So,.. its 32 degrees F. in Philly, snowy, ...already 8 inches has fallen over the last 12 hours with more on the way,.. and this following the 28 inches from last weekend. In the meantime, in Haiti its 86 degrees, partly cloudly and humid, a slight threat of rain, .. quite a contrasting picture of nature at work,... not the only contrast though. This island nation is still in the tight grasp of extreme poverty, illness and suffering. On of our major concerns in the mid-Atlantic U.S., centers on digging from under the snow. Their major concern centers on digging from under the rubble and poverty that has buried much of the country. Hunger and health care are prime concerns,.. living from day-to-day is a prime concern, ....survival and where to bury the dead are prime concerns, ..all following the massive earthquake that devastated the already weakened infrastructure and has left hundreds of thousands in need of a home, food, health care or a hug. Where do orphaned children find a home, or a Mother, her missing child? Quite a contrast indeed.
And so my good friend, Michael Johnson, boarded a plane in Philadelphia yesterday, made his way to Ft. Lauderdale FL and is now enroute to Port au Prince Haiti on a plane he describes as a "cargo transport with seats". Michael is a surgeon with his primary practice in Nairobi, Kenya. He's used to contrasts. Amidst the palm trees of Nairobi, he's used to seeing suffering of the highest magnitude. Working within a tropical climate, he's become accustomed to hearing the groans of the poor. Within corrupt governmental structures, he's acclimated to watching unnecessary death. Or has he? In developed nations, we take for granted the "luxuries" afforded us by our systems. The human rights we enjoy have eroded our sensibilities such that we become negectfully blind to our neighbors circumstance and need,... even when our neighbor is the island a few doors down the block. But then again, we do that when our neighbor literally lives on our block. But when we truly care, is it possible to ever become habituated when our neighbor hurts?
So Dr. Michael Johnson is traveling with 21 others on "Missionary Flights International" to Haiti. Unnecessary suffering, for them, has not been accepted as the norm. When they reach Port au Prince, they are sure to witness the vast array of needs that have plagued this island country for centuries. Michael is sure to be confronted with the lack of infrastructure that will prevent him from a straightforward route to the hospital where he's needed. The starvation of the country is guarenteed to greet them upon arrival. There is little doubt that these missionaries will use their gifts to care for someone before they exit the vicinity of the airport. Let our prayers and thoughts be with them. They serve with love and compassion.
Jesus talked about healing repeatedly,.. and looking closely at this, perhaps our human commonality is in the healing we all seek. And so while there are contrasts of weather and the diversity of climatic events, congruity can be the result of healing. Physicians may physically provide healing to the sick, but can receive healing through the hope and love provided by the human spirit. And maybe this is what we see in Haiti and other places in the world: Healing and hope become mutually exchanged commodities, ...contrasts yield to similarities, and we find that we can love and care for our neighbors. All we have to do, is get out of the way. Contrasts?... What contrasts?
Welcome
Welcome to All. This blog is a discussion site, looking at our lives through our experiences, our spiritual, and, not so spiritual lens, ....what our lives look like at The Front. We are and some would argue, always have been, in interesting times. Servants, past and present have been at constant struggle with whatever the issues of the day have been. Where do we even begin to name them: poverty, hunger, education, shelter, .... and did I mention poverty? Fifty-one years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty, a war by the way, we're still fighting. Then again, we've always been at war with poverty, and yet poverty has remained steadfast. Jesus apparently got it right: "The poor will always be with you." But Jesus was a smart man. Did he mean what we think? Does poverty always have to be with us. Let's talk about this, and whatever else, in real and truthful ways. Let's view our lives from The Front.
If you have come to help me, then you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is linked to mine, then we will work together.
----(Anonymous) Australian Aborigine Activist
--mailto:--neilpitts@aol.com
----(Anonymous) Australian Aborigine Activist
--mailto:--neilpitts@aol.com
Contemplative Action
The Rite of Initiation: You are going to die
A shocking statement. Perhaps. But the Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr,,who has studied the Rite of Initiation has said the following::
"Every initiation rite I've studied had some ritual, dramatic, or theatrical way to experience crossing the threshold from life to death in symbolic form. Some ritual of death and resurrection was the centerpiece of all male initiation. It is probably why Jesus sought out and submitted to John the Baptist's offbeat death and rebirth ritual down by the riverside, when his own temple had become more concerned with purity codes than with transformation. It is probably why Jesus kept talking to his disciples, three times in Mark's Gospel, about the necessity of this death journey, and why three times they changed the subject (8:31-10:45). It is undoubtedly why Jesus finally stopped talking about it, and just did it, not ritually but actually. Death and resurrection, the paschal mystery, is the theme of every single Eucharist no matter what the feast or season. It takes us many seasons and even years to overcome our resistance to death.
"The transformational journey of death and resurrection is the only real message. It makes you indestructible. The real life, God's life, is running through you and in you already. But allowing it to flow freely doesn't come easily. When you do, the spiritual journey really begins. Up to that moment it is just religion. Everything up to then is creating the container, but you have not yet found the contents; you are creating the wineskins, as Jesus says, but you are not yet drinking the intoxicating wine."
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