2010
FREE AMONG THE DEAD
The other day I was taking one of my ‘midnight’ walks across
the bridge.
These past few months I started a new thing- I walk for
miles on end!
Yeah- it started as a spur of the moment thing- just put the
CD player on- listened to some favorite classic rock- and made the walk.
It has since become somewhat of an obsession.
For you locals- I have walked to Ayers and back- from the
bluff.
Walked to the city hall area of town.
And I walk across the Oso bridge early in the morning- while
it’s dark.
It feels great.
Sometimes I’ll run into another ‘wanderer’ and of course when
your on the bridge- mano e mano- sometimes the other walker gets a little
nervous.
I’m carrying my old Navy sea bag at times- and do indeed
pass for a real homeless guy!
Yesterday- or the day before- my path met with a real
illegal immigrant.
Real?
Yea- lots of the guys from Mexico- well they are what most
of us think when talking aliens.
But no- this brother was from South/Central America- you
could tell.
And they do from time to time come thru the area.
So- it was about 5 am- dark- on top of the bridge.
He looked a little suspicious to be honest.
Gave me the quick ‘heah’ look.
And you know me- I have to get in the mix.
So I stop him for a second- he looks a little worried- I
tell him ‘hey bro- you need a few bucks’.
Yeah- I saw it as a chance to help the guy.
He shook his head and couldn’t wait to go.
Oh well- your loss.
So yeah- it’s been fun- a little different.
One day when I was coming over the bridge I saw Guitar
Jason.
I’ve known him for years- anyone from the area- he’s the guy
who plays his guitar on the streets- he’s been at it for 25 years now.
He spots me ‘hey preacher John’- so I spent a little time
with him by the bay- where he has a camp.
He asked me to pray the Our Father with him- sure.
Then he must see I’ve lost a lot of weight- and he offers me
a few dollars.
I told him ‘no thanks Bro’.
All my buddies know the scoop- that there old friend has run
into some hard times- and to be honest- they feel bad for me.
It’s kinda funny to be honest.
Jason insisted- as I walked away he gave me 2 bucks [he’s homeless!]
and told me to get a beer.
I took the dough- but never bought the beer.
Then the next day or so- I run into Old Tim on the walk- He
needed 2 bucks- I gave him the money Jason gave me.
Yeah- I told him where it came from- he thought that was so
cool.
That’s life on the streets- to be honest- I’m very
comfortable with the street bro’s- they are like family.
I told Tim I’ve been walking the bridge- late at night- some
think it dangerous- geez- if some one wanted to ‘get me’- all you have to do is
swerve the car for heavens sake!
But Tim said ‘well John- no one will mess with you- your one
of us’.
Ahh- got the best compliment of the year.
Okay.
A few weeks back I read a verse that caught my eye- psalms
88.
It says ‘FREE AMONG THE DEAD’.
I was also reading Luke’s gospel.
And Jesus is talking about the resurrection form the dead.
He says ‘those who are accounted worthy of that world [age] neither
marry nor are given in marriage- but are as the angels’.
He also says ‘they die no more’.
Now- I don’t want to over spiritualize this passage.
But the word AGE can refer to this new age- this new covenant
era that we are in now.
So- if you apply it that way- Jesus is saying ‘those of you
who have died- you die no more’.
Who has died?
In baptism we die to our old life- we live a life now where
we carry the Cross.
Many of us have had ‘death experiences’ we no longer live
for the praise of men.
I also recently read where Jesus said ‘you seek the approval
of men- you can not please God’.
So- to sum it up- we- those who have died to the life of
creating an image- of trying to impress people- we die no more.
‘
Why- because we have now learned that if people want to
accept us- then we have become an open book- they have seen us- both the good
and the bad.
There is no more hiding- w have died once- we are now FREE
AMONG THE DEAD.
Note- Do me a favor, those who
read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read
them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [Face book] - I have posted lots.