Living in coronavirusworld 30: The Plot Against America

4/21

The Plot Against America

I find that after a day with a lot of hours spent on ZOOM, I need t retreat. To unconnected, And be here with myself.  I also find myself cooking food from my  childhood. I found my grandmother's cookbook and realized that many of my mother's go to recipes are there. So in this time of crisis, I return to the kitchen to recreate what sustained me through my childhood. 

Today’s long walk takes me through Harlem and the Upper West Side to check on my prescriptions.  I wanted to pass through one of my favorite places, the community garden on 89th. But it is closed.

the garden is closed

\

I note that Barney Greengrass is now shuttered, not reopening after his annual Passover week vacation. The Kirsch bakery has given up as well.  Only the top shelf butcher shop remains open. I take the 7 bus home. 

The quiet day, understanding the new contextual understanding of that term, gives me the chance to finish HBO’s limited six episode series of Philip Roth’s the Plot Against America.  Roth’s novel, from 2004, is an alt history speculative fiction in which Charles Lindbergh runs for President in 1940 and defeats Franklin Roosevelt on platform of keeping America out of war. Lindbergh signs an agreement with Hitler and slowly unleashes the hidden hatreds and fears of America into an increasingly fascist reality. Roth is essentially taking his own fears and anxieties of growing up in Newark, New Jersey as a Jewish kid in the 1940’s amplified by a plausible historic shift.

The HBO version faithfully portrays Roth’s basic story. As such it joins a growing list of dystopian prophetic calls for awareness from Handmaid’s Tale to The Man in the High Castle to Watchmen, each with their own unique take on where we are and where we could be headed. Each deserve their  own analysis. The growth of this genre can only speak to the growing  cultural anxiety of where we are now as a nation. 

In Plot…, we see each believable step leading to the dismantling of democracy. Like in Germany, Jews who thought they were fully part of this country, learning how vulnerable they all were all along.  Perhaps the most tragic character is Rabbi Bengelsdorf.  Wonderfully portrayed by John Torturro, we can see the rabbi not as someone simply out for personal gain, but truly believing he was keeping Americans out of war and doing the best to integrate his people into American mainstream by actively supporting and working for Lindbergh. In the end, all he did was provide a distracting  cover for the true fascist agenda of Lindbergh. When Lindbergh’s plane disappears, Blame is placed on the Jews and even Rabbi Bengelsdorf, “  a Jewish Rasputin” in the words of Secretary of the Interior Henry Ford, is taken into custody,

In Roth’s novel, the words of Anne Lindbergh and the overreaching of the administration lead to the removal of acting President Burton Wheeler  and the calling of a special election which is won by Roosevelt and the all things return to realty as we have known it. The brilliance of HBO (and David Simon’s) revision of Roth’s ending is breathtaking. (Spoiler alert.) The HBO version ends with the election. There are scenes of voter intimidation and suppression and the burning of ballots. It is unclear if there will still be enough votes to elect Roosevelt. The end. The message for us is unmistakeable. We are at a critical crossroads in this country. It can go one way or the other. When one says the message is, it can happen here, one rational response is it already has. What happens next is vitally important. One can only hope for enough wisdom and courage to keep ay real sense of democracy alive. Our fate is in our hands.

Reflecion parsa Ecclesia en espanol...

7/1

Ecclesia with Vijay

On a hot sunny Sunday, I went to share Eucharist with the Ecclesia community in Marcus Garvey Park. I've now done this in freezing cold and sweltering heat. I took the tike to refelct on the nation. Here isa Spanish version of my reflection....

Yo quiero hablar un poco de nuestra  nacion. Por ejemplo, en la semana pasada,cinco jornalistas fue assassinado.  Si este es comun en otra paises, el no es comun aqui en nuestra pais. Historicamente,  La primera vez fue de un ministro y abolicionsita en 1837 mato por una turba proesclavitudista.

Ayer milliones fueron marchando contra la separacion de familias y ninos. Mira...

no me quiero estar parte de un pais que hace como eso.

Hoy quiero hablar de curando....y toque, tacto. Tenemos dos historias en este evangelio. Los dos tengan curando, toque y fe.

