Saturday, September 22, 2012

THE OCEAN DEEP




Quote for Today - September 22,  2012

"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only a  boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all discovered before me."

Sir Isaac Newton [1642-1727], from Brewster, Memoirs of Newton [1855], Volume II, Chapter 27

Comment

I'm just back from a Transatlantic Crossing - 7 days on the Queen Mary II - from Southampton in England to Brooklyn, New York. This quote sums up so much. In my life, I've spent a lot of time finding pebbles and shells - but standing at a deck railing and looking at the ocean below - makes one think deep and deeper about the joy of finding God - the great Ocean of God - Water - Life - that swims around our globe. Without God - without water - I believe we would not be here - on this deck, on this beach, on this shore - or anywhere.

Monday, September 10, 2012



LOST SUPPER      

CAUGHT ON CAMERA


One evening, just sitting there
in a restaurant at a table
with 4 or 5 others,
I became all alone
after a dumb comment.

Self destruction silences me.

It can also ruin my meal.

It can also bring an insight,
a self revelation - a new knowledge
about me - about life - about others.

Cutting remarks - a caustic comment
like a steak knife scratching a white plate -
causes those around the table
to shrug shoulders and wince eyes. 

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb me.
I don’t pause enough before I speak.
I have a MeTube collection of these
un-thought out spoken thoughts - long before
YouTube movies made their appearance.

Delete. Delete. Delete. But somehow
they won’t or don’t  or can’t disappear.

I sit there alone - at that table with 5 -
replaying some other moment in my life,
in some other restaurant 
where this same thing happened before. 
Why can’t these re-runs 
disappear so I can enjoy a meal 
and communion with my friends?



© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

           
OH MY GOD!

Once we get 
that we’re not God,
we got it. 
Once we go to God with that,
we’re in  - because then we know
we don’t know. Then we trust
that God knows and for now
hopefully that’s enough for us.
Relax! The big things
are out of our control.
Knowing that, isn't that a blessing?


© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

    CAVE IN 

In  1879 or 1880 a 12 year old girl
brought her dad down into some prehistoric
caves in Spain - where there were
ancient drawings and paintings.

In 1940, four teenagers discovered
the ancient caves at Lascaux
in southwest France - which also had
pre-historic etchings and paintings.

In 1947, a Kid - a Bedouin shepherd boy
discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls
in a cave while looking for his  lost sheep.

Jesus said, “Unless you be like
little children, you will not discover
the kingdom of God.”

Jesus - carpenter and inner voice,
bring me down deep into my inner room -
better to go down deeper into my inner caves.

Together let us discover the images
and the handwriting on my walls.

What will we discover  there?
What are my secret secrets?
What are my Dead Sea Scrolls?
What are my paintings and pictures?

What are our deepest desires:
Envy, anger, lust? Or are the deepest
three: love, envy, comparisons?
Or is it the refusal to go within?

Or will I discover Risen Lord down there?
Is that the place you descended into
after your death to bring all of
us into resurrection and new life?




© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

Picture on top: Cave drawing in Lascaux, France


            AT THE LAST PLANK


I paused before I stepped
onto the first plank of the pier.
I could see bird poop
on almost every plank.
I could also see lights
all along the way.
I could hear honking birds
wanting me to fly away,
disappear, get out of here.
I decided to step out and
start walking straight ahead
and see how far I would go.
Then I came to the place
where one needs to decide:
“Is this the time to cross
the waters to the other side?
Do I go back or do I wait?”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

         THE ITCH

The itch to self destruct
is a very scary itch.
So when you get
the itch to self destruct,
don’t listen to the Nike
message about,
“Just Do It!”  Don’t do it.
Don’t scratch. Don’t itch.
It’s at these moments
you’ll know God is
in your temple,*
the Holy One of God,
and you’ll know God,
you’ll know God is
The Great Itch.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

* Cf. Mark 1: 24



IMPORTANT  MISSIONS 



Quote for Today - September 21, 2012 

“On important missions, leave early enough to come back in time to pick up what you forgot.” 


Germain G. Glidden [1913-1999] 

Comment:

Will be back home today - landing in Brooklyn, New York. What better place to land - at the place where one began.