Fully Alive in God

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Exodus 3:1–15; Ps. 63:1–8; 1 Corinthians 10:1–13; Luke 13:1–9)   Anyone who has driven on the freeways of Southern California for any length of time knows that we are a bunch of looky-loos sometimes. Sometimes traffic is moving along great and then it just slows almost to a stop, and you crawl up to find that the road has been cleared but everyone is just trying to get a glimpse at the accident that has occurred and the result of which has moved to the side of the road. When something bad happens, it seems to be human nature to be drawn to the mayhem. I don’t know all of the details of the events being referred to here in today’s gospel but it seems clear that something terrible has happened in Galilee and with the Tower of Siloam’s collapse. Just like today when terrible things happen, there are always those who may be tempted to see it as God’s judgment on one group. And Jesus is quick to...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Éxodo 3:1–15; Salmo 63:1–8; 1 Corintios 10:1–13; San Lucas 13:1–9) Cualquiera que haya conducido por las autopistas del sur de California sabe que a veces somos unos mirones o looky-loos. A veces el tráfico avanza bien y de repente se para casi por completo, y uno se acerca lentamente para descubrir que la carretera está despejada, pero todos intentan echar un vistazo al accidente ocurrido, cuyo resultado se ha trasladado a un lado de la carretera. Cuando ocurre algo malo, parece ser parte de la naturaleza humana sentirse atraído por la destrucción. No conozco todos los detalles de los eventos a los que se refiere el evangelio de hoy, pero parece claro que algo terrible ha sucedido en Galilea y con el derrumbe de la Torre de Siloé. Al igual que hoy, cuando ocurren cosas terribles, siempre hay quienes pueden verse tentados a verlo como el juicio de Dios sobre un grupo. Y Jesús se apresura a de...

  Melissa Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Gen. 15:1–12, 17–18; S. 27; Fil. 3:17–4:1; Lucas 13:31–35)   En la película de 1986 llamado  Laberinto , que fue uno de mis favoritos de juventud, hay una mujer joven, Sarah, que tiene que cuidar a su hermano pequeño. Y ella está tan indignada por las molestias que ella dice que ella haría cualquier cosa si el niño desaparecía.  In the movie Labyrinth , there is a young woman, Sarah, who is just ready to do anything to get out of babysitting her little brother, so much that a goblin king takes her at her word!  Y un rey de los duendes escucha esto y le secuestra el bebé, y Sara busca y busca a través de un laberinto, aprendiendo mucho sobre sí misma en el camino, hasta que finalmente llega al rey de los duendes, que tiene cautiva a su hermanito. Pero a medida que se acerca, Sarah se introduce en un escenario de ensueño donde el rey de los duendes quiere atraerla a quedarse con él en una vida de cuento de ha...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Gen. 15:1–12, 17–18; Ps. 27; Phil. 3:17–4:1; Luke 13:31–35)   In the film  Labyrinth  from 1986, which was a favorite film of mine as a child, there is a young woman, Sarah, who has to babysit her little brother.  And she is so incensed at the inconvenience that she says she would do anything if the little boy would disappear.  And a goblin king hears this and snatches up the baby, and Sarah searches and searches through a labyrinth, learning a lot about herself on the way, until she finally gets to the goblin king, who has her baby brother captive.  But as she gets closer, Sarah is drawn into a dreamlike scene where the goblin king would woo her to stay with him in a fairytale existence.  And Sarah manages to break it all with one simple thought: “you have no power over me.” [1] Jesus may not have been talking to a goblin king in today’s gospel, but his message is clear.  You Herod, you fo...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard Úl timo Dom. Epifanía (C) + 3.2.25 ( Exodus 34:29-35 ; Psalm 99 ; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 ; Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a] )   El poema “Transfiguración” por Malcolm Guite, un poeta cristiano, empieza así: “For that one moment, in and out of time / Por este momento, que existe y no existe a la vez en el espacio temporal On that one mountain where all moments meet /   En ese monte único donde reúnen todos los momentos The daily veil that covers the sublime / El velo diario que cubre la divinidad In darkling glass fell dazzled at his feet. / En vidrio oscuro cayo deslumbrado a sus pies.” Can you see it? Jesus up a mountain with his disciples, he prays, and his appearance is all changed and suddenly, Moses and Elijah are there too, and they are speaking of what will be – and we understand that Jesus’ next steps will not be entirely alone but will be as part of the kinship of God. ¿Lo pueden imaginar? Jesús en una...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Genesis 45:3–11, 15; Ps. 37:1–11, 39–40; 1 Cor. 15:35–38, 42–50; Luke 6:27–38)   Last Friday at the pantry we had an interesting visitor. There was a gentleman in the patio and one of our pantry leaders, Vern, went to tell him that it was his turn next in line, only the fellow wasn’t there for the pantry or somehow got mad, and what ensued was him hitting Vern on the back with a t-shirt and then swearing at him when he said he had to move on. I joined Vern in coaxing the man out of the gate, as did Ana, but he was unfortunately quite riled up. At one point he tried to kick Vern and we had to call the police, which is definitely our last resort. But we also told him: “You are better than this!” When he left (before the police arrived as they were short staffed), I realized that the same phrase “you are better than this!” is what I have been wanting to say to some of the leadership in our country right now. At the same time,...