Under Arrest - No trespassing

I was arrested yesterday. I’d been to this place many times before and had never recognized the sign. Caught by surprise, the implications swept over me and I stopped dead in my tracks. Guilty as charged. Sometimes words are so familiar that we just gloss over them without really attending to the meaning behind the meaning. Not this time, however.

There I was at the conclusion of my morning’s sacred time of centering prayer - reciting the Lord’s Prayer as I do every day....

It was the phrase, Forgive us our trespasses. How many times before had I said this phrase? This prayer? Forgive us our trespasses.

It was the word trespasses which gave me pause. Here, then, was something to investigate. What does trespass, in the context of this prayer mean? Trespassing is considered being on someone else's property without their consent.

Where have I trespassed? The definition suggests that trespassing causes injury to the person, property, or rights of another, committed with force or violence, actual or implied. In the case of my arrest, there is an implication, then, of violence, of wrongful entry upon the lands of another. Here is an offense. A sin. A wrong.

I’m reminded of the actions of our neighbor late last fall. Though we never posted a no trespassing sign, we’d talked a couple of times with her over the years of her encroachment on the far corner of our property. Little bit by little bit she enlarged her yard so that her grandkids would have more space to play. We were OK with that as that part of our acreage was undeveloped – but she knew that we knew that that was really within the boundary of our six acre plot. Even so, what did she do but call in a tree service to cut down five living wild cherry trees that were technically ours! That makes for an interesting story. Said she was tired of the branches and leaves that kept falling in her yard. What could we do? The trees were gone. It seemed the only thing we could do was to forgive those who trespass against us. She ended up with the bill from the tree service. We ended up with lots of cherry wood. This winter we’ll enjoy stoking up the fire in the wood stove with seasoned, fragrant logs. Even so, here will be a frequent reminder of our allowance of her trespassing. 

Where have I trespassed? Synonyms of the word suggest intrusion, encroachment, infringement – a breaking in, an invasion or offense with an undertone of violence.

As I reflect on this, a quote from Thomas Merton comes to mind. In this context it carries a lot of weight for me today and I wonder how my acts of trespassing fit into the picture that Merton is talking about:

To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender oneself to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence. It destroys one’s inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of one’s work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes the work fruitful.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen

O

When and where have you found yourself utterly amazed – full of awe and wonder?

Years ago, while touring Germany, members of the group kept exclaiming over the sights that we saw around every bend in the road– as though these vistas were unrivaled.  Each new day we were ripe for discovery and curiosity. The whole experience was so wonderful I thrilled to the adventure.  Towards the end of the trip, however, as I was longing for home, I came to a personal realization that there was as much beauty to be had right there – back home – if only I would have the eyes to see it.

I’ve never forgotten the implication of that awareness and have tried to make it a daily intention to see the stunning wonders in my own back yard.

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood & I found myself humming strains of an old hymn.  A few phrases stirred in my memory & I wanted to get outside and experience the song and sing the mighty power of God– Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed where-e’er I turn my eye: If I survey the ground I tread or gaze upon the sky!

The fading October landscape offers me more than I bargained for. Bright blue chicory defies traffic where it grows up out of the gravel along the shoulder of the road.  Gleaming golden rod flashes in dappled sunshine like a blinking yellow traffic signal urging alertness to the beauty of the day.  Dense dark brown cattails & fluffy milkweed pods boast of fertility. Consider the potential in the soon to be released seeds! Seasonal grasses, even as they die off this late in the autumn of the year, bear much promise, in the cycle of seasons. Burnished leaves on the common bushes roadside suggest that I stay tuned with great expectation for the majestic fall color display just around the corner. The contrasting textures and colors delight the senses. Earthy damp smells of autumn entice me to breathe deep. There is the tart aroma of fallen apples. Wafting in the gentle breeze is more than a hint of pine. The air is alive with the raucous call of crows….

Filled with awe and wonder, I gratefully gather up an abundance of nature’s offerings. Sorted out, the gleanings make a lovely mandala. 

This is an occasional practice that I particularly enjoy.

On this stunningly beautiful day in the neighborhood I couldn’t stop there – the woodland in my very own yard beckons.

Softly carpeted with fallen needles, the ground, hosts an amazing number and variety of fungi. Dainty fairy rings circle round robust mushrooms. So mysterious, they are - growing in the shadows of the softly whispering pines. Here, I collect another assortment of the seasons gifts and select a few for another artistic display of my own imaginative arrangement.

