Intersect

Isaiah 43.18-19 (CEB) Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history.  Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?  I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness.  Psalm 118.19-20 Open the gates of righteousness for me so I can come in and give thanks to the Lord! This is the Lord’s gate; those who are righteous enter through it. On Palm Sunday most Christian churches tell the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem for Passover. Usually, going to Jerusalem for this High Holy Day wouldn’t be significant. Jesus would have gone to Jerusalem for Passover many times, perhaps even every year of his 30 or so spent in this spacetime. This year, however, Jesus is popular among the masses, and the Romans are already on edge because there have been sporadic Jewish rebellions all over the Judean territory. So, the Romans decide to put on a military parade, no different from those of contemporary despotic regimes but for advances in...

Psalm 126 (CEB) When the Lord changed Zion’s  circumstances for the better,  it was like we had been dreaming.  Our mouths were suddenly filled with laughter;  our tongues were filled with joyful shouts.  It was even said, at that time, among the nations,  “The Lord has done great things for them!”  Yes, the Lord has done great things for us, and we are overjoyed.  Lord, change our circumstances for the better,  like dry streams in the desert waste!  Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts.  Let those who go out, crying and carrying their seed,  come home with joyful shouts, carrying bales of grain! Isaiah 43.18-19 (CEB) Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history.  Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?  I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness.  This is our last week in the desert, and for some reason, I’ve been think...

Like Jesus, we began our Lenten journey in the desert confronting  ha-satan : the ideas, people, habits, influences, and uncharitable actions (to both others and ourselves) that falsely convince us we are not God’s beloved children. Satan’s desert challenges force us to reconnect to God, if only in fleeting visions that leave our hairs on edge. The solitude of the desert reminds us that we are not alone. Every human is connected through universes of cells in the all-being of God. And we are amazed, and we are changed. Awareness of God as the  meta physical fabric  of everything  is transformative. Remember, the term  meta  refers to a thing's underlying structure, not the supernatural. The desert and Satan’s temptations awaken us to the idea that God is perfectly natural! Don’t underestimate the power of recognizing God as  natural  instead of  supernatural . St. Francis loved that idea. Natural God is the total sensory beauty of cha...