LENT Day 1 (Ash Wednesday)

Mark 8:31– 38 | Jesus Foretells His Death

We begin our Lenten journey with Jesus by hearing him tell us that he’s not headed to greatness as the world esteems greatness, but to the cross and to death. Peter and the rest of the disciples understand that Jesus is on his way to the capital city of Jerusalem to lay claim to the throne — to become the King of the Jews. But without any ambiguity Jesus tells his disciples that he will suffer many things, be rejected by the chief priests, and finally be killed. Yes, Jesus also says that his apparent defeat will be turned to victory when he is raised on the third day, but his disciples probably hear this as an idiom referring to the resurrection of the righteous at some point in the future — as when Hosea says, “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up.” That Jesus could become King of the Jews through suffering and death is inconceivable to Peter. For Peter, a messiah who is killed is a messiah who fails, and Peter didn’t sign up for failure. Jesus alone seems to understand that a breakthrough into new life is only attained through the experience of loss. Martin Luther was right, Christianity is not a theology of glory, but a theology of the cross. But to choose the way of the cross over the way of glory is a hard lesson to learn.

Like Peter, we also may be inclined to argue with Jesus when he calls us to choose the way of the cross. “Surely not, Jesus! I don’t want to suffer and lose, I want to be great and win!” But Jesus calls that kind of thinking satanic! As the book of Proverbs says, “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” Most of us are scripted to think that life is a game and the purpose of life is to win. This is the way that seems right. But the divine truth is that life is a gift and the purpose of life is to learn to love well.

And so Jesus invites us to follow him, not in a march to greatness, but in the cross-carrying way of self-denial. This and this alone is the way of true discipleship. It’s also the way to abundant life. Grasping for greatness is the way of the rat race. But as Walter Brueggemann says, the problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. Or as Jesus put it, what do you gain if you win it all, but lose your soul? During this season of Lent let’s renew our commitment to take up our cross and follow Jesus!

Lord Jesus, we are so often afraid that the way of the cross leads only to loss — a loss that we fear we cannot bear. Help us to believe you and to embrace the cross as the way that ultimately leads to authentic love and abundant life. Amen.

Preparing for Coronavirus/edit

Preparing for Coronavirus

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/preparing-for-coronavirus-to-strike-the-u-s/?fbclid=IwAR2I3QFNymkDyt86rPC51HDImORQtKVzrNQ8uj2dL_Zn2x1DXEzzcqB3r_s

The Centers for Disease Control has already said that it expects community transmission in the United States, and asked families to be ready for the possibility of a “significant disruption to our lives.”

Preparing for the almost inevitable global spread of this virus, now dubbed COVID-19, is one of the most pro-social, altruistic things you can do in response to potential disruptions of this kind.

We should prepare, not because we may feel personally at risk, but so that we can help lessen the risk for everyone

because we can alter every aspect of this risk we face as a society.

you should prepare because your -neighbors need you to prepare—especially your -elderly neighbors, your 

-neighbors who work at hospitals, your -neighbors with chronic illnesses, and your 

-neighbors who may not have the means or the time to prepare because of lack of resources or time.

real crisis scenarios we’re likely to encounter require cooperation and, crucially, “flattening the curve” of the crisis exactly so the more vulnerable can fare better, so that our infrastructure will be less stressed at any one time.

What does “flattening the curve” mean for the current COVID-19 threat facing us: the emerging pandemic

The infectiousness of a virus, for example, depends on how much we encounter one another; how well we quarantine individuals who are ill; how often we wash our hands; whether those treating the ill have proper protective equipment; how healthy we are to begin with—

how many people die of seasonal influenza (or COVID-19) depends on the kind of health care they receive. In China, death rates are much higher in the overwhelmed Hubei province than the rest of the country exactly because of the quality of the care.

those who have a severe case of COVID-19 often need mechanical ventilation and other intensive care procedures. When they are out of beds, people end up languishing at home and suffering and dying in much larger numbers.

if we can slow the transmission of the disease—flatten its curve—there will be many lives saved even if the same number of people eventually get sick, because everyone won’t show up at the hospital all at once.

