I always remember my father saying how amazing it was. That in the span of his father’s lifetime manned flight for the first time and manned flight to the moon had both happened. From a few tentative feet above ground to orbiting another chunk of the universe. That is truly amazing. We are truly amazing. Each of us.

The (latest) mass shooting in Oregon yesterday was reported here as front page news. We have become familiar with mass shootings in the US. Familiar with the same hackneyed debate. The same well-worn inaction. The belief that sacrifice of a few (or many) on the altar of “freedom” is merely unfortunate. Truly amazing in its incomprehensibility.

Yet the number of people wiped out in driving accidents each year goes by without a murmur. The deaths and injuries bemoaned from time to time, but (essentially) simply a by-product of personal freedom to get from A-B as we wish. Also amazing for the layers of ambiguous thinking in that one.

And then Syria and the Russian involvement. We are doing the same as you. No you are not you are being bad. No we are not – you started it. But we are doing it with love – you are doing it for your own ends. And you are not …. ?

I find the ambiguities, all the duplicity, truly amazing (and very sad).

So much we take for granted. So much amazing stuff we don’t even notice – so much ambiguity we tuck away for when we have time. it is simply “how we live”. The alternative too time-consuming to think about. So we don’t.

Yet when I stop. When I think. We ARE blessed.

Blessed with freedom and choices. So many choices people now need support to cope with the stress of those choices. So much freedom people revert to an ever smaller circle of living to make sense of it all. So much communication technology we are forgetting how to talk to each other as neighbours. We share physical space unwillingly and use our techno-bubbles as insulation from each other. We are truly amazing. Each of us.

And Jesus puts it in context. Always.

“Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”” Luke 10:17-24

Jesus’ seventy-two had a new “techie toy”. The power to cast out demons, to heal and the “authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” They had come back from using their new power. Overjoyed, amazed, buzzing!  In their lifetime they had gone from ordinary dusty peeps to Masters of the Universe! Who ya gonna call … ?

We have that same power right now. We have that same authority right now.

Us “ordinary peeps” with our freedom to stash weapons, our freedom to drive, our freedom to fly, our lifestyle of instant news from anywhere around the globe. A lifestyle of excess and destitution living side by side. A lifestyle where, despite having that power and authority right now, we prefer to focus on airbrushing our own image.

Where we endlessly split hairs of doctrine.  Where we endlessly insist we know best and you do not. And (endlessly) ignore the many lives damaged so badly in the process. Ignoring those who love – not like us … who think – not like us … who pray – not like us … who use labels – just not the “right ones” – not the ones that we use – the ones who are not “us” – the ones who are “them”.

Which is truly amazing (and very sad)!

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

That is as true today as it was when Jesus uttered those words privately to those few ordinary, unassuming, dusty peeps. He utters those same words today through The Word to you and me.  Which is truly amazing (and really cool)! So what do we do with it?

We argue.

We argue about Church as God and God as Church. We spend our lifetime defining what that means. Arguing over who is right and who is wrong. We fritter away a lifetime, a generation, generations, centuries, millennia … We are good at that!  Debating.  Endlessly debating.  Global warming by endless “hot air” – as damaging to this beautiful planet as all the science of global pillaging.

Church?  Is it a building, is it a plane, is it a …

Does it matter?

Unless we bring a tender, reverent and humble “power and authority” to live Love Unconditionally (from which everything is sourced) … all that power … all that authority … all that “amazing” … Then we are no different to those we arrogantly attempt “to save”.  And if we do bring that live Love Unconditional with us … in us … of us … in and of I Am …

Then there is nothing to left to debate. We are all right.

No wouldn’t that be truly – and wonderfully – amazing!