Walks with Barry - Profoundly Simple: A Walk Reframed

A few times this week different groups at my church painted pumpkins as an activity for classes. Everyone likes to paint a pumpkin, don’t they? The finished products are all interesting. Some are funny, some are serious. Some are mysterious. This one caught my attention immediately. If you know me, you already see why this grabbed me. If you don’t know me, you now could recognize me if we passed in a crowded airport terminal. This pumpkin looks just like me. Grey hair. Closely cropped white beard. Small eye glasses. Yes, it is definitely me. It makes me laugh every time I see the pumpkin version of myself. I can look back on the childhood version of me and remember the television shows I liked, the things I liked to do, my friends with whom I played at recess and after school. I can look back on the teenage version of me and remember the excitement of getting my driver’s license and the anxious need to fit in and be popular. I can look back on my young adult self and feel that need to

  As I walked along through the neighborhood, I came across this really, really ugly duck. At first I thought it was part of just one more Halloween display. But then it started walking away, and I realized that this was no inflatable yard decoration. This was just what it appeared to be; an ugly duck. My mind immediately took me back to the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. You know the story, I hope. I loved it as a child. The ugly little duckling does not look like the others in the group. They do not fit in. They feel awkward and alone. Little did they know that as time went by, this ugly duckling would grow into a beautiful, magnificent swan. That story has endured since 1843 because it is a well-written tale. It has been adapted and retold in countless ways across the years. But the real reason it endures is that it speaks to that part in us that feels ugly and awkward. It speaks to that part in us that feels we do not fit in, that we aren’t like everyone else. Some

One of my neighbors have this wonderfully cozy setting for their skeleton couple to enjoy. These two get up and stretch their legs now and then, returning to sit in different positions. I think all who pass by, either walking or driving, have to stop and smile. It fascinates me how adding a few simple things like the table with a pot of flowers between the chairs and the hat and scarf can make these two skeletons feel like a family. Well done, friends! When we think about it, it is the simple things that make all of us feel like family, regardless of what shape that family may take. Both listening and being heard. Holding hands and feeling an anxious heart calmed. Laughing until it hurts over something only the two of you find funny. Knowing that, regardless of anything else, there is someone, or someones, who love us and long to be near. The ability of these simple things to create a powerful bond transcends all barriers of age, distance and social status. And, if my impression of the

Seems to be a lot of spiders out for Halloween this year. They are in yards, on roofs and climbing about in all manner of webs. They seem to come in two sizes: big and bigger. Some are lit at night. Others remain as black as can possibly be. Spiders and spider webs are a staple of haunted houses and all things Halloween. Almost 20 years ago, I was appointed to a church that had an annual Halloween tradition named the “Haunted Hayride”. On the back acreage of the property was a wooded area with a pond. It was dark and removed from the parking lots and lighting around the facility. It was perfect for such an adventure. My first year as pastor, I was asked if I could drive a tractor. “Of course!” was my immediate, though not completely honest, reply. The tractor would pull the hay-filled wagon through various scenes of horror as it wound its way through the trees. Webs and spiders greeted you at the entrance of the trip. Before I drove my first group through, I managed to get the tractor

Today’s walk turned out to be all about snakes. It seems that the cold air caused a couple of snakes to follow their instincts to warmth, only this time it was the warm water of the swimming pool. Unfortunately, therein they might their demise. Then, a few miles into my walk, I came upon this HUGE snake. I sensed a theme; a somewhat disturbing theme, but a theme. Snakes . I grew up in a house that was surrounded by trees and that backed up to miles of woods. There were snakes everywhere. In the trees. In the yard. On the porch. In the attic. There was one snake that I knew I could find everyday at a certain time hanging out on the cool metal of the engine of my go cart. I never thought too much about snakes. They never really bothered me. Snakes just “were”. When I was a boy I loved to read about the snakes in Kipling’s Jungle Biok and Rikki Tikki Tavi. I would sit for hours on the floor with the “S” volume of our World Book Encyclopedia and peruse the color photos of the different sn

