The Silly Episcopalian

again. again, again, again. again. the blood, the screams. the shaking embraces. the parents who never fathomed this Again. the keening, the wailing. the primordial screams. the angry opinions on every computer screen. again. the dark, the pain. the confusion. the anger, the fury. the fruitless rage. again. the pain of empathy, the dolor of love. the bitterness. again. the ribbons, the posters the billboards, the flags. the meaningless moments of silence. again. the sanctimonious speeches. the "thoughts and prayers." the political gain again. When will our screams reach not the ears but the hands of Action before another Again? when will the outpouring of poetry, music, art, about these Agains STOP? when will           AGAIN stop its jarring cadence of our hearts pounding? again. again again again again, again, again. the "we should have known." would have. could have. the infinite futility of only w

The lessons:  Isaiah 40:21-31 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Psalm 147:1-12, 21c The Sermon: Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  So says the first reading.  Twice.  Seems like Isaiah is telling us to listen up.  It’s one of the greatest attention-getters in almost any conversation.  People use it all the time: “did you hear that so-and-so is getting married to that guy?  Did you hear that so-and-so died?”  In fact, I used that expression only last week.  I do not know whether it is comforting or not to know that the preface for almost all modern gossip, good and bad, has been around for millenia.  At any rate, it gets you listening. So. Have you not heard that the Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the heavens and the earth?   He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless!   Sounds pretty excellent.   And Isaiah tells us that it gets EVEN BETTER.   Even the youths will faint and grow weary, the young will fall exhausted.   H