My Morning Prayers

Sitting on my bicycle I stare at the line of shrimp boats floating on the grey sea. Just above is a sea of grey clouds so I feel as though I'm stuck in the middle with ... me.

I am parked on the top of the crosswalk beside the Pier and in the distance I see silhouettes of people casting fishing lines. To my left a lone gentleman sits in a swing, dragging his feet in the sand, drinking a cup of coffee that I watched him buy at the Breakfast Club a little earlier ... smoking a cigarette, staring at the seas ... lost in his own universe.

To my right are the shrimp boats, lined up at a respectful distance from one another, nets dragging and lights shinning in the bleakness of the predawn with ... Captains praying like hell that the catches are good so that they can pay for another day. They are as beautiful as they are sad ... giving so much to others with their bounty of shrimp, fish, crabs while getting paid so little in return. The world is not perfect.

In front of them stands a lone paddle boarder looking like a crippled Jesus walking on the water, leaning to one side yet determined to make his way to the Captains of the boats to offer them blessings.

In front of me is a couple kissing. They are young and beautiful ... and carried away. They are a joy to watch ... reaffirming that romance is born in the sea and our bodies are seventy percent water because God really wants each of us to have romance so She stacked the deck in our favor. It's a shame that so many opt for the thirty percent of the other stuff that make us who we are.

I have lots to do today but am in no hurry.

This is prayer time and I'm taking in everything that God is sending my way ... stopping to appreciate each particle of creation that is laid on the ocean's table in front of me.

Two old men walk passed me on the crosswalk and we wish one another good morning. When we nod, they dip their heads down. Mine cocks towards the grey sea of blankets above. I am struck by that ... how so many naturally look down and I instinctively look up. If hell's below and heaven's above ... then there must have been a reason that the universe was aligned in such a fashion ... and its fascinating to know which we accept.

They make their way towards the glassy grey sea and do something that makes me laugh. Bending over, they unstrap their boats ... why in the world would anyone where boots to the ocean? ... why in the world would anyone wear shoes to the ocean? ... or underwear? ...and leaving them in the sand they wade into the ocean as though little boys.

I laugh at this.

Then they reach out and hold hands ... and salt water flies from the ocean into my eyes.

I've often been accused about my wacky crazy ideas of who God is that I don't pay much attention to the criticism anymore. My beliefs are pretty simple. God Herself is love. God can be anything She wants to be ... man, woman, whichever ... but the thing that She chooses to be is love.

We are to love one another. As a matter of fact, God wants us to show of love for Her by loving one another. She like its that way. Her ego doesn't need stroking. She delights more in our happiness than in Hers.

So if the above two are true ... then our life's pilgrimage is to find love. This may take us through several relationships and perhaps a few marriages but ... if the goal is to get to God and God is love and loving others is the way that we profess our love of God ... then it's not rocket science.

Oh ... and there's one other thing. When Jesus was crucified they stuck him in a tomb and locked him inside. But he broke out ... raising himself from the dead ... just like he breaks out of Church today, try as we may to keep him in. I have a hard time with those who try to maintain modern day tombs to keep God inside of four walls or love confined to one way of expression. The truth of the matter is that "love is all around" as the song goes.

It's such a shame that so many never take the time to see it all.

Or they are so determined to just see it one way.

And they are so arrogant to think that God prefers to locked inside of four walls to be drug out on Sundays and maybe Wednesdays ... wants everyone to adhere to a giant book of rules that She had nothing to do with writing ... or that love can only be expressed one way ... and you better not try it another way ... because hell is right down there ... and the God who is love loves sending people to hell if they break the rules.

"Bullshit!" I say in morning prayer.

Then I turn and coast home. On the beloved back deck, I light a fire in the Tabernacle and make burnt offerings. Goddess and I have community.

The phone rings ... and it is love.