Remebering My Spirituality

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I know the blog has suffered over the last year or so, and I’m not ashamed to say I’m having a level of depression and disappointment brought about by our human community concerning the handling of our national politics and the pandemic.  But I’m sitting here in Kauai on a relaxing vacation and realized I’ve been writing every week for the church website, and nothing has been posted to the blog for over a year. 

Hopefully during 2023 the world’s circumstances will start to improve including:

  • the war (Ukraine),

  • COVID (everywhere),

  • inflation (world wide),

  • poverty (even in the “developed” counties),

  • immigration (asylum and numerous reasons to cross boarders),

  • climate change (extreme weather events, rising ocean levels impacting people’s living conditions and agricultural dynamics)

I guess the list goes on and on. 

I do not know how we can solve these issues, but I do know the answer lies with us.

Probably the most recognized of Jesus’ manifestations to the world is found in the coming of the three wise men.  Their presence says the Christ child is an prophesized King, and is recognized as a unique person by cultures outside of the Jewish faith and from a completely different region than Palestine.  In Giotto’s fresco from the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy 1303-05 we have the three magi recognizing the Christ child as they kneel before him.  Notice one of the wisemen is very old, one middle aged and one young.  We have no idea how many wisemen there were, tradition tells us three because of the three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.  In the background are the magi’s servants with the camels.  On the right is Mary holding Jesus, Joseph, and the archangel, identified by their golden halos.