Dismissals

I was in Penetanguishene, a Canadian city an hour’s drive north of Toronto. It is a lovely town of ten thousand souls on the shores of the Georgian Bay. A city police car was parked at a downtown curb. Painted in bold letters on the front fender: “Deeds Speak.” Years later, the words remain with me, their evenness and equanimity favoring neither the police officer nor the citizen. We are all held to account. Our deeds speak to the world ~ and to God ~ of who we are and what we are about. “When deeds speak, words are nothing.” ~African Proverb

Starting out, I entertained the notion that the ills of the world could be readily made right. I may have made something of a fool of myself along the way. True enough, a few things were set to right, but I initially misread the situation and I’ve since learned better. Wishful thinking, in whatever form, won’t do it. I had to show up and lend a hand. Sometimes, I came up short … though I helped a few folks along the way and, on balance, I expect I’ve done way more good than harm. Truth be told, I’ve had a blast! 

The hardships of the world can overwhelm … there is much to be done … the need is great … the Church an ever-present lifeline for many … food, warm clothes, safe housing, daycare, a quiet moment’s respite. Committees are formed and funds are raised as parishioners find new ways to build the Kingdom … in the streets … wherever “the other” … wherever need is found … on a windswept sidewalk where we may see someone coming, hat pulled down, hand on collar holding the old coat close … we nod and speak a quiet greeting … and in that very moment the work of the Spirit begins.

The past few years have been a time of change for me. The word “Retired” appeared after my name in the 2024 clergy list at Convention … I’m not sure how or why that happened … there’s little I can do but go along to get along. It’s true … I don’t always welcome life’s vicissitudes. And this historical note: In November, 2023 I closed my business after 40 years of locating missing and unknown heirs for banks and attorneys. I was twice featured on the “Unsolved Mysteries” TV program! It’s been interesting … all of it … something will come up … it always does!

Ever-present God, as followers of your son Jesus Christ, we ask to see and understand the road that lies ahead of us … to know the way that you would have us go … to discern your will for us in this complicated world. Help us see how we might best serve you. And, as we go about your work in the world, we ask that we might clearly understand our own strengths and weaknesses, that we might remain always confident and cheerful in our service, use your gifts wisely, find joy in our labors, and rest at day’s end. Amen.

As a volunteer at the men’s homeless shelter, known in Cleveland as 2100, I’d spent some time with the men there. I was in the cafeteria when a resident, whom I only vaguely knew, settled in at the sorrowful old excuse for a piano that was crammed into a corner of the room. He tested every key … some keys sagged … others were responsive to the touch but they made no sound. At length, satisfied, he started in. It was a complex piece, unknown to me … but gorgeous. He somehow worked around those busted keys … the room silent as he played.

Webster’s* defines equanimity as “… evenness of mind; that calm temper or firmness of mind which is not easily elated or depressed.” Equanimity’s synonyms: equability, calmness, serenity. Equanimity is God at work within us … God showing us what is required if we are to be effective peace-bringers in this untidy world … that “You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.”** Equanimity accompanies a kind disposition, the capacity for self-deprecation, and a gentle sense of humor. Seen with a kind eye and equanimity, we find fineness and love even in the bleakest of settings.

Ahead of me in the cashier lane, a woman with a small basket of groceries fished in her old handbag. She stuck her card in the pay slot but all she got was the “card declined” sound. Groans came from the line … the woman looked at the floor … she mumbled to the cashier … tried another card … still, no go. The line shuffled … eyes rolled … except for one woman who strode straight away to the front of the line … said not a word … put her own card in the slot … said, “Merry Christmas!” … and was gone as quickly as she came.

I’ve been sorting through stuff and came across a Christmas card from seventy years ago. It’s signed “Betty” … my mother’s cousin. With a good hand, Betty wrote out the words of the last stanza of Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel: 

O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace 

I seems a dark, downcast world of late. I’ve been feeling mighty low. I will hold these words close and read them from time to time … and await the arrival of the light.

I’ve never been big on genealogy, though sometimes the past reaches out to me. I know that my forebears came from Scandinavia, and that some made their way to Kilkenny, Ireland. There, in 1538, they founded Kilkenny College. The college remains, open and active. The family motto, “Comme Je Trouve” … French for “As I Find” … is engraved over the entryway. The notion is to overcome obstacles as they present themselves … to not dither, but to surmount one hurdle, one stumbling block, one obstacle at a time. “Comme Je Trouve” … “As I Find” … words to live by from the distant past.

Bess was an old-timer in ministry. She started decades ago passing out newspapers and cigarettes to veterans in a hospital … she still spends time there … now minus the cigarettes. When I came of age, I looked about for something useful I might do. I was told, “See Bess.” She was still going strong. I asked Bess about her ministry and she told me things. I listened and carried her good counsel with me over the years … especially this: As I go about my ministry, joy will be found by being part of the well-being and happiness of others. 

Thirty years ago I became a volunteer CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) tasked to look in on abused and neglected children and to represent the children’s interests in a court of law. CASA is a national organization, well respected, open to most any adult who has the interest, drive and desire to make a real difference in a child’s life and future. It requires training … time with children and their family … court appearances on the children’s behalf … and the desire to make their lives better and safer. This work isn’t for everyone … though for some among us it surely is.