Past, Present, and Future in the Subjunctive

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"When I think upon my God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap from my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit."--Franz Joseph Haydn

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Picture the '60s. San Francisco. A network called PBS featured Lilias, the yoga instructor. Hippies tossed daisy bouquets onto the hoods of cars or through the windows. Gurus with peaceful, "drop out" messages proliferated. I loved the outfits made up of the "layered look" for chilly walks in Golden Gate Park. I watched Lilias faithfully knowing she wouldn't care if I ever stood on my head or not. I did my Salute to the Fog and mastered The Plough. I was wary when I heard high praise of rockers I considered bad examples because they encouraged drugs and free love orgies. Nothing free about that to my mind. Lots of searing consequences if you asked me. I bought a $3 "moo moo" at Woolworth's and passed easily as a flower child which I am to this day while at the same time I was shedding tears at the wasted huddled on steps, in alcoves, who would later be called The Homeless. They not only lacked shelter but their delusion of being at home on the planet grieved me. I read the popular new age books. I liked the optimism while being cautious of living in the moment. Catholic convent school had taught me that what I sowed, I reaped.The laws of physics were aligned along cause and effect. However, I certainly agreed with "mindfulness." I pay attention all the time. My brain is a whirligig of noticing. So this summer while walking along Lexington Avenue I was delighted to see a small eatery named EAT HERE NOW. I thought, "Perfect! The U. leadeth and I followeth." It has become part of my Sunday morning routine: EAT HERE NOW; then the #4 bus out to Riverside Church. The waitress (not the latest in lingo I know but still a word I prefer) is from Romania. I will not publish her name as I didn't ask her permission. She is trim, conscientious, efficient, with beautiful eyes which seem set on a future dream. She has an incredible memory. She knows exactly how I like my eggs and toast. The place is packed with tourists and regulars. How can she do this? I'm lucky to remember the details myself. This past Sunday I was wearing the "Friend of an Immigrant" tee Will ordered from Sojourners and the Sunday best skirt Stephanie had given me. I realized that among my immigrant friends must be the sweet wistful waitress. It was, as Ram Dass said, the time to be here now or as Jesus said long before I entered the world, "Be anxious for nothing." Listening to the sermon, I understood the "now part" revealed in the the lesson of the "bent-over woman." What I had been missing in Ram Dass' message became clear. It was as though he didn't complete the sentence for me. The guest preacher talked about the Sabbath and what it meant that Jesus had healed the bent-over woman who had been bent-over for 18 years, maybe from back breaking work, maybe from psychological weariness, on the Sabbath. "Sabbath is not only about rest," Rev.Dr. Rita Root said. "He turns Sabbath into a symbol of resistance." The higher-ups who declared that Jesus was not obeying The Law were using the law to keep others out. She went on to say the Sabbath goes beyond the sanctuary. So the "now" part is the preparation, not the destination. In the same way I eat my breakfast on Lexington, I am preparing for the day of going forth. l loved how the sermon ended, "Like the bent-over woman, we are set free to speak out, to pursue a life of justice and peace, to stand up, show up, speak up." EAT HERE NOW is now "for short" (one of my favorite phrases of my Czech son-in-law). It is a prelude, a preparation, "to be the voice of peace, of justice, to be the people of God."

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...may you be here, eat here, enjoy here and be showered with the blessings of setting forth on your journeys...