Still keeping watch

6/18

The Sentinel appears for his appointed time, still keeping watch.

Martin and his brother Leslie come for another visit. Look at the space again. Try to estimate the renovation cost. 

Katherine comes to plan our meeting tomorrow to explore possibilities for the sanctuary.

Teddy and i talk about projects. Needed repair work on the grate. Some welds didn’t hold. What it would take to fix up a room for RL to rehearse. 

Ayse and Yannick in to talk about getting married. She, from Turkish-American Muslim background. He, German born soccer player. How much easier it is here than in Berlin where Turks and Germans have become so intertwined. Yet still so separate. Lots to talk about. My son in Berlin. My friends there. My own soccer experience. Euro 2012. 

The Sentinel has left and the Prophet has taken his place wearing his African straw hat.

Time for Bible Study. Glen has come for the first time. Tonight a turning point for Jesus as he confronts the powers in a synagogue. Looks them straight in the eye. Announces what he’s going to do. And does it. Call it civil disobedience. Asks the man with the  withered hand to stretch out his hand. Like the traditional blessing.Jesus filled with rage at systems that deny people their humanity. Point is the healing took place before the physical change. The healing took place when Jesus acknowledged his humanity. Saw him. No longer invisible.  

The line has been crossed. An unlikely coalition is formed between neoliberals and collaborators. What Jesus is doing completely denies their power. And so he retreats. To catch his breath. And the crowd follows. Not just a crowd like to hear a concert or a great preacher. Every one with a need. The demonic spirits call him son of God. A title usually reserved for Caesar. And so he silences them. It’s getting to be too much. The crowd is crushing. 

What is the answer? He goes to the hills. Where movements always start. Las montanas, as they said in Nicaragua. Selects twelve. A confederacy. Like the twelve tribes. Their names are give aways...some guerrillas, at least one assassin. They will be trained in a new form of resistance. To preach. To drive  out demons. The powers that seduce. Oppress. Deny humanity. It has begun.

 Bobby comes in towards the end. Teddy takes him to share some food. We marvel again at the density of scripture. The living word. Metaphorical hyperlinks taking us deeper into unexplored worlds.