"May your holy creative tension live within us" - © Alexander John Shaia - 2020

Perhaps this concept, "May your[referring to Mother, Father, Wisdom. Divine],holy creative tension live within us," is one of the lessons of this year of intersection between pandemic/political polarization/racism and dysfunctional religion.  

All of these experiences can be overwhelming to the point of paralysis and yet as the Benedictines espouse, "always we begin again." There is never a day or a time or a place where we cannot let go of old messages and behaviors on both an individual and collective level. However, it begins with each of us claiming not a job or a duty but accepting an invitation to join in this holy creative Sometimes the invitation is to listen outside of our belief system. This morning, I found comfort and peace in the service of Lauds and Mass streamed live by the Glastonbury Abbey in MA. 

 Do I share the theology of these monks? No, but I cannot draw strength from their unwavering commitment to their divine purpose and their practice of holy creative tension as they bring ancient liturgy to Facebook live.  

The monk who gave the homily this morning spoke of Jesus desiring us to view, "the law as tutor or as sign."  If I view  "the law as sign"  and I consider a piece of my call, to the let the holy creative tension of the Divine live within me, then perhaps I need to stop judging myself and others so harshly.  For it is only when we release the voices of judgment that the voices of guilt and shame can be silenced.  The destructive voices can be  replaced by an expansive space of primal energy, of creativity and of shalom.  It is in this expansive place, that we can experience the Divine, the Christ, the One Breath across time, space and gender.  These are earthly distinctions which can entangle us. May the law be our sign, our direction and not our hindrance.  May it be a law of love extending a climate of mercy speaking to the holy creative tension within one and all.  In the words of Alexander John Shaia, "May We All Be One."