Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem
James 3
(Two Kinds of Wisdom)
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
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Although I was never an "Athelete", there was a time when I went to a ladies' gym every day and did 10K on the treadmill. It took an hour, as I was only jogging at 6mph, so you can't call it "running"! There was a masseuse who had a room at the gym and, once a week, I treated myself to a terrific sports massage. Other things intervened in my life, and I lost touch with the gym and the wonderful sports massages.
Then my ex-sister-in-law told me she had taken a course in a new kind of massage from Ancient China, and was renting space way up on the North Shore (on the other side of the Bridge!) and that she would give me a discount. Wow! This necessitated a 30 mile drive right through the heart of Boston during the infamous BIG DIG, but it was worth it! I made an appointment that would not coincide with Rush Hour, not realizing the "Rush Hour" lasted all day back then.
I gave myself an hour to get there, but it took an hour and a half. When I arrived, I was completely stressed out. I couldn't wait for the deep-body-massage-from-ancient-china to undo the knots in my muscles and relieve my stress.
The room she had rented was in a Physical Therapy Office, so I was even more encouraged as I went through the door. I apologized for being late, disrobed and lay on the table in the dimly lit room. I really, really needed this after that ridiculous drive! My XSIL came in, dimmed the lights, lit some candles and incense, and put on some new age music. (OK, lots of masseuses do that. It helps calm the patient I guess). Then she proceeded to run her hands over me, not quite touching my skin, and then shaking her hands off as if getting rid of some liquid substance. She did this for 50 minutes. When I asked her what was going on, she replied that she was "aligning my chakras, and straightening out my Chi." When I told her I wanted a Massage, she sighed and half-heartedly rubbed my back and legs and called it a day. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, and I was so embarrassed by the whole thing that I paid the discouted fee, and tip, got back into my car, and drove though Boston Traffic again, getting even more stressed-out than I was to begin with. Oh Well. The things we do for love.
Hans Christian Anderson wrote an amazing little tale called "The Emperor's New Clothes". In this story, two con artists convince the Emperor that they produced the most unique and magnificent cloth that was invisible to incompetant people. There was no cloth on the loom at all, but nobody said anything about it because they thought it would reveal them as incompetent. And so, the Emperor marched in a parade in the nude, until an innocent child exclaimed, "The Emperor isn't wearing any clothes!", thus opening everybody's eyes.
We live in a World where "Wokism" has taken hold. This is a type of "Emperor's New Clothes" scenario, where any questioning of the establishment is denounced as "racism", "sexism" or "fascism". People lose their jobs over questioning the prevailing "wisdom", and lecturers are "cancelled" at places that used to encourage questioning and diverse opinions. The "Wisdom of the World" is, as James points out, evil.
What James says next will become my new tag line:
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.
"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
God Bless America.
Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.
Hallelujah and Amen
ML/LTOS