More Weather- and a Few Other Things...

If I had been the one creating the weather- which, of course, I am
not- I would have created today...this absolutely, amazingly perfect
day, with Carolina blue skies, temperatures in the seventies, a
slight breeze, topped off by low, low humidity. I mean, who could
possibly ask for anything more? Perfection...

And then there was Sara...a precious woman who played the organ
at my church for many, many, many years and is now in Hospice
care due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sara- with
her indomitable spirit and acerbic wit. We shared a visit today...
me doing most of the talking since her breath was short, even
with the oxygen nasal cannula...talking and laughing- yes, we do
a lot of that- about some of our favorite subjects: books, politics,
the state of the world, and our shared irreverence when it comes
to things religious.

Now, as a pastor, I guess I'm not supposed to entertain such notions,
nor to admit them publicly, but there it is. Sara and I, you see,
share a deep and abiding inability- and unwillingness- to accept holy
hypocrisy. And we share a deep and abiding belief that the way of
Jesus that we are called to is the way of love and tolerance and a
recognition of the one-ness which we all share as children of
Mother God. Now I know the previous statement was one which
sounded less than tolerant but neither Sara nor I claim perfection
and we're both still working on that "love your enemies" thing, but
with NPR providing the background chatter, we held one another's
hands and hearts for the time we were together, praying in the
time-honored way of using no words... simply laying our thoughts
and confusion and sadnesses and concerns and lack of
understanding for the ways of our world on the shoulders of the
One who loves and never leaves.

And there was a perfection in that interchange, in that sharing
of relationship, which matched and enhanced the perfection of
today's lovely weather...two sisters of the spirit joined in heart
and mind and presence, both knowing deep down in that silent
place within that, while one of us is looking her mortality firmly
in the eye, neither of us really knows when our end will come.
Not up to us. And there is also a kind of perfection in that, isn't
there?

If I had been the one creating today- ALL of today- I would
have created it just as it was- and so tonight, I breathe a
"thank you" to the One who Loves us all before I head to bed,
holding the perfection of Sara and this holy day in my heart.