Got Vision?

 

New advent of the love of Christ, shall we again refuse thee,

till in the night of hate and war we perish as we lose thee?

From old unfaith our souls release to seek the kingdom of thy peace,

 By which alone we choose thee.  (Walter Bowie)

 Dear Friends

Engraved above the Redlands Bowl stage are these words from the Book of Proverbs: “Without vision, a people perish”.

But we have been given a vision. And in this time of war, we have the responsibility to keep holding hold up that vision, God’s vision of peace in Christ. Here in the Diocese of El Camino Real, Bishop Lucinda Ashby’s pastoral letter included this important urgent reminder: 

     PEACE: PREACH IT, PRAY IT, PROCLAIM IT, LIVE IT!

Many hymns come to mind right now to offer to the people of Ukraine but the one I want to share and pray with them most, is this beloved Irish ballad, ca.700

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

 

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;

I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord

Born of thy love, thy child may I be,

Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee

 

Be thou my buckler, my sword for the fight.

Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,

Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r

Raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r

 

True Light of heaven, when vict’ry is won

May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun

Heart of my heart, whatever befall,

Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

 

This is not only a battle for freedom and democracy. It is a spiritual battle between those (not “smart”, not “a genius”) who have become instruments of war and those who try their best to be instruments of peace.

Lord have mercy.

John

 

Poised for peace; poised for war

Dear Friends

There is much more to come, of course, but the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics was already a feast, not just for my eyes but for my ears. Consider that rich smorgasbord-like playlist of Western classical favorites, as the athletes marched in. Was that an “overture” by China, trying to reach out to the West? 

Then there was the children’s choir singing the anthem “Snowflake”, including this refrain:

Snowflake, snowflake

Blossom in the sun

At home or in the far

Shining wherever you are

There was also the Olympic Hymn they sung acapella, with those sweet, smiling faces, including this verse:

As now we come across the world

To share these games of old

Let all the flags of every land

In brotherhood unfold

And what a contrast when it comes to the athletes! Young people poised to offer their best at the Olympic Games, and, at the same time, young people poised on borders in Eastern Europe, preparing for battle with war games!

The Olympics are not free of politics and scandals, of course. But at their best, they offer us a vision of literally passing the torch to a new generation,  with far nobler ideals and purpose than those who are being ordered to gather and arm and wait for war. What a contrast for parents watching proudly and parents watching in fear for the lives of their beloved.

We can hope and pray that the next two weeks will not only be a happy distraction from the daily digest of depressing news; but maybe, also be, a long enough pause for cooler and saner heads of state to prevail.

A pause to give peace another chance.

John