within the lacy shadows 

Beneath The Bow

God breathes
My flesh responds.
He makes melody on me, bending downy hairs
with a tingle...
And wind chimes whisper secrets, as the
tree bends,
ferns like lacy emerald shadows
move with the curtains parting.
I hear wood and metal dancing, touching;
creating moving sound with their unique expressions of air.
God passes,
the ancient porch bows...I kneel,
He breathes,
and my flesh quivers
like an instrument beneath the bow,
in the Master’s hand.

a little place of tranquility 

The Exploitation of Divinity

...My heart is heavy today with the news of our world. Never has it seemed so divided, so hate filled, and so ripe with righteous judgement. It seems brick by brick, piece by piece, my country, my beliefs, the very foundation on which I stand is being dismantled.
Religions have hijacked God...lassoed HIm by the neck they have and made HIm their mascot, the captain of their team...the spokesman for their new way. He is on their side and their cause a holy one.
This is the exploitation of Divinity like never before. If I was a better history student I suppose I would be less shocked, more cushioned to the fact that to some degree this is how it has always been.
Why do our leaders continue to push agendas that the people clearly don't want? Why do the talk show hosts and TV pundits continue to whip us up into some kind of mindless frenzy against each other...seeking to "define" events and politicians for us...telling us what is the truth. Why would a pastor vote out of his congregation...a democrat. Thats a political affiliation guys, not a disease or a criminal behavior. I'm a registered democrat, I even voted for Kerry, not very enthuastically to be sure, but thats the box I clicked ( he's way to the left of me on many things)...I thought I was being a good constituent to go cast my vote in our political system....it obviously wasn't the most popular vote and therefore he didn't win....the other guy did....again. So I get behind my President, and try to be supportive. But my President I'm afraid is viewing his win as the country giving him permission to do whatever he wants with us. He views his political capital as a permission slip to change the world. If 59% of americans disagree with the dismantling of social security as we know it, and he continues to push the agenda what does that say he feel toward the 59% who are saying whoa, slow down, think this thing thru. 3 Trillion dollars folks, to change over...to put your future, your old age in the hands of the shell game artists on wall street. I certainly don't know what is the best answer for the future of social security and don't claim to, but i do know we already have a huge deficit, and to add 3 trillion more for a transfer of funds will only dig the peoples hole much deeper..our progeny will inherit our folly the world over.
I won't even begin to go into John BOlton, and the future supreme court justice nominees, the nuclear option...or the dance of disaster that they are doing on capital hill....both parties. I'm far too moderate and centrist, have far too many conservative ideas blended in with my liberal ones to really align myself with any kind of extremism. What I will say is that it is foolish, very foolish indeed for the party in power to change the rules that protect the minority party, for in this topsy turvey world we live in the positions always reverse...and those in power this time will find themselves on the bottom sooner than some because of their great arrogance. They have greatly over played their hand...and shown their true colors. The people there now believe that they are setting up this country to be ruled by one party for generations to come....thats not what we want folks. Politics is a very, very corrupt arena and religion has stepped into the middle of it and soiled it garments terribly. We need look no further than the mistakes of the catholic church....which I am afraid she will repeat again, this time including the evangelicals and fundamentalists in her arrogant push for control of the people.
God has a way of rubbing our nose in our own misconceptions...its just a teaching tool of His. And He applies the same tools to Kings and Presidents as he does to the people they rule.
You cannot hijack God and make HIm captain of your team and then run rough shod over your country and the world.......we will answer for our folly.