First dragons, now ghosts. On my walk this morning I was confronted with the two extremes of ghosts. One is angry and some what frightening. One is a friendly ghost and very welcoming. I suppose that in the ghost world, like our own, it takes all kinds. Some neighborhood ghosts swing in the wind as they hang from the trees. Some are inflated by fans, so you can sometimes catch them sleeping in a heap on the ground. Others, like these, seem to always be in business, doing whatever it is ghosts do. Some are small and some, like this angry one, tower above all who might pass their way. Those of us in this world often speak of the past in terms of our “ghosts”. We all have things that haunt us to some degree. Painful experiences. Poor decisions. Loss. Grief. William Faulkner writes, “The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.” Things have a tendency to stick with us. Our experiences, both good and bad, go into making us who we are. Some of those ghosts are like the one on the left. Others

So far, this is my favorite of all the new chalk art around the neighborhood. It was still very dark this morning, and I could barely make out the designs and words. But this one captured my attention, even in the dim morning light. I was touched by the strong statement made by these neighbors. “Hate has no Home here”. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if every house made such a commitment? So simple and yet so profound. No hate between those who live within the walls of this house. No hate for neighbors, no matter their differences. No hate for those who believe differently or vote differently or speak differently. No hate. Period. In reality, we make that decision every day of our lives. Such a choice is not a one time thing. It is a conscious discipline of both mind and heart, every day. The scripture speaks, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.” I can’t change the whole world, but I can change how I relate to those who cross m

  I read somewhere that there is a small copper globe, crafted in 1510, that contains the Latin inscription, “Hic sunt dragones”, printed over the uncharted territory off the southeast coast of Asia. “Here be dragons” is the English equivalent. The unknown, the frightening, the mysterious were often referred to in terms of sea monsters and beasties and dragons. Dragons are HUGE in the neighborhood this Halloween. I don’t recall ever seeing a dragon in all my childhood Halloweens in Mabelvale, Arkansas. A few ghosts, a random devil, and a couple of good skeletons would have been quite a sight in our minimalist world back in the day. Mostly you’d just see a pumpkin or two. But no more. People are all in on decorating for Halloween. And this year it’s dragons. Some of my neighborhood dragons, like this one, appear to be friendly. And if not friendly, at least not vicious or Some are small, some are large and looming. Some are scary. They come in all colors. Some are flying, some are stand

A Girl Scout in the neighborhood arranged a big project for this past Saturday. It was “Chalk it Up” day, and everyone was told to get ready. On this particular Saturday, every home found a supply of sidewalk chalk placed on their drive. Everyone was asked to show their artistic side and encourage one another with hopeful words. There was a high level of participation by both children and adults of all ages. Everyone wanted to support this enterprising young woman. But I also believe everyone missed those early days of the pandemic when the kids were so prolific in sharing their art. It was a beautiful day that was made even more beautiful by the vision of one young person. Though quickly faded by the sprinklers, I loved this image of butterfly and bee. I don’t know what was in the mind of the artist, but to me this was a most hopeful message that needed no words to share good news. The butterfly has long been a symbol of new life. Seemingly dead in a hard chrysalis, what goes in a cat

This friendly Jack-O-Lantern greets me in the early light each day. He is friendly anytime. In the dark, he glows softly. In the daylight, he stands sentry at the driveway. The autumn leaves that wrap the lamp post are a nice touch. There is something simple and nostalgic about this holiday decoration. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be showing you some incredible decorations from around the neighborhood. I love them all, but this one is special. It is not elaborate. It is not complicated. It is old school all the way. We live in a complicated world. We are constantly encouraged to pursue the newest, the shiniest, the biggest, the most expensive. For some of us, technology gets more complicated instead of easier. Schedules get more crowded. Even in this time where it seems we should be working less hours, we fill even more hours of our lives tied to our screens and working away. This is a good time to pause, to slow down, to go old school. This is a good time to keep things as simple as poss

On Sundays I always arrive at my church while it is still dark. This week I decided to take a walk just as the sun was making an appearance and saw that the sidewalks around the sanctuary had been beautifully decorated. It was a marvelous surprise to start a wonderful day. I was struck by the fact that all the beautiful art was there all the time. It was there during the night. It was there in the predawn hours. It was there as I walked past the glass doors unaware. The beauty and the love were there all the time, even in the dark. So it is with life. Love and beauty are all about, even though the darkness may hide them from our sight for awhile. The darkness does not diminish such things. In fact, the darkness reveals the true depth of their meaning as it gives way to the light of a new day. I am reminded of the phrase in the grand old hymn of the Church, “Holy, Holy, Holy, though the darkness hide Thee”. There is much darkness these days, that cannot be denied. But God is still pres

