On my wall

On my wall, beside my window where I sit writing this are several things.

An American Indian dream catcher my daughter gave to me years ago.  It's a circle of wood with a web of string and feathers with feathers hanging off it. She knew I was very interested in dreams so she thought I would love it. And I do. Very much.

There are also three plaques.

One says "SHALOM", which someone (I forget who) gave me because I sign all my letters and emails with 'Shalom, jim'. It is the Hebrew word English does little justice to because we translate it as 'peace'. Peace is the absence of conflict. Shalom is so much more than that. No single English word can capture it's meaning. It is like this: 'wholeness, completeness, everything with nothing left out and all of that in harmony'. A concept we need more of in this world. And in each of our lives.

A second plaque a dear friend gave me has a head poking out with fat cheeks and a big nose and huge smile. It says: "IN VINO VERITAS". That's Latin for "in wine, truth". Not a bad saying and rather true as I think on it. That friend and I have shared more than a little wine and even more truth. Bless her.

Finally, besides a high school picture of me and a college picture of Bern on the window, is the third plaque that says, Latin again: "VOCATUS ETQUE NON VOCATUS DEUS ADERIT". In English that is roughly, "Bidden or unbidden, God appears/arrives". Not a bad thing to ponder, after all, given that much of the time we don't bid God to come but God shows up in what Remitha Spurlock, a member of the first parish I served, said 'in mysterious ways'.

Those are the things I stare at sitting at my computer, wondering what to do next.

I could do much much worse. Not sure how I could do much better.....