30 December 2009

Riding with Jamie

I took my grand daughter shopping this evening.  Not a big trip, merely a quick drive to a local grocery to   because Grandpa forgot the grating cheese for the pasta"bi sketti" sauce.  While we were in the store the sun set.  On the way home, Jamie who is a very bright and observant little girl noted that now all the cars were black.  We spoke a bit about what she was seeing and when we came to a well lit intersection, we agreed that the cars still were colorful but when it is dark you can not see that.

The phenomenon  phenomena we call 'color' is fascinating.  A 'blue' object is one that absorbs all other colors.  Blue is not emitted it is reflected.  When very little light is available as on a street with no lighting as Jamie observed, we see in monochrome.  The cars contrasted with the headlights all appear black.  Then we drive into a lighted intersection and see the diversity of the cars' colors.

There is in fact no absolute red.  We all know any number of things we call 'red' that have different, individual reflections of the light.  Every thing has a  different way of absorbing light, a slightly or starkly different reflection.

Where light shines, the objects reflect in a myriad of colors and endless cacophony of shades.

Jesus is we say, the light of the world.  He is the light to enlighten the gentiles.  Deacons in procession proclaim on Easter morning:  "The light of Christ".  We too, are objects that reflect light.  No two of us are precisely the same reflection of sunlight or of God's love.  We are in short, diverse.
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Love like light, it is not emitted it is reflected.  And we each reflect a bit differently.  Some of us  reflect in lesbian, or gay ways, some of us do not.  In the light, all that diversity is visible.

Tyrants, be they presidents or archbishops seek to wipe out diversity.  Jesus came to shine the light on us and let us reflect God's light, hierarchies and monarchies have been trying to turn off the light ever since.  Institutionalism is the  tyrant's belief.  Be it "the party" or "the church" when unity, and conformity become the goal, tyranny is at hand.  When one is imposing a 'covenant' or putting people in a 'crucified place' the light is being dimmed.

Tyrants always fail.  The covenant, a body of badly done legal writing designed to turn off the light, wont won't work.  In fact, we may and I do pray that it never is ratified.  Tyranny is not God's plan.  God calls us to respect and love each other, not to impose ourselves.

As  we proclaim in procession:  "The Light of Christ -- Thanks be to God."  Or as Jamie observed, "I can see all the colors in the light  Grandpa!"

FWIW
jimB

3 comments:

Rick+ said...

     Excellent reflection, Jim! Thank you!

JimB said...

From a reader,a note that I dropped the ' in "won't" in the second to last paragraph. This is now fixed.

Spelling has always been one of my most creative activities. I am wondering why my spell checker did not slap me for this one? Ah well, it is now repaired.

FWIW
jimB

Anonymous said...

Both left and right in politics are intolerant; it's one of the reasons I don't get involved in either politics or religion. You have to listen to people who drone on and on about things.

St Laika's

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