Earth

Never, ever ours,

this little rock

amongst the stars.

Yet still,

we huff and puff,

and stake our claims.

Who arrived first?

Who signed the deed?

Who has the power now?

Not human feet,

nor human hands,

nor even human minds.

How many came before?

And how many shall follow?

All for the mere blink of an eye.

Were they too

arrogant, reckless fools,

with presumptions of mastery?

Did they too

fail to truly comprehend

the grace bequeathed unto them?

Not owners,

just lucky tenants,

of a Landlord most divine.

No, never ours,

O little rock

amongst the stars.

Control

Each time

I proclaim

myself

Master of my destiny,

Ruler of my universe,

You just laugh,

and laugh,

and laugh.

O vexatious Truth of truths,

O unwelcome Reality of realities,

bend me to Your will.

Obedience

"Eat the pork," says the world.

"Everyone does it.

It's what we do.

Eat the pork.

Why be so obstinate?

Do you not know the cost?

Just eat the pork.

Why sacrifice over a triviality?

No one will know.

No one will care.

Just eat the damn pork!"

Seventy-seven years ago, Franz Jägerstätter refused to "eat the pork" and was martyred by the Nazis. Those who killed him likely called him a fool, whom they were relegating to the dustbin of history. But now, seventy-seven years later, the Church calls him Blessed, and his story is told on the silver screen. It is the story of a man who recognized that our Parent's will is never trivial, and always worth the cost. The whims of human power may never understand that truth, but we do. And we choose to remember.

Brother Franz, pray for us!

The Great Why

Why? How many of our prayers boil down to that single word? Why am I here? Why do You let me suffer? Why must I die? Why? Why? Why?

We want answers, yes. But more importantly, we want to find a sense of order within the chaos. We want to know that the events of our lives, the events of history, have meaning and purpose. Because our great fear is that all of this is nothing more than a collection of random and capricious moments. Unfortunately, Truth is not our friend here.

For the vision we seek cannot be seen from our perspective. Your life is a single piece in an immeasurable jigsaw puzzle. Are you a key part of the image, or one of the multitude of background elements? Will your neighbors snap into place tomorrow, or in a thousand centuries? Is the ultimate point of your life a forgettable interaction that shapes someone else into that essential piece? You will never know, not now at least.

So if we cannot know, then our choice is whether or not to trust. Trust that our Parent did not create us by accident. Trust that our crosses will carry us where we need to go. Trust that lives cut too short, by virus or firearm, do have meaning and purpose. Trust that one day we will see the big picture and come to know what all the fuss was about.

And when that day dawns, the puzzle spread before us, and we finally grasp our place in this most magnificent tapestry, the very last thing on your mind will be "why".

Strange Grace

These are strange times indeed, all thanks to a microscopic virus. Panic and pushback; anxiety and boredom; our world upended on a daily hourly basis. And in the background, Sister Death lurks much closer than normal. We would be fools not to tremble with fear; and even bigger fools to ignore the opportunity which lies before us.

In making the latter statement, please do not mistake me for one of the many politicians and ideologues now drooling over the possibilities of enacting their agendas. Yes, those kinds of opportunities are present in a crisis, but so is the chance for transformation of a more profound sort: to see Truth as it really is and to live accordingly.

Our existence on this little rock in the universe is nothing short of extraordinary. We are surrounded by the most majestic acts of creation, from towering mountains to a grain of sand. Just look at the world that exists in the smallest garden! This is our family. This is the kingdom. We have the honor of being a part of something wonderful.

And most of the time, we ignore such truths in favor of the rat race we think of as reality. We spend our days fighting over petty fiefdoms; using and abusing our siblings as if they were commodities; believing ourselves to be the masters of destiny. And then a tiny virus comes along, and forces a choice: tighten the mask or open your eyes.

Unfortunately, most of us will choose door number one. We will place our hope in smart people and smart ideas, and the fleeting salvation that such faux saviors bring. Perhaps our trust will be rewarded with a cure and a return to normality. And perhaps we will find ourselves desolated, begging for smarter people and smarter ideas.

Would the ultimate outcome change if more of us chose door number two? Probably not. Suffering and death is our lot in life. So what is the point of looking? Nothing, to the gods of power and success that most of us worship. But to our Parent, to the One who painted us into this glorious canvas, Their vision is the supreme gift.

For that is what you will find behind door number two: the grace of beholding this life, this cosmos, your brothers and sisters, human and beyond, past, present, and future through the eyes of They who created it all in the first place. And once you look, you will never be able to turn away, even after the sheer beauty drives you insane.

Which is why most of us choose door number one. Who wants to love their enemies, let alone embrace the cross upon which they will nail you? Who wants to make servanthood their fondest dream, and to aspire to be a useless one at that? Who wants to be a failure at the very things to which your heart and soul are calling you to do?

Crazy, bonkers, nuts; and more True and Real than anyone cares to admit. Neither fame nor riches will prevent you from becoming worm food. The smart people with their smart ideas cannot take their power with them. And even our grand civilization will one day go the way of the dinosaurs. Suffering and death is our lot in life, all of us.

So if our fate is to suffer and die, let us do so with clear eyes and full hearts, living in the truth of who we are and why we are here, and eagerly welcoming grace in whatever form it might choose to manifest, even as a pandemic. Yes, ours is a strange Parent, who has gifted us with a strange home. Let us give thanks for both, always.