Walks with Barry - Profoundly Simple: A Walk Reframed

  This truck says it all for some days, doesn’t it? Weathered, old and a flat tire. But it is still a good truck. It no doubt has many more miles left in it. A new tire, a wash, maybe a little tweak of the engine and it will be back on the road. Life can lead us to places where we feel weathered or old. We can feel as if we were doing fine, and then a flat tire stops us in our tracks. That is the nature of this life. The problem is that when we are in those moments, we can forget who we are. We can forget that we still have the same gifts and same heart. We can forget that we are still loved and valued by God. We can forget that we will be back on the road again. Paul writes to the Romans, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” We don’...

  As I walked along in the quiet of the morning, I began to notice an unusually high amount of water flowing along the curb of the street. I thought to myself that it must be a broken sprinkler head causing this wasteful situation. The more I walked, the deeper and faster the flow of water became. When I finally reached the source, it was much more than a faulty irrigation system. A water main had broken and had pushed up a section of the street. A river flowed in both directions. My mind quickly moved from concern about wasted water in a drought to hopes that when I made the long loop back home that I had water for a shower! I made a call to the city water department emergency number, only to discover that I was not the first to come upon the scene. I took a picture and continued on my way. I thought of the people who would be inconvenienced when the water would be shut off. I thought of the workers whose Saturday suddenly became a long work day. I thought of how we never know whe...

  As the sun was rising and the eastern sky was glowing a soft orange and pink, a lone balloon slowly ascended to mark a new Sunday and a new week. The balloon seemed to ease into the sky, and I wondered what it would be like to go for a ride as the dawn breaks. Is it quiet? Is it a gentle journey? Is it as peaceful up there as it appears from the ground far below? I wonder. As school has started and so many are struggling to find routine again in their lives and homes, I thought of the simple pleasure of easing into a day as opposed to waking up in a rush. Somewhere to be. A list of things to accomplish before the work day begins. Responsibilities and the needs of others moving us quickly from sleep to full speed ahead without much time in between. As the saying goes, “we hit the ground running” and stop only when our head hits the pillow again at night. A few hours of sleep and we do it all over again. Even though families to care for and work to do are blessings for which we sho...

As I took a quick walk around the church, the sky was a brilliant blue and the clouds a stark contrast in white. I loved how the billowing clouds drew my eyes upward, away from all the noise and distractions of life. As I took in the majesty and beauty, all else faded into the background for a while. Like walking into a grand cathedral, or climbing a mountain, or standing in an ancient forest, it was a moment of being transported. I’ve always been fascinated with the biblical stories where people are transported. Elijah in a whirlwind and escorted by a fiery chariot. Philip in the Spirit from the waters of baptism. The resurrected Jesus ascending after speaking to his followers for the last time. Though my moments aren’t as dramatic, and though I always end up in the same physical place, they are still powerful. They lift my head and my spirit. They lift my heart and my hopes. So maybe they do transport me after all. Peace.  

  As I walked along through the morning, I reminded myself to look up. The clouds were beautiful, the blue of the sky gaining ground as the day progressed. There were birds in the air providing the accompaniment. But it was this down under view of the treetops that won the day. The thick, strong limbs reaching ever higher. The green of the leaves stretched like lace between them. As I stood in the cool shade, I felt as if I were in the silent sacred space of some great cathedral. It was a wonderful place to pause and be still. For a moment. I was not in a city or a walking through a bustling neighborhood. I was in one of those wonderful moments where I was alone but not alone, present but transported. It felt like church to me. Such moments can happen anywhere. After Jacob had a dream about a ladder into heaven, he said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” May we have eyes to see and hearts to embrace such gifts whe...

  After almost two months of scorching heat and no rain, the deluge came. On the second day of rain, as the sun began to peek through the clouds from time to time, lawns and other plants were suddenly green again. As the earth soaked in long absent water, revival came. Lawn mowers will be working overtime for the rest of the week. But the rain also caused a different kind of life to burst forth. Through the brown cedar mulch of this flower bed, the new birth was not of the green type at all. Mushrooms appeared overnight, scattered here and there like sand dollars on a beach. These fungi are as alive as the newly green grass. They are their own unique living thing. The same rain gave life to these organisms that are neither plant nor animal; they belong to a kingdom all their own. Jesus taught those who would follow him : “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so ...

