Dear Friends,

Today's mail brought the Fall Newsletter from Rosie's Place, and I found myself deeply touched as I read Kip Tiernan's letter and reflection on the 30 plus years of this remarkable organization which provides comfort and dignity to women who are homeless. I first heard Kip speak as Rosie's was just beginning to take on flesh, and was spellbound by her vision and her courage. Her words and their inherent challenge were powerful food for thought in those early years of my journey into a deeper awareness of the social injustice so rampant in our society. Her words inspired me anew today when I read in her closing lines that she considers Rosie's Place her "big moment in time, because I believe that "indifference as a weapon of mass destruction... and we have done our damndest to prove that love will conquer all, if we only allow ourselves the luxury of being human."

Indifference is a weapon of mass destruction! And, the antidote to this "weapon of mass destruction" is being fully "human". This seems to suggest humans are predisposed to Love! Imagine... that's how we've been created as Lovers! Many of us are familiar with the expression that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather indifference. At least with hate, we have some energy that connects us to the one whom we choose not to love. But, indifference is the opposite of that. When we are "indifferent" , we simply don't care in the least. "It" doesn't matter enough even to sum up anger or hate. We simply don't allow our emotions to get engaged. We don't allow ourselves to "know" that that woman digging through the garbage cans for scraps or that unshaven man slouching on the park bench has feelings and desires and needs coursing through his/her veins just the same as us. In all likelihood, they've ceased to dream, and have lost the capacity to imagine a different life, but their blood runs as red as ours and they breathe in and out the same air that we breathe. Several years ago, I was surprised to see that the newly renovated piece of green in the center of our town had been "upgraded" to include benches in the shape of open books. I'm not sure what books they are supposed to represent, but when I questioned a 'townie' who was in the 'know', I learned that the former typical park benches had been replaced with these rather awkward ones to discourage people sitting (let alone sleeping) on them for any extended period of time. Clearly, it was not the employees of the local bank taking a stroll on their lunch hour that was the catalyst behind this 'renovation'. That's one approach to dealing with people who have no place to lay their head. If those on the committee who made this decision were acting and creating from a sense of being "fully" human... the lovers that we've been created to be... they would have focused their desire to empty those park benches in a more 'humane' way. Perhaps, if like Kip Tiernan, they let their imaginations evolve into a vision and mission to address this problem with charity rather than small-mindedness they might have developed a more life-giving solution.

This Sunday's readings are all about love vs. indifference. The first reading speaks of justice and compassion, and reminds us of God's tremendous love for us... which is the basis of the 2 commandments that Jesus offers to those who question him in the Gospel. Jesus is asked "which is the greatest commandment"? To which Jesus answers "You shall love God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. And, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself". It truly is God's love which brought creation into being... and our response to God's tremendous gift is to love God with ALL (mind, body, spirit) that we have, AND also love all those that our God has created... our neighbors... our co-inhabitants on this lovely earth. In today's, world, we now know the importance of including love for our planet in that mandate.

So, this week, let's consider not who or what we've been "hating"... but rather in what ways am I behaving "indifferently"? Perhaps it might be as simple as not averting our eyes when we see someone in need. Perhaps we could offer a smile and some assistance. Or, perhaps we can pick up the phone and call someone we know is in need... even if it's not our family, or a primary person in "our" life. In our culture, there can be a tendency to interpret "turning the other cheek" to mean "letting someone else deal with it". It might mean speaking up when we hear another person being disparaged for his/her lack of success, their mental or emotional illness, their physical challenges or financial failure. Imaging "indifference as a weapon of mass destruction" might provide a strong catalyst to help us revision what we've been closing our eyes... or our heart to in our world. The answer for each of us will be different. But if each of us makes just the smallest change tomorrow, our world will be a better place because of it. Together, we can accomplish miracles!

If you are look for to support you as you deepen your relationship with your God, we invite you to join us at the Spirit of Life. As a community, we try wholehearted to "be Christ" to one another, to tend to the needs of one another and to those in need in our world. And together, we celebrate our belief that we are being transformed by God's grace as we gather together in prayer. We warmly invite you to come, and gather with us at our Table and join in our experience of the "kin-dom" of God! We are an inclusive, open, affirming and interactive community, deeply committed to being a people of 'justice and joy.'
Loving blessings to you as you seek to be Love this week,

Find more about past weekly reflections and podcasts in our ARCHIVE PAGE.