Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I’ve been offline for awhile. Still trying to fold blog-writing into an incredbly busy life for a retired person. I have a small, quite needy little flock and they have needed my atention this past week.
And I am taking deep into my soul the events of last week — Dr. King’s legacy, and my own long standing commitment to non-violence of tongue and heart, the awesome event of the peaceful transfer of power in our nation. I am so thankful that our Constitution still works. God is indeed in control. I pray without ceasing for the transformation of our country and we just need to cooperate with the process.
And so there is much hope in Mr. Obama’s presidency. I am very graterful for his decision to close Guananamo and to stop torturing humans, although the church itself has that dark stain on its soul. But there is concern as well over the the rights of the unborn. My approach to life is “Both / And” , not “either / or”. The issue of abortion is highly complex and we are not communicating well on that issue. We are divided. I hope we can come to some dialogue.
Today’s we rejoice in the wonderful feast on the 2000th observance of St. Paul’s powerful influence as a writer. This moring I prayed that he would open a channel to me and guide my pen (or my cursor) that in my small way I could catch others up in the intimate love affair we have with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I just humbly ask that I might be influenced by his ability to love and care for the many communities that were in his heart and to write to them individually and so devotedly. That is the one and onl purpose of this blog and all of my writing.
That was a bit of a segue but I wanted to comment on the insightful reflection that Bishop Michael Saltarelli (retired bishop of Wilmington Deleware) in this morning’s Magnficat liturgical magazine. He said, “St. Paul understood how to influence non-Christian and anti-Christian mindsets with charity so as to be able to be an instrument of another mind’s enlightenment.
In the abortion debate, we have to stop condemning. We have to be willing to listen. And then respectfully dialogue. With the President. I believe he is being guided bythe Holy Spirit but needs to have an aha experience And what is the huge task – with our whole culture.
I have been planning to write him for over a year now. The time has come to write it. But also to our church and our culture as well. I ask for your prayers for the Spirit’s — and St. Paul’s guidance. It may not turn out well. It may be of little consequence. But then again, it might.
Now just a little meditation on the picture above.
A photographer has to have open eyes ready to capture the moment. A second later and the light changes.
A photography notices the interplay of light and shadow and color.
And from a creative pulse that emerges from the depth of the soul the photographer is able to help other’s to see the beauty in simple things like raindrops on a car window, illumined by street lights that somehow capture two of my favorite colors — gold and tiele. Simple things. Right in front of us. Be ready to stop and ponder their beauty.
That is what life is all about for me.
Dearest Lord,
Open our eyes, Lord,
so that we may see the beauty that is right in front of us.
Help us to slow down, Lord, trying to rush to the next place we’re supposed to be at
and miss the life that is happening right now.
Help us to take in the beauty, the wonder within a few feet of us.
Life is but a journey, Lord. But the destination is not important.
Help us to take in the simple pleasures along the way.
Thank you, Lord, for you are always present for those who have eyes to see.
AMEN!
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With love,
Bob Traupman
priest / writer
Father Bob's Reflections 