are paved, and we have sidewalks and toilets. Many don’t. Many do not have running water. Yet they have their babies and mix powdered milk with water from a dirty looking bucket they carried from a spigot. Is there anything we can do for our brothers rather than just build walls? We can put up obstacles to keep people out, and we can shutter up to keep the dirt and hunger out, or we can give from our bounty. We sit in silence. Oh wait, no we don’t. We yell at our leaders and we block any efforts to rebuild our own broken country. Are we waiting for more riots? Are we waiting for a big overcrowded crumbling bridge to collapse? Grace abounds in this Easter Season, yet we act like dirty children hugging our toys and not letting the poor children play. Consider the never changing Absolutes of Love, Honor, Justice, Faith, Truth. In John 18:37, Why do you think Jesus didn’t answer Pilate’s question, "What is truth?" Because Jesus knew we wouldn’t listen, but Grace will help us listen. Listen to Luke 24: 13 ff: "Did not your heart burn within you when you heard the Word spoken?" What was that Word? "Blessed are the Merciful… Blessed are the Peacemakers… Be salt and Light." Read Matthew 5 and Listen… What we can do is there. It’s in a gentle whisper. Can you hear it? God bless us. God be with us.