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The Woman Who Let Her Hair Down, July 2, 2007

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to join him for dinner, so he went to the Pharisee's house and took his place, reclining at the table.

Upon learning that Jesus was dining with the Pharisee, a local woman went to the house, carrying an alabaster jar filled with precious ointment. Standing next to the Lord, she began to weep — bathing his feet with her tears. She knelt beside him, drying his feet with her hair, kissing them, and rubbing them with oil from the alabaster jar she had brought with her.

The Pharisee sat watching this and thinking to himself, "If this fellow were truly a prophet, he would know that the woman who is touching him is a sinner."

Jesus looked over at him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."

"Teacher," he said, "I'm all ears."

"There was a man who had loaned money to two people. One of them owed him five thousand dollars; and the other owed him a hundred. When they could not pay, he wrote off the debts for both of them." Jesus paused for a moment before asking, "Which of the two will be the most grateful?"

Simon answered, "I would think it would be the one who had the bigger debt forgiven."

"Yes, you're right." Jesus responded. Then, turning toward the woman, he said, "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you didn't give me water to wash my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You did not give me a welcoming kiss — but from the time I arrived she has been constantly kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. I'm telling you: her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; and so she has responded with great love. But those who have little forgiven ... love but little."

Jesus put his hands on the woman's shoulders, "Your sins are forgiven."

This went over like a lead balloon with those who were at the table with him. At once they began to whisper together, "Who does this guy think he is — going around forgiving sins?"

Jesus told the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
~ The Gospel according to Luke 7:36-48
as interpreted by Deborah

The woman with the alabaster jar. We know so little about her, although she's gained a measure of fame over the last several years: having a book dedicated to her, being discussed widely in feminist Christian circles.... We do not know her name, we do not know her sins — "though they were many," we do not know what happened before her encounter with Jesus, or what took place afterward.

And even what we do know about the woman is what you could call "circumstantial evidence." We know what she did, but we don't know why she did these things.

What motivated this unnamed woman to go to see Jesus? Why did she bring that jar of precious ointment with her? Who let her into the Pharisee's house? Why was she allowed to stay? How did the Pharisee know that she was a sinner?

So many unanswered questions.

And so, in the absence of hard information, we've filled in the blanks: made assumptions based on what we've heard, what we've been told, what we imagine must be true. The woman is Mary Magdalene. She is a prostitute, an adulteress. Her sins are sins "of the flesh." She's come to Jesus to beg for forgiveness. But the text doesn't say that. All we know is that she's a sinner.

As are we all.

Why is it that the Pharisee thinks to himself that this woman is a sinner? Does he know of her reputation? Has he had personal experience of her sinfulness? Or maybe he's doing what we have done: jumping to conclusions; thinking that he knows what he only assumes: taking as fact something he can only guess at.

It could be that, based on appearances, the Pharisee might think that the woman was a sinner. Ladies — "nice girls" — in the ancient Near East wore their hair in tightly controlled styles; braided and plaited and curled, held back with pins or covered over with scarves. Divorcees, madwomen, harlots ... only wild women let their hair hang loose.

The conduct of the early Christian martyr Perpetua is a case in point. After being gored and knocked to the ground by an attacking animal in the Coliseum, she stood up and repinned her hair — maintaining ladylike propriety in the face of death.

Why did the woman with the alabaster jar let her hair down? As a sign of mourning or madness? When did she let it down? Was it already loose when she arrived? Did she unpin it in order to dry Jesus' feet? We don't know any of these things for certain.

But I wonder.

It is clear that this wasn't the woman's first contact with Jesus. At the very least she had heard about him and learned of his Message of mercy and forgiveness. She didn't go to the Pharisee's house by accident — but because she knew Jesus would be there.

What if she came to greet the Lord not in supplication, but in gratitude?

Perhaps she had already met the Lord and experienced the freeing grace of the Gospel. Maybe the woman stood slightly back from Jesus — not out of shame, but in holy awe: feasting her eyes; letting her heart fill with delight at being near the Lord again.

What if she was not crying in sorrow, but weeping for joy?

Maybe the good news had turned her into a "wildly free" woman, confident that she was loved and forgiven. She had no cause to slink down alleyways in fear, or cower in the shadows in guilt or shame. She was not defective or deficient, she was not disposable. The Holy One had declared that her life was of infinite value; that her choices made an important difference in the world.

She was not a possession to be handed over by her father, not the chattel of her husband, not the responsibility of her son. She was not a burden to society or the town's dirty little secret. She was her own, free person.

I wonder if the woman came to the Pharisee's house to declare her allegiance to Jesus Christ, and to him alone. Maybe she brought the expensive oil with her in order to anoint him as her king; to proclaim that he was her only Lord, the ruler of her life.

