"...things around here hardly change at all"...

...A line from one of my favorite tunes by Don Williams. I thought of this when I came across the following scripture in the Daily Office last week: "Alas for those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds! When morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses and take them away; they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance."

This reading came on a day when the pitch over the housing industry bailout was at its height, and people were losing trillions in the stock market because of the perceived collapse that was waiting around the corner. IRAs and 401ks were losing value, inheritances evaporating. The paper traders who had made millions for so many, the recent heros of Wall Street, were now the evil men of worthless paper, sellers of empty promises. The words of the prophet Micah sounded a little too familiar on that day, causing me to think, is it so easy to take words written thousands of years ago and lay across today's news because the words are indeed prophetic, or is it that people have changed so little, fundamnetally, that such words can still have meaning in a "modern" situation?

While a case can and will be argued for the former, I feel that it is the latter that makes more sense. One has only to look around to see that as people go, things are still valued (and worshiped) to the point that folks will base the security of their lives on what they can't understand or, in many cases, even see. The awaiting panic that will come from the loss of security will be driven by fear, the root of all violence. When, all that anyone really needs to be secure, and thus endure any man made hardship, is already available, free and incapable of valuation. The understanding of oneself in relation to God, releases the desire and the need to be materially secure. Not in an irrational way, we still have to eat and function in human society, but in a sane and reasonable way. We all choose, take the simple and faithful approach and live in peace and joy; or, go away sad becasue there are so many things to posses.

I think the prophet was Don Williams. Things around here do hardly change at all.

Peace.

Casting about

When Jesus told Simon and the sons of Zebedee to put their nets in the water, they replied that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. Their comment seems to ask a question, such as, we haven't caught anything although we've worked very hard, why should we even try again? I can imagine that there may have been what some would call a pregnant silence after Simon said this. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said nothing more. Perhaps he greeted Simon with a look that told him it was OK, a look of compassion, a look that said, "Trust me". Because, Simon answered, "We will do it if you say so". They did, and the nets were so full that they nearly sunk two boats.

There is more to the story, but I like to stop right there. How many times have I tried and tried to accomplish something in my life and work, doing the same thing over and over again, getting the same negative result? I reach the point of asking the empty room, "Why should I even try?" The answer is in Simon's words "I will if you say so." Jesus doesn't look for an argument, he simply asks that his words be accepted on faith. And he asks me to accept them on faith because he is doing his Father's work, a Father who comes to us in love. I tend to forget that. I forget the role of Faith in being able to make sense out of this world and understanding the nature of my own simple humanity. That's why I need to keep trying. Maybe I will do something different, like, try casting the net off the other side of the boat. Maybe my net will fill with a catch so big that I can't even haul it in. With faith, it could happen. But it will never happen if I don't believe or if I don't try.