Dead Presidents and Charged Shards

Mediatation:

My Spirit teethered to my soul

hoovers overhead like a ghetto-bird

omniscent view of my body

piercing view of my mind

dreaming about five star lobbies.



Slowly close my eyes

peer into the sky

searching the blue space

for a brief escape

panoramic view

this place is askew

is this morning view on my face

no its emotional condensation

accumulated from much prayer

and contemplation.



Rip:



Our father who art in heaven,

we thank you for the human connection.



Give us this day our daily bread,

sustain our bodies to face adversities while the world pounces on our heads.



Forgive us our trespasses,

because sometimes I can’t give to myself.



As we forgive those who trespass against us,

because without you there is no way out.



Lead us not into temptation,

because of grace and freedom there is enough out there for us.



But deliver us from evil,

because as your children of God trying to get our niche filled we spill blood.



Thank you for giveness.



For thine is the kingdom,

the one in heaven we all aspire to.

The power,

that none of us poses our own.



And the glory,

all of which belongs to the heavens.



In Jesus name I pray



Amen.

Only Fools Fall in Love

After letting things breathe a bit I think it is fair on my part to say a bit more about the tragedy that plagued my country eight years ago. Terrorism is akin to gang activity on a global scale, and new and innovative methods are needed to not only protect citizens at home and abroad, but diplomacy is the only course of action. I am sure that those who are charged with protecting our rights and freedoms are working to protect us in this matter. The human heart is the most complicated thing known to humanity, it is so admired through that ages that it was the only organ in the body that Egyptians placed back in the body when mummified in the hopes that it would guide them in the next world. The book of Psalms a collection of prayers written by King David expresses himself very candidly in the presence of the divine. In the 120th Psalm, David the Psalmist cries to the Lord in the spirit of breveavment over his course of action, in response to something that was causing him a great deal of pain. I am not sure what his course of action was after the fact but he is hailed as one of the greatest men who ever lived. The last line of the Psalm goes: I am a man of peace but when I speak they are for war. No one knows what happened after this but the creator and David, but one could assume that the best course of action was taken to cause the least amount of harm. His successor, and son Solomon spread wisdom like seeds on fresh fertile soil; in his offering of Proverbs he speaks a lot to the frailties of the mind and heart of foolish men. The perpetrators of 9/11 were very foolish men with no sight of what the true aim of their spiritual tradition beckons in all that choose that path.

The divine has been trying to reach us via his messengers for ages, and like stubborn children we have been hanging up the phone. The perpetrators of the America’s new day of infamy were lonely, tired souls, who may have been taken advantage of because of their affinity for the Divine. The spiritual tradition that I subscribe to tells me to love my enemies, but I never forget that I am counseled by Christ in that he tells us “to be sly as the serpent and innocent as doves.” I am not opposed to war just unwise unjust wars. I know peace can sound all corny, and Lennonesque (John Lennon that is) but if you know peace you understand. After being urged by Thich Nhat Hanh, Martin Luther King spoke out against the war in Vietnam he quipped in response to the ‘political’ climate at the time “ my nation is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today” Dr. King gave his heart to the country that he loved, as did those men and women in uniform today that lay their lives on the line to protect what we call freedom here in America. But I challenge it is extremely hard to sell a ‘product’ like peace and democracy at the wrong end of a rifle. I think what Dr. King was saying in reference to the raging war in Vietnam, when he said ‘one of the greatest in the world today’ is that there is a possibility of change and redemption. Even for a nation’s collective sins.

God Bless the Dead

Today is we pay homage to those whose lives were cut short on that tragic day that jarred the minds and hearts of Americans and the world community at large. Those towers that we held so close to our hearts will never lift themselves from the ashes at Ground Zero. The classic literary device known as a Phoenix is one that burns every night and rises from the ashes every morning. The Twin towers a we knew them will never exist again. In Genesis chapter 11 the people of earth built a tower called Babel, the aim of his tower was to reach the heavens so that they could “make a name for themselves.” The Creator came down and saw this and was quite disappointed, so angels were sent down to scatter the height of the tower and send the people confused so that they didn’t understand one another. The creator may delight in our hard work, and diligent effort but I am sure that the Divine frowns on those who take shortcuts.

