Seeking Our Connection Point

    Yearning to be Yoked

The story of mankind has been one of emigrational search and discovery. Columbus sailed to find new lands not certain that a fall over the horizon was imminent. The Oklahoma land rush of 1889 was a chance for one's own little plot of land. John Glenn showed the masses we might even be able to escape our own inhabitable planet. Many of us individually have  longed to find our somewhere, a place where we belong. We long to become whole, complete, One. This quest becomes so self centered that it sometimes boils down to a simple effort to be comfortable in our own skin.

Christmas tree and Syzygy?

No doubt we were meant to be in fellowship, joined together in common purpose, linked to one another, connected to something greater and more meaningful than our unsettled selves. What I experienced a week ago today was the most extreme example of this seeking I have witnessed in my sober lifetime. I would like to share with the special audience that reads this blog what the 2017 Solar Eclipse meant to me through the signs our creator placed before all for personal discovery.

In preparing myself for the mystery of this celestial wonder, I learned a new word: Syzygy. It is an amazingly spiritual yet scientific word. My understanding in relation to the 2017 Solar Eclipse is it represents a celestial phenomena where three bodies: sun, moon and earth reach perfect alignment.  (See:Syzygy) Wow, alignment, is not that something we hope for with the wheels on our car? We strive to keep ourselves on the right road smoothly in a straight line, correct? Sounds a bit synonymous with belonging and becoming whole, no? This past week's heavenly alignment does not occur often. In fact, where the path of totality crosses the entire continental United Sates- one coast to the other- well, it had not happened for ninety nine years, more than a lifetime!

Oh the richness of the symbolism in this gift of the Universe! It was estimated that about 20 million people could or would be in the American path of totality. This is where the moon blots out the whole sun. Totality, wholeness, completeness, peace, all of same import. Isn't this what we are searching for? Well, at least it is for me. So off I went -as I guess I do everyday- seeking the "Path of Totality."

I found myself in Andrews, North Carolina on Monday, August 21, 2017 amidst a festival day atmosphere with many a pilgrim young and old gazing upward in awestruck worship. Andrews is located in the exact center of this path of totality, point zero.  I discovered Syzygy is not complete, not whole. It does not reach it's fullness without us as receiving witnesses becoming one as our Creator's masterpiece. Our Father desires us to be part of His alignment. We will be at peace when we are aligned with His will. Right at the point of total eclipse it became very quiet and still, very peaceful.  On the exterior of the Andrews United Methodist Church there was a large sign. It spoke of the day. It yelled to me. It pointed to the path of wholeness, completeness, oneness, totality, if you will. It was a suggestion for a Way to peace from words of Christ to us:

Jesus's words on the sign from Matthew 11:28 were not the words that rung out to me that day. If you clicked the Syzygy link a few paragraphs before this one, you might have noticed the Greek origins of the word mean to "yoke together." Hear His words from verse 29-30

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Based on the experiences in Andrew's NC last Monday- now more than ever- I believe Abba's gift of Syzygy needed US to complete it just as He needs US now to complete the gift of His Son and Holy Spirit to carryout His will in the world.

Father may we make ourselves available to you as willing witnesses. May you guide each of us to our own path of totality that we may know your good and pleasing will for us.

Amen 

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Bradford Bosworth

August, 2017

In or Of the World?

Grace in Small Things

Costa Rica's Blue Morpho Butterfly

This past week I found myself moving through a tropical rain forest in various modes of transportation. The diverse media included: zip line, horseback, two feet and four wheels. The most pulsating was hanging over majestic gorges through rain clouds in the soft falling rain with the Pacific ocean looming in the distance. 

"Look at eleven o'clock" suggested our guide Donald, who also pointed out his last name was not Trump!

My friend Patti and Donald

In his book "The Ragamuffin Gospel" Brennan Manning quotes a Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel from his death bed, "Never once in my life did I ever ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder and He gave it to me."

I am grateful that I often experience wonder in my everyday comings and goings. The screech of a red tail hawk flying overhead, a fleeting appearance of a dragonfly with no water near by, a night owl lighting under a street lamp or the sweet sound of "good night" over the phone from my girlfriend Patti.

The freshness that comes with travel to a new locale always heightens one's sense of wonder. Although, being raised in tropical Miami, Florida, some things in Costa Rica were not so new for me. I have lived in and among palm trees, seagulls, hibiscus plants, orange trees, waves breaking on the beach and of course the swim up pool bar. I quit that pool bar activity a few years back.

The Park

What was most wonderful to this man was watching the little creatures. On our first day Patti and I decided to count butterflies and dragonflies. Within hours we abandoned this effort. There were too many to count even on the grounds of our resort. When we traveled to the Rincon del a Vieja park and in the rain forest our sense of wonder bordered on infinite.

The rain forest is a busy place! There is much coming and going, God's grand central station if you will. The most notable traveler had to be the ever present and largest of the prolific butterflies. It's name is the Blue Morpho. One of our guides pointed out that it's likeness is on their currency. Either I or this beautiful creature were never still long enough for me to get a picture. The ones in my memory will suffice.

While on this vacation, a friend and I were engaged in a deep spiritual conversation over a game of chess. We were talking of being in the world  as opposed to being of the world.  The name morpho brings with it meaning changed or modified. When we are in the world, we have the opportunity to change the world. We can ask for and receive the wonder of God's creation; His Grace in the littlest things. When we are of the world, we are subject to the world changing us. We often miss His little details and the wonders of Creation.

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."

Luke 16:10 (NKJV)

This Gospel scripture has always spoken to me: Unless you can see and appreciate His Grace in the smallest things you will never truly appreciate the wonder of it on the grander scale.

Father may I be more in the world than of the world so I might receive the wonder of your Grace. Amen.

Bradford Bosworth

August 8, 2017