This was taken off the shores of Chicago's Navy Pier. Such a beautiful, magnificent and serene view of the downtown North Michigan skyline. Who could imagine all of the strife that lurks just below these fluffed up, cotton clouds?
I can not even believe that here, where hundreds walk these streets, speaking to strangers, holding doors, and extending brotherly love folk still sit on Sundays and listen to vile and divisive things? People still take their children to church, don't they? Is this what we are subjecting them to? Is this consistent with the rest of the world?
I think not. I hope not. So I must ask, "What the heck is going on?"
Today headlines are reading that Father Phleger is receiving death threats. From who was not disclosed. While I am certain that whatever he said is not worth ending his life, I'm still not sure that I have a grasp on what is gurgling out into the world from my beloved city of Chicago? It is as if our ball of love and humanity was really full of hot air and it is just seeping out at a rate that creates that awful "whoopee cushion" sound. We're being flubberized and I for one am totally embarrassed, and from all of this what can now be gained?
The deeper message is that something is coagulating here. Maybe it is the blood in my veins, or just maybe folk are going to have to stand up, be accountable, and the days of having to rile the masses is no longer necessary.
Black folk may no longer need the pulpit to get up, get angry and get something done. We no longer have to meet in secret so the alter can return to being a place that is sacred, or have we forgotten how to praise, just praise, find peace and pray?
Have we forgotten how to linger and meditate and comfort in our chosen form of worship? Often, in my younger years, I benefited from being in an atmosphere where I was being schooled on civil rights and feeling the oratory power behind a speaker in the pulpit. But as I mentioned in an earlier post, that has its place. The church is not the place, especially here in a city of this magnitude.
National news. Chicago Priest apologizes...
It is just so crazy...I just don't know what else to say!
I just hope we find our way. This used to be a gentle jungle, but I guess there was something brewing underneath.
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