Someone said

"The point of this all is to make others feel good and make ourselves feel good."

Easter

I went to Audrey's place for Easter lunch. Audrey is a cool co-worker. We are the same age. She is married and has a kid, but she's still able to have conversations that don't center on her kid.

I stood there in her kitchen, looking at her life and thinking about mine. Wow. Am I behind? Is she ahead? Why do I think about a norm?

The minister in my church was wearing a cross today. He commented in the sermon that it's probably the first time that he's ever worn a cross. It was in honor of some cool guy, so he decided to do it.

Made like Christ,
Like Christ, we live and die.
Made like Christ,
Like Christ we rise.

The church has a tradition of releasing balloons in the sanctuary at the end of the service. We had a litany:

Leader: We will let go of these balloons to symbolize our continuing prayer for
All: Releasing the fears which keep us from walking with those who are crucified
Releasing our resistance to the Easter message that Love is stronger than Death
Releasing the Breath of God within us, giving thanks for every transformation

We rise again.

Intimacy

Both Robert Thompson and my sister, Donna, spoke about a similar "point" of life: intimate connection with the Divine. From that point, our anxieties become useless (technically). This connection is more difficult for some to maintain than for others, of course. If we even experience it periodically we are lucky. All we want in life is such intimacy but we are driven by our desire for a connection with the Divine. perhaps?

Are moments of forgiveness and peace moments of connection with the Divine?

I am reading Henry Nouwen's Intimacy.