LET THE SUNSHINE IN (Matthew 21:33-46)

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

Matthew 21:33-46

IN JEWISH PHILOSOPHY

SINCE GOD IS THE CREATOR

ALL PROPERTY IS HIS

MAN ONLY LEASES IT

THE RULES OF PROPERTY

ARE SACRED

AN EXAMPLE

YOU OR YOUR NEIGHBOR

CANNOT BUILD A FENCE

THAT WOULD BLOCK THE OTHER’S LIGHT

NOR A CONSTRUCTION SO HIGH

THE SUN CANNOT REACH THE OTHER’S CROPS

OWNERSHIP

BY INDIVIDUAL

FAMILY

 TRIBE

OR NATION

WAS HELD UNDER STRICT RULES

IN THIS PARABLE OF THE EVIL TENANTS

JESUS STARTS OUT TELLING A NORMAL STORY

THEN STARTS TO TALK GIBBERISH

ABOUT EVIL TENANTS

PLOTTING TO STEAL THE PROPERTY

WITH THE OWNER STILL ALIVE

IT’S A FAVORITE TRICK OF JESUS

TALKING GIBBERISH TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW BETTER

LIKE A MUSTARD TREE IN A GARDEN

WHEN FARMERS KNOW IT GROWS IN THE WILD

AS A SHRUB

OR WHEN HE SAYS

THERE WAS A FARM OWNER

WHO PAID HIS HIRED HANDS A PENNY

NO MATTER HOW LONG THEY WORKED

YOU COULD HEAR THE DAY LABORERS SAY

YAH

RIGHT

I’D LIKE TO SEE THAT

IF IT HAPPENED

SOMETHING MUST BE FROZEN OVER

IF JESUS HAD TOLD THE STORY STRAIGHT OUT

THEY’D FORGET IT

BUT IF HE PUZZLED THEM

THEY’D REMEMBER

AND THINK

SINCE CREATION

MAN HAS WRESTLED GOD

FOR OWNERSHIP OF THE GARDEN

ALL OF US ARE GUILTY

BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE TALE

THE LEADERS ARE TRYING TO REPLACE GOD

WITH SOMEONE OR SOMETHING

IN THEIR OWN IMAGE

BUT IN THEIR OWN LAW

THEY CANNOT BLOCK THE SUN

IT WILL PREVAIL

FRANK A VOLLMER

TWO SONS (MATT 21:23-32)

The Story of Two Sons (MATT 21:23-32)

²⁸ “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’

²⁹ “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.

³⁰ “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.

TWO SONS

ONE SON HAD REGRETS

A CHANGE OF HEART

I WILL NOT GO

BUT THEN THAT LITTLE VOICE

THAT GOD HAS PUT IN US

WORKS ON US

TELLS US TO BE FAIR

THE OTHER SON HAD STIFLED

HAD STIFLED THAT VOICE

HAD NO QUALMS

ABOUT SAYING YES I WILL

THEN DOING NOTHING

NO REMORSE

LIKE ALL OF US

SAYING OUR PRAYERS

PROMISING AMENDMENT

BUT NO DRIVE TO CHANGE

WE CONDEMN THE NEGATIVE SON

AT OUR OWN PERIL

HE’S JUST LIKE US

WE NEED TO LOOK

AT THE LANDSCAPE OF OUR LIVES

SEE THE GROOVES

HABIT HAS MADE

THE SAYING YES

DOING NO

WE NEED LIKE A PLOW IN SPRING

BREAK THE HABITS OF OUR LIVES

SO WHEN WE SAY YES

WE MEAN YES

AND ACT ACCORDINGLY

.

HEAR YE HEAR YE (EZEKIEL 33:10-11)

HEAR YE HEAR YE

EZEKIEL 33:10-11

THOSE WHO THINK GOD IS AN AVENGING SPIRIT

WHOSE MAIN TASK IS TRACKING FAULTS

FOR PUNISHMENT

SHOULD READ HIS BIO

WHERE HE IS RECORDED IN EZEKIEL

AS SAYING

¹⁰ “EZEKIEL, SPEAK TO ISRAEL. TELL THEM, ‘YOU’VE SAID, “OUR REBELLIONS AND SINS ARE WEIGHING US DOWN. WE’RE WASTING AWAY. HOW CAN WE GO ON LIVING?”’

