Celtic Odyssey

This morning I awoke to a great grievance—Donald Trump was elected President of the United States of America. I feel sick in my guts. I’m in shock. I’m saddened. I just don’t understand how people (and their progeny) who will be directly hurt by this man—women, LGBTQs, Muslims, African Americans, and all other minorities—could vote for him. I honestly don’t. This morning I learned that the bullies win. That’s the perpetrators of sexual violence win. That if you’re a rich, white male, you can get away with the greatest of crimes. I always knew this happened on a limited scale—in the small, backwards places where the “good ‘ol boy” mentality still reigns supreme. But I just never thought—never in a million years—that it would be done on such a grand scale. Don’t believe me? Just ask yourself these questions: If the current POTUS, being a black man, had said any of the things or acted in any of the ways the President Elect has said or acted, would he have been elected? No....

Luke 19.1-10 (adapted): Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through town. A man there named Zacchaeus, a ruler among tax collectors, was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but, being a short man, he couldn’t because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When Jesus came to that spot, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay in your home today.” So Zacchaeus came down at once, happy to welcome Jesus. Everyone who saw this grumbled, saying, “He’s gone to be the guest of a sinner.” Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I’ve cheated anyone, I repay them four times as much.” Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this household because he too is a son of Abraham. The Human One came to seek and save the lost.” ~~~ “You better hurry! He’ll be here any minute!” “I’m almost finished,” ...

Luke 18:9-14: Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust: “Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I receive.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.” “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.”― C.S. Lewis , Mere Christianity I struggle with self-worth. I don’t k...