Три минијатури

Никој ниту да праша

Имаше две грицкалки за нокти, една пена за бричење, едно кутивче неотворени жилети, три ролни селотејп, два шпила карти во пластична кутија, една тубичка суперлепак и две батерии од еден и пол волт врз картонската кутија зад која на земја седеше брадосан стар човек и гледаше неодредено во луѓето што минуваа. Но никој ниту да застане, никој ниту да праша.

Однатре

Велат дека тоа што поларната мечка ќе го улови и ќе го изеде за време на пролетта, треба да и трае сè до следната пролет. И јас како неа, ова априлско утро, ги отворам сите сетила и лакомо ја впивам пролетта во себе, со надеж дека на зима ќе раззеленам...однатре.

Изговор

“Ќе одам да го фрлам ѓубрето” реков, како изговор да излезам и да ја помирисам расцутената праска.

Am I the brother of the lost son?

Yesterday I preached about the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15. Two days ago when I wrote on facebook that I will speak about that someone said (I think my finish friend Laura) that I should post it on my blog so others can enjoy it.

A short version of what I said would go something like this...

Almost everyone that reads the Bible or has read it at least ones knows the story of the Prodigal Son. How a father has two sons and the younger one asks for his part of the inheritance, he gets it and then goes and spends it. After some time he is hungry, lonely and devastated and decides to go back to his fathers house. He comes back wanting to be just a slave but the father receives him as his son and puts on him new clothes, he gives him a ring which means that he restores his sonship and throws a big party (with lots of meat).

The older son, who has been working on the field, coming back home hears the joyful sounds and is confused. He is informed that his father is throwing a party because his brother is back. Then he gets angry and doesn't want to join the party. His father comes to him and asks him what's the matter. The older son says that he is working like crazy all the time and he never got a treatment like this. Then the father says something very important, which is crucial to our story. He says, "My son, you are together with me all the time and everything I have is yours".

First, the older brother thought that the father was not fair. That he was not treating them equally. But if we think little bit deeper and if we compare the father with the Father God (something which is obvious in this story), then we will come to the conclusion that God's grace is not fair, that God's love is not fair cause it gives us generously something that we don't deserve. So if we have been given grace and love we shouldn't be angry when that same love and grace are extended to other people. Something which is not easy cause I felt for the older brother many times when I would read the story. :)

Second, he said that he is working like crazy and that he never did anything wrong towards his father. We have a picture of a obedient, hard-working, respectful, good guy. And that is ok. It's great to be someone like that. But his problem was his picture of his father. He lived in the same house with his dad but he still saw him as a slave master. (But his dad was definitely not a slave master and a controlling person cause when the younger son asked for his inheritance he didn't say no which speaks something about him).

My point is this. The way we see God will determine the way we will live. If we see him as a slave master we will always unconsciously try to work hard to please him. We will think that we suffer and work hard for him, never asking for a "party", trying to be nice people, always positive and ready to help. We can do all those things and still not be happy and fulfilled. When we understand that God takes pleasure in us even before we do anything for him then we are free to enjoy God and enjoy life. (Even before Jesus did a single miracle the Lord said, "This is my beloved Son and I really like him"). I think that in that "everything I have is yours" there is not only a material provision but a quality of life, a life of freedom and joyous participation.

One question that we can all ask ourselves is this, "Do I enjoy life? Am I excited for being alive and serving God?"

I hope that this makes sense and I pray that everyone of us will understand that "all I have is yours". Amen.

p.s. While looking for some photos to put with the post I found this wonderful poem called The Second Prodigal.

He was lost too,

although he could not see it,

for he had stayed at home, was

loyal, hard working,

steady...

but lost.

*

Trying all the time

to prove himsel,

he put in long hours,

denied himself

all pleasures,

lost himself in toil

and busyness.

*

He was lost,

but somehow he didn't know

that he had

cut himself off .

Our relationship suffered.

I longed for him

to be home.

*

He was as lost as his brother

a second prodigal,

upright and clean living,

but lost,

so consumed with doing,

that he forgot

how to be

my son.

*

...and I am still waiting

for him to come home....

*

is this you??

Someone to hate

Today, the whole world is echoing with the news that Osama bin Laden is dead. And there are thousands americans celebrating on the streets. I'm not interested in politics and I don't want to be pro or against but that makes me think.

When 9/11 happened there were few thousand people killed in the attack and that is sad. It's sad when anybody dies. And then we all know that the war against terrorism began and so on. It was such a big thing. It was said that Osama was the guy responsible for that which is probably true. It's good for the people to have someone that they can blame, someone that they can hate, right?

But my question is this. Do you know how many kids will die in Africa today because of starvation and lack of medicine and nobody makes a big deal out of it? Do you know how many kids were abducted and turned into killers in Uganda and other african countries and nobody cares? Do you know how many kids are forced to child labour and nobody gives a damn about it? And we can do something about this. But we don't want to.

Human lives are human lives. We are all equal and there are no first class world citizens and second class world citizens. In the eyes of God we are all the same. So seeing people celebrating the death of the "bad guy" who is a threat to their comfortable life and rich provision of oil makes me sick.

Без душа (Томас Бернхард)

Се додека лекарите во болницата се интересираат само за телата, а не за душата за која очигледно не знаат ама баш ништо, болниците ќе мораме да ги нарекуваме не само институции на јавното право, туку и институции на јавното убиство, а лекарите и нивни соучесници. Кога телото на некој самостоен научник од Отнанг кај Хаусбрук, кој бил упатен во болница поради некоја таканаречена необичност, му било целосно прегледано, тој, како што напишал во писмото до стручното медицинско списание Лекар, прашал: "а душата?", на што лекарот, кој го прегледувал телото му одговорил: "бидете мирен!"