A Face, A Book and a friend

The Most Powerful Button in the World

    

 I have 485 friends. I know because I just checked my Facebook. Of course, I've never met some of them. When I was in High School I could count my friends on one hand. On the other hand, well, things were different then. My 'friends' sat with me at the same lunch table. The word 'friend' was more often a noun than a verb. I certainly couldn't 'add' (or remove) a friend with the click of a button. Not long ago I received two friend requests, both from former High School classmates. One request was from the least popular girl in my class, the other was from the most popular (my perspective). I don't remember ever speaking to either. Thanks to Facebook, the great leveler of humanity, I can now be 'friends' with both. 

Carpet Buffet

My first teaching experience involved helping Mrs. Lambert with her four-year-old Sunday School class. Mrs. Lambert was a master teacher. Four-year-olds exude passion without apology and she had a gentle strength that would comfort without compromise. They laugh, they cry, they sing, they dance, they play, shifting from one to the next as swiftly as the turned pages of waiting room magazines.


There was a time when the classroom supply of Play-doh began to decrease. Then, we realized that Johnny (name changed) was eating it. And one Sunday morning it was gone. Johnny had eaten every can of play-doh in the room. He was, however, not finished. From the corner of my eye, during a song, I noticed Johnny had his face to the floor. He had discovered a patch of dried doh and was gnawing it from the carpet. Johnny's doh pica was undaunted by the empty cans. 


I wonder, what appetites take me to the carpet? 

Taste and See

"Nothing exists in the intellect that has not first gone through the senses."

Plutarch

Seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting; my senses are beautiful gifts, with each being proximity relational. My sight allows me to view stars- millions of miles afar. My taste, however, requires closeness.  


Yesterday ended a 21-Day fast from pleasure reading. Yesterday was Yom Kippur. I didn't plan the fast around the High Holy Day, but I am grateful for the timing.


The Children of Israel are known as People of the Book, stewards of the Word of God. After hearing that expression, many years ago, my love for Judaism began.


The Psalmist wrote, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
In Him, things afar draw near.


So, I will begin again with my reading.

Black and White

The Way Home
Michael Carter

"We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all."

I Corinthians 8:2,3

The Message

Reading Fast-Day 14. Sunday.

Yesterday I read this note from the margin of my Bible-

'The Baal Shem Tov taught that every person is allotted a given number of words during his life. When he has used up his quota, he dies. Thus, by guarding his tongue, one assures himself of greater longevity.'

The writer of Proverbs put it this way, "Words kill and words give life. You choose." 

We don't fully know the personal importance of anything until we choose to avoid it. For 14 days I have chosen to avoid the reading of books and I am wrestling with my restlessness. Ink on paper; 'agreed upon' vertical and horizontal strokes we call letters shape meanings that direct our thoughts. Is it really that black and white? The gestalt of a book astounds me.


This morning I read:
"The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: The writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body." Eccl. 12:11,12. (italics mine)


In the margin, after this passage, I had written this quote:

"You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

Augustine, Confessions

A song from Steve Earle