July 26, 2020

03

"Comfort, comfort my people," says the Lord to the prophet (Isaiah)
"Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and tell her that her hard times are past..."

"But do not under any circumstances
say 'Peace, Peace' when there is no peace!"
says the Lord to a different prophet (Jeremiah).

The Bible says opposite things,
top to bottom
all the time.
Because times change.
There is no Word of the Lord for all times and places.

The Word of the Lord
is like the Spirit
that blows where it will.

One time it is like this,
and another time it is like that,
but always and forever it is of the times.
Pertinent,
timely
and uniquely suited
to this here,
this now.

The Word of the Lord is context sensitive.
Situational.
Provisional.
Conditional.
Temporary.

Sometimes it is like this,
and sometimes it is like that.
It all depends.

Which means we can't count on it
to be anything more that what it is--
what it needs to be--
right here, right now.

And that puts us on the spot.
We are always in the position
of determining for ourselves
what Word of the Lord is apropos
and applicable
right here, right now.
How do we know?

By being attuned to right here, right now.
By being tuned into right here, right now.
By seeing what's what,
hearing what is being said
and knowing what needs to be said in response,
and what needs to be done in response,
and what the situation is calling for,
and doing it,
right here, right now.

The Word of the Lord comes 
not just to the prophets, 
but to all of those clued into the moment 
of their living.
We are all prophets.
A prophet is someone who sees and hears
and knows and understands
what's what
and what to do about it.

And everyone is capable of that.
All it takes are eyes to see,
ears to hear,
and hearts to comprehend.

We all have eyes, ears, hearts!
What is the problem?
Could it be that what we 
desire,
want,
fear,
loathe,
despise
are in our way?

And that the only thing standing 
between us
and That Which Has Always Been Called God
is us?

–0–

02

Living sincerely,
transparent to ourselves,
without contriving to land a better deal
moment-by-moment-by-moment
would make the world a better place instantly.

Living transparent to ourselves
would make us "transparent to transcendence"
(Joseph Campbell),
create occasions of "aesthetic arrest"
(James Joyce),
and open the way to The Way
for those capable of finding it worldwide.

And we don't have to buy something 
we don't have to do it.
We have all we need
but the one thing required.

Turning the light around.

–0–

01

Bringing ourselves forth
to meet the time and place
of our living,
moment by moment,
situation by situation,
day after day,
is becoming who we need to be
to provide what we have to offer
to the times
as they swirl,
change,
transform
around us,
is becoming who we are.

Becoming who we need to be--
who we are called to be
by each situation as it arises--
is becoming who we are.

There are no steady states of being.
Living is becoming.
Is transitioning.
Is life.
Is being transformed by life.

Accommodation and adjustment, Kid!
Accommodation and adjustment!

In becoming,
we are one with the Flow,
with the Flux,
with the way of The Way--
offering what is needed
when it is needed,
the way it is needed
time after time,
throughout time,
through all times.
And places,
conditions,
contexts
and circumstances.

Dancing with the times.
Dancing with eternity.
Being one with the times over time.
Being one with ourselves in all times.

Nobody can do more than that.
That is all that can be asked of any of us.
To want more than that is to miss it.

Just be who you are becoming who you are
in response to the times of your living
in the place you are now,
no, now,
no, now...
always and forever,
amen.

We take who we are--
who we are capable of being--
in one hand,
and what the situation is asking of us--
is asking us to be--
is calling for,
in the other hand,
and we get the two hands together,
time after time over time.

Over the full course of time that is ours to work with.
Changing by becoming who we are yet to be
in response to the times
all of the time.

We are called forth by our circumstances,
and bring ourselves forth 
by rising to meet every occasion
all our life long.

This is the way of The Way
living in us,
living through us
throughout time.

By becoming who we are without ceasing,
we bring something new into the world
all the time.

We break the cyclical cycle.
The old has passed away,
behold the new has come,
every day,
throughout the day,
each day,
just by being who we are,
becoming who we are.

Making all things new.

Again.