Primero...un lider del sinagogo...un hobre muy importante..un jefe...First... Dl esta suplicando a Jesus a curar su hija, quien esta muy enferma, enferma hasta morir.

En camino, hay una gran multitud acerca de Jesus. Y una otra historia interrumpes. . Una mujer empuja a Jesus y le toca. . Jesus se siente una perdida de su poder. Esta mujer ha tenido una hemmoragia para doce anos. Ella tiene dolor en su cuerpa...pero mas....la separacion de la communjdad. 

Ellas se hace a pesar de reglas de puridad. Especialamente  tocando un hombre, o alguna otra. Pero Jesus le apoya y le cura. Porque de su fe. Y su coraje. 

Ahora...regresamos a primer historia. Ahora es muy tarde que la nina esta muerta. La gente dice a su padre...Olvidelo. Es muy tarde. Adlelante...

Jesus les repremanda. Y dice Ella esta simplemente dormiendo. Porque el quiere hacer un hecho de amor, de compassion, no una demonstracion de poder publica.  Este curando es en responso al fe de Jairus, no la fe de su hija. 

Que pasa aqui?

 *Curando necesita fe...personal, o en solidaridad....pues nunca, nunca parar orando para los otros....

* Necesita agencia...el poder a decir si se puede...y creer lo..

* Y no tenga miedo a rompir reglas

* Y necesita toque.....una connecion verdedera

Curando se restira a communidad....a normalidad....

Hay alguna cosa de toque que necesitamos...cenizas en Miercoles de cenizas o agua santa....la toque de familia, amigos, enamoradores...

Toca es haciendo alguna cosa verdadera...como compartiendo eucarista y una cena con nuestros companeros...

Dejenos tener la coraje a comencar el curando...

Compartiendo una almuerza despues comparitendo la eucaristia

Fourth Sunday in Lent: What about reconciliation?

3/6

Pastor Brashear and Victoire Oberkampf

 There’s just enough time to rehearse with Victoire before the service begins.  After we read 1 Corinthians 5: 16-21, Victoire sings her own arrangement of Go Tell It on the Mountain. And after Luke 15: 1-4, Amazing Grace.  (You can hear these songs here: https://soundcloud.com/victoire-oberkampf-1)L-./ )

                                                                                                                                                               And then time for reflection on reconciliation.

Our topic today is reconciliation.  Let me repeat these words from Corinthians:

¹⁷So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 

Let’s talk in terms of a familiar story…the prodigal son…we’ve heard it so often…it’s hard to come up with a new angle..

Try something..they say to fully understand a parable, you need to see yourself as each of the characters in the story…

For the father: What your son is asking for is equal to: I wish you were dead..this is your youngest…the  baby of the family…your favorite…(so many times in the Bible, it’s the youngest who winds up with the birthright, the coat of many colors…you get the picture..) But you give in anyways….weeks, months , years? go by and you’ve heard nothing…the neighbors critical about what you’ve done…still every day, you’re looking out at the horizon, waiting, waiting….and when that day comes, you’re happy enough just to see him…so you welcome him..and of course you celebrate, and bring all your neighbors…so the boy can be restored…so community can be restored.. the new ceramic lid to our baptismal font is a gift celebrating a child, an Occupier restored to his family…

But what we don’t know is this….what if he does it again?

I’ve met too many parents over the years…in situations  especially related to drugs…met parents who have had to draw lines.. and try to live with them…and had their hearts broken over and over and over again. How many families have that one child…

For the youngest son.. everything was too good, too right, too constricting. You have to get away, just to  survive..it’s OK for awhile, then it all goes bad…and you realize what it is you’ve squandered, what it is you’ve lost. You’ve got to live with the awareness of not only the material benefits you had, but the sustaining  love you threw away, didn’t take care of. Lost. Biggest loss of  all..it is the relationship…(That’s the one that gets me…loss of relationship..it’s like losing a limb…) In the end…you can’t expect, you don’t deserve, but…you go anyways…and how do you respond to such a lavish, embarrassing welcome? Why no demand to prove yourself? What will the day after the party look like?

And of course, the older brother. Who has done everything asked for …and more…his whole life this younger one has gotten the attention. The benefit of the doubt. Never did his share. Just plain left with me having to run this whole place. And now he comes back and he’s welcomed? With a party? And by the way, how come everyone else seem  to know about this party except me?  Like servants are sent to invite the whole town, I’m out in the field and I don’t know? Dad, am I invisible?

