Mike Murphy joins me on the podcast this week after a 2-week hiatus—after the passing and memorial service for my dad. We talk about life, death, transition, and eventually focus in on a couple of Mike’s Rumblings from this past week. The Rumblings are below for those who don’t get them on Facebook. Friend me or Mike, or Like my professional/author page and you can see them each Friday.

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Rumblings. 6.14.19

1.The late, great, Robin Williams, once said that ”You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”

So true. I love being around people who have a gleam in their eye and a touch of mischief about them. They are always interesting. I pray that none of us ever lose that precious spark of madness we’ve been given. Be a little weird. It will be good for you.

2.”People can meet God within their cultural context but in order to follow God, they must cross into other cultures because that’s what Jesus did in the incarnation itself.” ~ Christina Cleveland

“Once we know that the entire physical world around us, all of creation, is both the hiding place and the revelation place for God, this world becomes home, safe, enchanted, offering grace to any who look deeply.” —Richard Rohr

“When a great moment knocks on the door of your life,it is often no louder than the beating of your heart, and it is very easy to miss it.” ~ Boris Pasternak

3.There’s all kinds of toxicity in the air these days. What can we do about it? Start by daring to love with ferocity of purpose and heeding these words of Jesus:

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

4.“Talk about living in the upside down: many churches find peacemaking “controversial,” plain talk on race “too political,” caring for God’s creation “liberal.” This is the fruit of a people who have been told that calling Jesus Lord matters only to your soul, not to your world.” Jonathan Martin @theboyonthebike

Anything that has meaning is worthy of consideration, discussion and debate by faith communities. When people of faith fail to see God in all things they play a dangerous game of reductionism, attempting to make God just a manageable commodity. The very things we consider to be controversial, political, and either too liberal or too conservative are apt to be the very things God wants us to wrestle with, discovering what He has for us within them.

5.“Hey, you don’t have to earn God’s love. It is not a matter for human achievement. You exist because God loves you already. You are a child of divine love.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

It’s hard for us to grasp this elegant, simple truth. We are so used to love with strings attached that coming face to face with unconditional love is a bit mind numbing isn’t it?

6.I’d love to say that the sounds you hear are good people rising to their feet saying enough is enough. The truth is that far too many have been pushed down for so long that they don’t know how to rise up. Others don’t rise because life is good for them and they have the luxury of living somewhat selfishly and choosing to be unaware.

I have to believe that there’s more than a few of us willing to embark on the journey towards recovering our own lives and then helping others recover theirs. Perhaps our numbers can grow and when they do we can indeed rise up and with one voice declare that enough is indeed enough. By the way, we have to do this. It’s what is required of us. The consequences of laying low are not pretty.

8.Stephen Colbert was taken by a headline that said the possibility of tariffs on Mexico had congressional Republicans flirting with rebellion. “Flirting with rebellion! That could lead to a dalliance with integrity, maybe making eyes at governance, and then at the Christmas party, a drunken hookup with defending the Constitution.”

I used to frequently see congressional Republicans of character but I know not where they are these days. I think they may be in hiding. Come out, come out wherever you are.

9. Anita met a former colleague from Chicago in a Sarasota Publix last week. When she told him we were spiritual directors he smiled and said “we need you here.’ I think a lot of people need someone who will help them to listen to their life in the light of God’s desire for them. Maybe even you. Let us know if you’d like to explore what that means. We both meet with people in person and via Skype or FaceTime. Yes, this is a commercial.

10. Last week the President read a D-Day address exactly as written. Actually, whoever wrote the speech did a commendable job. But it certainly wasn’t the President. It wasn’t his natural cadence nor his kind of words. But he didn’t go off script and he pulled it off, saying the right things in the right way. Perhaps he should make that his habit for whenever he speaks off the cuff, using his own words, he sows seeds of discord and fear. And lies. Lots and lots of lies. We all suffer when that happens. Collectively, we reap what he sows. And it is ripping us apart. Yet there are still so many who applaud and giggle at every low blow, cheer every blatant falsehood and thank God for giving us this blessing. Crazy, huh?

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