  The rains came. And when the rains came, they really came. Records were set In both the amount that fell and how quickly it fell as the floods rose and roads were closed. This was the sky the night before, after just the first touch of the rain had made itself known. Little could I imagine after that brief evening shower what the next day would bring. Who knew that a summer’s worth of rain would fall in just an hour. Sometimes life feels that way, too much comes at once. We might feel pretty good about our ability in handling one challenge. In our healthier, stronger moments we may be able to handle two struggles at a time. But there can come those times when it seems that our life receives a summer’s worth of trouble in a day. Those are the moments that have the ability to overwhelm and defeat us. In those times we can remember the words of the Psalmist, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path.” We may be temporarily lost in the storm, but God always kno...

  Well, the friendly neighborhood dinosaur is helping all of us mark the beginning of another school year. The last time I saw him it was the celebration of a vacation at camp. But summer has passed and school has begun, and another great adventure begins. For some reason this back to school display caused me to wonder how old the child is who lives in this great home. I can’t imagine a day when this friendly dinosaur isn’t at work documenting the milestones of a life. That life, though I have never met anyone who lives there, has become a part of my own journey. When I was a boy, I loved school. By the time summer drew to a close, I was more than ready to get back and start a new year. I wanted to see everyone. I wanted to meet my new teacher. I wanted to learn and to play and to see what would happen next in my life. There was always excitement with new school supplies. Maybe it was a year that called for a new lunch box. The school year always meant a couple of new pairs of jean...

  In the middle of our bustling community with its endless subdivisions and ever-increasing traffic, there remains a few plots of land not yet sold to developers. Planting a crop allows the land to fall under a different category of taxes, so we have what I think of as “city corn”. It is planted and left alone for the duration. This year, with a prolonged drought and extremely high temperatures, the corn is as parched as can be. It is brittle and bleached out by the sun. It is not a pretty sight. We can find ourselves feeling as parched and brittle as the “city corn” when we face hard times In our lives. Struggles with our health. Struggles with each other. The loss of those we love. Watching those most dear to us as they suffer and knowing that we cannot save them. All of these situations, and more, can leave us dried and empty. The prophet Isaiah writes, “They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, e...

  I have noticed something new on my walks these past few months. Several homes have added these workout centers to their yards. Stretched between two trees, this apparatus adds swings, rings and other various opportunities to exercise and stay fit to the children who live there. It also just looks like fun. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” The world Paul lived in, like ours, was big on sports. As he watched the games, as he watched the athletes as they trained day by day, he could see parallels to the life of following Jesus. He believed we should be disciplined and focused. He believed the life of a disciple should be intentional. He believed we should prepare for the race we run in the day to day act of living. Athletes do the hard work for a temp...

  This is one of my favorite spots, but it is a place I have not actually been. I only see this beautiful scene from a distance. It is located across the busy divided four lane street that runs past the front of my church. Over the years it has come to be a favorite, oddly enough, from times when I cannot see it at all. When I arrive at the church on Sunday mornings, it is early and still dark. I park outside the back door of my office, unload everything for the day, then I move my truck to the parking spot farthest away from the buildings. On my walk back across the parking lot, it is oddly quiet. There is no traffic on this always busy street, and I hear the water. It is a cool and refreshing sound that offers a bit of calm before a wonderfully busy day. Though it does not take me long to make my way back to my office, I have come to count on the gift of this fountain and pond that I have never visited. They are a part of my favorite day every week. The sound of the water is some...

  It was early one morning and the day was just beginning. As I walked past the church I enjoyed this most interesting sight. The moon was still bright and full in the blue morning sky. At the same time, the cupola was lit up with the rays of the rising sun. It was one of those moments when I was at the right place at the right time to see the transition of night to day with such clarity. Such moments seem to bring life into focus. We often tend to think of life in terms of black and white, where everything is clearly defined and easily understood. We like to think there is no grey, no times of transition or uncertainty or questioning. Even though our own journey teaches us otherwise, we so often seek comfort in such thinking. Jesus tried to teach the disciples this by sending them out to share the good news with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the truth of God in their hearts. He tried to teach the disciples this by telling them not to worry about what to say when they ...

