“This world is not my home;
I’m just a passin’ through;
my treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from
heaven’s open door
and I can’t feel at home
in this world anymore.”
So goes the Negro spiritual,
pooh-poohed in the hallowed
halls of theological ivy as
escapist, but it served a purpose
to keep the blacks going under
the most dire of circumstances.
“You are not of the world.
You are in the world,”
spoke Jesus in the most dire
of circumstances. Aren’t
we in the most dire of
circumstances with “wars
and rumors of wars.” guns,
guns, guns, greed, greed,
greed, itching ears willing
to embrace fascist fear-
mongering to justify their
anger and discontent and
desire to retaliate against
anyone and anything they
fear, fear, fear? Are we not
“apart from” while “a part of”
— mindful of the beauty of the
earth, sky and water while we
ravage, “apart from” while
“a part of” the fear that grips
the hearts of brothers and sisters
who don’t know they are “a part
of” each other, “apart from”
while “a part of ” knowing there
is a home right here, right now,
our home in the heart of God?
Fear not, be mindful of the
opportunity in each moment to
see, feel, experience the
Realm in our midst, in our
hearts, in the marrow of our
bones, in the center, center,
center of being. No-Thing,
Every-Thing, All-Things, into
thy hands I commend my
spirit. Peace be with you.