Post from July 9, 2023

“👟 RSD 1167 ✅ Today’s Verse: “Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.” — Jude 1:2

How does that math work? 1+1+6+7=15, then 1167 mod 15=12. Yeah, I had to work on that one (different modular arithmetic using different digits before I thought of just using the sum). I really wanted the 1 and the 2 because this verse with 1:2 is one of my favorites (I write it on my Christmas cards because it’s a warm, simple, sweet greeting that is what we all hope for our friends and loved ones—and our fellow brethren as well). After all, we’re all under the same sky, right?

How good is your camera? If you’re a more serious photographer, I’m sure you have one of those really good ones, the click, click, click kind (and the skill set to shoot in a variety of light). But, if you’re like me, you just use the one on your phone. Hey, they’ve come a long way over the years, but it still drives me crazy (actually, more like an occasional, minor inconvenience) that night shots don’t turn out the way you see them…especially those of the sky. They might in more rural areas, but in a city (with streetlights, etc), nah. I ran RSD 1167 at 1 am, and the moon was half full and looked haunting (but not in a scary way 👻❌), more like a…Milky Way 😁😬? I’ll see myself out. I’m telling you though: it was that orangey-yellow color, with sparse cloud cover framing it, almost like then moon was painted in the sky, a bunch of clouds were painted over it then scratched out to illuminate the moon in a kind of negative space. It was cool; it was “poignant and evocative; difficult to ignore or forget” (Google/Oxford definition of haunting 😉). But, there was a lot of background lighting, and I have an iPhone (plus a limited skill set), so the shot(s) didn’t come out at all…but I took them anyway. See, I figured I would at least have the picture, and when I would see it I could think and remember how awesome it looked in person. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s something nice to have as a memento from a random middle-of-the-night run. If you think about it, that’s how photographs work anyway, isn’t it? I mean, even if the photographs are good. Like, I see a lot of professional family pictures on FB, and they are absolutely precious, but those of you in the picture know it’s so much more than the print on the photograph. You look at that picture and you remember picking out the outfits (then changing your mind and picking out new ones) or your son’s laugh when he decided y’all needed some comedy in the middle of the shoot or how your daughter’s facial expression changed when she saw her individual shot in the back of the camera (she was proud of herself, in the best way).

In my classroom, I have a wall behind my desk with pictures, letters, etc. covering it (it’s called my Hippie Corner). One of the photographs is a blurry Polaroid from Senior Day in 2021. There weren’t a lot of kids in class that afternoon, and we were done with the semester (except for the final), and the cool thing was that, instead of playing on their phones, the kids wanted life advice and to talk about their futures. We just hung out and talked, and it was such an authentic time. No phones. No distractions. Just all of us talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company on their last day of public school, near the end of the closing chapter of childhood. One girl had a Polaroid and wanted a picture together of all of us; she gave it to me after (she had taken a picture of it on her phone) to put on my wall. It’s blurry, but it’s perfect. Like a time before digital retakes when everything was just how it was with no editing. Every time I look at it, I remember that day and just how ordinary and perfect it was. The best times are often found in the smallest of moments, you know? Part of the Message translation of today’s verse is, “Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together,” and I feel like that sentiment exists in every blurry photograph, every still photograph, because when you had to stop for the picture, the only thing you were thinking of in that moment the picture was taken was capturing that moment. We keep these pictures for the moments they represent: the love and warmth of friends and good times or the wonder and majesty of a landscape or some other place. They represent the love and peace found in that past moment, ergo they represent the promise of the same and the hope for more in the future.

Today’s verse comes from the Book of Jude; the Amplified Bible translation is, “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you [filling your heart with the spiritual well-being and serenity experienced by those who walk closely with God].” Jude is a short book, second-to-last in the Bible. Jude was an Apostle and is pretty well-known today because of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital named in his honor. If you’ve heard of the Saints, you know that each of them has things they are known for (I’m oversimplifying here, but it’s basically areas they’re good at or places and causes they’re knowing for helping with). I only mention this because I think it helps us for context in today’s verse. Among other things, St. Jude is the Patron Saint of hope, desperate cases, and lost causes (impossible causes). The Book of Jude has a whole lot of a “hey guys, we’ve got this” mentality. See, Christianity was brand new, and there was a lot of opposition. In this book, Jude reminds everyone of what all God has done, of the love and hope they have in Jesus, and that God would deal with the rest (“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” — Exodus 14:14).

Jude 1:1 introduces today’s greeting “to those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” At first glance, to be called sounds, to me at least, like it’s someone super important. You, know the people who have the right social status or influence. Or, the people who are inspirational because they’re good at everything. We all know people like that. To use school examples, it’s the kid who’s always voted everything or the kid who’s the top dancer or athlete insert collection of accolades here or the kid who everybody likes (e.g. they’re naturally funny, adventurous, etc). There are many adult versions of this, but, since we all went to high school, I figured I’d use the shared experience. These people we know are who comes to mind when we think of importance. They’re leaders, public figures, etc, and, just like everybody else, some of them totally rock at their position and some of them let haughtiness get in the way (there was this mix in Jude’s day too). Important people—those who are called to do something, well, important. But, I think a lot of us are selling ourselves short in this regard. God made everybody for a specific purpose—there is a you-shaped hole in the fabric of the universe, and only you can fill it. See, God already had every photograph of every moment in mind when He created our world, and He knew who would be perfect for each one. A lot of us have times when we feel unsure or unworthy of our calling. Everyone has moments (that were carved out in time by God) that they are perfect for. That little twinge of “I feel like I should reach out to that person, but I’m not sure what to say,” or “I think I remember enough from when I took that class, but I’m not sure I’m the best person to help my neighbor study for that test…even though I feel like I can help,” or “they need a volunteer for _____, and I really feel that I should do it, but what if I’m no good at it?” All of those “I feel like I should” is God telling you to show up for the picture. That snapshot in time of that text exchange or that tutoring session or that service project is supposed to have you in it. Yeah, we worry about our outfit (our abilities, our potential), or we worry about how our hair looks (our past, our worthiness), but anyone who’s trying to get a group picture together will tell you: they just want you in the picture. God just wants you to show up for the moment and to do your best: the picture isn’t a close up or a selfie. Plus, God has a way of making sure you look your best.

So, “to those who have been called” is about important people, but, not the “better than somebody else” kind of important—the “of great significance or value” (Google/Oxford) kind of important. We’re all called for a purpose, and we’re all called to “walk closely with God.” See, Jesus came as a Savior to all of us, so that means He came as a Savior to each of us, each individual person. We are all indescribably loved by God; He thinks we’re all worth dying for (“kept for Jesus Christ”), and sometimes we just have to remember that and act accordingly. That’s what today’s greeting, today’s warm wishes are meant for: to stick in the mind. “Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance” is what comes our way when we seek God, His help, His guidance. Mercy helps us to remember compassion and patience, both with ourselves and others. Peace also helps us with patience and helps us in our friendships; inner peace helps us to find courage. And love, that’s the foundation that makes every good thing possible, a literal (yet intangible) gift and charge from God: “‘As I have loved you, so you must love one another’” — John 13:34. So, when you show up for the picture; don’t worry too much about having the right outfit or how your hair looks. When the photograph comes out, you’ll look perfect.

Today’s pics: the half moon from last night (1 AM Sunday) and the blurry Polaroid from 2021. 🫶🏻”