God's Tears

Something different happened when I left the office tonight. Well at least different from the previous two nights.

It was not raining. I simply note that. I am not complaining about the rain.

Places are desperate for rain. Children of God are dying, in part because of drought.

The simple reality is that for last two nights I and many other New Yorkers have made our ways home in the rain; others have endured the rain because they had to work or because they had no place to take shelter.

Tonight, it was overcast and damp when I stepped outside. But not precipitating.

This led to an interesting conversation:

When I was a child, I used to believe that the rain was God crying. That's what my mother said. And I believed her.

Maybe, I said. We certainly give God enough reasons to cry. Look at how we treat each other, what we do to each other.

We do. We do.

We bid each other good-bye and I headed on toward the train.

And then the obvious flaw in that idea occurred to me:

If raindrops are God's tears, it would never stop raining.

See you along the Trail.

Going or coming?

Do you ever wonder:

"Am I coming

or

am I going?"

2 September 2011

Shire on the Hudson

Encounter at 72nd

The train jerked to as stop as it
entered the 72nd Street station.
He prepared to stand,
our eyes met for a New York instant.
I smiled reflexively,
he looked back perplexedly.
Averting his eyes,
he gripped the pole,
pulled himself to his feet,
and left the car.

31 August 2011
Shire on the Hudson

96th street station before Irene

 

Not sure when I took this one - might have been back in July on my way home from preaching at Church of the Covenant. It seems appropriate to post this one tonight. Tomorrow around noon the MTA is suspending service in anticipation of Hurricane Irene - or Tropical Storm Irene - or whatever may come our way.

Weather on the trail

Sun
rain
sleet
hail
snow
all forms of weather
greet us on the trail

21 February 2011
New York City

Seen on the train - August 19, 2011

On the train into work today, I watched as a guy read Dracula by Bram Stoker on his Kindle directly across from a poster for The Vampire Diaries. Interesting contrasts of technologies and story lines.

See you along the Trail.

Making my way home

Water squishes from my socks
with each step I take through the station,
my pants restrict my movements,
clinging to my shins and thighs,

I trudge down the stairs and onto
the street; I walk through the rain
as though seeking a
wet Oxford shirt contest.

A white flash illuminates the sky,
glowing blue off the top of the subway car;
the sky rasps out
a deep, low rumble.

The storm exhausts its fury
while I make my way home
where I realize
how blessed I am.

19 August 2011
Shire on the Hudson

Self-reliance

They boarded the train at 103rd,
two friends,
who found a spot
in the nearly empty car
to sit together,
talking,
joking.
After a few moments,
one pulled out a book and
began to read -
carefully,
slowly,
clearly,
reading to the other
reading for the other
every word of
Self-Reliance.

31 July 2011
Shire on the Hudson

Baseball in Grand Central

Dark hair curls appear from underneath the Yankees cap
pulled tightly down on his head.
He stares at a point beyond the escalator as
his left hand cradles his gloved right hand.
Tensed, ready,
he sees not the crowd but
watches and waits.
For a long fly ball?
A long departed ghost?
A long lost love?

27 July 2011
Shire on the Hudson