Having lost those close to me in the past, my heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one. But I offer this the constant toiling of those who passed on the dreadful day will not alleviate the wounds we suffer as a people. I believe that they are on a much more peaceful plan of existence, their suffering was hash, but like time it has passed and they have moved on. If we really want to honor and pay homage to our fellow Americans, we could keep our tea bags in cups of hot water; and urge our lawmakers to legislate universal healthcare, and peace to our brothers and sisters across the globe. Memorials that force us to carry the baggage days like today remind me of an instance in the gospel of Matthew (8:22) where Jesus is asked by one of his disciples if he could go bury his father. Jesus responded “let the dead bury the dead.” The only reason I offer this is because of what drove the offenders of Islam to do what it is that they did on that dreadful day. They were what us People of the Book call “dead in their transgressions.” Their crime was baseless in that they involved innocent souls in a quarrel they had with others. If one examined the holy book known as the Qur’an it is one bringing a message of peace and prosperity.
There is no right or wrong climate for recovery from mourning, the morbid nature of death on any scale small or large drives the human spirit to take drastic measures in order to make things right. As we memorialize our dead on this day I also ask that we take time to consider our brothers and sisters in the hills and mountains of Afghanistan and the sandy Oasis that is Iraq. Our response to our tragedy has caused them great harm too. While we as a people have uprooted a very unjust regime in Afghanistan we have created new wounds, and given way to fresh tears of mourning. The best thing we can do to honor our fellow Americans is make right some of the things that are wrong, and make right some of our collective sin that our legislators have created. We are all capable of mistakes and making rash choices in the heat of the moment, but the creator didn’t pull us out of the dust to continue on this disastrous trail.

Hail to the Chief

So far this summer I have been working with and around a number of grassroots non-profit organizations, that are transforming the communities that they are in. Some would call the individuals I am talking about ‘community organizers’ but from what I have seen these people have large hearts in a big pond, and are up against a mountain of weeds and lots of opposing forces that may or may not mean them harm. Sometimes it can just be a logistical nuisance. One community in particular that is moving deep in a community in North Philadelphia is called New Jerusalem Now. Their story compels me, and the lives of the people they are changing are diamonds in the rough. No one is perfect, the way I see it our tasks on this earth is to cleanse our hearts as best we can, without contaminating those around us. The founders of NJN are what I would call grunts in the trench. There is no grandstanding or attaching themselves to any particular cause. Their passion found them; it is one of the most organic communities I have ever seen in my life.

To me the term community organizer is someone who’s occupation it is to move and organize people to uplift a community, which puts them in the tense of a ‘the player’ in the lives of the inhabitants of the lives of the inhabitants of this given community. The people I mentioned in the former paragraph are in a class of those who have chosen to take imitative and shift negative influences out, and install positive ones. The most effective vehicle for this is inspiration from the divine or some higher power. I personally call it the creator. In a sense they have elected to become the pawn to incite a beautiful chaos. Agents of change is too weak a title to describe the contribution these people are making to the world at large. The only reward for them is a silent ovation among the choirs of angels.

I have no real criticism of President Obama, I think he is one of the most extraordinary presidents we have had since Jimmy Carter. None of his executive decisions deserve scrutiny in my eyes thus far. But 4 years is a long time. I ask you all to consider his human frailties, and not be too disappointed in the event that he makes an unpopular decision, no matter who it effects.

The Streetz of Philadelphia

About a year ago today I began to share myself with you all concerning the state of things in Washington as I saw it. My biggest issue was with the homelessness epidemic that I witnessed in the nation’s capitol when I was living there. I am sure that the issue facing displaced American citizens hasn’t gotten any better overtime; and that the disposition of American politicians is still as apathetic as it was when I left.Well on this pseudo anniversary of the blog that was borne of my frustration with my own unemployment while living in Washington,coupled with my frustration with the epidemic facing displaced Washingtonians I am delighted to tell you that I am one step closer to being in a position to do something about that state of things on the streets of my hometown Philadelphia. Since my return to the city I have called home since I was a child I have allied with a beautiful organization called Broad Street Ministries. It is a departure from the Salvation Army in that they are significantly smaller (a good thing), and their commitment to the homelessness epidemic in Philadelphia is like nothing that I have ever seen in my life. You may notice that I am using the word epidemic and not ‘problem.’ and this is only because it doesn’t seem to be a problem for the dozens of Philadelphians (Americans) that walk by them on a daily basis. I would give more often or direct them to 315 S. Broad, as for the personal donations I am an inch from being with them and as Hovito says “how can I help if I am one of them.”

But the truth is I loving being associated with them as an organization not because it makes me feel good about myself knowing that I did something, but as a human in this existence it’s my obligation to ‘do my part.’ I use the term conviction loosely, but I wish most people felt as compelled as I do to do more to help people in dire straights. Then perhaps we wouldn’t have to be so afraid of buzz words like socialism. There is an instance in the book of Genises where God is leading Jacob to the Isreal, and he falls asleep on a rock, during his slumber he looks up to see minions of angels ascending and descending a ladder. So next time you are walking past a man or woman in the streets who has made a mattress with all their earthly possessions. You can be a personal angel to them, I am not mandating that you make a personal donation. But at least don’t look on them with disgust. Just because you look around and see no trees, look up and don’t see any stars does not mean He/She [The Creator] isn’t present. Having witnessed the miracle of the stars in the sky as night on full display for all of humanity to see; it’s truly a testament of creation. It’s as if creation is winking at us.

* I in no way mean to shun the Salvation Army as an organization; its just a simple comparison. I love and appreciate the work they do in teh communities the place themselves in.