Perhaps the woman let her hair down as a sign of emancipation: that she was forever free from the past. Her sins, her hurtful habits, her fears; other people's demands, expectations, prejudices and hatreds — it was as if the shackles had been broken: she was no longer tied to what had been.

With the innocence and joy of a child — full of life and possibility — the woman is free to live fully. She can "let her hair down" and be the wondrous, wonderful person God designed her to be. She is free to love and be loved; to accept her own worth, and to accept responsibility for her own actions.

It must have seemed as if she had been born again: into a new world, and a new life. The woman must have felt as if she was a citizen of a new kingdom.

When the Lord of Love is our sovereign, we are free — wildly, abundantly, letting-our-hair-down, running-in-the-tall-grass, joyfully free. We are no longer bound to the old ways, to destructive thoughts and behaviors; we are no longer locked into fears and hatreds and attitudes that harm us. Christ's perfect freedom allows us to live lives of compassion, kindness, and mercy — toward others and toward ourselves.

May Jesus Christ reign as the King of your life today and always!

Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,

Deborah +

This Week's Suggested Spiritual Exercise: If you were going to "let your hair down," what would you do?

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Feeling Good ~ oh Yea!

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ideas

FEELING GOOD OH YEA!

Whats the truth about "Feeling Good?"

Does "The Secret," have it right, or is it all just hype?

Friendship - sent in by Sally Y

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The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.

But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made

eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he

grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his

spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There,

Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a

wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for

you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old

smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then

tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken,

both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and

tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents,

you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a

"life.."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt

on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if

you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work

and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I

usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a

friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.!

I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about. I just did.

NOTICE AT THE END, THE DATE THE CANDLE WAS STARTED. GONNA GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS.

I am not going to be the one who lets it die. I found it believable --

angels have walked beside me all my life--and they still do.

The Candle Of Love, Hope & Friendship

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This candle was lit on September,15, 1998. Someone who loves you has helped keep it alive by sending it to you.

Don't let The Candle of Love, Hope and Friendship die! Pass It On To All Of Your Friends and Everyone You Love!

Please keep this candle alive

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I

may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

June 11, 2007 ~ Justice

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Rejoice! Rejoice and give thanks, O my soul,
to the One Above All Others:
the Giver of every good gift, the Lover of my soul,
the Deliverer of my life!

I will praise the Beloved as long as life lasts;
my heart will sing lovesongs to God every day that I live.

Do you put your trust in mere mortals —
whose loyalty is purchased; whose whims change, day by day?

When they die, their plots and schemes die with them.
Dust to dust.

Happiness comes from relying on God:
the Eternal One who abides with us.

Who can make a forest? A rose? A rainbow? A wren?

The Designer of Life, the Creator of Beauty,
the Heart of Love; only God is worthy of worship.

Fair treatment for the poor; food to the hungry;
friendship to the lonely — the Holy One is present in these things.

It is the Beloved who gives us eyes to see what is good;
it is God's voice that calls us to work for justice.

It is Spirit that loves all life.

Worship this One — our God, and no other, all your life long.

~ Psalm 146, as interpreted by Deborah Beach Giordano

I have composed a prayer for our time that I want to share with you. It goes like this:

"From ghoulies and ghosties,
And long-leggedy beasties,
things that go bump in the night,
— and any more "news" about Paris Hilton!!! —
Good Lord, deliver us!"

I don't know about you, but I think I've heard enough about that young woman, her contempt for the law, and her rich family to last me three lifetimes. I cringe at the sure and certain knowledge that this circus will, inevitably, be followed by a Movie of the Week, a slew of "tell all" books, and more publicity. Even the legitimate news sources have been running what seems like 24-hour coverage of her court hearing, her stay at the county jail, her 2 a.m. release from said jail, and, now, another court hearing and a return to jail.

If she's half as tired as I am, Miss Hilton must be exhausted.

Yet the fascination with her is real. I can fuss about the media all I want, but they wouldn't air things that didn't get watched; they don't waste paper on articles that aren't read. Her name is at the top of the list of online discussion forum topics, and the exchanges about her are heated. Many — probably the majority, would like to see her imprisoned for months or even years.

That's why jail sentences aren't supposed to be determined by "popularity." Judgments based on public opinion and emotions are wrong; they are first-cousins to lynchings. On the other hand, sentencing that is determined by the wealth or social standing of the perpetrator is a terrible injustice; one that strikes a deep chord within our human hearts.

And that, I think, is the cause of the American public's almost-obsessive interest in the case of the People of California vs. Paris Hilton. It isn't a concern with who she is, but with what she is. (Not her character: her finances.) Is there "equal justice under the law" — or is there one set of rules for the rich and another set for the rest of us? Is what is "fair" determined by how much money you have? Is justice just another commodity that can be bought and sold in America?