¹¹ “TELL THEM, ‘AS SURE AS I AM THE LIVING GOD, I TAKE NO PLEASURE FROM THE DEATH OF THE WICKED. I WANT THE WICKED TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS AND LIVE. TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND! REVERSE YOUR EVIL WAYS! WHY DIE, ISRAEL?’

WE DIE UNFORGIVEN

BECAUSE OF OUR PRIDE

PRIDE IN OUR OWN SELF SUFFICIENCY

WE HEAR THE THUNDER

OF YOUR WARNINGS

BUT HEED NOT THE LIGHTNING

OF ILLUMINATION

THE SHEER BRILLIANCE

IN WHICH THERE IS NO SHADOW

James 4:10.

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up

NOT TROD YOU DOWN

IT’S NOT HIS WAY

MATHEW 18;15-19

Matthew 18:15-19New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

 

 

Reproving Another Who Sins

¹⁵ “If another member of the church^[a]sins against you,^[b] go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.^[c] 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.¹⁷ If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.¹⁸ Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

 

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I THINK THE PROBLEM

STARTS WITH ME

WHEN WE USE A CHURCH CONDUCT MEMORANDUM

FOR SOLVING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

 

THE WORDS

IF THEY REFUSE TO LISTEN

EVEN TO THE CHURCH

TREAT THEM AS YOU WOULD A PAGAN

OR A TAX COLLECTOR

 

ARE HARDLY AN ECHO

OF CHRIST’S WORDS

FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER

SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN

WHICH TRANSLATES INNUMERABLE

 

TOO OFTEN THE CHURCH IS QUICK

TO BANISH

THE CHURCH IS WELL KNOWN

FOR WHAT IT HATES

SADLY NOT BALANCED

BY WHAT IT LOVES

 

THE CHURCH

HAS TREMENDOUS POWER

IT SHOULD USE IT

WITH GENTLENESS

AND WISDOM

 

 

 



PENTECOST AT AUSCHWITZ

 

 

 

 

 

 

PENTECOST AT AUSCHWITZ

 

 

 

 

 

MY NAME IS KRZYSZTOF

 

MY CAMP NUMBER WAS 8439470547

 

I SURVIVED THE CAMPS

 

BECAUSE I AM A POLE NOT A JEW

 

I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE HOSPITAL

 

 AT AUSCHWITZ

 

 

HOSPITAL IT WAS CALLED

 

MORE A THRESHOLD TO DEATH

 

 

OUT OF CHANCE

 

ON THE TRAIN WERE EIGHT PREGNANT WOMEN

 

FOR SOME REASON THEY DECIDED TO LET THEM LIVE

 

 

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THEY DELIVERED

 

PROBABLY BROUGHT ON

 

 BY THE RIGORS OF CATTLE CAR TRANSPORTATION

 

 

THEN HAPPENED A BRIGHT MOMENT

 

I LIVE AND CRY WITH THAT MOMENT

 

WITH THE BEAUTY OF THAT MOMENT

 

THE MOTHERS WERE NURSING THEIR BABIES

 

SINGING LULLABIES

 

IN THE OWN TONGUES

 

Go to asleep my tiny baby, Try to sleep and get asleep Till the white dawns break the day. Then wake up as a grown child. Till tomorrow at the (white) dawns.

Culcă-te, puiuţ micuţ, Scoală-te mărişoruţ. Culcă-te şi te abuă Până mâine-n dalbă ziuă. Şi te culcă şi adormi

 

Romanian

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Lie my little angel, lie and sleep, mum is rocking her baby. Lie, sleep sweet, the little one, mum is rocking her baby. Hajej můj andílku hajej a spi, matička kolíbá děťátko svý. Hajej dadej, nynej, malej, Matička kolíbá děťátko svý.