It’s common among clergy to hear that members feel the pastor spends so much time with those in NEED that they never see those who are in need. The troubled, the poor, the crazy, the …who get all the attention. The steady, diligent ones who keep things going, who are responsible, who wear themselves out helping the church simply survive don’t feel seen, much less appreciated.  Why keep doing it? And if some of those who have been absent should come back, should they expect to jump right in and start deciding how things should go when they haven’t been here when things were do or die? What’s right about that?

And what about the mother? Oh, right, there’s no mom in the story. What’s up with that? Why did Jesus leave her out? (There’s a special relationship between mother and child…they’ve discovered shared cells that have passed back and forth through the umbilical chord…an awareness…a knowing…intuitive )

OK. Who was story for?  The Pharisees. We always look at them as the bad guys. They were natural allies of Jesus. They are concerned that he spends his time eating with, breaking bread with, those of ill repute, and reputations. How does that make us look? If others see so many of them around, who’s going to want to stay here? Who’s going to pay the bills for this guy? Could the Pharisees be saying we’re backing him, giving him the benefit of the doubt while the temple powers, the political powers are getting upset and he doesn’t even care?

Note the message from the father to them…it’s not your day is over, you’ve been replaced, It's you have been with me always…everything I have is yours…(the oldest son still gets his 2/3 share after all..).This is important for Christians to hear…What Jesus is saying on behalf of God…is come into the party….everyone…

There are lots of emotions in this story…Now..what if Jesus is all the characters in the parable? I’ll leave that one with you…

BUT..consider the word prodigal…what does that mean? One synonym is promiscuous…I read recently in Queer Christianities a chapter on the theology of promiscuity…it was a bit of a bait and switch advertising…not what you expect…it makes the claim that God’s love is promiscuous ……freely given, without regard or judgment or demand or….it’s just….. come in to the party….

The symbolic meal we participate in today is like that ….  .so….let us break bread together…

Victoire and I share in various variations of Amazing Grace…like the Blind Boys of Alabama..( ) I do my own Hank Williams style ( So Lonesome I could cry..) and we finish together.

Later, I’ll sing My life flows on as Pete Seeger sang it in the days of the House Un American Activities  Committee and the Red Scare:

My life flows on in endless song
Above earth's lamentation.
I hear the real, thought far off hymn
That hails the new creation
Above the tumult and the strife,
I hear the music ringing;
It sounds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
What through the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
What through the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of Heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?
When tyrants tremble, sick with fear,
And hear their death-knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging.
When friends by shame are undefiled,
How can I keep from singing?

We share bread and cup together. Then Victoire blesses us with another song…so good to have her spirit with us…

SECOND READING 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21

¹⁶From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way.  ²¹For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

GOSPEL LUKE 15:1-3, 11B-32

¹Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

³So he told them this parable:

11b"There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' ²⁰So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' ²²But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe-the best one-and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

²⁵"Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' ³¹Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

Epiphany. No, I don't want corn flakes.

1/6

 Mario has returned from Italy. He and Jeremy G and I head across the street to the Bean for coffee and conversation. As always, Mario spans centuries and concepts and continents in single sentences, each paragraph a flight of creative exploration, exposition, excitement and possibility.  The Open Choir is going public again, the Seed Group ready to expand.(https://www.facebook.com/events/752775058163293/?pnref=story) All leading  to another public conversation about performance and the sacred, this time, at my initiation, to include community, building it, Being it. What’s going on here is the continuing process of new spiritual communities in formation, this time informed by the work of Jerzy Grotowski, work inherited by Mario and Thomas Richards.  I keep pushing Mario to move beyond connecting  with and impacting existing diverse spiritual communities into the possibility of building new ones, a place Jeremy G has already gone to. Jeremy G has just returned from the Georgia Sea Islands where he has experienced a Gulla New Year’s Eve watch service followed by a Shout and feast. My invitation list for the next conversation is ever growing.

New York Hair has just brought by another fresh arrangement of flowers, their weekly offering.