Well, to coin a phrase, the jury's still out on that question. I know what I hope for: that what's fair, is fair for everyone — regardless of class or creed, color or culture. Justice ought to be colorblind — and that includes being blind to the color green.

But the cynic (or maybe it is the realist) in my soul knows different.

It is that tangible injustice that eats away at us, isn't it? We know — we can just feel it in our bones, that things will not turn out as they "ought" to do. Long term or short, somehow justice will not prevail. "If it were me," we say, "I'd be doing hard time. I wouldn't have access to a phone or computer, my lawyer wouldn't be issuing press releases. They wouldn't be giving me any special treatment."

That's true. I'm not going to lie to you.

The fact is: whatever the outcome of Miss Hilton's case, life will still be unfair.

And if that bothers you, that's a good thing. We should be outraged at injustice, we should denounce those who sell "forgiveness" — our Lord certainly did (Mt 21:12; Mk 11.15; Lk 19.45; Jn 2:13). We are called to speak out for "the voiceless"; those whose concerns are rarely heard and seldom addressed. The ones for whom life is never fair: the widow and the orphan, the poor and the aged, the infirm and the imprisoned (Mt 25:34-40).

I wonder.

What is it about all this that truly sets our teeth on edge? Is it our passion for fair treatment under the law: that "the punishment fit the crime"? Are we serious when we say that we hope this will teach Paris Hilton to be a better citizen? Or do we really wish that we could be as irresponsible as she is — and as free from the consequences of our actions? Do we envy her ability to buy her way out of the troubles she gets into?

It is tempting to imagine being able to "fix" all of the hurts we have caused and those we have suffered over the years. Just throw some money in that direction and poof! all guilt and sorrow would disappear...

But it wouldn't really be that easy, would it?

The things we have done and the things we have left undone cannot be made right by a simple application of money. Of course there are aspects of our lives that would be easier if we had pots of the stuff, that's certain. But missteps and mistakes cannot be undone. We have to learn to live with ourselves and with our history: we have to make peace with who we are.

And now comes the truly amazing part. The Beloved has already made peace with who you are. Your loves and hates, your strengths and weaknesses, your fears and your dreams; everything that makes you who you are has been blessed and sanctified by Christ's holy touch.

Hear the good news: you are forgiven, loved, and free.

There is no need to punish yourself for what has gone before, self-reproach serves no purpose, self-hatred is blasphemy against what the Holy One has claimed as God's own. You are forgiven, loved, and free.

Remember how shocked everyone was when Paris left jail the first time — set free to spend her time under "house arrest" in a beautiful mansion in the sun? It seemed terribly unfair — except, we imagine, to the sinner herself.

Was she grateful for the reprieve? Did she vow to become a better person?

What would you do?

I will praise the Beloved as long as life lasts;
my heart will sing lovesongs to God every day that I live.
~ Psalm 146, verse 2

Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,

Deborah +

This Week's Suggested Spiritual Exercise: If you had just been set free from prison, what would you do first? Who do you think you would have missed the most? What would you have missed seeing the most? Hearing? Smelling? Tasting? Feeling? Take time this week to give special thanks to the Beloved for these special blessings.

Photo credit: Song sparrow, by Curtis Preuss, copyright The Nature Company

dbgiordano@comcast.net with the word "Reflections" in the subject or body of the email. The Reflections mailing list is NOT used for any other purpose.

Rev Deb-An Unknown God.June 4, 2007

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Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how careful you are in your religious observances. As I traveled through the city, looking at the objects of your worship, I found an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you. The One who made the world and everything in it — the Ruler of heaven and earth, does not dwell in shrines built by human hands, nor dine on meals delivered by human hands; as if God needs anything — the One who
gives life and breath to all things!
"From one ancestor the Creator brought forth all the nations that inhabit the whole earth, and allotted the times and places they would live, so that they would search for Him; and in seeking, find — for God is near to every one of us. 'In Him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are God's offspring.'

