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.

www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com

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