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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Sunday, December 22, 2019

be not afraid


Dear God, please reveal to us
your sublime
beauty

that is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere

so that we will never again
feel frightened

my divine love, my love
please let us touch
your face

St. Francis of Assisi

________________________________________

The angels came

They came to Zechariah
and he was afraid
struck dumb with the enormity of the visit

they came to Mary
and she was afraid
although the moment was pregnant with promise

they came to Joseph
and he was afraid
and perhaps puzzled, and even a little humiliated
this was deep stuff
and did God think he, Joseph was a fool?

they came to shepherds
who must have decided that the last batch of wine
had gone a little bad
and who must had looked incredulously at each other
as the skies shone
“Whoa!  Look at that, dude!”

The angels came
and there was fear

but also hope
be not afraid
be not afraid
be not afraid

for you have God all wrong
all wrong
you can be in awe
you can and should be overwhelmed
you should feel the power and presence
and be driven go beyond who and what you are

propelled into a world new
a life new
a heart new
a mind new

but be not afraid

for this God is love
and if you don’t believe it
soon God will prove it

God will come
not growling and threatening
not in power on the clouds

but crying and
reaching for his mother’s breast
a little gift of love
the sacred wrapped up in ragged cloths
and soon, needing to be changed

and you can touch
God’s face

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