  As another busy, wonderful Sunday came to an end, it was a joy to see this beautiful scene as the day signed off and the night began. The park was teaming with activity as people raced about to get in a little more soccer, a little more bike riding, a little more walking. All kinds of people doing all kinds of things under this same magnificent sky. This beautiful work of creation brought to mind the words of Jesus who said that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” With all the division in the world, with all the animosity, with all the competitiveness toward one another, we lose sight of the truth that we all are playing out our lives under the same sky. We, with all our differences, share this common human experience with all of its challenges and struggles. We, with all our differences, share this common human experience with all of its beauty and joy. Our lives play out under the same sky and in pursuit of...

  As I walked past this house, I noticed the small American flags on each side of the walk. Only after I had made my way past did it register that the house was also guarded by two sentinels, one on either side of the porch steps. And interesting sentinels they were. On the one side stands Saint Francis. One of my favorite Saints, he guards my front porch as well. Friend of creation and lover of the natural environment, he is remembered, in part, by the annual church services held to bless the animals. In my community of faith, the Blessing of the Pets is a part of our Spring tradition. On the other side sits a very large frog. I love the randomness of this choice, though it fits well with Saint Francis. There he sits, stoic and watchful, seeing all from his unique “frog’s eye view”. I am reminded of my favorite book from childhood, “The Wind in the Willows”. (Though I am aware that there is a difference between toads and frogs, they do resemble one another.) Here they stand and si...

  Finally, it rained. After a long drought, after 40+ days over 100 degrees in 2022, it rained. The afternoon sky turned dark enough for the lights to come on and it thundered and rained a hard, glorious rain. It was amazing how exciting such a simple thing can be. It was as if all of us were children again. We stopped work and listened. We found our way to windows and doors and watched. It was the most excited I had felt in a long time. What a wonderful simple gift. The prophet Ezekiel writes,”And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.” As a boy, one of my favorite songs we sang at church was based on this verse. “Showers of Blessing” had a peppy tune and to hear it surrounded in sea of singers made me happy. One verse in particular came to mind as I watched the rain: “There shall be showers of blessing, Precious reviving again; Over the hills and the valleys, Sound of abu...

  Each day that I walk through the neighborhood park, I notice the contrast between the green of the living trees and the stark bare branches of one that has been dead for the past several years. On this morning, the bright blue sky provided the perfect backdrop. One of the passages read in the commital service in my faith tradition begins, “In the midst of life, we are in death.” I have read those words many, many times over the years. I have read them over people with whom I shared close personal relationships. I have read them over people I knew in a much more casual way. They always strike me when they are read because of their simple statement of the nature of life. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live”. Death is a constant in our lives. We love and lose those dear to us. Natural disasters strike. Wars rage. Senseless violence continues. Dreams die. Plans do not work out in the end. Hopefully, in our own spir...

  I have noticed on my walks the last few weeks that the people who live on this corner lot leave out a flat of water in the shade of this tree. If you need water, warm as it may be, it is yours for the taking. If your dog is in need, the water is available. There is no sign, just the simple and quiet act of providing water. Even without a sign, people find their way to the water. Isaiah writes, “They shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.” We can all sometimes find ourselves in the desert. We can find ourselves hungering and thirsting for many things. We can find ourselves in situations where our money cannot buy us what we long for and our power cannot provide what we so desperately need. In those times we find ourselves dependent on others. In those times we find ourselves vulnerable. In those times we only find what we need through grace. That grace can co...

