Happy Birthday Howard

This morning, the rate of rainfall was nearly an inch per hour. By 1:30 pm, unfamiliar blue skies and sunshine played its happy havoc on the greater Ann Arbor area. My morning decision of a sweatshirt and windbreaker (insufficient for warmth at the time) was fully stifling by the time I had a ten block walk to a vendor’s office in the afternoon. The cliché stands: if you don’t like Michigan’s weather, wait ten minutes.

In the light of Donald Sterling’s racist rant, discussion at the watering hole included reaction to the lifetime ban and of race itself. An African-American friend (and also a basketball coach) said that despite being black, he probably would not have levied a lifetime ban. I for one believe that the NBA did the right thing – any chance we have to turn the page on institutionalized racism should be seized.

On the way home I thought I’d see if my friend Howard was home. I saw his kitchen light on, but no response at the door. On a hunch, I peered into his garage and saw his car. Given the weather, I decided to walk around his house and, sure enough, found him snoozing on his deck with a book in his lap.

He must not have been too deeply asleep as he looked up and, with a smile, fussed about what the “cat dragged in.”

The winter was hard on Howard. He had one overnight hospital stay in February and missed over two months of church services. He explained the hospital stay, “I just couldn’t breathe.” His next line was tough to hear, “I won’t go back.”

Over the next hour, we shared stories of the last few months (yes, feeling guilty that it’s been that long since I saw him), discussed challenges we each were facing, and reported on mutual friends. He was alert, engaged and chatty.

This past week, Howard turned 88. We toasted this milestone but he was quick to add that he didn’t believe he’d see 89. I asked why. “I asked God for one more summer and maybe a fall – that’s all I want. I know I’m close.”

I have too much respect for him to offer platitudes or empty assurances. I asked if I could enjoy the last summer with him – he asked in earnest that I do.

The balance of the visit was filled with reports of his interactions with his doctors, his church community, and his family. We even discussed Pope Francis – Howard is a Congregationalist and has significant respect for the pontiff.

This wasn’t a sad visit – I feel very fortunate that he’d discuss the intimacies of life and death with me. I don’t know if his prophecy will come true; I did marvel at the peace he’s achieved and look forward to finding similar peace one day.

Papal Bowling

Two popes from my lifetime were canonized today in Rome.

While hundreds of thousands converged in Vatican City to celebrate, some pundits pooh-poohed the canonizations for any number of reasons (and, I expect, motivations). One that caught my attention was that Pope Francis somehow was finessing the day by canonizing a presumed conservative, John Paul II, and a liberal, John XXIII and, by doing so, uniting different factions of the church.

Were these men so different? Imagine JXXIII and JPII on the same bowling team – or at least in the same Thursday night league. Maybe sharing a pitcher of beer, they strike up a conversation.

While standing at the jukebox, JPII starts, “I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.”

Considering that point, and recalling his own heritage, JXXIII adds, “Italians come to ruin most generally in three ways, women, gambling, and farming. My family chose the slowest one."

Both men laugh and take their turns on the lanes. JPII scores a strike, JXXIII picks up a tricky 1-7 split for a spare. Soon talk turns to family. “The family is the first essential cell of human society,” avers JXXIII. “It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father,” he adds.

JPII considers this point, chews a pretzel stick, and replies, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” He signals the server – it’s his turn to buy a round.

With fresh beers and both scoring spares, they reflect on society at large and the attempts various groups make to achieve change and justice. “Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create,” suggests JPII.

JXXIII considers this statement, takes a long draw on his beer and adds, “A peaceful man does more good than a learned one.”

The evening continues through three games – JPII scores a 624 series – his highest ever and JXXIII couldn’t quite get into the groove and scores a full 30 pins lower than his average. JPII suggests that the oil on the lanes was a bit off this evening. JXXIII waves off the excuse offered by his friend saying, “The feelings of my smallness and my nothingness always kept me good company.”

They pay their tabs and each notices the other leaving rather large tips. Seeing JPII’s gaze, JXXIII asserts, “Workers must be paid a wage which allows them to live a truly human life and to fulfill their family obligations in a worthy manner.”

JPII agrees, “A just wage is the concrete means of verifying the justice of the economic system… It is not the only means of checking, but it is a particularly important one and in a sense the key means.”

Yes, I only offer a limited sampling of quotes, but I really don’t see where these two men would disagree much let alone devolve into shouting matches that end in accusations of idiocy or racism. I expect that they would have genuine curiosity and mutual respect for each other.

Hopefully, those attributes don't require the patience of a saint.








Quotes attributed to each pontiff from the following sources:
http://www.usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/pope-john-xxiii-quotes.cfm http://catholicfire.blogspot.com/2006/04/john-paul-ii-my-favorite-quotes.html http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pope_john_paul_ii.html http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pope_john_xxiii.html

Photo reported in the public domain and from: 
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Rome-preparing-for-the-canonisation-of-Pope-John-XXIII-and-Pope-John-Paul-II-30708.html

Happy Easter!

I can't out-write this:

The Gospel of Mark:

16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James,
and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week,
they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
16:3 And they said among themselves,
Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side,
clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
16:6 And he saith unto them,
Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified:
he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee:
there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
16:8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre;
for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

I recommend this link:  Hallelujah!  as an inspired Easter version of a familiar song.

Happy Easter!





Verses from the King James Version of the Bible here: http://www.togetherweteach.com/TCB/New/02Mark/02mark16.htm

Image reported in the public domain and available here: http://publicdomainvectors.org/en/easter-bunny-clip-art-pictures