now COVID-19 cases around the world, and epidemiological data from tens of thousands of cases. Here’s what we know: no doubt to the relief of parents everywhere, this disease is mild to nonexistent in children.

for the elderly or for people who have other diseases or comorbidities, it’s very serious, with death rates reaching up to 15 percent. 

also a great threat to health workers who handle people with the virus every day

this coronavirus is about 20 times as deadly (though again, this number may get much better or worse depending on the kind of care we can provide)

this disease will almost certainly not be contained: we can’t expect to reliably detect everyone who’s ill and infectious, 

the only path to flattening the curve for COVID-19 is community-wide isolation

more people stay home, the fewer people will catch the disease. The fewer people who catch the disease, the better hospitals can help those who do. 

COMMUNITY-WIDE ISOLATION 

means that people will depend on deliveries for essentials: in ground-zero of Hubei, for example, that’s what’s happening. 

while deliveries are better than people going shopping, it’s still a risk to everyone involved.

 if fewer people need deliveries, then fewer people will get sick, and more people who need help such as the elderly can still get deliveries as the services will be less overwhelmed.

get a flu shot, if you haven’t already, and stock up supplies at home so that you can stay home for two or three weeks, going out as little as possible

Staying home without needing deliveries means that not only are you less likely to get sick, thus freeing up hospitals for more vulnerable populations, it means that you are less likely to infect others

If everyone gets masks all at once, there is just no way to keep up. However, don’t worry if you cannot find masks; those are most important for health care workers. 

For non–health care people, washing your hands often, using alcohol-based hand-sanitizer liberally and learning not to touch your face are the most important clinically-proven interventions there are

canned food like beans and vegetables, pasta, rice, cereals or oats, oils/fats, nuts and dried fruits. /

two-three weeks,

-Rice,

- beans, 

-salsa, 

-ramen, 

-some sort of cooking oil, 

-oatmeal, 

-nuts and 

-dried or canned fruits and vegetables enough for two weeks 

have some potable water

keep your household entertained and busy.

THERE'S  MUCH LARGER CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD: 

-about the way our health care industry runs, for example. -How to handle global risks in our increasingly interconnected world. 

-How to build resilient communities. 

-How to reduce travel for work.

Can you handle this Mardi Gras unicorn? / edit

I am a tourist everywhere;

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/mercynotsacrifice/2020/02/26/can-you-handle-this-mardi-gras-unicorn/

Other peoples’ truths stick to me like flypaper.

Maybe my ancestors are inside the horn on my head;

Maybe they keep shoving me into lovelier confusion.

whatever oozes from my orifice,

I am still God’s poetry;

I just want him to finish the damn poem.

MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES THAT AREN'T ’t SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN 

Since other gods are being invoked;

And yet Jesus is there too?

I’m always looking for him

And he always says I’m here

In the form of wrong people like

Shamans who ask me how to connect with Jesus;

So I ask Jesus;

And he says something inane like

“Just breathe” or “Keep dancing.”

Unicorns are jumpy:

You keep horse-whispering me

But never in a safe, orthodox way.

So I’m stepping out in this field beyond:

I think you led me here,

And I’m terrified

You’re going to say I’m free to run.

Definition of Joy / happiness / edit

 DEFINITION  OF  JOY;

- makes it about agency: 

-being fully alive,  

-present,  

-empowered in the midst of all circumstances.

-means standing in the midst of grief / rage w dignity/power.

JOY IS BOTH WILD/
AT EASE W ITSELF. 

not anxious or con-flicted it's explosive

and contagious

it intoxicates some to shared rapture/goads others into disdainful disgust.

to take up our cross/follow Jesus is an in-vitation in which to live  the rich joy 

Jesus lived.

The cross is the centerpiece of divine joy precisely in its excruciating torture, injustice, and wrath.

Sometimes this kind of joy is  spontaneously discovered. It can also be cultivated through discipline. 

People who are just looking for happiness are not going to be happy when joy

interrupts them.

Joy’s militancy 
is the holy dis-satisfaction that isn’t ungrateful.  
It will never stop pushing and diving deeper.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/mercynotsacrifice/2020/02/20/the-difference-between-happiness-and-joy/

Mister Natural

ZEENZ/pix 08