Past and Present

Mt. 7:6, 12-12-14

It is 3 in the morning.I have taken pictures down dating 15 years back for painting the room. In many ways I am beginning a new. But what is new. Pride seemed like it has the past 18 years, the people I serve come and go with the same problems, the same issues, the poltical situation remains basically the same. I have a young guy here for four weeks who has reminded me what is “generational” to the point I am about to throw up. Reading the Kings passage for today reminds me we continue to kill each other, powers continue to fight over power as they have since the beginning of time. I really like I do not have many good friends–all are facebook, email–no time to sit down.  That is what I have tried to teach for 18 years–that it is in the one on one that we find the Christ and love and fellowship–not in fucking texts, email, or facebook.  I often think I could die and no one would find me until they smelled me, and I hear that from people, I hear it on face book, it is people crying out for connection.  So for me there are five rules for happiness and contentment: 1. free our heart from hatred, free our mind from worries, give more and expect less. That is what I try to live by, but it is tought as hell.

Judgement

Matt. 7:1-8 “. .Whatever you deal out will be dealt to you. .”

Yesterday was Pride. a feast day for the LGBTQ, population. In the midst of the crazy celebration there was much pain–not only for those here, but for those all over the world who suffer mightily. We are often deluded in San Francisco at the suffering out side of this enclave, we cover it up, we do not want to face it.  I had a young man call me from Palo Alto who wanted to commit suicide because he was gay, his parents are “Christian”.  I spent time with him.  Ultimately the way we treat people will be the way in which we are treated.  I have a young intern who uses the phrase, “my generation”, and my goal for him is for him to see that we all–regardless of generation should be have respect, and care, and love–rather then hide behind those terms of “my generation”, being gay, straight etc, black or white. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Daily Bread

Matt. 6:7-15  Last night Sean, 25, homeless, depressed, dirty, feels unloved, useless stopped by for some food, and some talk, and friendship more than anything else, Lennie, 35, homeless for twenty years, came by for food, crying over death of friend and his life; and 19 year old Ty, still happy and hopeful in the Haight. All struck me as three faces of Christ, all brought me to tears as I listened to them and spent time with them, and all I have to offer is some “daily bread of food, listening and presence”.  Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Daily Bread

Matt. 6:7-15  Last night Sean, 25, homeless, depressed, dirty, feels unloved, useless stopped by for some food, and some talk, and friendship more than anything else, Lennie, 35, homeless for twenty years, came by for food, crying over death of friend and his life; and 19 year old Ty, still happy and hopeful in the Haight. All struck me as three faces of Christ, all brought me to tears as I listened to them and spent time with them, and all I have to offer is some “daily bread of food, listening and presence”.  Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Daily Bread

Matt. 6:7-15  Last night Sean, 25, homeless, depressed, dirty, feels unloved, useless stopped by for some food, and some talk, and friendship more than anything else, Lennie, 35, homeless for twenty years, came by for food, crying over death of friend and his life; and 19 year old Ty, still happy and hopeful in the Haight. All struck me as three faces of Christ, all brought me to tears as I listened to them and spent time with them, and all I have to offer is some “daily bread of food, listening and presence”.  Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Daily Bread

Matt. 6:7-15  Last night Sean, 25, homeless, depressed, dirty, feels unloved, useless stopped by for some food, and some talk, and friendship more than anything else, Lennie, 35, homeless for twenty years, came by for food, crying over death of friend and his life; and 19 year old Ty, still happy and hopeful in the Haight. All struck me as three faces of Christ, all brought me to tears as I listened to them and spent time with them, and all I have to offer is some “daily bread of food, listening and presence”.  Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

We Are One

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

We are like trees, if we identify our life with the public part–we will not be able to withstand the storms of life and will have no resources for profound growth. Our actions, our lives emerge from a rich darkness, silende, and stillness. In reading THE HELP, a novel about racism in the 60’s, it took me home to the South, and I remember the black ladies who took care of me, Lucy, in particular, how she encouraged me in my call to ministry and the last thing she told me was “when you put your hand to the plow of preaching the Gosple,don;t look back Mister River” , and I have not looked back. A phrase from the book sums it up: “Wasn’t that the point of the book? You women to realize. We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I thought. Nothing separates us–accept our egoes. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

The Immacualte Heart of Mary–Love and Suffering

Luke 2:41-51 The Immacualate Heart of Mary

On this day the piereced heart of Mary tells us that the pain of love is better than the pain that follows a refusal to love. This week I have had over 2000 memorial services, each one I have known, loved, cared for, and with each one a part of me has died, but I can tell you the pain of love is far better then the pain of refusing to love. Each person I feed, care for–I suffer for, but that pain is far better then refusing to enter into that pain. When I die I hope I am like the tattered rabbit–tattered to pieces. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

The Heart

Sacred Heart of Jesus Jn. 19:31-37 The heart is a symbol of the whole inner life of a person. Jesus gave his whole heart for us. In the midst of this poltical season I see so much division, bordering on hatred, and what we don’t see is that if we come together in the middle, accept our differences, we can find solutions–rather then condemning. This morning a young hiv postive man asked me for a pair of socks, which i gave him, and he said, that for the most part i was the one person who did not expect anything in return–why can’t we meet each other in the same way–respect, not expecting in return.

The hEART

Sacred Heart of Jesus Jn. 19:31-37 The heart is a symbol of the whole inner life of a person. Jesus gave his whole heart for us.  In the midst of this poltical season I see so much division, bordering on hatred, and what we don’t see is that if we come together in the middle, accept our differences, we can find solutions–rather then condemning.  This morning a young hiv postive man asked me for  a pair of socks, which i gave him, and he said, that for the most part i was the one person who did not expect anything in return–why can’t we meet each other in the same way–respect, not expecting in return.