Kinder
and Gentler
“We are
not so much human beings trying to become spiritual. We're already
inherently spiritual beings and our job is learning to be good
humans. I believe that is why Jesus came as a human being: not to
teach us how to go to heaven, but to teach us how to be a fully alive
human being here on earth.”
Richard
Rohr (The Lost Tradition of Contemplation)
I watched most of the
funeral for George H.W. Bush yesterday. In listening to each of the
speakers it became clear why Pres. Bush was so admired and
respected—not because he was a great warrior or an articulate
orator, but because he was a lover of life and of other human beings.
He was born into power and privilege, and he could have rested on his
laurels, or used it to control and manipulate others, but he did not.
He chose to serve instead. Through respect and kindness, he lead
others in the paths he wanted them to go. In other words, he was that
rarest of all creatures, a true leader.
I have to tell you, I did
not vote for George Bush, senior or junior, but I have grown to like
them both and to be proud of who they are. It never occurred to me
that I would wax nostalgic about either one, but here we are. There
is a hardness to life at the moment that causes most of us, simply
because we want to live in peace, to gravitate toward leaders like
Pres. Bush, who now seems “kinder and gentler” and more appealing
than ever.
This time of year, as we
enter into the high holy days of Christmas, it would be well for us
to consider the baby born to Mary more than two thousand years ago,
and what he brought to the world. Kindness, generosity of spirit, an
open table, and healing for free. He taught love and respect for
differences. He taught that the restrictive laws of his time were not
intended to keep people safe, but to deny entrance to the exclusive “club”
for those who did not know them, could not keep them, or could not
afford them. He brought everyone into the fold—saints and sinners
alike—the chosen, the fallen, the foreign, and the filthy. What
they had in common was their humanity and since God loved them, so
did he.
We can create a better
world by walking on the earth with dignity, gratitude and respect,
and by showing the same kindness to others as did Jesus and George
H.W. Bush. If we can do that, heaven will take care of itself.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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