Gains and Losses

On Sunday morning I had not realized that the time had changed, got up and got dressed to go to church-had not been in a few weeks, so I was ready to go by 11...still late but in route. However, as I listened to gospel music on the radio I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was not only early, but extremely early due to the "fall back" feature of daylight savings time. That was a gain. I thought about the entire rationale behind daylight savings, and I do not agree or disagree with it-man's manipulation of time-but I did wonder if this was a practice known round the world. Did everyone fall back, and spring forward, or did they just remain constant. No gain or loss of an hour, just managing their lives through the continuum of time. None-the-less, I was happy to have fallen into an extra hour of time, and be seated at church nearly 30 minutes prior to service.

Church was a good experience...it most often is. Never bad, just sometimes not as inspiring as other times but yesterday was enriching. There were several reasons why. First, the church I attended, of which I am a common visitor but not member, had youth Sunday where children are the feature of the service. They sing, perform and speak to the congregation and that for me was delightful. Children are the most inspiring form of humanity to me. I mean, they love effortlessly and live with less prejudice than most of us. The world to them is new everyday, and the routine of life is not yet comprehensible. Their ignorance and naivety are the most beautiful illustration of innocence that can be found...and their love of God is without want, just because. The way children see the world, people, God...well, it always helps me to understand that in essence, the beauty of our existence is the fact that we are existing. Their vision, again, my gain.

Now in DC there are churches on every corner, facing one another and full to capacity every Sunday morning. If God is not acknowledged all week, then Sunday morning worship does its best to make up for the people's neglect. The entire experience is something to behold-the spirit truly moves people...into deep prayer, reflection, tears...a wealth of emotions are displayed openly and without regard for the opinion of on-lookers. Therefore, without question worship...or the ceremony thereof is a gain. Lastly, the sermon itself...the questions it brought forth in my mind and the self-evaluation it inspired was perhaps the biggest gain. The sermon was on shallowness, and Luke, Chapter 5 was the scripture from which the sermon was derived. Read it, and you will be moved.

Thus, my morning on Sunday was full of gains...no losses. Actually, my weekend was just that as well, full of gains and no true losses. It is in this thought, that the fear of loss is brought about. I believe in the balance of life, the yin and the yang of existence. Now some may argue that this notion is contradictory to the entire discussion of God above, I simply argue it is not. That even God wishes for his children to be balanced, and that in all that is good and positive there will be some bad and negative...it maintains the respect of his power and the the power within us all to project and receive energy-both positive and negative-through our own actions. Thus, in all the gain of my weekend, there will be some comparable loss. Not necessarily negative, but loss still the same. Perhaps I have already suffered it, and God allowed me to bask in the gain of the trials that have already been overcome. But regardless, just like with the extra hour I am happy to have gained on this weekend-good positive energy-to aid me in the day of loss that is sure to come.

Lord help me maintain my balance
as the arrogant man has no legs
to stand upon
when the winds of his own ignorance
blow strong
and I being he
at times
find myself falling
from all that I do not know
faltering
from all that I assume
it is only through you
that humility can be learned
understood
good and bad
are to life
what pain and joy
are to birth
both being the essence of existence
and the measurement of all worth
often depends
on the gain and loss
connected with
the acquisition of material things
but imagine if
all that truly matters
is our service to a higher power
our respect for all creation
and patience
in that which time will reveal
and the man less his arrogance
is healed
standing on
faith...