Oh, how he loves us so… - She Laughs at the Days

We went to a Passover style Seder, a Catholic Easter Vigil Saturday night, and our own church’s raucous mix of rock’n’roll and gospel choir celebration Sunday morning. All were beautiful, meaningful, and full of the creative energy that people devote to worshiping and honoring the God they all believe in.

In moments like these I am always taken with fits of love for everyone, for all the different ways God made us and all the colorful and beautiful ways we find to express our love for him. It’s confusing to me how many of these people can be so quick to violent disagreements with each other. We are the squabbling children of the same father. He loves us all. He seems willing to love us and give us his spirit on whatever antenna we put up. This is a good thing for all of us.

I like it so much better when my children can work and play together without fighting and bickering. I suspect that our Father in heaven prefers the same. Maybe I think this because Jesus prayed, “…I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that ALL OF THEM may be one. Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world will know that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one-I in them and you in me-so that they may be brought to complete unity.”

I personally have the urge to sweep you all up into a big hug, you Catholics with your beautiful liturgy and reverence, you hundreds of denominations of Protestants, with loud music, no music, only liturgy, only spontaneous prayer, no dancing, yes dancing, big buildings, rented halls, house churches and every one in between, even you Mormons, though I find less to agree with you on, into a huge hug and say together, “He is Risen” and you answer back,”He is risen indeed.” (Even if you go to my church and apparently never learned to affirm that on Easter morning and keep saying happy Easter instead.)

(Remind me to tell you my story of why I learned to include Mormons in my sweeping embrace sometime.)

I am thankful for every person who gropes, however feebly in in whatever misguided direction for the grace an life and love of God. For I know that he is faithful and will meet us all.

This week my voice rises to give thanks for,

Children gathered. writing in the thank-you cards they received in their Easter baskets. I have an unopened one form the Boy addressed to mom and dad, to open when Aaron comes home.

Rings twisted from purple grass flowers

Giant black and yellow butterflies

A Boy who spoke confidently all the answers at Passover.

A Girl who is clever with numbers.

A party to plan.

Little sitting on the bottom step holding her baby brother and singing, “I was trying to get him to go to sleep mommy.”

The pretty and oh so funny and clever Emily, my friend who just volunteered to help with administrative work for The Charis Project.

A husband who only responded graciously the 3 or 4 times this weekend he had good reason to be irritated.

The Baby who laughed and laughed at the huge bonfire.