Long Gravel Road: a moment of Isolation and Connection

I followed a truck

            down a long gravel road

      (of course, it kicked up dust

                  from the road

            a frustration, as I couldn’t keep

                  the windows down

      (I tried, but the dust-coughing

                  was too much))

they set up camp over there

            the rv, the atv, the generator

I can hear them

      but can’t see what they’re up to

maybe they hear me

            only when I laugh out loud

                  at what I’m reading

            (a book about death, pain, & sorrow)

      but I doubt it

     

without knowing it, I came here

      for isolation

the phone’s turned off,

      but on wouldn’t make a difference

            since the connection doesn’t reach this valley

no connection leaves room for connection

      to breath

      to aroma

      to noises

            that don’t penetrate the city

      to the waning light

            or the encroaching dark

      to the desert cold

                  that’s about to chase me into

            the tent that I’ve set up where

                  morning’s sun will wake me early

in time to get back out

      down that long gravel road

On the Eve of my daughter's graduation: in which I wax nostalgic, and pray

high school graduation

coming back to town from the 

job that I'd already started 

      (summer camp lifeguard

      isn't that the dream)

we walked in the ceremony

moving tassels from one side

to the other

after awkwardly shaking hands with 

   the principal

   the superintendent

   maybe a coach?

            (it was texas, after all)

and then we left in our cars

up and down the main street

stopping here and there

      houses, parks, stores

somehow I recognized at the time, that the

freedom from adulthood, coupled with a

responsibility to nothing but learning

   born by us middle class high school students

was a vanishing gift

   which we hadn’t fully appreciated

in the morning I left … again

off to new life at camp,

new life at college

***

now I see it from another side

and I hope her memories are good

      her foundation is solid

            her future is full of new life

Offering Prayer

last-minute scrounging from
couch cushions or auto ashtrays
to put cash in the plate

cans of food delivered weekly
and almost-anonymously, filling our shelves today
so that tomorrow someone can eat

checks, written carefully
the first of each month,
leaving other bills 'til later
    
a couple bucks, emptying my wallet
of all but credit cards
so the cardboard-sign-guy can eat

school supplies on a sanctuary table
destined for kids whose parents
may need to write their own cardboard sign

an elder kneeling beside a preschooler
for just a moment on the patio,
to hear her immediate story

bank transfers,
digital ones and zeros magically lessening
my account, strengthening our work together
   
grieving parents offering
their dying son's organs
to bring another family new life

All These We Offer To You, O G-d

a prayer for the 4th

let freedom ring
across our nation
for me and for my american dream

let freedom ring
for immigrants today
just as freedom beckoned
my own ancestors to these
self-proclaimed hallowed shores

let freedom ring
in the workplace,
that workers, managers, and owners
are free from the bonds of poverty
and free from the shackles of
excessive wealth

let freedom ring
all across the globe
freedom from tyranny, and
freedom for self-determination
even when their opinion
doesn't match ours
even if they won't end up
emulating us

let freedom from warfare
ring loudest of all
freedom from our national
addiction to violence, and
give us freedom from our
national need for
perceived superiority;

let freedom ring -
freedom discovered in
humility and service

may we recognize and honor
every nation under G-d;
may G-d bless america
and may G-d bless
(just as much)
all of G-d's children in
every nation.
amen.

National Day of Prayer

Apparently, Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. I've never participated in this event, but I have heard about it and I've seen the literature and website published by the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

I personally have some problems with this organization, and with this event. First of all, I see that one of their goals is to "Foster unity within the Christian Church". As I read through their definition of prayer, though, they seems to intentionally exclude much of the prayer offered in Lutheran worship (which could be viewed as formulaic, and not spontaneous).

Second, the call to prayer on this one particular day is extended exclusively to Christians. I'm sure most of us are aware that our nation is home to many different religious traditions: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native American traditions, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha'i, LDS ... it's quite a long list. However, the National Day of Prayer Task Force is interested in only Christian prayer. This doesn't seem very national to me.

From the other perspective, though, it certainly does seem very national to me ~ particularly because of the way in which the Task Force seems to emphasize (and pray for) USAmerican superiority. Now, from a patriotic perspective, I don't have a problem with folks wanting their own nation to be the best in the world. Provided they don't become vindictive or destructive, patriotic tendencies can be beneficial to national identity.

However, from a Christian perspective, I'm not sure it's healthy to pray or advocate for the superiority of one nation over another. See, if one nation is better than another, then the people of that one nation are better off than the people of the other nation ... and I don't believe that G-d sees national boundaries. When G-d created humankind in their image, it wasn't just USAmerican humankind. G-d created all of humankind in the image of the divine, and praying for some of G-d's creation to be less well off than the rest of G-d's creation becomes problematic (at least from my own angle on and gift of faith).

This is the heart of the reason that I don't believe our nation should ever become a Christian nation ~ there is too much conflict between nationalistic impulses and Christian belief.

So, Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. I have not been invited to participate, and don't expect to be. I would participate, though, if I were allowed to publicly advocate love for the enemies of USAmerica, and to pray for those who persecute us. In particular, this year I'd be interested in praying for President Obama, the house and senate leadership. I'd want to pray for the people who are leaders of North Korea, of Cuba, of Afghanistan, and of Iraq.

Further, I'd be inclined to not participate if citizens of our nation who are not Christian were excluded from offering their own prayer.

Maybe I'll just celebrate Cinco de Mayo this Thursday.

$0.02