~ The Acts of the Apostles, 17:22-28

A friend of mine, whom I will call "Phil," has a loved one who doesn't believe in God — which makes Phil sad, and deeply concerned. In his own walk of faith he has found great comfort and strength in following the Path of Christ. Phil cannot imagine a life lived any other way.
To those of us who believe, the idea of living without the Light of the World seems impossible. A shadow existence. Extraordinary. Sad.
And so Phil is seeking to convince someone dear to his heart that — as Paul told the Athenians, "God is near to every one of us." It is not an easy task.
Imagine if you were in his shoes.
How would you convince another that there is a Ruler of the Universe, that there is meaning to our lives beyond what is apparent to our human eyes? What can we say to help these folks come to know the Beloved? We don't even have a common language — there are no shared concepts. The apostle Paul had an advantage over us: at least the Athenians believed in something.
To doubt — or deny — God's existence strikes most of us as strange and unnatural. It is certainly rare: nearly 85% of the American population professes a belief in some sort of higher power. Agnostics and atheists are in a clear minority: they are "the aliens among us."
But I wonder.
Are they really all that unique? Are they truly different from you and me — or are they simply more honest?
What does it mean to "believe"? What do we have "faith" in?
Does being faithful mean that we never have doubts? Does a "good Christian" never question why things happen as they do, where we go next, and Who is out there?
A lovely young woman dies after a long and dreadful battle with leukemia, leaving behind a grieving husband and three young sons. We beseeched the Holy One up one side and down the other to ease her suffering, to spare her life — to no avail. How does that make you feel?
It makes me feel terrible. My prayers are often sprinkled with tears — and sometimes with shouts: I've told God more than once that I don't like the way Somebody is doing some things. But I still pray. I still have faith and hope.
We cry, we argue, we get angry, and sometimes we doubt. Yet believers make our peace with the way things turn out; we hold on to our faith — sometimes only by our fingernails. But what about those who do not believe? How can we answer them when they say, "Your prayers don't work. There is no God. Why do you bother?"
It has been said that prayer doesn't change circumstances, it changes people. By that I think it is meant that we are changed in our hearts and our minds by the practice of prayer — we find peace and reassurance simply (!?) by having a conversation with God about how the world is going. That's certainly true — and it is also true that I have seen miracles of healing and hope that I attribute to the power of prayer.
But that does bring up an important question about prayer, and about who God is, and about why some folks do not believe.
God has been called "the Giver of Good Gifts" — a fitting name for the One who designed this green and pleasant world. But how do we interpret that in our life of faith, and how do we convey that to others? Does it appear as if God is a Celestial Fairy Godmother who grants our wishes? It may very well seem that way when our prayers are simply pious-sounding "shopping lists" of needs and desires. Would a visitor, listening to the Prayers of the People, know that we trust our God: that we believe in a Loving One who wants the best for us and can be relied upon when times are hard?

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Psalm 46:1-3)

If our prayers are not answered — to our satisfaction, that is: it isn't that they aren't answered, it is that they are not granted. Still, to outside appearances, it can appear that our prayers have no effect — how then, can we convince others that there is Someone listening? How do we proclaim a God who can be known and understood?
How can we speak of what is beyond all naming?
Maybe we don't have to say anything. Perhaps this is one of the times when we should — as one of my seminary professors often advised, "Shut up and get out of the way."
God's fingerprints are on the rocks, the trees, and in the patterns of the clouds. God's voice is in the gentle hum of the bees as they caresses the apple blossoms, and in the waves that tickle the starfish in the tide pools. God's joy is in the leaping dolphin, the singing bird, the laughing child.
We see and hear and smell and taste and touch these things — and our spirits soar, our hearts rejoice. We feel alive: renewed in body and soul. We are filled with awe and gratitude. We see and understand in a whole new way; as the mystics say, "We know beyond knowing."
That doesn't happen by accident.
Although he and I are often in disagreement, in this Paul is right: In all times and all places the Holy One has left traces of Godself, so that we might seek and find Life and Joy unbounded.
And all people recognize these clues; we cannot ignore or overlook them — or the yearning they set off in our souls. The desire to locate the Source is in our blood and bones: we long to give thanks and praise. We want to know Who to thank.
It is then, after the Holy One has done the talking, that we believers may speak. "This is God we worship: the source of the voice that resonates in the core of your being. The longing you feel — the pain and loneliness — is your heart beating against the bars that you have raised between yourself and the Lover of your soul."
It would seem that our task is to help them to identify the "unknown God."
From that point on there is nothing else for us to do — continuing to follow the Path of Christ is all that is needed. By living as the Lord taught us, we will show new believers that their faith is well-founded: that kindness and compassion, peace and goodwill, joy and generosity are not remote ideals, but present possibilities. (And that's not just for new believers, either!) When Christ lives in us and we in him — there is no room for doubt: God. Is. Good.
Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,
Deborah +
This Week's Suggested Spiritual Exercise: Where is it that you find it easy to find "God's fingerprints"? If you can, go to that place, listen to that music, be with that person, read that book at least once this week. If you cannot, spend at least ten minutes recalling how you feel when you are in that space.
Where are you least likely to find God's fingerprints? Start looking there with more determination and see what happens.
God is near to us — at all times, in all places — waiting to be recognized, longing to meet us, anxious to set us free from sadness and despair. Seek the Beloved and greet the Beloved with rejoicing. You are forgiven, loved, and free.

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