There is really nothing quite like walking in the gloom of the earliest rays of light and passing a car inhabited by a skeleton to capture your attention and get the heart rate up a bit. I have never laughed so hard on my walk, or been so interested in meeting a neighbor. Whoever did this is my kind of family. I am enjoying the Halloween decorations in the neighborhood more than ever before. After these long, challenging months I think I need the distraction. After repeating so many miles over and over, day after day, I need the change of scenery. Anyway, they make me smile. I appreciate the gifts that bring such a wonderful, simple joy to my life. Some of those gifts are people. Some people just make me smile. I know it is because of their own joy and love of life, but I also think it’s because they somehow make me feel as if I bring something to their life as well. And I suppose all of us like to feel we matter, really matter, to another person. That always brings joy. It brings me

Well, the message this morning is obvious. The items left at the curb proclaim it loud and clear. Someone in this house grew up. A baby car seat, a tiny scooter and a little toy car. Someone passed a milestone, or perhaps someone had a growth spurt and now they are too big to fit in these companions from days just recently passed. Either way, someone in this house grew up. We all accumulate things along the journey. All of them meet a need or a desire at the time. They fit us at the moment. Often we find it poi hard to let go. Sometimes we hang on tight and drag things along with us, long after they serve their purpose or meet our need. It is sometimes so hard to let go and place at the curb the things that we should leave behind. The Apostle writes, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.” I’m glad the writer didn’t say exactly how this happens or give a timeline for when this tr

Imagine my surprise at walking up to a discarded artificial Christmas tree today. It is a long time past Christmas; in fact, why would the owner not just leave it up for the next Holiday season which begins again at the end of next month? Even were it a Mardi Gras tree, that celebration was over long ago as well. Why now? Has it long been down and disassembled and just not put out at the curb or was it standing on its spot for all this time? I wonder. Somehow this out of time Christmas tree represents this year of 2020 rather well. When we see such things out of place and out of time, our brains don’t compute. The dots don’t connect. We lose our bearings for a beat or two. This pretty much sums up 2020 for me. I, in all seriousness, have to ask someone from time to time to clarify the day of the week. Starting in March, with the pandemic closing churches, I would video a service on Saturday to be seen on-line on Sunday. So Saturday became Sunday and Sunday became Monday and the rest of

As I walked along today in my new shoes, which replaced the pair worn down by seven months of this pandemic journey, I came across this patch of sidewalk chalk the exact same color as my shoes. I walked past it, then turned around and came back. It struck me that it looked as if I had left a track behind, or that my bright blue shoes were leaking their color along the sidewalks of my neighborhood. If that were the case, it would not be hard to track a mammal of my size, especially while leaving bright blue tracks along the way. But each of us, in various ways, do leave our tracks in the world. My mentor had a marvelous phrase he used about his congregation. He loved to make the rounds of the small town he served because he loved people and he loved sharing life with a wide range of neighbors. But he also loved to make the rounds because he would, as would often say, see “the footprints of his congregation all over town.” He loved to find that he wasn’t the first to call on a sick pari

This morning the sun rose on a yard with a new swing set front and center on the lawn. I couldn’t help but imagine how excited the little ones who live here must be at this new addition to their world. Somebody loves them very much, as well as loving to see the smiles on their faces and hear the giggles of their joy. I am certain one would have to get up this early every day if they hope to see this swing set empty. I walked away pondering the things which through the years have brought me the greatest joy in each chapter of my life. I can still remember the first bicycle I received that was brand new and just for me. It was purple, of course, and had stingray handle bars and a banana seat. Oh, how I loved that bike. I can’t begin to guess the number of miles I rode. When it became clear I was going to be a big reader and lover of words, my parents gave me a Bartlett’s Book of Quotations for Christmas. I read that book from beginning to end, and I came to dream of writing. When I was w