Ralph introduces me to a young violinist. Bob, meet the  new ETHEL, Corin. Corin, meet Pastor Bob…

The mumbling man  Eldridge, is in looking for money again. he offers me a box of Kellog's Corn Flakes.

No,put that away. I don't want corn flakes. 

Iain'tagonnaalie.Iaonlycomeaseeyouawhenaianeedhelp. He begins to lift his pant leg to show me his badly swollen leg.

No,please don't do that. You don't need to do that.

Justaneedatrainticketathehospitalandaback.

I reach in my wallet. Pants pocket. $8. I give it to him.

He takes it. Looks back at me annoyed and imploring. 

It's all I have. that's enough for round trip train. ...yes, and bus too...He nods. 

Ralph and Corin play the next hour before a curious audience. There’s Karen, our Hawaiian pianist. And at the piano, a young African-American woman who’s been sitting there, all day, not playing. And of course, at the back, Geoffrey, silently mouthing his prayers, respectful of the music. And of course, Eldridge, still here.

As I prepare to leave, Geoffrey walks out, See you tomorrow. I guess so.

The young woman walks in. I ask her name. Marie. She seems young. Childlike. 

Excuse me sir, are you open tomorrow?

Yes, of course, every day.

May I come again?

Yes, of course. Do you have place to go?

Yes, I do. I have place at the shelter. But it’s noisy. I can’t think. People bother you. May I come back?

Of course you can.

Outside, Martin’s daughter Gabriella is there. My father is so happy, she says.

Me too, I say.

The long awaited long term residency with Noche Flamenca is about to be signed.

On my way to meet Pat O with the Joyce Society in the East Village for a reading of James Joyce' The Dead. An epiphany story. 

Je suis Charlie.

That's all one...

12/16

Stairwell Theatre 12th Night Jam

12/16
I hear music in the sanctuary. Sam G is at the piano, practicing for his Twelfth Night Jam coming up Thursday, working o  original arrangements of Shakespeare songs.

12/17

Representatives of Broadway Bound kids are in looking for time and space.

Gregory  makes another of his visits, just looking for metrocard money.

I explain to Charles that as long as the front doors are open, it’s OK with me if Geoffrey sleeps in the church. He occasionally sleeps up at Elise’s Advent church as well.

On the other hand, the sleeping  man outside, the one who looks like a mean Uncle Ben, needs to go. He’ s on the sidewalk, between our steps and Barney Greengrass. Completely wrapped up in a comforter, with various debris around him.

12/18

Back after a breakfast at Union with representatives from Ferguson.  It’s clear that we clergy are not the leaders here. Like so much else, we need to be chaplains, and in accompaniment.  But the young folks on the street are already way ahead of us. With Occupy veterans providing logistical support. The morning  ended with another die-in, this time on Broadway and 120^th.

David S tries to help me with the sleeping man . But he pops up, gets very hostile. Tells us to do what we gotta do. Which is call Project Reachout and then ultimately the police, who do succeed in getting him to move on. Even though we are responsible for the sidewalk, it is still public.

An Irish artist looking for space.

Another emergent church (with Baptist roots) in looking  for major worship time space. They’ve got 4 services, 800 members.   Still amazes me. Not quite sure what to make of that.

Pat meets with an arts group with desire for major space. Their own house has lots share of intrigue.

Sam

There’s a low turnout for Sam’s  Stairwell Theatre 12^th Night Jam. Maybe it’s the winter and cold weather. (Well, that’s As You Like It..) the night begins by giving an explanation of the day. The end of Christmas. A night of revelry and role reversal, tricks and pranks. The play itself probably written for a revel.

There are songs. And monologues. And games. And mustaches. Mulled wine and bags of treats. Ending of course, with Feste’s song. (…the rain it raineth every day…)There’s a warmth in the darkness of the sanctuary.

(As for music, I always remember the wistful, melancholy, magical score written by the Brooklyn band Hem for the 2009 Shakespeare in the park production…)

Then comes time for sharing. I work my way through Robert Earl Keen’s Merry Christmass from the family, still rough. And later Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain… A couple from Guatemala shares crafts and a song.

I feel like Sam is really on to something with his format. Just needs more people. (Believe me Sam, I’ve been there…) and finding the right way to  get them there.

….that’s all one, our play is done….