Now, what’s keeping you from getting out there?

Overwhelm us with wonder, Lord: that our souls might rest in awe.

Allow yourself to be amazed – filled with awe and wonder. I’d love for you to share. Where have you awakened to the beauty and joy of God?

Diversions

People have been all abuzz –anticipating the return of our favorite shows. And now, it’s upon us! Premier week! No spoilers here, I promise. One can only imagine how great expectations have motivated many of us to hustle in preparation for the awaited hour -lunches made for the morrow and the kitchen cleaned up. This past Monday night at eight o’clock, sharp, there I was settled in my comfy chair in front of the TV to hear the announcement, Live from Hollywood – It’s Dancing with the Stars!  After two hours of pure entertainment,  my other favorite, Castle, followed. What can I say? It’s just plain fun & I’m all for having fun.

And sometimes, let’s be frank - one just needs a little diversion. Last week – if you can believe it ––I watched Here Comes Honey BooBoo.

Yes, its’ true. I have a confession to make  - here was a deliberate ploy to avoid some other more worthwhile undertakings. Thoughts in my head had been flipping around like some pin ball machine that day and I felt the need to just veg out.

So, what did I think about Honey Boo Boo? 

Who has time to watch this stuff? Does anyone really care?  After the show, I wasted even more time and surfed the internet to shed a little more light on what I had just viewed. One article stated, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has become more than just a reality television show. It has become an important slice of modern American culture.” Say what? Personally, I’m not wanting to have another slice of this American pie. I’ve had my fill. Thank you very much. I’ll draw the line and say pooh pooh to Honey Boo Boo.

Even so, I don’t want to spoil your fun if you’re into that show…

I’m just speaking of my experience here.

There are times I enter into an evening of entertainment with a keen awareness that if I give in to too much electronics I could slip into some kind of commercialized coma and lose my balance. Such was the case Monday evening after all the suspense of Castle. I was an insomniac into the wee hours of the night. *sigh* Just like that, I lost a healthy rhythm of sleep.

I have to be careful, then, as I settle into the new season of my favorite shows that I not get slain with entertainment that dulls the senses and kills the spirit. It’s interesting to note that the TV section of our local newspaper is called DIVERSIONS. That very word gives me pause and I can’t help but be reminded each time I scan the listings for shows that I might enjoy, that I do have a choice to do something that will soothe rather than ramp me up - like read or knit. As I reflect on this, I wonder how often my decision to plunk down in front of the TV is a form of escapism or worse, sabotage.

So, I ask myself a simple question, and invite you to consider - with no intention of spoiling anyone’s evening of entertainment and fun  - why am I turning on the TV? Is it time to turn the thing on or off?

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Well, on Monday night, I for one, will be turning on the TV to simply enjoy some good plain fun and (in my opinion) some well scripted drama. What's your favorite this season?

Heart Opener

My heart was so heavy it felt like I was lying in the dentist chair with one of those lead aprons on. Not my favorite place to be. Thankfully, I was in a much better place. At the yoga studio, in the flow of the morning’s practice, something broke free. My heart expanded as we moved and meditated on this,

 from Psalm 18: 16 – 19:

But he caught – reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out

of the ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,

the void in which I was drowning.

They hit me when I was down,

but God stuck by me,

He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved – surprised to be loved!

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During the hour of heart openers a dream was recalled. The dream was representative of what the morning’s practice was inviting me to  -body, mind, soul and spirit - a more expansive place.  The dream found me in a Plexiglas cube tangled up with a bittersweet vine. The vine was growing at a tremendous rate and crowding me out until I was trapped in a tiny corner with no room to breathe. As it pressed against me the pain was great. Panic was setting in. Suddenly, at the last possible moment, before I was crushed under its weight and entangling branches, the intense pressure building up BURST open the cube and I tumbled out as the vine sprung out and shook with great trembling. Seeds scattered. They were seeds of contempt. The root was exposed and it was recognized as the root of bitterness. Together, they had bound me up and restrained me. In that moment of new awareness, with loving-kindness, I saw all the bitterness, all the contempt strewn like ripe seeds and berries of a bittersweet vine. As they scattered, these seeds were transformed into seeds of compassion. I was transformed and transported to an expansive place of love. Love for self. Love for others. Love for God. Why would that be a surprising place to find myself in?

 I've been there before....                                                                        May it be so for you.