  The long, long drought and the 109 degree temperatures have taken quite a toll on the lawns in my neighborhood. Even with irrigation systems and watering, the grass has found it hard to compete with the extreme conditions. That is why this view caught my attention on my morning walk. As I headed east into the sun, I saw ahead this section of sidewalk that appeared different from the rest. Out of the frame to the right is a sprinkler, so this area of the concrete gets wet when the water flow oscillates. Even though I knew this to be the case, my first thought was quite different. Even though I was already soaked with sweat, I thought to myself how odd that there would be ice on the sidewalk this morning. As I boy, I was fascinated with stories where people in the desert would see a mirage and think there was water just ahead. It was as if I were looking into cooler temperatures. It was as if I were looking into a different season. I could almost feel the cold air of winter. For a ...

  As I walked down the sidewalk under the tall canopy of Oak trees, I spotted these two Cypress trees through the tunnel of trunks and branches. Their slightly different color and their straight shape make them stand out among the other trees. Cypress always make me think of my time in south Louisiana, where the trees grow in the wetlands and seem one with the water. In the Bible, Cypress trees or Cypress wood is mentioned many times. Noah’s ark was covered in Cypress. The Temple was adorned with Cypress. The poet Solomon used the Cypress trees to express the highest beauty. The wood is durable, stable, and water and rot resistant. If something is built to last, Cypress is a good choice. Doors, boats, siding, even caskets, are often made of cypress. There is something compelling about this combination of beauty and longevity. When King Solomon built the Temple, it was to represent the majesty of God and the nature of God’s steadfast love. The beauty of God’s love is not fleeting. I...

  On a recent walk through the park, I came upon this dove that was taking a walk of its own. It slowly moved along, stopping to peck here and peck there. It was moving in the direction that made it appear as if it were following its own shadow as it made its way across the huge expanse of grass. Quiet, calm and graceful, it walked. I began to think of the many references to the dove in the Bible. Noah sent a dove out from the ark to see if the flood waters had subsided. The moaning of the people in their grief is compared to the sad call of the dove. The Song of Solomon speaks of the beauty of the dove. The dove was an acceptable sacrifice for those who could not afford a lamb. All the Gospel writers tell the story a little differently when describing Jesus being baptized by John in the river Jordan. But the one thing that they all share is the image of the dove descending upon him. Matthew writes, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, th...

  As another hot summer day was drawing to a close, we were blessed with another spectacular sunset. This one was a study in orange. Every shade imaginable lit up the sky as the sun made its slow descent toward night. It was one of those moments that leaves one speechless; words are so inadequate in the face of such beauty. The Psalmist writes, “So that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.” As I reflected on this verse, I realized that as I looked at the sunset, I was no longer thinking of anything else. I was no longer thinking of what I had yet to do before calling it a day. I was no longer worried about whatever had been troubling me just a few minutes earlier. As the Psalmist wrote so long ago, all there was in that moment was joy. Such gifts are all around us. We have the ability to be such a gift to one another. Through a kind word, a smile, a helping hand, by stopping long e...

  Well, in a way, it seemed as if these walks had come full circle. This journey of mine began with the shutdowns brought on by Covid. I walked in my neighborhood and was taken with the chalk art of the children who lived around me. Everyday there were new additions to the exhibition. I was amazed by the talent and creativity. I was inspired by the power of the positive messages and kindness shared through the art. Then, things slowly began to get back to normal and the output of art decreased accordingly. Over time, the practice disappeared as quickly as it emerged. I have to admit that I missed it all very much. So today, when I came across this depiction of a star and an ice cream cone, it made me smile. It reminded me that even in the hardest of times there are gifts to be received. Even in the hardest of times, there are glimpses of beauty and hope. These chalk images reminded me that, in some amazing way, we may find that we gathered some good memories even from the hardest o...

  This outdoor gathering spot is like so many others in the neighborhood. It is located under the shade of a large tree. It consists of matching chairs and a table. It is convenient to a side door of the house, probably directly accessible to the kitchen. But this particular spot captured my attention because of the flowers. The chairs were empty. No one was chatting. No one was reading. No one was having a cool drink before the day became too hot. Yet, the table was set with a plain vase of flowers. It was amazing how this simple touch created such a powerful sense of hospitality. I was drawn to this spot as if I was personally being welcomed, as if I belonged. Jesus said, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For ...