A Psalm of Icy Awareness

The metaphor for our presently poorly divided frozen church these past thirty years is clear, as cruelly clear as ice.

yet as hermit I am challenged by the closing here to a deeper commitment and awareness of our calling, "an awareness of my sisters and brothers" ever deepening, ever more compassionate, not a separation in solitude alone, but a freeing to a truer, more honest, more profound, more self-sacrificing, more loving communion with this People of God, awakening ever more fully into the realization that we are not at all alone, but "a joyous, flowing community" of one human family in intimate union with all Creation.

and so I plant more carrots in this cold dry desert winter . . .

Thank you Fr Hays your poem prayers always inspire me to more reflection about God. I think - so true. And I like the comment by frère charles. I am reminded of how often I feel divided from the community because we as humans have this desire 'to make' everyone believe the way we do. Let us praise and love God and allow others to praise and love God - Not in an obligatory way but in one of freely choosing God. Does it really matter whether we are Lutheran, Baptist, Episcoplian, Catholic? Let us be happy that choices are made for God. Does it matter - Does God care - if we are Hindu, Islamic or Jewish as long we praise and love God, love ourselves and love our neighbor and treat them with dignity?

Let's stop this cold icy separation, divorced from each other, because we want to be right or follow rules our way. God's way seems to be just so inclusive. I wonder if the question at the end of life is going to be "How have you loved me through accepting and loving those who came to me/loved me differently than you did?"

"While once upon a time we gathered joyfully
in families, tribes and clans"

Sorry, Fr. Hays, but this has never been the case for humanity. There are times and clusters of persons who experience this, but, as a whole, humanity has always been divided. Whether a person takes the book of Genesis literally or as story narrative, it is clear that we've always felt alienated and alone and/or that we are in the wrong place, and that we simply cannot live together in peace.

Now, having written that, I know that Jesus came so we can 1) have an eternal personal relationship in both body and spirit with our Creator, and, 2) so that (hopefully) we really can feel like we belong and can take care of each other.

Unfortunately, not even the Church could manage joyful togetherness, there have been divisions since even before Jesus ascended, definitely after He did.

What's the answer? St. Paul basically says it is to live the best we can while on earth, even rejoicing, but the source of that rejoicing is from the knowledge that our citizenship is in Heaven, not in this world.

I know this isn't popular today, and, I do NOT mean that we just quit trying to help/do our best, but, we have to give up on (not turn out backs on) this society/world and realize it is not the Eternal Kingdom.

Simultaneous living in both realms. It's difficult, but, because of Jesus, not impossible.

Thank you again, Fr. Ed. I think my husband and I will go across the street tonight (as I did last night) and spend time with our neighbor, newly separated from her husband. Last night we went out for groceries, so maybe tonight we will read together or play a game together, to enjoy each other's company. Her children are with her (separated) spouse on the weekends.