Dreaming the World

The fog has lifted and the smell of smoke in the air has waned a bit, although my eyes are still stinging some. The state has not posted an air quality alert but that does not mean much for our unique microclimate.

Yesterday morning I was sitting at our kitchen table enjoying coffee with friends when a catbird bounced off the screen covering part of the nearby picture window. Birds occasionally hit our windows which is always disturbing. Fortunately they seldom hit the windows hard, and this one was only briefly stunned, and shortly after impact they were again on their way. As always, we hope they are OK.

I’ve been working on this post for a while. It appears the politics of the day work themselves into every aspect of our culture and lives. The result is that everything we do seems to carry enormous moral weight. I know that we are all doing what we can and many of us are wishing we could do more. We find ourselves joining a long linage of folks who try to make a difference in insane times.

One of the hallmarks of epochs such as our own is that language becomes twisted and degraded, making discourse, or just plain thinking, difficult. Certainly “the fog of war” and innumerable forms of misinformation in the service of confusion have become the norm.

Speaking of which, It seems we are hearing a lot these days about making America a more Christian country. Even Supreme Court Justices are jumping on board for this project. Given this rush to revival I thought it might be useful to revisit The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, arguably the central expression of Jesus’ teachings. I’m imagining the country we would have should we followed these teachings is not what the justices have in mind.

As we approach the High Holy Days it is good to remember that Jesus saw himself as a teacher, and his disciples (some of whom were women by the way) followed him as a beloved Rabbi. He made clear that his goal was to bring the kindness and generosity that he saw at the heart of Torah to the fore.

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Mathew 5: 3-10

May your day be filled with kindness and peace.