The Unclad Soul

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We all come into life with a pure heart and we never lose it. None of us. This I truly believe. It’s the possession of every precious infant, baby, every child. The “terrible twos,” I know, contradict this, but that aside the heart of every human is wrapped in purity and contains the seeds of goodness in endless supply. Children are our greatest example of this. Their purity of spirit and soul is what we want to keep alive. None of that ever goes away. The struggle to keep that spirit healthy within us, however, is a colossal, roughhouse tussle of personal endurance and inner strength as we develop and mature and get immersed in the realities of life. Because out there in the real world things can get ugly devastatingly fast. And in the midst of the ugliness no one sees God. There is a scene in the musical “Wicked” where the good witch Glinda, trying to accept Elphaba, the green wicked witch of the West, asks, “Are people b...

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Let’s be honest. We do not live in a society or a world that values peace. Let’s admit this, too. War is a profitable business; obscenely profitable. And those in the business of supplying the machinery, the equipment, the ammunition, the apparel, the gadgets, and all the other accessories of war are not in the least bit interested in peace. Now, some of them may think they are keeping peace by providing their weapons of death, but bombs and bullets and other armaments are not about making peace. They are simply threats to ward off the enemy. Politicians who support the war enterprise are complicit in this madness, this making money off the deaths of others. Because that is what war is. Ministers, too, who push war, who wear a macho sneer and wave the flag and call themselves patriots for Christ, they have blood on their hands as well. We need to choose better leaders. There is a Calvin cartoon where...

“When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it's a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.”  ~ Erma Bombeck This is an early Happy Mother’s Day wish to all of the moms I know and love. You are amazing women and loving mothers and I admire all of you. And I hope on Mother’s Day your family showers you with generous love and thoughtful gifts and warm embraces. My mom was a lot like Erma Bombeck’s quote. Ferris Bueller would never have gotten away with any of that stuff he pulled. Mom would have looked around the room, seen the pulley strings, and pulled back the covers. No. Ferris would have been toast. Mom wasn’t one to talk into staying home from school. You had to display signs of the Ebola virus or worse to get out of going to school. “Hop up, now,” she’d say. “You’ll feel better once you get dressed.” She was always right. She was as loving as she was tough. I never doubted that she was always and fo...

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” There is a story out of the days of Napoleon when the mad genius was plowing through Europe with fury. In the midst of battle one of his soldiers, just a boy really, was caught running away. Napoleon sentenced him to death. The young man’s mother pleaded for a hearing before the Emperor. When it was agreed, she told the Emperor the boy had been frightened, was too young to understand all that he was fighting for and against. She asked for mercy. Napoleon said the soldier had deserted his post, had betrayed his country, and left his comrades in danger. He said he did not deserve mercy. The woman said, “But your Eminence, if he deserved it, it wouldn’t be mercy.” Can we show mercy to Donald Trump? Can we look beyond his bravado and outrageousness to see the pretender he is? A frightened and insecure man operating from a deep need to be approved, praised, and loved. A man who can, in limited capacities, show love to others. Ca...