Some will start
with your brokenness,
your sinner status,
you, 
the fallen mess. But,
dear one,
before you let these voices
swamp you down with
all the ways you fall short,
anchored in knee deep mud,
go back further —
to the beginning,
where breath was spoken
and light was split.
Go back to the twinkle
of moonlight —
the waning gibbous and
waxing crescent splendor.
Return to the crisp waters
and the sea brimming with
a range of gills and rainbow coral.
Think of the land
in all her glory rising up
small seedlings and great oaks.
Consider the flights of fancy,
the beasts of the earth.
And, then, dear one,
remember you and I —
remember how we were
wrapped in goodness
from the start. And this,
this is of utmost importance:
this goodness was not
anything we earned,
completed or accomplished,
but given by a generous
God who spoke goodness
into our beings. A God
who wove us in the image
of a Trinity of
love and relationship
with golden thread and
sparkling spirit. Yes, dear one,
go back to the beginning —
the roots of your nature —
remember your goodness
and live from this truth.

Our nation is hurting. Our world is crying out. It seems the division, the hate, the violence won’t stop. Yes, we can continue to focus on the broken nature of humanity, but I believe if we return to the start, the beginning, to notice the divinity woven through humanity, this will help us become more humane to one another. If we begin with ourselves not needing to earn our “goodness” but receiving the love of God that showers us each day, maybe we will see the innate goodness in others being able to reach out beyond our differences. I find Richard Rohr often speaks concise, challenging and Spirit-breathed words. This recent sermon about the controversy of kneeling vs. standing for the National Anthem is no different. If you have seven minutes, give it a listen:

Rohr Sermon: Jesus Is Not Impressed By Opinionated People