Mike Murphy joins me for my year-ending podcast where we focus on his most recent “Friday Rumblings.” Part social commentary, part spiritual introspection, a worthy weekly read that Mike posts each Friday on his Facebook page. Follow or Friend him here.

I will be taking a break next week. See you on January 4.

Here are the Rumblings we focused on from 12/18/20:

1.“Are you breathing?

Are you here?

Did you just take a breath?

Are you about to take another?

Do you have a habit of regularly doing this?

Gift. 

Gift. 

Gift. 

Whatever else happened in your life – failure, pain, heartache, abuse, loss – the first thing that can be said about you is that you have received a gift…

A truth courses through the veins of all our bumps and bruises, and it is this: We have received. 

You’re here,

you’re breathing,

and you have received a gift,

a generous, extraordinary, mysterious, inexplicable gift.” ~ Rob Bell

‘Tis a good reminder of the generosity of our good God.  He sees us and in ways big and small telling us we have value. Feeling blessed. 

2. To: All my friends of faith who have chosen silence.  

In the face of grave evil of all forms,  so many of you have exhibited a distressing habit of remaining stunningly quiet. Perhaps it’s time for you to be courageous and speak out. 

Gotta love Southern Baptist bible teacher Beth Moore who has been strong and courageous even in the face of much opposition. She recently tweeted: 

“I do not believe these are days for mincing words. I’m 63 1/2 years old & I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it…Fellow leaders, we will be held responsible for remaining passive in this day of seduction to save our own skin while the saints we’ve been entrusted to serve are being seduced, manipulated, USED and stirred up into a lather of zeal devoid of the Holy Spirit for political gain….”

It’s your turn. 

3. “You sanctify whatever you are grateful for.” Anthony de Mello

I am grateful for you. 

4. During my college years at St. John’s University in Collegeville Minnesota, one of my friends was a Benedictine monk by the name of Paschal. In my senior year he was my faculty resident. One night my roommate and I were sitting in his room, when Paschal, in animated fashion (as was his habit) just kind of blurted out that Advent reminds us that indeed, one day “God reached down so low for the sole purpose of lifting us so high.” He was right.

5.  “Christians are called to become icons of Christ, to reflect him. But we are called to even more than that. Ikon is the Greek word for “image of God.” We are called to incarnate Christ in our lives, to clothe our lives with him, so that people can see him in us, touch him in us, recognize him in us. . . . We have to begin to love one another in the fullest sense of Christ’s teaching.” ~ Catherine de Hueck Doherty

What the world needs most is faith clothed in flesh. Reaching out, providing comfort, speaking words of hope. That’s us, huh?

6. Is Biden being bold with his cabinet choices? Not bold enough for some. I do think he’s being wise by naming smart, skilled, patriotic people who will undo a good chunk of the damage caused by not so smart, not so patriotic and not so morally skilled Trump appointees. That’s the starting point. Bolder moves will follow. And bold moves will be required.

I do like the fact that when we look at the leadership of our Executive Branch that we will see the diversity of America. That’s such a refreshing and much needed change. 

7. Trump’s attempted coup has seemingly failed with the Supreme Court saying ‘go away’ and Electoral College Votes cast. Of course, he’s refusing to concede and bellowing that he’s not done yet. Of course, he’s not. There’s still a lot of mucking up that needs to be done.

As I observed the plot to undermine free and fair elections I was appalled by the number of Republicans riding shotgun and threatening to carry one. We’re not out of the woods yet. Our democracy will continue to be put through a stress test of mammoth proportion, led by a soon to be ex-president who is without conscience and really hates the idea of an America he doesn’t rule. Aiding and abetting him are cable networks which will keep banging the drum of insurrection, 100+ Congress people who will jump off a cliff if asked to, and far too many evangelical devotees who seemingly will follow him to the very gates of hell if he sends out the order. 

8. “When america sat down for dinner last night 

The justice system in terre haute, indiana 

Asked her what she wanted to eat 

and she replied 

“Black Men please 

I like them incarcerated 

With families and dreams 

With smiles that are full of light 

That bring you joy 

And break your heart at the same time”

And indiana said 

“Dry aged after years in prison 

Rehabilitated but left to rot

Or farm to table? 

Our police farmers can pluck one 

Off the streets tonight if you wish”

america hungrily replied 

“Do you have any #TamirRice 

I’ll take that as an appetizer?

Save the sweet #SandraBland for dessert” 

And indiana brought the wine list 

But it was a waste of time 

Because america only drinks blood 

She prefers a vintage 1619 

But any full bodied lynched red will do 

Finally 

After some thought 

And one last look at the menu 

america waves down indiana

and says 

“I’d like to order a #BrandonBernard

That sounds like a meal I’d love” 

And indiana smiles 

“We thought you’d like that 

We saved him just for you

Bon appétit”

And Rod Sterling doesn’t appear 

Because this isn’t the Twilight Zone 

This is america 

This is a cookbook 

To serve black mankind 

In print since 1619” ~ Lesle Honore 

Yes, I am against the death penalty and racism. I am a Christian. If I am to remain true to Jesus, I have to stand against those things that surely must grieve His heart. 

9. “God is always inviting us to encounter the transcendent in the everyday.” ~ Karl Rahner

10. Perhaps the way forward is to stop. Just for a bit. To gather ourselves, to sort out our emotions, to deal with our anger, to rediscover who and what we love. And to figure out the ‘why’. Perhaps a full stop is the greatest gift we could give ourselves. Just for a bit. But long enough to settle our souls and quiet our being.

With that in mind, I’m taking a break from the Rumblings. None next week. I’ll be back on January 1. —Mike