Brother Cadfael's Herb Garden

Is planted with rue, sage, rosemary, gilvers, gromwell, ginger, mint, thyme, combine, herb of grace, savoury, mustard, fennel, tansy, basil, dill, parsley, chervil, marjoram, peonies for spicy seeds, poppies for pain. And I would add lavender and true marigold.

AGAPE

Anamchara seems the best place for these ruminations. Was surprised at the size of the book of MLK's writings but it also includes his books. Can't understand what the man was saying until you understand the words he used. English has one word for love. The Greeks had a least three. When King said love you neighbor Agape was the word he was using. Something tells me I'm going to be here a lot more often. Then it's the Liberation theologians and the pagans. Interesting how basic ideas cross "party" lines so to speak.

“Agape means nothing sentimental or basically affectionate; it means understanding, redeeming good will for all men, an overflowing love that seeks nothing in return. It is the love of God working in the lives of men. When we love at the agape level we love men not because we like them, not because their ideals and attitudes appeal to us, but because God loves them. Here we rise to the level of loving the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed he does.

…There is something at the very center of our faith that reminds us that Good Friday may reign for a day, but ultimately it will give way to the triumphant beat of Easter drums. Evil may so shape events so that Caesar occupies a palace and Christ a cross, but one day that same Christ will rise up and split BC from AD, so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by his name.  Martin Luther King Jr. from A Testament of Hope. Excerpt from Nonviolence and racial justice 1956.

DRUIDS BY ANOTHER NAME?

There's a touch of Morgan Llywellen's Druids in McKillop's land rulers. They not only have an intimate knowledge of the land, in a way they are the land, the people, the plants, the animals. They are there to keep the balance. Maintain the pattern of life. Some of them have powers that look like magic. Magic or a deep understanding of what's real.

THE BALANCE

Caesar's death wasn't a tragedy. It was an attempt by the Maker of All Things to restore balance. Too bad he could only die once.

CARRIED BY THE WIND

WHAT?

What draws down the prophetic wrath? The man who steals because he's starving, or his family is starving? Because he/she is addicted and has to feed the monkey on his back? Is what our society considers insane? Or the investment broker in the three piece suit. Possessor of an Ivy League degree with what appear to be clean hands and an air of trust. Known to be a power in their church. One who accepts money from oligarchs who supported death squads. Or looked the other way?

IT'S ABOUT TRUST

Realized something today. Probably brought to the surface by my Advent reading. I AM NOT A LITERALIST.  And I'm strictly an amateur here. The original sin was not eating the fruit. When Satan (whatever he/she is) basically said "I know something you don't know." Eve didn't say "that's very interesting let me double check with the Lord, I'll get back to you." She didn't trust God, she trusted a stranger.

Look around us. Lack of trust is choking us to death.Be afraid of the elected hired help; they;re out to get you. Be afraid of your neighbors, they might hurt you, kill you. You need to get them before they can get you. And for too many women in too many countries that fear is very real, and the authorities that are supposed to protect them don't.

 Listen to this year's crop of losers. "It's not my fault." "Our message is good, we just need to package it better."

And the newest? From Mitt's oldest son no less. Now here this. Daddy didn't really want to president. Well, kid, you could have fooled me.