Reflections on 9/10

I have been reading commentaries on the Gospel for 9/11/11, Matthew 18:21-35, amidst the growing thunder of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. For most Americans, their Bible reading is bits and pieces called pericopes that they get on Sundays from their denominational lectionary. The Church's teaching, catechisis, has become so dismal that even the most regular church goers may not know that the readings on Sundays are pericopes not a contiguous reading of the Bible, especially the Gospels.

Another group of Americans, are member of Bible study groups/denominations that can tear you with quotations from the Old Testament and the New Testament excluding the Gospels. That is what I find fascinating, as Christians why would we base our foundation in that which has been completed, fulfilled the Old Testament or the implications/result of an encounter with the living and active Gospel as told by individuals in the New Testament, i.e. the letters of Paul (actual and attributed) and Revelation.

A third group of Americans I the group that believes they have read the Bible because they have been given decontextualized verses and teachings, usually by the above mentioned group two. This group is where the Gospel in it's unabridged, uninterpreted power is liberating. People are thirsting for the spirit quenching drink of the well of love that Jesus taught - not the oppression of the teaching contained the secular religion of the American Way.

See, I was in NYC on 9/11 and this anniversary is not about America and it's way of life but about forgiveness and love. All of creation, including all of humanity, has been forgiven. All of creation, including ALL OF humanity, is loved by God. God is love. That is the 10th Anniversary story in a nutshell - no politics, no self righteousness, no justice, no hatred, but only our call to love and forgive.

Peace, mitakuye oyasin

Trying the iPod Blogger App

I have never been a true blogger, whatever that is, nor have I claimed to be one. I do think that there is place for reflection, comment, editorial in a communication plan, which is how I use my various blogs.

Part of the problem that I have had is with the lack of a truly mobile way to communicate, I should say write, blog entries. This is why I would never claim to be a blogger, writer because I do not sit and write as a job like activity. I write when things need to escape from the limited confines of my brain.

Social Media, facebook and Twitter, has provided a very limited outlet for short bursts of that brain stuff. Social media is OK but it is limited both in content and coverage size. For me it is also dangerous due to the built in snarkiness contained in either 140 or 500 characters.

So here goes another attempt at communicating through the bloggersphere. I eagerly await the native iPad app from Google Blogger which hopefully will have link capabilities and other functionality.