Czech @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@   Nani nani my child. Come Sleep make it sleep and sweetly lull it. Come Sleep from the vineyards take my child from the hands.   Νάνι νάνι το παιδί μου. Έλα Ύπνε ύπνωσέ το και γλυκά ‘ποκοίμησέ το. Έλα ύπνε ‘πό τ’ αμπέλια, πάρ’ το παιδί μου από τα χέρια. Greek   @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@   Under Baby’s cradle in the night Stands a goat so soft and snowy white The Goat will go to the market To bring you wonderful treats He’ll bring you raisins and almonds Sleep, my little one, sleep.

 

 

 

אין דעם בית המקדש

אין א ווינקל חדר

זיצט די אלמנה בת ציון אליין

איר בן יחיד’ל יידעלע’ן

וויגט זי כסדר

און זינגט אים צום שלאפן א לידעלע שיין

 

yiddish

 

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A FESTIVAL OF TONGUES

 

A ONENESS OF HEARTS

 

A BRIEF MOMENT OF HOPE

 

THAT DIED ABORNING

 

THAT NIGHT I RETURNED TO THE MEN’S BARRACKS

 

WHEN I RETURNED

 

ALL WERE DEAD BY NEEDLE INJECTION OF PHENOL

 

WITH SO MUCH DEATH

 

THAT ONE STUCK

 

I HOPE IN HEAVEN

 

THERE’S A SPECIAL PLACE

 

 FOR THESE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN

 

CERTAINLY IT WAS NOT GOD’S PLAN THAT THEY DIED

 

THOSE WHO ABETTED IT BY SILENCE

 

ARE AS GUILTY AS THE MURDERERS



OUTRAGE

^.

 

OUTRAGE

 

 

I SUPPOSE WE SHOULD CALL IT AN IMPROVEMENT

WHEN THE AUTHORITIES DO NOT

CALL THE LATEST VICTIM OF VIOLENCE

WHO SUSTAINED FIVE BULLET WOUNDS

A SUICIDE

 

WHERE IS THE MORAL OUTRAGE

AMONG GOOD MOSLEMS

FOR THE OUTRAGES

COMMITTED IN THEIR RELIGION’S NAME

 

WE HAVE NO REASON TO BE SMUG

WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE

WHEN WE SLAUGHTERED JEWS

ENSLAVED BLACKS

FORCED CONVERSION

ON LATIN AMERICA

 

WE ALL HAVE DIRTY HANDS

 

WE JUSTIFY IT

BE CLAIMING WE ARE DOING GOD’S WORK

 

BUT GOD SAYS

IF YOU ARE SLAYING PEOPLE IN MY NAME

YOU’VE GOT IT WRONG

 

I DID NOT DIE

THAT DEATH MIGHT TRIUMPH

 

  I have come that YOU may have life, and have it to the full.

 

WE ARE PLAYING

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

 

WHEN THE WINNER PREVAILS

HE WILL BE ALL ALONE

ALL ALONE

WITH NO ONE WITH WHICH TO PLAY

OR SHARE HIS VICTORY

 

HIS VICTORY WILL BE LIKE SAND

TRICKLING THROUGH HIS FINGERS

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DANCING ON THE SHOES OF MY DAD

DANCING ON THE SHOES OF MY DAD

HE WAS MY FIRST LOVE

HE WAS MY CONSTANT LOVE

IN ALL OF LIFE’S VAGARIES

HE WAS MY DAD

I MISS HIM

WHEN THE MOOD HIT HIM

HE’D PLAY A RECORD

THEN WITH AN ELEGANT BOW

HE’D ASK ME FOR A DANCE

I’D CLIMB HIS SHOES

AWAY WE’D WHIRL

SAFE AND SECURE IN MY FATHER’S ARMS

THE MEMORY OF THOSE DANCES

SUSTAINED ME

WHEN THE WORLD WAS COLD

AND UNINVITING

I TREASURED THEM

SO MUCH SO THAT I FANTASIZE

THAT IN HEAVEN

ANGELS ARE LINED UP

TO DANCE WITH MY DAD