What a beautiful sight drifted into my life today! Silently, blowing on the wind, this colorful balloon appeared and disappeared in the matter of a moment. I could see the people blessed to be riding in the gondola. We even shared a wave as they floated past. Sometimes gifts are that way. They come unexpectedly and they pass through our life all too quickly. But they do make a difference in the time they grace our life. A beautiful sunrise or sunset. A piece of music that stirs the soul. The laughter of playing children. A book that has found the words for our life that we could never seem to find ourselves. A person who loves us in a way that changes us in an instant with a change that lasts long after our instant with them has past. Not all the best things in life are long lived in nature. Rose Kennedy said, “Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments.” Meaning can come to us in any moment. Insight can flash. Beauty can float by. Joy can surprise. Love can transform. Hope

I have walked many a mile since I have seen a curb lined with such signs of remodeling and cleaning. This was a common sight during the Spring and Summer as people made the most of being at home all day. These days, not so much. This family put out quite the collection. A sofa with four pillows, several chairs and a few very large cardboard boxes. But what really caught my eye was the car bumper. I could picture everything else coming out of the same room, replaced by newer furniture or moved outside so a coat of fresh paint could be applied. But a car bumper? I just can’t come up with a scenario that explains its presence. Sometimes life feels like this curbside collection. Everything is lined up and in its correct space. Everything seems to belong together, everything seems to fit. And then the car bumper drops into the mix. Suddenly everything seems a bit chaotic. The pandemic has been such a thing. A significant loss can be the ‘car bumper’ in our well-ordered life.. An illness. Di

Well, after the first day of viewing Halloween decorations in my neighborhood, we have a winner. It does not surprise those of you who know me well that this would capture my attention. In fact, this may very well be the best Halloween character ever! I want to meet the person who conceived of the Pink Flamingo as a skeleton! The Psalmist writes, “Then our mouths were filled with laughter and our tongues with joyful songs. Then the nations said, “The LORD has done spectacular things for them.” The LORD has done spectacular things for us. We are overjoyed.” I believe we often fail to appreciate the power of laughter in our lives and in our world. Yes, we know laughter lifts our spirits and lightens our burdens. Yes, we know that a sense of humor helps us to be spared the sin of taking ourselves too seriously.  But the Psalmist reminds us that the power of laughter reaches farther still. Our ability to laugh, our lifestyle of joy, is a witness in the world to our faith and of God’s pre

I have shared this little donkey with you once before. He always makes me smile as he gets moved around the lawn of its home day after day. This morning, the little donkey had not only moved, but he had brought something with him to his newest location. This guy is in the holiday spirit. A donkey and a jack-o-lantern equals party on this block. One of the joys of my neighborhood is that it is teeming with children, which means that parents go all out on holiday decorations. I can already tell that I will be loving this month of October. I will no doubt be sharing pictures of all manner of Halloween creatures and displays. It will be a fun trip into the heart of Fall. The change of the season reminds me that this was my favorite time of year during my childhood. The vibrant colors of the leaves. The subtle hints each morning of cold weather to come. Trick or Treating. Sweaters and jackets. Football with friends. The smell of burning leaves. Hiking and sleeping under the stars. Though I

Today I came upon these tiny, tiny flowers. They seem so fragile, but they survive. They grow mixed in with the grass and various weeds. No one tends them or fusses over them, and my guess is that few people even notice them at all. Yet they are beautiful. People can be that way as well. Some people stand out among the masses. They have huge personalities and are always the center of attention. Others are so striking in appearance that they turn heads without trying. Some are gifted in skills and abilities that others live through vicariously, such as great athletes and musicians. Still others have a natural ability to lead, and others line up to follow them with little convincing at all. To be sure, these folks are gifts to the world. We need them and we embrace them. But we miss much if we fail to see the beauty in all the rest of the human family. In our own way, we are all gifts to the world and gifts to each other. We have our unique way of being and our unique way of adding to th

As I have walked the neighborhood over these months, I have noticed how many yards have old school gas lights near where the driveway meets the street. Beginning no doubt long ago, the vast majority of these lights were converted from their original gas to electric. This is not noticeable during the day, for obvious reasons. But now that my journey begins in the dark, those lights that still burn gas are easy to identify. This particular light was beautiful this morning. The gas flame appeared a perfect ball of orange in the cool darkness, suspended at about eye level for this 6’ 3” traveler. It definitely drew me down the block. Jesus taught that we should “let our lights so shine before before others that they might see our good works and glorify God the Father in heaven.” This gas light, glowing in the darkness, reminded me that we humans really are drawn to the light like moths to a flame. We are intrigued by the light. We are curious about the light. When I was a boy, I lived no