Holy Foolishness

 

Throughout the month of April, we have been playing with the invitation of holy foolishness that is at the heart of Easter.  We have journeyed with the women to the tomb and heard the disciples scoff that resurrection, saying that Jesus coming back from the dead is, “an idle tale.”  We have witnessed the Resurrected One who beams suddenly into the room, offers peace (shalom) and asks for something to eat ~ talk about a tall tale.  And yesterday in worship, we heard about Zacchaeus, a man of power, position, and privilege scurry up a tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus ~ causing us to ponder where/when/how we are compelled to connect with Christ.  When we weave these stories together, we see a thread and theme ~ life doesn’t always make sense.  We can’t just take the endless amounts of information, process it like we are some supercomputers and spit out solutions.  This month started with April’s Fools Day, and we’ve sought to let holy foolishness speak and sing to our hearts.  This means we might risk respectability.  This means people may misunderstand us, shake their heads at us with a smirk, and cause us to feel foolish ~ as the color red floods our face.    A few weeks ago, I shared a quote from Maggie Jackson, “When there is no surprise there is no learning, meaning making takes time.”

 

Where/when have you been surprised in April?  Was it pleasant or painful or baffling or all the above?  What was your response to the surprise?  Did you stand slack-jawed and scratching your head like the disciples?  Did you try to rush to a conclusion given the evidence you’d collected?  Do you find yourself wanting to solve surprises?  Do you want to dispel doubts? 

 

I love the poem by Sandra Cisneros entitled, “When in Doubt”…I’ll offer just a few lines. 

 

When in doubt, Wear faux leopard.

When in doubt, Err on the side of generosity.

When in doubt, Greet everyone as you would the Buddha.

When in doubt, Make life’s major mistakes.

When in doubt, Carry a handkerchief and a fan.

When in doubt, Thank everyone. Twice.

When in doubt, Heed the clouds.

When in doubt, Sleep on it.

When in doubt, Treat all sentient and insentient beings as kin.

When in doubt, Forgive us our myopia
As we forgive those who are myopic against us.

When in doubt, Unreel your grief to a tree.

When in doubt, Remember this we are all on a Caucus-race.

There is no start. No finish.
Everyone wins.

 

What do you do when in doubt?  Which line above surprised or shocked or caused resistance to rise up?  May you continue to find ways to explore doubts that might just be the very door that the Risen Christ come right into your lives.  May the serendipitous presence of the sacred stir delightfully in your doubts and certainties this day.  Amen.