Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21

Year A - Christmas 2 - Blessed Body ^[2]

January 5, 2014

Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21

A light shown so brightly folks became disoriented. From whence comes this light as it seems to be everywhere? Is it eternally now or simply a moment in a longer journey? Why does it show you more clearly than it shows me?

In the midst of such disorientation provisional responses seem to add to the discomfort of not being in charge. Eternal answers begin to creep in to cut through the contingencies of life. Prime among these answers is that of privileged space and time.

At first it takes a great deal of energy to wrestle with simply being. Simply think of the years of the stages you have gone through to mature and then to mature some more. In so doing we begin to see it is not our will that prevails and any attempt to guarantee a moment’s calm is to eternally build a wall higher and broader that divides light from dark, one from zero, or me from you.

One important brick in this wall is “victory”. Everything we know and believe must be protected. Everything else is suspect and to be defeated.

These passages express that old understanding of a G*D being evaluated on the basis of that G*D’s military/political victories. Some are able to hold to their G*D even in defeat and when they next are next victorious their belief is multiplied and more rules added to further narrow who is in and who is out.

If light is light, wave and particle, we need to grieve for G*D as well as praise G*D. If light confuses us, imagine how confused we become when the reality of experience continues to simply be present in the midst of our best laid plans. It can help us remember that there is no reward for belief that will allow plundering that which is currently un-belief; “victory” gives no privilege, only obligation. An ever-victorious G*D breeds tyrannical followers.

Light leads everywhere. Even Wise Ones lose their way. Light reminds us to look in palace and manger and then to choose where we will place our bet on Herod or the shepherds.